Epic Realms Podcast

Epic Realms Media

The Epic Realms Podcast is an engaging interview-style podcast that brings together a diverse range of creative minds from various fields. This podcast offers insightful conversations with renowned authors, RPG game designers, actors, audiobook narrators, TV personalities, board game designers, and many other fascinating guests. Each episode of the Epic Realms Podcast delves deep into the experiences, inspirations, and journeys of these talented individuals, providing listeners with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into their creative processes and the worlds they have helped bring to life. Whether you’re a fan of literature, gaming, entertainment, or simply enjoy hearing from influential personalities, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. With its engaging interview format and a wide range of guests, the Epic Realms Podcast provides a platform for listeners to discover the behind-the-scenes stories and perspectives of their favorite authors, game designers, actors, and more. Tune in to this captivating podcast and join us on a journey through the realms of creativity and imagination.

  1. MAR 31

    D&D Writer - Toni Winslow-Brill Interview

    In this episode of Epic Realms Podcast, I sit down with Toni Winslow-Brill, an accomplished RPG writer, editor, and project manager whose work spans multiple tabletop roleplaying game companies, including Dungeons and Dragons and the Adventurers League. Toni shares her origin story, from discovering a Monster Manual at a garage sale at age nine to attending her first Gen Con just a year later. She reflects on growing up during the Satanic Panic and how that era shaped her relationship with tabletop gaming and creativity. We also explore how her passion for writing influenced her educational path and early career choices. Our conversation dives into Toni’s professional journey, including her work outside the gaming industry and how reputation, networking, and consistent delivery opened doors to new opportunities. She offers a candid look at how connections and trust fuel long term success in the RPG space. We spend time unpacking the often unseen side of RPG production. Toni breaks down the full lifecycle of creating a tabletop book, from writing and editing to layout, art coordination, and managing timelines across large creative teams. She gives insight into the realities of project management and what it takes to keep complex projects on track. We also discuss storytelling in adventure design, along with Toni’s personal strengths and challenges as both a writer and designer. This episode is a thoughtful and behind the scenes look at the craft, discipline, and passion that drive the tabletop RPG industry. https://www.toniwinslowbrill.com/ Use Our DM's Guild Link - https://www.dmsguild.com/en/?affiliate_id=1089765 Use our Drive thru RPG Link -  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/?affiliate_id=1089765 Also Check out our Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@epic_realms

    1 hr
  2. JAN 6

    Interview with Aaron Reynolds from Effin' Birds

    In this episode of Epic Realms, host Nick sits down with bestselling author and cartoonist Aaron Reynolds, the creator of the wildly popular Effin Birds. From Canadian comedy roots to Comic Con chaos, this wide ranging conversation dives deep into how humor, spite, and creativity built one of the internet’s most enduring web comics. Aaron shares the true origin story of Effin Birds, including the infamous rejection that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He opens up about growing up on CBC sketch comedy, his love of absurd humor, and how early pranks, school newspapers, and baseball fandom shaped his creative voice. Listeners will hear behind the scenes stories from Comic Cons, including shadow puppets, deli stickers, cosplay adventures, and why San Diego Comic Con is both a nightmare and a financial necessity. Aaron also talks candidly about publishing struggles, algorithm burnout, crowdfunding books, and how he keeps a daily comic fresh nearly ten years in. Episode Highlights How Effin Birds went from rejected pitch to global phenomenon Growing up on Canadian comedy like Wayne and Shuster, Kids in the Hall, and Red Green Comic Con antics, shadow puppet zones, and why being weird works The realities of making a living as a web cartoonist in the algorithm era Crowdfunding books, publisher collapses, and taking control of your work Upcoming Effin Birds projects including sticker books, affirmation decks, and an oracle deck If you love comics, comedy, creative careers, or stories about turning rejection into momentum, this episode is for you. Effin' Birds 2026 Calendar - https://amzn.to/4jnm19a Effin' Birds 2026 Day to Day Calendar - https://amzn.to/4jnm19a Effin' Birds Website - https://effinbirds.com/

    1h 5m
  3. 12/23/2025

    Interview with Rodney Thompson - RPG and Board Game Designer.

    In this episode of Epic Realms, we sit down with game designer Rodney Thompson for an in depth conversation about his journey through tabletop roleplaying games, board games, and video game design. Rodney shares how his early love of Dungeons and Dragons and the West End Games Star Wars RPG shaped his creative path, from college gaming marathons to building homebrew content that eventually opened the door to professional game design. We explore Rodney’s time at Wizards of the Coast, including his work on the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG and how lessons from D20 Modern and early fourth edition ideas influenced its structure. Rodney reflects on what worked, what he would change today, and why supporting game masters with strong tools is critical to a game’s longevity. The conversation also dives into Rodney’s role as a sandbox designer in video games, including his work at Bungie on Destiny. He explains what sandbox design means in both tabletop and video games, how player experience and emotional fantasy drive design decisions, and why iteration and playtesting matter so much across mediums. We also discuss the transition from roleplaying games to board games with Lords of Waterdeep, the lessons learned from physical components and resource management, and how those ideas feed back into RPG design. Finally, Rodney talks about Scratchpad Publishing and his latest tabletop RPG, Neon City Outlaws, a cyberpunk heist and rebellion game that lets players build their city as they play, complete with faction politics, revolution mechanics, and body swapping technology. This episode is a thoughtful look at storytelling through games, creative evolution, and what it means to design experiences that bring people together at the table. Check out Scratchpad Publishing here - https://scratchpadpublishing.com

    1h 3m
5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

The Epic Realms Podcast is an engaging interview-style podcast that brings together a diverse range of creative minds from various fields. This podcast offers insightful conversations with renowned authors, RPG game designers, actors, audiobook narrators, TV personalities, board game designers, and many other fascinating guests. Each episode of the Epic Realms Podcast delves deep into the experiences, inspirations, and journeys of these talented individuals, providing listeners with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into their creative processes and the worlds they have helped bring to life. Whether you’re a fan of literature, gaming, entertainment, or simply enjoy hearing from influential personalities, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. With its engaging interview format and a wide range of guests, the Epic Realms Podcast provides a platform for listeners to discover the behind-the-scenes stories and perspectives of their favorite authors, game designers, actors, and more. Tune in to this captivating podcast and join us on a journey through the realms of creativity and imagination.