In today’s Tales From the Tavern mini-interview we hear from Danny Kodicek. You can find Danny at https://twitter.com/DnDWithPlumbing and at linktr.ee/dndwithplumbing. Let’s see what Danny has to say!
I write adventures, monsters, guides, all kinds of things, as well as occasionally helping others with editing. I’m one of the original team behind Baba Lysaga’s Nocturnes and Nightmares, and we’re now working together more or less permanently under the name Runic Press.
What attracted you to TTRPGs?
I’ve been playing D&D on and off since I was very young, starting with the Basic set back in the 80s. I’ve always loved puzzles and treasure hunts, so I was always particularly attracted to that element of the game particularly. These days I also get very into the world-building side of things. I love trying to imagine worlds that really work.
What artwork or piece of literature has inspired your TTRPG work?
Many different sources, obviously, but if I had to pick one, it might be Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed. It’s an amazing example of truly inspiring world-building with deep political themes that also inform the characters and story at a fundamental level. I don’t think anything from it goes into my work directly, but it was hugely formative for me.
What advice do you give to players looking to try TTRPGs?
Let the story emerge by itself. You don’t need to force it. These days people have a tendency to build so much elaborate backstory that there’s very little scope for the characters to grow or interact. But it’s the interaction *within* the game that really makes it shine.
When you play at a physical table with real dice, do your dice have to match?
I don’t care nearly as much about dice as some people! I enjoy the weight of them in my hand, and I like a nice-looking die as much as anyone, but no, I mostly care about the numbers at the end of the day!
Have you ever felt like an outsider in the TTRPG space? Describe if you can.
I don’t think so, no. I get plenty of anxiety about my work and my abilities, but that mostly comes from inside, not from any external factors. Mostly I’ve found it to be quite welcoming, although admittedly I’m pretty free with the block button. Discovering the Runic group has been great, though, it’s so much easier to work within a community than trying to stay motivated by myself for months at a time.
Anything else you’d like us to know:
Some species of seaweed are single-celled organisms the size of full plants. They have multiple nuclei in a single cell.
Thanks, Danny!
