RexBrews Reviews: Kill Every Monster Hybrid Actual Play – WobbleRocket

Kill Every Monster is one of the many podcasts that are a part of the Dead Ghost Productions studio, and is co-hosted by Dylan “DJ” Malenfant (He/They) and Aram Vartian (He/Him). A hybrid of actual play, round-table discussion, and historical and cultural education, Kill Every Monster takes a deep dive into the monsters of Dungeons and Dragons. Inviting a new guest every episode who chooses a monster to discuss, many of which come with subject matter expertise, to be able to break down the history, meaning and significance or impact of the mythical creatures or monsters being discussed.

Episodes listened to: 

Kill Every Monster is not a linear podcast. As such, I have listened to many of the episodes based on creatures that I had direct interest in. In total, I have listened to 20 episodes of the podcast. My notable favorites being the episodes based on the Nothic, the Rakshasa, the Oblex and the Displacer Beast.

Total Listening Time: 28+ Hours

Cast:

Dylan (DJ) Malenfant takes the helm as the Dungeon Master and storyteller, while Aram Vartian leads the adventures against the monster of the week, played by the episode’s guest.

DJ is an expert story weaver. Their understanding of the art of being a game master is immediately apparent, with his rulings fair and consistent. Despite this, they still leave plenty of room for the players to engage in shenanigans. There are not too many instances where they must don the hats of NPC’s, he does not tend to engage strongly in voice acting. What he lacks in voice work, he more than makes up for through their roleplay.

Aram is as professional as a Dungeons and Dragons player can be. He understands the nuances in creating a character that is immediately relatable and loveable in a story that takes place over a short span of time. He does not always have the mechanical or rules knowledge to understand why his crazy plans might not work, but he succinctly makes an argument for his purpose, or concedes to the ruling of the DM.

A continuously updated Bluesky Starter Pack including all of the show’s guest stars can be found here. Each guest brings their own flair to the table, making each session and story wholly distinct from the last.

Roundtable Discussion:

To start each episode, the cast engages in an in-depth discussion, exploring the monster of the week and attempting to answer three main questions: (1) What is this creature?; (2) Are they really a monster?; (3) How would you change them in Dungeons and Dragons?. In doing so, they explore the history, origin, lore and culture surrounding the monster. These discussions occasionally explore difficult or sensitive subjects including cultural or religious significance, with the goal of delivering insight into what the monster is, if it even classifies as a monster in the eyes of the guest.

Their incredibly insightful look into each monster they discuss searches for problematic design choices for each monster, if any. Problems ranging from design flaws, questionable statblock choices, or even problematic intent behind design. It is no secret that Dungeons and Dragons in the past has made design choices based on racism, sexism, xenophobia or religious discrimination; Kill Every Monster has made it their goal to explore those designs, question them, and discuss ways to correct them in a way that maintains what the monster is, without any of the discriminatory aspects.

Breaking down the three main questions the cast aims to answer, we’ll start with what is this creature? First, they will look into the history of the monster – is it a mythological creature? Is it a folklore creature? Or is it a unique creature to the world of Dungeons and Dragons? Learning about the history of where the monster originated can help a DM better understand the monster, and design better encounters for their tables.

Next they ask simply, are they really a monster? This question is not so black or white; what defines a monster? Depending on the guest, this question can be answered, or interpreted, a multitude of ways. Is a dragon a monster simply because of its appearance, or is there deeper meaning behind the design of a dragon in Dungeons and Dragons that makes this creature more than a monster, but an integral part of the lore and history of the game?

Finally, they get into the nitty gritty – the statblock and lore – how would you change them in Dungeons and Dragons? The changes discussed could be in the form changing attacks and abilities given to the monsters, or removing discriminatory or derogatory lore and history in favor of a design that instead pays homage to the real world cultural or religious counterpart. There is no correct answer when it comes to designing the stats or lore for any given monster, but they will always look for a way to make a logical change to the monster to better fit the theme or purpose behind the design intent.

Actual Play and Storytelling:

With each episode averaging around an hour and a half, there is not nearly enough time to include a complete one-shot adventure to explore the monster. Instead, their aim is to tell a short story through a straightforward encounter. This encounter may be a simple fight to the death, a battle of wits, or even approaching the monster with compassion and understanding; to coerce them into merely allowing Aram to live.

Since the monster is played by the guest, it is evident that the encounter is built and designed in tandem with the guest and DJ. Aram, as the hero of the adventure, may have some insight into the monster he faces, yet he does an incredible job of leaving meta decisions out of his character design. His deep understanding and love for the roleplaying aspect of Dungeons and Dragons creates a story where it is believable that he does not know the dangers that he may face.

Each story puts the monster in their natural habitat, forcing Aram to face off against the creature at a disadvantage, allowing for in-depth roleplaying. The stories told are each distinct and unique, with a new hero, town or even world where the monster can truly shine in its encounter.

My Scores for Kill Every Monster:

• Humor – 8/10
• Drama – 7/10
• Fantasy – 9/10
• Heroism – 8/10
• Roleplay – 9/10
• Storytelling – 9/10
• Insight – 10/10

Overall Impression:

Kill Every Monster is a must listen for any Dungeon Master yearning to further their knowledge into the monsters they run, and who wish to combat stereotypes and injustice in their games and stories. Whether you need insight into how to better prepare and run encounters with a specific monster, want insight and history into the how and why of said monster, or even if you just enjoy actual plays and want to explore encounters designed for these monsters, Kill Every Monster can fulfill all of those needs and more.

Where to listen:

Kill Every Monster and more from Dead Ghost Productions can be found on most major podcasting platforms, including but not limited to: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

More from Dead Ghost Productions:

Dead Ghost Productions, co-founded by Aram Vartian and DJ Malenfant, has multiple different podcast ventures ranging from Actual Play’s to book discussions, including:

• Godsfall – A D&D Actual Play
• Podspeak – In depth discussions about the Animorphs book series
• Of Now and Then – Fictional stories based on books or stories from the public domain

Not included in this list are plenty of interviews with members of the TTRPG community, one-shots and short adventures!