Episode 152 – What Can Mini-games Add to an RPG?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 152 - What Can Mini-games Add to an RPG?
Loading
/

Have you ever used a mini-game in a tabletop RPG–a game that steps completely outside the official rules of your RPG to resolve a particular situation? We discuss Chris’ experimental one-shot in which he tried out some fun mini-games. Also discussed: Chris’ experience reading The Silmarillion.

Episode 151 – RfT Con 2024 Trivia Quiz and Diamond Heist!

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 151 - RfT Con 2024 Trivia Quiz and Diamond Heist!
Loading
/

Recorded live at the fourth annual Roll for Topic Con! Follow along as the audience takes our annual roleplaying trivia quiz, and plays a brand new game called Diamond Heist.

Episode 150 – What Does Crime Look Like in Your Game Setting?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 150 - What Does Crime Look Like in Your Game Setting?
Loading
/

What does the criminal underworld in your setting look like, and how do the players interact with it? Andy and Chris discuss the topic of crime in RPG settings, along with their plans to run some one-shots at the upcoming RfT Con.

Episode 149 – How Do You Use Languages?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 149 - How Do You Use Languages?
Loading
/

Andy and Chris talk about going to the dentist and also about using languages at the table. Chris makes a reference to a 29 year old movie and Andy makes a reference to a 23 year old tv show.

Episode 148 – How Do You Use Alignment?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 148 - How Do You Use Alignment?
Loading
/

Is character alignment a central part of your D&D (and D&D-alike) games, or is it something you change or ignore? Chris and Andy discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the classic alignment chart, and the ways it’s useful at the table.

Episode 147 – The Enthusiasm of a Con

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 147 - The Enthusiasm of a Con
Loading
/

Andy and Chris talk about Gen Con, Roll for Topic Con, and what makes cons so special!

Episode 146 – Running Minigames Within Your Games

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 146 - Running Minigames Within Your Games
Loading
/

Have you used a minigame within your RPG to handle a specific scene or sequence? Chris and Andy brainstorm a bit about a jousting minigame for Chris’ upcoming convention game, with discursions into game playtesting, Battletech, and the upcoming RfT Con 2024.

Episode 145 – How to Prep for a Game When You Have No Time (with John Corey)

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 145 - How to Prep for a Game When You Have No Time (with John Corey)
Loading
/

Guest host John Corey fills in for Chris this week, bringing his expertise in low-prep GMing! John and Andy discuss what they’ve been reading about the early days of the gaming hobby and then go on to talk about how you can move from high-prep GMing to lower-prep, improv-style GMing.

Episode 144 – How Do You Handle Light Sources in Dungeons?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 144 - How Do You Handle Light Sources in Dungeons?
Loading
/

Do you meticulously track the light radius of each torch? Do you handwave it away? Something in between? Inspired by Andy’s recent trip to Mammoth Caves, Andy and Chris talk about the challenges and rewards of taking lighting seriously in your dungeon crawls.

Episode 143 – How Do You Convey Setting Detail to Your Players?

Roll For Topic
Roll For Topic
Episode 143 - How Do You Convey Setting Detail to Your Players?
Loading
/

Your setting is full of interesting history and fascinating detail. How do you convey that to your players at the table with boring or overwhelming them? Chris and Andy discuss, but not before they talk about what the movie Furiosa can teach us about good RPG action scenes.

Show notes:

  • Sincerely, Departed, the anthology of epistolary zombie stories that contains a story by Andy