Pepper&Salt takes a look behind the screen with Tartan Tabletop’s Dungeon Master Josh Aitken ahead of the group’s fourth year at the Edinburgh Fringe, talking about all things Dungeons & Dragons and the secret to wrangling a group of adventurers.
How would you summarise the show to someone who has never seen or listened to Tartan Tabletop or played DND?
In short, the show is an hour-long fully improvised romp through magical fantasy worlds and familiar yet legally distinct rip offs of all of your favourite IPs. We keep the show as ‘Rules Light’ as possible, so even if you are completely unacquainted with D&D, you’ll easily be able to follow along and have a good time. Every show has a completely new premise, and a guest star dragged along for the ride.
How would you explain DND to someone?
Thankfully I’ve had to do this nearly every day for the last 5 years. Do you remember when you were a kid and would play pretend with your friends? That’s it. Anytime you want to do anything you roll a 20 sided dice, the higher you roll the more successful you are… the lower you roll… the more fucked you are! (Can I swear on this? The more ‘fudged’ you are for those with weak sensibilities.)
What do you think sets Tartan Tabletop apart from other actual play podcasts or shows?
I think what sets Tartan Tabletop apart is truly how silly we are willing to get. I think a lot of actual play shows really want to tell in-depth and dramatic stories, which is great, but we really like to lean harder into the escapism aspect of the medium.
“Keep feeding your own creativity and curiosity, find people who foster this and never let them go.”
Place your players on an alignment chart.
Niall = Chaotic Evil, Alex = Lawful Neutral, Lauren = Neutral Good. I will not explain further.
What is your favourite dice to use?
I have two favourite sets. One is a set with small Koala bears molded within that my fiance got me before our trip to the Adelaide Fringe, the other is a set I call ‘The Hotdog Dice’ because they look like they are covered in Ketchup and Mustard.
How do you decide on the themes for the year’s adventure?
Honest answer… I leave it to the last minute every year and hurriedly rip off whatever films I’ve most recently watched.
Can you explain Noblin the Goblin and I guess the purpose or thought process behind the character?
Noblin the Goblin kind of happened by accident. On one hand we wanted to give a blank slate for our guests to be able to more easily build their own character on top of. On the other hand, it’s a funny name. Thus Noblin was born.
What are you looking forward to at the Edinburgh Fringe ?
What I am most looking forward to actually is going back to eat at the ‘Nile Valley Cafe’, we go there a lot after shows and it is class! They haven’t paid me to say this by the way, I just feel passionate about it.
As a DM, what is your modus operandi e.g. your relationship with your players, how you reward big swings etc.?
As a DM, I share the relationship that one might have with an absentee father that has recently come back into their lives. My reasons for being present are my own, and the only important thing is that they are all constantly vying for my love and admiration.
Apart from 5e (or whatever system you use) what system would you like to try out? And in that vein, is there another TTPRG that you would like to DM?
Right now, we’re really into playing ‘Call of Cthulhu’ in our home games. I think it would work really well in the show because you play as fundamentally average people in extreme situations, meaning you don’t have magic or immense abilities to hide behind. Another system we’ve looked at is ‘Dread’, which is essentially a TTRPG game of Jenga, where rather than dice rolls your players remove blocks from the tower, and If one of them collapses it, they die.
What advice would you give to new DND players?
The best advice I can give to new players is just to have fun and enjoy the game. Don’t get bogged down in trying to ‘Win’ the game, just engage with your table and DM, don’t be afraid to roleplay, and contribute to the story you are all crafting!
As a DM, where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m a huge movie guy, so that’s definitely an influence, but if I can be soppy for a moment, I would say the people around me. I’m fortunate to be constantly surrounded by interesting, funny and talented people, and I think the drive to entertain them and make them laugh has made me far more prolific and motivated as a DM than anything else could.
Could you speak on the rising popularity of DND and improv shows around DND. Why do you think they have become so popular?
I think the rise in popularity can be attributed to a number of things. There are obvious answers in pop culture i.e. Stranger Things, but I think there’s more to it than that. Now more than ever people yearn for the basic human need that is ‘hanging out’. More and more people are becoming isolated and robbed of a sense of community, and I think D&D and TTRPGs as a whole are a way for folks to find somewhere to fit.
What class would you assign to me, the interviewer?
We have never met, and yet you have somehow divulged an insane amount of personal info from me, so in that vain you are a Rogue.
Is there anything that you would like to mention that I haven’t asked asked or that you haven’t been able to fit into an answer?
I have three things I would like to mention –
1. Come and see our other show ‘Amadan and Mortair Kill the King’, you can find out all about it on our Instagram.
2. Keep feeding your own creativity and curiosity, find people who foster this and never let them go.
3. Do your part to fight the rise of fascism in this country.
Cheers,
Your mums favourite DM,
Josh Aitken
By Katerina Partolina Schwartz
Photo Credit: James Maule
Pepper & Salt 
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