What if your knight’s greatest battle wasn’t a sword duel—but surviving the story itself?

In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, DG and Finny delve into Mythic Bastionland, the rules-light, lore-rich Arthurian hexcrawl from Into the Odd creator Chris McDowall. With just 16 pages of core rules and over 140 pages of evocative myths, seers, and knightly trials, this game is as much a storytelling engine as it is a TTRPG.

Mythic Bastionland is a tabletop RPG set in the imagined past of Into the Odd and Electric Bastionland , built on the same lightning fast, ultra-streamlined rules system. Designed by Chris McDowall and illustrated by Alec Sorensen. 

Want to check out a copy for yourself? Head over here: https://chrismcdee.itch.io/mythic-bastionland

If you want to send a question or scenario in send us an email! [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments! Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What if your supernatural detective story could fit into a single game night? Maybe you want to change up the BBEG every time you sit down with your group, or maybe you just need to break free from your hum drum run of the mill fantasy TTRPG

In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, DG and Finny dig into Monster of the Week, Powered by the Apocalypse TTRPG system, where every session is a monster-hunting TV episode in disguise. Inspired by Buffy, Supernatural, and The X-Files, this narrative-first system is all about dramatic choices, cinematic failures, and building tension through play.

We're going to let you know everything you need to know to play this one and give you our thoughts on this episode!

Want to check it out yourself? Head over to https://evilhat.com/product/monster-of-the-week/ and grab yourself a copy!

If you want to send a question or scenario in send us an email! [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What if your D20 rolls could mutate you into a radioactive plant-person with laser claws?

In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, DG and Finny explore the gloriously gonzo world of Mutant Crawl Classics, a post-apocalyptic TTRPG that blends ancient tech, deadly mutations, and Zocchi dice chaos into one beautifully mutated ruleset.If you love DCC, Gamma World, or anything that combines dice tables with apocalyptic wastelands—this one’s for you.

If you want to send a question or scenario in send us an email! [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What if your choices didn’t matter—and the game still expected you to care?

In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, DG and Finny go Behind the Screens to explore one of the most essential pillars of tabletop roleplaying: player agency. Whether you’re running a gritty heist, a high fantasy saga, or a chaotic one-shot, agency is what turns a script into a story—and your players into protagonists.

We're diving into:
- What “player agency” really means (and how it differs from sandbox or open-world play)
- How DMs (and even players!) unintentionally strip others of control
- The fine line between guiding and railroading—and how to spot the difference
- Why asking questions beats writing monologues
- When it’s actually OK to limit choice—and when it’s not

Whether you’re a new DM or a veteran storyteller, this episode will help you build trust at the table, avoid burnout, and craft stories that feel alive.

What if the price of survival was your last sliver of humanity?

In this episode, DG and Finny jack into the glitchy, brutal world of CY_Borg, a cyberpunk TTRPG where style, violence, and anti-corporate rage collide in a data-drenched dystopia. This MÖRK BORG spin-off throws you into a decaying city of slums, corrupted tech, and rules meant to be broken.

If you love neon grit, random tables, and flipping off the megacorps—this one’s for you.

Want to get in touch? Send us an email at: [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What if the monsters weren’t lurking in the shadows—but seated right at your gaming table?

In this episode, DG and Finny delve into Vampire: The Masquerade 5e, the gothic-punk TTRPG where you don’t play the heroes—you play the vampires. This deep dive explores the blood-soaked lore, intricate rules, and storytelling potential behind one of the most iconic games in the World of Darkness.

Curious if this TTRPG is your next dark obsession—or an unreadable nightmare? Tune in and find out.

Want to get in touch? Send us an email at: [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What if you could embark on an epic TTRPG adventure… without a group?

In this episode, DG and Finny explore Ironsworn, the award-winning solo RPG that lets you take on quests, forge bonds, and shape your own fate in a harsh, Nordic-inspired world.

We cover:

The unique mechanics behind its d6 vs 2d10 “moves” system
How your vows and momentum define your story
The incredible Oracle system that replaces a GM
Why this is perfect for solo players—and what GMs can steal from it

Plus, our honest takes on the design, mechanics, and art style.

Want a copy for yourself? head on over to https://tomkinpress.com/pages/ironsworn and download it completely for free!

Want to get in touch? Send us an email at: [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

This week on Masters of Pen and Paper, we're back with Part 2 of our Rules-Lite TTRPG spotlight, featuring two radically different but equally creative one-page RPGs.

It Is Said – A haunting, folklore-based story game where you’re lost in a mysterious forest filled with spirits, myths, and strange creatures from Lithuanian legend. Armed only with hope and old stories, will you find your way home?

Newtype – A mech-based skirmish RPG inspired by Gundam and Evangelion, where your vocabulary and wordplay literally build your pilot and mech. One part narrative, one part tactical—this one’s made for imaginative brawlers.

We cover:

Want to run a tabletop RPG but don’t know where to start? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, we break down the fundamentals of being a Game Master (GM)—whether you're running Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Pathfinder, or any other TTRPG.

Hosts DG and Finny cover how to start as a GM, tips for running your first session, avoiding common pitfalls like railroading, and keeping your players engaged. Plus, we share must-have resources and our best advice from over 20 years of experience!

If you've ever thought about running a game, this episode is your guide to building worlds, telling great stories, and leading an unforgettable adventure.

(This is a "Behind the Screens" episode where we discuss different TTRPG topics and not specific game rulesets like normal episodes!)

Want to get in touch? Send us an email at: [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!

What's better than one super rules light TTRPG? TWO super rules light TTRPG's of course!

Finny and I are going through World of Dungeons and Lasers and Feelings today, both of which are COMPLETELY FREE and only a single page. What do you have to lose? Let's have a chat about some quick to table and easy to learn games!

World of Dungeons is a simple, quick-play, dungeon crawling game, using one of the core mechanics from the Powered by the Apocalypse rules system.

It's compatible with Old School Renaissance and original D&D monsters, dungeons, and adventure modules.

Lasers & Feelings is a quick-play role playing game, based on the songs of The Doubleclicks.

You are the crew of the interstellar scout ship Raptor. Your mission is to explore uncharted regions of space, deal with aliens both friendly and deadly, and defend the Consortium worlds against space dangers. Captain Darcy has been overcome by the strange psychic entity known as Something Else, leaving you to fend for yourselves while he recovers in a medical pod.

Want a copy for yourself? Check out World of Dungeons here: https://johnharper.itch.io/world-of-dungeons

and Lasers and Feelings here: https://johnharper.itch.io/lasers-feelings

If you want to send a question or scenario in send us an email! [email protected]

Let us know what you think by leaving a rating and/or comments!

Want to join our discord? You can find us here: https://discord.gg/YkhAQtDDRz

Now - On with the show!