Interview with Steve Morrison of Errant Adventures
Welcome everyone to my interview with Steve Morrison of the Errant Adventures podcast.
If you aren't listening to Errant Adventures, you should get on to it right away. Steve has three seasons of excellent solo RPG adventuring using Starforged, Ironsworn, Mythic, and a whole other bunch of systems. The stories he crafts are amazing and well worth a listen.
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| Check out his great website now! |
Welcome to Croaker's RPG Corner Steve. Thank you for agreeing to do the interview. Let's start with the first question.
I’d love to hear how you got introduced to Table-Top RPGs, who introduced you, and what was your first RPG?
First of all, thanks for having me! When I was sixteen, my best friend received Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for his XBOX. We were obsessed with playing it, and quickly, I pestered my parents to let me put a copy on their computer. That was my very first exposure to RPGs in general, and there’s a lot of nostalgia surrounding playing that game.
Fast forward a couple years and I’m in my freshman year at college sitting in the common room of my dorm. A guy sits down next to me with a Lord of the Rings book I didn’t recognize. Being a self-obsessed Tolkien fan, I asked him about the book. It was the Decipher Lord of the Rings RPG and he let me leaf through it. I wasn’t quite clear on what it was until he explained I could create a character and play that character in Middle Earth. I became instantly obsessed and we played multiple times a week throughout the rest of my time at school.
Our LOTR campaign lasted a few months, then we branched into the D20 Star Wars RPG, D&D 3.5, D&D 4, and Vampire. Ah those heady Saturdays of waking up at 11 a.m., eating breakfast, and playing TTRPGs from noon to midnight!
What is it about TTRPGs that interests you and keeps you creating? Why have you devoted so much of your time to it?
Before TTRPGs came into my life, my primary hobby was writing fiction. I tend to be a more exploratory writer starting out with a beginning and an idea of where I want to end. Everything else I discover along the way. In many ways, TTRPGs are the ultimate expression of that concept. I don’t know what’s going to happen once I pick up the dice and throw them, and a big part of the fun for me is figuring out how to build a compelling narrative out of that randomness.
It was also an incredibly social activity. As an introverted only child, playing TTRPGs in college and beyond gave me a structured way to connect with other people, and I needed that when I was younger.
You've spent a significant amount of time playing solo games. What is it about solo RPGs that interests you? How is it different than traditional GM'd RPGs?
I discovered solo RPGs back in 2019 with Ironsworn, and I actually bounced off it at first. I tried journaling my adventure and eventually got frustrated because I felt like the system was holding me back from just writing my story. I set it down for a little bit, and later, came back to it with a fresh perspective. If I wanted to write a story, I knew how to do that and I could easily make it happen. So instead of writing out my adventures, I tried recording them. And it worked! I still have some of those recordings and maybe I’ll release them someday as bonus content. The bones of what would become Errant Adventures are there.
As for what interests me and how it’s different from traditional GM’d RPGs, I’m interested in being able to focus on a single character’s story and really dial into their motivations and struggles. Plus, I love a serious campaign, and while I’ve played in some amazing serious campaigns, most groups I’ve been part of tend toward the more comedic. I enjoy getting together with friends, having some beer and snacks, and having a laugh, but at the end of the day, I want to create a story with weight and drama.
Playing solo gives me the opportunity to do just that.
What do you look for in a solo RPG?
For the most part, I look for games that have a strong theme and engaging mechanics.
That’s why Ironsworn and Starforged are my favorite solo RPGs. For my experience and needs, there is enough crunch for my system brain to enjoy playing resource management with the various tracks while the oracles really do an effective job of driving the narrative forward.
I’ve also really been enjoying the Breathless family of games from Fari RPGs. Most recently, I’ve been playing Tales of the Burned Stones, and not only does it have great flavor, I enjoy the dice mechanic of stepping down from your skill’s highest die down to a d4 with every use of that skill. It really gives the feeling of becoming fatigued while on adventures.
Now I'd love to talk about your Podcast. You've done three Seasons of Errant Adventures and a number of one-shots and smaller campaigns. What was your favorite story plot or theme from these seasons?
Tough choices! I really liked the Wolfe/Arden relationship in Season 3 and I’m really happy with how that played out. The dice had my back in a way I’d hoped but didn’t expect.
I have really enjoyed the collaborations I’ve done, especially the Blades in Davennar game and Maze Rats with Tale of the Manticore. Playing solo is fantastic, but anytime I have a chance to collaborate with cool people in the space, I love it!
This may be a cheeky question, but what was your favourite character?
Just like it’s tough to pick my favorite story plot or theme, I’m not sure I can pick an overall favorite character. Quickdraw from Season 3 is definitely in the running, as well as Adalee from Season 1. From Season 2, Orchid had some really cool backstory and I think the potential for more stories. I’ve thought about playing an Ironsworn campaign with them as the main character. Ok, I couldn’t pick just one, but one from each season isn’t too bad.
You keep up a pretty breakneck schedule and produce consistently interesting and well-produced episodes. What suggestions would you give to something thinking about creating a similar Solo Actual Play podcast?
Thanks! My suggestion is to divest yourself of all free time and social obligation and devote yourself entirely to your podcast… Ok, not really, but in all seriousness, it takes a lot of work to produce an Actual Play podcast, and when you’re creating solo, there’s no one else to share the load.
I don’t know that I’d recommend doing what I’m doing exactly because it is a breakneck pace, and as this summer has proven, real life has a way of intruding. After two and a half years of releasing an episode every Monday, I’ve had two weeks within a month of each other where I had nothing to release. It didn’t feel great, but that’s life sometimes.
If you do want to release a weekly podcast, my recommendation is to build up a backlog of episodes before you start releasing and then maintain a consistent but manageable production schedule once you start releasing episodes. I didn’t start with a backlog, and I’ve been playing catch up for two and a half years. At my best, I’ve had three episodes done and ready to publish, but a couple weeks of busy life wiped those out. I’ve been basically producing week to week since then.
The other important thing is this: if you’re not having fun doing it or if you’re stressing out over releasing weekly, take a step back. Go to every other week or even once a month. Creating a podcast can be a rewarding endeavor, but it doesn’t have to consume your life.
How big is Errant Adventures in your personal life? Do your friends and family know you are making it?
Errant Adventures is a big part of my life. I spend probably between ten and twenty hours on it a week. Some of that is trying to plan for other things. I have a problem with collecting hobbies, so I’m currently working on writing scripts for videos on my Youtube channel, writing a new novella, noodling on a game design idea, and trying to convince myself I have time for Twitch streaming as well… Like I said, I’ve got a problem.
My friends and family know about the podcast and are supportive to varying degrees. My partner is incredibly supportive in making sure I have time to work on it when I’m running down to the wire. She’s put up with a lot in the last few years, and as repayment, I don’t tease her that she hasn’t listened to a single episode!
Do any of your friends or family listen weekly?
Some family and friends have listened to a few episodes. I know of only one close friend who listens weekly. Every Monday or Tuesday he texts me about the latest episode. Honestly, it has kept me going through some times where I felt like no one was listening and I was just wasting my time.
Finally, can you give us any clues or insights into the future of Errant Adventures?
Well, as I mentioned above, I have a problem collecting hobbies, and because the show has been on such an intense pace for the last almost three years, I’m realizing I need to make a change. I have no plans to quit doing Errant Adventures anytime soon, but I need a break. So I’m planning to take an extended break from releasing episodes following the conclusion of my Tales of the Burned Stones mini series.
Now, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working on content. I’m just re-prioritizing. I started Errant Adventures with this idea that I would jump around systems and worlds, telling different stories, and that’s what I’ve done. Now I think it’s time to focus my efforts on a single story, a single world.
I’ve been writing fiction in my own space opera setting for ten years now, and it’s where my true passion lies. So I’m going to devote my energy to creating stories in that universe. If you’re interested in getting a glimpse into it, check out my birthday episode from November 2021: Lida Blaster and the Domes of Tempora Hasta.
Interviewer interruption: I really liked the Lida Blaster episode and look forward to hearing more about her!
My plan is to take a little time off and then start recording episodes for a new series set in that universe. I want to build up a backlog, so I’m aiming for a January 2024 release. In the meantime, taking time off means spending time writing scripts for the Youtube and recording and uploading those while also working on a novella set in that same universe.
Basically, if you like what I’ve been doing so far, there’s more to come. I just plan to focus my attention on a single world and a larger story. That’s not to say there won’t be mini-series with other systems and stories, but my main focus will be that universe and the stories I want to tell within it.
Alright, I’ve blathered on long enough. I want to take a moment to thank you for inviting me to do this. It was oddly cathartic typing all these things out. I hope it gives you a little insight into Errant Adventures, and if you want to come chat on social media or send me an email, I’m usually pretty responsive! This has been your game master and solo player, Steve Morrison. Thanks for reading, and as always, I’ll see you next time!
And thank you Steve for taking the time to speak with us all about Errant Adventures, your process, and everything else! Best of luck with the podcast going forward.
Make sure you check out the podcast today!
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