Writing Alchemy

This Bonus Cast starts with a behind the scenes discussion about this change in format, then jumps into the player and characters introductions for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program Game.

My first ever Bonus Cast is on the topic of my favorite LGBTQ+ role-playing game character.

Our three heroes finally reach the owlbear den in the sixteenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Join them as they have their first encounter with wild owlbears! Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue, Tarragon the orc bard, and D’Zân the weredragon druid are participating in The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a project that is reestablishing owlbears in areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. Throw in a group of skilled poachers determined to steal owlbear eggs and things are bound to get interesting. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

In the fifteenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes, our three heroes arrive in Islandtown, the home of the Crossroads Wilderness Keepers. Join them as potions are brewed, paper is shuffled, and a wagon is wreathed in flames! Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue, Tarragon the orc bard, and D’Zân the weredragon druid are participating in The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a project that is reestablishing owlbears in areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. Throw in a group of skilled poachers determined to steal owlbear eggs and things are bound to get interesting. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

In the fourteenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes, our three heroes get their first internship assignment from The Adventurers Academy. Join them as they start out on their journey! Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue, Tarragon the orc bard, and D’Zân the weredragon druid are participating in The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a project that is reestablishing owlbears in areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. Throw in a group of skilled poachers determined to steal owlbear eggs and things are bound to get interesting. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Meet D’Zân the weredragon druid in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. D’Zân is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now xe is studying creative problem-solving. Join xem for a surreal training exercise where xe swims through a sky full of sharks. This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Meet Tarragon Songsteel the orc bard in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Tarragon is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy, and right now they are studying creative problem-solving. Join them for a surreal training exercise where they attempt to retrieve an orb from a mysterious underwater maze. This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Meet Willa the gecko lizardperson rogue in this character introduction episode of Unfamiliar Heroes. Willa is a student at the celebrated Adventurers Academy and right now she is studying creative problem-solving. Join her for a surreal training exercise involving four hostile robots guarding an orb, surrounded by a massive pile of rubble. This character introduction is preparation for The Owlbear Reintroduction Program, a game where the characters participate in a project that is reestablishing owlbears in wilderness areas where the owlbear populations have been previously wiped out. Of course, this is not as simple as it sounds, because owlbears are large, ferocious, magical predators. This improvised, tabletop adventure was created with the Magic Goes Awry role-playing system!

Captured by rebels, our three heroes are fighting back. Malena, Adre, and Mariah have incapacitated the rebel captain and four guards. Now they are taking the fight into the shuttle bay, where they are causing havoc. Join them in the tenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes as Malena, Adre, and Mariah attemp to escape the rebel ship! Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

In the ninth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes Malena, Adre, and Mariah have been captured by rebels. Join them as they meet the rebel captain and implement their desperate escape plan. Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

In the eighth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes meet the crew of the Raptor as they defend their test shuttle from the renegade starship Sojourner. Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!

In the seventh game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes the paranormal detectives of the Cat’s Paw Ghost Control agency investigate some disturbing, supernatural growls that have been plaguing a small Seattle neighborhood. Maybe it is a were-raccoon, or perhaps it is a were-cow. Listen to find out! Tabitha the space alien cat, Jake the fake TV psychic, and Lalla the plant talker botanist are the paranormal detectives of Cat’s Paw Ghost Control. Join them as they solve supernatural problems with cat-themed technology, a shady network of contacts, and plant power in a tabletop game that uses the InSpectres role-playing system!

In the sixth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes a Seattle grocery store is plagued by mischievous spirits with a special resentment toward lederhosen. Meet the Cat’s Paw Ghost Control team as they tackle this challenge together. Tabitha the space alien cat, Jake the fake TV psychic, and Lalla the plant talker botanist are the paranormal detectives of Cat’s Paw Ghost Control. Join them as they solve supernatural problems with cat-themed technology, a shady network of contacts, and plant power in a tabletop game that uses the InSpectres role-playing system!

This second anniversary special episode includes behind the scenes updates, outtakes, and six very silly bad poems that were composed for a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Vogon poetry competition in which the goal was to make poems that were as terrible (and funny) as possible.

It is finally the day of the Full Moon Ritual, but as the heroes prepare, they discover that something isn’t quite right. This episode is the conclusion to the first game of Unfamiliar Heroes. Underneath the facade of ordinary reality lies a hidden world of monsters and magic. At Sylvan Community College a secret program teaches supernatural teens to deal with this dangerous world as they struggle with the mess and confusion of their own lives. Welcome to the First Responders Training Program, a tabletop game using the Monsterhearts 2 role-playing system!

In this fourth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes the humor and drama continue as Tamara confronts Vanessa about her spying, Janus tries to figure out what the First Responders Training Program really is, and Vanessa has a vision that leads to an important revelation! Underneath the facade of ordinary reality lies a hidden world of monsters and magic. At Sylvan Community College a secret program teaches supernatural teens to deal with this dangerous world as they struggle with the mess and confusion of their own lives. Welcome to the First Responders Training Program, a tabletop game using the Monsterhearts 2 role-playing system!

In this third game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes the humor and drama continues as Shanda gives Vanessa some subtle guidance and Tamara confronts Janus with an unexpected truth! Underneath the facade of ordinary reality lies a hidden world of monsters and magic. At Sylvan Community College a secret program teaches supernatural teens to deal with this dangerous world as they struggle with the mess and confusion of their own lives. Welcome to the First Responders Training Program, a tabletop game using the Monsterhearts 2 role-playing system!

In this second game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes we learn more about Sylvan Community College, fill in a few key pieces of character background, and then jump into Vanessa and Janus’ awkward first meeting in the Pagan Student Association! Underneath the facade of ordinary reality lies a hidden world of monsters and magic. At Sylvan Community College a secret program teaches supernatural teens to deal with this dangerous world as they struggle with the mess and confusion of their own lives. Welcome to the First Responders Training Program, a tabletop game using the Monsterhearts 2 role-playing system!

In this first game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes we meet Vanessa the judgmental witch and Janus the slacker ghoul, learn about Sylvan Community College, and discover the mysterious event that connects Janus and Vanessa. Underneath the facade of ordinary reality lies a hidden world of monsters and magic. At Sylvan Community College a secret program teaches supernatural teens to deal with this dangerous world as they struggle with the mess and confusion of their own lives. Welcome to the First Responders Training Program, a tabletop game using the Monsterhearts 2 role-playing system!

In this foundational episode of Unfamiliar Heroes, which I’m calling Episode Zero, I start off with a discussion of disability representation and the reasons why I feel that this project is so needed. Next I go over the ways that participants who live at the intersections of oppression are centered in this project. Finally I discuss the eight game ground rules which are designed to keep games accessible and inclusive. Unfamiliar Heroes is a podcast series in which three disabled, neurodiverse, and/or chronically ill players and a game master play story-focused tabletop role-playing games where all of the player characters have disabilities, diverse minds, and/or chronic illnesses. In its core values, this project centers the experiences of people living at the intersections of oppression. Unfamiliar Heroes is part of the Writing Alchemy Podcast.