‘The Last Session Vol. 2: Rerolled’ Brings More Authentic Storytelling To The TTRPG Table

Welcome to the table,

Back in 2022, I said, “The Last Session, published by Mad Cave Studios, is heartfelt, honest, fun, and unapologetically representative of all non-gatekeepers who come to the table.”

It is still, to date, the most honest, authentic, and heartfelt representation of playing at an actual in-person TTRPG table that I’ve ever seen committed to media. It shows the transformative power of the hobby and the acceptance that you can find with others when you engage in a space that is not full of gatekeepers.

I find that the laugh track-laced sitcom or the highly stylized horror action kids show focuses on a single element of the hobby space, but what Jasmine Walls and Dozerdraws capture in The Last Session is, as someone who has rolled dice at the table for as long as I have had conscious thought, what the game is really about.

I’m thrilled to tell you a little more about The Last Session Vol. 2: Rerolled. Forged in the same kind of thoughtful fires that brought us Vol. 1, Rerolled takes us on a whole new adventure with new players, new characters, and a new perspective.

The first volume focused on friends who came together around the table and were navigating big life changes as their game’s major campaign was drawing to a close. This new offering takes us to a table that started small and has morphed into a larger social situation with the addition of streaming online and audiences added to the table.

Jasmine and Dozer once again capture something that has come up multiple times in conversation with friends around the table. As someone who, at one point, recorded and produced multiple TTRPG actual play shows, the dynamic of an actual play table and a table you actually play at are two vastly different things.

When you play at an actual table, you can spend three hours looking for a new shower curtain on random online retailers for your friend. You don’t have an audience to think about who is going to be bored, confused, and able to leave comments about how you are wasting their time. You have to be locked in and mindful of the space not being yours.

That responsibility, or at least the feeling of that responsibility to live a curated life and have your experience around the table be so very curated, is showcased masterfully within the pages of this second offering within The Last Session world.

As someone whose life is very much curated in some respects because the nature of the industry requires it from time to time, it is profoundly refreshing to see the kind of care and attention Jasmine and Dozerdraws give to this story and the characters.

Jasmine Walls and Dozerdraws have managed to tell a story so authentic to the TTRPG experience and so full of heart and emotional awareness that it’s hard to believe this is not a documentary based on the current pop culture landscape.

Rerolled is a masterclass in emotional storytelling and the importance of remembering why you come to the table.

I’m also proud to say I have a small part to play in this setting now, as I got to provide a rules-lite TTRPG system to go along with the story and setting. It’s kind of a humbling thing to be able to contribute to a work that means so much to you and be part of the talented team over at Mad Cave Studios. I can only hope that there will be more opportunities in the near future for me to lend my skills to their needs.

Until next time, The Last Session Vol 2: Rerolled lands in stores October 7th, so be sure to grab a copy for yourself or someone in your life who really loves great storytelling or the TTRPG hobby.