Episoder
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As we near the end of summer, the Storytelling Breakdown team decided it was time for Movie Share II: Electric Boogaloo.
The rotation from last time has been reversed. Stephen has Ben, exploring more works of Hayao Miyazaki with Howl’s Moving Castle. Ben has Larissa, and the two opened the episode with a trip back to the 1970’s with Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Larissa has Caleb, and she put Derek DelGaudio's In & Of Itself on his radar. Caleb has Stephen, who put on his headphones and sat down for Live, Die, Rep… wait, Edge of Tomorrow.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power our team begins our journey into The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. From Glamdring to an impassable labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks, the conversation starts around the 01:24:03 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Film goers of a certain age have grown up with Indiana Jones. For the Storytelling Breakdown team, that meant seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade on VHS, sharing the first viewings with parents and siblings, and probably seeing Temple of Doom a little later in the ol’ childhood. We got Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008 and 15 years ago it looked unlikely that Indiana Jones would go out on top.
Ben, Caleb, Larissa, and Stephen saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny together. Just a couple days later, they sat down for a conversation about growing up with the movies, what makes a good Indiana Jones film, and how each sequel fared in following what some consider to be a nearly perfect movie. With Harrison Ford stating that he will not be tempted to make another Indy film, how does Dial of Destiny hold up as this character’s final adventure?
Autumn Schultz joined us for last month’s Spider-Verse episode. She returns for this month’s Spotlight on K-Dramas. The conversation starts around the 01:49:49 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Manglende episoder?
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When Storytelling Breakdown debuted in 2020, our first episode dedicated to a single movie was dedicated to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Our guest for that episode was Autumn Schultz. With a new Spider-Verse film capturing the imaginations of audiences worldwide, Caleb and Larissa have invited Autumn back to the podcast to discuss the Web-Head’s latest outing. She is joined by another guest bringing his own Spider-Man expertise to Storytelling Breakdown, Apollo Lymon. The four of them will explore the many elements that set Across the Spider-Verse apart from other animated works, even its predecessor.
This conversation will be SPOILER heavy, so if you haven’t yet, rewatch the first film, put on some Sunflower, and watch Across the Spider-Verse on the biggest screen possible while you have the chance. Then join us for this jam-packed love letter to Spider-Man.
We are returning to our original Spotlight format for this episode. Caleb and Larissa got to hear more from Apollo and Autumn as Ben 10 was discussed. The conversation starts around the 00:57:25 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
Before the start of Storytelling Breakdown’s third season, our community update episode served as an official welcoming of Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker as co-hosts of the podcast. We went down the rabbit hole of everyone’s media histories and Larissa mentioned a show we will cover in depth in this June episode, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Despite sixteen seasons of staying power, Sunny has never received Emmy consideration for anything other than stunts, with three nominations and no wins. Larissa and Caleb come into this episode with a for your consideration campaign as they introduce the show to Sunny newcomers, Ben and Stephen. Does It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia deserve an Emmy for Best Comedy? What are the best episodes to start with if you are introducing the show to someone who's never seen it? How do you win a game of Chardee MacDennis? Grab your toe knife and your headphones, and join us for this latest deep dive from Storytelling Breakdown.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power our team takes one last look (probably) at The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. We’ll be discussing the dynamic between Aragorn and Borimir and the conversation starts around the 01:26:14 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
You pull into the drive-in for a double feature. Maybe you tilt your seat back and settle in for the latest entry in a franchise with decades of staying power. The floor is sticky. The popcorn is almost gone by the time the trailers finish. These thoughts could remind you of when you were a kid or maybe you're the one bringing the kids along. They could also remind you of a commercial featuring Vin Diesel or an SNL parody of the same. As the weather gets warmer and we look ahead to summer movie releases, Ben, Caleb, Larissa, and Stephen took some time to reflect on summer blockbusters.
Where does the term come from? What are some of your favorite summer movie memories? What makes a movie a blockbuster? And how good is our team at identifying when movies came out even if the films’ original releases predate our team? Join us for a blockbuster spectacular on this episode of Storytelling Breakdown.
This month’s entry in The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power features The Bridge of Khazad Dum from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The conversation starts around the 00:52:15 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand…
We are finally getting around to a Firefly episode. Ben, Caleb, and Larissa revisited the series for the first time in a while and started out with what currently sits as the highest rated episode in the series on IMDB, Out of Gas.
To again paraphrase Robert McKee, “true character is revealed in the decisions human beings make under pressure,” and this episode puts the crew of Serenity in peril from the episode’s first moments. Out of Gas also makes fantastic use of flashback, setting, and the opportunities storytelling within the confines of a dark and isolating ‘verse can bring. Ben’s first viewing of the show was half his lifetime ago and he’s met two members of the core cast since. Put on your browncoat, stay shiny, and remember that no power in the ‘verse can stop you.
The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power continues with the Council of Elrond from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The conversation starts around the 00:47:18 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
Before this episode starts, we want to boost the signal for a GoFundMe to support the Hall of Heroes. Ben and Caleb visited the museum in 2019 for the finale episode of Storytelling Breakdown’s first season. The museum was broken into on March 19 and several valuable items in the museum were taken. Our team is heartbroken that some of this amazing history that the museum holds may be lost and we hope you will support the Hall of Heroes. If you love comics and are anywhere near the midwest, we also hope you take the opportunity to see the Hall of Heroes for yourself. We are thrilled such an incredible organization is so close to home.
Planning for this episode started with the discovery that most of our team has visited the Disney parks and experienced the Pirates of the Caribbean rides firsthand. Today, the rides show the cycle of inspiration as elements of the park experience can be found across the film franchise, especially within Curse of the Black Pearl. It’s also easy to pick out ways in which the movies have inspired updates to the rides. Almost twenty years after the first film’s release, the Storytelling Breakdown team is discussing both experiences of Pirates of the Caribbean. What makes the ride the gold standard for Imagineering? How does the action-packed adventure that breathed new life into the pirates genre hold up? What are the pirate names for Ben, Caleb, Larissa, and Stephen? It’s time to parley and find out.
The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power continues with four scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The conversation starts around the 01:04:14 mark. Two characters are introduced, one hero and one villain, though they are initially presented as the opposites.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
We cover a lot of movies on Storytelling Breakdown. This entertainment is bite-sized compared to the time you can spend getting to know a character through a TV show. And both of these are dwarfed by the time you can spend getting to know a character in a D&D game.
Dungeons & Dragons has permeated the pop culture landscape in recent years, becoming even more popular through shows like Stranger Things and The Legend of Vox Machina from Critical Role. When the villains are fantastical, the stakes can be apocalyptic, and the emotional struggles can be showcased in ways that allow for a deep dive into a character’s psyche, we wanted to spend this episode speaking about RPG storytelling and how we’ve seen it reflected in the journeys of Max Mayfield and Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. SPOILERS AHEAD, as Ben, Caleb, and Larissa will be discussing episode four of season four of Stranger Things, with Dear Billy. The conversation will also include a discussion of the finale from season one of The Legend of Vox Machina.
The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power continues with The Shire and A Long-expected Party from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The conversation starts around the 00:58:45 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
“Wait, you haven’t seen…”
We know how this interaction goes. On one end of the conversation you have someone who hasn’t seen a film and is about to get a recommendation that might be going on a list they have been working through at an somewhat uneven pace. The other person gets to share one of their favorite movies and looks forward to hearing what the other person has to say about it.
We’re tackling four movies simultaneously. Each Storytelling Breakdown host was assigned another host with whom to share a movie. The only prerequisite for a film was that the person giving it had seen it and the person receiving it had not. When the dust settled, Stephen gave Caleb Casablanca, Caleb showed Larissa Tropic Thunder, Larissa let Ben borrow Paterson, and Ben organized a movie night for Stephen featuring Inside Man. How did things work out? How did each film land with its new audience of at least one? Join us for a discussion of, as Caleb put it, “a slice of life film, a high stakes heist thriller, one of the greatest movies of all time, and Casablanca.”
In 2023, we will be dedicating Spotlight conversations to discussing movies we have been meaning to get to for a while. The Lord of the Rings: The Scenes of Power is our attempt to do a deep dive into many of the moments from these films, starting off this episode with the prologue from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The conversation starts around the 01:24:04 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
Ben said it during the introduction for this episode, but truly this felt inevitable. After many standard episodes and campaign diaries dedicated to Dungeons & Dragons, the Storytelling Breakdown team is attempting one of the most famous dungeon crawls of all time, the Tomb of Horrors.
First released in 1978, our adventurers will be attempting the fifth edition version as Ben takes on the role of Dungeon Master. Caleb will step into the talons of Keeoth Krackerjack, the kenku rogue. Stephen will take up the hammer of Olfric Stormjaw, the northman fighter, and Larissa will channel wild magic as Tabitha, the pink dragon sorcerer. Will they have what it takes to survive the tomb before the deadliest traps are sprung, the demilich unleashes his true power, or someone is accidently turned into a potted plant?
The Muppet Christmas Carol from 1992 is the subject of this episode’s Spotlight. Caleb and Ben’s conversation starts around the 02:57:44 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
It all comes down to this. One game. Four factions. Two undefeated players trying to claim… bragging rights.
While it isn’t always Smash Up, there’s not a pairing of players in this tournament who have played more games against one another than Lucas Gerke and Caleb. Each comes into this game with a win over the other three tournament participants. Lucas got by Ben with the power of game altering Madness effects. Caleb’s combo from game one stacked ridiculous action combos. Lucas’s most impressive win was arguably his game against Nicole in the midseason finale, where he eked out a victory despite Nicole keeping him from ever getting his most powerful minion into play. Caleb comes into this game with the tournament’s highest point differential, thanks to his matchup against Jacob where repeated use of the Cave of Shinies base ability contributed to a ten point win. It’s all led to this. Lucas and Caleb enter our season finale undefeated.
Aliens & Teddy Bears vs. Changerbots & Killer Plants. Lucas vs. Caleb. Today we crown a champion.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Sometimes a pair of factions can allow Smash Up players to do very similar things. And if those combos go up against one another, they can lead to a very close game.
Ben and Nicole Rudolph are each playing their final game of this tournament. If Ben wins, we’re set up to have everyone end this tournament with a different number of victories. Ben would be back at .500. Nicole is trying to avoid going 0-4 and while her first and third games were decided by six points, her battle with Lucas in the midseason finale was decided by a single point. It’s anybody’s game.
Now back to the factions. The Fairies are a tried and true utility faction. They can bring a bit of extra power, some minions and actions that offer variety, and they can be disruptive to any minions and actions in play. The Pirates can appear out of nowhere, quickly moving from one base to another and stealing leads at the… opportune moment. That’s Ben’s combo. Nicole’s combo will allow for similar effects. The set-up actions of the Luchadores can stay in play and offer a versatile array of options, making Nicole’s minions more powerful and making it harder for Ben to build up power on bases. The Shapeshifters, like the Pirates, can also come out of nowhere. They can copy the abilities of minions in play and the zero power Mimics are especially deceptive, equalling the power of the most powerful minion in play.
Fairies & Pirates vs. Luchadores & Shapeshifters. Ben vs. Nicole. May the bases be ever in your favor.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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When describing the game of Smash Up to someone who hasn’t played it, things are usually pretty clear as you describe the Ninjas, Pirates, or Zombies. Mentioning the Bear Cavalry is likely to get you a “wait, what?” response.
The factions for this matchup between Lucas Gerke and Jacob Ganser feature four factions from relatively early on in Smash Up’s ten year history. Lucas is deploying the previously mentioned Bear Cavalry. Their combination of disruption and movement generated destruction makes them one of the game’s most iconic factions. Lucas will have way more actions to play than minions as the other half of his combo is the Princesses faction. This faction has only six minions, but they are all power five with very strong abilities. Jacob will be attempting to counter all of this with one faction from the same expansion as the Bear Cavalry, the Steampunks. They both lean on actions played on bases, with the Steampunks equally iconic Aggromotive and Rotary Slug Thrower. Jacob’s other faction comes from The Obligatory Cthulhu Set, a set Lucas had success with earlier in the tournament. The fish people of Innsmouth have come to swarm all bases in their path.
Bear Cavalry & Princesses vs. Innsmouth & Steampunks. Lucas vs. Jacob. Will a winning streak end today or will our season finale feature two undefeated players?
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Game seven of our Smash Up tournament does have significant implications for who can win going forward. SPOILERS ahead!
If you’ve stayed up to date with our last six battles, then you know that this battle could prove decisive. Caleb is battling our dear friend, Nicole Rudolph. If Caleb wins, only he and Lucas Gerke will remain undefeated in our tournament. This would also eliminate Ben, Jacob Ganser, and Nicole as none of them would be able to match Caleb’s 3-0 record. If Nicole wins, she notches her first win of the tournament and keeps everyone mathematically alive to win for at least one more episode.
As for the factions matchups, Caleb decided to theme his combination around soundtracks of the seventies. The Astroknights are similar to, but legally distinct from characters and lore of the Star Wars universe. While you’ve got the John Williams cued up, it might be a good idea to add some Bee Gees to the playlist, thanks to the Disco Dancers faction. Caleb’s combo will lean heavily on action synergy. Nicole’s combo leans into power, destruction, and disruption. The Dragons create many powerful card draw effects, change power balances, and destroy enemy minions and possibly some bases along the way. All of this is before even mentioning the minions and actions that cause opponents to win fewer victory points. Nicole’s largest dragon isn’t even her largest minion thanks to the six power Yokozuna from the Sumo Wrestlers faction.
Astroknights & Disco Dancers vs. Dragons & Sumo Wrestlers. Caleb vs. Nicole. Multiple eliminations hang in the balance. Who will win?
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Our midseason finale featured a Smash Up matchup between two players who had never faced each other before. We are resuming our season with a matchup that is quite the opposite.
Ben and Jacob Ganser each come into this match looking to improve their win percentage. They are each also pulling at least one faction from the original base set for Smash Up. Ben is unleashing an army of the undead, with an old favorite in Smash Up lore, the Zombies. He’ll also keep up the undead theme by pairing them with a faction that historically has good synergy with them, the Ghosts. Jacob’s faction from the base set it the Tricksters, another staple known for its disruption of other players and their decks. To get more power on the table to try to deal with Ben’s swarming minions, Jacob has called in the Superheroes. This faction features four minions with five power each. Will it be enough?
Ghosts & Zombies vs. Superheroes & Tricksters. Ben vs. Jacob. Old friends renew a rivalry as the second half of our first season begins today!
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
You find yourself cornered in an ancient castle that used to be your school as dark forces close in. Or maybe you find yourself being batted by gusts of wind as the shadow of an enormous red dragon appears overhead. Or wait, how about this? You are just trying to get rid of all of the artichokes.
What’s the best way to deal with any of this? Draw a few cards and hope for the best.
Our gaming focused episodes continue in November. After last month’s epic clash in Fury of Dracula, the Storytelling Breakdown team is discussing deck building card games. Caleb and Ben played the game Young Jedi all the way back in our first season. How can the narratives of familiar intellectual properties, like Star Wars or Harry Potter, come to life at the game table? What are some good deck builders for families and players young and more experienced? How do you find your footing in a deep well of something like Magic: The Gathering when you are just starting to learn to play the game? Join Ben, Caleb, Larissa, and Stephen to find out.
The life and legacy of legendary Batman voice Kevin Conroy is the subject of this episode’s Spotlight. Caleb and Ben’s conversation starts around the 00:53:24 mark.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about this show at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown is hosted by co-founders Ben Clemmer and Caleb Meyer. Since the beginning of 2022, Storytelling Breakdown has also been hosted by Stephen Stachofsky and Larissa Whitaker. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. Our logo is by Daniel Church. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ -
We’ve made it to our midseason finale episode, bringing back two fighters from previous battles. Today’s episode pits Lucas Gerke against Nicole Rudolph. If you haven’t listened to our other episodes thus far this season, spoilers ahead.
Lucas defeated Ben in game three, winning convincingly with the help of Cthulhu factions. While his combination for this game will be different, old, giant creatures or just creatures in general is a good way to describe his combo. Lucas will be going back to the original Smash Up set to unleash the power of the Dinosaurs. Hold onto your butts. He’ll pair the Dinosaurs with a familiar looking faction from the Big in Japan expansion, the Itty Critters. Nicole lost game two to Jacob Ganser. She comes into this game with one faction that first entered the world of Smash Up at Gen Con in 2019, the Penguins. They will be paired with one of the most disruptive factions we’ve seen in this tournament. Nicole has her Permit to Kill thanks to the Super Spies. One faction looks like it's wearing a tuxedo. The other one actually is. There’s an added bit of intrigue with this battle. Our team is pretty sure this is the only time Lucas and Nicole have played Smash Up against one another. How well can you counter an opponent you have no history of fighting? We shall see.
Dinosaurs & Itty Critters vs. Penguins & Super Spies. Lucas vs. Nicole. Our midseason finale features an epic clash and only one will be victorious!
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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Throughout this season of RPG Decades, Ben and Caleb have been comparing Smash Up to Magic: The Gathering. One possible comparison comes in the form of bases in Smash Up and lands in Magic: The Gathering. Now, bases in Smash Up are put in play at the start of the game and swapped out when they reach their break points. Lands are put in play by the players in Magic. At first, this might not seem like a good comparison, but think about how land cards can prevent you from winning a game of Magic. It might not matter how well your deck is constructed if your opponent spends almost the entire game with twice as many lands in play as you. In Smash Up, you could have a perfectly good faction combo, maybe one that’s far stronger than average, but the combination of bases in play can break things wide open.
This is one of those games.
Kitty Cats & Kung-Fu Fighters vs. Rock Stars & Vampires. Caleb vs. Jacob. Who will win? And will we set a record for scoring plays in a Smash Up game?
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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With two games played, there’s only one more competitor to add to the mix. Lucas Gerke returns to the podcast. You can see him represented on our logo in the likeness of the Bear Cavalry faction.
Magic: The Gathering experience is helpful in playing Smash Up. Caleb and Lucas have been playing for years. That is the obstacle Ben will have to overcome as he and Lucas field their team. Lucas is unleashing eldritch horror, combining factions from the Obligatory Cthulhu Set, the Elder Things and the Minions of Cthulhu. Ben’s answer will be the Robots and the Time Travelers, cycling through small minions that can swarm bases quickly.
Elder Things & Minions of Cthulhu vs. Robots & Time Travelers. Lucas vs. Ben. Who will win? Will our world survive? The answer is unknown or least unpronounceable.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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We are one game in and already we are experiencing total chaos. Ben and Caleb have played Smash Up more times than they can count and this next episode will match up two common opponents.
We are welcoming Jacob Ganser back to the podcast after his turn as Dr. Seward for our Halloween episode and his Spotlight on RWBY last year. Nicole Rudolph, another dear friend from our team’s college days (when many a Smash Up game was played), will be his opponent. The Ninja faction inspired Jacob’s look on the RPG Decades logo. They spill a lot of blood, so who better to pair them with than the Sharks? Both of those factions are destructive and opportunistic. Nicole’s factions lean more into utility and building up power. It’s time to throw down at Grandma’s house as Nicole pairs the Grannies with the Mad Scientists. Perhaps that old family recipe requires a jolt of electricity and some überserum.
Grannies & Mad Scientists vs. Ninjas & Sharks. Nicole vs. Jacob. Who will win? Give this battle a listen and find out.
Subscribe to Storytelling Breakdown wherever you get your podcasts. You can find out more about our regular episodes, campaign diaries, and RPG Decades at storytellingbreakdown.com. There you can also find our blog community and support us through Patreon. You can contact us via email at [email protected] or using the Storytelling Breakdown Facebook or Instagram.
Storytelling Breakdown’s RPG Decades is hosted by Caleb Meyer and produced by Ben Clemmer. Our theme music is by Kurt Roembke. The theme music for RPG Decades season one is The Great Wave by Our Name Is Taken. The Storytelling Breakdown logo is by Daniel Church. The logo for RPG Decades season one is by Michael Ganser. Our podcast is hosted by John Dawkins and Wayneshout Productions.
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