AC Spotlight: Stories Told Again
We sat down with Austin, the Game Master of Stories Told Again.
What happens when you mix a "fantasy Dave & Busters," a demon wielding a bread bowl, and a group of outcasts trying to survive a world where the villain won centuries ago? You get Stories Told Again.
In this AC Spotlight, we sat down with Austin, the Producer and Head GM of Stories Told Again, to discuss the magic behind their table.
Building the World Together
One of the standout features of Stories Told Again is how the world came to be. While many GMs spend weeks writing lore in isolation, Austin took a different route: Radical Collaboration.
"It took maybe eight or nine episodes before we had an NPC that I created that wasn't an active part of a character's backstory," Austin shared.
By letting the players drive the world-building from Session Zero, the setting lived-in. It’s a great reminder for any GM: your players are your best co-authors.
Systems Beyond the Dragon
While the main campaign, Redrawn, runs on D&D 5e, Austin is a huge advocate for indie systems. Stories Told Again has also experiment with:
Candela Obscura
Wayfinder
Do or Do Not
Pro-Tips for Aspiring Creators
Running a production isn't all nat-20s and laughter. Austin highlighted some of the realities of running an Actual Play:
Scheduling: The universal boss monster that kills more campaigns than dragons do.
Production Stints: Recording 2–4 hours at a time to keep the momentum.
You can find Austin and the Stories Told Again crew here.