Hello Bonus Babies,

Oh? It’s Tuesday already? Oh?? Shhhh, time is fake. 

In today’s episode, Monica and Rai sit down to discuss the concept of the hard bargain – a social refusal mechanic that can improve any game. We talk about what they are, how to use them, and how to implement them in your homebrew or professional design. 

Also discussed in the extended cut: Rai’s feelings on mothers, Monica’s money management, preparing for the apocalypse (with Christmas pickles), Discord for aging weebs, the persistent myth of the end of the world and the history of Leonard Bernstein. 

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Hello Bonus Babies, 

Rai and Monica had a very chaotic two weeks and were unable to get a recording in. However, Margaret had this dusty tape under her desk and was kind enough to edit it for us. (We shudder to think about what else might be lurking under there… best not to consider it too long.)

D joins Monica for another Deep Dive! We discuss the concept of a “core system” loop, aka what central concepts make a game’s system tick. We go in-depth into the mechanics of a handful of our favorite games to demonstrate. 

Enjoy! 

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Hello Bonus Babies, 

Rai was ill during our usual recording time, so we brought in a friend to help! In today’s episode, Monica is joined by David Castro of Ink Stained Studios to talk D&D 4e: the good parts, the bad parts, its history, and its impact on current design. We’re very pro-4e, in case you’re wondering where we come down on the subject. If you’re looking for hate, this one ain’t it. 

Also discussed in the extended cut: Hot tips for using trash as play aids, the true origins of “video game” powers, opinions about high-math rules and the nature of Monica’s dice magic.

Extra links:  Bonus Experience 5: Games and the Art of Railroading. David’s Twitter, Website, DTRPG, and Patreon. 

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Hello Bonus Babies! 

Today Monica and Rai tackle the thorny subject of always being stuck in the GM seat. Is that a good thing? A bad one? Neither? We discuss the ups and downs of being the game facilitator and how to feel less anxious about stepping into the role yourself. 

Also discussed in the extended cut: anime about boys, Kevin the cockatiel, Tony’s Chocolonely, and a variety of recommended activities to do while high. 

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Hello Bonus Babies! 

Welcome to the official first episode of season 5! 

Today we’re talking about Perception checks – that old chestnut. Are they bad? Are they good? Should we throw them away entirely? What’s even the point of having them? Monica and Rai break down their thoughts on the topic. 

Also discussed in the extended cut: Hershey’s funky taste, different breeds of Girl Scout cookie, Rai’s threshold for being perceived, and Monica’s stoned recommendations. 

Here’s a link to the trad games episode and also the bananas.

[ Bonus Experience: the Blog! bxpcast.com | Bonus Experience: the Discord! tinyurl.com/bxpdiscord | Bonus Experience: the Twitter! @bonusexpcast | Bonus Experience: the Patreon! patreon.com/bonusexperience ]

WE’RE BACK, BONUS BABIES! 

Did you miss us? Don’t worry, we’re “on” again for the next six months. Drink it up while you can. Tell your friends. Tell your spouse. Tell your kids. Tell your parents. 

…on second thought maybe not those last two. 

This is a launch episode in which we share our plans for the season as well as shout out all our Patrons and let people know what’s going on with us. 

Stay tuned for episode 1! 

All our love,

Monica & Rai 

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Hello Bonus Babies,

Character generation is not to be taken lightly–in fact, it can be one of the biggest draws of your game. We discuss why that is, how that is, and our favorite games to make funny little guys for. And for patrons, we talk about Sailor Moons, the twitter TTRPG main character of the week, HERPANGINA, and  the Inverse Property of McElroys in Margaret’s Extended Cut.

This is our LAST EPISODE of season 4! Monica and Rai will be stunting in the off-season until March 2022. Keep an eye on this space, and on our Twitter, and on our Discord, and ALSO DON’T FORGET TO subscribe to our Patreon for off-season events and bonus content!

[ Bonus Experience: the Blog! bxpcast.com | Bonus Experience: the Discord! tinyurl.com/bxpdiscord | Bonus Experience: the Twitter! @bonusexpcast | Bonus Experience: the Patreon! patreon.com/bonusexperience ]

Hello Bonus Babies,

Haha, what were we doing? Did we skip a week? (Yes) Hi how are you what’s going on?

It’s been a Time for us over here at BXP and we finally got back together for a minute to catch up before we wrap up our season with one more real episode and then venture into the wilds of The Off Season. 

We discuss Rai’s harrowing mouth experiences, what we’re GONNA talk about next time, and that feel when a snake beats you in the gubernatorial race for Elysium. 

No extended cut this week, as this is a short interim episode. However, Patrons got this ish a whole day early so like, yknow. Give us one crisp American dollar and you can enjoy such privileges too. 

[ Bonus Experience: the Blog! bxpcast.com | Bonus Experience: the Twitter! @bonusexpcast | Bonus Experience: the Patreon! patreon.com/bonusexperience ]

Hello Bonus Babies,

In today’s episode we discuss the art of the one-shot, including: games that are suited for short play, how to MAKE a game suited for short play, and how one gets ideas for short games anyway. 

Also discussed in the extended cut: Rai’s Naughty Teeth, Delta-8 (legal in most states!!), Donuts, and some weird goop that came out of Monica’s throat. 

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Hello Bonus Babies, 

Thanks to help from Mage the Podcast’s own Terry, we were able to release the episode today instead of delaying. Please thank Terry the next time you see him. 

In today’s episode, Monica and Rai read and review Dragonhearts, a Firebrands hack about playing shapeshifting dragons who fight and kiss. It’s everything Rai has ever wanted.

This was recorded live – we’re remarkably on topic despite being heckled. 

If you’re interested in buying the game, you can find it here: https://fractaldragon.itch.io/dragonhearts

To listen to Unplaytested, go here: http://www.unplaytested.com/episodes 

If you want to join us for live shows, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/bFTNjAqYen

Please support Terry and Mage the Podcast here: https://magethepodcast.com/

All this and more in the extended cut

[ Bonus Experience: the Blog! bxpcast.com | Bonus Experience: the Twitter! @bonusexpcast | Bonus Experience: the Patreon! patreon.com/bonusexperience ]