RPGBOT.Podcast

Nothing says "pulp adventure" like pouring jet fuel into a moving car, chasing Nazis across the desert, watching a monocle explode off someone's face, and then accidentally triggering sanity-shattering cosmic horror before lunch.
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Pulp Cthulhu Actual Play, Murray and Bjorn demonstrate that reckless engineering is a valid transportation strategy, grenades are a valid diplomatic strategy, and sprinting deeper into an ancient tomb filled with acid traps and reptilian nightmare monsters is apparently the safest plan available.
If you've ever wondered how long it takes before someone loses their mind, their jet fuel, or their grip on reality — the answer is: about one car chase and a sandstorm. Buckle up.
Show Notes
Picking up from the escape sequence, the cast dives immediately into cinematic pulp chaos as the party chases their enemies across the desert in identical vehicles. The Keeper introduces chase mechanics, and Randall immediately weaponizes poor decision-making by injecting aerosolized jet fuel into the engine — a maneuver that miraculously succeeds and rockets the car forward. The pursuit becomes a back-and-forth exchange of hazards: dunes, quicksand, chasms, and barriers, all resolved through skill checks and player improvisation.
The action escalates when the villains retaliate with occult spectacle. Scarlet Arachnus summons a supernatural sandstorm, forcing sanity checks as the players witness magic in action. The chase culminates in explosive pulp heroics — Tyler uses telekinesis to lob a grenade, annihilating an enemy squad and their fancy monocled leader in one cinematic blast.
Despite the victory, Arachnus escapes toward a ritual site where her artifact awakens a buried desert city. The party follows into ruins that transition the tone from swashbuckling action to creeping cosmic dread. Exploration brings environmental puzzles and traps — light-reflection mechanisms, directional pedestals, acid-spraying carvings — that showcase investigative gameplay and collaborative deduction.
Inside the tomb, tension mounts. Evidence of cult activity, sacrificial imagery, and partially dissolved remains reinforce the setting's horror roots. Soon the players encounter reptilian hybrid creatures resembling carved murals, triggering sanity rolls and frantic combat. Explosives thin the swarm but destabilize the chamber, forcing a desperate escape deeper into the complex.
The episode closes on a classic cliffhanger: Arachnus prepares a ritual invoking cosmic forces as a forbidden tome levitates, mutates her followers into grotesque forms, and tears reality itself. The party arrives just in time to witness the ritual beginning — and the session ends on that looming confrontation.
The overall tone blends humor, pulp action tropes, and creeping Mythos horror, demonstrating how Actual Play showcases system mechanics organically — from chases and sanity to puzzle-solving and narrative escalation.
Key Takeaways
Pulp Cthulhu chase mechanics emphasize cinematic momentum and risk/reward decision making.
Player creativity (even reckless creativity) drives memorable moments and story direction.
Sanity checks reinforce tone shifts when supernatural elements emerge.
Explosives and improvisation can resolve encounters — but often create new problems.
Environmental puzzles highlight investigation and teamwork over pure combat.
Mythos horror escalates gradually through imagery, traps, and creature reveals.
Narrative pacing uses alternating action and exploration to maintain tension.
Cliffhangers remain an effective session-ending tool for serialized Actual Play.
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

Ritual spellcasting is the part of tabletop roleplaying games where wizards stop blowing things up for ten minutes and instead argue about chalk circles, incense pricing, and whether chanting counts as a somatic component if you're holding snacks. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we dive deep into D&D ritual casting mechanics, explore how Pathfinder and 5e ritual spells change encounter pacing, and discuss how to turn out-of-combat magic systems into storytelling tools instead of bookkeeping exercises. Because sometimes the real magic isn't Fireball — it's spending eleven minutes summoning a familiar while your party rogue steals your candles.
Show Notes
Ritual magic sits in a fascinating design space across modern tabletop RPG systems, particularly in Dungeons & Dragons 5e ritual spellcasting rules, where casting without expending spell slots reshapes resource management and exploration play. In this episode, the hosts explore how ritual casting in tabletop RPGs functions both as a mechanical subsystem and as a narrative lever for immersion. Rather than treating ritual spells like background noise, we discuss ways GMs and players can frame non-combat spellcasting mechanics as collaborative storytelling moments that reinforce tone, pacing, and worldbuilding.
The conversation begins with a mechanical breakdown of how ritual casting works in D&D, including class access, preparation requirements, and opportunity cost. We compare approaches to ritual magic systems in Pathfinder and other TTRPGs, highlighting how design differences affect party planning and gameplay tension. Along the way, we touch on optimization considerations for players researching best ritual spells for utility and exploration, and how ritual access can shape character identity outside of combat encounters.
From there, the discussion pivots toward table culture and presentation. Ritual casting is an opportunity to create sensory texture — chanting, environmental interaction, symbolic components — and we outline practical techniques for GMs seeking to immerse players through magical storytelling. This includes pacing strategies, spotlight balance, and methods for integrating ritual outcomes into ongoing campaign arcs rather than treating them as isolated mechanics.
Finally, we address common pitfalls. Overuse can trivialize challenges, while underuse wastes design space. By framing rituals as collaborative scenes instead of background automation, tables can unlock deeper engagement with fantasy roleplaying immersion techniques and reinforce the feeling that magic is mysterious, costly, and meaningful.
Whether you're optimizing your spellbook or building cinematic magical moments, this episode provides both system mastery and creative inspiration for getting more out of ritual spellcasting at your table.
Key Takeaways
Ritual spellcasting in D&D 5e allows slot-free utility casting but requires time investment and preparation planning
Understanding how ritual casting works in tabletop RPG systems helps players optimize exploration and resource management
Many best ritual spells for roleplaying immersion shine outside combat and define character identity
GMs can elevate non-combat magic storytelling by emphasizing sensory description and table participation
Ritual scenes are opportunities to reinforce pacing, spotlight sharing, and narrative tone
Comparing ritual mechanics across Pathfinder and 5e highlights how system design affects tension and preparation
Avoid trivializing obstacles — meaningful cost or risk keeps ritual magic engaging
Treat rituals as collaborative scenes rather than background mechanics to enhance immersion
Strong presentation transforms fantasy ritual casting experiences into memorable campaign moments
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

There are two ways to learn a tabletop RPG: read the rulebook… or get shot at on a collapsing train while chasing occult Nazis across North Africa. In this RPGBOT.Quickstart actual play of Pulp Cthulhu, the crew demonstrates how cinematic pulp RPG sessions actually unfold — complete with relic thefts, hypnotized enemies, catastrophic dice rolls, and a physics-defying jetpack solution. If you've ever wondered how Call of Cthulhu actual play gameplay, learning Pulp Cthulhu through play, or tabletop RPG session flow examples look in the wild, this episode shows you — loudly, chaotically, and probably while someone is falling off a cliff.
Show Notes
This installment of the RPGBOT Quickstart actual play series transitions from theory into demonstration, showcasing how to learn Pulp Cthulhu gameplay mechanics through live play. Following prior episodes on system concepts and character creation, the cast introduces their pulp-era investigators — including an eccentric engineer and a circus-trained occult bruiser — tasked by an FBI occult task force to intercept Nazi relic hunters in 1935.
The scenario begins aboard a desert-bound train headed toward a meeting with archaeologist Iowa Roberts, where the party examines a mysterious artifact that functions like a supernatural compass pointing toward the mythical desert city tied to forbidden lore. Their investigation is interrupted when the rival occult agent Scarlet Arachnus steals the relic during a catastrophic derailment, throwing the game immediately into cinematic action and demonstrating combat initiative, skill rolls, and survival mechanics in Call of Cthulhu actual play.
Escaping a precariously hanging train car, the players confront armed enemies, navigate terrain hazards, and showcase mechanical problem-solving through teamwork and skill checks — highlighting how dice outcomes shape narrative consequences. The action continues across exposed train cars with firefights against heavily armed foes, illustrating tactical movement, cover usage, and pulp-style heroics.
After surviving the encounter and sabotaging the collapsing train, the group scavenges supplies, uncovers clues, and discovers evidence of a larger occult plot: a map referencing desert pillars and connections to mythic texts associated with forbidden knowledge. Realizing they've handed the artifact to their enemies, they pivot to pursuit — commandeering and repairing a damaged vehicle, demonstrating mechanical repair gameplay and collaborative skill usage.
The session concludes with the party navigating across the desert using improvised technology to track tire marks toward their adversaries — emphasizing exploration and skill-driven storytelling in tabletop RPG actual play teaching examples.
Overall, this consolidated episode functions as a practical tutorial on how actual play sessions model rule application, improvisation, and narrative escalation, blending cinematic pulp action with procedural gameplay instruction.
Key Takeaways
Actual play is an effective way to learn Pulp Cthulhu rules and gameplay flow in context
Character introductions reinforce narrative hooks and mechanical identity
Skill checks drive storytelling outcomes — success and failure both move plot forward
Combat showcases initiative, cover, and pulp-action pacing
Environmental hazards highlight survival and problem-solving mechanics
Collaborative play enables creative solutions beyond strict rules
Resource scavenging and clue discovery reinforce investigation gameplay
Vehicle repair and navigation demonstrate non-combat system depth
Narrative escalation illustrates long-form campaign structure
Session ends with forward momentum toward mythos investigation and pursuit
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

There are monsters in tabletop RPGs that exist to be fought, monsters that exist to be feared, and monsters that exist to make the Dungeon Master quietly whisper, "I hope you prepared spells with saving throws." Beholders fall squarely into that last category. This week on RPGBOT.Podcast, we're diving deep into Beholder-Kin — floating orbs of paranoia, laser violence, and architectural malpractice. From tiny gazers that exist solely to be annoying, to death tyrants that refuse to stay dead out of spite, we explore why beholders remain one of Dungeons & Dragons' most iconic, miserable, and tactically terrifying monsters. Along the way, we discuss dream-based reproduction, anti-magic cones, and why every beholder lair looks like it was designed to fail a building inspection on purpose.
Show Notes
Beholders are one of the oldest and most recognizable monsters in Dungeons & Dragons, and for good reason. They aren't just bags of hit points with flashy attacks — they're intelligent, paranoid, and cruel creatures that reshape both combat and storytelling the moment they appear in a campaign. In this episode, the hosts break down what defines beholders and their many variants, collectively known as Beholder-Kin, and why they're such effective villains across nearly every tier of play.
The discussion starts with what makes beholders fundamentally different from other monsters. Their signature eye rays, combined with a central anti-magic eye, mean that fights against beholders rarely follow predictable patterns. Even experienced players are forced to react rather than execute clean plans. The randomness of eye rays creates chaos, but the creature's intelligence means that chaos is applied with intent — the rays may be random, but the targets absolutely are not.
From there, the conversation expands into the many variants of Beholder-Kin found throughout D&D. Gazers, spectators, gauths, mind witnesses, beholder zombies, death kisses, and death tyrants all represent different expressions of the same alien biology. Each fills a distinct role, allowing Dungeon Masters to introduce beholder-themed encounters from the earliest levels all the way into high-tier play without losing flavor or threat. This flexibility is one of the reasons beholders remain so enduring in D&D design.
Combat tactics play a major role in the episode, especially the importance of running beholders intelligently. A beholder that floats into melee range and trades bite attacks is a beholder being played incorrectly. These creatures thrive on distance, verticality, and environmental control. Their lairs are often carved with disintegration rays, filled with vertical shafts, traps, and contingency plans, and designed to punish creatures that rely on gravity. When played well, a beholder encounter feels less like a fair fight and more like surviving a hostile environment that actively hates you.
The episode also dives into beholder lore and ecology, which somehow manages to be both fascinating and deeply unsettling. Earlier editions described grotesque physical reproduction, while modern D&D reframes beholder reproduction as a dream-based phenomenon where nightmares literally manifest new beholders into reality. This almost always results in immediate territorial violence, reinforcing the idea that beholders are incapable of peaceful coexistence — even with themselves.
To balance the horror, the hosts also explore notable exceptions in D&D lore. Famous beholders like Xanathar embody tragic paranoia, while figures like Large Luigi — an omniscient beholder tavern owner in Spelljammer — prove that even reality-warping aberrations can choose hospitality over genocide. These examples highlight how beholders can serve not just as villains, but as unforgettable NPCs, information brokers, or narrative wild cards.
The episode wraps by touching on player-facing options. While players can't normally play beholders, they can still interact with Beholder-Kin through warlock patrons, summoned spectators, or gazer familiars. Used carefully, these options let players brush up against beholder weirdness without completely breaking the game — though the temptation to do something irresponsible is always there.
Key Takeaways
Beholder-Kin work because they operate on multiple levels at once. Mechanically, they introduce chaos through randomized effects, but narratively they reward intelligent, ruthless play. A beholder encounter is never just about hit points — it's about positioning, preparation, and survival.
These monsters scale exceptionally well across a campaign. From CR ½ gazers to CR 14 death tyrants, Beholder-Kin allow Dungeon Masters to introduce consistent themes without repeating the same fight. Each variant reinforces the core beholder identity while adding new tactical wrinkles.
Lair design is not optional when using beholders. Their environments are an extension of their personality: vertical, hostile, and unapologetically unfair. A beholder fought on flat ground is missing half its threat.
Finally, beholders remain iconic because they embody the strange heart of D&D. They're terrifying, absurd, overdesigned, and deeply committed to their own misery. Whether used as cosmic horror, dungeon boss, or omniscient bartender, Beholder-Kin remind us that sometimes the most memorable monsters are the ones that don't want to exist — but absolutely refuse to stop.
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

Death in Dungeons & Dragons is weird. Sometimes it's a tragic, character-defining moment that reshapes the campaign. Other times it's a minor inconvenience solved by rooting around in the cleric's pockets for a diamond and a receipt. In this episode, we crack open the lid on resurrection mechanics—how revivify, raise dead, and resurrection actually work, why death saving throws matter less than you think, and how coming back from the dead can be anything from epic storytelling fuel to a mildly awkward coffee break.
Show Notes
In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we dive deep into resurrection mechanics in Dungeons & Dragons, breaking down how character death really works—and why raising the dead is both a mechanical safety net and a narrative landmine.
We cover the full spectrum of D&D death rules, starting with death saving throws, stabilizing, and the fine line between "down but not out" and "start pricing diamonds." From there, we examine the most common resurrection spells—Revivify, Raise Dead, and Resurrection—comparing spell timing, material components, and the hidden costs that often get ignored at the table.
The discussion digs into why resurrection spells can undermine tension if handled casually, how consequences of death in D&D can strengthen long-term storytelling, and when it's okay for resurrection to be fast, cheap, and reliable. We also talk about optional rules, narrative gates, and DM-side tools that make bringing characters back to life in tabletop RPGs feel meaningful without punishing players for bad dice luck.
Whether you're a player wondering how safe your character really is or a DM trying to balance drama with fun, this episode is your practical, no-nonsense guide to how resurrection works in D&D 5e—and how to make it better at your table.
Key Takeaways
Death saving throws are a buffer, not a guarantee—most characters die because of timing, not bad luck
Revivify vs Raise Dead vs Resurrection is less about power level and more about narrative impact
Material components, especially diamonds, are the real currency of immortality in D&D
Easy resurrection lowers tension unless DMs introduce narrative or social consequences
Resurrection mechanics work best when death still means something, even if it isn't permanent
Clear expectations around death and revival prevent table-side frustration and tonal whiplash
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati