Characters Without Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

Justin Gagliani brings Jessica Jeroux to the table. Jessica is a drow trans woman pursuing knowledge of lost civilizations.

Justin and I discuss what it means to be a trans woman in gender-segregated drow society, learning to explore and express your gender, and the narrative implications of D&D mechanics. 

This character is built for D&D 5e.

Justin Gagliani is a co host of the So You Want to Be a Dungeon Master podcast, a TTRPG content creator, and a published writer.

You can learn more about Justin at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/justin-gagliani

Roll for Luck is an all-star Black cast actual play where the Sapphics come to terms of what can potentially happen when dealing with Portals.  Pulled into a different reality now they hunt to find a way back home, if it even exists.

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Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
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Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Blerdy Disposition brings Chris Strausman to the table. Chris is a Twitch streamer with a lot of growing up to do, searching Reddit and relying on his followers to find his missing sister.

Blerdy and I compare Lovecraftian horrors to YouTube comments, discuss the importance of being there for your community, both in and out of character, and talk about growing up in a landscape of social isolation and internet-only friendships.

This character is built for Call of Cthulhu 7e.

Blerdy Disposition is a Black, Queer Professional GM and Player. He makes TTRPG YouTube content, focused on covering either indie RPGs or player and GM advice. When he is not obsessing over Cthulhu mythos or niche RPGs, you can find him talking about his next favorite RPG of the month.

You can learn more about Blerdy at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/blerdy-disposition

Baddie Bards is an all-Black, all-queer, all-trans D&D actual play. Living up to the bardic reputation, there’s plenty of laughs, all set in space. But you’ll also hear poetic descriptions and atmospheric background music. I’m looking forward to their next season, using the DIE system.

Girls Run These Worlds is a women-owned, women-run production studio aiming to uplift the voices, profiles, and status of women and femme-presenting people in TTRPG and to create a place where all can come to find themselves represented and celebrated. 

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Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Grant brings Orco the Magnificent to the table. Orco is not a very good wizard, but he gives it his best shot.

Grant and I discuss religious trauma, high school theater, and the opposite of min-maxing.

This character is built for D&D5e.

Grant Nordine is the titular game master of Game Master Monday and the guide for Bella's Comet. Grant is an award-winning actor and writer with stage, film, music, and podcasting credits. As the GM of Game Master Monday, he runs a new one-shot in a new system with a new cast every episode.

You can learn more about Grant at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/grant-nordine

This episode, I recommend the podcast Why We Roll. You can check it out here:
https://whyweroll.org

Torchlit Tavern is a D&D actual play podcast set in the homebrew world of Obscuria, where unlikely heroes find themselves at the center of political intrigue and potential global catastrophe.
http://torchlittavern.com

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Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Tori Fica brings Tendertwig to the table. Tendertwig is a Leshy Oracle who moves through life with the confidence of a child - because they are actually only 1 year old.

Tori and I discuss the freedom of playing a character utterly devoid of imposter syndrome, how being cute is a special ability, and playing a literal baby.

This character is built for Pathfinder 2e.

Tori Fica is a TTRPG enthusiast, actual-play performer, and GM. She is one of the creators of Level 1 Geek, a TTRPG education and entertainment channel to help new players get into this magical hobby.

You can learn more about Tori at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/tori-fica

This episode, I recommend the podcast I Love this Thing so Fricking Much. You can check it out here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2e4-star-loves-doris-day-movies/id1506443569?i=1000609081296

5 GMs in a Trenchcoat is a TTRPG actual-play podcast about friendship, storytelling and really, really stupid bits. In all seriousness, it's an AP podcast where 5 friends take turns weaving stories through the tabletop system of their choice each season.
https://www.5gmsinatrenchcoat.com

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Chriss brings Rhan Halvard to the table. Rhan was a wizard who became a revenant in the service of Istus when her attempt to change her fate had unexpectedly dire results.

Chriss and I discuss death, grief, and catharsis, the role of fate in a fantasy story where gods are real, and how much backstory you truly need.

This character is built for D&D5e.

Chriss Knight is a life long creative who found her calling with D&D in college where she earned a degree in theatre. After a winding road of various career paths, she found her way back to TTRPGs and now runs her own podcast all about them, alongside running and playing in several games herself.

You can learn more about Chriss at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/chriss-knight

This episode, I recommend the podcast The AARPGs. You can check it out here:
https://audioboom.com/posts/7921235-twilight-2000-it-s-always-cloudy-in-kalisz-ep10-jumping-the-shark

Do you ever miss those days when cardboard boxes were pirate ships? Babies and Broadswords Bathfinder is a TTRPG that celebrates team work and make believe just like when you were a kid!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/babiesandbroadswords/babies-and-broadswords-bathfinder

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Sam Dunnewold brings Exit to the table. Exit is a scavenger living on the edges of a dangerous psychic mist and a society that demands they conform.

Sam and I discuss building a character within the context of a post apocalyptic world, being brave because you have to be, and transparency in gaming.

This character is built for Apocalypse World by D. Vincent and Maguey Baker.
http://apocalypse-world.com

Sam Dunnewold is a Minnesotan game designer, screenwriter, and podcaster living in Hollywood like a chump. His podcast, Dice Exploder, breaks down a game mechanic every week with a friend. He's the designer of Doskvol Breathes and Space Train Space Heist, and he was a judge for the 2022 The Awards. Sam used to work for The Onion as a video editor, and he has no colon.

You can learn more about Sam at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/sam-dunnewold

We mention VOID 1680 AM by Ken Lowery:
https://bannerlessgames.itch.io/void-1680-am

We also mention We Are But Worms: A One Word RPG by Riverhouse Games:
https://riverhousegames.itch.io/we-are-but-worms-a-one-word-rpg

Dungeon Calling is a real-play D&D podcast of high fantasy and low humor:
https://www.dungeoncalling.com

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Aetherius brings Riley Howard/Jean Pierre Baptiste to the table. Riley is a Ministry kindred masquerading as Jean-Pierre, a Toreador in the Camarilla.

Aetherius and I discuss being your authentic self, being the only Black player at the table, and writing strong yet flawed Black women.

This character is built for Vampire the Masquerade 5e published by Renegade Game Studios.

Aetherius Bordeaux is your new favorite Vampire Himbo. He is a mystery/thriller/horror content creator and lifelong answerer of the eternal question "whodunnit"? Aetherius is a theater kid turned TTRPG baby and has finally fought off his anxiety long enough to launch into content creation.

You can learn more about Aetherius at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/aetherius-bordeaux

We mention Erinmylaundry's Actual Play stream. You can find Philly By Night on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/erinmylaundry

This episode, I recommend the podcast Gimme Da Loot. You can check it out here:
https://www.gmdlcast.com

Game Master Monday is the podcast that plays a new one shot in a new system with a new cast EVERY EPISODE.
https://linktr.ee/grant_nordine

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Joseph brings Otto Von Kurtzel to the table. Otto is a family man who built a mech suit to help him live with a degenerative disease.

Joseph and I discuss punching dragons, having people worth fighting for, and tinkering for good.

This character is built for D&D5e.

Joseph Byler, an aspiring TTRPG writer and nurse. They're also a proud redneck and leftist.

You can learn more about Joseph at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/joseph-byler

This episode, I recommend the podcast Blades of Mayari. You can check it out here:
https://www.bladesofmayari.com

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Alex brings Nix to the table. Alex is a traveling magician who cheerfully becomes a hero.

Alex and I discuss mad libs character creation, the nature of magic, and being inspired by a hat.

This character is built for Quest.

Alex, also known as Apples_n_Cinnamon, a ttrpg enthusiast and a blooming forever GM. They make TTRPG content somewhat sporadically but play in a variety of games in as many systems as possible!

You can learn more about Alex at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/alex

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!

Rook brings Dale Dorries, AKA Alehat to the table. Alehat is a greedy, rotten scoundrel feeding his retirement fund with ill-gotten gains.

Rook and I discuss filling a role in a party, using characters to try out game mechanics, and being out for yourself.

This character is built for Blades in the Dark.

Roger Peters, who also goes by Rook, is the owner of Epic Sages, a multi-TTRPG focused hosting site. He’s played and/or ran various TTRPGs for over 15 years.

You can learn more about Rook at:
https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/roger-peters/

Send us a text

Cover art by The Curiographer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecuriographer

Sign up for my Newsletter to stay up-to-date on the podcast:
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/760760/109867356957705889/share

Support the Podcast

You can find Star at:
Website: http://www.characterswithoutstories.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@starmamac
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@characterswithoutstories
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@characterswithoutstories
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/characterswithoutstories
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/characterswithoutstories.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/characterswithoutstories

Thanks for listening, and may all your characters find their stories!