Episodes
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The tabletop world has been shaken by a leaked draft of D&D's new Open Games License, a set of rules that defines how users can create new content around the system. The legal questions are a bit complex so we invited our friend Chris, a lawyer who specializes in entertainment and games law, to shed some light. We talk about specific language, how unique this document may or may not be, and about the landscape going forward with this new OGL.
Chris can be found online at @NYGameLawyer
(Note: This was recorded in the middle of an evolving situation, and there have been and will be more developments coming.)
Initial article by @lincodega: https://gizmodo.com/dnd-wizards-of-the-coast-ogl-1-1-open-gaming-license-1849950634
Wizards of the Coast's response: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1423-an-update-on-the-open-game-license-ogl
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Having returned from H'rabdin, space slug in tow, Mike sits down with Wythe and Ethan to talk about the genesis of Stillfleet. They have a wide-ranging conversation about the optimism of games, creating a world out of bits and pieces, and about creating a playful space for people to engage with ideas that may be overwhelming.
Stillfleet is available on stillfleet.com, and is currently live on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wythe/the-stillfleet-core-rulebook). They can be found on Twitter @stillfleet
(Disclaimer: Mike is a long-time friend of one of the designers and is a backer of the project)
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We enter the world of Stillfleet, a game where fantastical alien races work for The Company on an ancient/futuristic space station called Spindle. It's a vast and colorful world where the wonders of the far future are within your grasp, but with a strong undercurrent of weird biology and corporate intrigue. Join our crew of sentient salamanders, winged monkeys, and unsettling psychic practitioners of Hell Science as we seek... a space slug.
And as an extra special treat, we play with two of the designers of the game, Wythe and Ethan!
Stillfleet is available on stillfleet.com, and is currently live on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wythe/the-stillfleet-core-rulebook). They can be found on Twitter @stillfleet
(Disclaimer: Mike is a long-time friend of one of the designers and is a backer of the project)
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Mike opines about the aesthetics and themes of cyberpunk while Samara digs deep into the Forged in the Dark system in our review of CBR+PNK.
CBR+PNK and Mind The Gap (the specific run setting) are by Emanoel Melo (@emanoelmelo on Twitter) and available on itch.io here. The Forged in the Dark system is based on Blades in the Dark by One Seven Design.
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We jack into a cyberpunk world as we try out CBR+PNK, a one-shot game based on the Forged in the Dark system. Our runners are sent out in one last job to deliver an important package. But all is not as it seems....
CBR+PNK and Mind The Gap (the specific run setting) are by Emanoel Melo (@emanoelmelo on Twitter) and available on itch.io here. The Forged in the Dark system is based on Blades in the Dark by One Seven Design.
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This week we delve into the high-stakes world of competitive bocce. No, you read that right. We try out Sports are Just Numerology, a quick game with an intriguing central mechanic. We also expose just how little Samara and Mike know about sports.
Sports are Just Numerology is by Ben Roswell (@roswellwrites on Twitter) and is available on itch.io.
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We've created our tavern, told some tales, now we try to puzzle out how we ultimately feel about Stewpot.
The zine that Samara references is called Synthesis, by Riley Rethal (@rileyrethaI on Twitter). It can be found on itch.io here.
Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern is by Takuma Okada (@takuma_okada_ on Twitter) and is available for purchase on itch.io.
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This week, we become adventurers retiring to run a tavern in a small fantasy town. Samara and Mike are joined by special guest Jared as they prepare exotic foods, serve drinks, and gather round the hearth for this unique game. Come in and stay a while at Trip's.
Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern is by Takuma Okada (@takuma_okada_ on Twitter) and is available for purchase on itch.io.
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Our adventures have brought us to this point. Mike and Samara debrief on their time spent soaring through the skies. We consider participatory worldbuilding, how to inhabit characters, and the impact that a good aesthetic can have on a gameplay experience.
Lady Blackbird is designed by John Harper (@john_harper on Twitter) and is available for free at ladyblackbird.org
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We take a journey into the Wild Blue Yonder for a tale of high adventure amongst sky pirates. Will the debonair Lady Blackbird and the goblin pilot Snargle find a way to free their crew from the depths of the imperial cruiser Hand of Sorrow? Mike, Samara, and special guest Scott explore this beautifully crafted world of romance, action, and sky squids.
Lady Blackbird is designed by John Harper (@john_harper on Twitter) and is available for free at ladyblackbird.org
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We have finally come home from the cozy town of Coral Gardens, and we have a lot of thoughts. Samara and Mike discuss worldbuilding games vs "tradtional" RPGs, the value of a game throwing you curveballs, and games as escapism.
Cozy Town is a Sword Queen game by Jamila R. Nedjadi (@temporalhiccup on Twitter) and is available at https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/cozy-town.
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Welcome to our cozy little town! Mike and Samara are joined by special guest Kate as we create a thriving little village where everyone looks out for each other. Join us for a warm fuzzy time in our precious welcoming community.
Cozy Town is a Sword Queen game by Jamila R. Nedjadi (@temporalhiccup on Twitter) and is available at https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/cozy-town.
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Off of our gameplay session of Spoken Magic, we discuss the highs and lows. Samara and Mike have a wide-ranging conversation about the nature of language, the dissonance between narrative and mechanic, and how the game shifts between the grounded and the metaphysical.
Spoken Magic is made by Dylan Grinder and can be purchased at https://anarisis.itch.io/spoken-magic. -
Words have power, and this week we speak magical phrases as a trio of adventuring mages who journey across the land to find themselves. What dangers and wisdom awaits?
Spoken Magic is made by Dylan Grinder and can be purchased at https://anarisis.itch.io/spoken-magic. -
We've emerged from the dangers of the forest after playing Trophy and talk about how we feel. We discuss the interplay of joint authorship, the nature of horror gaming, and Mike's opinions on French cinema.
Trophy Dark is made by Jesse Ross and is available on DriveThruRPG and trophyrpg.com.
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The forest is dark and full of terrors. This week, we play Trophy Dark, a mind-bending game about doomed treasure hunters and a forest that seeks to protect itself from all invaders. Will our players survive, or have their minds and bodies broken? And in the end, will they be claimed as a trophy?
Trophy Dark is made by Jesse Ross and is available on DriveThruRPG and trophyrpg.com.
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She's a product manager living in Brooklyn about to wed the love of her life. However, she's got to survive her off-kilter sidhe grandmother who has come back from beyond the divide! Hijinks ensue as we take on Our Mundane Supernatural Life, a warm and fuzzy 2-player game by Vee Hendro and Hayley Gordon.
Our Mundane Supernatural Life is available at https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/ourmundanesupernaturallife/.
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So that was a thing. Did Umlaut live up to their lofty ambitions of letting us live out our metal dreams? Or is the shine on this game a bit dulled? Mike and April-Lyn do a deep dive on what didn't work for them while playing.
Umlaut: Game of Metal is made by Rich Stokes and is available on DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/79824/Umlaut-Game-of-Metal).
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This week we enter the world of face melters, sick beards, and rock gods as we strive to become the greatest metal bands the world has ever seen. We are also joined by two incredible metalhead guests, Elana and John, who take Mike and April-Lyn to school on the ins and outs of metal culture.
Umlaut: Game of Metal is made by Rich Stokes and is available on DriveThruRPG (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/79824/Umlaut-Game-of-Metal).
Elana is the host of Graphic Policy Radio (blogtalkradio.com/graphicpolicy) and can be found on Twitter @Elana_Brooklyn.
John is part of Comix Connection (comixconnection.com) and can be found on Twitter and Instagram @QuasarSniffer.
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We've wrapped our Fiasco in London, and get together to discuss how we felt about it. Does Fiasco do enough to actually push the characters we created into a big beautiful mess? How do we feel about this seminal indie TTRPG more than a decade after its launch?
Fiasco is available from Bully Pulpit Games (https://bullypulpitgames.com/games/fiasco/). Our particular playbook, Bookhounds Fiasco, is made by Pelgrane Press and is based on their Trail of Cthulhu game. (https://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/bookhounds-fiasco-playset/)
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