Dark Dice - Season 2, Episode 30: PvP

Release Date: January 6, 2026
Podcast: Dark Dice
Production: Fool and Scholar Productions
Dungeon Master (DM): Travis Van Groff

Episode Overview

This culmination of Dark Dice’s second season plunges listeners into a tense, violently dramatic player-versus-player (PvP) battle. Characters who once traveled as uneasy allies now find themselves manipulated, cornered, and pushed past reason, resulting in an unforgettable clash. The episode uses dynamic initiative rules, secret actions, and a heavy dose of existential and psychological horror, mirroring both the chaos and emotional intensity of a D&D PvP gone truly wrong.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Rules and Setup for PvP

[00:00–04:04]

• DM Travis Van Groff opens by describing the unusual approach to this PvP, including rerolling initiative every round, secret action declarations, and the importance of narrative flow over dice mechanics for podcast pacing.
• Characters are set up in a deathtrap: a room above a fatal chasm, the exit sealed, as enemies—including the vengeful Sorin and his companions—reveal themselves.
• “Please also forgive our dear, dear players and their flawed characters. You might also quickly come to realize how Rowena, Sindri, and Lyrel completely ditch Elias, leaving the poor guy to his terrible fate...” (Travis Van Groff, [00:54])

2. Combat Erupts: Chaos, Betrayal, and Madness

[06:47–11:19]

• The first salvos are exchanged; Rowena hesitates on seeing Sorin, leading to confusion and violence as Ildrix attacks Lyrel, dealing a massive 30 damage in a flurry.
• Spells like Hold Person and Beacon of Hope are cast, alongside mind-affecting attacks and physical blows.
• The battle features unpredictable allegiances and internal conflicts, with madness saving throws, mental probing, and shifting perceptions—such as Ildrix being driven to see friend as foe due to a lemur’s hypnotic intervention.
• “If I were you, I wouldn't attack my friend. Cause you'll probably find that'll be your end.” (Ildrix/Drew Tillman, [07:10])
• Emotional strains show as characters plead for sanity and an end to conflict.
• “Stop fighting. Oh my God. Everyone just stop fighting, please.” (Elias/Drew Tillman, [10:01])

3. Psychological Warfare: Internal and External Assaults

[11:19–14:09]

• Gale uses Detect Thoughts on Rowena, triggering a spiral of internalized guilt and self-loathing voices. The psychological pressure is extreme, with invasive thoughts telling Rowena to accept blame and even end her own life.
• “So this is all your fault? The only person to be blamed here is you. You should just kill yourself.” (Gale/Russ D. Moore, [12:49])
• The DM emphasizes character stress accumulation and the toll of magical attacks on mental health.
• Father Westpike maintains Beacon of Hope against relentless attacks, losing his prized shield in symbolic fashion.

4. Critical Blows, Desperation, and Shifting Fates

[14:28–17:40]

• Lyrel and allies try to protect Father Westpike after he loses his shield, barely keeping him from death.
• Key critical hits and failed saving throws rapidly shift the tide—Elias is briefly charmed into finding Sorin “interestingly attractive” in a moment of confused magical influence.
• “Elias was, wasn't, had never admired a man before now, not like this... Surely Sorin was the kind of man that his father had warned him about, and as such heady thoughts passed through Elias's mind, the handsome Soren Arkwright walked right past...” (Travis Van Groff, [15:37])
• Thunderous magic knocks Ildrix (and the lemur, Wreath) to a fatal fall in the chasm.
• Rowena and Lyrel support each other with healing and inspiration amid mounting losses.

5. The Battle’s Climax: Deaths and Consequences

[17:43–22:36]

• Sindri (Father Westpike) is brutally cut down by Glom, losing his life and his faith in a harrowing moment.
• “Pray for me, father.” (Glom/Holly Billinghurst, [20:48])
• Lyrel enters a desperate rage after seeing Sindri killed, poisoning her own staff to strike back at Glom and Gale.
• Rowena and Sorin engage in a final, devastating exchange—Rowena stabs Sorin, but is fatally countered.

6. Aftermath: Grief, Regret, and the Supernatural

[22:41–27:59]

• Sorin, shocked by his killing of Rowena, collapses in horror and grief, delivering a chilling moment of sorrow and regret.
• “What have I... What have I done?” (Sorin/Peter Joseph Lewis, [26:30])
• All main characters are dead or dying, except Sorin and "The Silent One"/Balmer, suggesting the hand of fate (or cosmic horror) in their demise.
• A ritual, supernatural exchange begins as the Silent One circles Sorin, hinting at resurrection and curses.
• “He calls for you. Feeling without a body, yearning without a soul. Do you seek him? I do. But I don't.” (Silent One/Jeff Goldblum, [28:48])

7. Cliffhanger and Final Wishes

[29:19–31:58]

• Sorin, bereft and hallucinating, finds a mystical paw and makes a desperate wish—leaving the episode on a cliffhanger, with the DM teasing an epilogue in the next episode.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• DM's Setup for PvP:
  “This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The episode that makes the rest of our season make sense... Surely a huge PvP battle is the finale of season two, right?”
  — Travis Van Groff, [00:00]

• Comedic Relief Amid Despair:
  “Suck it, you foul barbarian.”
  — Father Westpike/Holly Billinghurst, after surviving attacks ([14:06])

• Magical Misfire and Identity Crisis:
  “Elias was, wasn't, had never admired a man before now, not like this... Surely Soren was the kind of man that his father had warned him about, and as such heady thoughts passed through Elias's mind…”
  — Narrator, [15:37]

• Tragic Self-Realization:
  “I need to bring her back. I need to bring them.”
  — Sorin/Peter Joseph Lewis, [29:24]

• Climactic Narrative Style:
  “He calls for you. Feeling without a body, yearning without a soul. Do you seek him? I do. But I don't.”
  — The Silent One/Jeff Goldblum, [28:48]

Important Timestamps

• [00:00] – DM's intro; framing PvP, unique rules, and narrative approach.
• [06:47] – Battle begins: Rowena hesitates, Ildrix unleashes brutal blows.
• [11:19] – Gale psychically tortures Rowena, deepening her trauma.
• [14:06] – Father Westpike’s shield is lost; the tide turns.
• [15:14] – Sorin critically charms and stabs Elias.
• [17:09] – Ildrix and Wreath fall (to their deaths).
• [20:49] – Sindri is killed by Glom’s savage assault.
• [22:41] – Sindri’s death devastates the party; Lyrel’s retaliation.
• [26:30] – Sorin kills Rowena; breaks down in despair.
• [28:48] – Supernatural reckoning with The Silent One.
• [29:45] – Sorin’s final wish; cliffhanger ending.

Tone and Style

Language & Mood:

• Immersive, dark narrative with flashes of gallows humor.
• Players stay in-character, blending horror, heartbreak, and ironic wit.
• The DM’s narration leans into gothic, fate-haunted storytelling while permitting the cast organic, sometimes chaotic interventions.

For Listeners Who Missed It

“PvP” is a relentless, wrenching episode that refuses clean victors or closure. Nearly every major character meets a tragic end, friendships are shattered, and supernatural horror overshadows mortal violence. It’s a masterful display of how actual play podcasts can transcend dice mechanics to tell profound, mournful tales of flawed heroes and the cost of vengeance.

Next episode: An epilogue is teased, with fate—and perhaps the appeal of a wish—dangling uncertainly over the ruins of the party.

Cast Highlights:

• Jeff Goldblum as The Silent One
• Peter Joseph Lewis as Sorin Arkwright
• Holly Billinghurst as Shawn Howard as Galen Glam Vogelberg
• Russ D. Moore as Ildrix
• Drew Tillman as Elias
• H.E.M. Brewster as Rowena Granitepike
• Ithora Vitharson as Father Sindri Westpike
• Travis Van Groff as Dungeon Master and Narrator

Production:

• Sound design and editing by Travis Vengrof
• Music by Andrei Vidornograv, Satoshi Sakamoto, Brandon Boone, and others

For complete immersion, don’t miss the episode: the performance, soundscape, and chemistry bring the devastation and moments of dark levity alive beyond what text can capture.