The Obojima Podcast the Blog | Episode 15: Exploring Unique D&D Travel with the Spirit Train

This blog post was made using dictation summary software, and posted for SEO purposes. If you really want to know what this episode is about, check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/T9eD-yGWp7M?feature=shared

(CUE Youtubers' clap)

What is UP, Obojimans! Welcome to episode 15 of the Obojima Podcast! This podcast is a deep dive into the creative process of creating Obojima: Tales from the Tall Grass.

First things first, let’s meet our intrepid crew of writers:

• Jeremiah Crofton - The Creative Director of 1985 Games and the creator of Obojima

• Ari Levitch - Head Writer

• Adam Lee - Head Writer

This week, the team boards one of the setting’s most whimsical and mysterious creations: the Spirit Train—a ghostly locomotive that blends arcane tech, mythic lore, and pure storytelling chaos.

All Aboard the Spirit Train

The Spirit Train isn’t just a method of travel—it’s an adventure in motion. Players can summon fleeting train stops with the Conjure Spirit Train Stop spell, which offers minor healing magic and a short window to hop aboard before the stop vanishes. The mechanics mix stop codes, ticket systems, and a tension between planned travel and chaotic magic.

Each stop is unique: underwater platforms, cloud depots, glowing crystal caverns in Mount Arbora—each location is packed with quests, rare resources, and environmental puzzles.

Inside the Train 

Once aboard, the train becomes a stage for surreal encounters. Carts morph between magical challenges: one moment in zero gravity, the next ten years older or mysteriously lighter. The engine room is guarded by enigmatic sentinels, and NPCs like the coal-shoveler might be brute, sage, or something stranger, depending on how players interact.

It's like The Orient Express, but way weirder!

Passengers and Peculiarities

The Spirit Train’s passengers are just as strange as the train itself: a multi-armed creature with 40 arms, a Ghibli-style salesman, a secretive French parrot, and a neurotic manager reminiscent of The Matrix. From dodging pickpockets to decoding time-warping riddles, the train is built for charm, chaos, and storytelling gold. 

Building the World

By the end of the episode, the crew finalized the train’s last featured location for the Obojima book, bringing the total to 30 wild, magical stops. Whether traveling between realms or uncovering hidden quests, the Spirit Train offers players a chance to experience Obojima’s weirdest, most magical moments. 

And that's it for today. Thanks for riding the Spirit Train with us, fellow travelers. But before you get off, watch your step—and don't forget to smash that like button and subscribe!

Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/T9eD-yGWp7M?feature=shared