Brute Force

Welcome to The Critshow - an actual play podcast where a group of friends uses tabletop role playing games to walk the line between humor, horror and heart. Focused on character-driven storytelling, our show features a variety of systems, from pulse-pounding horror to high fantasy to fast-paced sci-fi and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to TTRPGs, The Critshow offers engaging narratives, hilarious moments, and captivating arcs that will keep you coming back every Wednesday. Seasons 1-6: The Other Side of the Coin - Three friends find themselves as the last line of defense between the everyday world and the things that go bump in the night. Using Monster of the Week and other Powered by the Apocalypse games, the team works to save the Omniverse in this dimension hopping story. Season 7: The Clockwinders – Cadvini is in peril and it’s up to a group of Clockwinders in training to rediscover and repair the movement cores to save their world from the looming threat of destruction by fire, frost, and Fey. Using the Fate system in a world where there are eons of lost history, players unlock a world's worth of mysterious lore. Shows The Clockwinders The planet Cadvini is dying. Tidally locked, with one side a burning wasteland, and the other side a frozen forever-night, its people have managed to forge their lives in the temperate zone between. But the great old machines that keep the planet steady, called Movement Cores, have started to break down. The planet is beginning to spin, which could mean the ruin of all. Join Arkady ‘Kade’ Atwater, Einon Kerning, and Maxine Hollis as they venture across the wilds in order to find and fix the broken cores. They have Fey folk, aether-enhanced beasts, and all other manner of dangers to face… but this is their duty. They are The Clockwinders. Shadows in the Smoke Shadows in the Smoke tells the story of Hargrave House, a group of mysterious investigators in Victorian London who tackle the cases that Scotland Yard can’t or won’t. Amidst the monsters and murderers on the shadowy streets, an ancient power is growing in strength – a Queen in her own right, seeking vengeance against Victoria. Can the hunters discover her plot and save Queen and country, or will they succumb to their own darkness and become little more than the monsters they once hunted? Find out in Shadows in the Smoke, a Victorian gothic horror Actual Play utilizing The Between by Jason Cordova. Other Side of the Coin Our Monster of the Week campaign, wherein the characters are alternate-universe versions of the players themselves. Imagine that one minor thing could mean  the difference between our universe and another; something as simple as a  coin flip having the opposite result can lead to two drastically  different outcomes. We set the game in what is  essentially our world, albeit a version in which one small  decision changed the course of our hunters’ lives and set them on a  completely different path. While Monster of the Week will always  be the “home base” of our show to which our team will return,  our show is that it exists in a Powered By the  Apocalypse universe with many worlds… each of which conveniently seems  to be set within a different PBtA game! Links thecritshowpodcast.com - Official website youtube.com - Youtube channel twitch.tv - Twitch channel patreon.com - Patreon page podcasts.apple.com - Apple Podcasts page

Operation: REDACTED is a Delta Green actual play podcast. Delta Green once stood against the dark that threatens America's citizens, now it's a husk of what it once was. Left little choice the organization calls upon the very people it has sworn to protect. Each member of F-Cell has been touched by the horrors that lurk beyond in some way. Left traumatized by the encounter they must now fight against the very things that upended their lives. These are the reports and case files left behind in their wake.

The Flashing Badger Podcast is a chaotic and character-driven actual play series where four friends dive headfirst into a rotating lineup of tabletop role-playing games. From cosmic horror in Delta Green to orc-filled misadventures in Havoc Brigade, and from interstellar terror in Mothership to Bigfoot-themed road trips in Oh Dang! Bigfoot Stole My Car, each campaign brings a fresh mix of storytelling, improv comedy, and unforgettable moments. Whether you're a long-time TTRPG fan or just love bizarre adventures, our cinematic audio and unpredictable gameplay will pull you in. Links youtube.com - Youtube channel discord.gg - Discord server patreon.com - Patreon page

Fantasy Grounds Unity is a high-power virtual tabletop originally released in 2004 and completely rebuilt on the Unity engine in 2020. Developed by SmiteWorks, it is the industry pioneer of "automated play," where the software handles complex rules, modifiers, and combat math natively. In a massive industry shift in late 2025, the platform moved to a completely free-to-play model, removing the traditional $50 license fee to compete directly with modern browser-based rivals. Description Fantasy Grounds is often described as a "Digital Dungeon Master’s Assistant." It is a standalone application (not a browser site) that provides the most stable and deep automation available. While it has a more traditional, window-based interface that can feel daunting to new users, it rewards the "Power GM" with unparalleled control over combat and data. Since becoming free in late 2025, it has positioned itself as the premier "zero-cost" entry point for groups who want professional-grade automation without a subscription. System Overview & Key Features Native Ruleset Automation Unlike other VTTs that rely on community plug-ins, Fantasy Grounds features "Hard-Coded" automation for its primary systems. When a player drags an attack onto a target, the software automatically checks for cover, calculates the hit against Armor Class, applies damage, and tracks temporary hit points or resistances without any manual input. V5.1 Visual Intelligence The 2026 update introduced "Aggregated Notifications." Instead of scrolling through a wall of text in a chat box, combat results like damage, saving throws, and status effects now appear as elegant visual icons and pop-ups directly over the tokens on the map. 2.5D Tactical Mapping While it supports traditional 2D top-down maps, FGU includes a unique 2.5D camera mode. This provides a sense of depth and perspective to battlemaps, making the digital table feel more like a physical diorama with "placeable" 3D-like objects like trees and furniture. Total Offline Capability Because it is a localized application, you can prepare your entire campaign, build NPCs, and write story entries without an internet connection. Your data is stored on your hard drive, giving you total ownership of your campaign files. The Fantasy Grounds Forge FGU features an integrated marketplace and community portal called "The Forge." This allows GMs to browse and auto-install thousands of community-made extensions and themes that update automatically whenever the main software is launched. Cross-Platform Unity Engine Built on the Unity 6 engine (as of 2026), the software offers smooth performance on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It uses hardware acceleration to handle complex dynamic lighting, weather effects, and large-scale vision blocking for massive dungeon crawls. Additional links fantasygrounds.com : Official Fantasy Grounds website fantasygroundsacademy.com : Community-led training and free classes forge.fantasygrounds.com : Official community content and extension portal

When the Moon Hangs Low is a gothic action roleplaying game in which the players take on the roles of Hunters; people possessed of strange abilities who find themselves fated to oppose the forces of darkness. Set in Harrowmire, a decaying city teetering on the edge of chaos, it is a game of intrigue, investigation, and combat. Games in When the Moon Hangs Low can cover a range of themes; from hunting vile beasts through collapsing sewers, to investigating gruesome murders, to intrigue and politics in the heart of the city. When the Moon Hangs Low has been inspired by a number of other works. Most heavily it draws inspiration from the computer games Bloodborne by From Software and Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios. It also takes notes from the Dishonoured game series by Arkane Studios, the Bas-Lag Cycle by China Miéville, and the Berserk manga series by Kentaro Miura.

Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game (DCC RPG or simply DCC) is a role-playing game published by Goodman Games in 2012. The game is famous for its chaotic magic, bizarre dice, and its distinct artwork. DCC RPG is a fast-paced, open-feeling rules set allowing for epic game experiences without unnecessary tethers. It uses modern game-play while paying homage to the origins of role-playing and the fun that it inspired. While it is an ongoing argument, DCC can be considered an OSR game. The system it directly evolved from is Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition (2000). Description You’re no hero. You’re an adventurer: a reaver, a cutpurse, a heathen-slayer, a tight-lipped warlock guarding long-dead secrets. You seek gold and glory, winning it with sword and spell, caked in the blood and filth of the weak, the dark, the demons, and the vanquished. There are treasures to be won deep underneath, and you shall have them. System Overview & Key Features The Level Zero Funnel Instead of carefully crafting a single hero, each player generates three or four completely random level zero peasants. You run this mob through a deadly introductory dungeon. The few survivors who manage to escape earn their first class level and become your actual player characters. The Dice Chain The game uses a set of unusual dice alongside the standard setup. These include a d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24, and d30. Instead of applying static mathematical penalties or bonuses, the Game Master might simply tell you to roll the next die up or down on the chain. Mighty Deeds of Arms Warriors and Dwarves do not have rigid skill trees or complex combat feats. Before any attack, they can declare a heroic maneuver, like blinding an enemy or sweeping their legs. They roll a Deed Die alongside their attack, and if the die rolls high enough, the maneuver succeeds dynamically. Roll to Cast Magic Magic is incredibly powerful but highly unpredictable. Wizards and Clerics must roll a spell check every time they cast. A high roll creates a massive, reality altering effect, while a low roll causes the spell to fail and potentially slip from the caster's mind for the rest of the day. Additional links goodmangames.com - Official Goodman Games website purplesorcerer.com - Purple Sorcerer Games (free tools and character generators) Community Resources - Resources for new DCC players Events Page - This is the place to find out all of the games the Road Crew will be running