Narrative Damage

Watch as a full video interview hereAdrian Tchaikovsky is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short stories. Children of Time won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award, and Children of Ruin and Shards of Earth both won the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel. The Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, while And Put Away Childish Things won the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction.  We had a fascinating conversation with Adrian about how his deep love of TTRPGs act as a primary engine for his prolific literary career. He explains how he uses roleplaying sessions as a form of prototyping to test complex world-building and create authentic, multifaceted casts of characters. We also discuss how the unpredictability of a gaming table helps him break out of authorial habits, his preference for blending hard sci-fi mechanics with high-fantasy stakes, and how decades spent behind a GM screen prepared him for the monumental task of managing the sprawling narratives in his award-winning series. Plus, he tells us about the new Children of Time TTRPG coming to crowdfunding soon...Links:Buy Adrian's books hereFollow Adrian on BlueskyLearn more about the Children of Time RPGDon't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeKieron Gillen is a British comic book writer and former video game journalist. He is best known for his work on high-profile titles such as Star Wars, X-Men, and The Eternals, as well as his acclaimed creator-owned series The Wicked + The Divine and Die. A longtime enthusiast of tabletop roleplaying games, he famously helped to develop a standalone RPG system to accompany his Die comic series, bridging the gap between narrative fiction and interactive gaming. He is currently working on new projects like Power Fantasy and Meta Dungeon.We had an absolute blast chatting TTRPGs with Kieron and hearing about about his early, slightly confusing start with Middle-Earth Role Playing at age ten. We chat about why believes the skills of a writer, like spotlight management and the perfect cliffhanger, are directly transferable to the world of games and vice versa. We also talk about this love for idea-dense indie RPG writing, talk about the recently crowdfunded DIE Metadungeon, and hear about a new game he is working on.Links:Follow Kieron on BlueskyVisit Kieron's WebsiteVisit Kieron's gaming blog, Old Men Running the WorldDon't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeIn this episode of Narrative Damage, we sit down with legendary TTRPG creator and author Seth Skorkowsky to peel back the curtain on the art of tabletop storytelling.Seth shares his unique perspective on the "myth" of skill overlap between writing novels and running games, arguing that a great Game Master is more like a campfire performer or a stand-up comedian than a novelist, and why having total control as a writer is the polar opposite of the pure reaction skills required at the gaming table. He also gives us great tips on when to let players explore and when to step in to keep the story moving. We also chat about the different storytelling approaches systems can take, and why some players prefer ones with a fixed solution Whether you're a veteran Game Master or just starting your first campaign, Seth’s insights on pacing, structure and player psychology provide an essential toolkit for any storyteller!Chapters00:00:16 Intro00:03:03 Interview starts - Seth talking about being an author00:39:01 Main TTRPG discussionLinks:Visit Seth's YouTube channelBuy Seth's booksFollow Seth on InstagramVisit Seth's websiteDon't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Watch as a full video interview on our YouTube channelGareth Ryder-Hanrahan is a writer and game designer. Originally qualified as a computer programmer, he took a three month break to see how “this writing thing” would go. More than fifteen years later, he’s still on that break. The writing thing seems to be going. Gareth has published more role-playing games and supplements than he can even recall, including the award-winning The Laundry RPG, The One Ring and The Dracula Dossier. He is currently working on (among other games) the DIE Metadungeon, tying into Kieron Gillen's DIE comic and RPG.We had great fun chatting with Gareth, hearing about how he first got into TTRPG writing, and learning how he goes about writing across such a huge range of games. We chat to him about the best ways to break in TTRPG writing, and what makes a good and bad scenario.If you want to hear Gareth talk about his novel writing, head over to Page One, where he spoke to us about that in Episode 263!Links:Visit Gareth's WebsiteFollow Gareth on InstagramBack the DIE Metadungeon now!Don't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Watch as a full video episode on our YouTube channelKat Clay is an ENNIE and ARPIA award-winning author of tabletop roleplaying games from Melbourne, Australia. Her Call of Cthulhu games, The Hammersmith Haunting, Resort, and The Well of All Fear, are bestsellers on DriveThruRPG. The Well of All Fear won the silver ENNIE in 2024 for Best Community Content, and was nominated for Best Adventure – Short Form. Resort, won Best Scenario at the 2025 Australian Roleplaying Industry Awards. She works as a freelance editor and graphic designer for game publisher, Chaosium.We had a great time chatting with Kat and hearing about how she got into writing for TTRPGs, including how she brings her fiction-writing skills to the scenarios, and why she doesn't think you need to over-playtest scenarios. Plus, she tells us about how to make the horror in your games really land with players.Links:Buy Kat's A Well of All Fear scenarioVisit Kat's websiteFollow Kat on InstagramDon't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Welcome to Damage Assessment - our look back at our actual plays, where we breakdown the scenario, talk about what went well, what could've gone better, and what might help you run the same scenario at your table.Loki's Gift is a Call of Cthulhu scenario from Chaosium's Cults of Cthulhu book by Chris Lackey, Mike Mason and friends. Set in Late Victorian London in 1896, it focuses on the investigation into the death of Charles Gladstone, musician and son of Lord Richard Gladstone. Watch or listen to our playthrough now and then head back here to hear all about how our players went off track causing some panicked moments for our Keeper, and listen as we talk about what we might do differently if we were to run the scenario again.Don't forget you can still win a Call of Cthulhu Starter Set! All you need to do all you need to do is subscribe on YouTube and leave a comment below one of our Loki's Gift videos! Once we hit 250 subs we will pick our winner! Plus - double your chances: Head over to our Instagram to enter there as well.Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on Bluesky

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeDescend into madness with us as our cast of three authors swap pens for dice in the final part of this Call of Cthulhu scenario.The curtain rises...After last week's traumatic ending, our investigators try to piece the final clues together - but can they find out the truth before it's too late? And will they finally see the play that everyone is talking about: Loki's Gift?Cast:- Tariq Ashkanani (author of The Midnight King) as Donovan Ramsbottom III- Nicholas Binge (author of Dissolution) as Rev. Tobias Ashford- David Goodman (author of A Reluctant Spy) as Lord Wilbur Linklater- Marco Rinaldi as your Keeper of Arcane LoreIf you enjoyed the descent into madness, please follow on your podcast app The final part drops next week!Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on BlueskySubscribe on YouTubeThis is a playthrough of Loki's Gift from the Cults of Cthulhu book from Chaosium. All illustrations are used with permission of Chaosium and can be found in their Cults of Cthulhu and Cthulhu by Gaslight books.Music from Monument StudiosSound FX from Syrinscape

Watch as a full video episode on YouTubeDescend into madness with us as our cast of three authors swap pens for dice in the first part of this Call of Cthulhu scenario."I must know why my son took his own life."When Lord Gladstone calls three hardy investigators to his London mansion on a cold rainy evening in October 1896, they awaken old scars - and create new ones. What was the music that Charles Gladstone was working on before his death, and why is it so unsettling?Cast:- Tariq Ashkanani (author of The Midnight King) as Donovan Ramsbottom III- Nicholas Binge (author of Dissolution) as Rev. Tobias Ashford- David Goodman (author of A Reluctant Spy) as Lord Wilbur Linklater- Marco Rinaldi as your Keeper of Arcane LoreIf you enjoyed the descent into madness, please subscribe and hit the bell icon! Part 2 drops next week!Follow the madness on InstagramFollow on BlueskyThis is a playthrough of Loki's Gift from the Cults of Cthulhu book from Chaosium. Music from Monument StudiosSound FX from Syrinscape