This week we cover a little bit of everything — summer travel, baseball heartbreak, cabin cooking, board games, and the excitement of launching a brand-new RPG campaign.

Chris kicks things off with a blow-by-blow of his son’s baseball trip to Cooperstown — equal parts magical and miserable. From rain delays that pushed games into the early hours of the morning, to “Hunger Games” jokes about single elimination, to facing powerhouse Georgia teams that put up scores like 37–0, it was an unforgettable (and humbling) experience. Still, the kids walked away with a win, a pile of team pins, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Paul counters with his annual cabin gaming trip, where he and his longtime friend Q packed the days with board games and nights with home cooking. The highlight was lots of Marvel Champions (finishing the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. campaign with Magneto and Black Widow), a test run of the massive Dark Souls board game, and racing through Heat, complete with the new Tunnel Vision expansion. The talk turns to food as Paul explains his role as cabin cook — burgers, wings, tacos, and breakfast spreads — while Q washed dishes. Naturally, this spirals into a whole discussion of cooking styles, breakfast-for-dinner rituals, chicken vs. turkey burgers, and family wing recipes passed down from Buffalo.

As if that weren’t enough, the back half of the episode dives into role-playing. With a new Daggerheart campaign on the horizon, the hosts discuss what they’re excited about: hope and fear dice mechanics, player agency, and how the system compares to D&D 5E. There’s talk of improvisation, GM styles, and what makes narrative-heavy systems rewarding for both newcomers and veterans.

It’s a long, winding conversation, but that’s the beauty of it — baseball road trips, cooking adventures, and tabletop games all share the same theme: community, creativity, and finding joy in the chaos.

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