RPPR Episode 67: Be a Better Player
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
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:32 — 49.8MB)
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RPPR Episode 66: Building Better Worlds
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
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:54 — 50.8MB)
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RPPR Episode 65: Fear in the Long Haul
This episode is sponsored by Audible Books. Sign up today and get a free 14 day trial and audiobook.
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
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:25 — 53.9MB)
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