Trials of the Apocalypse
Trials of the Apocalypse is an actual play anthology podcast telling humorous, thrilling, and heartfelt short stories with Powered by the Apocalypse games. For each new system we showcase, we explain the basics of the game and collaboratively build our characters and the setting. You can start from the beginning, or with whichever story interests you the most! Games featured so far include Apocalypse World, Undying, Ghost Lines, Brindlewood Bay, The Watch, Monster of the Week, and Pigsmoke.
Episodes

7 days ago
7 days ago
Finals week inches closer. Woody makes some calls, Liam ascends a volcano, and Maia raises hamsters. CW: coarse language, raised voices, hamsters, organs and surgery, scholastic anguish and bureaucracy, bees, cats, references to: infants, fast food, death, body horror, organ transplants, undeath, missing persons, cannibalism [ 0:02:45 - Plans for the week ] [ 0:07:33 - Maia teaches DIY Zombie ] [ 0:15:03 - Liam in Iceland ] [ 0:30:18 - Woody seeks grading help ] [ 0:44:54 - Woody at Maia's house ] Featuring: | David as the MC | | Dempsey as Greg Woody Templeton | | Riley as Maia Bright | | Zac as Liam Webb | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Listen to Planet Arcana! - https://www.planetarcana.com/ - Get a copy of Chris Longhurst's Pigsmoke! - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/221386/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Pigsmoke actual play podcast.

Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Another week of the semester comes and goes. Maia gets a promotion, Woody teaches a dog about friendship, and Liam seeks truth at an Arby's. CW: coarse language, raised voices, sexual innuendo, organs and surgery, scholastic anguish and bureaucracy, bees, cats, references to: fast food, death, organ transplants, undeath, missing persons, cannibalism [ 0:03:24 - Dept. prep for Piglet Day ] [ 0:08:44 - Liam's week ] [ 0:28:54 - Woody's week ] [ 0:52:07 - Maia's week ] Featuring: | David as the MC | | Dempsey as Greg Woody Templeton | | Riley as Maia Bright | | Zac as Liam Webb | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Listen to Monster Hour! - https://monsterhour.podbean.com/ - Get a copy of Absurdia! - https://quinnm.itch.io/absurdia - Get a copy of Chris Longhurst's Pigsmoke! - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/221386/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Pigsmoke actual play podcast.

Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
A mysterious email summons Maya, Liam and Woody to the Dean's office. Liam struggles with single parenthood, Woody markets his MLM, and Maya takes a nap. CW: coarse language, sexual innuendo, scholastic anguish and bureaucracy, bees, references to: violence, death, organ transplants, undeath, abduction, missing persons, cannibalism [ 0:06:23 - A mysterious email ] [ 0:13:01 - Maya and Woody get the news ] [ 0:21:22 - Liam and friends in the tunnels ] [ 0:33:28 - The Dean's office ] Featuring: | David as the MC | | Dempsey as Greg Woody Templeton | | Riley as Maia Bright | | Zac as Liam Webb | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Get a copy of Chris Longhurst's Pigsmoke! - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/221386/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Pigsmoke actual play podcast.

Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
We crack open Pigsmoke, a game of magical academics and absurd bureaucracy. We've got a bubbly necromancer, a dusty archeologist, a faux mentalist, and an incredibly petty college rivalry. What could go wrong? CW: coarse language, sexual innuendo, scholastic anguish and bureaucracy, references to: violence, death, organ transplants, undeath, anime [ 0:04:06 - Pigsmoke introduction ] [ 0:10:33 - Abilities, Harm, Burnout, Advancement ] [ 0:17:03 - Basic moves, TAs ] [ 0:37:13 - Playbooks, character creation ] [ 1:15:42 - Character Setup Questions ] [ 1:34:40 - The Dean, TAs revisited ] Featuring: | David as the MC | | Dempsey as Greg Woody Templeton | | Riley as Maia Bright | | Zac as Liam Webb | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Get a copy of Chris Longhurst's Pigsmoke! - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/221386/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Pigsmoke actual play podcast.

Wednesday Jun 08, 2022
Wednesday Jun 08, 2022
A brief show update between arcs. Thanks, as always, for joining us! ____________________________ Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye -- https://facebook.com/Trials-of-the-Apocalypse-104829821566213 -

Wednesday May 25, 2022
Wednesday May 25, 2022
The crew reunite for a retrospective on their space adventure. CW: coarse language, sexual innuendo, references to: COVID, mortal peril, violence, death, and capitalism [ 0:06:59 - Introductions, outline ] [ 0:15:01 - System reflection ] [ 0:35:53 - Stars ] [ 0:46:30 - Wishes ] [ 0:51:54 - Behind the scenes ] [ 1:07:47 - What's the deal with Rodney? ] [ 1:19:43 - Listener questions ] Featuring: | David as the Keeper | | Emma as Nova Scotia the Expert | | Gel as Froctor Og the Monstrous | | Pat as Rodney the Mundane | | Zac as Lenny the Hex | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Get a copy of Michael Sand's Monster of the Week! - https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Monster of the Week actual play podcast.

Wednesday May 11, 2022
Wednesday May 11, 2022
The crew of the Starship Scholastic solve the mystery in the thorniest way possible. CW: coarse language, flirting, strong sexual innuendo and sexual language, kink, insects, body horror, birth references to: mortal peril, violence, death, and capitalism [ 0:04:08 - Nova syncs up, investigates the mystery ] [ 0:18:05 - Fr. Og radios from "the shit room" ] [ 0:26:07 - Nova slides into some DMs ] [ 0:39:39 - Fr. Og and Lenny join the chat ] [ 0:55:02 - Lenny makes cake, Nova stops the system ] [ 1:04:15 - Rodney's return, chat intensifies ] [ 1:26:57 - Big magic, Lenny emerges ] [ 1:52:46 - Fr. Og's final birth ] Featuring: | David as the Keeper | | Emma as Nova Scotia the Expert | | Gel as Froctor Og the Monstrous | | Pat as Rodney the Mundane | | Zac as Lenny the Hex | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Check out The Monster's Playbook! - https://monstersplaybook.com/ - Get a copy of Michael Sand's Monster of the Week! - https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Monster of the Week actual play podcast.

Saturday Apr 16, 2022
Saturday Apr 16, 2022
Lumeria's true nature is revealed. Fr. Og conducts dangerous research with a new colleague and Rodney levels up. CW: coarse language, insects, sexual innuendo, agoraphobia, heights, horses, body horror, references to: mortal peril, violence, death, and capitalism [ 0:04:22 - A meeting of Froctors ] [ 0:13:13 - Assisting Fr. Hoofenschmirtz ] [ 0:23:22 - Fr. Og reads a bad situation ] [ 0:39:21 - Rodney in space ] [ 0:44:50 - Chaos on the surface ] Featuring: | David as the Keeper | | Emma as Nova Scotia the Expert | | Gel as Froctor Og the Monstrous | | Pat as Rodney the Mundane | | Zac as Lenny the Hex | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Check out $2 Creature Feature! - https://2dollarcreature.carrd.co/ - Get a copy of Michael Sand's Monster of the Week! - https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Monster of the Week actual play podcast.

Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Nova's ploy brings the crew face-to-face with the monster, Lenny introduces us to USB-Z, Fr. Og encounters a colleague, and Rodney unintentionally spider-mans away. CW: coarse language, insects, horses, sexual innuendo, references to: mortal peril, violence, death, and capitalism [ 0:02:00 - Rodney in the hab ] [ 0:08:20 - Fr. Og heads below ] [ 0:17:15 - The scintillac parts ] [ 0:32:56 - Rodney in space ] [ 0:45:45 - Docking procedures ] Featuring: | David as the Keeper | | Emma as Nova Scotia the Expert | | Gel as Froctor Og the Monstrous | | Pat as Rodney the Mundane | | Zac as Lenny the Hex | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Check out The Storyteller Squad! - https://www.thestorytellersquad.com/ -- https://linktr.ee/TheStorytellerSquad - Get a copy of Michael Sand's Monster of the Week! - https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Monster of the Week actual play podcast.

Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
Wednesday Mar 16, 2022
As danger looms, the crew split up to look for answers. Lenny gets a little wrapped-up, Fr. Og is chastised by a three-day-old, Rodney protests being a ghost, and Nova tries to communicate with junk. CW: coarse language, insects, sexual innuendo, agoraphobia references to: mortal peril, violence, death, and capitalism [ 0:04:12 - Mech departs ] [ 0:12:17 - Space scintillack scouting ] [ 0:22:11 - Walking with Herb ] [ 0:41:42 - Space danger and discovery ] [ 0:54:59 - Inside the hab ] Featuring: | David as the Keeper | | Emma as Nova Scotia the Expert | | Gel as Froctor Og the Monstrous | | Pat as Rodney the Mundane | | Zac as Lenny the Hex | Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/totapodcast - Follow us for show updates! - https://twitter.com/TotaPodcast - - https://discord.gg/gpkdFtDqye - Check out Redgate and Wolf! - https://redgateandwolf.com/ - Get a copy of Michael Sand's Monster of the Week! - https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ - This arc of Trials of the Apocalypse is a Monster of the Week actual play podcast.