Interview: Ben Starr On Natural Six, Fearless Play, & Wizardly Whims

D&D, one of the world’s most famous tabletop games, has been blessed with a surge in popularity. Thanks, in part, to the influence of Stranger Things, Critical Role and, more recently, Baldur’s Gate 3, a huge amount of beginners and veterans have been making plans to embark on their own new campaigns. Some have even gone as far as organizing their own actual play web shows, like Natural Six — a new adventure being undertaken by a group of (very recognisable) friends from all corners of the games industry. 

We sat down with Ben Starr, best known for his performance as Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI, to chat about plunging into his first ever D&D campaign, and all the fun and chaos that will inevitably follow. “It came together because a lot of people kind of wanted an excuse to hang out and play some Dungeons and Dragons. And then we got drunk on some Rosé and thought, why don't we do it in front of people?” Starr said. “We just chatted about life and what we want, and then all of us just looked around the table and went, ‘Should we just do this?’ We described it as to jump off a cliff and actually perform this in front of people. That could be really fun. And that's how it was born. And then all of us just pooled our expertise together. And started crafting what has become Natural Six.”

The world of Reliquiae, in which this campaign is set, has been crafted by Game Master Harry McEntire (Xenoblade Chronicles 3) and will see five plucky adventurers delve into its mysteries. Joining Ben Starr in Reliquiae is Doug Cockle (The Witcher), Hollie Bennett (Frontier, PlayStation Access), Aoife Wilson (Eurogamer, BBC Sounds), and Alex Jordan (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty).

The experience level of each member of Natural Six ranges from complete newbie to hard enthusiast, making for a perfect combination of players for some truly interesting gameplay. “We want to get people in who maybe don't play D&D, or don't know D&D, because a lot of these campaigns have been going for a long time. And this is one that you can get in on the ground floor and explore with people who are also learning the rules as they go. Hollie has never picked up a d20 before and she proudly says that, because I think you want to have people in the party who are learning. And I think it would be great for us to look back, maybe in a year or so’s time, and see where we were at the beginning and where we are now. And hopefully the audience can feel that as well. And if it means that other people are going to pick up this game and play it with their friends, why not?”

With the way the campaign has been designed, viewers may also be treated to a few additional players from time to time. “I think we also want to bring in other people. There are so many people who want to be involved in this project. We kind of call it Natural Six with Advantage. So we want to bring in lots of our friends who haven't had the opportunity to be a part of the core six, and get as many of our friends from across the industry as possible. So expect special guests.”

For many, D&D might seem like an intimidating game to try out, owing to how much of your experience hinges on your party, DM, and your own role-playing performances. So a great entry point is to watch those with a similar level of experience play through their own campaign, with all the mayhem and hilarity that it might entail. “I would call myself an enthusiastic novice, and I've picked a really hard class, but I love it. I really like placing myself ever so slightly out of my depth, because you learned really fast. And I don't mind making mistakes and making a fool out of myself. So why not?,” Starr explained. 

“Next campaign, I'll be something really easy. But this time I went, ‘Hey, I'm going to be a wizard. And guess what? I have all the spells.’  When I told Harry that I was gonna be a wizard, he went ‘Ben, y’know that's one of the hardest classes?’ ‘Yep, let's do it!’ So I'm up for the challenge. And Harry is more than capable of controlling my chaotic whims.”

Starr’s character in Natural Six is Raidion Thornbear, a Wood Elf wizard covered in scars and who has found himself washed up along the shores of Wish. When it came to creating the character, Starr mentioned that he’s typically drawn to elves in general, having played many a fantasy character in other games with the trusty help of a random elf name generator, including Final Fantasy 14.

But in Natural Six, it seems viewers can expect to see some daring plays from the party’s resident wizard. “Anyone who knows me as a person, I'm quite fearless when it comes to play. And I like pushing the boundaries. And I'm going to try and figure out what I can and can't do. I’m also the person who likes taking risks. And I think I might be that person, if you watch our Session Zero, I'm the person who takes a risk. There's a bit in the trailer where I'm going, ‘Do I? Do I? Do I?’ and Harry goes, ‘I think you already have.’ Because I like that. And I like the drama of it. And I don't mind being the person who's gonna be the first individual to put their foot over the line,”

I don't mind the drama, and I don't mind being the person who's putting themselves in peril. I'm sure Harry does. But yeah, I think Raidion is gonna be a really intriguing character. I love his backstory that we came up with. It was really fun discussing it with Harry. And he knows so much more about my character than I do because of the circumstances under which we created him. But it's been really great. And my character is intrinsically linked to a very particular mechanic that we have entered into the game called the Deck of Many Friends. And that is a new thing that Harry and I and the whole team have come up with, which is going to be a really exciting tier on our Kickstarter.”

The Deck of Many Friends is a mechanic, linked to the highest tier on the Natural Six Kickstarter, which involves an illustrated deck of cards containing 22 Fallen Adventurers. “So if you're one of the highest tier members, you get the option to be a part of the game. You can bring your home brewed character, you'll get on a call with Harry, you roll a d20 and whatever that number is, will be applied to your card. And then we will draw character art of that character and go into a 22 deck.” The character art will be drawn by Natural Six’s campaign artist Matt Owen (mrmattszan), who helped bring the party’s characters to life. 

“At moments of peril, or when we choose to call on the Deck of Many Friends, your character will be drawn, and we will tell the backstory of that character, who their character is, and everything about that character. And they will come in and they will replace the role of a particular die. And we're hoping that this is a way that people in the community can feel like they are having an effect on it. And even though that card will only be drawn once, that card will always exist in the Deck of Many Friends. And it's something that, hopefully, you can have that pack and you can bring it to your own home games. And I think as we go forward, let's say this is a success for us and we're able to keep sustaining it, we want to find more ways in which the community can feel like they're a part of it and have choices that actively help shape the world with us.”

For those who might not have the chance to embark on their own D&D adventure, or are excited to follow the story of a new band of adventurers, Natural Six seems poised to offer a portal into something truly memorable. Something for D&D fans and newcomers alike to experience together. “If I've learned anything over the past couple of months it’s that communities that care are the most powerful thing. And certainly, as a person who has been a part of communities and feels warmed by the hearth of those communities, I want to be a part of one that we've created. And I see this as an opportunity to do that. And I think it's gonna be really cool getting to know people who've, you know, watched us from day one all the way through, and how we can grow with them. I just think it's wicked. I think games are cool.”

Natural Six’s Kickstarter is live, featuring eight tiers for backers to support. A Session Zero is available to watch on YouTube.