Talks Machina 67: The Gentleman's Path

is the sixty-seventh episode of Talks Machina. Travis and Matt discuss with host Brian Wayne Foster.

GIF of the Week
Winner: Teleprari (@wevecometohug on Twitter); GIF of the "stapled vs. steepled" moment.

Prize: Critical Role "How do you want to do this?" hoodie and logo pendant.

Fan art of the Week
Winner: Rebecca Snowden (@bananacandytho on Twitter); Yasha fighting with her Necrotic Shroud.

Prize: Ziricote tabletop dice tray from Wyrmwood Gaming.

#thankmyguests

 * Backstory Stalling-man, Ogres Smell The Worst Sir, and I'm your host, Arsequeef's Soft Serve

Quotations
Brian: "A memoir."
 * Brian: "All I took out of that is Fjord is a submissive."
 * Matt: "Pact of the Bottom."
 * Matt: "Everything with him is very much a power dynamic game and trying to read whoever he's talking with, that's how he got where he is today."
 * Matt: "As a dungeon master, one of the greatest gifts a player can give you is freedom in your backstory."
 * Matt: "I didn't, actually. But I didn't! It was one of those things—and I like setting up choices in the game that are open to interpretation. Especially when it comes to powers that aren't fully understood. Cause then it lets the player choose more of the direction where it goes from there. For that, I was leaving it open—I thought in my head that might be a possibility? But I don't know where it's gonna go. There are many different ways he could have taken it or completely denied it and it would have gone a different way." Brian: "Lots of different holes he could have taken it to." Matt: "Yeah, a lot of paths to choose." Travis: "Listen, it's like an inkblot test, alright? I just like swallowing swords." Matt: "So yeah. I wasn't expecting that, I thought it was a somewhat possibility, and I was intrigued and excited that that was the choice that he made." Travis: "I'LL TRY SOMETHING ELSE NEXT TIME, OK?! I'm gonna try something else." Brian: "Yeah, whenever Matt says 'I found that to be a bold character choice,' you know what he's really saying." Matt: "No! It led to some great art and a great visual. Outside of the internet always fetishizing anything we do that can be remotely put into that area, it made for a really cool visual and a really cool story."
 * Brian: "Deep Thrjoat"
 * Travis: "That was actually the first thing I asked Matt after the episode, like 'Was it open to interpretation?' And he goes 'Uh-huh.' And I was like ‘Right, so if there’s like a mace...' And he goes '*shrug*'."
 * Travis: "Can you turn your giant eye real fast?"
 * Matt: "It’s fun to have secrets and hidden information, but in short bursts."
 * Travis: "I didn't think there was any hell deeper or hotter than shopping until I went to the FUCKING library with Caleb. Holy shit!"