A listener and friend asked Saul and Jolene about a question his daughter had asked him. The questions was, "Should a GM change a dungeon campaign after the players make characters that can see in the dark." The GM designed the dungeon with the idea of limited visibility of the characters due to it being pitch black in the dungeon. Slightly upset a…

In this Episode Saul and Jolene talk about making a RPG from a computer game. This was from a question that Saul read online about a father that wanted to make a RPG for his kids that played Destiny 2. Saul thought he recognized the game and even thought he had the older computer game but he was thinking of Mass Effect 2. Still Jolene and Saul disc…

Saul was looking at Reddit and found a post about how the person didn't like playing "Lighter" RPGs because they were more work for him in roleplaying than a crunchier systems like Pathfinder. Others also agreed and added comments about why they didn't like RPGs. Saul and Jolene have tried a few "Light RPGs". Games like Kobolds Ate My Baby, Sleepaw…

Saul and Jolene decided to ask a question of their gaming friends, Felipe, Cipriano and Michael, "Why do you still game after playing for so long." Saul has been gaming with Felipe, his brother, since 1978, with Cipriano right after that and Michael since Junior High. Though some of them had some short stints of not playing here or there, Saul and …

This episode comes from Jolene surfing the internets and finding a post on Reddit. She mentioned it to Saul and they talked about this idea. Saul remembered that at some Convention Games a few GM's did this to get the players ready to enter the world of the game, break the ice between players and do some information dissemination. Thank you all for…

A question was floating around in social media and on Reddit, that if you only had three RPGs to play for the rest of your life which ones would they be. Saul was intrigued of whittling down all his favorite RPGs down to three that he would play forever if he had only three to play. Saul and Jolene discussed it a bit and though Jolene didn't like t…

Since Jolene and Saul have been playing various RPGs they have been discussing what they liked and did not like about the RPGs. One thing they zeroed in on was combat in the different RPGs. It also made Saul think about some game mechanics he had seen from some pretty old games like Space Opera, TOP Secret SI and many others. Saul and Jolene discus…

There have been times that a certain player at your table took charge of the table or maybe was the leader at the table. Heck back in the ole Days, there was a player who was, "the Caller". It was their job to talk to the GM and tell the GM what the players were doing. It was a way to speed up game play. Saul once played in a game where they took t…

Saul and Jolene recieved an email from a listener Morgan who had some suggestion for episode topics. Thanks Morgan! One of the topics was Time Travel RPGs. Saul and Jolene thought it was a good topic and discussed several TV shows that had time travel episodes or where about time travel. They came up with way too many shows to discuss, so Saul pick…

In this episode Saul and Jolene interview David Gabriel of Producer of Kublacon Conventions. Kublacon is the SF Bay Area Largest gaming convention that takes place over Memorial Weekend. But this year they are putting on Kublacon Fall Veteran's Weekend. It will be the first year this event is happening. So if you want to ease your way into a Kublac…

Saul and Jolene were discussing mystery shows and came across a reddit post. The post was from a GM complaining about how his players are not getting all his clues that would point the PCs toward the Big Bad Guy. The GM was lamenting how much work he had been doing on the campaign. The GM had made maps, developed numerous NPCs, many of which had in…

Saul and Jolene were talking about long campaigns. The discussion lead to games were character played gernerations of a character. I was thinking how many generations one could play and what RPGs make it part of their system or setting. The first game that came to mind was Pendragon. A friend of mine ran the Great Pendragon Campaign for some fellow…

Bonus Episode, an interview of Dave and Matthew from the Effekt of podcast. Saul and Jolene interview the very likeable chaps from the UK. Not only do they have a very successful podcast called the Effekt podcast which mainly deals with Swedish RPGs but they discuss all kinds of RPG topics. They also have been working on a gritty, Western RPG calle…

Saul and Jolene were discussing the Sanity stat in CoC and if any other RPGs used some sort of Sanity stat in games. That lead to Saul and Jolene to think of other games where the mental conditon of the character was kept track. What seemed like would be a short list of games became longer and longer. It seemed that quite a few games included a way…

This episode came about when Saul was reading Reddit Posts and came across the question of what was more important in a RPG, Mechanics or Setting. Saul noticed many posts that sided with the idea that it was "mechanics" that was more important one of the two. A few chose setting but they were largely outnumbered by those that thought mechanics were…

Jolene read a post from a father of three young daughters who he wanted to run a roleplaying game for but one daughter was very adverse to combat and violence. Jolene talked to Saul about the post and they discussed the various games they had run for very young and new RPGers. When their son was young, Saul regularly ran games at local con for kids…

Saul and Jolene have run and been in various RPGs where planning took place from the simple to the complex. Saul and Jolene were talking about why certain RPG games, adventures and players tend make plans to deal with situations in RPGs. From games like Shandowrun and Cyberpunk to good ole D&D gamers make plans. Some games players are just inclined…

Saul and Jolene were talking about the various Science Fiction RPGs that they had played and GMed. Saul was talking about his favorite ones and asked Jolene about her favorite Sci-Fi Rpg. They discussed how the different rules worked for and against liking the various Science Fiction themed RPGs. After a while Saul decided to take notes and suggest…

Some RPGs try to mimic things in the real world, things from movies books, and even things that the author remembers. These things are then added to their RPG as an in game mechanic that really sets that RPG apart from other games. Saul and Jolene discuss their favorite game mechanics that really make the RPG stand out. Saul and Jolene discuss Trav…

Jolene came across a post on Reddit of a new GM asked a question about how emotionally invested other GMs are in their creations for their games. From NPCs, to actual towns and villages do GMs care about Towns and it's inhabitants. Saul and Jolene discuss how those people who are younger and newer to RPGs can have a different view of how to play an…

A popular way to start out an adventure or campaign is "in media res". Though most RPG games start off with a common scene of the Tavern or Pub. This in the beginning type of start is what most gamers know. Another way is to put the characters in a stressfull situcation from the beginning. One common way of doing this is the "your all in prison" be…

The idea of cursed items comes from the very beginnings of RPGs. Even the Original D&D had a list of cursed items that you could give away to the characters in their treasure loot. The question is why would a character ever take something that is cursed. From simple to powerful items many players are willing to risk the chances of touching or using…

Saul and Jolene were talking about when at a RPG table session, sometimes the group goes off the rails. Not in game but at the actual game table. Non game side discussions, players looking at their phones, players joking around out of character and many other things that players can do to disrupt a RPG session. If you GM for any length of time this…

Saul and Jolene were thinking about the rules about who goes first in RPGs. It was a lively discussion where we talked about several different games and how they dealt with initiative. Saul and Jolene talked about it at length and decided it was a good topic for an episode the podcast. Saul and Jolene discuss initiative system from the ole Dungeons…

In this episode Saul and Jolene talk about traveling mechanics. Many RPGs have rules on how to deal with traveling in their games. Some games have very detailed rules while some might not even cover traveling in their games. Fifth Edition D&D have some rules but they seem more like guidelines than actual rules. These ideas are covered in the Gamema…

In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss the difference and problems that arise from the difference between Player and Character knowledge. Depending on the genre and the player , players are going to push the limit of what a character can know. But there are times when a character will have be more knowledgable than the player does. Saul and Jolene…

In this Episode Saul and Jolene discuss making connections between characters. Saul remembers the ole days when the only connection you needed or wanted was the love of killing monsters and taking their stuff. Things have progressed to tell more meaningful stories than when Saul was a kid. A way of doing that is to have connections between players …

In this Episode Saul and Jolene discuss overpowered or broken elements of a RPG. Sometimes its a skill, a spell, a feat, a rule or a myrid of different things that can be either be misinterpreted or written too vague or not written well. Saul and Jolene both recount experiences read from online posts and personal experiences when players and GMs mi…

Saul was thinking what were some themes or genres that RPGs have a hard time capturing the feeling or thrill of playing. Jolene had a difficult time wondering what Saul was even talking about but after a while she realized the concept Saul was trying to explain. One example was Sports. A Sports themed RPG that wasn't a miniature game or boardgame d…

Saul and Jolene were talking about how people "backtrack" or take their turn over in boardgames, they take their turn and then change their minds and redo their turn. Saul and Jolene discused how it seems like a bad idea. This act of "backtracking" can frustrate other players but what about in an RPGs? The idea of backtracking an action or a scene …

In this Episode Saul and Jolene answer a question proposed by listener Mike. He asked about maps. How much detail do you share with players when you give them a map. Saul and Jolene thought it was a good question to make an episode. Along with maps, Saul thought about how much general information do you share with players. Saul asked how much shoul…

What are things that influence what your play style in RPGs. Saul and Jolene discuss a couple of things that might influence the way you play your character. Saul admits that for about 20 years, Saul played variations of his own personality and not really trying to Role play an aspect of himself. As usual Saul strays from the subject by talking abo…

Someone asked about World Building, and if there was any advice, books, or manuals on how to do it. Saul looked at his vast amounts of PDFs and found a couple of books on World Building, and Saul even found he had some physical books on the subject. Jolene not a fan of World Building, she finds it odd that people would spend the time on world build…

Saul and Jolene were discussing how would a GM Desiminate Information about their RPG Setting. Especially when the lore is vast and deep. Saul and Jolene came up with various methods and things to consider what a GM can do to make the "Info Dump" not only be easier but actually work. Saul used Bethorm rules written by Jeff Dee, for running his Sakb…

Recently Saul and Jolene were at a local Gaming Convention and at a RPG game and when the group broke for a quick dinner break, one player never came back. This has happened at gaming conventions and even in home game groups. What can a GM do to mitigate the affects of the missing player. Though usually more problematic at a Convention or in a One-…

Saul and Jolene were at a Con recently and there a few people stated that there needed to be more rpg games and therefore the idea of needing more GMs came about. There was even a discussion on Facebook about what gamers could do to get more people to gm at conventions. With that discussion in mind Saul and Jolene decided to record an episode of wh…

This is one of our Bonus Episodes an interview of Lester Smith the author of one of Saul's favorite RPGs, Dark Conspiracy. Lester Smith has worked for many famous game companies. From small companies like Flying Buffalo to TSR. Lester was gracious to talk to us and share some of his story. From his gaming roots, to finding RPGs to being hired to wo…

A husband asked a question about a good Modern RPG that he could run for his wife. She was not interested in anything related to Fantasy or the Science Fiction genre. Not interested in any fantastical or supernatural elements in a modern setting. When Jolene asked about this situation he immediately went to his bookcase and his Drivethrurpg Library…

Dungeons and Dragons turns 50 this year. Saul and Jolene discuss what they feel has been some of the most important changes to D&D from it's publication and how it has impacted their lives. Thanks for Listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones *editorial note: Saul states that the first hardback AD&D book bought was the Mon…

Saul was given a Dragonbane Box Set in July and though he looked at it he did not delve too deeply into the rules. Fast forward to the middle of January 2024 and Saul's brother decided to run a Dragonbane game for their regular Friday Knights Night. Jolene also plays with the Friday Knights group and after a couple of game session of Dragonbane Sau…

Familiars and Animal Companions in RPGs. This was a topic that Saul came up with and starting to talk to Jolene about her thoughts on the use of both in RPGs. The first RPG discussed was of course D&D from AD&D to 5th Edition but others were discussed and how different genres could have different iterations of a Familiar or Animal Companion. Saul a…

Aging in RPGs. Some games have rules about them, some games ingnore age of the characters and other games, age is an intrical part of the game. Saul and Jolene talk about age in RPGs from the very young and the very old. How and what effects are there due to age seem reasonable and how do different RPGs handle age in their games. Thanks for listeni…

Reading from the Reddit post about RPGs, Saul came across a post by a first time GM who was looking for advice on his ideas that he has for a brand new campaign. The new GM wanted to embed a powerful NPC with the party that would grow in power as the party grew in power. There was quite a few responses and Saul talked about the post with Jolene. Th…

In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss the use of Side Quests in a tabletop RPG. Should you add Side Quests to your rpg campaign? What are Side Quests? What different types of Side Quests are there? Are there any problems with using Side Quests? Happy New Year to all of you. Thanks for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-…

Most GM that have been in the hobby for a while will have one, two or a few RPG games that have never hit the table. Saul is no exception to this problem. Though Saul might have quite a few more RPGs on his bookshelves than most but then again he has been playing RPGs since 1978. Still whether it's a couple games of half you collection of RPGs that…

This Episode Saul and Jolene discuss some RPGs that are making their was to being published in 2024. Saul threw in a couple that have just been published in the last months of 2023. These are games that have piqued the interest of Saul and Jolene. Podcast Error: the first RPG discussed by Saul he stated was called the Lost Isle but it is called the…

A bit different in this episode Saul and Jolene talk about Miniature Wargames. Miniature Games come in all genres, from large armies to single miniatures on a table. Some have large books for rules others don't. Jolene was asking about miniature games that were not Warhammer 40K and easy to play. Saul has played more miniature games than Jolene but…

Saul saw a post on Reddit about a GM who had problems Roleplaying Dialogue with the PC when they were talking for the NPCs. The GM also wanted the players to do more RP in their sessions. Saul realized this was a big problem for a GM that wants more RP from his players but was really intimidated by NPC dialogue. There were quite a few help hints in…

In this Bonus Episode we interview Panny and Aled of Leyline Press who just very recently fullfilled their Kickstarter for Salvage Union a post apocalyptic mech game. I came across their rather large "Quickstart" rules a while ago and was impressed with the scope of their free quickstart PDF and how well their RPG was presented. I remembered dealin…

Saul was looking at FB posts and he read a post concerning the topic of metacurrency in RPGs games. The Original Poster had a rather negative view of metacurrency. One that too many new RPGs were using this "gimmick". Another complaint was that it drew him out of the immersion of the roleplaying session with the use of metacurrency which there was …