What if your cleric, paladin, or warlock finally had a deity worth believing in? One rooted in real-world religious history, myth, and complexity. This week, the crew sits down with The Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Pacts, and Pantheons author Colby Whittaker (@dm_hagiologist) for a conversation that just might change how you worldbuild forever.
Colby returns to Tabletop Journeys for his second visit, and this time, he's bringing his solo debut book to the table. With two degrees in religious studies, nearly a thousand rollable table entries across his published works, and a passion for making DMs' lives easier, Colby breaks down why most fantasy TTRPG settings get religion wrong and exactly how to fix that at your table.
We dig into:
🕌 Why D&D settings tend to default to either "Disney's Hercules" polytheism or fire-and-brimstone Christianity and what's missing from both
📜 How real-world religious history (schisms, sects, regional variations, folk belief) is weirder and richer than most fantasy worldbuilding
🧙 Why DMs panic the moment a cleric walks in and how this book rescues them
🌿 The Feywild, Eldritch Patrons, and how to make pacts with cosmic powers feel meaningful
🎲 Behind the scenes on nearly 1,000 rollable table entries drawn from actual history and myth
💀 Why your non-religious rogue might still pray before battle and why that's great storytelling
🌍 How the same deity can be worshipped in radically different ways across your world (and why that's historically accurate!)
📖 The famous "Idiot Ball" theory of tabletop storytelling and why sometimes you have to charge into the room full of liches
Plus: Gen Con debrief with Michael Ross, a new Patreon card deck for the Kudje species, and plenty of the TTJ chaos you've come to love. 🎉
Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Packs, and Pantheons releases August 18th. Pre-order now and don't miss the 40-page bonus chapter packed with magic items for every single patron in the book!
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🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned in the Episode
📘 Game Master's Handbook of Patrons, Packs, and Pantheons by Colby Whittaker — Available August 18th via Media Lab Books
🔗 Colby on Bluesky: @dm_hagiologist
🔗 Colby on Instagram: @dm_hagiologist
🔗 Colby's website: hagiologist.com
Tabletop Journeys Links:
🧡 Patreon: patreon.com/ttjourneys
🦋 Bluesky: @ttjourneys.bsky.social
📘 Facebook: www.facebook.com/ttjourneys
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys
🌐 Website: https://ttjourneys.com/
📧 Email: podcast@ttjourneys.com
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