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Roll For Topic episodes

June 13, 2019 Episode 13 — How to Prepare to Run a Roleplaying Game (With Audrey Huggett)
We’re joined by GM and librarian Audrey Huggett to talk about preparing to run an RPG. We also hear about Audrey’s successful efforts to bring roleplaying events to the library! Episode 13 appendix (aka show notes): Murder at Raccoon Ranch, a massive roleplaying/mystery event that Audrey hosted at her library. The In Between: Quest for …
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40 min
June 13, 2019 Episode 13 — How to Prepare to Run a Roleplaying Game (With Audrey Huggett)
We’re joined by GM and librarian Audrey Huggett to talk about preparing to run an RPG. We also hear about Audrey’s successful efforts to bring roleplaying events to the library!
Episode 13 appendix (aka show notes):
Murder at Raccoon Ranch, a massive roleplaying/mystery event that Audrey hosted at her library.The In Between: Quest for the Keystone, a fantasy RPG event that Audrey designed and ran for library patrons.Upcoming events at the Ann Arbor District Library.The NeoScum podcast, a cyberpunk campaign using the Shadowrun game/setting.RPG systems and books that we mentioned: the Curse of Strahd campaign for D&D, GURPS (given that Chris and Andy don’t play GURPS, they sure talk about it a lot), Dungeon World, and Blades in the Dark.
40 min
May 30, 2019 Episode 12 — How to Handle Randomness in Your Games
How do you incorporate random elements into your games? Do you rely heavily on randomness or do you downplay it? Andy and Chris discuss the fun (and occasional terror) that random elements bring to a roleplaying game. Episode 12 appendix (aka show notes): The D&D Starter Set, featuring the adventure “Lost Mines of Phandelver” which …
Continue reading "Episode 12 — How to Handle Randomness in Your Games"
42 min
May 30, 2019 Episode 12 — How to Handle Randomness in Your Games
How do you incorporate random elements into your games? Do you rely heavily on randomness or do you downplay it? Andy and Chris discuss the fun (and occasional terror) that random elements bring to a roleplaying game.
Episode 12 appendix (aka show notes):
The D&D Starter Set, featuring the adventure “Lost Mines of Phandelver” which Chris somehow turned into a 12+ month campaign.Blades in the Dark, which seems to come up in every episode.Gamma World, a classic RPG that leans into randomness. Andy mentions the 2010 7th edition, which takes the randomness to a (fun) extreme.Friends at the Table, an actual play podcast that produced the “Fall of Magic” campaign that Chris enjoyed.
42 min
May 16, 2019 Episode 11 — How to Track Combat Details (with Jason Matteson)
What’s the best way to track and manage hit points and other details during an RPG combat scene? Guest GM Jason Matteson joins Andy and Chris to discuss this practical question! Episode 11 appendex (aka show notes): Habler’s Purse, a magic item that Jason created and makes available at the Dungeon Master’s Guide store (pay-what-you-want). …
Continue reading "Episode 11 — How to Track Combat Details (with Jason Matteson)"
36 min
May 16, 2019 Episode 11 — How to Track Combat Details (with Jason Matteson)
Jason’s d10
What’s the best way to track and manage hit points and other details during an RPG combat scene? Guest GM Jason Matteson joins Andy and Chris to discuss this practical question!
Episode 11 appendex (aka show notes):
Habler’s Purse, a magic item that Jason created and makes available at the Dungeon Master’s Guide store (pay-what-you-want).Kobold Fight Club, a website that Chris uses to manage combats.Jason’s DNDTools repo on github.
36 min
May 02, 2019 Episode 10 — How to Deal with Bored or Distracted Players (with Greg Teachout)
What’s a GM to do when their players start getting bored or distracted during a game? Guest GM Greg Teachout joins Andy and Chris to discuss a challenge that every GM will face at some point. Episode 10 appendix: D&D 2nd and 5th editions. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. Save the Cat Writes a Novel …
Continue reading "Episode 10 — How to Deal with Bored or Distracted Players (with Greg Teachout)"
54 min
May 02, 2019 Episode 10 — How to Deal with Bored or Distracted Players (with Greg Teachout)
What’s a GM to do when their players start getting bored or distracted during a game? Guest GM Greg Teachout joins Andy and Chris to discuss a challenge that every GM will face at some point.
Episode 10 appendix:
D&D 2nd and 5th editions.Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov.Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.Dark Souls, a 2011 videogame.The Against Type and Quill or Be Quilled podcasts.
54 min
April 18, 2019 Episode 9 — How to Manage the Power Level of an RPG (with David Frees)
How to you set the power level (and handle the power curve) in a tabletop RPG? Guest GM David Frees joins Andy and Chris to discuss. Episode 9 appendix (aka show notes): The D&D Expert Set. The Lore fantasy roleplaying game by GameFace Publishing (Dave’s game!). Hackmaster 5th edition by Kenzer and Company. Other games …
Continue reading "Episode 9 — How to Manage the Power Level of an RPG (with David Frees)"
48 min
April 18, 2019 Episode 9 — How to Manage the Power Level of an RPG (with David Frees)
How to you set the power level (and handle the power curve) in a tabletop RPG? Guest GM David Frees joins Andy and Chris to discuss.
Episode 9 appendix (aka show notes):
The D&D Expert Set.The Lore fantasy roleplaying game by GameFace Publishing (Dave’s game!).Hackmaster 5th edition by Kenzer and Company.Other games that came up: Exalted, Pathfinder, D&D 5e.The Metroid Prime video game, originally released for the GameCube.
48 min

About Roll For Topic

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GM/DM discussions on topics related to running tabletop games. Each episode is a 30-45 minute conversation about one specific topic chosen by rolling 1d10 on a table of topics.