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What does this image have to do with this episode? Sounds like you need to do some RESEARCH B-)In the second episode of Game Designer Workshop, Caleb and I talk about the importance of research. This is not only researching setting material but other games. It’s important to understand what kind of game mechanics have already been done so you can learn from them. Researching details for your setting, like technology and history, can take a lot of forms as well. Reading books, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and playing other games can all be considered part of research.

Song: Balkonur by Dispartition

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:00 — 48.8MB)

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That guy's all D: and the worm is all >:OCaleb of Hebanon Games is in the beginning stages of designing a new RPG from the ground up, and he has decided to document the entire process, from start to finish. In this new series, Caleb will talk to other game designers and figure out what works and what does not work when making a new role playing game. In this episode, Caleb and Ross discuss the concept for his new game, which is called Red Markets. You can read more about it here on the Hebanon Games blog. If you’re interested in game design, be sure to give this a listen!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:30 — 47.1MB)

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Pure vintage RPPRNews: Actual Play fans can rejoice! RPPR B-Sides provides early access to archived and unaired AP episodes that will NEVER make the AP podcast. Check out RPPR B-Sides to learn more. In other news, we’ve redesigned Role Playing Public Radio and will eventually get to RPPR Actual Play. The design is not 100% final, so there may be tweaks here and there.

Also, Base Raiders is still in production.

Finally, the Know Evil Fan Creation Contest ended, so check out this post on the RPPR forums to see who won! We would like to thank everyone who entered but we only had 5 posters to give away.

Synopsis: Mixing genres in games (like fantasy and horror) can be fun but it can also turn your game into a mess. Tom and I discuss how we approach genre mashups and what kind of pitfalls we have learned to avoid. Tom provides examples of his own campaigns and I pontificate like the published author (and horrible monster) that I am. You know, the usual stuff we do for episodes.

Instead of a letter, I give an extended review of Grimoires, an excellent history of books of magic and how real life books of magic can be great game fodder for many kinds of role playing games. As an example, check out the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses. It’s a public domain grimoire so feel free to use parts of it as a handout for your next horror game or whatever.

Finally we have shout outs and an anecdote, as always!

Shout Outs:

Song: Creepy Doll by Jonathan Coulton

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:10 — 60.6MB)

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