AC Spotlight: Campfire Odysseys
We sat down with Michael & Chacon, the Game Master and cast members of Campfire Odysseys.
Welcome back to the AC Spotlight, where we sit down with the creators, GMs, and players who bring our favorite worlds to life. Today, we’re warming up by the light of Campfire Odysseys.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Chacon (GM) and Michael (Player/Producer) to discuss their transition from a long-running home game to a high-production Actual Play series. From office emails to VFX-heavy storytelling, here are the highlights of our conversation.
From the Breakroom to the Studio
The origins of Campfire Odysseys started with a company-wide email. Chacon started a game at their workplace that ended up running for five years. Within 30 minutes of sending an email looking for players, Michael (a "forever DM" looking for a break) cornered Chacon at the coffee station to join.
Table Manners and "The Rules"
Every table has its quirks, and the team at Campfire Odysseys is no different. We touched on everything from snack habits to the "Rules of Cool."
The Anti-Snacker: Chacon describes himself as an "anti-Brennan Lee Mulligan." Instead of snacking during the game, he "carbo loads" as fast as possible before playing, using the subsequent heartburn to fuel his characters.
No "Lie Detectors": Chacon has a strict stance on Insight checks. He refuses to use them as magical lie detectors. Instead, he treats them as "vibe checks," providing narrative descriptions of body language and tension rather than a simple "true or false".
Beyond the Dragon
While D&D 3.5 and 5e provided their start, the duo highly recommends branching out into other systems to expand your storytelling horizons.
Dread
Kids on Bikes
Call of Cthulhu
"It was very much the intent for us to tell wacky, humorous, adventurous, heartfelt stories through actual play." — Chicone
You can find Michael, Chacon and the rest of the Campfire Odysseys crew here.