In this episode, we discuss the roles, responsibilities, and authority of the GM in tabletop RPGs and story games. It’s a role with a lot of permutations for designers to think about, plan for, and react to. What do you think?

We’re tackling a few more listener questions this time — and it’s a bit of a challenge. These are great questions!

For our not-spooky 13th episode, we address a few listener questions we’ve received. Still, things get a little spooky.

Listen in as we discuss resolution mechanisms in RPGs, including musings about scope and scale and fictional time. How do you know when a thing has happened in your game? How do you know when to check to see if a thing has happened? By listening to this episode, maybe!

This time, we have a quick talk about the difference between a system and its rules. How does that affect your design and can a design change systems already in place? Let’s talk.

We had more to say about reward cycles, systems, and mechanisms in theory and in practice, so this episode is about more of that.

In this doozy (doozy!) of an episode, we talk about reward cycles in design and play, from their core dynamics and philosophies to how they can befit or bemuse different players differently.

Let’s talk about the terminology of our games and how that influences the patois at the table. What lingo do you use in your game and what sobriquets develop over time? As ever: decisions, decisions.

What is character monogamy in an RPG and what does it do in your design? Let’s talk about it!

Here we look at the gist of experience points (XP) and character development, especially in tabletop RPGs, and how character progression can reward, reflect, and influence the play of your design.