Role Playing Public Radio » Ross

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 seek 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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

RPPR Episode 37: Set the Pace

Ross — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:23:18 +0000

Pacing is vital to form of storytelling, yet it seems to be overlooked in role playing games. After running a dozen games at Gencon and Dragoncon this year, I realized how important a proper pace is for a RPG. Tom and I discuss the importance of pacing, how to improve pacing in a game and what kind of mistakes a GM should avoid when running a game. Plus, a new letter from Tom, anecdotes and a favorite forum thread.

If you’re a fan of RPPR’s Actual Plays, please consider donating to the AP Feed ransom.

Please note that the Goblin Hulk is being delayed but it will come out. Check out a preview of the cover in this RPPR forums thread. Also check out the best question ever asked in our forums.

Shout-Outs

Alpha-Omega: The Encountered – crazy post-apocalyptic monsters. Great art and plenty of adventure fodder for sci-fi and horror games.
The Devil’s Tomb: a bad horror movie, a shameful path. Also: Henry Rollins.
Kerberos Club and This Favored Land – Awesome historical superhero campaign settings for Wild Talents but enough material for use with any superhero games.
Dead Man’s Shoes: UK thriller about a former SAS soldier terrorizing small town drug dealers. Fairly grim.
Shark Tank: A reality TV show about haggling and bargaining. Watch it to better roleplay your next negotiation scene.
Hoarders: This is the true face of insanity. Tragic, creepy and horrifying

Music: War Against the Robots by Ben Base.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 12

Ross — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:17:23 +0000

SHIT JUST GOT REAL

Apologies to MSpaint adventures!

It’s time for the final battle between the Thieves Guild and the heroic ragtag army of underdogs (i.e. the players)! Who will live? Who will die? Who will die, then live because the players bitch enough to make me change my ruling? Find out in Episode 12

Dragoncon 2009 Pics

Ross — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:53:44 +0000

I went to Dragoncon this year and had just enough free time to wander around and take some pics of the thousands of cosplayers. I only had a cheap point and shoot but I did what I could.

The entire gallery is below the fold. Enjoy!

[View with PicLens]

The Goblin Hulk – A New World Campaign Sourcebook

RPPR Episode 36: Gencon 2009 Wrapup

Ross — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:56:07 +0000

We’re back from Gencon and we’ve gathered our thoughts. It was an exhausting, exhilarating and expensive four days but well worth it. We cover everything from the trip to Indy, hotels, to the actual games we played or ran and our purchases. Tom tried out a few official games while I ran seven games, including an after hours Call of Cthulhu game. Of course the big news is that we played in a 2 part, 12 hour WW1 CoC scenario run by Adam Scott Glancy of Pagan Publishing. It was suitably epic. On top of that, we have some tips for all you con-goers including a few of my hints on running games at a con.

Shout-Outs

Eclipse Phase: Transhumanist Sci-Fi Horror Rpg. Very awesome, very pretty and well worth a look.
Mecha & Manga: Mutants and Masterminds Animu setting book. If you want school girl ninjas and giant robots in M&M, try this.
Shotgun Diaries: John Wick’s zombie survival horror rules-lite rpg. No link because there’s no website for the game.
Shard: High-concept fantasy furry rpg.
Zombie Cinema: A story game about zombies, sold in a VHS box. Very cool.
Hills Rise Wild: Pagan Publishing’s Cthulhu Mythos board game.
Mysteries of Mesoamerica: A Call of Cthulhu 1920s sourcebook for central america and has 4 scenarios.
Hobocon: A documentary about some gamers trying to survive Gencon with no cash and no plan.
Dragon Magazine Annual 2009: A collection of some of WOTC’s best stuff from Dragon magazine. Great material on kobolds and more
Grim Wars: A new setting for Wild Talents written by Greg Stolze and Ken Hite.
Damnation City: A nWoD sourcebook for cities – building your own, pulling the strings and so on.
America the Audiobook: Hilarious audiobook from the Daily Show.
I’m America and So Can You: Another funny audiobook, this one from Stephen Colbert.

Music: Untitled song from Click Clack Kaboom.

RPPR Actual Play: Mutants and Masterminds – The Age of Masks 2

Ross — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:21:20 +0000

The White House
Washington
March 15, 1984

Costumed Vigilantes, Adventurers and Criminals & The Reagan Act
Executive Summary

Today, President Cheney is proud to sign the Reagan Act into law. The tragedy of last year’s Air Force One attack galvanized Congress to finally outlaw so-called ‘masks’, as they are a clear and present danger to the American people. After decades of tolerating these fringe radicals out of a misguided notion that they could protect society better than our lawfully elected public officials and trained police officers, the 113 deaths on that fateful day has shown us the truth: that men and women who hide behind masks are not to be trusted.

The Reagan Act: Named in memory of the late president, the Reagan Act makes costumed adventuring without prior approval of the US government a federal crime, in of itself. A 6 month amnesty will be granted to all costumed vigilantes The Act also raises the penalties for enhancile related crimes.

Costumed adventuring is defined as committing a crime (including any vigilante related crimes) or otherwise endangering public safety and national security while in a costumed alter-personna. Furthermore, anyone wearing a costume of any kind must identify their true identity if asked by a law enforcement official.

Masks Today: The Saraswati Institute, the world’s only think tank specializing in studying costumed vigilantes and criminals has released the most in-depth study of the topic, Capes and Masks: The Secret world of Costumed Adventurers and its conclusions support the tenets of the Reagan Act.

Main Points of Capes and Masks

Costumed Vigilantes cause more crime than they stop: Study after study has found a ‘broken window’ effect when costumed vigilantes operate in a given area. While this seems counter-intuitive, extensive interviews with criminals, police and even a few vigilantes found a common cycle.
•   A vigilante’s initial operations in an area creates a temporary reduction in crime.
•   The police respond by lowering their presence in the area and focuse elsewhere.
•   Criminals, forced out by the police, move in the vigilante’s turf, raising crime.
•   The vigilante responds by using psychological warfare and more violence.
•   Criminals become desperate, using greater amounts of violence and depravity.
•   Crime rates are generally higher in a vigilante’s turf as a result.

Prosecuting criminals caught by costumed vigilantes is harder: While the conviction rates vary from state to state, many of the prosecutors interviewed for the book agree that a suspect who is caught by a mask has a much better chance of being acquitted than if the police conducted the investigation. Evidence gathered by a vigilante is thrown out in 64% of cases at least part of the time as there is no chain of custody. Other defendants have been freed on a variety of technicalities ranging from haebas corpus issues to the right to face one’s accuser. Of course, many vigilantes hope that suspects will be freed so they can seek revenge in private, such as the infamous ‘Meathook Killer’ Ted Logan who was beaten to death by a costumed vigilante after he was found not guilty. It was later shown that the same vigilante had hidden evidence from the police.

Costumed Adventurers are entirely unaccountable to society: Power brings corruption. Many vigilante supporters point to isolated instances of governmental corruption as proof that the masks are needed. However, many costumed adventurers have shown themselves to be more corrupt than any public official.
•   In Texas, a costumed vigilante raided drug dens and gave the contraband to minors during orgies as part of his ‘psychadelic counter-revolution’.
•   A group of three vigilantes burned the headquarters of a legitimate political organization in act of terrorism. Five of the organization’s leaders died in the blaze.
•   A female vigilante disrupted a peaceful pro-life group, crippled a Catholic bishop, and committed a lewd act with another woman during a public parade.
•   In the most egregious example, a costumed adventurer named Doctor Electro destroyed his notes on a new system of fusion energy that could end the current energy crisis, after the Department of Defense spent over $2 billion dollars funding his research. Doctor Electro is still at large.

Costumed Adventurers abuse banned enhancile drugs and technology: The Geneva Convention banned the use of any technology that could create super soldiers but costumed adventurers frequently abuse thesm. The dangers of enhancile technology is so great that not even Communist China or North Korea incorporates their use. Researchers believe that over 80% of masks make use of enhancile drugs or other forms of technology. Virtually all costumed adventurers deny using these technologies but the evidence indicates otherwise. As Dr. Sullivan explains “the idea of a single combatant defeating ten or more hardened criminals with only martial arts and a few gadgets is insane. There are literally hundreds of reports of vigilantes performing impossible feats and surviving injuries that can only be explained through enhancile technology.”

Masks on the Decline: Many of us remember the Freedom Squadron and other costumed adventurers who fought bravely in World War 2. While they served nobly, their modern counterparts are anything but noble. Fortunately, their numbers are dwindling. Most reports put active masks at anywhere between 200-400 in America alone.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 11

Ross — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:36:50 +0000

In order to celebrate the success of the second RPPR ransom the Goblin Hulk, we’ll post the next episode of The New World Campaign. In this game, we introduce a new player, Mike, who takes over the NPC warforged named Watcher. The Water Barons have learned of the thieves guild’s stronghold and now must march on it with their ragtag army. Can they survive the dangerous wilderness with their army intact or will the many traps, hazards and wandering monsters stop them before they can even fight the guild?

Call for artists for the Goblin Hulk Module

Ross — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:49:39 +0000

The Goblin Hulk Ransom has been a success so if you are an artist who would like to get your artwork seen by thousands of dedicated RPG players, please email rpprpodcast@gmail.com for more information on collaborating with us on the project. Related posts:The New World Campaign Primer is a success RPPR has a new email [...] Related posts:

RPPR Episode 35: Gencon 2009 Preview

Ross — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 06:20:42 +0000

Donate to the RPPR Ransom, The Goblin Hulk, a 4E D&D Dungeon usable in any campaign!

Tom, Aaron and I discuss our plans for this year’s Gencon and RPPR’s third time there. But before we get into that, I discuss the werestorm, one of the more baffling features of the World of Synnibarr. Tom’s going to play in several games and I’m running 6 games for Arc Dreams. Even Aaron is going to play in a few games, including some fancy Battletech Pods. Scott Glancy of Pagan Publishing might even let us playtest some new WW1 Call of Cthulhu scenarios.

Favorite Forum Threads:
Need a little help with an Item creation – neat items for any fantasy game
Anecdote: One-Upping Tom’s Gun-Rape story – it is quite horrific and not safe for work
GURPS combat explained – it makes GURPS combat sound fun!
Tom’s Call of Cthulhu WW2 actual play

Shout-outs
Last of the Living: Zombies in New Zealand. Hell Yeah.
Ghostbusters the game.It’s fun, I guess?
Survival City: Cold War Archeology, nuclear bunkers, missile silos and all that cool atomic era architecture.
Blackest Night: I don’t even know.
Hell’s Highway: A documentary about highway safety films, the first ultraviolent gore films.
Dreamquest to Unknown Kadath the graphic novel: Lovecraft’s fantasy epic as a funnybook.
Maptools: This is the most awesome virtual tabletop ever and I will learn how to use it.

Music: The Geeks Come out At Night by Devo Spice

Preview of the Goblin Hulk – The Albino Grippli

Ross — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:30:52 +0000

If you want to see more of the goblin hulk – contribute now and help support RPPR

Dark cousins to the grippli, these degenerate creatures worship a dark nameless entity – perhaps an ancient god whose name was forgotten by civilized man or a demon lord so corrupting that even to name it is to grant it power. The albino grippli have wormed their way ever closer to the surface and are now ready to strike. While their ultimate plans are unknown, they have sent many scouts and agents into the surface world to learn of it and to establish footholds. These agents are sly creatures, adept at blades, subterfuge but most importantly they are masters of hypnotism.

A single scout can hypnotize dozens or even hundreds of weak-willed creatures and organize them into a secretive cult that obeys only the albino’s commands. With these lackeys, the albino can subvert the local powers that be and prepare the way for the rest of his kin to invade. That’s what’s happening onboard the goblin hulk. In the bottom deck of the hulk, a lone albino grippli has started a small cult among the goblins. He wants to take over the hulk and has found the goblins to be the perfect minions. They are ruthless, easy to hypnotize and totally expendable. No one misses a goblin if breaks the hypnosis or has outlived its usefulness. Despite these advantages, the albino’s cult is still small and vulnerable if it is detected by the goblin shamans or chieftains of the upper decks.

RPPR Actual Play: Mutants and Masterminds – The Age of Masks 1

Ross — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:28:20 +0000

So you want to be a superhero? No such thing.

But. You can be a mask, which is why you’re here. You said superhero but you meant a mask.

The difference? Simple. Superheroes didn’t choose to be what they turned out to be. They made the best with what they had. That’s why they died off. Masks want to be masks. Need to be. The governments, all around the world, passed those crackdown laws. That took out most of ‘em. But the call of the mask is still strong enough. Strong enough to call you.

Here’s what I got. First number here is for this company. They make body armor and costumes on the sly. Light weight kevlar sewn in, lead weights on the knuckles of the gloves, maybe a few extras if you got the bucks. Cheaper if you already got a design but they can come up with something. You got an idea on the design? Good. Only hacks let someone else do it.

Next number is a street doc. Stitch your boo-boos right up. Cheap too. Oh and you’ll need that number. Might want to tattoo it on you or put it on speed dial on your wrist communicator. Hey, no need to get cocky. You need this number.

Oh yeah, you got some moves. You’re fast. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t be talking to you if I thought you couldn’t hack it. But it don’t matter how fast you are. How strong. How tough. You will bruise, you will break bones and you will bleed. But that’s part of the thrill you know?

Masks dance the dance because they’re fucking crazy or they love the thrill or both. Oh sure you gotta stop the bad guys. But that’s not the point. Masks do what no one else can.

Third number is Hal. He’s a trainer. Runs a 24 hour gym in the roughest part of the city. Doesn’t ask questions, about anything. Can get you some weapons too. You gotta keep in shape, right?

You want extra juice? Lemme give you a number. There’s a black market for, shall we say, performance enhancements. My advice is to not fucking touch them. Masks who dip into that shit get burned. The cops have an anti-mask unit you know and they make examples out of any freak who throws a car on the evening news. Not to mention the side effects, cancer the least of them. Lost a lot of good people to them. Your call.

The place? Nah, kid. I gave you a lot but I can’t give you that. You gotta earn the right. It’s the only place where masks can relax and they are a goddamn exclusive crowd. Before the crackdown, there was over a thousand masks worldwide. Now, maybe 100 at any given time. Most masks die or get caught in the first month. Some study said the average mask’s career is 2 years. Oh sure, some go on for decades. Most don’t.

I know you need this. Just pass the cash over and you get the numbers.

Don’t forget the RPPR Goblin Hulk Ransom is still underway! You can get the entire Age of Masks mini campaign early if you contribute.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 10

Ross — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:31:39 +0000

The Water Barons must now take a stand against the Thieves Guild. Lines are drawn, preparations are made and the final confrontation draws ever closer. This session and the next two sessions mark the conclusion of the heroic tier of the New World RPPR campaign.

Also, be sure to check out the next RPPR ransom, the Goblin Hulk module.

No one welcomes the goblin horde into their land. No one wants the goblins as guests or friends. No one, not even the other monstrous races, trusts the goblins. They are as the locust, a ravenous swarm consuming or despoiling all within reach. Normally, they are held back by the armies of civilized nations but the New World lacks an organized defense.

The first goblin ship has laid anchor off the shore of the New World, a massive hulk that holds together despite its improbable construction. It is a ramshackle floating fortress with countless goblins nesting within it. Its very presence destabilizes the region and if left unchecked, the goblins could overrun the New World.

This is a ransom project. If the ransom is met, The Goblin Hulk will be released as a free PDF by September 20, 2009 at the latest. Preview material including monster stats and maps will be released on a regular basis.

The Goblin Hulk is a multi-purpose dungeon module suitable for any 4E game. The hulk can appear in any harbor or shore, threatening all nearby. It is designed so that you can use it as:

*A starting town for evil or unaligned player characters – the bazaar is open to all and characters can use it to gain gold and power. Level 1 characters can even help one of the goblin chieftains gain power in the hulk.

*A level 6 adventure for characters to sneak into the hulk and rescue captured friends or escape from the hulk themselves.

*A level 12 adventure for a band of heroes to storm the hulk, slay its defenders and sink the ship before the goblins gain a permanent beachhead in the New World.

RPPR Episode 34: Break It Up

Ross — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:09:21 +0000

Conflict is the heart of drama, yet that doesn’t mean it’s always welcome in a role playing game, especially when it is between players. So when a debate becomes an argument or when tempers rise, what should you do? Tom and I discuss how to deal with various meta-player conflicts, as a GM and as a player. Instead of a letter, Tom reviews an animated movie The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.

The second New World Campaign Ransom is up! Check out the Fundable for The Goblin Hulk, a module suitable for level 1, 6 or 12 characters. New Monsters, templates and more.

No forum threads this time, because we both forgot. However, I did create a Synnibarr character for you to hear about, Tetsuo the Wereman Ninja! Oh and some anecdotes.

Shout-Outs

The Room + Rifftrax – the greatest movie ever made plus the best commentary ever recorded.
Field Notes: Neat notebooks for all you notebook nerds out there.
Prototype: Become the monster you always wanted to be.
A Scary Solstice: Lovecraftian Christmas Carols.
Twitch of the Def Nerve: A badass mashup of exploitation movies and hip-hop.
Nostalgia Critic: Some reviewing website or something.
Transformers 2 Review: The Best Review. Of Anything. Ever.

Music: Break it up by the Cyanide Pills

RPPR Actual Play: Tom’s Call of Cthulhu WW2 playtest

Ross — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:26:39 +0000

Tom, the co-host of RPPR has long since been a featured player in the actual plays but the table have now been turned. In his first ever game of Call of Cthulhu, he pits a group of German soldiers against the horrors of a Nazi experiment gone wrong. In the winter. In a remote base. With little chance of escaping. Thanks a lot Tom.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 09

Ross — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:59:46 +0000

Meet Pontifex. The tribes of the New World call him Grandfather for he is older than any living creature. He has slaughtered entire tribes, commands all to do his bidding if need be, yet no tribal thinks to slay him or even hate him. What point is there in warring or hating a force of such power that it might as well be a hurricane or an earthquake? The Water Barons meet Pontifex for the first time in this session.

RPPR Episode 33: Sightseeing Tours

Ross — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Taking a tour in an established setting like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings can be a highlight of your gaming experience or the vacation from hell. Crossing lightsabers with Vader, flying with the crew of the Serenity or taking down a Terminator with pipe bombs and Mack trucks is the stuff of gaming legend. But on the other hand, being smacked down by Drizzt, begging Elminister for help or watching Harry Potter save the day (again) is slightly worse than being dragged naked across broken glass. We discuss how to run fun games with established settings, including settings that lack published gaming sourcebooks. Plus, a new letter from Tom, a listener anecdotes and a new segment-The World of Synnibar Character Creation Spotlight!

RPPR Forums Highlights

Rehabilitating the Bad GM (and why I now hate KOTOR)
Project 15
CREEPY THREAD OF DOOM

Shout Outs

Me of Little Faith – new book from Lewis Black
The World of Synnibarr -The Ultimate in Transgenre Gaming!
Battle Dragons – a rpg of dragons that battle
Freeman’s Mind - now we know why Gordon never talked in the games

Music: Tourist Trap by the White Rabbits

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 08

Ross — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:44:26 +0000

A new dawn breaks for our intrepid heroes, the Water Barons. They finally decide to explore the Lemurian ruins near the colony. Will they survive the deadly traps and deadlier denizens of this dungeon? Find out in game 8 of the New World Campaign! Related posts:RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New [...] Related posts:

RPPR Episode 32: Show and Tell – Maps and Minis

Ross — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:38:34 +0000

Inspired by our recent 4th edition D&D campaign, Tom and I discuss the usage of maps, miniatures and other props and gimmicks in tabletop games. While some games like Dungeons and Dragons nessecitate at least using some of these add-ons and others like Call of Cthulhu practically drown players in handouts, so where should you draw the line? How much is too much and when do they take away from the game instead of enhancing it? We also talk about our Gencon 09 plans and the New World Primer. Funny thing, we record this episode before the primer came out. Instead of a letter, Tom reads some stuff written by his friend Andy and we have the most insane anecdote ever…The Chaplin Incident as related to us by Adam Scott Glancy of Pagan Publishing.

Favorite RPPR Forums Threads:

Shout Outs

M-51 Engineer’s Bag - a neat bag suitable for hauling gaming materials like maps and minis
Henry Rollins Show: Season One – Tom wuvs Henry Rollins.
The Burrowers - a twisted western horror movie that asks the question: what’s worse – man eating predatory monsters or us?
Black Adder Complete Collector’s Set – Nerd out to great brit comedy about war, politics and history.
Splinter - another new and freaky horror movie with a horrific and original monster besieging 4 trapped survivors.
Level Up Magazine - 4E gaming goodness for only 2 bucks an issue.

Music GooTube Conspiracy by Nalts

The New World Campaign Primer

Ross — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:39:11 +0000

The New World Awaits

News of the discovery spreads like wildfire. Ambitious lords, zealous high priests and enterprising merchants draw their plans fervently. The docks of the cities blaze with activity, as ships are outfitted for long journeys and word goes out at every village square and tavern throughout the kingdom. The New World has been found and the rush to claim and colonize it has begun!

A brave group of adventurers joins the first expedition to make landfall in the New World. They will have to overcome unique challenges and threats unheard of in the known world. Their greatest enemy is not an evil adversary or corrupt king. It is the unknown. The unknown land that stretches endlessly past the horizon: the unknown inhabitants of the New World and most importantly the unknown decisions that will ensure the safety and prosperity of the fledgling colony. There are many possible futures for the adventurers and the colony but most paths end in failure and death. The adventurers must choose wisely or they will not survive the first winter.

The New World Primer is the first supplement of a campaign setting about a newly discovered continent, suitable for most fantasy worlds. The first expedition from the old world has just landed on the shores of the New World to start the first settlement. The name and exact location of the continent is left undescribed so you can more easily fit the New World in your campaign. A few dozen colonists, including a brave party of heroes (i.e. the player characters), band together as they try to tame the savage wilderness, make peace with the native tribes and establish the first settlement. The supplement provides all you need to get started in the New World.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 07

Ross — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:19:57 +0000

In this session, the Water Barons confront a dangerous beast that stalks the colony. It has killed and terrorized the simple workers of the colony and no one dares to venture outside the protective walls of the colony. Find out who pays the ultimate price to stop the beast! Related posts:RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons [...] Related posts:

RPPR Episode 31: Be A Team Player

Ross — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:43:47 +0000

In this episode, Tom and I more or less interview each other about our habits as players. Find out what can truly surprise Tom in a game or what my favorite character type is. If you want to get an idea of how to improve your game, think about how you play, what works and what doesn’t work. Also, to make up for the recent lack of content, we’ve made this episode nearly 90 minutes long. Tom has an improvised Letter, plus two new anecdotes and more.

Our favorite RPPR forums threads:

One of Tom’s characters comes to life: Oh the humanity!
A Tribute to Sir Redgar Orphanbane: Find out more about the origins of the NPC adventurer from the New World Campaign
The Cody Fan Club: We have some dedicated fans…
Omegle – For All your random chat trolling: Talk to random strangers on the Internet? Why nothing could possibly go wrong!

Shout Outs

Kenzer Company: Congratulations on issue 150 of Knights of the Dinner Table!
T-Rex Cafe: A dinosaur themed restaurant in Kansas City.
Dungeon Crawl: I’ve mentioned it before, but the new version is even better. And more addicting if that’s possible.
A Wee Bit of Revolution: Craig Ferguson stand up comedy. It’s funny.
Rifftrax: The new Twilight Rifftrax is hysterical. You must watch it.
Zombietown USA: Zombies in small town America. Also dual statted for Autoduel!
Fans, Friends and Follwers: A great book with advice on how to use the Internet to build a creative career.
Friday Night Firefight: Cyberpunk combat system. No pansy roleplaying. Just hardcore 80s style combat rules.

Music: There is no I in team but there is a me by Western Civ.

The New World Campaign Primer is a success

Ross — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:45:04 +0000

I can’t believe I didn’t think to post this earlier but the ransom was a success and I am hard at work on the primer. The release date as of now is May 20. Thanks again to all the contributors!

If you’re an artist who would like to contribute art for the project, please email rpprpodcast@gmail.com.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 6

Ross — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:34:28 +0000

Show your support for RPPR by donating to the New World Campaign Primer Ransom! There’s less than a week to go.

The Water Barons (I.E. our intrepid heroes) face many new threats and dangers this session. The thieves guild has its own designs on the New World. A rival adventuring company becomes popular in the colony. The grippli must gain legal protection so they won’t be enslaved by the slave trader Axgore. Find out how Tom, Cody and Jason deal with these threats and more!

RPPR Episode 30: Min-Max Pain

Ross — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:03:02 +0000

The worst pain you can feel when running a game comes from min/maxing players, the jerks who love nothing more to make unstoppable killing machines that defy the laws of man, god, common sense, physics and the damn game itself. So, how do you deal with these min/maxers? We provide a few ways to dish out the pain or rather ways to sensibly negotiate and make reasonable compromises with the player…in hell.Tom has a slightly less disturbing letter this time and of course the New World ransom is still underway! Please contribute. There’s only 10 days left.

The New World 4E D&D Campaign Primer Ransom

Shout outs:

Gun Show: A new daily comic by KC Green
Xombie: An animated zombie action horror DVD
The Objective: Horror movie about special forces in Afghanistan investigating a mysterious region. Great fodder for modern horror rpgs.
Bad For You: A George Carlin comedy special
Van Richten’s Guide to the Lich: Great Ravenloft supplement describing the lich. Useful for any edition of D&D as it is mostly flavor text.
Found Footage Festival: Hilarious and insane compilations of public access shows, commercials, exercise videos and more.

Favorite Forum Threads: Some highlights from the RPPR forums

Tom in the DBZ game: A discussion about Tom’s letter in the last episode.
Introduction: Meet some of the RPPR fans and introduce yourself to the forums.
A study in the logic of gaming: Player logic is quite funny to say the least.

Music: WW Z by CSHC

RPPR Actual Play: Call of Cthulhu – Wrath of Cthulhu Game 73

Ross — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:44:48 +0000

For the last year, I have been writing and running a massive Call of Cthulhu campaign. I have not breathed a word about it so I could unleash it to the world in one massive release. However, everything fell apart in the last session. I will post this as a warning to never give the players what they want. I deleted all of my notes and game recordings in a fit of rage so don’t bother asking about them either.

P.S. Check out the New World Campaign Primer Ransom if you haven’t already.

RPPR Actual Play: 4E Dungeons and Dragons – The New World Campaign Game 5

Ross — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:22:54 +0000

In this session, the players continue their struggles against the goblins massing in the New World. Theolonius the merchant lord tries to manipulate the players but will it pay off? How will Cody’s romantic exploits be used against him? Will the grippli be rescued? Find out in session 5!

If you enjoy the New World Campaign, please consider contributing a few bucks to the New World Campaign Primer Ransom. If the collection goal is met, I will write and publish a free PDF primer of the New World Campaign on the RPPR website, with a new adventure, 5 new feats, 5 new monsters and more!

RPPR Episode 29: Time of Judgment

Ross — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:50:58 +0000

The time of judgment is upon us. Tom and I judge a few games, a D&D mockumentary and several bad GM habits. The Assemblage of the Crystal Sphere is a indie comedy about a RPG group about to complete a 5 year campaign. Tom looks at Cthulhutech, a game of animu giant robots fighting monsters from the cthulhu mythos in the future! I talk about Paranoia XP, the newest version of the classic sci fi comedy RPG, where happiness is mandatory and commie mutant traitors lurk around every corner. We then judge a few bad GM habits, namely wasting the players’ time and hyper-adversarial GMing. Of course, there’s a new (horribly offensive) letter from Tom and a listener anecdote.

The New World Campaign Primer Ransom: For fans of the New World 4E D&D campaign, I’m starting up a ransom for the New World Campaign Primer. If the ransom is met, I will write it up and release it as a freely available PDF. Check out the page for more info on what will be contained in the Primer.

Motor Home from Hell: Buy a copy of my feature length horror comedy movie, Motor Home from Hell for only $12.50. Select Podcast Fan option when purchasing for an autographed RPPR postcard with a unique message from Tom and I or Mystery Grab Bag for an assortment of random goodies.

Shout outs:

Mount and Blade: A badass indie computer RPG. Archers. Mercenary swordsmen and calvary. Pillage the village and besiege the castles. That’s how you roll in Mount and Blade.
Silent Hunter 4: A submarine simulator that involves trigonometry. That’s a sure sign of FUN!
Red Rock West: A western noir movie with Dennis Hopper as a hitman with low self esteem and Nicholas Cage as a drifter looking for work. But don’t worry, Cage actually acts well! Worth a watch.

Also I have judged the old forums to be inadequate so I have created new forums. Check out these threads:

Watchmen Inspired Campaign: Some material I wrote up for a dark 1980s mutants and masterminds game.
Post the best fight and/or death scenes you can find: Awesomeness contained within.
Unusual Items in Games: Weird magic items suitable for any fantasy or horror game.
Recruitment thread – Law & Orcdom Special Villager Unit – Risus: A play by post game I am starting up.
Dark Heresy Play by Post: A recruitment thread for a WH40k Play by Post game.

Music: The Judgment by David Cyr.

Tides of Doom Bonus Material

Ross — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:34:02 +0000

Special thanks to Goodman Games

This PDF contains material not used in the 4E Dungeons and Dragons scenario, “Tides of Doom”. It has guidelines on running encounters inside Crafthaven, as the cult will attempt to get rid of the players while they rest in the Inn. It also introduces a vigilante ally, the Red Brigand, who may aid the players. It has nothing in the way of stats as I wrote it before the 4E books were released.

We have new forums

Ross — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:28:12 +0000

We have switched our forum software from BBpress to SMF. Check out the new forums and rant about Rifts and old Genesis video games. I’ve posted some bits from a new dark superhero campaign I’m working on, inspired by the Watchmen.