Today’s guest is Helix, the GM of the actual play podcast, RPG Major. RPG Major is a detective show in a fantasy version of modern Seattle. The show is half RPG/half musical improv, setting it apart from many other actual plays. The game is run using the Genesys system. Every few minutes a song drops in to cover the group’s activities and emotions. The whole show is accompanied by live acoustic guitar music. There’s a little chord the guitarist plays whenever the dice are rolled or a bad thing happens. Great, easy listening.

The world is much like our own, but with more fantasy creatures right on the surface of the public eye. Creatures are everywhere if you know where to look, but most people simply don’t look. History remains similar to our Earth, with no fantastical events or magic in the last few centuries. All the satyrs, dryads, fairies, and ogres have gone into hiding. And when a problem with the fantastical world emerges, who you gonna call? Not the Ghostbusters, but Thorn Investigations! The PCs play the members of the new detective agency, Thorn Investigations, which helps the people of Foxglove (fantasy Seattle) whenever a supernatural issue arises.

RPG Major Links:
RPG Major Website
RPG Major Spotify
RPG Major Apple Podcasts
RPG Major Discord

Helix and I also briefly discussed the Filipino monster, the Manananggal, and the Filipino actual play podcast, the Blades of Mayari. You can check them out using the hyperlinks to learn more.

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I’m Isaac

Welcome to the GoCorral website! I’m Isaac Shaker and this is a place for me to write about D&D and occasionally other topics. I host a podcast called Setting the Stage that interviews different DMs about their campaigns. I’m currently focused on completing the Cimmeria campaign setting and turning it into a book.

Setting the Stage Podcast

83 – Call of Cthulhu's Garden (Hem and The Sprouting) Setting the Stage, Campaigns for D&D and Other RPGs

Hem tells us about their actual play campaign, The Sprouting. Within the world of The Sprouting, Earth's history diverged during the 1800s when an eldritch horror was summoned into our reality. The horror lay in wait for centuries, building up a secret army of plant monsters. In 2020, the plant monsters struck, ruining infrastructure and attacking population centers across the world. One hundred years have passed and our heroes learn that the next stage of the plant apocalypse has begun…We also discussed some of the difficulties and pleasures of actual play podcasts and how the RPG community varies internationally (Hem is in Iceland).If you want to try listening to The Sprouting its available on all major podcast platforms. You can learn more on The Sprouting's website.For other shows produced by Hem check out Blighthouse Studio's website.Hem mentioned The Lucky Die actual play show of theirs several times which used D&D 5e.And the broader network of Fable and Folly has their website too.Check out the Setting the Stage website!Want to be on the show? Fill out this survey.Join our Discord!Support Setting the Stageon Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  1. 83 – Call of Cthulhu's Garden (Hem and The Sprouting)
  2. 82 – Tarot Ghosts (George and Fears & Fortunes)
  3. 81 – Biopunk 2287 RPG (Seiya and Synesthesia Synthetica)
  4. 80 – Dynamic RPG Countries (Travis and Tetara)
  5. 79 – Dragon Age Degenerates (Zoe from Degenerates with Dice)