The Critshow

Overview

Welcome to The Critshow - an actual play podcast where a group of friends uses tabletop role playing games to walk the line between humor, horror and heart. Focused on character-driven storytelling, our show features a variety of systems, from pulse-pounding horror to high fantasy to fast-paced sci-fi and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to TTRPGs, The Critshow offers engaging narratives, hilarious moments, and captivating arcs that will keep you coming back every Wednesday. Seasons 1-6: The Other Side of the Coin - Three friends find themselves as the last line of defense between the everyday world and the things that go bump in the night. Using
Monster of the Week
and other
Powered by the Apocalypse
games, the team works to save the Omniverse in this dimension hopping story. Season 7: The Clockwinders – Cadvini is in peril and it’s up to a group of Clockwinders in training to rediscover and repair the movement cores to save their world from the looming threat of destruction by fire, frost, and Fey. Using the
Fate
system in a world where there are eons of lost history, players unlock a world's worth of mysterious lore.

Shows

The Clockwinders

The planet Cadvini is dying. Tidally locked, with one side a burning wasteland, and the other side a frozen forever-night, its people have managed to forge their lives in the temperate zone between. But the great old machines that keep the planet steady, called Movement Cores, have started to break down. The planet is beginning to spin, which could mean the ruin of all. Join Arkady ‘Kade’ Atwater, Einon Kerning, and Maxine Hollis as they venture across the wilds in order to find and fix the broken cores. They have Fey folk, aether-enhanced beasts, and all other manner of dangers to face… but this is their duty. They are The Clockwinders.

Shadows in the Smoke

Shadows in the Smoke tells the story of Hargrave House, a group of mysterious investigators in Victorian London who tackle the cases that Scotland Yard can’t or won’t. Amidst the monsters and murderers on the shadowy streets, an ancient power is growing in strength – a Queen in her own right, seeking vengeance against Victoria. Can the hunters discover her plot and save Queen and country, or will they succumb to their own darkness and become little more than the monsters they once hunted? Find out in Shadows in the Smoke, a Victorian gothic horror Actual Play utilizing The Between by Jason Cordova.

Other Side of the Coin

Our Monster of the Week campaign, wherein the characters are alternate-universe versions of the players themselves. Imagine that one minor thing could mean  the difference between our universe and another; something as simple as a  coin flip having the opposite result can lead to two drastically  different outcomes. We set the game in what is  essentially our world, albeit a version in which one small  decision changed the course of our hunters’ lives and set them on a  completely different path. While Monster of the Week will always  be the “home base” of our show to which our team will return,  our show is that it exists in a Powered By the  Apocalypse universe with many worlds… each of which conveniently seems  to be set within a different PBtA game!

Links

thecritshowpodcast.com https://www.thecritshowpodcast.com/ - Official website youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/@TheCritshow - Youtube channel twitch.tv https://www.twitch.tv/thecritshow - Twitch channel patreon.com https://patreon.com/TheCritshow - Patreon page podcasts.apple.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-critshow/id1390944329 - Apple Podcasts page

Other entries

FreeVTT
Tools & Platforms

FreeVTT

Virtual tabletop (VTT)
English
Free
FreeVTT is a browser-based virtual tabletop (VTT) application designed to facilitate the play of tabletop role-playing games. Positioned as an accessible alternative to subscription-based platforms, FreeVTT operates entirely free of charge and requires no user registration. The platform is built with a focus on user privacy and local data management, utilizing the user's device for storage rather than centralized cloud servers. It provides a suite of essential digital tabletop utilities, including map rendering, token manipulation, and combat tracking, without implementing premium feature tiers. Description FreeVTT functions as a digital tabletop environment intended for both remote and in-person game sessions. In contrast to many prominent VTT platforms that mandate account creation and rely on external servers to host campaigns, FreeVTT functions entirely within the local cache of the user's web browser. This architectural choice ensures that no user data is collected or transmitted, enabling immediate gameplay without a login process. Furthermore, the application integrates open-license rule systems directly into its interface, providing accessible compendiums for the 2014 and 2024 editions of Dungeons & Dragons 5e, alongside Pathfinder Second Edition. System Overview & Key Features Local Storage Architecture The platform is engineered on a strict "privacy-first" framework. All campaign data—including imported maps, custom tokens, and character statistics—is saved locally to the user's specific device. This design eliminates the necessity for cloud storage, user accounts, or persistent internet connections to access previously prepared game materials. Map and Grid Management Game Masters possess the ability to upload custom image files to serve as digital battleground maps. The application includes integrated tools to overlay and align customizable grids onto these images, facilitating precise distance measurement and token movement during tactical combat encounters. Dynamic Lighting FreeVTT incorporates dynamic lighting capabilities, a feature frequently restricted to paid premium tiers on competing virtual tabletops. This mechanic allows Game Masters to establish line-of-sight restrictions and simulate realistic environmental lighting based on token positioning and physical barriers on the map. Integrated Combat Tracking The software provides built-in utilities for the management of combat sequences. This includes a digital dice roller, an automated initiative tracker to govern turn order, and individual token overlays that allow users to monitor essential character statistics such as Hit Points (HP) and Armor Class (AC) in real time. Open License Compendiums To expedite game preparation, FreeVTT natively integrates System Reference Document (SRD) content for prominent role-playing systems. Users can directly reference rules, bestiaries, and items from the Dungeons & Dragons 5e Creative Commons SRDs (both 2014 and 2024 iterations), as well as content published under the Pathfinder 2E Open RPG Creative (ORC) License. Campaign Export and Import Because the application strictly utilizes local browser storage, campaigns do not automatically synchronize across multiple devices. To address this, FreeVTT includes robust export and import functions. Users can package their entire campaign database into a single downloadable file, which can then be manually transferred and uploaded to a different device or web browser. Additional links freevtt.com - Official application portal

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Dead Letters
Actual Play & Podcasts

Dead Letters

TTRPG
English
Discussions
Dead Letters is a podcast about tabletop role playing games. Sam, Misha, and Walid are game designers and academics committed to doing the readings. Rulebooks, adventures, blogposts, articles, and everything in between. Tune in for your weekly dose of RPG discourse every Thursday! If you’re interested in being a part of the conversation, Dead Letters holds a book club every bi-monthly at boshi's place in NYC. Visit boshis.place and join the discord for updates on the next meeting. Links spotify.com - Spotify feed

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Rotating Heroes
Actual Play & Podcasts

Rotating Heroes

English
Dungeons & Dragons
Actual Play
Follow the adventures of a rotating cast featuring the funniest comedians, actors and improvisors around. Listen as they attempt daring deeds, epic exploits and behave like buffoons in this comedy actual play series from Jasper William Cartwright. Started by Zac Oyama in 2020 the show is now entering a new era as from Arc 8 Jasper William Cartwright will be taking over the reigns as DM, continuing the story in the world of Amalar & beyond into Axis. Links headgum.com - Podcast feed spotify.com - Spotify feed patreon.com - Patreon page

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