It Could Happen Here – CZM Book Club: Pathfinder: Dawn of the Frogs, Part Five

Date: November 30, 2025
Cast: Margaret Killjoy (as Spite), Jason Bulman (Game Master, Director of Games at Paizo), Hazel Acacia (as Sister Merdragona “Murdy” Bow), IO (as Squash), Robert Evans (as Trant)

Overview

This episode is Part Five of the “Dawn of the Frogs” actual play series for the Pathfinder RPG, set in the world of Golarion. The main theme revolves around a group of misfit adventurers navigating the crisis in the swamp village of Bog Bottom, where missing villagers, mind-altering fungus, and a mysterious and dangerous “Great Work” by swamp-dwelling frog people—the Boggards—threaten the entire community. The party's mission: stop a catastrophic dam, rescue brainwashed villagers, and confront the true evil manipulating the Boggards from behind the scenes.

Key Discussion Points and Episode Flow

1. Recap and Setup (03:12 – 09:00)

• Jason summarizes previous sessions: The party, broke and stranded, saves villagers from evil Boggards, recovers memory-restoring ingredients, and thwarts a monstrous toad.
• Main Problem Introduced: The swamp waters rise inexplicably, stilt walkways are submerged, elders worry the Boggards’ “Great Work” is dooming them.
• Scouting Party Returns (09:00): A worried, wounded team reports Boggards are building a massive mud-and-stone dam, with some missing villagers working as slaves.

“Do you think that's what's causing the waters to rise throughout the swamp?” – Amelia Earthrona (12:20)

2. Party Intros & Dynamics (07:04 – 08:41)

• Hazel: Introduces Sister Murdragona Bow, the “soup nun” cleric.
• IO: Plays Squash, a swaggering, sickly, crime-loving little guy.
• Margaret: Plays Spite, an anti-authoritarian with a prison-smashing moral code.
• Robert: Plays Trant, bomb-maker who may have accidentally blown up a previous acquaintance’s boat.

3. Mission Briefing & Planning (09:00 – 25:52)

Scout's Report & Town Elder’s Plea (11:07 – 13:57)

• Dam must be destroyed before floods overtake Bog Bottom.
• At least 4 villagers and 6 Boggards on-site at the dam. Eight villagers still missing; supplies gathered earlier can cure most of them.

Ethical/Comedic Debates (13:57 – 24:51)

• The group debates whether to attack, negotiate, or trick the Boggards, referencing real-world “Burning Man” traditions and pondering the Boggards’ possible motivations.
• Detailed satirical banter about the ethics of collateral damage, enemy targeting, and even delivering soup laced with curative potion.

“We kidnap the villagers and bring them back here... Ledrusa, do you have enough of that potion left?” – Spite/Margaret (15:43)

“I will provide you a ranked list of the six that I suggest you save. And the other two, just gently drown them in the swamp.” – Jason / Ledrusa (16:13, satirical)

Preparation & Town Interactions (19:54 – 22:56)

• Shopping montage: potions, bombs, and fashionable new capes.
• Discussion with a (somewhat bemused) town Boggard about sleep cycles and vulnerabilities.
• The party finalizes logistics (“Distraction team” and “Explosives team”), commits to rescuing all villagers, not just six.

4. Scouting the Enemy – Approaching the Dam (25:52 – 39:35)

• Arrive, scout terrain: The dam is huge, guarded, unfinished, with a separate foggy (web-filled) tree route as a possible alternate approach.
• Population estimate: Possibly up to 20 Boggards inside the dam, not just the handful visible.

“Maybe as many as 20. I think we probably shouldn’t try to fight them all.” – Jason (34:21)

• Comedic digressions on combat plans: exploding boats, bug bombs for spider-web trees, possible ambushes and traps.

5. Enacting the Plan – The Ambush and Battle (49:08 – 86:04)

Setup (49:08 – 55:49)

• Party splits:
  • Spite and Murdy: Lure Boggards away, pretending to be innocent soup-bearers.
  • Squash and Trant: Lie in wait to ambush, prepare bombs.

“So we’re gonna offer them soup. You all are gonna lay in ambush... and then we’ll go and get the rest of them.” – Spite (45:41)

First Skirmish (55:49 – 62:29)

• Ambush is a massive success. Two Boggards are eliminated almost instantly; villagers cower, confused.
• Murdy distributes antidote-infused soup, the villagers begin to regain their senses.

“At first the villagers were like, I don’t know that I just ate. I’m not really hungry for soup. And then they smell it... and almost immediately, their expressions start to change.” – Jason (62:07)

Bridge Battle and Raising the Alarm (63:16 – 71:44)

• The third bridge-guard Boggard tries to fight back, but is swiftly overpowered.
• Down at the docks, a Boggard tries to use a caged frog as a weapon, but the frog attacks its captor instead.

“We could have had a frog friend. Now we have a frogamy.” – Spite (69:46)

Assault on the Dam – Tower Combat (71:59 – 86:04)

• Two more Boggards (including a “boss” type) open hostilities from the tower. The party responds with fire attacks and creative strategy.
• Multiple memorable moments, including Spite launching a literal flying body drop onto a Boggard (wrestling style), the boss Boggard being kicked off the precipice, and the bridge being secured.
• The remaining villagers are cured; the dockside one warns Spite about a powerful and “terrifying” Boggard leader, protected by a deadly trap.

“He’s guarded by a deadly trap. Beware the frog skull.” – Dockside Villager (86:25)

6. Cliffhanger and Next Steps (86:30 – 87:28)

• The party secures the outside of the dam but must head inside to confront the cultist leader.
• Session ends on a classic RPG cliffhanger, promising a high-stakes confrontation and lingering questions about mind control, the cult’s true agenda, and the fate of Bog Bottom.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Margaret/Spite:
  “Every prison should be exploded as quickly as possible.” (07:41)

• Jason (about the ambush plan):
  “Ah, I knew we had the right man for the job.” (15:20)

• Hazel/Murdy (on soup-based diplomacy):
  “Just eat some soup. Everything will be all right. It’ll all make sense.” (61:13)

• Squash/IO (on attacking boss Boggard):
  “I do a fun kick flip off the tower and try and kick this fool off of the precipice.” (81:39)

• Robert/Trant (on ethics):
  “If you don’t remember doing something bad, it’s the same as not having done it.” (86:29)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | 03:12 | Recap, host and GM intros, summary of the campaign so far | | 09:00 | New threat: Swamp flooding & Scout's report | | 11:16 | Discovery: Dam is causing crisis, villagers being held and used| | 19:54 | Town shopping, comic interludes, buffing and buying supplies | | 25:52 | Scouting the dam, party debates approach and enemy strengths | | 33:12 | Spiderweb tree option explained; population of enemy estimated| | 39:35 | Final plan and division of teams for ambush | | 49:08 | Ambush begins: Boggard guards eliminated | | 55:49 | Combat round-by-round breakdown, villagers freed | | 69:46 | Frog in a cage released, chaos ensues | | 71:59 | Assault on the dam and boss Boggard appears | | 81:39 | Boss Boggard is booted off the ledge by Squash | | 86:04 | Villager warns of deadly trap, inside adventure to come | | 87:28 | Plugs, closing, cliffhanger, end of content |

Tone and Language

The tone is rambling, satirical, energetic, and deeply collaborative, peppered with pop culture references, in-jokes, and asides poking fun at RPG tropes, power structures, and each other. The group alternates between meta-commentary (on rules and worldbuilding), dark humor, and genuine moments of teamwork and care for imaginary villagers. Dialogue often blurs character and player, stacking punchlines with underlying questions about violence, complicity, and heroism in roleplaying games.

Final Notes

• The party completed a successful ambush, cured several villagers, and cleared the dam’s exterior. They’re poised to face the true villain—and whatever lies behind the ominous “frog skull” trap—in the next session.
• The episode, while lighthearted and comedic, regularly reflects on narrative ethics, player choices, and the intersection of game mechanics and real-world parallels (from fascism to frog legs).
• The cast mentioned their projects and social media at the end, attributing art to Jonas Goonface and plugging other podcasts and writing.

Next Time

The adventure will continue with the party delving inside the dam, confronting the cult leader, and facing the ominous “frog skull” trap—a promise of bigger peril and mayhem.

For fans seeking irreverent, ethically-charged, and boisterous tabletop actual play, this episode is a strong showcase of the cast’s chemistry and Pathfinder’s narrative possibilities.