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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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While Chris was on the road interviewing game designers in Jackson, Katie stepped into the host chair for this special episode with Vinnie Notobartolo—Dungeon Master, tour guide, and local legend at Hawkins Headquarters in Jackson, Georgia, the real-world backdrop for Stranger Things.
Once a quiet Southern town, Jackson became an unlikely pilgrimage site for Netflix fans after it was used as the primary stand-in for Hawkins, Indiana. And tucked between those filming locations is a small shop where, on the first Friday of every month, Vinnie brings something else to life: a Stranger Things–themed Dungeons & Dragons game open to newcomers and veterans alike.
In this episode, Vinnie shares how he fell in love with D&D after seeing a TV commercial for TSR in the '80s—how the promise of “products for your imagination” still resonates with him today. He talks about the appeal of simple rule sets, the joy of introducing first-time players to collaborative storytelling, and how he’s kept his game inclusive, accessible, and true to the spirit of open-ended adventure.
Katie and Vinnie also explore the culture of play in small towns, the crossover between fandom tourism and tabletop gaming, and how every session becomes a kind of community theater—new players meeting for the first time, improvising together, and walking away as if they’ve known each other for years.
We also get a glimpse into the mechanics Vinnie uses at the table—pulling inspiration from fast-and-loose homebrew systems, alternate defense rules, and a love for drama over crunch. His philosophy is simple: give people a reason to come back, but never make them feel like they have to.
Get Tickets and Play Games With Vinnie in Hawkins.
https://www.strangertours.com/special-events
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