Finding Atoria

Malcolm O'Stephan, Tori Selznick, Arcadia Deschane
  • 5.0 (1)
  • GAMES

Three friends, each with 30+ years playing and running TTRPGs sit down weekly to tell stories about the games, community and topics surrounding the Table Top Role Playing world.  

  1. 2D AGO

    Founding Atoria: First Gen Table Talk

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! This week Malcolm gets the opportunity to interview his cohosts, Tori and Arcadia about their First Generation PC’s in Atoria.  We peel back the curtain have a conversation about how two of the original Heroes of the Crossroads came to be, what shaped their roles and Atoria and what is left in the legacies fo these two Atorian Legends.  Arcadia introduces us to Edrie Graf, the dual classed fighter mage who’s name is a mantle passed down to those worthy in her lineage. Tori tells the tale of the drow rouge Norian Kemlock, a character born of rage and grief who became the heart of the party.  These venerable AD&D 2nd edition builds have had adventures spanning 3 decades at the table…where will fate finally deposit these two and what force, if any, could separate Nori and Edrie?  Tell us your thoughts and drop an address for a free FA sticker or few!  Support the show.    https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    44 min

  2. MAY 14

    From the Library to Your Table: D&D Sourcebook Reviews

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! Malcolm and Tori have broken into the studio for more unsupervised shenanigans.  This week the two trade book reviews and get into very different Dungeons and Dragons source materials.  Malcolm wins the roll off and defers to Tori, who is only too happy to discuss Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.  A great resource book alive with subclasses, lore, character creation methods and sweet-sweet tables.  There’s alot you can learn from a Criminal Mastermind Beholder!  After the break, Malcolm takes us back to the creative fields of 1980 and a look at Deities and Demigods, a candidate for the Mt. Rushmore of sourcebooks, the deep dive into incorporating characters from history’s many myths into your D&D table.  As with much in TSR lore, controversy followed the book in the most Lovecraftian way.  However, the spirit and freedom of the art and endeavor speak to a simpler and more open landscape of creation and publishing.  So could say a high watermark, where from there on the business and litigators found their way into the fabric of the game and never let go.  Sacred Cows and Lawyers.  Tell us your thoughts and drop an address for a free FA sticker or few!  Support the show.    https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    25 min

  3. MAY 7

    Daggerheart – Revisiting Darrington’s Big Gamble, With Hope and Fear

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! Tori and Malcolm are in the studio today to check back in with a game that our table and studio bought into the hype for.  Almost a year in, we revisit the Darrington Press/Critical Role Narrative TTRPG.  We look at how it landed, how it splashed and where it has gone since.  Malcolm and Tori revisit why the game was such a scene when it hit shelves, what got it to that status and what staying power the game itself has outside of the spotlight of it’s LivePlay counterparts.  Is it all Critters and Mercenaries keeping the project afloat? After the break Malcolm discusses some of the criticisms the game has endured early on, its niche status diluting and where the mechanics can limit a sustainable campaign.  Tell us your thoughts and drop an address for a free FA sticker or few!  Support the show.    https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    31 min

  4. APR 30

    More TTRPGs Please: Games We Want to Play at the Table.

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! Don’t adjust your podcast, that is just one of our Birthday Girls, Jess, who is stepping in to moderate this week’s episode!  We celebrate the birthdays of both Jess and Arcadia in fun look into the games that we are looking forward to playing.  Tori, Arcadia and Malcolm give a title they can wait to get their hands on at the table.  No spoilers here but the variety is pretty interesting and the games all sound fantastic.  Dive in and join the FA crew as we pitch the TTRPGs that have our attention!  Support Finding Atoria on our Patreon! Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    43 min

  5. APR 23

    Starting Again: Spending time with The D&D 5.5 Starter Set

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! This week we get to spend some time with a full studio (hooray!) and talk a little about the experience Arcadia and Jess had running the Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set for Dungeons and Dragons 5e.  We get different perspectives on both playing in and running a game set in the starter campaign as well as dive a little into the differences in experience for seasoned and new players. The team agrees that it is an accessible introduction to the game for new players while getting their minds around some of the stark contrasts it holds to earlier editions.  We see a starting adventure designed to take you and your character only so far all while acknowledging that it is an rules ultralight walk through the major elements of a broader and deeper game experience.  Enjoy and support the funcilitation on our Patreon!  Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    48 min

  6. APR 16

    MISSING!!: Tips and Tricks for Absences at the Table

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! This week Malcolm is alone in the studio for an episode dealing with absences in your TTRPG group. Everyone has dealt with and most likely been an absent player or two at the table.  What can send GMs into panic and cause disruptions in your game, doesn’t have.  We take a look at the nature of missing games, the likely and the underlying causes and give you the gamer ideas for how to handle these inevitable events at your table.  We find that as with most things in life, a little kindness and communication are key to keeping the game going when attendance isn’t 100%.  Support the show on our Patreon!   https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    28 min
  7. Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Ravnos & Hecata

    APR 9

    Vampire: the Masquerade–A Beginner’s Guide to Clans: Exploring Ravnos & Hecata

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table! This week we continue our VTM Beginner’s Guide to clans while sending healing potions to Arcadia and missing Jess at the table. That’s right, somebody didn’t read the memo and left Tori and Malcolm unsupervised on the mics.  Tori brings us the world of the Ravnos, a rare and mysterious find in modern nights.  These Kindred work outside of the social realms of other Vampires and decimated to low numbers, have been cursed with the need to move from one place to another, making feeding and survival all the more challenging to an outcasted and oft hunted clan.  Malcolm comes back from the break to dive into the Hecata Clanglomerate.  A bloodied history of betrayal and haunting power brought together this group of Necromantic beasts who operate as a familial structured organization dancing the lines of dealings in the realms of the living, Kindred and the dead.  Sit back and enjoy another wonderful episode full of tips, info, fangs and fun!    Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    37 min

  8. APR 2

    TTRPG Stories and Scripted Media – Game Tools for Storytelling at the Table

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome Back to the Table!  We are down one Tori for today’s discussion on telling stories.  But Arcadia, Jess and Malcolm peel back the story teller role in both sets of media.  We look at the audiences, similarities and differences in scripted media production vs the chaotic collaborative storytelling found in most TTRPG experiences.  What advantages a scripted media piece has in its message interpretation and when telling your story at a table as a GM can turn your players into unwilling cast members.  Where is the intersection, what are the risks and where we each find the balance.  Jess is able to relate stories of her current game prep as they compare to the efforts of writing a novel.  We get to the good parts of what tools are there for a GM to move story and game forward when needed and learn its not always bad to hop on the GM Express for the sake of Functional Funcilitation. ← (It’s gunna be a thing) Support the show https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png Rise (Epic, Inspirational, Cinematic) by Artur Aravidi is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Contact Us on Our Socials: FacebookInstagramA production of WordLeaf Media

    43 min
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About

Three friends, each with 30+ years playing and running TTRPGs sit down weekly to tell stories about the games, community and topics surrounding the Table Top Role Playing world.  

Information

  • Creator
    Malcolm O'Stephan, Tori Selznick, Arcadia Deschane
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    67
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Finding Atoria
  • Show Website
    Finding Atoria