Lair Of Secrets

Campaign prep is something every dungeon master a needs to do … even if “prep” is something you throw together five minutes for the session starts.

On this episode, we talk about our individual game prep strategies, from structured approaches like Chris’s multi-phase plan to Ken’s adrenaline-fueled last-minute inspiration. Josh and Erin share insights into managing unpredictable player behavior and ensuring character growth.

To end the episode, we offer advice on how to childproof your evil lair.

0:00 Intro
0:30 Chris’s Three-Phase Prep Method
3:00 Josh’s Chaotic First GM Experience
5:45 Adapting to Player Choices
7:45 Erin’s Character-Driven Prep
10:15 Ken’s Last-Minute Inspiration
12:45 The Role of Music in Game Prep
14:30 Tools for Note-Taking and Mapping
17:15 One-Shots vs Long Campaign Prep
21:45 Final Thoughts on Prep Approaches
24:00 How to Childproof an Evil Fortress
26:02 Outro

The post Campaign Prep Tips – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Get in. Do a thing. Get out. Look awesome doing it.

That’s your typical cyberpunk adventure, and it always involves some sort of security. On this episode, we discuss real-world hacking inspiration, cinematic heist scenarios, and strategies for balancing game difficulty. We dive into the nuances of netrunning, social engineering, and how even the best-laid plans can spiral into chaos.

Examples are drawn from the Cyberpunk RED and Cities Without Number role-playing games, with the occasional digression into Dungeons & Dragons, Blades in the Dark, and Scum & Villainy.

0:00 Intro and Cyberpunk Security
2:15 Cyberpunk Red Heists and Netrunning Mechanics
8:45 Chris Miller’s Real-World Cybersecurity Insights
12:10 Cinematic Inspirations for Cyberpunk RPGs
15:45 Balancing Player Roles in Heist Missions
21:30 Real-World Hacking vs. Fictional Depictions
27:15 Strategies for Planning Heists in RPGs
35:10 Handling Consequences and Failed Plans
39:45 The Art of Improvisation in Cyberpunk Campaigns
45:00 Outro

As in Blades in the Dark, think about the type of engagement that the players might execute.

Break into a secure vault in a biolab. Retrieve a sample. You have 24 hours. (hard target infiltration)

Examples: Resident Evil, Die Hard, Terminator 2, Fast Five 

Steal data from a secure terminal in a ZetaTech subsidiary. It must be completed in one week’s time. (Soft target infiltration: Open to the public and easily infiltrated)

Example: Sneakers, Cyberpunk 2077 – Arasaka tower, V and Jackie

A corporate operative wants to defect to a non-profit, but they’re constantly watched by security officers.  They will be at a high-profile Zetatech gala and it’s their only chance for extraction. You’ve got a month until the gala.

Example: Ocean’s 12, Count Zero

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

The map from our Cyberpunk RED campaign’s infiltration of Elysium HQ. Art is from the Traveller Starships GeoMorphs fan source book for the Traveller RPG.

The post Cyberpunk Security (S4E10) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

So your Dungeons & Dragons campaign went on hiatus … how do you restart it? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, Ken, Chris, and Josh talk about how to re-engage with a not-quite-dead-yet role-playing game campaign.

They dive into how a game can lose momentum, with real-life interruptions causing campaigns to stall or be put on hold. They share personal anecdotes of campaigns like Cyberpunk Red and Secrets of the Saltmarsh that have gone through pauses, offering practical strategies for relaunching them.

Techniques include recaps, time skips, flashbacks, and collaborative world-building (in other words … getting the players to help figure out how to reboot after the hiatus). The discussion covers the importance of keeping both the game master (GM) and players motivated, with special attention given to tools like Obsidian for campaign notes and ways to revive interest through changes in story direction or character development.

00:00 What the heck’s a hiatus?
03:43 Recap and Relaunch
07:07 Taking Notes and Recapping
08:26 Base Building and Subgames
16:42 Using Flashbacks to Provide Context and Hooks
19:33 Starting in the Middle of the Action: Grabbing Players’ Attention
23:41 Choosing the Right Structure for Hiatuses
27:02 Preparing for the Next Level: Getting Players Excited

Linux System Reboot History by xmodulo

The post Restarting an RPG Campaign – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In the latest expedition through the Lair of Secrets, David Moore, Ken Newquist, and Chris Miller delve into the art of map design, specifically focusing on the peculiarities and challenges of modern and near-future maps in gaming.

The discussion kicks off with Ken recounting his creation of the “worst best map ever” for a Mothership one-shot, set in an undersea research station on Europa. The map’s illogical design, inspired by cost-cutting corporate efficiency, leads to a hilariously challenging game play experience. The trio explores the importance of verisimilitude in modern maps, contrasting it with the more forgiving nature of fantasy settings.

They discuss the balance between realism and game play, emphasizing how a poorly designed map can ironically enhance the fun by creating unexpected challenges. Throughout the episode, they share insights on using real-world inspiration, the value of theater of the mind versus detailed maps, and the importance of considering player expectations when designing game environments.

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage
00:49 The Best Worst Map Ever
04:32 Exploring the Map’s Flaws
08:46 Player Reactions and Enjoyment
13:34 This map is horrible, don’t change a thing
17:29 Designing maps for modern and near-future settings
20:01 Incorporating real-world inspiration into map design
24:29 Theater of the mind vs. tactical maps
27:40 Considering objectives and player interactions
33:59 Using zones and index cards for abstract map design
40:45 Balancing stock maps and visual aids

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

The post Modern Maps (S4E9) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

The edgerunners are at Elysium HQ. All they need to do is descend through three sub-levels of the abandoned corporate headquarters and flip a switch on an old server.

But first they have to get past these cybernetic corvids … and the remains of the edgerunner crews that came before them.

0:00 Intro and Setup
10:15 The Mission Briefing
18:45 Encounter with the Corvids
28:00 Debating Entry Strategies
40:35 Discovery of the Grappling Hooks
54:15 Descent into the Darkness
1:08:30 The Corvids’ Ominous Warning
1:21:00 Preparing to Face the Unknown
1:35:45 Entering the Ruins of Elysium
1:55:20 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 9: Flip the Switch (S4E8) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Chapter 8 of our Broken Loop campaign for Cyberpunk RED ended with a cliffhanger as the edgerunners faced an unexpected … enemy? Friend? Belligerent hivemind hell bent on stripping everyone of their chrome?

In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, we talk about that actual play session, it’s unexpected turns, and how we rolled with the consequences of a well-placed grenade.

Get more Cyberpunk RED:

Introduction: David kicks off with a recap of Ken’s recent Cyberpunk Red session.Session Recap:

Discussion: The hosts reflect on the game’s unexpected outcomes, the challenge of mixing horror elements in Cyberpunk, and the importance of not pulling punches in the genre.

Audience Question: An exploration of how to organize a union for dungeon minions.

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

Crow photo credit: Tom Swinnen (Creative Commons)

The post Cyberpunk Red takes a MURDEROUS Turn – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

After talking and driving their way past the factions controlling access to Night City’s radioactive core, the edgerunners are approaching the ruined Elysium corporate headquarters.

Their goal is to infiltrate the building’s sub-levels and flip a switch. First though, they have to get past the Glow Boys, a cult of radiation Worshiping cyborgs … and the chrome-enhanced, sentient ravens the cultists are facing off against.

Get Cyberpunk RED:

0:00 Intro
2:15 Entering the Hot Zone
8:30 Encounter with the Glow Boys
14:45 The Ravens’ Attack
21:30 Car Flip and Explosion
29:00 The Flames Rise
35:30 Taking Down the Glow Boys
43:15 The Ravens Retreat
50:00 The Haunting Voice from Elysium HQ
55:00 Mission Debrief and Outro

n this latest installment of the *Lair of Secrets* Cyberpunk Red campaign, the Edgerunners dive deep into the heart of the dangerous Hot Zone of Night City.

Hired to flip a switch deep inside the Elysium HQ, they drive through the decaying ruins of the city, passing by desperate refugees and hostile mercenaries. T

he team quickly finds themselves entangled in a chaotic confrontation with glow-painted, cybernetic warriors known as Glow Boys and a horde of cyber-enhanced, raven-like creatures that seem eerily obsessed with collecting “chrome.”

After a series of tense battles involving faulty driving maneuvers that flip their car, an explosion, and flamethrowers, the team narrowly escapes. However, as the last of their enemies falls, a haunting voice echoes from the depths of Elysium HQ, calling out for fresh meat and chrome, signaling that their challenges are far from over.

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 8: Fresh Meat and Chrome (S4E7) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

It’s convention season, and David talks about Origins, a big-but-cozy game convention in Columbus, Ohio, meeting Shadowdark RPG creator Kelsey Dionne, plans for Gen Con 2024, and gaming with Jon Hook of the Modern Mythos podcast.

Meanwhile, Ken geeks out about dynamic lighting in Roll20 (and his hopes for using during the Lair’s upcoming Cyberpunk RED Elysium HQ run). Oh, and Ken actually completed a video game – Fire Emblem Engage – and started a new game, Hades (which apparently every other geek on the planet has already played)

But why stop there? Ken and David also talk about a bunch of other RPGs including Dragonbane, Eat the Reich, Star Wars d6, the, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit, the Dread RPG, and You’re in Space and Everything’s Fucked.

0:00 Intro
1:30 Ken’s Gaming Achievement
3:45 Origins 2024 Highlights
12:30 Jon Hook and Isolated Investigators
15:30 Shadowdark RPG and Game Discussions
22:15 Dynamic Lighting in RPGs
28:00 New Game Purchases and Interests
36:10 GenCon and Upcoming Events
42:00 Closing Thoughts and Stealth Promo

Thanks for attending our latest minion and future overlord training. Thanks for coming! If you were sitting near the old death ray, head over to dice.camp and follow us @lairofsecrets. We’ve got all you need for those Hyperion gamma burns.

The post Into the Shadows: Origins, Shadowdark, & Hades (S4E6) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Chapter 7 of our actual play Cyberpunk RED campaign sees the edgerunners venture into the Hot Zone at the center of Night City as part of their mission to flip a switch in the basement of Elysium HQ.

Get Cyberpunk RED:

0:00 Intro
2:10 Mission Briefing
5:30 Gear and Supplies
10:45 Entering the Hot Zone
15:20 Encounter with Sawbones
20:00 Emotional Toll
25:15 Avoiding Scavvers
30:00 High-Speed Escape
35:45 Approaching Old Corp Center
40:00 Conclusion

In the latest chapter of the Lair of Secrets’ Cyberpunk Red actual play campaign, the team is tasked with infiltrating a ruined Elysium Aeronautics research facility in Night City’s dangerous hot zone. In the previous episode, Priest – APT‘s fixer – negotiated a substantial increase in their fee to 40,000 EBs. Adequately funded … they went shopping.

The crew acquired various assets, including hand-drawn maps, street guides, and a medallion from a 6th Street Army member, Roof Diver. Delver Dan’s shop provided them with Geiger counters, radiation tablets, and neon green lead-lined duct tape. Angry Bob updated his wardrobe to fit the irradiated zone aesthetic.

As they navigated through Night City’s decaying streets, they encountered various factions and obstacles. The team decided to drive through the Sawbones’ territory, a mercenary group providing medical aid in exchange for salvage. They donated medical supplies, earning safe passage. The desolate, eerie atmosphere of the med center and the suffering of its inhabitants deeply affect the crew, especially Atlas, who becomes emotional at the sight.

As they proceed, they avoid a potential conflict with a group of Scavvers harassing salvagers. Omen skillfully maneuvers their vehicle through the dangerous terrain, evading gunfire and collapsing buildings. The session concludes with the team poised to enter the Old Corp Center, ready to face whatever dangers await them next.

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 7: Into the Hot Zone (S4E5) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In this episode of “Campaigns and Coffee,” hosts David, Josh, and Erin dive into convention season, offering tips and sharing personal experiences. The trio discusses their preparation rituals, with Erin highlighting her dedication to the Sparks campaign—a Star Wars role-playing game using the West End Games D6 system. Josh shares his strategy for attending Gen Con with his young child, emphasizing the importance of keeping kids entertained. They also touch on essential convention tips like the 3-2-1 rule (three hours of sleep, two meals, and one shower daily), and reminisce about their convention highlights, including wandering into off-limits areas of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Want more GenCon? Check out our coverage of GenCon 2023.

0:00 Introduction to Convention Season
2:10 Erin’s Sparks Campaign Prep
4:30 Josh’s Gen Con Tips
5:31 Managing Conventions with Kids
6:50 The Essential 3-2-1 Rule
8:20 Backpack Packing Tips
12:21 Josh’s Dice Addiction and Rituals
14:44 Navigating Lucas Oil Stadium
18:06 Final Convention Tips
18:36 Essential Minion Inventory

We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels:

The post Gen Con Tips for Newcomers – Campaigns and Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.