Characters Without Stories cover art

Characters Without Stories

Characters Without Stories

By: Star
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About this listen

Characters Without Stories is a tabletop role playing game podcast about the roads not yet traveled.

Every episode I bring in a friend to tell me about their unplayed character and their approach to creating characters. I cover all kinds of RPGs - from indies to D&D.

I've had some fascinating conversations about how our characters intersect with and reveal our identities and how play is a gateway to understanding ourselves. I hope you'll give it a listen.

Thank you and may all your characters find their stories.

© 2025 Characters Without Stories
Episodes
  • Mogmoden, Sheltered Academic - Being Curious with Rene Legault (Fabula Ultima)
    Mar 2 2025

    Rene Legault brings Mogmoden to the table. Mog is a teenage academic in the pursuit of practical knowledge and answers to intellectual mysteries in his first time venturing out into the world.

    Rene and I discuss creating characters who are curious about the world, imaginary bestiaries, and the drama of JRPGs.

    Mogmoden is built for Fabula Ultima by Emanuele Galletto.

    Rene Legault is one of the founding members of the DMs After Dark streaming group focused on highlighting small publisher and indie RPGs, and now the host of the Rene Plays Games Podcast featuring solo and group actual plays, interviews, and discussions about running better games, Rene is a dad and husband first, nerd second, wetland biologist by day, and internet person last. Okay, maybe nerd first.

    You can learn more about Rene at:
    https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/rene-legault

    Mentioned in the episode: Cezar Capacle's Random Realities and Ryuutama.

    Of Monsters and Mixed Successes is a character focused actual play Monster of the Week podcast full of Eldritch monstrosities and a surprising amount of shenanigans.

    Dungeons and Degrees is a conversation with friends talking about the games we love and the life we live around it.


    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!

    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • Petty Dreadful, a Survivor - Breaking the Game with Rowan Zeoli (Deathmatch Island)
    Feb 15 2025

    Rowan Zeoli brings Petty Dreadful to the table. Petty is a rage-fueled, attention-seeking drag queen Playing to Win.

    Rowan and I discuss gender performance, radical imagination, and the parallels between reality television and actual plays.

    Petty Dreadful is built for Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee.

    Rowan Zeoli is a journalist covering the intersection of progressive thought and niche cultural movements. She is co-founder of Rascal News, a worker-owned, reader-supported, tabletop journalism outlet. Her work has also appeared in Polygon, Tripsitter, Autostraddle, and The Fandomentals; where she’s covered gender, psychedelics, and the largest developments in actual play, from award winning indie programming to big budget productions. She is also co-founder of convention/non-profit WriteHive.

    You can learn more about Rowan at:
    https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/rowan-zeoli

    Mentioned in the episode: DIE, Triangle Agency, Project ECCO by My First Dungeon, Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast and The Seven Part Pact by Jay Dragon, Rom Com Drama Bomb by Elliot Davis, and authors/activists Judith Butler, Mariame Kaba, and Angela Davis.

    No Quest for the Wicked is a story driven actual play podcast using Paizo’s sci-fi space opera system, Starfinder.

    Yes, indie'd! is a podcast of bitesize interviews with indie tabletop roleplaying

    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!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Sarge, Norma, and Harmony - Troupe Style Play with Andrew Beauman (Out of Orbit)
    Feb 1 2025

    Andrew Beauman brings Sarge and Norma to the table, and we create Harmony together. Sarge, Norma, and Harmony are survivors of a spaceship crash hoping to make it back out of orbit.

    Andrew and I discuss troupe-style mechanics and playing multiple characters - and how that changes the way we create characters. We discuss finding empathy through TTRPGs and learning that not everything is made for our perspective.

    These characters are built for Out of Orbit, currently Kickstarting as part of Zine Month.

    Andrew Beauman is a game designer and artist with a background in graphic design and marketing. His first game was published through Zine Month 2024, titled Battle School. He also co-hosts a podcast called One Shot’s Tavern about exploring new ways to tell your story through different games.

    You can learn more about Andrew at:
    https://www.characterswithoutstories.com/guests/andrew-beauman

    What's Your Damage? is a Fifth Edition actual play podcast taking place in a homebrew world based on Filipino mythology.

    Whatcha Doing? is an interview podcast talking to creative people about the trials, tribulations and triumphs in their projects.

    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!

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins

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