Tony Spengler/ April 27, 2023
My never-ending hunt for actual play podcasts led me to another banger of a cast, once again on Twitter! Ever wanted to explore the stars, travel to new worlds and battle extraterrestrials? Ever wanted to couple all that with magic? If you want to live vicariously through people who are going to be doing just that, then check out Slay the Stars. Their DM, Leah, gave me the low-down on their podcast and it was an absolute pleasure getting to know them.
Origin: Pittsburgh, PA
Names/Handles: I’m Leah. @Somnium_Astri on Twitter, but I also run all the Slay the Stars social media accounts: @Slaythestars on Twitter and Facebook, @slaythestars_podcast on Instagram. You can find all our links at slaythestars.com.
TTRPG Gaming Experience: I have been playing TTRPGs religiously for 6 years, only dabbled before that.
Age: 34
Q) I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to your podcast, but it's on my list! Could you give an elevator pitch for your podcast for our readers to know what you’re about?
A) Certainly! In the first season of Slay the Stars, titled “Lyra”, we’re telling the story of two best friends: Zemira and Charlemagne. Their mundane lives are turned upside down when they reconnect after 2 years of very little contact after both being invited to a midnight rendezvous. From here, the story spirals out of control and Zem and Char are thrust into the middle of multiple story lines that are all converging at once. Our story is going to take us all over the continent of Vela and maybe even to other worlds… Our protagonists have no idea what awaits them.
Q) Do you have an episode that you would suggest to get a good taste of your podcast?
A) Honestly? Because of the nature of our podcast, I would recommend starting at episode 1. BUT, we are currently almost to our 1 year anniversary, and catching up on almost 50 episodes can be a daunting task for anyone. So, if you’re coming in late and don’t have the time to catch up, never fear! We have our recap episodes that we create at the end of major story arcs. We’re about to release the 3rd recap this week. If you watch those 3 episodes, you’ll be ready to jump into the story at episode 48 with most of the big plot points in mind.
Q) What are your favorite races, archetypes and/or classes?
A) I think my favorite class in D&D 5e currently is monk. It’s just so much fun, and it’s one of the few classes that I feel drawn to playing again and again. I like the archetype of the fast frontliner with interesting abilities that go beyond pure physical strength. My favorite race is probably eladrin. Their aesthetic is beautiful, and fey-step is too good.
Q) Are you all experienced in other ttrpgs? If so, which?
A) I’ve played many different ttrpgs. I can’t list them all, but some of my favorites that aren’t D&D: Call of Cthulhu- Great creepy vibes. Dread- Also great creepy vibes. I am also currently being indoctrinated into the cult of Starfinder- which is a ton of fun.
Q) How long have you all been working together on this AP?
A) We started working on it in mid-2021 and released our first episodes on May 24, 2022. We’re coming up on our 1 year anniversary, and we have big plans!
Q) Behind the scenes, what kind of equipment and/or software do you use for recording?
A) We use MV7X mics from Shure and record and edit our audio with Reaper.
Q) So what system do you currently play in, Starfinder?
A) We are actually running [D&D] 5e. Our world starts out in a fantasy setting but is quickly evolving into something else.
Q) Amazing, homebrew world or an established world (like Faerun)?
A) It's a completely home brew cosmos!
Q) Tell me about where y'all are at right now! Standard fantasy fan-fair, all homebrew shenanigans, give me the deets!
A) Everything we do is homebrew, and so far, we've been doing a lot of fantasy things. But, we're about to take a hard turn into something else entirely... We are called Slay the Stars after all! As of this moment, the party is on their way to a location they visited in the past, the home of an NPC whom they love and trust implicitly. She is a hermit who lives in the woods and provided them with guidance and shelter back in the beginning of the game. From there, we're moving into what is probably going to be the end of our fantasy setting and onto something extraordinary!
Q) Are you the GM of this journey?
A) I am!
Q) Are you the Forever GM, or do you rotate seats? Do you relinquish the throne?
A) I am a forever GM at this point. That's not to say we'll never rotate here on Slay the Stars, but there aren't any plans to do so for now... and I do love driving.
Q) So what's the world you are leaving, and can you tell me where they are going (or is that a secret)?
A) Our current world, Vela, is one of the planes of this celestial hub. I believe that we'll be leaving this place soon and heading to another plane... perhaps Lyra? The namesake of this season. Then again, it's allllll up to my players and what they do.
Q) How expansive is all of this? How many planes are there?
A) In this celestial hub? There are 5 orbiting planes and the central hub itself. But how many hubs are there in the cosmos? Well... that's a whole other question that I don't think I can answer.
Q) Fair enough, do the characters know there are 5? Or is the cosmos something that's being explored at this time?
A) The characters' understanding of the makeup of the universe is fairly limited due to some factors outside of their control. However, there have been lots of hints about these lights in the sky being other worlds, and I think they're starting to piece it together slowly.
When we explore this hub in-game, it is going to very much be a huge magic/scientific breakthrough in our world.
Q) How does the pantheon work in this universe? Does each plane have a set of gods? Is there one pantheon that goes by different names?
A) There is one pantheon that was created for this world, and they are the creators of this celestial hub. That is as much as we know for now about this... Though we do know there are other forces out there, maybe other hubs? So it stands to reason that there are many other godly presences that we just don't know anything about. Yet.
Q) So how will travel between planes look? Is there open space between planes (requiring magic and/or spaceships?
A) There is open space, and to traverse that space will definitely take some sort of vessel or magic that is well-beyond what either of my characters could muster at this point.
Q) What is the party composition? Kobolds in a trench coat?
A) We have 2 PCs in our party. Both are human, though there is something special that you learn about them down the line. One is a woman named Zemira Kaltain who is a multiclassed sorcerer and wizard. The other is a man named Charlemagne or Char, and he is a multiclassed monk and cleric.
It's great having a small group for the podcast because it lets us tell a tightly focused story on these two people.
Q) Are you using the Gestalt-Build mechanics? Where it's two classes that level at the same time?
A) No. We are currently following the 5e multiclassing mechanics, but I have something special planned for later... Once we hit high level play. Assuming they live that long!
Q) Have you had guest appearances on your AP?
A) It's funny you should mention it! We actually recorded our first ever guest appearances earlier this month. We'll be releasing that collaboration at the end of May in honor of our 1 year anniversary. We were joined by 3 guests from 3 other APs, and it was a great time. I think people are going to love it.
Q) Have you been a guest in someone else's running AP?
A) Yes! I have guested on Game Master Monday a few times, and it was so much fun. I have done solo appearances, and the entire Slay the Stars cast was involved in a Shrewmanji one shot. I highly recommend checking it out! I also guested on Dude, Where's My Drift? twice and had a rad time learning Starfinder with those guys. Those shows are both really great. I highly recommend checking them out!
Q) Time to wrap it up, any parting thoughts for our readers?
A) Sure! Hi, all! Thanks for checking out this interview and thanks for having me. If you're interested in hearing more about Slay the Stars, check out our website at slaythestars.com, and you can find us at @slaythestars on Twitter and @slaythestars_podcast on Instagram. We release episodes every Tuesday by noon EST, and if you're looking for an AP that borders on a dark science fantasy audio drama? You're going to love us.
Click the links below to follow Slay the Stars and show support!
Comentários