This week we are launching a project six months in the making. My First Dungeon Presents: DIE is an eight-week podcast event celebrating one of the best TTRPGs we’ve ever read and we wanted to match the phenomenal quality of the game and the three-time Hugo Award Finalist comic of the same name. Pretty low bar, right?
But with source material this good, that we respect and love this much, we had no choice but to rise to the occasion. That meant gathering together the best improvisers and roleplayers in one place, commissioning some epic original music, and putting an incredible amount of time and care into the production to make every listener feel as essential to the story as the players at the table. A game this good deserved nothing less. And we can say with confidence that we cleared the bar.
We are incredibly proud of the show we have produced and hope it serves as a beacon to the TTRPG community and beyond saying one simple message: Go play DIE.
-Brian
p.s. Be sure to check out our trailer at the top of this newsletter :)
Personas & Paragons
Introducing the Cast
There is so much cool stuff that we have been itching to share with you. Over the next two months you’ll get:
Interviews with DIE creator Kieron Gillen and TTRPG publisher Grant Howitt
Seven-track OST inspired by the game
Six-part narrative play show featuring immersive sound design and an absolute rockstar cast.
Rockstar cast, you say? How good could it be?
This good.
Enoch, The Dictator - Drakoniques (Tablestory)
Anna, The Fool - Carolyn Page (Dropout, FMK Champions)
Kelly, The Trust Knight - Abby Hepworth (The Twenty Sided Podcast)
Jayamal, The Neo - Shenuque Tissera (The Art of Killin’ It)
Ned, The Godbinder - Nathan Yaffe (Drawfee)
Dani, The Master - Brian Flaherty (My First Dungeon)
If you like big laughs, wild swings, and moments of devastating heartbreak then you’re going to love this cast.
Goth Jumanji
A Roleplaying Game About Roleplaying Games
DIE is many things—a pitch-black, horror/fantasy comic about roleplaying games, a British Fantasy Award winner, a three-time Hugo Finalist, one of my favorite comics of all time (read issue one for free), and, now, one of the best TTRPGs I’ve ever read. Developed in tandem with the comic, which has been lovingly referred to as “goth Jumanji,” the game simulates the story of the comic, pulling the characters–called “Personas”–into a fantasy world created from their deepest obsessions and desires and transforms them into twisted versions of traditional fantasy heroes called “Paragons.”
The Dictator (d4) - Artistic Diplomats who manipulate emotions with horrific magical words.
The Fool (d6) - Swashbucklers who rush into danger and rely on supernatural luck to survive.
The Emotion Knight (d8) - Warriors who feed one sacred emotion into their arcane, sentient weapon to devastating effect.
The Neo (d10) - Techno-magical rogues who steal the elusive Fair Gold to power their cybernetic gifts.
The Godbinder (d12) - Clerics who prefer to make deals with gods to get their miracles.
The Master (d20) - Magic users who manipulates reality and break the game by cheating.
In DIE, character creation is just as immersive–and just as fun–as the game itself. Episode Zero is one you will not want to miss!
Building an Actual Play Podcast
A Four-Part Guide From Pre-Production To Release
It should come as no surprise to readers of this newsletter or listeners of My First Dungeon that I have a lot of strong opinions about how to build actual play podcasts. Over the next four newsletters I will be breaking down my thoughts by going step-by-step through the major phases of a show’s creation: Pre-production, Production, Post-Production, and Marketing & Release. Each article will contain practical, actionable advice that will endeavor to get you from idea to reality with as little friction as possible.
But let me be clear: Making an actual play podcast is a lot of work.
Consider this Part Zero.
Much like a session zero, before you even begin you should consider the broadest strokes of the project: What system do you want to play? What kind of show do you want to see in the world? And, most importantly, is this a project for fun or for profit?
If you want to make a show just for fun then go hog wild and bend any and every rule you want, but know that it’s incredibly rare that something pivots from a goof between friends to a profitable show that can grow an audience.
Being intentional is one of the most important things you can do with any project.
Know what you’re trying to do, who you’re doing it for, and what your goals are. After that it's a simple process of working really, really, really hard for way longer than you’d expect. Fun, right?
Next issue I’ll be focusing on pre-production and all the considerations you should make:
Finding players
Making a budget
Gathering equipment
And setting yourself up for success
-Brian
Upcoming Schedule
4/7 - Interview with Kieron Gillen & Grant Howitt
4/7 - Episode Zero - Character Creation
4/14 - Episode One
4/21 - Episode Two
4/28 - Episode Three
5/5 - Episode Four
5/12 - Episode Five
5/19 - Episode Six
5/26 - Cast Reunion
We will also be releasing a new track from the OST by BE/HOLD every Tuesday starting April 11th. But here’s a preview of the first track on the album, our theme song: Welcome to Glorthalion.
My First Dungeon Presents: DIE