Fear the Boot

Fear the Boot

By Fear the BootLeisure
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Fear the Boot episodes

  • Episode 386 - Blades in the Dark, part 2
    * (0:30) Why it's not "still" Chris or Brodeur.
    * (3:12) Chad's audio, visual, and computer setup for running Blades in the Dark. Google Drive and Myth Weavers.
    * (5:01) How Blades in the Dark handles conflict. Devil's lettuce. The Doomsday Clock. Building tension.
    * (13:33) Details on Chad's setup and how he uses it to improve the game and add immersion. Microsoft Onenote. Chad's collection of files for the game.
    * (32:34) Lower tech alternatives.
    * (34:44) Nihilistic Jeff Bridges as an example of an obstacle instead of just an enemy.
    Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan
    51 min
  • Episode 385 - Blades in the Dark, part 1
    * (0:29) This is the last week to enter for the metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
    * (1:55) Chad's Blades in the Dark game. You can BitD's Google group here. The video game, Dishonored.
    * (9:24) Playbooks.
    * (12:46) Uptime, downtime, and ongoing projects.
    * (17:21) The "project clock". Stress, vice, and coin.
    * (26:25) Similar mechanics for long-term projects in other games.
    * (31:10) Illustrating the long gaps of time between adventures.
    * (37:01) The value of an essay structure when speaking.
    * (38:21) The takeaways that apply to other game systems.
    * (42:42) Playing a game that's still being written.
    Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan
    47 min
  • Episode 384 - destructive deconstruction
    * (0:44) Down a few for Thanksgiving.
    * (1:14) Hamlet's Hit Points by Robin Laws. Tracking the story beats of an RPG.
    * (3:37) How much game advice can actually be internalized and used.
    * (8:58) An analogy from art theory about how the human mind compresses information into a usable form.
    * (13:08) What Brodeur is internalizing for his current 5th edition game.
    Hosts: Brodeur, Dan
    20 min
  • Bonus Episode 63 – KFTB AM
    * (1:54) John observes an uptick of socially competitive games at Gen Con. Are You a Werewolf. Junta. Coup.
    * (7:15) Undertale and how it changed John's mind on merciless gaming.
    * (10:05) Why Dan can't betray people, even when it's the intended mechanic of a game.
    * (17:27) What Undertale did for John's empathy that no previous game had. Never Have I Ever.
    * (20:06) Being the betrayer when you don't want to. The Resistance, Battlestar Galactica, and Shadows Over Camelot.
    * (25:05) Winning games through consistent behavior.
    * (32:35) Too many games came out on November 10th.
    * (38:16) How behavior in boardgames reflects our GMing style.
    Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Julia
    44 min
  • Episode 383 - finite choices
    * (0:27) When Fear the Boot turns into AM radio.
    * (2:42) Giving away some metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
    * (3:32) The Library Land Podcast.
    * (4:44) The value in offering players finite options. Infocom games.
    Hosts: Dan
    20 min
  • Interview 38 – Vincent Venturella, part 2
    * (0:42) The value of simplicity, flat math, and limited modifiers.
    * (5:10) The intentional lack of specificity in the 5th edition rules. The history of Anti-Magic Shell.
    * (11:22) Are there any plans for setting material and the like?
    * (17:22) Beast form and martial arts attacks. Sage Advice on Twitter.
    * (19:34) Was the d20 mechanic a central part of design? An obstacle? An accepted legacy?
    * (22:44) Why switch to 5th edition? What are its distinguishing traits and values? The free download of the basic rules and the starter box set for D&D 5th edition.
    * (27:30) What ongoing adventure support does WotC have planned for DMs?
    * (28:39) Wanting to hear more about insanity rules and madness.
    * (29:03) Tagging bonds to award inspiration.
    * (30:09) A question about flanking.
    * (32:16) The relegation of feats, and the options for diversifying a class.
    * (34:47) How did 4th edition influence 5th edition?
    * (36:49) What other games were played during the design period and ultimately influenced the final product? Designers & Dragons.
    * (40:20) Acknowledging some questions that didn't have available answers.
    * (41:30) Why isn't there a full-length PDF for 5th edition?
    * (43:25) To what does Vince most attribute the success of 5th edition?
    * (44:04) What was the impetus for the advantage and disadvantage system?
    * (46:02) Vince's favorite house rules and hacks for 5th edition.
    * (46:32) What weakness of previous editions did they strive to avoid?
    * (47:49) If you have any questions for Vince, you can chat him up in the forum thread for this show. You can also find him through Venture Land Games, his Twitter account, or his YouTube channel.
    Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John
    Guests: Vincent Venturella
    52 min
  • Interview 37 – Vincent Venturella, part 1
    * (0:35) Introducing Vince of Venture Land Games and The Narrative Game System.
    * (4:44) Questions we collected from social media. In case you don't have the links you can find us at: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and our forums.
    * (5:06) Vince's favorite 'Mech and his take on the Clans. The Black Knight. Fortunetelling by favorite 'Mech.
    * (11:16) Giving away some metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
    * (14:14) Understanding the role of a rules consultant and how Vince contributed to D&D 5th edition.
    * (23:19) The importance of tradition to D&D. The Legacy of Heroes.
    * (25:58) What discoveries were made during play testing?
    * (27:26) How did the existence and success of Pathfinder influence 5th edition?
    * (32:00) What are the most common misconceptions about 5th edition that Vince would like to correct?
    * (36:11) Scaling armor class and hit points for the right experience.
    * (41:43) If class and background overlap, why can characters pick any skill?
    * (43:40) Why do monsters play by a different set of rules than the PCs?
    Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John
    Guests: Vincent Venturella
    54 min
  • Episode 382 - established NPCs
    * (1:31) DruCon: the fan convention on June 3rd and 4th of 2016. You can find the Facebook group here and back the funding campaign here.
    * (2:28) Using a well-established NPC in your game.
    * (6:30) Why is the character there at all?
    * (7:44) Know the character as a whole person.
    * (8:49) Throw canon out the window.
    * (10:35) Don't act like a fan of the character.
    * (11:22) Remember that your game is a story about the player-characters.
    * (13:42) Making sure the NPC doesn't dominate the players in ability, gear, contacts, or knowledge.
    * (16:57) Give the character meaningful weaknesses.
    * (19:41) Have the NPC be a fan of the PCs.
    Hosts: Dan
    23 min
  • Episode 381 - FIWAGs
    * (0:39) Welcoming Dr. Bob Arens to the show.
    * (0:58) DruCon: the fan convention on June 3rd and 4th of 2016. You can find the Facebook group here and back the funding campaign here.
    * (3:20) The episode we did with Bob about artificial intelligence in game. The Time Cube website (FAIR WARNING: very strong language).
    * (7:45) John is wrong about John on Reddit.
    * (10:10) Introducing FIWAGs and setting some boundaries on the discussion.
    * (11:23) Players that grind their weed at the table.
    * (12:53) Players and GMs that have shameless enthusiasm.
    * (14:00) The diggers: people that latch onto cues and look for more in your game.
    * (16:02) Alpha gamers.
    * (16:38) Drink and snack bringers.
    * (18:09) The group cop.
    * (19:55) Players that challenge us as GMs.
    * (20:33) The group librarian.
    * (25:35) People that keep the game going between sessions.
    * (28:14) Players that are open to a variety of campaign parameters.
    * (31:22) GMs that clearly put effort into preparing their games.
    * (37:23) The group artist. Nihilisa Frank and Nihilist Arby's.
    Hosts: Bob, Brodeur, Dan, John, Julia
    44 min
  • Episode 380 - killin'
    * (0:29) We don't win 'em all.
    * (1:07) Character pictures and why Wayne hates them. People that benefit from a visual element in the game. The concept art for the Star League throne. The legend of the collapsible cup.
    * (12:16) The over-sexualization of female imagery.
    * (17:08) The supposed link between gaming and anti-social behavior. The distinction between murder and killing, as illustrated by Witcher 3 and Robotech: Invasion.
    * (26:52) The human knack for justifying evil. The value of a game that's deep enough that you can empathize with the "villain".
    * (37:30) The relationship between moral behavior and consequences. Watch what you reward.
    Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
    57 min

About Fear the Boot

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Fear the Boot is an irreverent, round table discussion of tabletop role playing games. In this weekly show we debate game-related issues, offer advice for improving your game, and poke fun at the…