Cassandra Snow: I am always thinking of the listener as I record. I want them to have a good story to listen to, and if I'm being honest I also want them to think I'm smart and funny! I try to make choices that are both good game play and good listening, and to model collaboration with my castmates because that is a core value for me as a person. I think TTRPGs are such a beautiful and immersive mode of storytelling even when they are hot nonsense (in the best way!) and I want people to walk away from my podcasts loving gaming as much as I do.
TP: What would you say is the best selling point of your Podcast and what has people coming back for more?
CS: I just heard back from a listener of Lesser Evil who said that they really like that the party members are regular cog-in-the-machine workers who didn't necessarily want or need to go adventuring. They said it makes them feel like anyone can hop into an adventure at any time, and I couldn't have written a better selling point myself so THANK YOU to Eli Effinger-Weintraub. I also can say that the five of us really pour our heart and humor into this one. You get a sense of who we are as well as our characters, as well as how real our friendships are behind the mics.
Table It! is doing something not a ton of people are doing in both playing AND reviewing micro-RPGS. I'm new to the cast but other than me it's three really game-savvy players and long-time GMs. Everyone there really knows what they're doing, has a ton of fun, and you get to see a lot of different games and gaming styles. If you struggle keeping up with season long-arcs, this one is perfect to get you hooked on this whole genre since we do something different every time we meet. Because of that you get to explore the dense world of RPGs with us, and I think that's rad!
CS: My background is in theatre - that's what I majored in and I produced successful theatre for a really long time. When the pandemic hit and it wasn't safe or responsible for me (an immunocompromised person) to be creating in that way, I did feel like there were some gaps or holes in my heart where theatre once was. I also quickly realized I couldn't come back to theatre full-time because life-long health problems had been clearing up and I realized the intense schedule of theatre was part of the problem. I say all of that to say, to me, TTRPGs hit a lot of the same spots. It's collaborative. It's story-telling and art. It's immersive. It's so removed from reality and yet so real at the same time. I fell so in love with it for those reasons.
I have also felt very welcomed in queer TTRPG spaces which is something I struggled with in theatre which is a deeply competitive field. It feels like everyone wants MORE people involved and not less, and I'm definitely someone who does not have an innate sense of competition. I want us all to win, and this has been such a homey space for that where other people seem to feel the same way.
TP: What is your favourite individual podcast that you've worked on and why?
CS: For Lesser Evil, it takes place at a major corporation and we all have low-level jobs. Because of the nature of it, Manny, who is the GM, wanted us to each have our own episode that follows us on our day off. There's so much you put into a character that you don't necessarily get to bring to the table in the name of teamwork, so as much as I love the teamwork, having the unique opportunity to explore those facets in Bromine's Day Off was really fun. I got to hit some absolute chaos vibes and excorcise my own insecurities about talking to women AND I got to explore this deep, searching, spiritual side of the character. It's so unique to the show to have us all be "main character" for a day and all of those episodes turned out so wonderful.
CS: Lesser Evil is on hiatus. One of our campaign members is facing a major life challenge, and another one is going to nail school which is great! But it is going to take six days of her week, all day. So right now what we're doing is a lot of hilarious group chats and sending that first party member a lot of love and encouragement. Our GM is also still writing the next leg. They built the world up so richly but because things change so quickly in campaigns, they wanted to edit their story outline some before we jump into season 2.
Table It! is recording monthly still and releasing two episodes a month. We just did a fun, short Sword & Sorcery one-shot that we all really loved. We all take turns GMing so we get fun little surprises each time. Table It! did just start a Patreon, and Lesser Evil will soon.
As for me, in my other life I'm a professional tarot card reader and writer. I also sit on a couple of arts boards and councils. So I'm working on writing deadlines, meeting with clients and going to meetings, just waiting for my next chance to roll my dice!
TP: Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?
CS: Lesser Evil is really wonderful for people who have not played DnD before but would like to. It's high fantasy but a lot of it doesn't feel like it. A lot of it feels like a slightly off magical version of our world. I think anyone who is interested in dipping their toes in would absolutely love this one. Table It! really runs the gamut. There are episodes rule-following game experts will love and episodes newbies just looking for a good time will love. I think anyone wanting to explore TTRPGs beyond the big names should give these games a try.
TP: Where do you see your TTRPG podcast taking you in 5 years?
CS: You know, when I moved out of theatre space full-time I was kind of excited that for the first time I didn't know what my future looked like. I don't know this space as well, and while I always want to make connections and network with people who love it as much as we all do, I don't actually want to know what's possible for myself. I would love to just be doing these podcasts but with money (LOL) and maybe some appearances at conferences. I'm open to rewriting some adventures as books and talking to my lit agent to try and sell those. I'm open to Twitch, live shows, etc. I don't know what the sky in "sky's the limit" looks like here. I just want to be able to keep doing this, and to be able to help support myself eventually with it so I can devote more time and energy to it.
TP: If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?
CS: I know there are some, but I would really like to combine my loves and create a witchy, spooky TTRPG using tarot cards AND dice with a big budget for marketing. I'd love to have our own branded dice for it, as well as the rulebook, unique tarot cards and maybe some ebook novelizations. I'd absolutely love to do it on a podcast or streamer as a player or GM. I think it'd be so cool to just have a giant rollout combining my favorite things.
TP: Who do you admire in the podcast community and why?
CS: Well first of all, who is NOT in love with Aabria Iyengar? The absolute love for the worlds she creates or plays in emanates from her. I love that she plays in super mainstream DnD spaces as well as creates her own. I also think the way Emily Axford and the whole Not Another DnD team has moved the needle on mainstream popularity of TTRPGs is wonderful. I also think the work Three Black Halflings are doing on anti-racism and other problematic elements of this industry is SO necessary and I deeply admire how they still bring so much joy to TTRPGs even when handling tough topics.
TP: What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?
CS: I covered this a little but definitely looking for new outlets and experiences in the pandemic! That being said, I'd always had friends who were into it and I was always curious to try. I think I just needed the time/space/energy to learn something new. When I started early on in the pandemic, I did my first campaign and fell so in love that I quickly joined or helped start several others. I only have 3.5 years in this at this point, but after the first couple of months I was doing up to five games a week. I've had to slow down with recording and things going on in my "other" life in 2023 but I still game 2-3 times a week.
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