Three Black Halflings
Three Black Halflings
Three Black Halflings are a group of nerdy friends with strong opinions and even stronger Charisma scores. Join them in their quest to explore diversity in the incredible worlds of D&D and pop culture while doling out DM tips, thought-provoking conversations, a band of guests, and good times. Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @tbhalflings or email [email protected] If you enjoy this podcast please help us out by leaving a review and sharing with your fellow adventurers.
- 1 hour 5 minutes“Tasty Tasty Complexity” - The Adrián Mejía Interview
This week! Candace the Magnificent and Jeremy Cobb are joined by lead producer of Koboa and new game Beasts - Adrián Mejía!
Adrián shares how a childhood trip to Brazil and the moment he first saw Super Mario Bros. 3 ignited his love of imaginative worlds, later deepened by discovering the TTRPG Nephilim.
He dives into the South American inspirations that shaped Koboa, the careful research and cultural grounding behind its lore, and the determination to challenge stereotypes by creating a space where South American players feel truly welcome.
We also explore his new game Beasts, which made Jeremy’s teenage heart grow three sizes. Expect themes of dehumanisation, the weight of an unwinnable war, what remains of you afterward, and a clear thread of Animorphs-style intensity.
The episode wraps with Adrián’s Tale From The Table, plus a little insight into future episodes...Adrián will be returning to run Beasts, so stay tuned, Halflings!
Media Mentioned in This Episode
Koboa (Coming Soon)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/koboa/koboa-the-south-american-5e-settingBeasts
https://latinerd.itch.io/beastsLinks Mentioned in This Episode
https://www.koboasetting.com
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 December 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 7 minutes“Give me all your flesh!” - The Nikatine Interview
This week! Candace The Magnificent, Liv Kennedy and Jeremy Cobb are joined by streamer, activist and incredible GM...Nikatine.
We dive into her origin story and journey into all things nerdy, a wildly creative beginning sparked by her dad building a computer, and the early games that unlocked her imagination, from The Sims to StarCraft.
The conversation then shifts into her path through streaming and her deep love of TTRPGs, which ultimately led to the creation of Issliss and the launch of Fablescraps as a TTRPG production studio.
Nikatine discusses crafting Issliss from the ground up, how original concepts were able to hit the ground running, and how a deep passion for world-building allows the exploration of anxiety, fear, and the things that are truly terrifying, transforming those emotions into powerful creative fuel.
The Halflings also discuss how Nikatine consistently shows up to represent and advocate for individual cultures and perspectives, and how themes of alienation and the search for belonging resonate strongly through her work, drawn from her own lived experiences.
The episode concludes with two incredible Tales From the Table from Issliss...both of which amazingly feature our very own Candace!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nikatine
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nikatine
- Issliss: https://www.nikatine.com/issliss.html
- Blog: https://www.nikatine.com/blog
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 December 2025, 3:00 pm - 1 hour 13 minutes“Come over to Charlie Browns” - The Holidays Are Here! Part 1
This week! Candace the Magnificent, Liv Kennedy, and Jeremy Cobb ease into the holiday season as Jeremy explores the differences between UK and US celebrations. They look at the contrast in Halloween hype and how their childhoods shaped whether they did, or didn’t, celebrate.
Jeremy shares his complicated relationship with the holidays, reflecting on childhood boredom, babysitting, and feeling excluded, all of which shaped his adult ambivalence toward the season, not to mention the pressure the holidays can bring.
The Halfings talk about the comfort of being welcomed into other people’s traditions and how technology now makes it easier to connect with family or a chosen community. They also discuss the emotional walls we build around family to fit in or protect ourselves during the holidays.
The Halflings end this episode with the important discussion of racism and sexism in sport, noting that this topic deserves an entire episode of its own due to the importance.
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 November 2025, 3:00 pm - 56 minutes 54 seconds“Nostalgia Hurts Sometimes” - Nostalgia and Toxic Fandoms PART 2
This week! Liv, Candace and Jeremy continue their deep dive into why nostalgia isn't always comforting, and how to process the grief of a once beloved creator or artwork turning out to be a real-world nightmare. From how the most toxic fandoms can taint the things we love, to that toxicity can make it difficult to have discussions about the things you enjoy.
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20 November 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 12 seconds“Nostalgia Hurts Sometimes” - Nostalgia and Toxic Fandoms PART 1
This week! Liv, Candace, and Jeremy take a little detour into sharing some of their scariest and spookiest tales. From petrifying Polaroids to demonic dreams, the Halflings dive into it all. Why are we drawn to nostalgia? What exactly makes us feel nostalgic. Within this conversation, they tackle the big elephant in the room: Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s disappointing outlook.
From plagiarism claims to damaging public statements, they unpack why separating the artist from the art doesn’t hold up in this case.
This episode is about the grief of losing something that once meant everything, and coming to terms with the fact that the magic didn’t simply fade — it was taken.
But this isn't the full story! If you want to listen to the Halfling's full discussion, head over to the Patreon where you can listen to Parts 1 and 2 right now, along with bonus solo podcasts and extra interactive elements, all completely ad free!
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
13 November 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 6 minutes“It Takes a Village” - The Samantha Béart Interview
Spoiler Warning: This episode contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3 during Samantha's Tale from the Table.
This week! Jeremy Cobb, Liv Kennedy and Candace the Magnificent are joined by BAFTA-nominated actor and voice artist Samantha Béart - the brilliant vocal talent behind characters such as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, Thomasina Bateman in The Excavation of Hobb's Barrow, Oracle in TRON: Catalyst, and many more!
The Halflings chat with them about Samantha’s Shakespearean roots, lifelong love of storytelling, and how that classical training influences Samantha's modern voice work.
Samantha opens up about the thought process behind bringing characters to life, the value of finding your people, and discusses intersectionality and the importance of rising above challenges to succeed together.
The conversation also explores the story behind their show It Takes a Village, its upcoming new season, and why celebrating the people behind the scenes in media truly matters!
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
6 November 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 14 minutes“Shaping your Identity” - The Kelly Lynne D’Angelo Interview
This week! Jeremy and Candace are joined by special guest Kelly Lynne D’Angelo! They dive into Kelly’s nerdy origin story, the feeling of not quite fitting in while figuring out those younger years, and the importance of taking the time to truly listen.
They chat about the adventure of creating Starry, a pop-rock musical about Vincent van Gogh, and reflect on how art shapes culture, the magic of community, and the joy of storytelling. Jeremy, Candace, and Kelly celebrate the beauty of sharing your story, staying true to your identity, and the small, powerful ways connection can transform lives before ending with some of Kelly's very exciting upcoming projects and Kelly's brilliant tale from the table.
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 October 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 13 minutes"Connecting the Dots of Improv” - The Oscar Montoya Interview
This week, Candace, Liv and Jeremy are joined by Dropout and Dimension20 legend Oscar Montoya! Talking about how Oscar's improv training has influenced the shape of the characters he plays, his time on shows like TalesUnrolled and Dimension20, and how POC representation in media has affected the stories he tells.
But there's way more to this interview! For the full extended cut, head over to our Patreon to listen to the full version!
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 October 2025, 4:00 pm - 59 minutes 2 seconds“Born to be Bad” - Evil Races in Media
This week! Join Candace, Liv and Jeremy for a much-needed conversation about one of fantasy’s laziest tropes: “evil races.”
From the reductive storytelling of Good vs. Evil to the way TTRPGs treat so-called monster races as throwaway enemies, used more for easy combat than meaningful storytelling, the Halflings break down how these shortcuts feed into fantasy racism, and why it’s time to move past them.
Plus, a look at how Star Trek gets it right by exploring difference without defaulting to moral absolutes.
Media in this episode
https://jamesmendezhodes.com/blog/2019/1/13/orcs-britons-and-the-martial-race-myth-part-i-a-species-built-for-racial-terror - James Mendez Hodes “Orcs, Britons, And The Martial Race Myth, Part I”
https://jamesmendezhodes.com/blog/2019/6/30/orcs-britons-and-the-martial-race-myth-part-ii-theyre-not-human - James Mendez Hodes “Orcs, Britons, And The Martial Race Myth, Part II”
Blood on the Clocktower - https://bloodontheclocktower.com/buy. Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
16 October 2025, 2:00 pm - 1 hour 2 minutes“My Eggs Are Exploding!” - TTRPG Rules Vs Story
This week! The Halflings are back to dive into the tug of war between rules and story, the chaos of GMless games, and rules-lite versus rules heavy systems.
Along the way, they explore how imagination can completely change the way players approach gameplay, proving that with the right mindset, even the crunchiest mechanics can become pure storytelling magic.
Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! The pledge manager is now open! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
9 October 2025, 3:00 pm - 1 hour 5 minutes"Candace Absolutely Magnifi-can!" - GM’s Spotlight
This week! Candace the Magnificent joins Jeremy Cobb and Liv Kennedy for a whirlwind of laughter and discussion. Get ready for the many magnificent puns on Candace’s name, a look back at Candace’s early TTRPG experience and the journey of how those first games shaped their unique GM'ing skills.
Hear all about Candace’s approach to rules in a system, what makes a good story for their players and the importance of character growth. The episode wraps with Candace’s own unforgettable tale from the table, bringing the adventure to a perfect close.
Blood on the Clocktower - https://bloodontheclocktower.com/buy. Also - did you miss out on our first 🎉FULLY FUNDED🎉 Kickstarter, the City of the Black Rose Campaign setting, in collaboration with Roll and Play Press? Well, good news! In the next few weeks, it'll be open to late pledges and pledge manager edits! So everyone gets a chance to grab a copy of the book and any extras you'd like!
Follow the halflings: Jasper William Cartwright: @JW_Cartwright Jeremy Cobb: @JeremyCobb1 Liv Kennedy: @livkennedy Candace: @candacethemagnificent
Find all of our links here: https://linktr.ee/tbhalflings
You can buy all our lovely merchandise here! as featured on Critical Role!
Connect with us on Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook @3blackhalflings, on our Discord, or email.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2 October 2025, 8:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App