Saul was thinking what were some themes or genres that RPGs have a hard time capturing the feeling or thrill of playing.  Jolene had a difficult time wondering what Saul was even talking about but after a while she realized the concept Saul was trying to explain.  One example was Sports.  A Sports themed  RPG  that wasn't  a  miniature game or boardgame desguised as a RPG.       That discussion is what lead to this episode.  So is there anything subject, theme or genre that RPGs are not good at?   &nb ..read more

Saul and Jolene were  talking about how people "backtrack" or take their turn over in boardgames, they take their turn and then change their minds and redo their turn.   Saul and Jolene discused  how it seems like a bad idea.   This act of "backtracking" can frustrate other players but what about in an RPGs?             The idea of backtracking an action or a scene in a RPG is usually contemplated by a GM who feels bad or remorse about how things worked out.  So they "backtrack" the play.  Why would a GM do this and what are some of t ..read more

          In this Episode Saul and Jolene answer a question proposed by listener Mike.  He asked about maps.  How much detail do you share with players when you give them a map.   Saul and Jolene thought it was a good question to make an episode.  Along with maps, Saul thought about how much  general information do you share with players.           Saul asked how much should you share with the players?  Does what the character "knows" determine the amount of detail in Maps and Info?       Jolene reme ..read more

What are things that influence what your play style in RPGs.   Saul and Jolene discuss a couple of things that might influence the way you play your character.  Saul admits that for about 20 years, Saul played variations of his own personality and not really trying to Role play an aspect of himself.        As usual Saul strays from the subject by talking about two of his all time favorite RPGs, the One Ring and Shadowrun 5th edition, and Jolene brings him back to the subject at hand though Saul was using those two games as examples of how a game would influence pl ..read more

Someone asked about World Building, and if there was any advice, books, or manuals on how to do it.  Saul looked at his vast amounts of PDFs and found a couple of books on World Building, and Saul even found he had some physical books on the subject.  Jolene not  a fan of World Building, she finds it odd that people would spend the time on world building as she is not a fan of the endeavor.       List of Books mentioned:      The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide by James D'Amato      The Only World Building Workbook ..read more

    Saul and Jolene were discussing how would a GM Desiminate  Information about their RPG Setting.  Especially when the lore is vast and deep.   Saul and Jolene came up with various methods and things to consider what a GM can do to make the "Info Dump" not only be easier but actually work.     Saul used Bethorm rules written by Jeff Dee, for running his Sakbe Road to Redemption game set in the world of Tekumel     Thank you all for Listening      Web Art by Jim Foster      Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones   &nb ..read more

Saul and Jolene were at a Con recently and there a few people stated that there needed to be more rpg games and therefore the idea of needing  more GMs came about.   There was even a discussion on Facebook about what gamers could do to get more people to gm at conventions.       With that discussion in mind Saul and Jolene decided to record an episode of what gamers could do to get more people to run games at Cons, at FLGS, or even at home games.       As always thanks for listening       Web Art by Jim Foster       ..read more

    A husband asked a question about a good Modern RPG that he could run for his wife.  She was not interested in anything related to Fantasy or the Science Fiction genre.  Not interested in any fantastical or supernatural elements in a modern setting.  When Jolene asked about this situation he immediately went to his bookcase and his Drivethrurpg Library.        Saul picked out some RPGs that did  not have any supernatural or fantastical elements.  From the generic RPGs to some RPGs that offer a very specific type of games.  From sup ..read more

     Saul was given a Dragonbane Box Set in July and though he looked at it he did not delve too deeply into the rules. Fast forward to the middle of January 2024 and Saul's brother decided to run a Dragonbane game for their regular Friday Knights Night.  Jolene also plays with the Friday Knights group and after a couple of game session of Dragonbane Saul and Jolene decided to do a review of the game.        Saul had sworn off Kickstarting any Fantasy Roleplaying Game due to two factors.  One was that Saul himself realized he had too many FRPG ..read more

Familiars and Animal Companions in RPGs.   This was a topic that Saul came up with and starting to talk to Jolene about her thoughts on the use of both in RPGs.   The first RPG discussed was of course D&D from AD&D to 5th Edition but others were discussed and how different genres could have different iterations of a Familiar or Animal Companion.       Saul and Jolene also discussed what a GM should consider when dealing with animals under the control of the PC.  Or would the GM treat the familiar as an NPC instead of another PC character.    As u ..read more