Role Playing Public Radio » Ross

RPPR Episode 69: Critique of Cthulhu

Ross — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:45:45 +0000

News: The Killsplosion alpha rules are out! If you contributed to the ransom and selected playtesting as a reward, you should have them.

Also, we have a RPPR Minecraft server. Check it out on Jan 22 3 to 5 pm CST for our first RPPR Minecraft event!

Synopsis: Call of Cthulhu is an institution of role playing, but few gamers truly appreciate it for what it is. Tom, Caleb and I break down the game mechanics, meta-game issues and themes of the Cthulhu Mythos in order to explain the good, bad and ugly of this venerable game. Many players dismiss Call of Cthulhu as a very rigid and narrowly focused game, but it offers a far richer gaming experience if you know how to play and more importantly run this game right!. Tom also has a letter, shout outs and an anecdote!

Shout outs

Instant City: A study in urban sprawl, globalization and politics.
The Tunnel: Freaky horror movie with an urban exploration angle.
Maniac Mansion 2: A classic adventure game with a twisted sense of humor.
Horse ebooks: The funniest twitter account in existence. Too many horses. Throw a horse away.
Fake iphone text: Generate iphone conversations as a handout in games.
Parker: The Outfit: Hardboiled crime graphic novel. Great art and dialogue.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: IT IS RUINED FOREVER WTF
The Movies: A video game about making movies. ACTION
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Gary Oldman says so much in so few words. Brilliant spy movie.

Music: What A Friend We Have In Cthulhu by the Fump and Cthulhu is my co-pilot by Smart Bomb Radio

1001 uses for Zombies seminar at Gencon 2011

Ross — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:17:09 +0000

At Gencon 2011, I ran a seminar on how to use zombies in role playing games – not just as low level enemies to fight but as elements of drama. I also went into how to world build with zombies. They can be used in nearly any genre as enemies, obstacles or even unlikely allies. Enjoy! I’ve also included the two handouts I made for the seminar:

1001 uses for a zombie in role playing games

If you liked this, then perhaps you might be interested in buying my book?

RPPR Episode 68: Phases that are Eclipsed

Ross — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:59:21 +0000

This episode is sponsored by Audible.com. Sign up today for a free audiobook and 14 day trial!

Synopsis: This episode will begin a new series of episodes, each focusing on a particular game system. This time, we talk about the transhuman sci-fi game, Eclipse Phase. Caleb joins Tom and I to discuss our reactions to reading, playing and running the game. The game can be intimidating at first, especially with the exotic technology and setting. Even once you get used to the game, there are more subtle pitfalls that can unbalance a game.Plus Tom has a letter, shout outs from all three of us and an Eclipse Phase anecdote about robbing a bank ON THE MOON

If you liked this discussion, comment on what game we should talk about next!

Shout outs

RPPR Minecraft Server: Join us! Just don’t be a douche.
Eclipse Phase Character Generator: Download the most recent version.
Eclipse Phase NPC Files: Essential for anyone running a game of EP.
Spirit of Redemption: Mass Effect serial fanfiction.
Next Time on Lonny: Hilarious web series that must be seen. Dog Moon told me so.
Hunger Games – Training Days: A Hunger Games board game.
Bubbles and Troubles: A Cthulhu Dark scenario written by a RPPR listener. Only 99 cents!
Drunk and Ugly Podcast: They’re running my campaign Road Trip. If you’re AP fiend, give them a listen!
You Are Not So Smart: A primer on cognitive biases and pop neuroscience.
Fright Night: The remake is surprisingly good. Worth watching.
Glue Some Gears On It: Steampunk is dead. Long live Steampunk.
Unspeakable! A new episode will be online soon.
Humble Bundle 4: Get vidya games for cheap and donate to charity.
Zone One: Life after a zombie apocalypse is not so fun.

Song: DB Pure – Me Ri Tu (Djs From Mars Club Remix)

No related posts.

RPPR Episode 67: Be a Better Player

Ross — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:56:16 +0000

News: The Killsplosion Kickstarter is a success! I’ve acquired a HD camcorder so we’ll start recording videos soon. The Artemis Spaceship Simulator will take some planning to figure out but we will do it. I’ve also set up a RPPR Minecraft server! Check this thread for the address.

Synopsis: We usually focus on advice for GMs creating or running games. This time, we want to focus on providing advice for players. So we’ve come up with a Be A Better Play Challenge. We want you to determine one thing you can do in your game to make yourself a better player. To help you along, Tom and I discuss some ways in which you can improve your game such as writing a better PC back story, table etiquette and playing against type. Tom also has a new letter and of course anecdotes and shouts.

Shout outs:

RPPR Minecraft server: Join us! A new world of adventure and jackassery await
Rare Exports: Batshit insane movie about Santa Claus and the true meaning of Christmas
Skyrim: Because of reasons
Night’s Black Agents: Espionage and vampires in a RPG
War of the Undead: A graphic novel about Nazis, zombies and more
Black Crusade: The heavy metal album cover RPG
Big Fan: Patton Oswalt is an obsessed football fan in this dark comedy
Citation Needed: A compilation of the weirdest entries in Wikipedia
Boardwalk Empire: HBO does violence. Well.
Laser Mission: The Rifftrax is funny. The movie itself is pretty awful.
Fear the Boot: The Kenneth Hite interview is great
Jennisodes: Fascinating game design panel

Song: Monster remix by DotEXE

RPPR Episode 66: Building Better Worlds

Ross — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:58:37 +0000

News: Support the Killsplosion Kickstarter and get 10 new preview RPPR AP episodes!

Zombies of the World Episode 4 is online. Watch it here.

Synopsis: World building is an important skill for GMs but it’s a tricky skill to learn. It’s easy to get lost in the details, obsessing over minor elements that will never see the light of day. Tom and I discuss how we approach world building and the pitfalls we’ve learned to avoid. Tom also has a short story that will be used in the Killsplosion RPG called Clucking Hell. You can read the story on Kickstarter as well.

Shout out:

Killing Floor: It has a chicken suit skin for players. YES.
The Stuff: In 1980s horror film, yogurt eats you!
Danger 5: New and insane web series from the people that did Italian Spiderman
Black Roses Rock music causes demonic possession apparently.
Metachaos: 1/1d6 SAN loss experimental short film.
Carnosaur: A cheap cash-in dinosaur horror movie with a weird subtext.
McMafia: A great breakdown of current global crime syndicates.

Music: Blood Brothers: First Blood by Mad Decent

RPPR Episode 65: Fear in the Long Haul

RPPR Episode 65: Fear in the Long Haul

Ross — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:26:33 +0000

This episode is sponsored by Audible Books. Sign up today and get a free 14 day trial and audiobook.

News: Check out the newest RPPR Kickstarter: Killsplosion! A rules light competitive PvP tabletop RPG. Get 10 preview RPPR Actual Play episodes when you contribute $20 or more.

Zombies of the World on sale! Get your print copy autographed by the RPPR group or get the PDF for only $2.99

Synopsis: We’ve been talking about adventure and campaign design lately, so we thought it would be appropriate for an episode on horror campaigns and how to run them. The pacing for a horror campaign is different because characters in these games tend to wear down through attrition. Thus, you have to take into account their reduced capabilities when designing adventures or plan for a new way to insert new player characters when the existing ones die or go mad. Furthermore, less is more when it comes to horror. A slight aberration from the mundane is often more terrifying than random tentacle monsters. Tom did not write a letter but we do have shout outs and anecdotes.

Shout outs:

Nostalgic Critic: The Haunting – find out which was the best version of this haunted house movie.
Z.N.A: Journey: A zombie apocalypse ebook. Short and entertaining.
Patton Oswalt – Finest Hour: A new comedy CD by Patton Oswalt.
Fantasy by DYE: Electro song with epic music video. NSFW.
Prince of Darkness: Part of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse trilogy.
The Dedicated: A modded Killing Floor server with new weapons and high level perks.
The Thing: Classic alien sci-fi horror and part of the Apocalypse trilogy.
The Hunger Games Trilogy: Great dystopian sci-fi novel series.
In the Mouth of Madness: Lovecraftian horror film and part of the Apocalypse trilogy.

Song: Forest of Fear by Bob Dean

RPPR Episode 64: Adventures in Adventuring

Ross — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:53:29 +0000

News: This episode is sponsored by Audible Books. Sign up today and get a free 14 day trial and audiobook.

Zombies of the World is on sale during October! Save $5 off the print edition or $2 off the ebook edition.

Synopsis: Adventure design for long term campaigns is different than designing for a one shot scenario. Keeping up with the entirety of a complex ruleset is impossible for a campaign so you must determine what rules to keep track of and what to ignore. Adventures have to be geared to specific player characters. You can’t keep adding on new elements into the campaign. Instead, you must provide closure for the plot elements you do introduce. We discuss all of these topics and more. Furthermore, Tom has a new letter, shout outs and more.

Shout outs:

Com Truise: Ultra chillax 80s style electronic music. Check out the ultimate 80s cyberpunk music video.
I Sell the Dead: Grave robbers sell corpses to doctors. Undead appear. Hilarity ensues.
Shadow of a Dead Star: Sci-fi horror novel delving into the depravities of the cybernetics black market.
Adventures of Pete and Pete: One of the great shows made by Nickelodeon in the 90s.
Z.N.A: Zombie survival horror novella. Worth the 99 cents to a zombie fan.
Delilah Dirk: High adventure webcomic with incredible art.
Monster Pulse: Kids with monsters fight an evil government conspiracy.
Hark A Vagrant: A print edition of one of the funniest webcomics of all time.

Song: League of Extraordinary Adventurers by Sounda

RPPR Episode 63: Stylish Substance

Ross — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:38:02 +0000

Ad: Critical Miss magazine edited by Jonny Nexus.

Synopsis: Adventure design is a complex topic so we’d thought we would delve into it once again. In this episode, Tom and I discuss the difference between good design choices and style choices. While good design is applicable to any genre of RPG scenario, it is possible to make choices in creating an adventure that only work under certain circumstances. The choice to emphasize one aspect of a game over another isn’t necessarily right or wrong. It’s a style choice. Hack and slash versus political intrigue? Style. Dungeon crawling versus mass battles? Style. Tom also has a new letter entailing the virtues of various cinematic firearms.

Shout outs:

Americus: A graphic novel about a student dealing with a book banning. Excellent writing and art.
Island of the Fishmen: Bizarre Italian horror flick about fishmen.
Cthulhu Dark: An ultra rules light RPG of Cthulhu inspired insanity.
Messiah of Evil: Public domain 1970s Lovecraftian zombie horror film
Bastion: Amazing indie RPG with unique setting, art and music
Cargo: The most Eclipse Phase-ish sci fi movie I’ve seen in a while
Seven Minutes in Heaven: Hilariously awkward interviews. Check out Elijah Wood’s interview.

Song: PonPonPon De Floor mashup (special request from Caleb)

RPPR Episode 62: Post Gencon 2011 Wrapup part 2

Ross — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 02:24:50 +0000

News: Check out Raillery Redux, my new video game focused podcast.

Synopsis: In this episode, we bring in Aaron and David to discuss their experiences at Gencon 2011. Aaron ran three sessions of a Monsters and Other Childish Things game based on the Secrets of NIMH while this was David’s first Gencon. David cosplayed as an anime character, so he had a different experience. We also go over our purchases at Gencon and share more anecdotes from con games.

Shout outs:

The Last Lovecraft: A horror-comedy about the Cthulhu Mythos and H.P. Lovecraft.
Stealing Cthulhu: the perfect resource to jumpstart your next Cthulhu mythos based game
The Noodle Company: Holy shit they have great noodles
7 Wonders: A board game of skill and strategy
LFG volume 2: If you like the webcomic, you’ll like this print collection
Hobomancer: Magic hobos fight crime or evil or some junk. Awesome name for a game
Arkham Horror: It’s still the best Cthulhu themed board game ever
Shane Ivey: Keep up with the Arc Dream publisher on Twitter
Adam Scott Glancy: BUY HIS BOOKS
Mutuk Wolfsbreath Hard Boiled Shaman: Film Noir meets Siberian shamanism. AND IT WORKS
The Hunger Games: Battle Royale as a YA novel series. Very gameable material

Song: Comedians by Cossbysweater

RPPR Episode 61: Post Gencon 2011 wrapup part 1

Ross — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:14:10 +0000

This year’s Gencon was so great, we will have to do two episodes to cover it all. In this episode, we bring RPPR regular Caleb to discuss his first impressions of the con and the games he ran and played in. We all talk about the newest games we picked up and Tom discusses the game he ran and other things he did.

I also interviewed George Strayton, creator of The Secret Fire, a new fantasy RPG. It’s a short interview but I added in place of Tom’s letter. He discusses the design philosophy behind the game, his background as a screenwriter and more.

Shout outs

Panopticon: The newest Eclipse Phase supplement.
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland: A hilarious book by Patton Oswalt.
Old School Hack: Awesome free rules-light RPG and gold Ennie winner.
Delta Green Gencon Panel: Listen to the informative Delta Green/Unspeakable Oath panel recorded at this Gencon.
Cthulhu Invictus: Cthulhu in ancient Rome. A winning combination!

Song: Zombie by Anssi 8000 and Maria Stereo

Eclipse Phase panel at Gencon 2011

Ross — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 05:31:56 +0000

I recorded a panel discussion of Eclipse Phase designers Rob Boyle and Adam Jury as they discussed their current plans for the transhuman sci-fi horror RPG. In this discussion, they go over planned releases, their business model and the themes behind Eclipse Phase. If you’re curious about what’s in store for Firewall and the rest of transhumanity, this would be a good listen.

RPPR Episode 60: It’s not a cliche!

Ross — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:34:39 +0000

News: Vote for Monsters and Other Childish Things: Road Trip (Cubicle 7/Arc Dream Publishing) in the best adventure category. Be sure to vote it as #1!

Zombies of the World products now have free US shipping. Order your copy today.

Synopsis: THIS IS A NSFW EPISODE. Tom remembered a horribly boring dungeon crawl campaign he suffered from in his youth. He wanted to take the cliches he saw in that game and make them actually fun. So, we discuss how to take cliches like traps, prisoners and treasure in dungeons and make them new and exciting. Also, because we are horrible, horrible monsters we read another excerpt from the rpg.net FATAL review. Also, Tom was too busy to write a letter. Be sure to let him know that you like his letters. Maybe he’ll grace us with a letter again. Maybe.

Shout outs:

Emissary of War: An iOS RPG created by a RPPR listeners. Check out the trailer
Re: Old Spice – Cthulhu wants to talk about deodorant. Plus a brain in a jar.
Calypsis: Post-apocalyptic dystopian novel written as a wiki.
SVK: Warren Ellis wrote a unique comic that utilizes ultraviolet light and ink.
The Presidents: History Channel TV show boxed set about the US presidents
Cthulhu Saves the World: Now on PC via Steam. Less than three bucks too
Conspiracy: History Channel show about conspiracy theories

Song: Good Days and Cliches by Nevernoodz

No related posts.

Vote for Road Trip at the Ennies!

Ross — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:03:34 +0000

The awards are here http://www.ennie-awards.com/vote/

My book, Road Trip, is up for an Ennie. They’re the biggest awards in the tabletop rpg industry. The nominees are chosen by a panel of industry veterans but the actual awards are chosen by online voting. Vote for Monsters and Other Childish Things: Road Trip (Cubicle 7/Arc Dream Publishing) in the best adventure category. Be sure to vote it as #1!

Ruins of Lemuria – A New World Campaign Sourcebook

Ross — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:01:20 +0000

The New World is the grave of Lemuria, the greatest of all nations. The barbaric tribes that live in the New World now walk upon its bones, the ruins of temples and palaces, ignorant of the wisdom and power buried beneath their feet. When a colony from the kingdom of a distant continent settles on the shores of the New World, whispers of Lemuria flutter through the winds. Adventurers from the colony find the ruins and marvel at their beauty. Scholars listen to the legends told by tribal elders and connect them to ancient stories of a lost empire. Native warriors and mystics commune with spirits awoken by the colony’s arrival. The Ruins of Lemuria stir the blood of the ambitious and curious. Soon expeditions will be mounted to crack open the dusty tombs leading into the Stygian depths to learn their secrets and plunder their treasures. Little do these adventurers know that the doom that befall mighty Lemuria waits to greet them.
The Ruins of Lemuria describes a massive network of ruins that spread across the entire continent of the New World, the remnants of a powerful civilization more advanced in science and magic than any other in the history of the world. Fragments of their knowledge lie deep within the ruins, along with powerful magical items and vast amounts of treasure. Needless to say, if the knowledge or magic items are found and brought back to civilization, it could change the course of history. Lemurian magic and technology is still more advanced than anything else the world has ever known. A few adventurers armed with this power can end wars, curse diseases or doom their own civilization. This supplement provides a framework to incorporate the Ruins into most high fantasy RPG campaigns.

RPPR Episode 59: Bildungsroman

Ross — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:58:01 +0000

Zombies of the World is now available in print, PDF and Kindle format!

My book, Road Trip, has been nominated for an Ennie!

Synopsis: Bildungsroman is a fancy way of describing the ‘youth to adulthood’ genre – stories like “to Kill a Mockingbird” where the character grows from a child to become an adult or closer to an adult. Role playing games are often like these stories – characters grow from being relatively weak and naive to eventually becoming epic badasses of destiny. However, many game systems do not encourage character growth – advancement is slow, ponderous and mechanically difficult. Furthermore, most campaigns are relatively short – interrupted or abandoned for myriad reasons. If you want players to grow at a faster pace, what should you do? How is mechanical growth different from role playing growth? Tom and I discuss these issues and more. Plus, instead of a letter, Tom and I read an excerpt from the infamous rpg.net review of FATAL. It’s definitely NSFW.

Shout outs

Attack the Gas Station 1 and 2: Hilariously insane Korean comedies.
The Eliminators: An action sci-fi movie with ninjas, mandroids, cavemen, robots and time travel. Follows the conventions of RPGs coincidentally enough.
Ugly Americans: an animated sitcom about monsters and normal people living together.
Killing Floor: Steampunk/circus summer event going on right now! Monkeys with chainsaws!
Steam Summer Sale: only a few days left!
The Man From Nowhere: Intense Korean action/thriller. Do not fuck with the pawnshop owner.

Promo: Explodey File podcast.

Song: Growing up and Getting out by Adam Boucher.

RPPR Episode 58: The Games of Tomorrow

Ross — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 22:46:09 +0000

oh 80s cyberpunk, you will always have a place in my heart

Synopsis: Science fiction is an under appreciated genre in role playing games. Fantasy (Dungeons and Dragons) and horror (World of Darkness) dominate RPGs and most of the popular sci-fi games out there aren’t really science fiction or are horribly anachronistic. Tom and I discuss the state of science fiction and how it is different than fantasy or horror. As the literature of ideas, sci-fi should play differently than other genres. Everything from thematic content to the design of the game should be affected. We also have a letter from Tom, shout outs, an anecdote and reader letters.

Shout outs:

Phenomena: A dreamlike horror fairy tale from Dario Argento.
Dinosaur Rap: A Whitest Kids You Know comedy sketch
The Found Footage Festival: The most bizarre and surreal videos of the past. Behold the Clown Ministry and weep
Unspeakable! A podcast about Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green. Episode 1 is online
Magicka: Nippon and Marshlands: new DLC for Magicka
Risking it all: Pakistan – documentary about the risks truck drivers make in the treacherous mountains of Pakistan.
Black Black Jobs: First scenario anthology for The Laundry RPG

Music: Science Fiction by the Cobra Dukes.

Unspeakable! A new podcast for Call of Cthulhu

Ross — Tue, 31 May 2011 21:27:30 +0000

I collaborated with Shane Ivey (publisher of Arc Dream) and Toren Atkinson (The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets) to create a new Call of Cthulhu monthly podcast. We will talk about gaming in CoC, Cthulhu mythos related news and review games as well as interview notable designers and writers. We talk to John Tynes, one of the creators of Delta Green, in our first episode. Check it out here!

RPPR Episode 57: Read the Fine Print

Ross — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:56:08 +0000

Watch Zombies of the World episode 1: Migration and learn how it was made on the ZOTW blog.

If you want to contribute art for the Lemurian Ruins – email rpprpodcast@gmail.com.

Synopsis: Game balance is a tricky thing. While in some cases, it’s easy to spot an unbalanced system like Palladium or Synnibarr but other times, a game’s imbalances won’t be revealed until you’ve played it for a while. So what do you when you find out that the game you’re playing is unbalanced? We discuss how to deal with these situations. It’s possible to change systems, house rule it so that it’s balanced or use the social contract to keep things fair. Also instead of a letter, Tom talks about having a cyst cut out of him. It’s really gross (NSFW link do not click this)

Shout outs:

Linotype: An upcoming documentary about the linotype machine.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil: Very funny horror-comedy about college students vs. hapless hillbillies.
Rubber: A movie about a psychic killer tire. Why is this great? No reason.
Hobo with a Shotgun: Rutger Hauer murders bad guys with a shotgun. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT
Mortal Kombat 9: Old school controls with brand new graphics.
The Unspeakable Oath: The best Call of Cthulhu magazine in this universe (or any other for that matter)
Spirit of Truth/Redemption: A Mass Effect fanfic that Tom really enjoyed.
Mafia 2: It’s like a mob movie but you get to shoot the guys.
Dread: Unique horror RPG with a unusual conflict resolution mechanic…
Magicka Vietnam: wizards with AK-47s mowing down goblin and orc hordes. Fun times.

Music: Our Life Our Rules by Moral Decline

No related posts.

RPPR Episode 56: But the Railroading’s on Time

Ross — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:45:19 +0000

RPPR News: We have a mirror of all of our episodes on archive.org. Catch up with our older episodes or send the link to a friend to introduce them to us. I’ve also updated the Zombies of the World blog going behind the scenes on how I created it.

Synopsis: Running a game in a timely manner is a daunting task. Many convention games fail to finish in 4 hours and a lot of players think that 6-12 hours for a single session is normal. We here at RPPR get shit done and want to help you also get shit done. How can you keep a game running without wasting a lot of time? Tom has a letter, shout outs and an anecdote from Tom’s latest Call of Cthulhu game.

Shout outs:

The blog of Ab3: The writer behind the Ab3 rants has his own blog with new material. Check it out!
Marble Hornets DVD: One of the freakiest things I’ve seen in a long time now on DVD. Get it or Slender Man will take you.
Jane’s Flighter Anthology: old flight sim. Blow up or fly Air Force One.
Tenebre: Masterpiece giallo from Argento. A serial killer stalks a writer in Rome. Great soundtrack as well.
The Return of Godzilla: A classic Godzilla must smash all things movie.
Arkham Horror and Mansions of Madness: Must play board games for dedicated Lovecraft fans.
Betrayal at House on the Hill: A new edition of this board game is out which fixes a number of errors in the first edition.
Lead and Gold: Great multiplayer shooter set in the Wild West. Cheap too!
The Indie Humble Bundle: Get 5 computer games for whatever price you wish to pay.
Your Highness: A stoner fantasy comedy. Pineapple Express with wizards and weed.
OSS Training Films: Learn how to derail trains and infiltrate enemy territory OSS style.

Music: Airbrushed by Anamaguchi

RPPR Episode 55: One for the Recordbooks

Ross — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:23:49 +0000

Preorder my new book Zombies of the World and get a free poster and shipping!

The RPPR Forums now support the iPhone and Android app Tapatalk. Post wherever and whenever you want. Go nuts!

Synopsis: Every once in a while in a campaign, you need to shake things up with a big event – an epic boss fight or jaw dropping action scene that ties up a campaign or story arc. Of course, in order to make things memorable, you need to up your game as a GM. But how do you go above and beyond? Tom and I discuss ways to psyche the players up, prep for a big event and run it. Plus Tom has a letter, shout outs and anecdotes.

Shout outs

Operation Family Secrets: This family is nothing but secrets and lies! SECRETS AND LIES
We didn’t playtest this at all: An insanely fun card game with an honest title
Zombies of the World: BUY MY BOOK
The Music Scene: Chillax album from Blockhead

Music: My Skateboard will go on by Anamanaguchi

RPPR Episode 24: GO GO GO! and other Action Movie Cliches

RPPR Episode 54: Immerse Me!

Ross — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:10:46 +0000

Immersion is a tricky element of tabletop RPGs. In order to achieve it, a GM must first design a good scenario. In this episode, Tom, special guest Caleb and I discuss how we design adventures and other related topics. The effects of a game system on immersion and how to deal with players that lose immersion in a game. Tom also has a letter and of course shout outs and anecdotes.

Shout outs

RPPR Community AP Podcast: If the main RPPR AP podcast isn’t enough…
Elephant Men Vol 1: A sci fi noir comic series of mutated soldiers
Amnesia Dark Descent: A creepy Lovecraftian horror video game.
Custom dice from Ean Moody: Get awesome skull dice!
Lucid Chart: Flow chart program
The Brain: 80s horror film about an evil man eating brain
Theories of International Politics and Zombies: Zombies are serious business
Videodrome: ALL HAIL THE NEW FLESH
Rebuild: A Flash Zombie post apocalyptic RTS
Andrew Vachss: Incredible crime novelist and inspiration for Andrew’s Fortune
Teatro Grottesco: An anthology of Thomas Ligotti short stories.

Podcast Promo: Redline Theatre - radio theater podcast
Other podcasts (I couldn’t find promos to play from you guys): Zero Fortitude, Drunk and Ugly and Booster Pack

Song: Immersed by Allison Crowe

Interview with Jolly Blackburn

Ross — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 04:56:19 +0000

Jolly Blackburn is the creator of the comic Knights of the Dinner Table and one of the principal game designers behind Hackmaster and Aces & Eight. He was at Visioncon 2011 and I got to sit down with him to discuss what’s new with Kenzer Company, the tabletop rpg industry, the Old School Renaissance and of course, KODT.

No related posts.

RPPR Episode 53: You Lie! Rhetoric and Large Groups

Ross — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:40:29 +0000

Thank you RPPR listeners! The Ruins of Lemuria PDF Ransom was a success! We are hard at work behind the scenes creating many cool things for you and running games over Skype for the ransom contributors.

Synopsis: Rhetoric is a divisive issue in tabletop games. Where do you draw the line between a player’s skill in speech and the PC’s ability? Tom and I discuss how rhetoric touches on game design, running a game and player vs. player conflicts. I’ve also started a superheroes campaign, using Wild Talents for the rules, and this time around we have seven players. A large group presents quite a few interesting challenges so we discuss how to run a game with a huge number of players.

Shout outs

Zombie Panic: Free zombie themed multiplayer FPS mod for the Source Engine
The Creation of Narrative in Tabletop Role-Playing Games: Critical analysis of RPGs
By Dawn’s Early Light: Like Dr. Strangelove without the comedy.
Debris volume 1 and 2: Insane montages of the most obscure and crazy films and video footage EVER
Angry Joe Show: It’s a review show. Tom likes it.
Comic Jumper: Xbox live arcade game about comic books. It’s funny and pretty hard
asdfmovies: funny youtube videos.
The Laundry: Horror-comedy RPG based on Charles Stross’ Atrocity Archives novel series.

Music: I can be persuaded by Mars

RPPR Episode 52: Holiday Dash

Ross — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 03:25:04 +0000

CONTRIBUTE TO THE RUINS OF LEMURIA KICKSTARTER TO GET 10 PREVIEW AP EPISODES OR A SEAT A SKYPE GAME RUN BY ROSS PAYTON!

Synopsis: Chase scenes are an underutilized element in many games. A staple of action stories but RPGs focus on social scenes and combat. This is because it’s hard for a GM to make a chase scene actually exciting. Special guest RJ joins us as we discuss ways to make a boring chase scene into an epic one. Tom does not have a letter, but we do have many special holiday shout outs and a few anecdotes.

Forum Shout Outs:

My Rifts Experiment: Palladium offers a grab bag of random products. I promise to run a game based on what they give me.
Junk Mail Novel: Spam is like poetry, man.
Ruins of Lemuria Kickstarter: Learn what kind of games I’ll run over Skype and if you have any questions about the PDF then ask them here.

Holiday Shout Outs below the fold

Song: Chase Scene Through DNA Wormholes by Rubber Band Banjo

Fear The Boot: Thanks for mentioning us and glad you enjoy the APs!
Octopus Pie: A print collection of a funny and well drawn web comic
The Blob (remake): Kids die in it so it must be good!
Angel Heart: A noir/horror film featuring incredible atmosphere and a young Mickey Rourke. A must see.
Airplane Special Edition: The comedy classic THAT ALL MUST WATCH. And don’t call me Shirley.
Slugfest Games: Makers of fun and cheap games like Kung Fu Fighting.
Delta Force: Chuck Norris kills terrorists and saves America from evil.
Gangster’s Paradise: Jerusalema - South African crime epic with some great twists
Brian Regan: Hilarious stand up comic now on tour with all new material.
Dragon Age Ultimate Edition: I LIKE VIDEO GAMES AND THIS ONE IS BEST
Eclipse Phase Sunward and GM Screen: Brain candy for sci fi fans – fun even if you don’t play EP.
Hero Lab: Great character creation software for a variety of systems. Pricey though.
Near Dark: The best vampire movie to come out of the 1980s.
A Song of Ice and Fire RPG: Based on the acclaimed novels.
Undercover Brother: Blaxplotiation parody and a good one at that.
Chessex Pound of Dice: Enough dice to murder someone!
A Dirty World: The best new game (new to us) for the RPPR crew of 2010.

RPPR Episode 51: Info Dump

Ross — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:21:53 +0000

Synopsis: In fiction, revealing too much information right away is a sign of bad storytelling. In role playing games, it’s often essential for a good session. Game masters have to realize that what they think the players should know is often not enough for the players to actually understand what’s going on. We discuss the importance of information and how to make sure that everyone know what’s going on. Tom has a letter and we have shout outs and an anecdote.

Shout outs

Rise Again – a zombie novel with evil mercenaries
Police Squad – a funny as hell TV comedy
The Unwritten - A meta-fantasy epic comic from Vertigo
Gamma World – Gonzo sci fi role playing game
The Walking Dead - an amazing TV show about surviving a zombie apocalypse

Forum Shout outs

Order66 Tribute: A very special tribute for a very special forums member
Pick the Best of RPPR: Help us pick the very best RPPR material for Youtube
Pirates and Cthulhu: a winning combination!

Music: The Information Age by Anthony Fiaumano

RPPR Episode 28: Great. Expectations.

RPPR Episode 50: Danse Macabre 2: Electric Boogaloo

Ross — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:50:11 +0000

Halloween is right around the corner so we are once again talking about running terrifying games. RPGs can’t really provide shocks like film or TV, but it’s still possible to run a truly scary game by keeping a few principles in mind. Specifically, a GM should focus on presenting ambigious information, giving players some but not total control and characterizing NPCs and monsters well. Tom finally has a letter and some shout outs and a reader letter.

Shout outs:

Night of the Hunter: A brilliant and terrifying film blending film noir and fairy tales. Robert Mitchum’s preacher is legendary as the villain.
Virus: A 1980 Japanese post apocalyptic sci-fi film. Sonny Chiba’s in it! Hard to find though.
Four Dragons: A new Stargate novel written by Diana Botsford.
Smother Brothers’ Comedy Hour: Comedy in an era of censorship. Funny stuff.
Salvage: A British horror film with great acting and very gameable material.
Ghost Stories: a horror-comedy anime series.

Music: Danse Macabre by David Kempers

RPPR Episode 49: Morality Role Play

Ross — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:50:53 +0000

Morality and alignment are two of the trickiest issues in tabletop RPGs. Every player has their own perspective, beliefs and biases and they frequently come out during play. How do you deal with conflicts over moral dilemmas? We go over several possible reasons why this occurs and how to resolve it. Tom forgot his letter at work, but we do have several shout outs and anecdotes:

Minecraft: A highly addicting computer game of building and violent death, still in alpha but worth the $13
The Daily Show: Earth. A book about Earth by the writers of the Daily Show. It’s funny, I am guessing.
A Dirty World: Excellent film noir inspired RPG by Greg Stolze.
Brian Regan: Epitome of Hyperbole. A comedy DVD from the stand up comic.
Rififi: A film noir classic. A jewel heist goes awry in Paris and someone must pay the price.
Citizen Cohn: A film about McCarthy’s lawyer, played by James Wood.
E.S. Posthumus – Makara: Cinematic music that is perfect for gaming.
Point of Order: A documentary about the McCarthy trials.
Ean Moody and Violet Kirk: two great artists available for commissions.

Song: Fuck Your Morals by Nothing in Return

RPPR Episode 48: Under A Dark Sun

Ross — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:32:41 +0000

My campaign for Monsters & Other Childish Things, Road Trip is out! Buy your copy now.
Cody has a new blog, Popgun Chaos. Read his reviews and essays about comics and bask in his glory.
The Get Aaron to Gencon Kickstarter was a success! Listen to Aaron’s game. If you contributed enough to get a button or DVD, bug Aaron about it.

Episode Synopsis: The newest campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons, Dark Sun, is out and we’ve already started the new RPPR campaign. Cody reviews the book and we discuss the book’s new rules and background information. We also talk about some of the other new games we picked up at Gencon this year. Plus, a new letter from Tom, anecdotes and shout outs:

Shout Outs

Operation Endgame: The Office meets Battle Royale. Hilarious and violent, a winning combination!
Childrens Hospital: A funny new show on Adult Swim
Rubicon: A great conspiracy show on AMC. Brand new so catch up with it now.
I, Zombie: A new zombie comic published by Vertigo. Great art and writing so far.
Emerald Warriors: Green Lanterns fight crime. Cosmically. Or something.
Visions of Suffering: a heart warming tale of gore and fear. Also, Russian.
Talking with the Gods: documentary about crazy man and comic writer Grant Morrison.
Wednesday Comics: Retro themed comics from the best writers and artists.

Music: Dark Sun by The Curtains and Their Terrifying Story

RPPR Episode 47: Adventures in the Real World

Ross — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:49:25 +0000

My campaign for Monsters and Other Childish Things, Road Trip is available for pre-order! Buy it here!

The Codex of War is out! Download it here.
If you like our AP episodes, donate to the ‘Get Aaron to Gencon’ Kickstarter to get early access to 5 AP episodes.

The real world holds just as much adventure as any fantasy or sci-fi setting. In this episode, Tom and I discuss various types of games you could run based in the real world with normal PCs (with no extraordinary abilities or cinematic fighting skills). There are more possibilities than you might realize.

Shout Outs

Music: Anything 4 Adventure by the Jim Morey Band.

If a real world campaign interests you, check out the following resources below the fold.

I outlined a campaign based on contemporary insurgencies and guerrilla warfare. Imagine the challenges a Human Terrain Team in Afghanistan faces or normal people caught between warring factions in Iraq. There’s also the Naxalite rebellion in India, Mexican drug cartels challenging the government and gang war in Brazilian Favelas.

Global Guerrillas: A great blog on guerrilla warfare, terrorism and insurgencies
McMafia: a book about the new trends in criminal syndicates and cartels around the world.
Cities Under Siege: a book on political violence in cities today and how it affects life in them.
Shock Doctrine: How governments and corporations exploit disasters for profit.
Off the Books: A study of the black market economy in the ghetto.
Wonga Coup: An account of how a few Westerners tried to take over a country in Africa and failed.

Codex of War – A New World Campaign Sourcebook

Ross — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:13:35 +0000

At long last, the Codex of War is finished! This is the third book in the New World Campaign setting. The colony has survived its first winter in the New World, a testament to the courage and fortitude of its inhabitants, but now a greater threat looms over the fledgling settlement. While nearby native tribes have decided to live peacefully with the colony, a powerful coalition of tribes farther inland is ready to make war. Led by an enigmatic tyrant, these tribes see the colony as a cancer growing in their homeland. The brave adventurers who protect the colony must stop the coalition before all is lost.

War takes on many forms. Simple and sporadic raids on neighboring tribes, civilized duels and battles that follow complex rules of etiquette and protocol, or all out war between determined foes who fight to the bloody end. No matter what type of war, the colonists have only two options: defeat the tyrant or face utter obliteration. The tyrant will not settle for anything less than total victory.

Get Aaron to Gencon Kickstarter!

Ross — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:49:48 +0000

If you’re hungering for new AP episodes and want to find out how Aaron does as a CoC keeper, contribute today!

No related posts.

Interview with Adam Scott Glancy of Pagan Publishing

Ross — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:50:28 +0000

Adam Scott Glancy is one of the co-authors of Delta Green and is the man behind Pagan Publishing. I talked to him over Skype about the newest Delta Green book, Targets of Opportunity, a collection of new DG antagonist groups and M-EPIC, a Canadian anti-mythos organization. We also talk about the resurrection of The Unspeakable Oath, the legendary Call of Cthulhu magazine, a scenario about templar zombies and their mastery of the Dewey Decimal system and advice for running Call of Cthulhu for new keepers. This is a long interview but well worth the listen.

RPPR Episode 46: PvP is tearing us apart

Ross — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:27:31 +0000

Role playing is a collaborative hobby but conflicts between players and the GM inevitably arise. Cody, Dan, Tom and I discuss how adversarial gaming can affect your game and how to deal with it. RJ and I also talk about the new online tabletop section of the RPPR forums and we get into a discussion of the differences between long standing campaigns and shorter ones. We also have a few anecdotes and shout outs:

The RPPR Steam Group: If you play games over Steam, then join us and play l4d2 or other games with Ross or other RPPR fans.
Battlefield Baseball: A crazy Japanese action movie about baseball and zombies.
Coup de Torchon: A brilliant crime movie and an “engrossing and unsettling meditation on moral collapse.”
Rocket Knight: vidya game about a steam powered opossum knight.
The Hidden: Great HL2 mod. One invisible monster vs a team of commandos. Who will win?
Player Strategy Guide: A 4E book for players new to the game. Good advice on tactics and role playing.
Joe the Barbarian: Grant Morrison written comic of a child’s fantasy world. Think Narnia but crazier.

Music: Joe’s Confession by Game Over

RPPR Presents: 3 Fan fictions as read by Cody

Ross — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:10:37 +0000

RPPR regular Cody reads 3 classics of fan fiction: The Music Destroyer, Guess Who, and Napoleon Dynamite in the Outer Space. This is accompanied by Beethoven’s Concerto no 5 in E flat major.

RPPR Episode 45: Of Dice and Men

Ross — Tue, 04 May 2010 05:53:31 +0000

For this episode, we have Cody and RJ as guests and we discuss how to deal with improbable and implausible player devised plans. While heist movies are based on elaborate schemes, does every game need a 20 step plan in order to slip past a single guard? We also talk about current RPPR projects. The Codex of War is still underway but we have made significant progress. RPPR regular Aaron will undergo training as a Call of Cthulhu GM and I’ve written a campaign for Monsters and Other Childish Things. We also talk about an anecdote about a truly terrible GM.

Shout Outs

Echo Bazaar: Very original and unique browser based game. Free to play and features great writing!
Sword of the Stars: A fun 4X PC game with 3 expansions out.
Frozen Synapse: Indie PC tactical strategy game. Lead a team of commandos to take out the enemy.
Hell House: A documentary about Christian haunted houses.
Bigger Bads: A new Monsters and Other Childish Things supplement. Play giant monsters!
Targets of Opportunity: A brand new Delta Green book! Over 300 pages! HOLY FUCK IS IT AMAZING.

Music: Hyrule’s Angel (The Sleeping Beauty) by Game Over

No related posts.

RPPR Episode 44: Don’t Hate the Game

Ross — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:53:38 +0000

In this episode, we have a special guest: Mike from Bear Swarm. We discuss why edition wars and hating on games in discussions is a pointless endeavor and why people endlessly flame each other over them. We also talk about Catalyst Game Labs and of course, Tom has a letter.

Shout Outs:

Triangle: A great horror film that is better the less you know about it before you watch it.
Pandemic: A board game about stopping a global pandemic. You usually fail.
Imaginary Monsters: A web comic about monsters and dungeons.
Poo: A card game about monkeys flinging poo.
Casshern: The live action Japanese 2007 sci-fi flick. Crazy effects and nonsensical plot.
MD Geist: Ultra violent 80s anime that features gamer logic.
Iron Tyrants: ROBOT SMASHING FIGHTING TIME
Sin Titulo: Eisner nominated web comic. Very creepy and a great read.

Music: Cataclysmic Crash by Game Over.

No related posts.

RPPR Episode 43: Forcing Friends and Brainwashing Enemies

Ross — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:45:36 +0000

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Codex of War Ransom!

In this episode, Cody, Tom and I discuss the use of social skills against other players, because of this blog post. When I ran a game at Fear the Con, I disallowed a player to use a persuasion skill against another player. We disagree and explain our beliefs towards the use of social skills and free will in games.

RPPR Forums Threads of Note

Shout Outs

music: social critique of madison by The Hussy

RPPR Episode 42: Sense of Wonder

Ross — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:36:05 +0000

New Rewards for the Codex of War Ransom! Have Ross run a game of YOUR CHOICE over Skype!

In this episode we discuss how to add a sense of wonder to your game. Tabletop RPGs are only limited by your imagination yet too many games are dull dungeon crawl affairs of 10 foot wide corridors and orcs guarding pies, forever. So how do you get that overwhelming awe in your game? We both talk about a few ways to introduce it using examples from earlier games. As Tom was too busy playing video games to write a letter (again), I read a story from Ichor Falls called Candle Cove.

Forum Shout-outs

Other Shout-outs

Music: Wonder 2 Wonder by The Flavor Foundation

RPPR Presents: A Trio of Fanfiction readings

Ross — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:46:40 +0000

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT RPPR AND THE NEW WORLD CAMPAIGN! GET 10 PREVIEW ACTUAL PLAY EPISODES. HAVE YOUR CHARACTER WRITTEN INTO THE NEW WORLD CAMPAIGN. LISTEN TO CODY’S UNEDITED READING OF MY IMMORTAL!

In this fanfiction reading, Chris, Jason and I each read a timeless classic. Jason reads Batman: Nemesis Fight a tragic tale of loss and fireballs. I read Halo: Halos in Space, an epic saga of shooting and wepons. Finally Chris reads Metal Gear: Fight of Metal Gears a legend of a son following in his father’s footsteps.

RPPR Episode 41: The Smoking d20

Ross — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:31:21 +0000

Zombies of the World: a web series from RPPR co-host Ross Payton. Visit the Zombies of the World website and tell your friends about it!

The Codex of War: A New World Campaign PDF ransom is up! Donate now to make sure we meet the goal!

Synopsis: Running a mystery based game is far different than an action based game. Tom has realized this after running several Call of Cthulhu games so we decided that talking about the differences in structure from an action to an investigative game would be a good topic for the show. We go over how to prepare a mystery game, what you should read to learn more about them and how to run them. If you want to see how I run a mystery that I created myself, check out the AP I just posted, The Arcadia Signal. Instead of a letter from Tom (since he is too busy playing Mass Effect 2 to write one), I read an excerpt from the utterly hilarious novel, How I became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely.

Shout outs below the fold.

Shout outs:

Soma FM Mission Control: Chillax music and live audio from the ISS. Groovy! (Thanks Patrick F!)
Skin Deep: A webcomic about monsters, set in the Ozarks.
Stuck and The Killing Room: Two decent horror/thriller movies.
Beyond the Pale: A Jim Gaffigan comedy album.
Playborg Photographers: A Greg Stolze short fiction ransom
This Kenneth Hite blog post – great design advice for all you rpg writers
Sleepyhead – an amazing and HAPPY music video using only old archival footage. Great editing!
Hanna is not a Boy’s Name: A webcomic also about monsters. This one has zombies.
How I became a famous novelist: The funniest fucking novel I’ve ever read.

Music: Re: Your Brains by Jonathan Coulton.

RPPR Presents: My Immortal

Ross — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:22:33 +0000

My Immortal is one of the most infamous fanfictions on the Internet. Cody reads the first four chapters, the opening of a goffik epic. I can’t really add on to that. Prepare for the darkest, most dramatic saga of this generation. Or not.

RPPR Episode 40: First Time GMing

Ross — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:15:05 +0000

In this episode, we have two guests, Cody and Aaron, to help us dispense advice for newbie game masters and share stories of our novice attempts at running a game. Plus the usual letter from Tom, an anecdote and an explanation of the phrase “There’s monsters in the school, Tom.”

Promos

Fear The Con: We’ll be there!
Nerdbound: They run a campaign based in the New World.

Shout Outs

Team Conan! Show your support
Sequart. Deep writing about comix.
Rad Anthem: Incredibly awesome music video and the song is available as a free download.
Fawlty Towers: A BBC sitcom starring John Cleese.
Daybreakers: Vampiric cinematic gore and fun.
Gomorra: A recent Italian gangster epic worth watching.
Horribleville Volume 1: A collection of comics from KC Green. Highly recommended!
The Burma Chronicles: A cartoonist spends a year in the worst dictatorship in the world.

Song: Rad Anthem by Rad Omen.

RPPR Presents: Doom – Repercussions of Evil

Ross — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:03:02 +0000

During the holidays, we got together to record some classic fanfiction for your enjoyment. First off is Tom reciting Doom: Repercussions of Evil a classic story of horror and rocket missiles. Read the entire story below the fold.

John Stalvern waited. The lights above him blinked and sparked out of the air. There were demons in the base. He didn’t see them, but had expected them now for years. His warnings to Cernel Joson were not listenend to and now it was too late. Far too late for now, anyway.
John was a space marine for fourteen years. When he was young he watched the spaceships and he said to dad “I want to be on the ships daddy.”
Dad said “No! You will BE KILL BY DEMONS”
There was a time when he believed him. Then as he got oldered he stopped. But now in the space station base of the UAC he knew there were demons.
“This is Joson” the radio crackered. “You must fight the demons!”
So John gotted his palsma rifle and blew up the wall.
“HE GOING TO KILL US” said the demons
“I will shoot at him” said the cyberdemon and he fired the rocket missiles. John plasmaed at him and tried to blew him up. But then the ceiling fell and they were trapped and not able to kill.
“No! I must kill the demons” he shouted
The radio said “No, John. You are the demons”
And then John was a zombie.

RPPR Presents: 3 Fan fictions as read by Cody

RPPR Episode 39: 2009 Year in Review

Ross — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:30:47 +0000

In this episode, Tom and I review 2009 in terms of gaming. The most memorable moments, games we played, games we wished we played and more. We also go over some of what we have planned for 2010 and Toms has some ‘anti-resolutions’ for New Years in his letter.

Shout Outs

Eclipse Phase Quick-Start Rules
Dead Snow: Nazi Zombies plus college students FTW
Russian versus fights – crazy cartoons of various people fighting to the death
Tetris God – a funny video from college humor
We got That B-Roll – as long as it isn’t too specific

Song: New Year’s Resolution by Bill DeRome.

Ab3 Rant 01: The Team That Couldn’t Shoot Straight

Ross — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:38:49 +0000

THE GUY WITH A JETPACK AND A HIGH POWERED RIFLE: When combat broke out he would zoom up into the air and start sniping. He had a kind of code against killing, he only killed villains if they fought back, or sassed him.

Ab3′s first proper rant is now immortalized by RPPR! Listen to find out the worst heroes ever made in a horrible superhero campaign. This rant was originally posted on rpg.net.

RPPR Epsiode 38: Fight me or Give me a Quest

Ross — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:03:03 +0000

If you are a fan of our Actual Play episodes, head over to the brand new RPPR Actual Play Podcast. It will feature a new AP episode every single week! We’ve already got over 11 hours of Call of Cthulhu ready for download. Don’t forget to comment on the episodes or post about them in our forums if you enjoy them.

As you might have realized, it’s been a while since we’ve done an episode. I’ve had to move, get the Goblin Hulk PDF out and set up the new podcast feed. Fortunately, the Goblin Hulk has already gotten some good reviews, so if you haven’t, be sure to check it out. But all is now well so we can go back to the basics: gaming advice, shout outs and Tom bitching about the announcer voice. In this episode, we focus on improving a game by talking about NPCs who aren’t enemies or quest-givers. Many GMs forget to include this type of NPC, thinking of only the bare essentials in their game, but a great game needs NPCs who just do their own thing. I also go over some game design advice as described by Jordan Mechner which relates to the discussion. We also have several anecdotes, a rant about the POS movie 2012 and more!

Shout outs:

Creature Feature: The Greatest Show Unearthed – horror rock music that Tom approves of.
Eisenhorn: A Warhammer 40k sci-fi action pulp novel trilogy. Very slick, bad-ass fiction.
E-collapse: A new superhero RPG put out by Greg Stolze. Postmodern ideologies and super-science.
Hobocon: If you are curious about Gencon, check this documentary about it. Interesting but flawed.
Time Travel T-shirt: A very useful t-shirt.
L4D2: The bestest vidya game ever. My Xbox Live gamertag is Clockworkjoe13
The Room: The bestest movie ever. WATCH IT.
Black Dynamite: The most super-bad outta sight movie ever.

Music: The Quest by David Cyr
Promo: Swing and A Miss Podcast.

No related posts.

The Goblin Hulk – A New World Campaign Sourcebook

Ross — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:45:14 +0000

The Hulk has arrived!

The Goblin Hulk has dropped anchor! Weighing in at over 17,000 words, this campaign sourcebook details the inner workings of the goblin hulk, a massive ship supporting an entire horde, bent on despoiling and looting everything of value in the new world. Learn the secrets of the engineers and shamans who keep the ship running and the machinations of the merchants and chieftains who run the infamous bazaar on the hulk’s top deck. Everything is for sale on the hulk and its visitors include everyone from the vilest demons to the most ruthless mercenaries. This sourcebook also includes 3 adventure frameworks, 5 new monsters, 2 new templates and more! While this is statted for 4E adventures, the majority of its material is stat free and can easily be used for any fantasy adventure RPG.

Thanks to all the RPPR listeners who contributed to the ransom to make this possible and to the artists who added their work to this sourcebook!

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 13

Ross — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:50:43 +0000

The Paragon Tier begins!

A year has passed since the destruction of the thieves’ guild. The Water Barons now control Border Town, the second settlement of the colonial government. With their new power comes new challenges and new allies. A dragonborn sorcerer joins their ranks, played by Bill. What else happens? You need to listen to find out.

The New World Campaign has continued on the RPPR Actual Play Podcast. Get a complete episode listing here.

You can check out episode 14 here.

RPPR Actual Play: Call of Cthulhu – Divine Fire playtest 2

Ross — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:11:27 +0000

A group of prisoners has been shipped to a remote laboratory in Nazi Germany during the final days of World War 2. But when they arrive, their guards disappear and they are left to their own devices. The lab is deep within the wilderness and a raging snowstorm makes escape on foot impossible. What happened to the lab’s personnel and what is still inside? Find out in Tom’s second playtest of Divine Fire, a WW2 Call of Cthulhu scenario.

RPPR Actual Play: The Age of Masks 3

Ross — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:09:31 +0000

A group of vigilantes has learned about a secret project codenamed Long Stairs by the US military. They’ve found the base and must plumb its depths to find the truth behind the mystery of all masks, both good and evil. What dark secrets will be uncovered? Who will be spared? Find out in the thrilling conclusion of the Age of Masks.