Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is an IT project manager, comic book enthusiast, and outdoor guy who is getting outdoors a lot more these days. David Moore is a father, coder, gamer, woodworker, and guy with too many hobbies he likes to pursue.

Running, Blown Sneakers, and ByclingKen's stuck on Week 4 of his 10K training program. He blew out a sneaker (turns out he's bad at taking off sneakers)Also: training is hard.Thinking about doing more biking to balance out the running. Got a Trek Dual Sport 3 last year and used to bike work. Now … that’s not an option since he's working from home. Ken invents the term “Bycling”, a combination of cycling and bicycling. - DavidGetting ready to do more hiking and backpackingWise Old Humans, Cultured Science Fiction, Worse Worlds Currently working on David Brin’s The Ancient Ones, his first comedy science fiction novel in which humanity is the elder species that serves as advisors to the “demmies”, an overeager species that are always rushing into trouble.Next up? Excession (A Culture Novel Book, Book 5) by Iain M Banks - About an alien artifact that appeared at the edge of the galaxy millennia ago, only to disappear. Now it’s back.The Worst of All Possible Worlds (The Salvagers, Book 3) by Alex White - The concluding novel to the Salvagers series, which mixes space opera with magic.Echoes of Ancient Greece, The Mandibles of the FelineMythic Odysseys of Theros (D&D Campaign Setting and Adventure Book)Based on the Magic: The Gathering world. Inspired by Greek MythologyPart of me wants to run a Clash of the Titans-style fantasy game.Gloomhaven: Jaws of The LionBy Cephalofair Games Expansion / stand-alone game based on Gloomhaven rules.An easier, faster version of the base game. Could be a good introduction to the larger game.

Walk, Walk WalkWalking - Still at least twice a day, but the heat has been hard for David to get in more than thatNot today, but did a fair amount of work in the workshop, cleaning and making shop furnitureDresden returns, Shading the ArcanePeace Talks by Jim Butcher - latest novel in the Dresden Files released July 14, 2020.Still reading The Color of Magic by Terry Prachett halfway through, on hold for Peace Talks. It’s decent, but David definitely likes his later work better.Wondrous Memories of Powerful AtlantisUnfortunately, no regular Sunday game for six weeks now, hoping we’ll play this weekDavid played in a session of Atlantis the Second Age by Khepera Publishing (check out the game's downloads)We just received issues 1-3 of the Zine of Wondrous Power by Highmoon Press and friend Daniel PerezZine of Wondrous Power is a gaming zine by Daniel M. Perez dedicated to exploring playing, design, creation, and discussion of roleplaying games. It features short essays, small games, new rules and settings, fiction, and ideas. If it deals with roleplaying games as a hobby and art form, it has a home in the Zine of Wondrous PowersAssorted Geekery (and dogs)Plex home library, rediscovering all of the DVDs I own but haven’t watched in a while.Legend of KorraBrimstoneConan the BarbarianThundarr the BarbarianNew dog! Zoe is two months old Great Pyrenees (with maybe some labrador in there) and will hopefully be a great playmate for Zeke who is now one year old

Main Topic: Achieving Consensus at the Game Table

Ideas for achieving consensus when looking for a new RPG. Ken’s group is considering alternatives to our short Star Wars game. How do you achieve consensus when picking a new game?

Polling? Big forum thread?In-person brainstorming (or, in the COVID world, video conference brain storming)

Right now we’re looking at some sort of science fiction game, but the options are all over the place:

Homegrown cyberpunk, space opera, near-future, High SF?Star Trek?Urban fantasy (i.e. spellslingers on the streets of New York)Something powered by Savage Worlds?