Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST). Find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. If you enjoy the pod, please rate or review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
We chat with Tegan about her experience playing D&D, and her character: the showgirl fighter Daisy Chainmail.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
6/3/25 • 45:51
We played our first session of Pathfinder 2e the other day, and we share our thoughts (as 5e players) on the system. In addition to our general impressions, we talk about skills; the three-action economy; recall knowledge; hidden rolls; shields; and the accessibility of rules.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
5/27/25 • 42:31
Quickfire this-or-that questions: Allomancy vs Feruchemy; Dexterity vs Wisdom saves; elf vs human vs dwarf; dark vs light campaigns; diplomacy vs violence; Wizard vs Bard; Mistborn vs Stormlight Archives magic; greatsword vs greataxe; rolling stats vs points buy; roleplay vs combat.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
5/20/25 • 27:04
We talk about what makes a good character backstory; whether it's okay for the GM to fill in some details; updating your backstory; plot-advancing characters; and bringing new characters into an existing party.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
5/13/25 • 35:11
Guys, it's an average-length episode I swear. We talk about NPCs giving out information, and dice. Wow, that sounds boring.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
5/6/25 • 15:44
We talk about Pathfinder, and making character-focused adventures; and also speculate wildly about the Cosmere RPG. This episode contains some spoilers for the second Mistborn trilogy.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
4/29/25 • 31:46
We talk about some recent instances of intra-party conflict (when some of our player characters had... disagreements with one another), the benefits and potential drawbacks of that sort of roleplay, and how to navigate it so that everyone still has fun at the table. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
4/22/25 • 46:07
We make up a dumb spell-of-the-week: https://tychostales.com/articles/sharizes-charm-differential-etherealness/Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
4/15/25 • 22:36
This episode contains a bunch of spoilers for The Wheel of Time. Obviously :)Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
4/8/25 • 58:24
We talk about Michael E. Shea's excellent essay on spiral campaign development, from the Kobold Guide to Worldbuilding Volume 2 (Kobold Press).Michael also goes by Sly Flourish, and you can find a version of this essay on his website: https://slyflourish.com/spiral_campaign_building.html.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
4/1/25 • 43:57
We continue our chat with Matt about his experience playing D&D for the first time; character sheet nostalgia; player preparation etiquette; and, for some reason, again, LARPing.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
3/25/25 • 32:14
We're joined by special guest Matt to chat about his first time playing D&D. We talk about how difficult it is to get into roleplaying; discovering creativity; bad habits; and the possibly apocryphal Ocean Schlaggermine.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
3/18/25 • 34:32
We talk about the horrific film Mazes and Monsters; one-shots; guest appearances; and roleplaying serious characters.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
3/11/25 • 24:26
We're back with new listener mail about The Lord of the Rings; we complain with no self-awareness or irony about negativity and clickbait from TTRPG content creators; and Walt gets some suspicious beads.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
3/4/25 • 27:06
We talk about metagaming, different types of encounters, healing in tabletop and video RPGs, and low-stakes combat.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
12/17/24 • 25:13
We're about to make characters for a new campaign, so we talk about how we think about character motivations, alignment and backstories; how you should use your own personality; the relationship between min-maxing and roleplaying; and why it's always a work in progress. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
12/10/24 • 31:30
We talk about spells we'd like to take in real life, and why The Lord of the Rings is still so damn good.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
12/3/24 • 33:25
We talk about the relative value of a life; inherent evil in modern fantasy; and RPGs as vehicles for moral questions.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
11/26/24 • 38:47
The story of the first time I used the classic Cleric feature, Divine Intervention. Note that my interpretation of a d100 is inconsistent with rules as written; I've written at length about why I think the official rules are bonkers. Referenced in this episode: Power Word: Spill Bob World Builder Dragon of Icespire Peak Storm Lord's Wrath Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
11/19/24 • 16:35
We make a level two Fighter using the 2024 rules. It's recommended only to listen to this episode if you have a great disdain for your own time.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
11/12/24 • 30:01
We talk about audiobooks, Discworld, The Name of the Wind, Game of Thrones, the Stormlight Archive and Cosmere RPG, and other nerdy things. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
11/5/24 • 31:59
We talk about our recent one-shot, The Hangover.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
10/29/24 • 37:51
In which Stringybutt Lotsalegs has her special day.Music by Robert Mullis, Olivia Moore and Tabletop Audio.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
10/22/24 • 102:26
The gang goes to Fellbarrow...Music by Olivia Moore, Calum Robertson, and Aim to Head.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
10/15/24 • 95:31
We talk about our upcoming actual-play homebrew one-shot, The Hangover.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
10/8/24 • 24:06
We talk about dungeons. (No dragons though.) And puzzles.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
10/1/24 • 33:53
We talk about LLMs in tabletop RPGs, Wild Shapes, the danger of jumping to conclusions, and NPC personalities. The 'jumping to conclusions' chapter contains some minor spoilers for the Storm Lord's Wrath module.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
9/24/24 • 34:28
We're back with a GM support group, where we talk about directing player characters, low-prep campaigns, and preparing NPCs before environments.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
9/17/24 • 26:07
This week we talk about the state of the tabletop RPG scene, including recent WoTC drama, and competition among different systems.Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
9/10/24 • 22:02
This episode contains minor spoilers for the Riftwar Saga book series by Raymond E. Feist. Welcome to our inaugural fantasy book club episode! Besides talking about a few fantasy books, we talk about an alternative mana system for managing spell slots, and some controversial takes on fudging numbers and dice rolls. Tycho's Tales is an informal discussion podcast about tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. Get in touch by sending us a text message or an email, and find out more about us at https://tychostales.com/about. Episodes are released every Tuesday at 5 pm GMT (or, for the Kiwis, every Wednesday at 6 am NZST).
9/3/24 • 29:12
