This week’s guest is W.F. Smith of blog (and future RPG book) Prismatic Wastland. We talk about his new physical book Prismatic Wisdom (a collection of his blog’s best advice, theory, and mechanical innovations), Barkeep on the Borderlands (Gold Ennie winning barhopping fantasy adventure) and his blogger-pals / co-writers: Zedeck Siew, Ty Pitre, Nick LS Whelan, Marcia B., Luka Rejec, Gus L., Emmy Verte, Chris McDowall, Ben Laurence, Ava Islam and Anne Hunter. We discuss his history with B2: Keep on the Borderlands (how Barkeep is a pseudo-sequel), pub crawls in Athens, GA, and how he’s a “pun-first” writer. We dig into how much he buys from Exalted Funeral and that he won the Wrestling Championship Belt from their 2024 FuneralMania summer sale.
We briefly touch on his games: Big Rock Candy Hexcrawl Pamphlet (a lackadaisical, idyllic paradise inspired by leftist folk music), Trouble in Paradisa (detectives at a ritzy beachside resort), and Wonky Willie’s Authentic Interactive Extravaganza (an anti-A.I. candy factory adventure).
MD 404 – Championship Belt of the Verdant Wastes w/ W.F. Smith
The Championship Belt of the Verdant Wastes was created by a primeval nature spirit named Creature of the Green. It poured its love of nature into the belt, imbuing it with its lush essence.
The belt has its own ecosystem of greenery, moss and fungus that’s seen with the naked eye, but on its surface is a civilization of microscopic mushroom folk called Foos. As you wear the belt, its greenery will grow onto your body at a rate of roughly one inch per day. This expands the Foos’ civilization and grows their tech. You’ll be completely covered in 30 days, becoming a verdant avatar of the Creature of the Green.
Like professional wrestlers and gods, the belt gains its power through devotion to the wearer. You must complete a previous level before moving on to the next level.
Level 1: The Foos worship you as their god.
This happens immediately when you first wear the belt. Removing the belt causes the greenery to slough off your body. Putting the belt back on will take an act of reconciliation and another 24 hours of growth to regain the Foos’ devotion. When you walk, a trail of lush greenery follows your steps. As The Green Walker, you can be a savoir to the wastelands.
Level 2: A crowd is currently cheering you on.
If a group of 100 or more people chant your name, you may conjure vines to create a pro wrestling stadium with a ring for 24 hours. You gain bonuses for performing rope maneuvers like drop kicks, moonsaults, flying clotheslines, frog splashes, etc…
Level 3: You’re currently a verdant avatar for the Creature of the Green.
Grow into a 300-foot tall plant kaiju that you control from the inside like a mech. You can fit up to ten party members on the inside that control their own plant-based weapon system.
Nemesis: Wearing the Championship Belt of the Verdant Wastes makes you aware of the wearer of the Championship Belt of Blight (and vice versa), which has equal but opposite powers. The current wearer, your new heel archenemy, is a magic axe wielding lumberjack wrestler named Tough-Actin’ Tin’ac’tin.
Art: Tiger Wizard Words: Steve Albertson
Story by: Andrew Bellury, Steve Albertson, W.F. Smith
Appendix N: Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Flow (2024 film), luchador wrestling, Magic: The Gathering cards with the keyword verdant, Tangled (RPG), George Carlin’s American Dream (documentary), Swamp Thing, Adventure Time, professional wrestling (The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Ausin), Princess Mononoke, Ultraman, Godzilla, Dr. Seuss, Foo Fighters, Gundam, Lion Heart, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Master of the Flying Guillotine, Settlers of a Dead God (RPG), Super Mario Bros.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Dungeon Cats: Tiger Wizard’s Ennie nominated, rules-lite TTRPG where you play feline adventurers is now available at Exalted Funeral. Delve into lush carpeted dungeons to vanquish giant rats, demonic dog spawn and the half-full food bowl. Fight with claws, purrs and advanced reflexes for the treasures contained within. You only have 9 lives. Live them adventurously!
- THE MEGA DUNGEON MEN EP: Our TTRPG fantasy meets hip hop album, The Mega Dungeon Men EP is now available on all streaming platforms. It’s an intense dose of nostalgia and comedy for geek-minded connoisseurs of gaming & fun with features from nerdcore legends Mega Ran and MC Frontalot.
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Thanks for listening to Season Four of the Epic Levels Mad Dungeon podcast, where D&D hip hop group Epic Levels and a guest create system-neutral, playable content using improv, comedy, and lifetimes wasted on roleplaying games.
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Mad Dungeon is hosted by Andrew Bellury, Steve Albertson and produced by Zach Cowan.
Music by Epic Levels and beat by Jay Domingo.
© 2025 Epic Levels. All characters in our adventures–even those based on real people–are entirely fictional.