Roleplaying on Stage! The Twenty-Sided Tavern
The newest interactive theatrical adventure experience is THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN!
The Chicago Tribune says it’s “A new family-friendly franchise that celebrates fantasy gaming. The audience has a total blast. Clearly authentic and fun.”
As a huge roleplaying fan, it’s not surprising that I enjoy a bit of good theater. This is perfect, as my wife is a fan too. So what if, someone combined both roleplaying games and live theater entertainment? You get an unbelievable show called Twenty-Sided Tavern.
What is Twenty-Sided Tavern? I’m so glad you asked!
Crit Academy recently had the pleasure of being joined by Sarah Reynolds, the co-creator, head game designer, and resident tavern keeper on the show. While she has filled many shoes, her work has been seen both on Broadway (Slava's Snowshow, Oklahoma!) and off (Puffs, Rock of Ages, Get On Your Knees), and whoa does it show! She took time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions about the Twenty-Sided Tavern (TST).
Going into the interview we had the privilege of watching a show, and boy, we were NOT disappointed. As expected of a show that had sold out engagements across the USA. Now they have brought the show to www.broadwayinchicago.com through January 15 at Broadway Playhouse.
During our discussion, Sarah answered many of our questions. I’m going to give you the cliff notes version, but feel free to watch the entire segment here on Youtube.
Are you prepared to embark on a journey that might involve dungeons, might involve dragons and is guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced? Twenty-Sided Tavern is a unique, unpredictable adventure that’s never the same quest twice.
TST started off as a simple zoom game of our favorite roleplaying game. Wanting to combine their love of theater, improv, and roleplaying they created their first-ever interactive game over zoom. It was an instant hit! The core focus being interactive with the audience kept everyone engage, as well as the story changing on the fly. As you would expect this led to raucous comedy and a story that is driven just as much by the audience as the dice.
Twenty-Sided Tavern Heroes Start Their Journey! Click to Learn More.
The team at TST really went above and beyond to engage the audience. One core way they do this is through a web application that the audience can vote on, while some other interactions are like minigames to determine success. This is already a fantastic inclusion, but of course, TST takes it a step further. They added a massive 24-inch d20 to be rolled on stage during the game by audience members, some of which become NPCs during the show. This is just a fantastic engagement tool as the tumbles bring the audience to the edge of their seats. The experience is further enhanced by onstage puzzles using game tools such as the giant Jenga and balancing blocks on their heads in the audience. These are just fantastic ways to bring a sense of immersion that other theater shows just don’t do. In addition to this, the audience even helps decide what characters the actors play. This means they don’t really know what they will be playing until minutes before the show starts. Now THAT is some great improv!
As with any roleplaying experience, part of the fun is the shenanigans and random moments that can leave you floored and laughing. Twenty-Sided Tavern really catches that experience extremely well in their show. Whether it’s puzzles, riddles, or combat, the Twenty-Sided Tavern has found a way to engage the audience in a one-of-a-kind story that leads to every story different from the last. Sarah even shared with us that the difficulty of the die rolls is often determined by the previous audience and their actions. So if the next show is easier or harder, they only have the previous audience to blame. This is a show that every roleplayer and theatergoer must experience. There is even a fantastic story that connects all the shows together as a fanciful retelling of an ancient epic! How perfect is that!?
We for one truly enjoyed hearing all of Sarah’s personal stories from her experiences on the show. They made us wish we had been there. If you’re still reading this, then you definitely should check it out!
At THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN, you are not merely an audience member; you are an adventurer ready to change the fate of the world around you, and the story will never be the same again.
Get your tickets to the Twenty-Sided Tavern Today!
Unearthed Tips and Tricks
Monster Variant: Spitfire Ptero
Origin: Red Dragon Wyrmling
Lost Features: blindsight, Intelligence becomes 6, fire breath
Flyby. The ptero doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Spitfire Blast Recharge 5-6. The ptero releases a ball of flame that streaks to a point the ptero chooses within 150 ft and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of fire. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 24 (7d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.
Reaction
Screech. When a creature hits the ptero with an attack, the ptero can use its reaction to release a screeching shriek. Creatures within 120 feet of the ptero must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or must subtract 1d4 from their next attack roll or saving throw.
Encounter: Little Play Things
An elder entity from beyond space and time has been watching our adventurers for quite some time and finds their actions of chaotic heroics highly amusing. So much so, it decides to kidnap them and have them run through a dungeon of terror and geometric madness for its entertainment, promising three wishes to the victor. Victor. Singular.
Magic Item: The Grinder
Light hammer (rare), requires attunement
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
As an action, you can hurl the weapon up to 60 feet to a point you can see. When it reaches that point, the weapon releases a thunderous roar, and each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet away from the weapon. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. Immediately after the attack, the weapon flies back to your hand. This feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.
Dungeon Master Tip: A Simple Touch of Intrigue
If you’re integrating a bit of intrigue into your game, a tournament can be the perfect place to do it—and the banquet portion of the event can be turned into a skill challenge for uncovering secrets, winning allies, and gaining clues. It can also be an excellent way to introduce threats that impact the adventurers at a later time: if they fail, they may have offended some important characters who can cause trouble for them later. This is a great chance for social characters to shine and sneaky ones to sit back and observe or search through the tent city or the noble’s keep while the normal residents are occupied. If you’re using the entire tournament as a skill challenge, adventurers could gain success during the banquet with skills such as Persuasion, History, and Deception.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick Frame Job
Friends is a useful spell in any combat situation. It gives the caster advantage on Charisma checks against one creature, with no saving throw. However, it's balanced by causing the target to become hostile to the caster as soon as it's cast. With Disguise Self, a creature can avoid these consequences completely.
At worst, the caster can get advantage on Charisma checks with no downside as the creature turns aggressive towards a non-existent person. At best, the player can use Disguise Self to impersonate another person. They can use this to frame another character, turning NPCs hostile towards them.
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Keep your blades sharp and spells prepared heroes!
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