Troy Lavallee & Jason Charles Miller On How Glass Cannon Network Captures the Authentic TTRPG Spirit In Its Actual Plays

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Over the past few years, “actual play” podcasts and livestreams have become incredibly popular within the tabletop gaming community. These shows allow fans of role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Vampire: The Masquerade to experience exciting, well-developed campaigns as if they’re sitting at the table. The Glass Cannon Network is widely considered one of the best at creating these kinds of shows for a huge variety of tabletop RPGs.

I first discovered The Glass Cannon podcast in 2015 while learning to play the Pathfinder roleplaying game. It started as a podcast covering a Pathfinder campaign, and I’ve been impressed to see it grow into the Glass Cannon Network, which now features actual play shows for many different tabletop RPGs. I was excited to talk with Troy Lavallee, the CEO and founder of the network, and Jason Charles Miller, a musician and cast member on Legacy of the Ancients. Our conversation covered the challenges of expanding from a single show to a full network, what makes an actual play podcast feel genuine, and how to capture the fun and teamwork of tabletop RPGs in a streamed format.

Why Glass Cannon Network’s Actual Play Podcasts Feel So Authentic & Relatable, According to Founder & CEO Troy Lavallee

What always made The Glass Cannon special is how much it feels like a casual game night with friends, even as the show has grown and added more people. Maintaining that genuine tabletop roleplaying experience isn’t easy, so I was curious to learn how Troy and the team do it.

Troy explained that they built their network by starting with close friends and expanding through those connections. They found that adding new people felt like finding new friends, and they’d even tried approaching it like a traditional casting process, looking for individuals who would fit well within the group.

Honestly, what really makes a difference is building genuine connections with people in the TTRPG world – you can’t just make that happen with money or marketing. We’re focusing on becoming a real part of the community, getting to know folks, and then hopefully building relationships where we can say, ‘Hey, let’s team up and create something awesome together for the long haul!’ It’s about those connections, not just a quick project.

Jason Charles Miller, a musician and songwriter who recently became a regular on the Legacy of the Ancients podcast and composed the theme song for the Glass Cannon Podcast, agrees. Miller has been involved in the actual play podcast world for years. He explained that the most popular podcasts are those where the players are genuine friends, and he’s excited to bring that dynamic to The Glass Cannon.

The Glass Cannon Network consistently delivers a genuine tabletop RPG experience in all their shows. Whether it’s a single session of their variety show, New Game, Who Dis?, or a longer campaign like the excellent Delta Green series, Get in the Trunk, you really feel like you’re hanging out with friends playing a game. While their audio and editing are professional, they don’t shy away from including the natural hesitations and rule confusion that happen when people actually play TTRPGs.

You know, I was asking Troy about those really raw, sometimes messy moments in their TTRPG streams, and he explained it perfectly. He believes it’s all about finding a good balance – showing the real, unpolished stuff, but also knowing what to edit out. He thinks that’s what makes the show feel so genuine, like you’re just hanging out with a group of friends. And honestly, I totally agree! Those unscripted moments are what make it relatable and make you feel like what you’re watching is real life.

The Pivot from Pathfinder to a More Old School System in ShadowDark

The Glass Cannon Podcast first gained popularity playing the Pathfinder role-playing game, and it was actually how I learned to play! After finishing a seven-year campaign, the podcast started a new Pathfinder adventure. However, when it was time for another campaign on the main show, the team made a difficult decision: they switched from Pathfinder to a newer, old-school rules system called ShadowDark.

I’ve been a fan for ages, so I was honestly a little worried when things started changing. Naturally, I had to ask Troy about the decision to switch systems, and what led them to pick ShadowDark in particular.

We were looking for a game that both our team and the broader gaming community would love, and we found it in ShadowDark, he explained. ShadowDark had already proven popular with previous Kickstarter campaigns. It seemed many tabletop RPG fans were craving a return to classic dungeon-crawling experiences. Troy realized this himself while learning the game. “I quickly felt like I was 13 again, playing D&D,” he said.

Our new campaign is a great chance to celebrate the collaborative spirit of The Glass Cannon and the wider tabletop RPG community. We needed a theme song for this new series, and luckily, we have a talented friend in Jason Charles Miller. If you haven’t heard it yet, I highly recommend checking out the theme song in the first episode of The Glass Cannon Podcast’s ShadowDark campaign (link above). It’s incredibly catchy – I find myself humming it after every new episode – so I asked Jason about the story behind “Into the ShadowDark.”

He shared that Troy was actually the initial inspiration for the song. Troy provided examples of what he envisioned, and the composer drew inspiration from anime theme songs. After that, he just created the song, and fortunately, people enjoyed it. He also announced that the song, titled “Into the Shadowdark,” will be released on streaming platforms soon.

TTRPG Fans Have Plenty to Look Forward to from The Glass Cannon Network In 2026 And Beyond

The Glass Cannon Network doesn’t just play Pathfinder anymore. While they started by focusing on Paizo games like Pathfinder and Starfinder, the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 dramatically changed the network. The team decided to temporarily pause their main show and try something new. This led to the creation of New Game, Who Dis?, a variety show that explores different tabletop role-playing games in shorter series.

Troy explained that he and his team decided to finally play all the games they’d been curious about, including Blades in the Dark, Cyberpunk Red, Call of Cthulhu, and Mork Borg. This approach proved successful, attracting new fans through actual gameplay sessions. It also unexpectedly broadened their reputation. While they were previously known mostly for Pathfinder, they’re now recognized for playing a wide variety of games.

The team will keep up their tradition of playing tabletop RPGs in 2026. Troy recently outlined plans for The Glass Cannon Network in his yearly “State of the Naish” update, and there’s a lot to be excited about. That includes a live tour of Call of Cthulhu starting March 23rd, as well as more playthroughs of the TTRPGs you enjoy.

Okay, so this is huge news for anyone who loves Lord of the Rings! Troy just let me know they’re planning a whole bunch of new series, and it’s all kicking off after a big three-day event they’re doing to get more subscribers. The best part? One of those series will be an actual play of The One Ring RPG, run by Jared Logan with Skid Maher, Jason Charles Miller, Paula Deming, and Chris Grace! Basically, The Glass Cannon Network is doing a One Ring campaign, and honestly, I’m already counting down the days until it drops. I’m so hyped!

Looking for something fun to watch? Jason Charles Miller is hosting a live play-through of his new Dungeons & Dragons 5e adventure, “Forest of the Damned,” today, March 8th. The show features a fantastic cast, including Miller as the Dungeon Master, alongside Aabria Iyengar, Erika Ishii, Kharv Payton, and Anjali Bhimani. All money raised from the in-person event at Tea Pot Theater will go to the Dio Cancer Fund.

The Glass Cannon Network continues to thrive and doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. You can find recordings of their actual gameplay for games like Pathfinder, Shadowdark, Delta Green, and others on their website.

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2026-03-08 16:41