Episode 154 – Subsystems a.k.a. Cut Down Like Ep1 of Squid Game
The lads chat through chases, Dramatic Tasks, the funnel, spell duels, grappling and all other manner of subsystems and extra bits. COre mechanics are all very well and good, but how do you do mass battle? Find out in this episode!
Mike Shea Interview a.k.a Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
It’s the Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master, or first time on the show for Mike Shea, also know as Sly Flourish on the Twitters. Mike’s books about how to get the most out of the game prep and spend less time doing it have been an inspiration to many hard-pressed GMs, and the lads take a dive into his secrets and tease out details on how you can be smarter about your downtime activities while making your games at the table more awesome.
Episode 128 – Fights
(aka Back in Black)
Did you look at my pint funny? Roll for initiative! After a few games of Feng Shui 2 recently, the lads have thought about fights in RPGs. Is it necessary for combats to occur? Do they go on too long? How can you make them more interesting? All this and more, this episode!
Episode 127 – Reviewing GM Advice
(aka “I’m the Unknown Stunt Man”)
There’s plenty of GM advice out there in roleplaying land, but what about advice on the advice? This time on the ‘cast, Gaz is joined by the Lee Majors of roleplaying, Dirk the Dice, from the Grognard Files Podcast to discuss sources of GM advice. From the ancient tomes handed down by Gygax himself, to the latest hot takes from blogs and the internet, our scholarly heroes delve into the dungeons to bring out the shimmering gems of golden advice.
Episode 95 – Dungeon Master’s Guide – Part Two
(a.k.a. A Thinking DMs Book)
With a surfeit of D&D designer guests and other goodness, the lads round off their current D&D coverage with a walkthrough of the second half of the DMG. What old favourites still languish in the book, and what exciting new gems? How has the last few years of gaming and writing thereof influenced this tome? When D&D 6 comes out – will we even still have a DMG? All this and more is discussed in this week’s bumper episode.
Episode 82 – First Time DM Experience
It’s been many long years for Baz and Gaz, hazy memories of early games lost to the mists of time. What was it like to run that very first game? Well, that lads can’t remember, that’s for sure, so this time they’re joined by delightful guest Nina (@humanbard) to talk about her first time behind the DM screen. Our guest has been playing for many years, and done podcasting and streaming, but that first time in charge of the game can be intimidating. But like all others, she’s survived to tell her tale!
Epsiode 16 – Convention Games
a.k.a. Conventional Wisdom
What’s the difference between convention games and regular home games? Is D&D any good? What are the top tips for running convention games? Listen to Gaz & Baz as they give you their accumulated wisdow!
Read more advice here and pay what you want!
Episode 3: Problem players and what to do with them
(a.k.a. Snooze you lose)
What are problem players and what do you do with them? If you don’t think you have a problem player, maybe it’s you? Gaz and Baz talk about some of their experiences and what to do to change things for the better.
IndieCon started a little later than planned, my man with a car was short on holidays, so we had to pick our gaming days carefully. Nevertheless the Kenners Fun Bus was down at the convention late Thursday night and we could have a natter with the lodge crowd before waking fresh and excitable for Slot 1 the following day. This meant missing the Ice Breakers and meeting up with people for a chat, but at least we’d got the main part of the con to look forward to.
Continue reading
Delta Green is a wonderfully written setting for modern day Cthulhu, in a not dissimilar style to X-Files, but with extra Lovecraft; the setting is truly a thing of beauty. One thing that had upset me, is that it uses the usual CoC BRP system (understandably), and has tried an iteration with d20 rules also, but neither of these rules engines support the particular type of play that the mood and theme of the books suggest. Sure, most people can play Cthulhu without the rules “getting in the way”, but that’s not the same as actively supporting the gaming experience you want is it?
The Smart Party 