The Vintage RPG Podcast

Kathryn Hymes, game developer specializing in language-based games, discusses Xenolanguage, a tabletop story game about first contact with aliens and learning to see the world differently. The game uses a talking board and draws inspiration from soulful sci-fi media. The podcast explores creating an alien language, narrative stakes, RPG entry points, and the release of Xenolanguage on Kickstarter.

This podcast explores the intricacies of the Ravenloft campaign setting, incorporating horror into Dungeons & Dragons, and the love for Van Richten's guides and Ravenloft's aesthetics. They also appreciate Stephen Fabian's art and promote their social media presence.

Discover the heart of Vampire: The Masquerade, its lore, Storyteller system, LARPing, and Tim Bradstreet art. Explore the vampire courts of the goth club scene and the connection between Vampire and Werewolf. Reflect on the cultural factors that contributed to its success in the 90s. Don't miss their discussion on social media and Patreon.

The Vintage RPG Podcast explores the gritty fantasy world of Thieves' World, a collaboration that brought together designers from major RPGs. They discuss the role of random encounters in tabletop games and the controversy surrounding the collaboration with Chaosium. The hosts also recommend the Tim Sale graphic novels and express their appreciation for the listeners.

Explore the odd and nostalgic world of the 'World Action and Adventure' RPG, with its semi-playable game based on the real world. Delve into the game's extensive list of careers and combat system. Discover a 20 verse poem that captures the 80s styling and reminisce about songs like the Fat Boys. Discuss the unconventional decision to create a unique RPG system instead of using Dungeons and Dragons. Reflect on the importance of supportive figures and admire a game. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast and check out their Patreon page!

Jim Zub, creator of Skullkickers Kickstarter: Caster Bastards and the Great Grotesque, Beasts & Behemoths, and the Stranger Things: Dungeons & Dragons comic book, discusses his new projects including the Skull Kickers RPG and Anniversary Kickstarter, the influence of role-playing games on writing careers, playing tabletop RPGs online, and upcoming releases.

Explore the city of Lankhmar and its influence on Dungeons & Dragons. Learn about the creators Fritz Leiber and Otto Fischer, and how the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories shaped the Thieves Guild concept. Discover the charm of screwball adventurers and retired heroes, and the modular geomorphs that make Lankhmar a unique city setting for RPGs.

Steal your strength and guard your soul: this week, the Vintage RPG Podcast looks at Chaosium's Stormbringer RPG. Designed by Ken St. Andre, Stormbringer is a high power and high risk RPG set in the world of Michael Moorcock's Elric stories (for our money, perhaps the greatest fantasy series ever written). One of the more straightforward of the games using Chaosium's Basic Role Playing system, it has piles of fatalistic atmosphere and dark themes, perhaps most notably the magic system that relies on mind altering substances and is entirely arranged around summoning and binding demons and other supernatural entities. Most Stormbringer games end in death or corruption – the fun is in figuring out which is the better fate.

This week, the Vintage RPG Podcast travels back in time to the 80s that never were with Tales From the Loop, an RPG where extraordinary science fiction mysteries crash into the dreariness of everyday life. Based on the mesmerizing artwork of Simon Stålenhag, this Year Zero engine game from Fria Ligan is one of our favorites – easy to pick up and play (especially for beginners), gorgeous to look at and full of enigmas. Check it out if you were ever a kid.

This week, the Vintage RPG Podcast cracks open The Green Knight: A Quest for Honor. Don't let the fake scuff marks fool you: this is a brand new box set from @A24, a marketing tie-in for their forthcoming film The Green Knight. We talk a bit about the original 14th century poem (and how perplexing its intricate commentary on the dueling systems of knightly and chivalric honor might be to modern audiences). Then we dig into the surprisingly novel game system presented in the box, which is arranged around a sliding honor/dishonor scale that focuses on the motives and morals behind player action rather than combat. An easy knock-off of Dungeons & Dragons this is not!