June 9, 2025 • 28 mins
Kay Purcell is a storyteller, community builder, and co-founder of Chaotic Wholesome Presents, known for conjuring vibrant, inclusive worlds in the realms of Tabletop Roleplaying Games and live-play performance. Their work blends razor-sharp humour with emotional depth, telling tales where every player has power, penguins are terrifying, and chaos is often delightfully wholesome.
Kay has worked across video games, streaming, and community strategy, contributing to titles like Contraband and Ooblets.
Find out more at kaypurcell.com and damphyr.com
Tarot Interviews credits
- Host and producer: Finbarre Snarey
- Theme music composer: Amelia Lawn
- Additional music: Nicola Snarey
- Cover art: Rein G
If you're curious about the cards we use and want to find out more, visit our Tarot Interviews podcast page.
Disclaimer: The Tarot Interviews podcast is intended for entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not constitute professional, legal, financial, medical, or psychological advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals where appropriate.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Finbarre Snarey (00:30):
Welcome back to Tarot Interviews with your host
, Fin.
Today we're sitting down withthe incredible Kay Purcell, an
accomplished games master, ttrpgperformer and co-founder of
Chaotic Wholesome Presents.
Founder of Chaotic WholesomePresents, kay is also known for
weaving unforgettable stories intabletop role-playing games,
bringing creativity, inclusivityand immersive storytelling to
(00:51):
every campaign.
As a passionate advocate forcollaborative and chaotic fun,
kay has helped build a communitywhere everyone's story matters.
So stick around as we draw thecards and explore Kay's journey,
creative process and what itmeans to bring wholesome chaos
to the TTRPG world.
Kay Purcell, welcome to TarotInterviews.
I have your cards in my hand.
Kay Purcell (01:11):
I am terrified and excited.
Thank you for having me.
Finbarre Snarey (01:14):
An absolute pleasure.
Now, as you can see, the cardsare going round and round.
What I'd like you to do is justtell me when the moment strikes
, when the inspiration reachesout and boops you on the nose.
Tell me when to split the deck,and I'll do so.
Kay Purcell (01:28):
Right.
Yes, we are watching the cardsgo round and round as the world
turns to chaos around us, and Ithink that's the time.
Finbarre Snarey (01:37):
You have the Ten of Swords.
Kay Purcell (01:40):
Well, welcome to life in 2025.
Finbarre Snarey (01:43):
Indeed, it's a very interesting time, isn't it?
Okay, now, I've recently made atarot-themed playlist for every
single track linked to one ofthe 78 cards and the one that
you picked.
It took me a while, also why Iwas in the shower and the
(02:03):
thought came to me if I was topick a song for every tarot card
, what would I pick?
And, of course, once I thoughtof it, I had to run with it.
Anyway, ten of Swords is theDeconstruction by Eels, or
that's kind of my feel on it.
So, looking at that and imagineyou've never seen this card
before.
Describe it, how does it feel?
(02:24):
What's going on in the card?
Kay Purcell (02:26):
See, this is challenging because I do a lot
of terror pulls so my brain isdefaulting to my deck.
But you know, having never seenit before, this looks like a
really really bad, sad,terrifying card.
Because there's a poor fellowlaying face down, red sheet kind
of spread over his lower halfand ten swords just stabbed
(02:47):
right into his back.
He's laying on a beach with akind of gray ocean behind
mountains in the distance,yellow sky and looming black
clouds coming down over the top.
Third of the heart.
Finbarre Snarey (03:01):
Okay.
So, as you'll be well aware,the traditional meaning for this
is painful conclusion, rockbottom.
Moments that the imagery stark.
It offers a glimmer of hopethat darkness won't last forever
.
The question I'll take fromthat is can you discuss a
difficult ending that's led to anew beginning for you?
Kay Purcell (03:22):
Well, while your very flattering intro definitely
focused on my TTRPG stuff,which is my passion, I have the
great fortune slash misfortuneof working in the video games
industry Mm-hmm, a poison choiceJust in shambles.
Right now, not a single weekgoes by that there is not
(03:43):
multiple layoffs and multiplestudio closures, and just a
couple months ago I was in oneof those.
I had taken a job in New YorkCity, which I was so excited to
move cross country andexperience something new,
working on a I could talk aboutit now a really cool game called
Contraband that was announcedat the final E3.
Finbarre Snarey (04:07):
No, I missed the E3.
What genre are we talking?
Kay Purcell (04:09):
This is what has been said publicly.
Hold on, no, it's good.
I'm just running through whatwas in the trailer, because
that's what's out publicly I see.
It is a co-op smuggling gameset in the 1970s in a fictional
Southeast Asian world of Bayan.
(04:30):
I spent over three years of mylife working on this game.
My company decided to close allof our North American offices
and multiple people who had beenemployed for nearly 20 years no
longer had a job.
Finbarre Snarey (04:46):
My God, Kate, that's awful.
Which part of the game were youworking on?
Kay Purcell (04:56):
Well, I do community management, comms and
marketing.
So I was very involved in thecommunity launch strategy,
advertising, working withMicrosoft as our publisher.
So I was working withMicrosoft's Marcoms.
I got to help with the E3trailer announcement and
throwing turtle parties aroundthat.
I was also working on othergames as well as a comms person,
because some of those I don'tknow if I'll ever be able to
(05:16):
talk about, but I was working ona lot of different parts, a lot
of fingers in a lot ofdifferent pies, getting to do
some really cool stuff, workingwith an international team.
Suddenly I was on the wrong sideof the country with no job, in
one of the most expensive citiesin the United States in an
industry that was falling apartand it was a little stressful,
(05:38):
but it was also.
This happened right at June,which is my birthday and also
Pride Month here in America, andit was actually a little bit of
relief because I had workedwith the truly incredible
creator, candice the Magnificent, who wanted to do a charity
series of games calledMagnificent Pride that I was
producing on our channel throughKatta Coulson and actually had
(06:01):
time to do all of that.
We did four charity games plusa bonus Juneteenth game, which
was an all-black table running.
Paradox Perfect, which is anawesome little indie system
which was completely wild andridiculous and so much fun and
involved twerking and dinosaurs.
Don't ask.
Finbarre Snarey (06:17):
Twerking and dinosaurs.
I need to ask which dinosaurs.
Kay Purcell (06:20):
A lot.
Finbarre Snarey (06:23):
Are we talking?
Cretaceous Jurassic?
Kay Purcell (06:25):
So Jeremy Crawford, who is a part of Three Backs
Halflings, was the GM of it andhe is a dinosaur nerd.
Basically, everyone got pulledinto an alternate reality where
dinosaurs did not go extinct andwere now the dominant species
on the planet, and there wereall of the era correct
personalities that we would haveknown from this setting were
(06:48):
all suddenly dinosaurs withpunny names, and it was truly
incredible.
Finbarre Snarey (06:55):
Just very quickly as a bonus question,
without thinking about it whichis your favorite dinosaur game?
Kay Purcell (06:59):
Oh, cats, I like the.
Okay, I know they're notaccurate, I know they're not
correct, but the frilledspitters right.
I know that's not it, butthat's what locked into Baby K's
brain in Jurassic Park.
I know that is not accurate.
That is so influential that youcan see this.
The audience will not.
I have a little crochetedpenguin behind me because in one
of my horror games I attackedmy players with sandguins and
(07:21):
they were little penguins thatswam through sand and people
were like, oh, they're so cute.
And then they walk up to thepenguin and the penguin opens
its mouth.
I don't know if you've everseen the inside of a penguin's
mouth.
It is a horror show.
It is terrifying.
There are beaks with teeth,layers and layers and rows and
rows and rows of teeth.
Only these were actuallycarnivorous teeth that could
actually hurt you.
And then they had frills thatcame up.
Finbarre Snarey (07:40):
And this is from a previous role as a
penguin orthodontist- Basically.
Kay Purcell (07:43):
Yes, I've watched a lot of documentaries, y'all
Nature documentaries, sciencedocumentaries it all comes
together in my weird TTRPG brainspace.
Finbarre Snarey (07:53):
And got spliced with Dune and a fever dream.
Kay Purcell (07:56):
Yeah, I mean basically God Plane, which was
this campaign, has beendescribed as a fever dream.
Finbarre Snarey (08:05):
My kids have only recently, just got into dnd
.
In fact, after this interviewI'm going downstairs to play the
first set of dnd that my kidshave.
It's one of these.
I think it's a campaign that'sbasically spoon-fed to you that
there are very, very few options.
It plays like a kind of chooseyour own adventure but, it's the
gateway into it.
I mean they they do like thekind of tt rpgs like um, there's
one called the is Dead whichwe've played so many times Also
Goat Crashers, honey Heist.
Kay Purcell (08:28):
Yes, honey Heists are great.
If you are looking for reallyfun, super kid friendly, there's
a D&D supplement called theVerdant Isles and it's a tea
time adventure and you playlittle animal people and it's
all like problem solving.
Combat isn't a thing and theyeven have an app with maps and
recipes so you can make the teathat you drink in the game.
(08:48):
It's very cute.
It's an indie group.
Go, support indie TTRPGs.
We love them.
Finbarre Snarey (08:55):
My daughter is very much of the opinion that
people are trash and she's onlyinterested in animals.
She's 13 and I don't thinkshe's wrong.
Kay Purcell (09:05):
Yeah, I will not argue with that at all.
My cats are my favorite people.
Finbarre Snarey (09:08):
Right, we have a second card to pull.
So, right as before, cards arein my hand, apart from that one
over there, which can remain inthe corner, okay, so?
Kay Purcell (09:17):
Oh, hello, yeah, I mean they're jumping out.
That's what we gotta do.
Finbarre Snarey (09:21):
Yeah cards, say me do you want this one?
Kay Purcell (09:23):
yeah, sure, it says pick me.
I'm not going to argue with apick me card.
Finbarre Snarey (09:34):
The Ace of Swords, the Ace of Swords.
You are pulling the swords outthis evening.
Kay Purcell (09:38):
Look, I'm a fighter .
What can I say?
I'm tiny but feisty.
Finbarre Snarey (09:42):
What is this card saying to you?
Kay Purcell (09:43):
So the Ace of Swords?
This is a very MontyPython-esque card which I feel
like would offend the swords ifyou told them that.
But there is a cloud with ahand coming out of it.
It is holding a sword upright.
There is plant life.
I'm trying to remember exactlywhat it is.
It's a little far away.
There are plant life, or vines,or laurels, or something coming
(10:05):
from the tip.
Oh, there's a crown with thelaurels coming from the crown,
set on a pale orange, I thinksky with mountains off in the
distance now, interestingly, onone side of the crown it does
look like, uh, laurel leavesthat are flowing into the breeze
.
Finbarre Snarey (10:19):
On the other side it looks a bit like a
feather boa that you wouldnormally see discarded after
pride.
Kay Purcell (10:25):
I I do enjoy a drag queen oh, we've got the card of
clarity.
Finbarre Snarey (10:31):
Truth, mental breakthrough, um fresh starts,
new ideas, sudden insights thatcut through confusion.
It's the symbolism of mentalstrength, the power of intellect
seeing things as they reallyare okay.
So my question to you is whatwas a breakthrough moment in
either your storytelling or gamemastering that you're most
(10:51):
proud of?
Kay Purcell (10:52):
so I'm actually something of a newcomer to
ttrpgs.
I had always wanted to playthem but, um, I know I don't
sound it, but I grew up in texas, um, and the bible belt and the
christian school I went to suchthings were not as we said.
Even before we went live, theX-Men comics that I had were
(11:13):
banned from school becauseNightcrawler was a demon.
Finbarre Snarey (11:15):
My God, I mean, it wasn't the fact that they're
basically just hot messbisexuals, it was one that
looked a bit dodgy.
Kay Purcell (11:23):
Yes, and like trying to explain them no, no,
no, it's really cool becausehe's a Christian.
They're like no, that's a demon, get it out, it's not allowed.
Finbarre Snarey (11:31):
It has an angel in it, though.
Surely they balance each otherout.
Kay Purcell (11:34):
Nope, nope.
That was clearly, and you know,satanic panic was still very
solid in that space, and so itwas never a thing I was allowed
to do.
And then I went on to deep lore.
I worked at DeviantArt foralmost 20 years.
Then I started working in videogames, and it wasn't until I
was a couple years into workingat Red Bull that I was saying to
(11:56):
friends like I really want toplay a TTRPG, I really want to
try D&D.
And like David, my creativepartner looked at me and went,
oh, you want to play, hold on.
And all of a sudden there werelike eight mother lovers who I
was very close to in my life,who had never mentioned that
they were TTRPG nerds, who allwent, oh, I play tabletop, let's
(12:19):
put together a game.
And I'm like, why did none ofy'all mention this?
So I didn't actually get toplay games until shortly before
the pandemic, and I have in allmy life played four TTRBG
sessions in person.
It's all mostly been onlinethrough streaming and
fundraising through the pandemic.
(12:42):
I was doing these games and Ireally enjoyed them, but I had a
moment of like I'm mostlyjoining games and I kind of I
don't get to tell the stories Inecessarily wanted to tell.
I don't always get to choosewho I'm at the table with.
Sometimes not everyone in thespace is great, right, and I was
having friends who were sayingthey were having bad experiences
with no safety tools, and I waslike, okay, I want to tell
(13:04):
these kinds of stories and Iwant to be at these kinds of
tables.
I have to run these gamesmyself, don't I?
I have to learn how to GM, Ihave to learn how to storytell,
and I started out by trying togo through modules and find
pre-written stuff that I wantedto, and I just got frustrated
that the stuff I wanted wasn'tout there.
So, as we discussed before, Iput together with my partner
(13:27):
Godplane.
It was a short story that I'dbeen trying to write for ages
and a comic that I was trying towrite.
I couldn't find the format forthe story and I'm like, well,
let's make this into a TTRBG andsee if it works.
And you get four completestrangers who are pulled out of
very different worlds, droppedinto the dream of a god and told
(13:49):
you have to stop a nightmarebefore it wakes the god, good
luck.
Finbarre Snarey (13:53):
Yeah, good luck .
Kay Purcell (13:54):
And it was such a great breakthrough moment for me
because it was like I was soafraid that I don't know the
lore of the Forgotten Realmsthat well because I only just
started and people are going tocall me a fake nerd and what if
I don't edit it?
And it was like cool, I canjust do my own world and that
way, none of the rules have toapply unless I want them to.
I can make up my own gods.
(14:15):
I can do all of this.
And I went from I need to learnall the rules, I need to do all
of this correctly.
I need to, I need to, I needto't out.
Yet that's sacred and it's astory that repeats and tells
itself, and it doesn't.
It's that focus on.
Not everything has to be unique, not everything has to be
(14:37):
absolutely the first time thisis being exposed and, in fact,
there's a joy in experiencingthe same story with new elements
and new twists and seeing howdifferent characters and
different groups react to thesethings, while also highly
adapting parts of it to eachindividual character and group.
So, yeah, it was a moment of Ihave to do it myself.
I have to follow the rules.
Finbarre Snarey (14:58):
No wait, I don't cool you make the sound, I
mean the visual imagery thatI'm getting is of opening a
pandora's box, of unleashing allof the content and literally
riding that wave.
Kay Purcell (15:10):
I took the bits I wanted.
I loved the mists from VanRichten and the Domains of Dread
, and so I went okay, there aremisty hallways that connect all
of these different planes andthere's all these little
different parts of the world andevery one of those can be
whatever I want.
And oh, what if I write up 10and then make them roll a D20?
And we decide where they gobased on what they roll every
(15:31):
time they step out of the mists.
Right, it just became so muchfun of.
I don't have to structure thisif I don't want to.
Finbarre Snarey (15:38):
Something you mentioned a little while ago was
the idea of safety tools.
Now, this is something Ihaven't heard of and I'd love to
know more about, because I'mvery familiar with the certain
character classes.
I'm looking at the Bard who is,as a cliche, supposed to be
some form of Lothario, crackingonto everything, and I imagine
the idea of consent within agame starts to blur.
(15:59):
So, as a games master, howwould you deal with that?
Kay Purcell (16:08):
Don't know if you have noticed y'all, but I am
femme presenting, and the numberof times I have showed up to a
table I have been the onlynon-dude and have immediately
been relegated to oh, you'regoing to be someone's girlfriend
and I'm like, no, I'm not, I'mnot here for that.
So one of the really coolthings things that have come out
of this kind of new era ofTTRPGs is there are safety tools
(16:28):
online and some of them are assimple as you could.
Have an X card and if somethingmakes you uncomfortable, you
throw up the X card and you stop.
There's a fast-forward cardwhich is like hey, something
about this isn't feeling great,can we hurry over it?
So there are different toolslike that, but one of the most
important things we discuss nowis a session zero, which is
(16:51):
where you come together andeveryone.
You kind of get to know otherplayers.
Depending on the game, you mayor may not introduce your
characters, but you get a feelfor everyone and one of the
things you go over is your linesand veils, which is when I play
games y'all.
I have a really bad dog phobia.
I have been hospitalized fromdog attacks.
I don't like dogs, I don't mindother people having dogs, right
(17:11):
?
I just I'm not going to pet thedog.
So that's one of my lines islike we can, we can fight a dog.
Someone else can have a dog.
Just please don't require me tointeract with said dog.
Right, and some of those arevery simple.
Some of them are hey look, Ihave no problem with like
romance if you ask, right, If wemake sure we're all comfortable
(17:32):
with it.
But also, I don't want to dealwith anything involving
pregnancy because that's justnot.
I don't want the pregnancyscare.
None of that is interesting tome.
That's not a thing I want topursue.
So there are pre-made sheetsthat have some of these basic
things.
Then you can list out your ownthings for some people.
You know, hey, family memberhas dementia.
Maybe we don't put a characterwith dementia in this, right,
(17:54):
there are all sorts of littlethings that are important to
talk about, including thingslike if you're in a regular
group, hey, how many people needto be missing before we cancel
the game?
Are we okay with pushingforward with one person missing
and just kind of we pilot theircharacter or have a reason
they're not there.
One of the things we actuallyput out as Chaoticalism is we
(18:15):
put out a Google Sheets basedlines and veils doc that you
send a copy to everyone.
It's a dropdown.
You fill it out Green, red,yellow and then we also have
orange and teal.
Oranges it's fine for otherpeople, but please don't give it
to me.
And then teal is.
This is generally a yes, but Ineed you to ask first.
And then you copy that into onemaster sheet and it
(18:38):
automatically does the highestlevel of discomfort for everyone
, so everyone can reference hey,this particular thing is a
yellow.
I need to make sure I ask andsay how detailed it's going to
be before I go into it.
So that's kind of the safetyaspect of let's make sure
everyone is having fun.
And even in horror games it'skind of like a roller coaster.
(18:58):
Roller coasters are only funbecause you really feel like
you're safe.
You can be safe in a scarything and that's how I treat
horror games is you're going tobe able to be more involved,
more into it and and letyourself be more scared if you
know where the guardrails areand that you're not going to be
pushed into a situation that youpersonally are beyond
(19:21):
uncomfortable with.
Finbarre Snarey (19:22):
I love that as an idea and, as I said, straight
after this, when I speak to mykids, I will be downloading Zed
Sheet, taking a look at this andintroducing this to them as if
it's something normal, becauseit should be.
Kay Purcell (19:35):
This is something that every game should be
running with one's kids' TTRPGcamps and she actually
implements the rewind feature,which is great for kids,
especially kids who are TTRPGsare such a great way to kind of
learn about yourself andexperiment, and without the
(19:57):
consequences of everyone's goingto judge me, this is going to
be with me until I changeschools.
And she has a rewind featurewhere if a kid says something
and another character or an NPCreacts in a way that they were
like oh, they can go, hold onpause.
I want to rewind and retakethat because I just didn't
expect that and so it hasnothing to do with roles, but
(20:18):
it's a great social tool of likeoh, I didn't realize that
sounded mean, let me be able toredo that.
And it's a great tool forteaching empathy and teaching
respect no, I love that.
Finbarre Snarey (20:29):
I've played countless games where I'm so
happy to.
You know, maim behead, choppeople into tiny pieces, but
hurting somebody's feelings getsme there, so I will often just
go back to the last save point.
Kay Purcell (20:43):
Yep video games cause violence until you hurt
the npc's feelings, and then no,no, no, no, no right last card
where it got this sword.
Finbarre Snarey (20:54):
I wonder.
Let's find out.
Okay, let's shuffle away.
And when?
Kay Purcell (20:59):
You want to come out and play today?
justiceon the subject of swords, but
with a twist major arcana,finally yeah I've not seen.
Finbarre Snarey (21:15):
You know it's something about 2025, but also
proceeding is.
I've not seen justice forpossibly a decade.
This is an elusive card and weneed it now do we ever good
gravy?
Right justice.
What's this card saying to you?
Kay Purcell (21:32):
Oh, this is a very red and passionate card.
Uh, it is a woman bedecked inred and gold seated on a throne.
She's holding a sword aloft and, uh, between two pillars, with
is that a tapestry backdrophanging from between.
Finbarre Snarey (21:50):
It's some kind of hanging.
It doesn't have any picturesupon it.
I think such things will beGordian.
Too much of like frippery forjustice.
Absolutely.
No, she means business.
She really does, Absolutely.
If you were to get a feelingfrom this card, what does it say
to you?
Talk to me about vibes.
Kay Purcell (22:07):
If you were to get a feeling from this card.
What does it say to you?
Talk to me about vibes.
It is calm but direct power.
It is someone who's like I knowwhat needs to happen.
I'm not sprinting to get itdone.
I have the authority and I'mjust going to hold up the sword.
(22:27):
Give the order, make it happen.
Finbarre Snarey (22:29):
You know I was about to say to that.
My instinctive reaction was,yeah, fair, and yes, it would be
.
Yeah, so a card of integritywhere accountability,
accountability, don't you lovethat word, accountability.
Kay Purcell (22:43):
I mean not always, certainly not in tabletop, in
real life.
Finbarre Snarey (22:48):
Yes, Is that when a D20 rolls under the table
and you're like, yeah, sure itwas a 19.
Kay Purcell (22:54):
Like oh no, if it isn't the consequence of my
actions, I hope those wouldnever show up.
Finbarre Snarey (23:01):
Okay, so a card of honesty and fairness in all
dealings.
Can you discuss a situationwhere you've advocated for
fairness and equality within thegaming community?
Kay Purcell (23:12):
Oh goodness.
So I began my career as amoderator for DeviantArt, as I
said, so there was quite a bitof advocating for fairness and
accountability, often for peoplewho really didn't want to give
it.
But through both my time invideo games and in TTRPGs it's a
dirty word in my country rightnow, but DEI has always been
(23:36):
something really important to me, especially as, like I said
before, I am femme presentingand I have more than once been
the only woman in a room full ofgaming journalists.
It's not comfortable being theonly person in the room full of
gaming journalists.
It's not comfortable being theonly person in the room like yes
, there's a certain amount oflike.
Yes, I've, I've done it, I'mpaving the way, but it's also
like I shouldn't.
It's this day and age, Ishouldn't have to be the one
(23:57):
paving the way, I shouldn't haveto be the only one in the room,
and especially in ttrGs.
I will not go into Gary Gygax, Iwill spare everyone that rant.
But like, d&d definitely cameup from people with my skin tone
.
But people who certainly didn'tlook like me straight up said
(24:18):
women are not built to play D&D.
They can't play it.
They have no interest inplaying it.
Yeah, I have rants about Gygaxand it became even worse with
look, I love me some Drow, Ilove me the orcs, but they are
black coded and problematic theway they were written and it has
been awesome and incrediblyfrustrating to see how hard my
(24:42):
channel and other folks have hadto work to just make the gaming
space more welcoming and safetytools.
Making it more welcoming andmore safe is a big part of it,
because Candice, one of myreally great friends, showed up
to a table, said oh, are theresafety tools?
They're like no, you won't needit.
It was a Wild West game.
A lynch mob showed up in themiddle of said game and Candice
(25:08):
is a person of color, candace isblack and was like I am not
okay with this happening andthere was no good way for them
to tap out because the toolsjust weren't there.
Most of it is ignorance andjust people don't think how
other walks of life mightexperience these things that
(25:29):
seem normal to us.
Uh, yes, this was historical,but that doesn't mean people,
especially who are still dealingwith the very real consequences
of modern day racism, want toexperience it uh, I think that
is a very respectful way ofdoing it.
(25:49):
I feel like that yeah, it's likeI said you can have more fun
when you're not worried about isthis thing going to happen, and
even down to respecting playerchoices and what players would
want.
One of my favorite moments Iwas watching a stream game by
Todd Kendricks and it had OpaLoren playing a cleric of her
(26:15):
god.
She was meeting her god for thefirst time and while talking
with this god, the god basicallysaid I don't like it that
people can summon me, right,it's bad when people summon me.
And this cleric who has theability to summon her god asks
do you mind it when I summon you?
(26:36):
Is it bad when I summon you?
And the GM completely brokecharacter in the middle of the
game and said are you lookingfor one particular answer or are
you okay with whatever I answer?
And Lauren's response was Ithink I know what it's going to
be, but I am okay with whateveryou decide, and it was such an
(26:58):
amazing moment to see of the GMgoing.
You put me in a situation I wasnot prepared for.
We didn't discuss this ahead oftime.
We're going to discuss it rightnow so that we don't have to go
back and retcon something, sothat you don't leave this
feeling bad so that you leavefeeling like your character was
fulfilled and it didn't breakthe pace of the game, it didn't
break immersion, it was just awonderful moment.
Finbarre Snarey (27:20):
And that's a wrap on today's episode of Tarot
Interviews.
A huge thank you to Kay Purcellfor sharing their insights and
experiences as a storyteller anda community builder.
Be sure to check the link outin the show notes for more
incredible TTRPG content andfollow Kay's latest adventures.
And if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe,
share and leave us a review.
(27:40):
We'll be back soon with morestories and card pulls with
inspiring creatives.
And until next time, keeplistening, keep creating.
Welcome back to Tarot Interviews with your host
, Fin.
Today we're sitting down withthe incredible Kay Purcell, an
accomplished games master, ttrpgperformer and co-founder of
Chaotic Wholesome Presents.
Founder of Chaotic WholesomePresents, kay is also known for
weaving unforgettable stories intabletop role-playing games,
bringing creativity, inclusivityand immersive storytelling to
(00:51):
every campaign.
As a passionate advocate forcollaborative and chaotic fun,
kay has helped build a communitywhere everyone's story matters.
So stick around as we draw thecards and explore Kay's journey,
creative process and what itmeans to bring wholesome chaos
to the TTRPG world.
Kay Purcell, welcome to TarotInterviews.
I have your cards in my hand.
Kay Purcell (01:11):
I am terrified and excited.
Thank you for having me.
Finbarre Snarey (01:14):
An absolute pleasure.
Now, as you can see, the cardsare going round and round.
What I'd like you to do is justtell me when the moment strikes
, when the inspiration reachesout and boops you on the nose.
Tell me when to split the deck,and I'll do so.
Kay Purcell (01:28):
Right.
Yes, we are watching the cardsgo round and round as the world
turns to chaos around us, and Ithink that's the time.
Finbarre Snarey (01:37):
You have the Ten of Swords.
Kay Purcell (01:40):
Well, welcome to life in 2025.
Finbarre Snarey (01:43):
Indeed, it's a very interesting time, isn't it?
Okay, now, I've recently made atarot-themed playlist for every
single track linked to one ofthe 78 cards and the one that
you picked.
It took me a while, also why Iwas in the shower and the
(02:03):
thought came to me if I was topick a song for every tarot card
, what would I pick?
And, of course, once I thoughtof it, I had to run with it.
Anyway, ten of Swords is theDeconstruction by Eels, or
that's kind of my feel on it.
So, looking at that and imagineyou've never seen this card
before.
Describe it, how does it feel?
(02:24):
What's going on in the card?
Kay Purcell (02:26):
See, this is challenging because I do a lot
of terror pulls so my brain isdefaulting to my deck.
But you know, having never seenit before, this looks like a
really really bad, sad,terrifying card.
Because there's a poor fellowlaying face down, red sheet kind
of spread over his lower halfand ten swords just stabbed
(02:47):
right into his back.
He's laying on a beach with akind of gray ocean behind
mountains in the distance,yellow sky and looming black
clouds coming down over the top.
Third of the heart.
Finbarre Snarey (03:01):
Okay.
So, as you'll be well aware,the traditional meaning for this
is painful conclusion, rockbottom.
Moments that the imagery stark.
It offers a glimmer of hopethat darkness won't last forever
.
The question I'll take fromthat is can you discuss a
difficult ending that's led to anew beginning for you?
Kay Purcell (03:22):
Well, while your very flattering intro definitely
focused on my TTRPG stuff,which is my passion, I have the
great fortune slash misfortuneof working in the video games
industry Mm-hmm, a poison choiceJust in shambles.
Right now, not a single weekgoes by that there is not
(03:43):
multiple layoffs and multiplestudio closures, and just a
couple months ago I was in oneof those.
I had taken a job in New YorkCity, which I was so excited to
move cross country andexperience something new,
working on a I could talk aboutit now a really cool game called
Contraband that was announcedat the final E3.
Finbarre Snarey (04:07):
No, I missed the E3.
What genre are we talking?
Kay Purcell (04:09):
This is what has been said publicly.
Hold on, no, it's good.
I'm just running through whatwas in the trailer, because
that's what's out publicly I see.
It is a co-op smuggling gameset in the 1970s in a fictional
Southeast Asian world of Bayan.
(04:30):
I spent over three years of mylife working on this game.
My company decided to close allof our North American offices
and multiple people who had beenemployed for nearly 20 years no
longer had a job.
Finbarre Snarey (04:46):
My God, Kate, that's awful.
Which part of the game were youworking on?
Kay Purcell (04:56):
Well, I do community management, comms and
marketing.
So I was very involved in thecommunity launch strategy,
advertising, working withMicrosoft as our publisher.
So I was working withMicrosoft's Marcoms.
I got to help with the E3trailer announcement and
throwing turtle parties aroundthat.
I was also working on othergames as well as a comms person,
because some of those I don'tknow if I'll ever be able to
(05:16):
talk about, but I was working ona lot of different parts, a lot
of fingers in a lot ofdifferent pies, getting to do
some really cool stuff, workingwith an international team.
Suddenly I was on the wrong sideof the country with no job, in
one of the most expensive citiesin the United States in an
industry that was falling apartand it was a little stressful,
(05:38):
but it was also.
This happened right at June,which is my birthday and also
Pride Month here in America, andit was actually a little bit of
relief because I had workedwith the truly incredible
creator, candice the Magnificent, who wanted to do a charity
series of games calledMagnificent Pride that I was
producing on our channel throughKatta Coulson and actually had
(06:01):
time to do all of that.
We did four charity games plusa bonus Juneteenth game, which
was an all-black table running.
Paradox Perfect, which is anawesome little indie system
which was completely wild andridiculous and so much fun and
involved twerking and dinosaurs.
Don't ask.
Finbarre Snarey (06:17):
Twerking and dinosaurs.
I need to ask which dinosaurs.
Kay Purcell (06:20):
A lot.
Finbarre Snarey (06:23):
Are we talking?
Cretaceous Jurassic?
Kay Purcell (06:25):
So Jeremy Crawford, who is a part of Three Backs
Halflings, was the GM of it andhe is a dinosaur nerd.
Basically, everyone got pulledinto an alternate reality where
dinosaurs did not go extinct andwere now the dominant species
on the planet, and there wereall of the era correct
personalities that we would haveknown from this setting were
(06:48):
all suddenly dinosaurs withpunny names, and it was truly
incredible.
Finbarre Snarey (06:55):
Just very quickly as a bonus question,
without thinking about it whichis your favorite dinosaur game?
Kay Purcell (06:59):
Oh, cats, I like the.
Okay, I know they're notaccurate, I know they're not
correct, but the frilledspitters right.
I know that's not it, butthat's what locked into Baby K's
brain in Jurassic Park.
I know that is not accurate.
That is so influential that youcan see this.
The audience will not.
I have a little crochetedpenguin behind me because in one
of my horror games I attackedmy players with sandguins and
(07:21):
they were little penguins thatswam through sand and people
were like, oh, they're so cute.
And then they walk up to thepenguin and the penguin opens
its mouth.
I don't know if you've everseen the inside of a penguin's
mouth.
It is a horror show.
It is terrifying.
There are beaks with teeth,layers and layers and rows and
rows and rows of teeth.
Only these were actuallycarnivorous teeth that could
actually hurt you.
And then they had frills thatcame up.
Finbarre Snarey (07:40):
And this is from a previous role as a
penguin orthodontist- Basically.
Kay Purcell (07:43):
Yes, I've watched a lot of documentaries, y'all
Nature documentaries, sciencedocumentaries it all comes
together in my weird TTRPG brainspace.
Finbarre Snarey (07:53):
And got spliced with Dune and a fever dream.
Kay Purcell (07:56):
Yeah, I mean basically God Plane, which was
this campaign, has beendescribed as a fever dream.
Finbarre Snarey (08:05):
My kids have only recently, just got into dnd
.
In fact, after this interviewI'm going downstairs to play the
first set of dnd that my kidshave.
It's one of these.
I think it's a campaign that'sbasically spoon-fed to you that
there are very, very few options.
It plays like a kind of chooseyour own adventure but, it's the
gateway into it.
I mean they they do like thekind of tt rpgs like um, there's
one called the is Dead whichwe've played so many times Also
Goat Crashers, honey Heist.
Kay Purcell (08:28):
Yes, honey Heists are great.
If you are looking for reallyfun, super kid friendly, there's
a D&D supplement called theVerdant Isles and it's a tea
time adventure and you playlittle animal people and it's
all like problem solving.
Combat isn't a thing and theyeven have an app with maps and
recipes so you can make the teathat you drink in the game.
(08:48):
It's very cute.
It's an indie group.
Go, support indie TTRPGs.
We love them.
Finbarre Snarey (08:55):
My daughter is very much of the opinion that
people are trash and she's onlyinterested in animals.
She's 13 and I don't thinkshe's wrong.
Kay Purcell (09:05):
Yeah, I will not argue with that at all.
My cats are my favorite people.
Finbarre Snarey (09:08):
Right, we have a second card to pull.
So, right as before, cards arein my hand, apart from that one
over there, which can remain inthe corner, okay, so?
Kay Purcell (09:17):
Oh, hello, yeah, I mean they're jumping out.
That's what we gotta do.
Finbarre Snarey (09:21):
Yeah cards, say me do you want this one?
Kay Purcell (09:23):
yeah, sure, it says pick me.
I'm not going to argue with apick me card.
Finbarre Snarey (09:34):
The Ace of Swords, the Ace of Swords.
You are pulling the swords outthis evening.
Kay Purcell (09:38):
Look, I'm a fighter .
What can I say?
I'm tiny but feisty.
Finbarre Snarey (09:42):
What is this card saying to you?
Kay Purcell (09:43):
So the Ace of Swords?
This is a very MontyPython-esque card which I feel
like would offend the swords ifyou told them that.
But there is a cloud with ahand coming out of it.
It is holding a sword upright.
There is plant life.
I'm trying to remember exactlywhat it is.
It's a little far away.
There are plant life, or vines,or laurels, or something coming
(10:05):
from the tip.
Oh, there's a crown with thelaurels coming from the crown,
set on a pale orange, I thinksky with mountains off in the
distance now, interestingly, onone side of the crown it does
look like, uh, laurel leavesthat are flowing into the breeze
.
Finbarre Snarey (10:19):
On the other side it looks a bit like a
feather boa that you wouldnormally see discarded after
pride.
Kay Purcell (10:25):
I I do enjoy a drag queen oh, we've got the card of
clarity.
Finbarre Snarey (10:31):
Truth, mental breakthrough, um fresh starts,
new ideas, sudden insights thatcut through confusion.
It's the symbolism of mentalstrength, the power of intellect
seeing things as they reallyare okay.
So my question to you is whatwas a breakthrough moment in
either your storytelling or gamemastering that you're most
(10:51):
proud of?
Kay Purcell (10:52):
so I'm actually something of a newcomer to
ttrpgs.
I had always wanted to playthem but, um, I know I don't
sound it, but I grew up in texas, um, and the bible belt and the
christian school I went to suchthings were not as we said.
Even before we went live, theX-Men comics that I had were
(11:13):
banned from school becauseNightcrawler was a demon.
Finbarre Snarey (11:15):
My God, I mean, it wasn't the fact that they're
basically just hot messbisexuals, it was one that
looked a bit dodgy.
Kay Purcell (11:23):
Yes, and like trying to explain them no, no,
no, it's really cool becausehe's a Christian.
They're like no, that's a demon, get it out, it's not allowed.
Finbarre Snarey (11:31):
It has an angel in it, though.
Surely they balance each otherout.
Kay Purcell (11:34):
Nope, nope.
That was clearly, and you know,satanic panic was still very
solid in that space, and so itwas never a thing I was allowed
to do.
And then I went on to deep lore.
I worked at DeviantArt foralmost 20 years.
Then I started working in videogames, and it wasn't until I
was a couple years into workingat Red Bull that I was saying to
(11:56):
friends like I really want toplay a TTRPG, I really want to
try D&D.
And like David, my creativepartner looked at me and went,
oh, you want to play, hold on.
And all of a sudden there werelike eight mother lovers who I
was very close to in my life,who had never mentioned that
they were TTRPG nerds, who allwent, oh, I play tabletop, let's
(12:19):
put together a game.
And I'm like, why did none ofy'all mention this?
So I didn't actually get toplay games until shortly before
the pandemic, and I have in allmy life played four TTRBG
sessions in person.
It's all mostly been onlinethrough streaming and
fundraising through the pandemic.
(12:42):
I was doing these games and Ireally enjoyed them, but I had a
moment of like I'm mostlyjoining games and I kind of I
don't get to tell the stories Inecessarily wanted to tell.
I don't always get to choosewho I'm at the table with.
Sometimes not everyone in thespace is great, right, and I was
having friends who were sayingthey were having bad experiences
with no safety tools, and I waslike, okay, I want to tell
(13:04):
these kinds of stories and Iwant to be at these kinds of
tables.
I have to run these gamesmyself, don't I?
I have to learn how to GM, Ihave to learn how to storytell,
and I started out by trying togo through modules and find
pre-written stuff that I wantedto, and I just got frustrated
that the stuff I wanted wasn'tout there.
So, as we discussed before, Iput together with my partner
(13:27):
Godplane.
It was a short story that I'dbeen trying to write for ages
and a comic that I was trying towrite.
I couldn't find the format forthe story and I'm like, well,
let's make this into a TTRBG andsee if it works.
And you get four completestrangers who are pulled out of
very different worlds, droppedinto the dream of a god and told
(13:49):
you have to stop a nightmarebefore it wakes the god, good
luck.
Finbarre Snarey (13:53):
Yeah, good luck .
Kay Purcell (13:54):
And it was such a great breakthrough moment for me
because it was like I was soafraid that I don't know the
lore of the Forgotten Realmsthat well because I only just
started and people are going tocall me a fake nerd and what if
I don't edit it?
And it was like cool, I canjust do my own world and that
way, none of the rules have toapply unless I want them to.
I can make up my own gods.
(14:15):
I can do all of this.
And I went from I need to learnall the rules, I need to do all
of this correctly.
I need to, I need to, I needto't out.
Yet that's sacred and it's astory that repeats and tells
itself, and it doesn't.
It's that focus on.
Not everything has to be unique, not everything has to be
(14:37):
absolutely the first time thisis being exposed and, in fact,
there's a joy in experiencingthe same story with new elements
and new twists and seeing howdifferent characters and
different groups react to thesethings, while also highly
adapting parts of it to eachindividual character and group.
So, yeah, it was a moment of Ihave to do it myself.
I have to follow the rules.
Finbarre Snarey (14:58):
No wait, I don't cool you make the sound, I
mean the visual imagery thatI'm getting is of opening a
pandora's box, of unleashing allof the content and literally
riding that wave.
Kay Purcell (15:10):
I took the bits I wanted.
I loved the mists from VanRichten and the Domains of Dread
, and so I went okay, there aremisty hallways that connect all
of these different planes andthere's all these little
different parts of the world andevery one of those can be
whatever I want.
And oh, what if I write up 10and then make them roll a D20?
And we decide where they gobased on what they roll every
(15:31):
time they step out of the mists.
Right, it just became so muchfun of.
I don't have to structure thisif I don't want to.
Finbarre Snarey (15:38):
Something you mentioned a little while ago was
the idea of safety tools.
Now, this is something Ihaven't heard of and I'd love to
know more about, because I'mvery familiar with the certain
character classes.
I'm looking at the Bard who is,as a cliche, supposed to be
some form of Lothario, crackingonto everything, and I imagine
the idea of consent within agame starts to blur.
(15:59):
So, as a games master, howwould you deal with that?
Kay Purcell (16:08):
Don't know if you have noticed y'all, but I am
femme presenting, and the numberof times I have showed up to a
table I have been the onlynon-dude and have immediately
been relegated to oh, you'regoing to be someone's girlfriend
and I'm like, no, I'm not, I'mnot here for that.
So one of the really coolthings things that have come out
of this kind of new era ofTTRPGs is there are safety tools
(16:28):
online and some of them are assimple as you could.
Have an X card and if somethingmakes you uncomfortable, you
throw up the X card and you stop.
There's a fast-forward cardwhich is like hey, something
about this isn't feeling great,can we hurry over it?
So there are different toolslike that, but one of the most
important things we discuss nowis a session zero, which is
(16:51):
where you come together andeveryone.
You kind of get to know otherplayers.
Depending on the game, you mayor may not introduce your
characters, but you get a feelfor everyone and one of the
things you go over is your linesand veils, which is when I play
games y'all.
I have a really bad dog phobia.
I have been hospitalized fromdog attacks.
I don't like dogs, I don't mindother people having dogs, right
(17:11):
?
I just I'm not going to pet thedog.
So that's one of my lines islike we can, we can fight a dog.
Someone else can have a dog.
Just please don't require me tointeract with said dog.
Right, and some of those arevery simple.
Some of them are hey look, Ihave no problem with like
romance if you ask, right, If wemake sure we're all comfortable
(17:32):
with it.
But also, I don't want to dealwith anything involving
pregnancy because that's justnot.
I don't want the pregnancyscare.
None of that is interesting tome.
That's not a thing I want topursue.
So there are pre-made sheetsthat have some of these basic
things.
Then you can list out your ownthings for some people.
You know, hey, family memberhas dementia.
Maybe we don't put a characterwith dementia in this, right,
(17:54):
there are all sorts of littlethings that are important to
talk about, including thingslike if you're in a regular
group, hey, how many people needto be missing before we cancel
the game?
Are we okay with pushingforward with one person missing
and just kind of we pilot theircharacter or have a reason
they're not there.
One of the things we actuallyput out as Chaoticalism is we
(18:15):
put out a Google Sheets basedlines and veils doc that you
send a copy to everyone.
It's a dropdown.
You fill it out Green, red,yellow and then we also have
orange and teal.
Oranges it's fine for otherpeople, but please don't give it
to me.
And then teal is.
This is generally a yes, but Ineed you to ask first.
And then you copy that into onemaster sheet and it
(18:38):
automatically does the highestlevel of discomfort for everyone
, so everyone can reference hey,this particular thing is a
yellow.
I need to make sure I ask andsay how detailed it's going to
be before I go into it.
So that's kind of the safetyaspect of let's make sure
everyone is having fun.
And even in horror games it'skind of like a roller coaster.
(18:58):
Roller coasters are only funbecause you really feel like
you're safe.
You can be safe in a scarything and that's how I treat
horror games is you're going tobe able to be more involved,
more into it and and letyourself be more scared if you
know where the guardrails areand that you're not going to be
pushed into a situation that youpersonally are beyond
(19:21):
uncomfortable with.
Finbarre Snarey (19:22):
I love that as an idea and, as I said, straight
after this, when I speak to mykids, I will be downloading Zed
Sheet, taking a look at this andintroducing this to them as if
it's something normal, becauseit should be.
Kay Purcell (19:35):
This is something that every game should be
running with one's kids' TTRPGcamps and she actually
implements the rewind feature,which is great for kids,
especially kids who are TTRPGsare such a great way to kind of
learn about yourself andexperiment, and without the
(19:57):
consequences of everyone's goingto judge me, this is going to
be with me until I changeschools.
And she has a rewind featurewhere if a kid says something
and another character or an NPCreacts in a way that they were
like oh, they can go, hold onpause.
I want to rewind and retakethat because I just didn't
expect that and so it hasnothing to do with roles, but
(20:18):
it's a great social tool of likeoh, I didn't realize that
sounded mean, let me be able toredo that.
And it's a great tool forteaching empathy and teaching
respect no, I love that.
Finbarre Snarey (20:29):
I've played countless games where I'm so
happy to.
You know, maim behead, choppeople into tiny pieces, but
hurting somebody's feelings getsme there, so I will often just
go back to the last save point.
Kay Purcell (20:43):
Yep video games cause violence until you hurt
the npc's feelings, and then no,no, no, no, no right last card
where it got this sword.
Finbarre Snarey (20:54):
I wonder.
Let's find out.
Okay, let's shuffle away.
And when?
Kay Purcell (20:59):
You want to come out and play today?
justiceon the subject of swords, but
with a twist major arcana,finally yeah I've not seen.
Finbarre Snarey (21:15):
You know it's something about 2025, but also
proceeding is.
I've not seen justice forpossibly a decade.
This is an elusive card and weneed it now do we ever good
gravy?
Right justice.
What's this card saying to you?
Kay Purcell (21:32):
Oh, this is a very red and passionate card.
Uh, it is a woman bedecked inred and gold seated on a throne.
She's holding a sword aloft and, uh, between two pillars, with
is that a tapestry backdrophanging from between.
Finbarre Snarey (21:50):
It's some kind of hanging.
It doesn't have any picturesupon it.
I think such things will beGordian.
Too much of like frippery forjustice.
Absolutely.
No, she means business.
She really does, Absolutely.
If you were to get a feelingfrom this card, what does it say
to you?
Talk to me about vibes.
Kay Purcell (22:07):
If you were to get a feeling from this card.
What does it say to you?
Talk to me about vibes.
It is calm but direct power.
It is someone who's like I knowwhat needs to happen.
I'm not sprinting to get itdone.
I have the authority and I'mjust going to hold up the sword.
(22:27):
Give the order, make it happen.
Finbarre Snarey (22:29):
You know I was about to say to that.
My instinctive reaction was,yeah, fair, and yes, it would be
.
Yeah, so a card of integritywhere accountability,
accountability, don't you lovethat word, accountability.
Kay Purcell (22:43):
I mean not always, certainly not in tabletop, in
real life.
Finbarre Snarey (22:48):
Yes, Is that when a D20 rolls under the table
and you're like, yeah, sure itwas a 19.
Kay Purcell (22:54):
Like oh no, if it isn't the consequence of my
actions, I hope those wouldnever show up.
Finbarre Snarey (23:01):
Okay, so a card of honesty and fairness in all
dealings.
Can you discuss a situationwhere you've advocated for
fairness and equality within thegaming community?
Kay Purcell (23:12):
Oh goodness.
So I began my career as amoderator for DeviantArt, as I
said, so there was quite a bitof advocating for fairness and
accountability, often for peoplewho really didn't want to give
it.
But through both my time invideo games and in TTRPGs it's a
dirty word in my country rightnow, but DEI has always been
(23:36):
something really important to me, especially as, like I said
before, I am femme presentingand I have more than once been
the only woman in a room full ofgaming journalists.
It's not comfortable being theonly person in the room full of
gaming journalists.
It's not comfortable being theonly person in the room like yes
, there's a certain amount oflike.
Yes, I've, I've done it, I'mpaving the way, but it's also
like I shouldn't.
It's this day and age, Ishouldn't have to be the one
(23:57):
paving the way, I shouldn't haveto be the only one in the room,
and especially in ttrGs.
I will not go into Gary Gygax, Iwill spare everyone that rant.
But like, d&d definitely cameup from people with my skin tone
.
But people who certainly didn'tlook like me straight up said
(24:18):
women are not built to play D&D.
They can't play it.
They have no interest inplaying it.
Yeah, I have rants about Gygaxand it became even worse with
look, I love me some Drow, Ilove me the orcs, but they are
black coded and problematic theway they were written and it has
been awesome and incrediblyfrustrating to see how hard my
(24:42):
channel and other folks have hadto work to just make the gaming
space more welcoming and safetytools.
Making it more welcoming andmore safe is a big part of it,
because Candice, one of myreally great friends, showed up
to a table, said oh, are theresafety tools?
They're like no, you won't needit.
It was a Wild West game.
A lynch mob showed up in themiddle of said game and Candice
(25:08):
is a person of color, candace isblack and was like I am not
okay with this happening andthere was no good way for them
to tap out because the toolsjust weren't there.
Most of it is ignorance andjust people don't think how
other walks of life mightexperience these things that
(25:29):
seem normal to us.
Uh, yes, this was historical,but that doesn't mean people,
especially who are still dealingwith the very real consequences
of modern day racism, want toexperience it uh, I think that
is a very respectful way ofdoing it.
(25:49):
I feel like that yeah, it's likeI said you can have more fun
when you're not worried about isthis thing going to happen, and
even down to respecting playerchoices and what players would
want.
One of my favorite moments Iwas watching a stream game by
Todd Kendricks and it had OpaLoren playing a cleric of her
(26:15):
god.
She was meeting her god for thefirst time and while talking
with this god, the god basicallysaid I don't like it that
people can summon me, right,it's bad when people summon me.
And this cleric who has theability to summon her god asks
do you mind it when I summon you?
(26:36):
Is it bad when I summon you?
And the GM completely brokecharacter in the middle of the
game and said are you lookingfor one particular answer or are
you okay with whatever I answer?
And Lauren's response was Ithink I know what it's going to
be, but I am okay with whateveryou decide, and it was such an
(26:58):
amazing moment to see of the GMgoing.
You put me in a situation I wasnot prepared for.
We didn't discuss this ahead oftime.
We're going to discuss it rightnow so that we don't have to go
back and retcon something, sothat you don't leave this
feeling bad so that you leavefeeling like your character was
fulfilled and it didn't breakthe pace of the game, it didn't
break immersion, it was just awonderful moment.
Finbarre Snarey (27:20):
And that's a wrap on today's episode of Tarot
Interviews.
A huge thank you to Kay Purcellfor sharing their insights and
experiences as a storyteller anda community builder.
Be sure to check the link outin the show notes for more
incredible TTRPG content andfollow Kay's latest adventures.
And if you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe,
share and leave us a review.
(27:40):
We'll be back soon with morestories and card pulls with
inspiring creatives.
And until next time, keeplistening, keep creating.
Popular Podcasts
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.