This episode takes an unusual turn as Chris and Andy chat about the experience of “imposter syndrome”—of feeling unworthy to participate in this hobby we all love. After a heartfelt discussion, the episode closes out with a more upbeat talk about Halloween one-shots.
Andy and Chris discuss ways to get your players more invested in a roleplaying game—but not before they pursue tangents including Jack Vance’s “Dying Earth” novels and how to handle keeping-watch sequences at the table.
This week Chris talks with GM Phill Cameron! We talk about a lot of stuff including Vampire: The Masquerade, make a d6 table about the places you’ll go if you follow a butterfly, and then we even roll on the table to talk about designing puzzles.
Andy and Chris diverge from the show’s regular format to discuss a novel they both love and how to set meaningful stakes for RPG encounters… until Chris fails his saving throw and goes into a wild rant about the character creation process in D&D. Listen as they try to salvage some positive insight from Chris’ despair!
We had ourselves a game convention! Chris and Andy share some brief reflections on the first Roll for Topic Con, a (very) mini-convention at which games were run, old RPG sourcebooks were traded, and fun was had.
Special guest Laura joins us to talk about the challenge of finding the right balance of tone and story at the gaming table. We also hear about Laura’s experience helping to organize the U-Con convention, and about her recently-finished East Texas University campaign, in which her players dealt with supernatural threats, midterm exams, and mean girls over the course of four in-game years.
Episode notes:
What do large-scale battles look like in the games you run? Chris and Andy discuss the different ways that big battles can play out in a roleplaying game, and talk about the appeal and limitations of large-scale combat.
Amber Seger (@rocketorca) and Kyle Latino (@kylelatino) join Chris and Andy for part two of our playthrough of The Ground Itself!
Show notes for Episode 67:
Amber Seger (@rocketorca) and Kyle Latino (@kylelatino) join Chris and Andy for an epic playthrough of The Ground Itself! Working together, we collaborate to tell the story of one extremely weird castle and the people who live and (maybe) die there.
Show notes for Episode 66:
After an opening reflection about character creation, Chris and Andy tackle the question that drives us all: what is THAC0, how does it work, and why do so many gamers point to it as a confusing stumbling block?
