Six friends
who like to make each other laugh.
Of course they started a podcast. The Hero’s Die is the product of years of collaborative storytelling and gaming, sometimes in person and, since 2020, largely virtually.
The gang plays Pathfinder Second Edition, a game system by Paizo Inc. Their current campaign is based on the Extinction Curse Adventure Path, written by Jason Tondro, Jenny Jarzabski, Greg Vaughan, Kate Baker, Mikko Kallio, and Lyz Liddell.
Listen on –
Cast
Ben
Voice of Svend and Knud
I've always been drawn to storytelling and roleplay since I was a little kid, pretending to run a detective agency with my brother out of our garden shed. This ultimately led to a fascination with video games that allowed you to make decisions and explore worlds as a character- shout out to Tim Schaffer and the early LucasArts adventures. It wasn't until I became roommates with Cole that I was exposed to TTRPGs, which checked all the boxes of character creation, imagination in roleplaying, and goofing around with friends. In my downtime, I can be found seated at my computer playing RPGs or out in nature, commenting on how much it reminds me of Skyrim.
Cole
Voice of Leighton and Claude
After a childhood spent transforming every hike into a Big Quest and recasting Star Wars as a chipmunk Rebellion against a squirrel Empire (tight worldbuilding, I know), I fell into DnD 3.5 with five friends in an attic apartment. That campaign launched me into an enduring love of the worldbuilding, characterization, tactics, and goofiness built into scores of systems at dozens of welcoming and warm tables. Including this one, where Sam shows me true kindness when my GM hat sneaks up onto my head like a little parasite. When I put down the dice, I enjoy blowing out my aged eardrums with live music and revisiting high school injuries on the volleyball court.
Morgan
Voice of Eugene
I’m an actor, writer, gamer, and all around nerd. I lived in Chicago for over decade, working primarily in theatre. I currently live in Los Angeles, pursuing opportunities in TV and film. I love tennis, beer, camping, watches, and Magic: The Gathering
Rudy
Voice of Professor Vide Veritas
I'm an actor based in New York City. I was born and raised in Chicago, where I met the rest of the Hero's Die crew. My obsessions include Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes, Universal monster movies, The Wizard of Oz, the Three Stooges, Hellenistic religion, public transportation, and pomeranians. I dedicate my performance to the memory of Frank Morgan, the Original Professor.
Sam
Game Master
I fell in love with role playing games 8 years ago at Cole’s table. He led several friends (including Ben!) through a 5e campaign and I was hooked. We moved over to Pathfinder in 2019 and began an adventure path that persists to this day despite my moving to Los Angeles, then New Hampshire, and another player heading off to England. I dipped my toe into game mastering to give Cole a chance to play. I liked it, got a table together, and the rest is history. I play a lot of board games and usually have a sci-fi or fantasy novel close to hand.
Will
Voice of Ahn Druk
One of my best decisions in life was buying a copy of Baldur’s Gate (on sale, at a Target in Chattanooga, in 2001), which kicked off my love for role-playing games. After decades of playing in front of a computer screen, Sam invited me to play a Pathfinder one-shot adventure at his table, and I finally got the chance to demonstrate my min-maxing, completionist compulsions in public. Since then, I’ve taken every possible opportunity to play TTRPGs with friends. I live in Chicago.