Bards and Barrels
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Bards and Barrels
S4 Ep. 13: Let's talk Dungeon Crawler Carl
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It's all the rage right now and for good reason! Phil and Ross chat about Dungeon Crawler Carl and make an announcement about a convention they will be attending this summer!
God damn it, donut.
SPEAKER_00And there's the opening crack. It's time for another episode of Bards and Barrels. I'm Ross, along with me, Phil. How are you doing, Phil? I'm excited about this one, right? I'm super excited about this one. If you could not tell, well, for those of you listening to the podcast, we have a lovely stack of books between us. If you're watching this on YouTube, you can see said stack of books. And all you need to know is that today we are going to be talking about Dungeon Crawler Carl. I am so excited to do this. This is just to preface this a little bit, this is not a review episode. We will do this at some point because we're working our way through. Well, Phil's nearly through all the ones that are out. I'm a book behind him. And Brett's a little ways behind us, but he's also reading them. So it's somewhere down the road. We'll do like an official review and talk about the storylines, like a full spoiler warning. Yes, it'll be like spoiler warning up front if you don't want to know things like GTFO kind of thing, you know. Uh but before we get to that point, Phil, let's talk a little bit about this genre of lit RPGs that are that are it's really blowing up right now.
SPEAKER_01It is. So it's not a new genre necessarily. So uh it's been out for a while. I think one of the very first things that I ever read or listened to in this genre was um The Land, which our buddy Matt is the one who initially kind of introduced me to this genre. But if if you're a gamer, right, and you love gamer for like the grind and the leveling, right? And like all those components of playing an RPG game, uh, they just wrote it all down. Basically. Right. I mean, hey, how many views do you have? How many sponsors do you have? Oh, hey, you did this thing practicing a skill, you level that skill up, right? So you basically get to live in that game world. And I love this genre. Like I didn't know that I loved this genre until I started reading it, but I'm pretty hooked.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's it fits that we would like this. Because it's like I I think the thing that's really cool to me, and and let's just start moving in the direction of Dungeon Coke Carl. But but but the thing that that I love about this so much is like it's not super DTRPG forward, like it's definitely a very heavy-handed influence in there, but it's not like so much there that you know you get lost in the leveling up or or the stats or anything like that. Like, none of that's there. It's like simplistic enough, you can tell it's a game. Unfortunately for Carl, it's a game, uh, but still easy enough to understand that anybody can get into it. And case in point, my wife, I love you dearly, uh, also really, really enjoys these books, which is fantastic.
SPEAKER_01I cannot convince my wife to read them yet. So I'm still working on it, but I've seen a lot of people post about reading these that have never played like an RPG in their life, right? And there's there's funny rules about like wives asking their husbands what different terminology right in the books are and things like that, because they've never played a game before. Um as as the books go on, though, you know, sometimes it even moves away from some of the like nitty-gritty things, like viewers, subscribers, things like that, time to collapse, and moves more into uh appealing to a little bit broader of an audience that maybe isn't as heavily influenced in RPGs.
SPEAKER_00Right. I I mean Dungeon Crawler Carl is certainly a it's lit RPG, but I would also classify this sci-fi. Like the fact that you know the Borent Corporation, like this is an an interstellar corporation that owns the planet and has decided to mine it for its resources because they're in debt. It's like the great thing is it's like combining all the things that like really draw you, like there's some political intrigue, there's like some underhanded, like sketchy shit going on, there's the TTRPG part, there's Carl making friends and doing all the cool things. There's who was I gonna I was just gonna talk about uh what's the name of the uh the elite character that Carl gets involved in? Um, what is her name?
SPEAKER_01Oh, Serena.
SPEAKER_00Serena, yes. Where uh how they describe her is you know being rather voluptuous and and it's very very well drawn. It's like a heavy trope, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, in essence, yeah, trope heavy carried out.
SPEAKER_00So it's just like it's got a little bit of everything that you could want in this series.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Political discourse. Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I'm not like no, that doesn't exist at all. Uh so before we go any further, we probably should say there could be some spoiler warnings in here. There's no guarantee that Phil and I won't go off the rails and go off on a tangent here as we're talking about I just have to try to remember not to spoil anything that Ross hasn't read yet. So don't go past the butcher's masquerade, specifically chapter like 44. Okay. Well, well, okay, so to to kind of prevent ourselves from doing that. So Butcher's Masquerade Prior.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Which one's your favorite book?
SPEAKER_01Ooh, okay. Um for me, it's probably between Gate of the Pharaoh Gods or the Dungeon Anarchist Cookbook. Yeah. I I I know a lot of people get lost in the tangle, but I loved how creative that book was. Just as far as like as Carl is like learning how to better become who he is within the dungeon. I feel like there was a ton of growth in that book. Um, I love Katia and her growth in that book, too, right? The introduction of all of that. Um that's like they're all good, don't get me wrong. And I love how too ends. Yeah. Oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Which maybe will sometime eventually be resolved. I don't know. Um So I I haven't read a bad one, I guess. I know that sometimes Dungeon Anarchist Cookbook gets a bad rap because of the tangle, but I still loved it. I would say at this point, because I've not finished the this inevitable ruin yet, my favorite is the Eye of the Bedlam Bride out of all of them. Okay, which I'm curious to see what you think after you get there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I I think up to this point, I would say it's probably a close one-two bout between the Dungeon Anarchist cookbook and Gate of the Feral Gods. There's something about Gate of the Feral Gods that like I at like the whole bubble concept that I loved. Um it was one of those books where it felt like it had multiple climaxes in it.
SPEAKER_01Oh, for sure.
SPEAKER_00And and because of that, it's like, oh god, we gotta be getting toward the end. And then you realize you're only like a third of the way through the book, and you're like, oh crap, there's a lot to go yet. And then it's like, oh well, I think we're getting close now. It's like, oh no, there's gotta be at least one more in here. And it's just I I love I love those types of books because it never takes me very long to get into them.
SPEAKER_01One of the things that uh Dinnerman does too, that I absolutely love is like something that happened here in the top of the stack, like we'll talk about down here, right? And they'll be like tie-ins back to things that happened here, which is just the way that he can, I don't know if he has to go back and reread his work or if he literally has all of this sketched out right from the beginning.
SPEAKER_00You think he has a big board somewhere with like yarn connecting things?
SPEAKER_01Yes, it's that meme. Yeah, I feel like it is, but that's what I love about it too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I think I just passed a point where um, what was it? Donut used an ability. Oh, it had to do with uh how she recognized like threads and stuff. Oh, yes. And like Carl realized it was it was an ability that she got like way back in in either the the dungeon crawler Carl or uh Carl's Doomsday device. I don't remember which one it was in, but it was like at the time they had no idea what it was, and then it was just like randomly in this book. He's like, How the hell would Donut know what type of thread that is? And then he was like, it like hit him, and I'm like, that's really cool to recall things like that in a series. It is, especially a series that is not short. Like these books are not short books by any means. No, up here they are, down here they are not.
SPEAKER_01No, the crazy part too, I feel like, is how quickly he's written some of them. Sure. Because for I don't I think I know he did some self-publishing stuff, but I'm pretty sure the first book came out in 2020. We're in 2026, and we have seven. Seven. Yeah, and the eighth one comes in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Which is crazy. Growing like crazy, which is fantastic. It's like the opposite of Game of Thrones. Right, okay. We're still waiting for a book for Game of Thrones. That's a whole nother that's a whole nother deal. Um, what what is it about this series that like keeps you coming back? Ooh, that's a good question.
SPEAKER_01Uh Carl. I feel like I just connect with Carl and what he stands for, and he's got like stick it to the man Idis, right? And I can get behind that.
SPEAKER_00I I got I get and I I this is my first mistake. It was like reading a Reddit post. So for all you people out there just like, oh Ross, you shouldn't have done that. I know, I know 100%. But I I read a Reddit post where like people were moaning and groaning that's like, oh, there's no character development. I'm like, what are you talking about? Like, literally, I mean, just talking about TTRPGs, like all it is is character development. And care and Carl has come so far in the books, like from that first one where he just happened to be outside chasing donut in his underwear to where he's at now, where I'm at, clear down here in The Butcher's Masquerade, is nine and day different. Yeah, and it's it's a fantastic book.
SPEAKER_01It's not just his character growth either. Like you see character growth in multiple characters in the book, too, which is interesting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. What do you what are your feelings on um let's talk about donut? I love donut. Are you a donut hole?
SPEAKER_01I love donut. Uh yes. And I may be pre-pled to the like unstoppable RPGs. So I'm a member of the posse. But yeah, uh, no, I love donut. I know a lot of people sometimes get turned off by donut just being annoying, but like she's a cat. It's you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, not surprising. And she is played that way uh to a T in the in the audiobook, too.
SPEAKER_01Oh, Jeff Hayes. Oh, so we have to talk about Jeff Hayes.
SPEAKER_00So good. This is one of those series is like I I started out actually reading the physical book, and I have all but two of the physical books. I listened to the audiobook for this one because it's just he does such a flipping good job.
SPEAKER_01If you are a reader, read them. But if you don't typically listen to audiobooks, it is worth listening to Jeff Hayes narrate these books. 100%. Yes. I have after listening to him narrate these books, I have sought out other books that he narrates because I want to listen to him narrate other books too. He I don't know, he captures the characters so well, I feel like. And I don't know. I I've read and listened.
SPEAKER_00That's my preferred method of both. It's it's it's really interesting for me because like I I'm the kind of reader that like I'll read through something and then I'll read through it two more times before I move on because to make sure I really understand something. I find I do the same thing in the audiobook. Like I'll hear something, but I might be like washing dishes, and I'm like, wait a minute, and then I like go hit back 30 seconds on it. So I say, Yeah, it's like, wait, okay, let's listen to that again. Like, no, we gotta do that again. Uh it's just it's just so good. It and it I I know there are a lot of people out there that just like that theater of the mind type style of reading, but but I think the way Jeff narrates it, it's it's so good in that he he he doesn't take you all the way there, but he gives you so much that it's easy to come up with the pictures in your mind, which is great.
SPEAKER_01Yes, absolutely. I feel like you visualize the the characters that he's giving a voice to just in how he's voicing some of them, truthfully, which is I love that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think I think that's one of the hardest things that I have when I read a book is like A, sometimes it's pronouncing names and and B coming up with voices, and it's like he does such a good job that it's like that is now Carl. Which I really hope that he is not ever typecast as Carl. Oh, sure. Because I could see where that that like he does such a good job. It's like, is he gonna become so famous for being Carl that like he can't be something else? I hope that's not the case because he'll be alright. He likes a launch sound boot theater. Literally, but but also like somebody who's that good at doing that many voices in a single book can do the different voices for other things too. So he he will absolutely be fine. Uh, shall we talk about a little bit about something we're gonna be doing this summer?
SPEAKER_01Ooh, guess what?
SPEAKER_00Oh, guess what? What?
SPEAKER_01Wait, do that again. Do that again. Guess what, Ross? What? Matt Dinneman and Jeff Hayes are both going to be at litrpgon in Denver July 10th through 12th.
SPEAKER_00Yes. You know who else is gonna be at litrpgcon?
unknownWe are yes!
SPEAKER_00I'm so excited to go out to Denver. Uh I it's gonna be a fun trip. I I really hope we get a chance to to meet with him and chat with him, even if it's briefly, uh, just because it's it's meeting your heroes. And I know so many times like like people are like, oh, don't meet your heroes, but I think this is a case where I'm like, I absolutely want to meet these guys because just things that I've heard is like they're very grounded, average people, and that's the kind of person that I want to go chat with.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I there's I've read so many different posts about Dideman meeting with fans, right? And taking the time to actually like talk to them briefly. And I think he had to like cancel an event in New York a couple months ago, so instead he went to a bar and just like told people he was there, and a bunch of people showed up. He still signed books and everything because people couldn't make it. Right. I they're just good dudes, right?
SPEAKER_00I mean, I've been to to like fan expos, comic cons, things like that, and it's like you know, meeting celebrities is is it's the weirdest deal because it always feels like you gotta pay for this, gotta pay for this, gotta pay for this. And and I don't get that vibe. I don't know. We haven't been to a lit RPG con, so I don't know what this is gonna be like, but I don't get the vibe from it that it's gonna be that way. It feels like it's it seems like it's gonna be very chill, and I'm excited to not only have the opportunity to potentially meet Matt and Jeff, but also potentially other authors.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's a few other authors there that I've read too. Um, and I know like I was looking over last year's agenda at LitRPG Con, and like some of the afternoon, evening time is just for like open gaming, which is also fantastic. So pretty excited about that.
SPEAKER_00So if you need to find us in Denver, we'll either probably be at a brewery or we'll be enjoying the open gaming, or probably checking out some excellent food somewhere because that's what Phil and I do. Uh what I thought you got about this before we get out of here. Uh we're gonna come back to this for sure with Brett at some point, but is there anything else on your mind? Yep. What?
SPEAKER_01Has the book made you cry yet? No. Then you haven't read far enough. Brace yourself, my friend. Brace yourself.
SPEAKER_00Do not tell me that. Do not tell me that. Um God, I'm trying to think like what's the most now that you say that, like, what's the most there's been some points where like where Carl gets upset that it like it also triggers something in me too. But it could be because, like you, I I relate to that man against power vibe that he's got going on. When he when he spoiler alert happened by the end of this book, my friend. Oh, don't say that. Uh when he uh when when Z okay, so again, spoiler alert here. When Zev uh gets taken away for her essentially reprogramming, and then they get the other uh manager, if you will. Ooh, we didn't talk about we'll come back to Morakai. Uh when he assassinated her, I was so freaking happy, dude, because I I it's not very often in a book because like in my brain, these are not real people, and I'm just a pretty chill dude. Like, I don't have some strong opinions for most people in the world, where like I would read parts of that and I'd be like, She's a bitch. Well, Matt made her such a hateable character. Oh my god, like no lie. Yes, she was. She was it's like, no, like, no, lady, like, you just need to step down because this is getting uh let's let's talk about Mordecai really quick because I find his character like absolutely fascinating. Yes, and not just because of like learning what who Mordecai is and the fact that he was a crawler at one point too, but also like how he changes from level to level is really cool. Like, that's such a fantastic little thing to throw in there.
SPEAKER_01And I so this is one of the reasons, too, to listen to the audiobooks is that Jeff will just make like very slight variations to Mordecai's voice through each book as he changes. Yes, like you still know it's Mordecai, but it's just a little bit different because he's in a different form.
SPEAKER_00So in Butcher's Masquerade is when he's like the little hamster. Yeah, and he's got the lisp. He's like trying to like tell off donut and he's talking with a lisp.
SPEAKER_01It's so good.
SPEAKER_00And the fact, like, the first time they see him, like Jeff like literally plays Carl like laughing like out loud at that is fantastic. Uh, but but I'm really excited to like see how Mordecai evolves throughout this whole thing, too, because it's like he has this. I think one of the things that really draws me in are these side stories that happen because it's not you're not just following Carl, you're also following you know Katya or Miriam Dom or Prepotente or or Mordecai and Zev and all these other characters too.
SPEAKER_01How's that all gonna play out? And have you gotten to the point where they like tell you uh Mordecai's like last moments as a crawler?
SPEAKER_00No, haven't not quite. I think I'm pretty close to man.
SPEAKER_01So like that's what that story keeps building, right? Like it's so good. I'm not looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_00Do I need to like do I need to like call you when I maybe if if I call you and I'm like in tear tears? Just don't sleep tonight. Just power through. There's only like 15 hours left in the book. You'll be fine. You can do it in eight hours. Just put it on like three times. Call in tomorrow. All right. Uh that's gonna do it for this episode of Barbs and Barrett. We'll be back next week as we dive back into Candela Obscura. Uh, but don't forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can follow us on our social media channels, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, at Barbs and Barrels. Until next time, go get Dungeon Crawler Carl. Uh, but also uh may your dice be hot and your beer be cold.
