* (0:28) Chad and Wayne are AWOL. * (1:20) Dan learns a whole lot about Fritz Tornow and Hitler's dogs. * (4:03) Following up on Brodeur's lack of combat in his game. * (5:53) Brodeur does everything wrong, but it works. * (9:22) Starting with the party asleep and fully divided. * (13:44) Mid-scene cliffhangers and spotlight bouncing for about two-and-a-half hours. * (21:14) The pacing of the game versus the dosing of the campaign. * (26:54) Let's talk about that Bard-Warlock-Paladin. * (32:08) The epilogue and what Brodeur took away from it all. * (36:27) Players that are excited about each other's characters as much as their own. * (39:25) The more you put into your character, the more you get out of the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan

* (0:27) Catching up on episodes and experimenting with a Skies of Glass actual play. * (2:51) A listener, Steve, asks about keeping characters engaged when their specialty isn't of any use in a particular scene. * (7:06) Asking how the characters got in this position. * (10:11) Game Master tweaking of the player characters to give them some options. * (12:18) Adjusting the rules so people can contribute when they normally couldn't. * (14:50) Not letting a scene linger too long. * (16:02) Complicating the scenario to give everyone something to do. * (19:32) Checking your planned scenes to make sure all of the characters can get involved. Hosts: Dan

* (0:23) Some more details on Derek’s charity games (low level, mid level, and high level tiers). * (3:04) Time to go bonus episode! The FAST test for stroke. * (5:10) Customers beat down Brodeur, illustrating the reason Dan became a programmer. * (11:26) Chad loves the customers. Or at least doesn't hate them. Dan and Wayne just don't generally get angry. * (22:56) A reality that doesn't work for anyone involved. Wayne puts himself in high pressure sales vs Dan's tactic for coping with them. Elmo's work ethic. * (31:59) Chad gets threatened over a stranger's girlfriend. * (45:29) Bottle it up for later. * (49:30) The GoFundMe page to help Pat and Beth with medical costs. His status updates on Caring Bridge. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) Why Brodeur is scared of Aisha. * (2:49) Some new information on Fear the Con X. Derek's charity game (low level, mid level, and high level tiers). Booters and Shooters. Email Adam Gottfried if you're interested in pre-con tourism. * (10:17) Chad's anger. * (13:00) Games with too much RP and not enough combat. * (15:52) Combat that makes sense within the context of the game. * (20:37) Reasons combat can be important to the catharsis of an RPG. * (26:18) The tyranny of choice by which players opt out of combat they ostensibly want. The tyranny of moral complexity by which Game Masters strip combat of its catharsis. * (33:48) Zombie stories as an example of moral simplicity. * (38:38) Ma Carver as a counter-example. * (45:56) Why Brodeur's players opt not to fight. The limiting factor of time. The three round limit. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (1:43) Introducing our topic from Lars-Hendrik: Groups that have been abused by their GM. * (4:10) Knowing about the problems prior to the first game versus finding out when the game is in progress. * (8:00) Mending trust through transparency, patience, and consistency. * (12:22) Intentionally making mistakes. Rolling above the board. * (16:12) The bad behaviors we learn when coping with negative people. * (22:57) Eric's road to recovery. Realigning your view of the game. Cheating for the players and making deals. * (35:04) Picking the right game for a battered group. * (38:23) Handing off the GM seat. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Eric

* (0:28) Welcoming Zach. * (0:47) Brodeur gets on Facebook and buys a cell phone. * (17:55) Brodeur talks to the kids in a class about game design. After an introduction, they break up into small groups to play some RPGs. * (20:47) How far society has come in its acceptance of roleplaying games. * (26:54) Kids running games for other kids and adults. * (30:45) The variety of games the students had been exposed to. Aisha's Emerald City Comic Con coverage. * (44:47) Tearable by Third Act, Ten Candles by Cavalry Games, and other RPGs being played at the school. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Zach

* (0:29) Welcoming Eric. What attracted Karla to Dan. * (3:28) Tabletop roleplaying games as a spectator sport. The showmanship of the Game Master. * (10:59) The most interesting games as a distraction. * (13:00) The attributes of a good GM that also make for a good public performance. * (19:20) Turning a spectator into a part of the game. * (21:40) Actual Play recordings and the two extreme editing models. * (29:36) How running an AP affected Eric's regular gaming. The self-awareness created by self-editing. * (34:21) A regular gamer recording their own games. * (46:32) Feedback from an Actual Play, walk-on music, and essay writing classes. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Eric, Karla

* (0:36) A second take, and why Brodeur's wife just might be OK with bigamy. Star wipe. * (4:07) Pat's new refrigerator. Dan's plan to conquer Narnia and install Beth as queen. * (8:23) Today's Topic: Terrible segues. Brodeur's seat just might be up for the taking. * (10:29) Controlling your players via consequences. The concern that the logical consequence may derail the game or distress the player. * (13:27) Games that specifically accommodate consequences, whether through setting or rules. * (16:31) Strategy 1: Managing expectations before the game starts or as a particular action is being declared. * (19:51) Strategy 2: Backing off to calm down when emotional investment has gotten too high. * (23:38) Strategy 3: Preparing a mechanism for when it all goes wrong. * (28:08) Strategy 4: Let's make a deal. * (30:54) Strategy 5: Handle it at the plot level, apart from the players. * (38:58) Strategy 6: Roleplaying the consequence in a way that involves all of the players. * (43:45) Fear the Con X signup rolls on! You can PM Adam here and Derek here. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:27) Just Dan and Karla! Well, and the pets. * (1:04) Big Bang Theory. The clip Dan mentioned (WARNING: Yelling and NSFW language.) * (4:57) Celebrity gossip. The names Dan was looking for are Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance), Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen / Green Arrow), and John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn). * (8:50) The increased representation of women in the gaming demographic, but the enduring presence of the reluctant gamers we'd like to bring into the hobby. * (14:20) Karla's first impression of gaming, and what got her to try it. Roleplaying as a spectator sport. Finite choices to avoid overwhelming someone with choice. * (21:08) The difference between knowing what to do and how to do it. The value of familiarity with the source material. Assistance with character creation. * (31:32) Recognizing personality traits that may make the potential gamer reluctant. Hosts: Dan, Karla

* (0:35) Introducing James McClure of the Talking Tabletop podcast. You can find his two-part interview with Dan here and here, and his episodes with Chris here and here. * (5:16) The Satanic Panic Kickstarter. The Dark Dungeons tract. A quick look at the game's mechanic and the intended danger of being too successful. * (11:10) The "four spoke" mechanic. * (16:03) Why Jim chose to make a game about this particular topic. Steve Jackson Games got raided by the Secret Service and then got taken to court. * (24:27) What's in this book? * (28:15) What Jim would like to contribute to the roleplaying hobby. * (35:31) The Satanic Panic actual play recordings. * (37:47) Why the book doesn't include any real history of these events. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Chris, Wayne Guests: James McClure