Miskatonic University Podcast

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett explore an often discussed but barely understood topic for Lovecraft Horror: Mythos Magic for your PCs. We’re using Call of Cthulhu as the ruleset but the principles can be used for any of the myriad Lovecraft investigation games. Bridgett’s Pet Pic Shout Out This episode, I’m shouting out the kittuh Fiona, submitted by Skip!  This curious cat is on two feet with curiosity and attitude on full blast. She’s giving disrespected meercat vibes and I love it. Patreon Plug & Update We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D  And thank you to our editor Gene for editing this episode.  Main Topic —  Tonight we want to talk about Mythos Magic and how to make it work for Player Characters.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Dave discuss horror unda the sea! Patreon Plug & Update We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! Hey! We have new members! Matthew “The Gentleman Gamer” Dawkins WHAT A GENTLEMAN Eric Topp just updated his membership! Thank you! Antonio Marchena just updated his membership! Thank you! Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D  And thank you to our editor Equinox for editing this episode.  Main Topic —  Horror under the sea!

This episode, we continue with our GM Like a Pro series with another special guest to help us untangle your GMing needs. Welcome WRITER. DEVELOPER. GENTLEMAN GAMER, all the way from the United Kingdom, Matthew Dawkins. Welcome Matthew Patreon Plug & Update We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! Hey! We have a new member! Whooooooooooo! P Trolius Thank you to everyone who has updated their levels and is engaging with our new tiers. We’re so thankful for all of you. The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D  And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.  Main Topic —  Welcome to our new curriculum “GM Like a Pro.” Over this series of episodes we will bring you a solid set of tools you can use to up your game mastering and expand both your skills as well as strengthen your table and all of your players.  Tonight is session seven, “How to bring your NPCs to life!”

Keeper Chad, a seasoned RPG writer, and Evan Perlman, a community content creator, share expert insights on condensing game scenarios. They discuss the importance of respecting players' time and mastering GM skills through brevity. Techniques like estimating scene lengths, employing quick rulings, and using the 'big red button' for pacing are explored. The duo emphasizes maintaining emotional depth even in short formats and suggests using compact scenarios for events like conventions. Their practical prep tips offer a path to smoother, faster-paced gameplay.

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett discuss how our playthroughs of A Lonely Thread, from Chaosium’s No Time to Scream! This is the fourth episode in our GM Like a Pro curriculum. It is also the follow up from previous episode, 310, so if for some reason you missed 310, definitely go listen to that first. Patreon Plug & Update Our new Patreon tiers. That’s right – we rolled out updates on October 1st. New perks, new opportunities, and new ways to celebrate MUP and get involved.  Our very first quarterly MUP Backer Hang for Thursday, December 12th from 8-9 pm ET. We’ll be on discord, it’ll be AMA style, there will be jokes, and lots and lots of shade. To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D  And thank you to our editor Ben for editing this episode.  Main Topic —  Welcome to our new curriculum “GM Like a Pro.” Over this series of episodes we will bring you a solid set of tools you can use to up your game mastering, and expand both your skills as well as strengthen your table and all of your players.  Tonight is session four “How to Prep One-Shots Like a Pro – Part 2,” How the Prep was Won.

This episode, Keepers Dave & Bridgett continue with our GM Like a Pro curriculum with part one of a two parter titled How to Prep a One-Shot. We used B.W. Holland’s newest scenario A Lonely Thread from Chaosium’s book, No Time to Scream! Patreon Plug & Update We have a Patreon! To back us you can click the button on the sidebar of our website, mu-podcast.com or head over to Patreon directly at www.patreon.com/mup! The Discord Plug Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D  And thank you to our editor Nate for editing this episode.  Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out Friend of the show Chad Bowser shows off the kittuh, Fudge, all ready for Halloween. In dragon ears!!! If you have furry or scaly babies in costume, post them to the pet pic channel! Shall we head to… Main Topic —  Tonight is session three of “How to Prep One-Shots Like a Pro,” with tonight covering the actual prep, how each of us goes about preparing for a game, and all the possible places things can go wrong.

Your Friend Nate, a narrative game runner and podcaster with a flair for storytelling and improvisation, joins the discussion to enhance your game mastery. They dive into defining atmosphere, exploring its emotional impact and how to build tension through contrast. Nate emphasizes using the five senses and simple sensory cues to create depth, encouraging players to contribute their own details. They also highlight the importance of varied tones and the power of memory-linked cues like smell and taste to evoke strong reactions. Tune in for actionable insights and fun homework!

Explore the art of game mastering with insights on pacing your games effectively. Discover the importance of communication and aligning expectations with players. Learn practical prep strategies to minimize dead time, and explore techniques like pre-rolls and the 'talk, fight, repeat' model. The hosts discuss when to slow down or speed up pacing based on player preferences. They also share tips for recapturing pacing and knowing when to end a session. Plus, enjoy a delightful pet picture shout-out!