Role Playing Public Radio

News: Back the RPPR Patreon for $10 to receive an enamel pin with our new logo. Check this post for details! Synopsis: Shaun has started working on a new storytelling game called Derail. It’s about subverting cliches and tropes in movies and video games. We talk about his new game and his first two playtests. I’ve actually playtested Ruin twice and I talk about my progress with the game. Caleb has several game design projects he is working on, so he talks about them as well. Song: Main Title by Johnny Scratch

News: We have created a new reward for RPPR patrons – extended early access! Get actual plays and panels recorded at Gen Con 2018 a month early! The first AP, Dagashi OVA Season 1, run by Bridget, is available now on the RPPR Patreon! Synopsis: The new Witcher tabletop RPG is out and we have looked it over. I discuss the RPG with Birk, a new RPPR cast member, to discuss the game and licensed games in general. We also have shout outs and an anecdote Shout Outs Channel A Kickstarter: Back it today! One of the best party card games out there needs a reprint! Garage: Bad Trip – a horror action video game with an 80s aesthetic. Lovecraft’s Untold Stories: Early Access top down Lovecraftian roguelike shooter. Fun but still rough in places. Castle Rock: A horror TV series on Hulu set in the Stephen King shared universe. GLOW: a Netflix series about a lady’s wrestling show in the 1980s. Scum and Villainy: A sci-fi crime RPG that uses the Blades in the Dark system. Babbling Corpse: Vaporwave And The Commodification Of Ghosts – an excellent book about vaporwave Song: Song of Storms by Polygon Dreams

Role Playing Public Radio, the Ennie Award winning RPG podcast, will record a live episode of their show. We will talk about Gen Con, take questions from the audience, & more! We wound up playing a game of Maid, reviewing a board game, and answering a lot of audience questions. Thanks to Adam from RPX for recording the questions. (Photos from Thad’s Polaroid camera)

We’re back from Gen Con and we had a blast! In this episode we go over the highlights and low points of our con experiences and more importantly, the games we played! Board games, card games, and of course, role playing games. What did we try out and what did we grab for future episodes? If you want to hear how Caleb and Spencer did, listen to the Mixed Six Hot Takes Gen Con special, available to everyone, not just backers of their Patreon. Shout Outs Hanamikoji: a new card game about winning the favor of geishas. Catch the Moon: a dexterity game about balancing ladders. Petrichor: a beautiful board game about clouds raining on crops. Grackles:A fun abstract strategy game. Goodcritters:a game about bribery and manipulation. And furries. Buy the Rights:a fun party game about coming up with movie ideas. Kory Bing: a web comic artist and creator of Skin Deep. Tortuga 1667:a pirate board game about hidden identities and looting. Cosmic Horror Panel by the Drunk and Ugly Epyllion:A RPG about dragons and friendships Elderwood Academy: Custom dice towers and other crafted goods. X-Wings Minis: all the spaceship fighting you could want! Kill Team: Warhammer 40k but with fewer figures. Autumn Frederickson: a fantasy artist who paints tiny dragons. Extra Credits: a Youtube channel that explains nerdy topics. If I left something out, post about it in the comments. Song: Tracks from March of Thieves by Lux Viridis

Caleb Stokes, Jeff Barber, and I discuss our current work in game design at this panel, recorded at Gen Con 2018. I talk about the current state of Ruin, my architectural horror RPG, Caleb talks about Red Markets, and Jeff talks about Upwind. We also answer questions from the audience, trying to help them with their current design problems.

Iron Edda Accelerated is a roleplaying game about the heroes of a Viking holdfast during Ragnarok. They battle threats from outside and within for honor, glory, and clan. The game draws strongly from Norse mythology — although its focus on holdfasts allows for telling a variety of stories. I talked to the game’s creator, Tracy Barnett, about the game and game design in general. If you think this is an interesting game, please check it out on Kickstarter!

RPPR and the Mixed Six are going to be at Gen Con this year with multiple events! We have panels, games, and seminars for our fans. Caleb and I talk about them with special guest Maddy. RPPR Game Design Panel: Thursday 10 am to 11 am. Red Markets Panel: Thursday from noon to 1 pm. Mixed Six Podcast Live: Friday 3 to 4 pm. RPPR Live/Meetup: Friday 6 to 9 pm. Intro to Patreon and Subscription Crowdfunding: Saturday 10 am to 11 am. Advanced Patreon Workshop: Saturday Noon to 1 pm. Queer Experiences in Gaming: Saturday 3 to 4 pm If you are a $10 backer or above for the RPPR Patreon, you can join in an exclusive game run by Bridget! She is running 3 games for backers. Get on the RPPR Discord on channel #bridget-gencon-games for details! Not on our Discord but a patron of RPPR? Read this article to join the server. We have also planned to record a Zweihander game run by the game’s creator Daniel Fox.

Delta Green: The Labyrinth takes Delta Green agents beyond the beltway and deep into the fissures of America in the new millennium. American life has entered a labyrinth of twisty passages all alike. And while there are many ways in, there is no way out. I interviewed John Scott Tynes about his recent turn back into tabletop RPG design and what makes this new book unique for Delta Green. If you think you would enjoy it, consider checking the Kickstarter out.

News: BACK PARTY FOWL NOW! Synopsis: Caleb and I (along with Sara who is not on this episode) went to Origins for the first time. Caleb ran Red Markets and Party Fowl while I just attended as a carefree con goer. We both had a good time, bought way too many games, and learned how Origins is different than Gen Con. Some (but not all) of the games we discuss include: Wrath and Glory: I got to play the new Warhammer 40k RPG and had a blast. The Devil, John Moulton: A free Weird Western RPG. Iron Edda Accelerated: A new edition is coming to Kickstarter soon! Seal Team Flix: A flick game based on tactical combat with detailed mini games. Dragon Castle: a tile laying board game that uses mahjong tiles. Murder of Crows: a fun card game from Atlas Games. Thanks to all the listeners who met us at Origins, especially those who donated beer for the Mixed Six podcast. Song: Summer’s End by Aekasora

News: RPPR B-Sides Volume 4: Unknown Markets is now available! Listen to incomplete Unknown Armies and Red Markets campaigns run by Caleb and I, and many one shots for various systems! We’re also going to Origins next week. Caleb is running demos of Party Fowl (BACK IT NOW ON KICKSTARTER!) and Red Markets. Synopsis: I recently got my print copy of Mutant Crawl Classics so I have been thinking a lot about the science fiction of the 1970s. From movies like Logan’s Run to comics like Kamandi, it is a unique era and worth examining for gaming fodder. Thad and I talk about how to use it in games and what makes it worth checking out. We also have shout outs and anecdotes! Shout Outs What Remains of Edith Finch: An excellent video game about an eccentric family. High Rise: A 1970s novel about rich people and tribalism. The Word for the World is Forest: Another 1970s sci-fi novel about colonialism and its price. Connor Sherlock: An indie video game developer with some cool games. Xcom 2 – War of the Chosen: Hella fun expansion for Xcom 2. Even better with mods, thanks to Steam Workshop. Some More News: A former Cracked writer’s news commentary video series. Song: Un Sospiro Nel Profondo Nero by Adamennon