Talk to your GM.

### Why retire your character (3:05)

* Because you feel that they have fulfilled their purpose in the narrative

* Or because it has fulfilled its purpose in an off play way (I wanted to play a swashbuckler to study the class/explore an idea or theme) now I’m done.

* I want to try a new class

* They don’t work as intended

* They’ve become too complicated

* I no longer care about them

* They got pushed into a corner

* I have a brilliant retirement idea

### Is this what you want to do? (9:35)

Can the reason for your retierment be solved with the current character? A character has a history, and that's something that shouldn’t be tossed away lightly.

### Retire gracefully (12:05)

Find an in-play reason why they must leave - this should be planned with the GM.

* Kill them off

* Have them finish up whatever business was keeping them in the group

* They must respond to a crisis

* They go on a personal journey

* Their past comes back

* They’re kidnapped, or make a face-heel turn

* Best option: a demon burst out of their flaming corpse and join the party, swearing to avenge the destruction of his vessel.

[Scanlan's angry departure](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7DuwqJtCGI&t=7660s).

### What now (26:07)

* Introducing a new character: consider upgrading an NPC/cohort; find common goals.

* Playing a temporary character.

* Handing off your character to the GM to be an NPC.

### Summary (33:15)

### Taking the Load Off (34:20)

Uri - an RPG weekend. [Image album here](https://www.facebook.com/lifshitz/media_set?set=a.10156573207193412&type=3).

Eran - [Crystal Heart](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/281539/Crystal-Heart?affiliate_id=29668) is now out!

### Weekly questions (1:15)

[Full explanation of the weekly question](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-question-week/), and [examples for its uses](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-examples-fro-weekly-questions/).

### Consume genre-related content (6:00)

Fill your head with X.

### Fill-in details (7:35)

### Create! (9:05)

### Invest time and effort to enhance your game (12:45)

### Expand on in-game events that you glossed over during the session (17:00)

Session time is expansive.

* Interaction between characters

* Shopping

* Play the Downtime

### Summary (22:45)

Do the thing!

### Taking the Load Off (24:00)

Eran - Crystal Heart, [Pyre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyre_(video_game))

Uri - Rehearsals for play, “storyteller”, character work.

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/lic

### Weekly questions (1:15)

[Full explanation of the weekly question](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-question-week/), and [examples for its uses](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-examples-fro-weekly-questions/).

### Consume genre-related content (6:00)

Fill your head with X.

### Fill-in details (7:35)

### Create! (9:05)

### Invest time and effort to enhance your game (12:45)

### Expand on in-game events that you glossed over during the session (17:00)

Session time is expansive.

* Interaction between characters

* Shopping

* Play the Downtime

### Summary (22:45)

Do the thing!

### Taking the Load Off (24:00)

Eran - Crystal Heart, [Pyre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyre_(video_game))

Uri - Rehearsals for play, “storyteller”, character work.

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/lic

### Tal Shiboli asks (1:30)

[Right here:](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/)

> I have a bit of an issue with taking notes as we play and still following what goes on at the table (yay for ADHD).

Would love to get some tips on how to take quick,tidy notes during a session that's not too disruptive for my nonexistent attention span...

If you think this is enough of a topic for an episode feel free to use my question and name”

### The need for notekeeping (2:30)

While mere seconds may pass between one character’s turn and the next, sometimes days or weeks may transpire in the real world. Thus it is sometimes a real problem to remember what happened in the game world, what the plot is about and who the heck is count Van Messer?

[How Uri remembers stuff](https://dwarves.podiant.co/how-to-remember-everything/)

### Keep track of your physical things (4:20)

All character sheets, handouts, props, notes etc.

### Session summaries (5:30)

During the game: Pen and paper, phone, laptopt

After the game: email summaries, commutative Google Docs

WhatsApp groups

### Record your sessions(8:40)

[How Uri records his sessions](https://dwarves.podiant.co/how-uri-records-his-sessions/)

### Create (10:50)

Turn events into short stories, comics or paintings.

### Online documentation tools (11:30)

Websites dedicated to campaign documentation, for example: [Obsidian Portal](https://www.obsidianportal.com/), [World Anvil](https://www.worldanvil.com/).

Use Facebook groups to document your campaign.

### Rewarding for documentation (14:00)

There are mechanics that support out of play creation and reward it. For example the Ember DIceless RPG.

If the information is available and accessible - people will use it. Experiment and find to what the rest of the group respond to and use that.

### Best practices (18:45)

[Jessica](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/?comment_id=879529455741305&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D)

[Dassi](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/?comment_id=879876915706559&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D)

### Summary (25:25)

### Taking the Load Off (26:00)

[Crystal Heart book](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/), coming real soon.

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

### Tal Shiboli asks (1:30)

[Right here:](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/)

> I have a bit of an issue with taking notes as we play and still following what goes on at the table (yay for ADHD).

Would love to get some tips on how to take quick,tidy notes during a session that's not too disruptive for my nonexistent attention span...

If you think this is enough of a topic for an episode feel free to use my question and name”

### The need for notekeeping (2:30)

While mere seconds may pass between one character’s turn and the next, sometimes days or weeks may transpire in the real world. Thus it is sometimes a real problem to remember what happened in the game world, what the plot is about and who the heck is count Van Messer?

[How Uri remembers stuff](https://dwarves.podiant.co/how-to-remember-everything/)

### Keep track of your physical things (4:20)

All character sheets, handouts, props, notes etc.

### Session summaries (5:30)

During the game: Pen and paper, phone, laptopt

After the game: email summaries, commutative Google Docs

WhatsApp groups

### Record your sessions(8:40)

[How Uri records his sessions](https://dwarves.podiant.co/how-uri-records-his-sessions/)

### Create (10:50)

Turn events into short stories, comics or paintings.

### Online documentation tools (11:30)

Websites dedicated to campaign documentation, for example: [Obsidian Portal](https://www.obsidianportal.com/), [World Anvil](https://www.worldanvil.com/).

Use Facebook groups to document your campaign.

### Rewarding for documentation (14:00)

There are mechanics that support out of play creation and reward it. For example the Ember DIceless RPG.

If the information is available and accessible - people will use it. Experiment and find to what the rest of the group respond to and use that.

### Best practices (18:45)

[Jessica](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/?comment_id=879529455741305&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D)

[Dassi](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/?comment_id=879876915706559&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D)

### Summary (25:25)

### Taking the Load Off (26:00)

[Crystal Heart book](https://www.uptofourplayers.com/), coming real soon.

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

For the purpose of this episode, when we say “props” we mean any additional implements that you add to your game that are not an inherent part of the gaming mechanics.

### Handouts (3:07)

These are basically just pieces of paper with a depiction of the information or images that the characters are exposed to.

[Etchings by James McNeill Whistler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Abbott_McNeill_Whistler#Printmaking)

### Actual Props (6:08)

Riddle devices like a locking puzzle box or a representation of some important in-game item.

[Relics and Rarities](https://geekandsundry.com/shows/relics-rarities/)

### Apparels (9:55)

### Mood Setters (12:10)

Change the lighting of the room: make the room a little bit lighter or darker than usual. You can even go as far as lighting candles or changing one of the lightbulbs to a colored bulb.

Music: [TabletopAudio.com](https://tabletopaudio.com/), [SyrinScape](https://syrinscape.com/), [Melodice.org](Melodice.org)

Smell: Scented candle or Incense are a dime a dozen and have a great effect, especially if used sparingly.

### Marker vs one-time experience (16:35)

### Food and snacks (18:15)

### Taking the Load Off (22:50)

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

For the purpose of this episode, when we say “props” we mean any additional implements that you add to your game that are not an inherent part of the gaming mechanics.

### Handouts (3:07)

These are basically just pieces of paper with a depiction of the information or images that the characters are exposed to.

[Etchings by James McNeill Whistler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Abbott_McNeill_Whistler#Printmaking)

### Actual Props (6:08)

Riddle devices like a locking puzzle box or a representation of some important in-game item.

[Relics and Rarities](https://geekandsundry.com/shows/relics-rarities/)

### Apparels (9:55)

### Mood Setters (12:10)

Change the lighting of the room: make the room a little bit lighter or darker than usual. You can even go as far as lighting candles or changing one of the lightbulbs to a colored bulb.

Music: [TabletopAudio.com](https://tabletopaudio.com/), [SyrinScape](https://syrinscape.com/), [Melodice.org](Melodice.org)

Smell: Scented candle or Incense are a dime a dozen and have a great effect, especially if used sparingly.

### Marker vs one-time experience (16:35)

### Food and snacks (18:15)

### Taking the Load Off (22:50)

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

### Setting the scene, the Five W’s (1:10)

* Who is it about?

* What happened?

* When did it take place?

* Where did it take place?

* Why did it happen?

Retro justification: How did we get here?

### Forward-thinking (7:00)

Is this getting us somewhere? - Did this push the plot, or a character arc, forward?

If not - Do we need this?

### Uri's tools (8:25)

Guiding the plot: [Subtle railroading](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/3686b9a8d8a11c/)

Engaging the players

Character development

Open-ended questions

The Chandelier rule

Feedback

### Taking the Load Off (20:00)

If you feel underrepresented in the Ennies, please consider [submitting yourself as a judge](http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/2020-ennie-judge-nominations-open/).

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

### Setting the scene, the Five W’s (1:10)

* Who is it about?

* What happened?

* When did it take place?

* Where did it take place?

* Why did it happen?

Retro justification: How did we get here?

### Forward-thinking (7:00)

Is this getting us somewhere? - Did this push the plot, or a character arc, forward?

If not - Do we need this?

### Uri's tools (8:25)

Guiding the plot: [Subtle railroading](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/3686b9a8d8a11c/)

Engaging the players

Character development

Open-ended questions

The Chandelier rule

Feedback

### Taking the Load Off (20:00)

If you feel underrepresented in the Ennies, please consider [submitting yourself as a judge](http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/2020-ennie-judge-nominations-open/).

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

**Note: **We say the word "indie" a lot in this episode, and bring up mostly indie-adjcant games, but that's only a force of habit; this advice works just as well for big names and big companies.

[The chart that is not recommended](http://inkwellideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/rpgchart1.gif)

### What makes a system good (or bad) (2:30)

### Ask yourself (6:55)

Use these questions to guide yourself, or to help others guide you.

* What is the genre of game you enjoy the most?

* What is the level of “power” you wish to have?

* How much time will the GM and player be willing to invest in learning a new system?

* What did you play before? What parts did you enjoy? Which part didn’t you enjoy?

### Best practices to trying new things (15:05)

[Legacy free quick start](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/242387/Legacy-Life-Among-the-Ruins-2nd-Edition-Quickstart--NonCompliant?affiliate_id=29668) ([and another one!](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/217102/Titanomachy-Legacy-2nd-Edition-Quickstart?affiliate_id=29668)

[Worlds of Legacy](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4329/Modiphius/subcategory/8425_29868/Legacy-Life-Among-the-Ruins?affiliate_id=29668)

Try very different things. Powered by the Apocalypse, Blades in the Dark, [Grant Howitt’s one-sheets](https://www.patreon.com/gshowitt), [Indie press Revolution](https://www.indiepressrevolution.com/)

Try the most critically acclaimed things. Ask in your local FLGS. Check out [the RPG Pipeline](http://therpgpipeline.com/), follow [d100 News](https://d100news.com/) (by friend of the show Amy), [Roll20 Pick Up Games](https://app.roll20.net/lfg/search/)

### Taking the Load Off (27:45)

Eran - [Free RPG Day](https://www.freerpgday.com/) this Saturday

Uri - [Kiss Her Before the World Ends](https://tafkat.itch.io/kiss-her-before-the-world-ends)

-----

Email us at [email protected] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast)

[We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you.

Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)