299: Tattoos (feat. Johnny Stanton)

·59 min·5 clips

Former NFL fullback Johnny Stanton explains how he publicly embraced his D&D nerd identity with the Cleveland Browns.

The episode begins with host DM Neil introducing guest Johnny Stanton, highlighting his background as an NFL fullback, TEDx speaker, and D&D enthusiast. Stanton explains how he publicly embraced his nerd identity while playing for the Cleveland Browns. He details the origin of his company Crimson Herald Games, named after a red herring villain from his first D&D mini-campaign 'Of Dawn and Dusk'. The core discussion focuses on Sync, Stanton's upcoming Kickstarter project co-created with tattoo artist Sam Rusk. Sync is a pirate-themed D&D 5e supplement that integrates American traditional tattoo art, featuring magical item tattoos, subclasses like the Spell Skin wizard, and modular dungeons. Stanton describes the pre-launch campaign offering a $1 storm-in-a-bottle pin. The hosts explore how to introduce magical tattoos into existing campaigns, suggesting origins like deity gifts, wizard schools, or rare black sand pigments. They discuss game mechanics, including attunement, balance considerations, and creative uses like the Gambler's Virture tattoo that lets players adjust dice rolls. Stanton emphasizes cultural sensitivity, noting the focus on American traditional style to avoid appropriation. The conversation briefly diverges into fantasy football, with Stanton proposing a rule change to nerf mobile quarterbacks. The episode concludes with homework suggestions to follow tattoo artists on social media and resources for Sync.

As heard by us

A loose fantasy football detour gives way to useful, pirate-tinged ideas for tattoos at the table.

Dungeon Master's Block takes its time getting to tattoo design, first settling into a lively fantasy football stretch before shifting toward how tattoos can work inside a tabletop campaign.

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Why you'd press play

Want tattoo ideas for the table, with a quick fantasy-football detour before the ink takes shape?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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