In this episode of No Plot, Only Lore, DMs Josh and Kris explore what happens when the dice, the players, or the DM’s own ego send a campaign spiraling into a "table apocalypse." The guys kick things off with a detour into the "bad old days" of Nerdcore hip-hop, debating the flow of MC Frontalot versus rappers who actually know their music theory.
The heart of the episode tackles the moments where games go off the rails:
- The Lone Wolf Disaster: Kris recounts a cringeworthy "main character syndrome" moment from the year 2000 involving a level 3 rogue, a rowboat, and a total party kill.
- The "Session 0.5" Solution: Why the initial session zero rarely survives first contact with the plot, and the importance of checking in mid-campaign to see who the characters have actually become.
- Interpersonal vs. Mechanical Friction: How to tell if your table is struggling because of 3.5 grappling rules or because two players legitimately can't stand each other.
- The "Goblins?" Safety Net: A deep dive into the philosophy of the backup plan—specifically, using a sudden goblin ambush as a tactical distraction to force teamwork when things get grumpy.
From accidentally playing a "good cop" in a party of dirty cops to characters inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow's "Goop," learn how to embrace the liminal space of storytelling and roll with the punches—even when those punches come from a dragon turtle in an underground lake.
