Undercommon Taste

Apocalypse How - An Interview with Rene from Rene Plays Games

This week, we're joined by Rene, the host of the Rene Plays Games podcast to talk about post-catastrophe and post-apocalyptic settings. Join us as we discuss ecology, infrastructure, and how to wreck your home town* for the purposes of generating a TTRPG setting. 

* in a fictional sense. Do not actually wreck your home town.

 

We've mentioned Rene and his podcast a couple of times in recent months. We strongly encourage everyone to go and check out his work here, or on your podcatcher of choice: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/rene-plays-games-5573891/episodes/recent

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

Everyone Gets a Cantrip! - Episode 179

This week, we do a little bit of homebrew worldbuilding, asking the question: what does a setting look like when everyone is capable of casting spells? Join us as we discuss the implications of having a society full of spellcasters, some ways that even combat-focused cantrips could be used as utility spells, and just what to do about Eldritch Blast. 

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

Madness! Fangs! Tentacles!: Extraplanar Dragons, pt.2 - Episode 178

This week, we're venturing into the Chaotic Evil quadrant of the Great Wheel to discuss the extraplanar dragons of Carceri, Pandemonium, and the Abyss. Join us as we discuss feral chihuahuas (relevant), eldritch horrors (RELEVANT), and The Human Centipede (also, unfortunately, relevant). 

CONTENT WARNING: Once we get to the Abyss (around the 33 minute mark), there are elements of body horror, non-consentual body modification, and other elements which may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

 

Ian was in an actual play to promote Friend of the Show C.R. Rowenson's new book, Spawn Point! There are three videos total - two pre-recorded sessions and one livestream VOD - which can be found on Clark's YouTube channel, The Magic Engineer. You can find the first session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHwSyIiORgc

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

The Haunting of Cobblestone Chateau: Wraithound Halloween AP - Episode 177

This week, we're playing a one-shot of Cezar Capacle's solo-capable RPG Wraithound. Join us as we build a fantasy ghost hunter, walk him into a spooky mansion, and watch his attempts to identify and banish the spirits haunting the Cobblestone Chateau. 

Wraithound is one of many excellent games designed by Cezar Capacle. You can find his work on Itch at capacle.itch.io; Wraithound is currently on sale for 30% off.

As we mentioned at the end of the episode, Ian is going to be in a livestream game as part of the launch party for C.R. Rowenson's new LitRPG novel, Spawn Point. You can RSVP for the party to get notifications and updates by going to crrowenson.com/launch. The livestream game will be starting at 12:00 PM Eastern/9:00 AM Pacific on Saturday, October 25th. The first play session is up on Clark's YouTube channel now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHwSyIiORgc 

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

Dragons in the Deep: Extraplanar Dragons, Part 1 - Episode 176

This week, we start our look at the dragons native to the Outer Planes with the Lawful Evil quadrant of D&D's Great Wheel cosmology.  Join us as we look at the dragons native to Acheron, Baator, Gehenna, and Hades, as well as the impressive Shadowdrakes living in the River Styx.

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

One Shot to Rule Them All - Episode 175

This week, we're brainstorming and developing one-shot outlines inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, in preparation for a game at a library event celebrating the publication of The Hobbit (not Tolkien's birthday - sorry, got that bit of info wrong). Join us as we figure out how to put the Nazgul on Bikes, how to steal treasure from a dragon, and just how far we can stretch the trope of three kobolds in a trench coat.

 

Once again, friend of the show Danny Mendoza (from our The Lost Bay game last Halloween) is a player in the newly-launched Fabula Ultima actual play show Olympus, on the Streaming Rainbow YouTube channel. Episode 2 is now out (it looks like they're releasing on a weekly basis), and you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAaPEh7_A44

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

REAP the Whirlwind: 5th Anniversary AP - Episode 174

This week, we're celebrating our fifth anniversary (and Tarrasquemas) with Spencer Campbell's solo souls-like necromancer RPG, REAP. Join us as James reaps his way across the realm of Kyrie, Ian gets *most* of the rules right, and we find out if Petrov the Necromancer can defeat the Horror at the end of the game.

 

You can find REAP, and Spencer Campbell's many other games, through his website gilarpgs.com or his Itch store at gilarpgs.itch.io. 

This playthrough was inspired by the playthrough by Rene Plays Games; you can find that episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CM4eekNECATMcLBGLAJNN?si=df50b6a8418847d7

Finally, friend of the show Danny Mendoza (from our The Lost Bay game last Halloween) is a player in the newly-launched Fabula Ultima actual play show Olympus, on the Streaming Rainbow YouTube channel. Their first episode dropped yesterday (on our actual anniversary), so you should go check it out: https://youtu.be/gQwifTUtSTs?si=AqT8BHwf-uPdxCbL

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

Wings of Wrath and Whimsy: Extraplanar Dragons pt.1 - Episode 173

This week, we start looking at some of the dragons native to planes beyond the Material. Join us as we discuss dragons from the Feywild, the Underdark (okay, not TECHNICALLY another plane), and the Elemental and Paraelemental Planes.

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

The GenCon Recap - Episode 172

This week, Ian is recounting his adventure to the distant city of Indianapolis to be counted among the record 72,000 attendants of GenCon 2025. Join us as he gives a recap of the games he played, shows off the games he purchased, and poorly describes some game mechanics (I was tired, okay?).

 

Here's a list of the games mentioned this week, plus places where you can find them (if they aren't available at your FLGS):

Pirate Borg by Luke Stratton  (Limithron) - https://www.limithron.com/

If I Were A Lich, Man by Lucian Kahn (Hit Point Press) - https://hitpointpress.com/products/if-i-were-a-lich-man-box-set

The Quiet Year by Avery Alder (Indie Press Revolution) - https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/The-Quiet-Year-updated-bag-set.html

L.G.B.T. (Longsword, Glock, Bat, Taser), Axolotl With a Gun, and Kobolds & Trench Coats by Jonathon Boyle (Bright Bard Games) - https://brightbardgames.com/

Last Flight of the Pandora by Jake and Mike Rieman (Two Pancakes Games) - https://www.twopancakes.com/

The Cypher System and No Thank You, Evil! by Monte Cook Games - https://www.montecookgames.com/store/

The Gang by John Cooper and Cory Heath (Thames & Kosmos) - https://store.thamesandkosmos.com/products/the-gang

Hanari by Antoine Bauza (R&R Games) - https://rnrgames.com/hanabi

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.

 

The Cut of My Jib - Episode 171

This week, we're taking a meme and making the framework for a TTRPG out of it. Join us as we discuss themes and mechanics, define some terms, and just generally have a good time figuring out how we might get our own booth at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. 

 

Here's a link to the meme in question: https://imgur.com/wkK73kR 

 

A large amount of the information I know regarding the 1893 World's Fair (the "World's Columbian Exhibition") comes from the book "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson. You can find more information about it on the author's website, here: https://eriklarsonbooks.com/book/the-devil-in-the-white-city/ 

 

Our website is live! Head on over to undercommontaste.com to find links to all of our social media, streaming sites, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord.

Our theme song is Massacre Anne, written and performed by Mary Crowell, and used with permission. You can find Mary's work online at marycrowell.bandcamp.com, or on Patreon at patreon.com/DrMaryCCrowell.

Our logo was illustrated by David Sutherland. You can find David's work online at instagram.com/wilex_73, or on DeviantArt at deviantart.com/davidsutherland.