GamingPerspectives

In this Episode Saul and Jolene discuss overpowered or broken elements of a RPG. Sometimes its a skill, a spell, a feat, a rule or a myrid of different things that can be either be misinterpreted or written too vague or not written well. Saul and Jolene both recount experiences read from online posts and personal experiences when players and GMs might have made an error when reading or creating a character or item. When this happens it can unbalance the party, lead to boredom and generally some people not having fun at the game table. Saul and Jolene then discuss what players and GMs can do to remedy the situation. Thank you all for Listening Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by P. Bailey, song What's it Going to Be, off the album The Singles Disc 2 Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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? If you have any comments, questions or topics you would like Saul and Jolene to discuss please email them at Gamingperspectives.com@gmail.com Thank you all for Listening Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Alazarin, song Sports Model, off the album It's Music Jim, Just Not as We Know It. Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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 the pitfall for the GM and their players when this happens? Thank you all for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Deus King, song Back Again, off the album There's Nothing Impossible Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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 remembered a couple situations where placing or drawing a map gave more information than what just was on the map. One was in a D&D game another was in a Feng Shui game. Saul was the GM of both and realized that just by placing a map or drawing out a map or situation on a battlemat "tells" the players of a possible encounter. Thank you all for Listening Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Chiba, song Maps of the Sky Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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 play style. Thank you all for Listening Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by P. Bailey, song What's it Going to Be, off the album The Singles Disc 2 Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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 You'll Ever Need, T.M. Holladay Orbis Mundi 2, by Phil McGregor https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/222678/orbis-mundi-2 Thank you all for Listening Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Burning Brains The Band, song Illusion World, off the album Amazon Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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 Music by Ant America, song The Information Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Recently Saul and Jolene were at a local Gaming Convention and at a RPG game and when the group broke for a quick dinner break, one player never came back. This has happened at gaming conventions and even in home game groups. What can a GM do to mitigate the affects of the missing player. Though usually more problematic at a Convention or in a One-shot RPG game there are things that you can do as a GM to make the session still go well. Saul and Jolene discuss what happened in their Star Trek game when the player playing the Chief Medical Officer did not come back from the break. Jolene discusses what she did when a key player in her Shadowrun 5th Edition game had to sit out in two session in a row. Why she cancelled one session but went without that character/player the 2nd time he had to cancel. Indeed it seems that for Saul and Jolene the fact that a character missing from the game might actually make the game more enjoyable since it requires more "thinking outside the box." Thank you all for listening! Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Danny Allen, song "I'm Leaving" Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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 Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Adam Balusik, song They Still Need More, off the album Three Trees Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used under the Creative Commons Lincense 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

This is one of our Bonus Episodes an interview of Lester Smith the author of one of Saul's favorite RPGs, Dark Conspiracy. Lester Smith has worked for many famous game companies. From small companies like Flying Buffalo to TSR. Lester was gracious to talk to us and share some of his story. From his gaming roots, to finding RPGs to being hired to work on RPGs. Now a "retired" game creator his is finishing up his Bookmark RPG Kickstarter, check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lestersmith/make-100-battle-bookmarks and will be Kickstartering a revised version of his D6XD6 RPG. Thanks for listening.

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 super spies and daring cops to very hard luck detectives and private eyes. Rpgs from well known RPG publishers to independent publishers using self publishing. As Always thank you all for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Song by Steve Katz, song A Modern Tale, off the album Barricades Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Dungeons and Dragons turns 50 this year. Saul and Jolene discuss what they feel has been some of the most important changes to D&D from it's publication and how it has impacted their lives. Thanks for Listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones *editorial note: Saul states that the first hardback AD&D book bought was the Monster Manual but it was the Dungeon Master's Guide. The one with the red effrit on the cover. Music by Kathrin Klimek, song The March of the Dragon Hunters off the album, Cinema-Masterful Flim Music- Vol 1 Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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's in his collection. And Two, stern warning from Jolene to curb his crowdfunding habit. That is the reason Saul did not crowd fund Dragonbane and even after he got it, he didn't look rules. But since playing it Saul and Jolene really liked how Dragonbane was written and even more important how it played. So Saul and Jolene decided to do an episode about it. Thank you all for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Chris Sebby, song The Dragon Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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 usual Saul digressed but Jolene really kept a tight rein on Saul and the discussion was almost all about Familiars and Animal Companions in RPGs. Thank you all for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by 50 Foot Wave, song Animal from the album Free Music Available from Freemusicarchive Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Aging in RPGs. Some games have rules about them, some games ingnore age of the characters and other games, age is an intrical part of the game. Saul and Jolene talk about age in RPGs from the very young and the very old. How and what effects are there due to age seem reasonable and how do different RPGs handle age in their games. Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by The Jody Band, song Getting Up in Years Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Reading from the Reddit post about RPGs, Saul came across a post by a first time GM who was looking for advice on his ideas that he has for a brand new campaign. The new GM wanted to embed a powerful NPC with the party that would grow in power as the party grew in power. There was quite a few responses and Saul talked about the post with Jolene. There was quite a bit of discussion and funny stories about new GM mistakes and the current episode is the result. Thank You All for Listening. One of the books Saul could not remember was Eragon by Christopher James Paolini The other book was the Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Song by Varjen, Song The Big Advice, from the album Hardland EP Used Under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss the use of Side Quests in a tabletop RPG. Should you add Side Quests to your rpg campaign? What are Side Quests? What different types of Side Quests are there? Are there any problems with using Side Quests? Happy New Year to all of you. Thanks for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by John Vandergriff, song Side Quest. Available from FreeMusicArchive.com Used under the Creative Commons License 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Most GM that have been in the hobby for a while will have one, two or a few RPG games that have never hit the table. Saul is no exception to this problem. Though Saul might have quite a few more RPGs on his bookshelves than most but then again he has been playing RPGs since 1978. Still whether it's a couple games of half you collection of RPGs that you have not played it does become a bit depressing seeing all that gaming goodness go unplayed. Saul read a post on Reddit of a GM ranting more than asking for help about this very situation. Gamers being the helpful short responded with some witty posts and others posted some very good advice. Saul asked Jolene about the subject and she went to the internet to see information on ways GMs got their unplayed RPGs to the table. Thank You All for Listening. Happy New Year to Everyone! Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by A to the G, song By New Year's Day. Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

This Episode Saul and Jolene discuss some RPGs that are making their was to being published in 2024. Saul threw in a couple that have just been published in the last months of 2023. These are games that have piqued the interest of Saul and Jolene. Podcast Error: the first RPG discussed by Saul he stated was called the Lost Isle but it is called the Hidden Isle. The link to their Kickstarter page is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/causacreations/the-hidden-isle Our Apologies for this mistake. Thank you all for listening If you have any question or game topics which you would like Saul and Jolene to discuss you can reach Saul or Jolene at gamingperspectives.com@gmail.com Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones. The author of Shadow of the Demon Lord and Shadow of the Weird Wizard is Robert Schwalb. Here is his website: https://schwalbentertainment.com/shadow-of-the-demon-lord/ I didn't mention the author of Pendragon that is Greg Stafford. Here is Chaosium website: https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-rpg/ Here is the link to the Marvel Multiverse RPG: https://www.marvel.com/rpg The Walking Dead RPG information can be found at the Free League website here: https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/the-walking-dead-universe-roleplaying-game/ Music by Lady Jazzer, song Carol of the Bells Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

A bit different in this episode Saul and Jolene talk about Miniature Wargames. Miniature Games come in all genres, from large armies to single miniatures on a table. Some have large books for rules others don't. Jolene was asking about miniature games that were not Warhammer 40K and easy to play. Saul has played more miniature games than Jolene but she has been going to conventions and has watched many miniature games and asked the players many questions about their games. Most have been very accomodating to tell her what the games were about. Saul and Jolene looked at miniature games which would be good for beginners or ease of entry into the miniature game hobby. Some games were tied to Intellectual properties like Star Wars and The Walking Dead, others had their own settings and worlds. The genres go from survival, sports, war, fantasy, science fiction and more. The common thread among the games discussed were that they were very easy to start playing for a miniature game. As always thanks for listening. Web Art by Jim Foster Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones Music by Timbrelane, song Wargames Available from Tribeofnoise.com Used under the Creative Commons License 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/