RPPR Episode 28: Great. Expectations.
Synopsis: Every gamer has their own expectations at the gaming table. Most of the time, everyone has similar enough expectations that they can all enjoy the same game but this isn’t always the case. How do you deal with people who seem to have mutually exclusive expectations of a RPG? Ultra realism or cinematic action? High fantasy or hard sci fi? We discuss how to collaborate and compromise so that the game can reach a suitable middle ground. We discuss the five hot spots where expectations are frequently violated: genre, style, violence level, maturity level and consistency in the game. Plus, a letter from Tom to Splynncryth the alien intelligence from Rifts, anecdotes and shout outs:
Shout outs:
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The classic regency romance novel, with new scenes of zombie mayhem. Can Mr. Darcy find love in a zombie apocalypse?
- Root of All Evil: A Lewis Black Comedy Central series about pop culture and evil.
- Armored Trains: A book about the use of armored trains in war, especially WW1 and WW2, with lots of great pictures. What’s not to like?
- Look Around You: A BBC parody of educational TV. The Water and Sulfur episodes are hilarious.
- Lovecraft is Missing: A horror/pulp webcomic about H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.
Music: Wagering Lights by Venn & Euler.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:24 — 35.7MB)
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RPPR Actual Play: 4E DnD – The New World Game 3
4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons
The New World Campaign- NSFW!
GM: Ross Payton
Players: Tom, Cody, Jason and Dan
Synopsis: The adventurers have gained some new friends, a tribe of grippli. They’ve also made some new enemies, the thieves guild. Furthermore, a horde of goblins has arrived in the new world, their massive hulk anchored in the bay. The goblins seem content to work as laborers for the colony but who knows how long that will last? The party starts their new business as water barons selling precious H20 to the settlers. They also decide to try to sign a peace treaty with the Black Raven tribe. Oh and there’s a giant lobster monster named Pinchy, a dwarven cartographer, snotty noblewoman, Cordelia and a goblin ambush. Plus all four players are together for the first time in the campaign! Oh and this is still very not safe for work.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:55:10 — 107.7MB)
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RPPR Episode 27: Grand Theft Apparatus of Kwalish
Synopsis: Open-ended or Sandbox games can be extremely fun but it requires a lot of work on the part of both the GM and the players. Our friends over at the Bearswarm recorded an episode about sandbox games recently but we thought we would give it a shot (and neither of us has listened to it yet). Also, we have four anecdotes in this episode, including the legend of the nautical druid – written by a player from a D&D game I ran a few years back. Don’t miss it!
Shout Outs:
Midnight Meat Train: A crazy horror movie based on a Clive Barker story directed by a Japanese guy. Starring Vinnie Jones as a killer.
Survive Style 5: A Japanese movie featuring Vinnie Jones as a hitman. It’s sureal and awesome.
Fall of Cthulhu: A cthulhu mythos type godwar comic book. Fun stuff. Cthulhu vs Nodens vs Nyarlathotep.
Asian Horror Movies: A website featuring Asian horror movies for free – streaming online. I recommend Noroi.
Open Grave: A great new WOTC 4E D&D book about the undead.
In Search of Adventure: I wrote one of the adventures, a Lovecraftian dungeon crawl using 4E rules.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:26 — 32.7MB)
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