Series – Saving the Game: Recent Episodes
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If you like our longer episodes, you’re in for a treat with this one. We had a lot to say this time, and the fact that we recorded this one in two different sections due to some connection issues probably also contributed to the overall length. We start off as we usually do, checking in […]
Well folks, this is it – the last of the 3×3 grid of alignments, and arguably the worst of the worst. Note: Spoilers for the City on a Hill, Season 2 Finale from 9:12-11:35 We start off with an announcement that mirrors our recent blog post. TL;DR: we’re going to be a little freer talking […]
A quick note: our two-week lead time can sometimes mean that a lot happens between when we record an episode and when we release it. On may 25th, four officers of the Minneapolis, MN police department killed George Floyd, an unarmed black man. On May 28th, we recorded this episode as Mr. Floyd’s death was […]
In this episode we’re joined by none other than Elizabeth Garn of Christ and Pop Culture. (Elizabeth has written some great articles about faith and gaming and she should be on your radar if she wasn’t already!) We start off the episode with the usual check-in, which includes this time that Grant is running his […]
The hosts are all here for this one, and we kick off with a discussion of our games, which are generally going quite well, and a bit about the homeschooling of Grant’s kids during the pandemic lockdown. The Patreon question this episode comes from Paige Lowe, who asks ” How have your games changed as […]
We’re back to our usual release schedule and episode progression this week for True Neutral. The discussion kicks off with the obligatory nod to COVID-19 (wash your hands!) and a nod back to our “emergency bonus” episode and blog post about remote gaming. There’s a bit of discussion about how that’s proceeding and then we […]
With Grant and Jenny back from their respective ordeals, it’s time to continue our alignment series! We start off with a quick catch-up session (thanks again Ashley and Derek for filling in!) but there’s not a lot of note in our lives since the last episode we were on together (or at least, not that’s […]
With the holidays over, we’re back to our normal episode format, and in this one we wrap up the first batch of 3 from our alignment series with Lawful Evil. We start off with a brief holiday check-in and run down some interesting gifts we received and gave. (Guess which one of us unironically gave […]
This is the corrected version of 167. The first version ran the main episode audio into the outro due to an editing mistake on my part. My apologies. -Peter We’re back with episode 2 of our alignments series, this time talking about Lawful Neutral. We start off with the story of some adorable kittens in […]
We’ve been promising it for a while and here it is, the first episode in our series on alignment. We last talked about alignments as a topic waaaaaayyyy back in episode 2 of the podcast (if you listen, we’re so sorry about the audio quality), and we figured it was high time we updated things […]
Our Ten Commandments series finally wraps up this episode, and we end it on a high note! (Yes, even despite the episode going up almost a day late.) We’ve got a bit of a preview of an upcoming discussion to start with, as Grant’s kicking off a game of Offworlders. Our Patreon question this week […]
We’re nearing the end of our Ten Commandments series! This episode tackles lying—or as the Ten Commandments are commonly translated, “bearing false witness.” First, though, Peter talks a bit about his entry in the World Anvil worldbuilding contest; we discuss Krissi’s Innocents game and how it wrapped up, as well as Vampire and the various […]
Oh, hey, guess who’s back! That’s right—Grant rejoins Peter and Jenny back on the mics. (And thank you, seriously, for everyone who reached out or who prayed for me. It’s really appreciated. – G.) We pick up our Ten Commandments series with the Eight Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal,” and since our hobby kicked off […]
Peter and Jenny have the mics to themselves this episode, and they’re talking about one of the funniest and most imaginative books of the Bible: Jonah! First, though, we take a moment to mention the unfortunate and early passing of Rachel Held Evans, a Christian writer and thinker we’re all quite fond of taken from […]
Well, it was inevitable, folks: When we committed to doing a series on The Ten Commandments, we knew we’d eventually have to talk about adultery. Fair warning: This episode does talk about sex. We’re not explicit or anything, but keep that in mind! First, though, we’ve got a few other things to talk about—specifically, Grant’s […]
Jenny and Peter oversee the promotion of our ongoing series on gamifying Biblical figures with one of the most difficult yet: Samson! Though his story is found in the Book of Judges, Samson is a notorious and often actively awful outlier among Biblical figures. He’s a drunken, womanizing barbarian who only occasionally interacts with God, […]
Our Ten Commandments series returns with a discussion of the Sixth Commandment: “You shall not murder.” First, though, Jenny’s got a lot of Overlight to talk about! We got to sit down and play it, and it was quite fun. Grant’s also got an Eberron game in the works, and Peter’s trying NaNoWriMo this month […]
Download this episode (right click and save) After more than a year, we’re finally back to our series on the Ten Commandments! We’re picking up where we left off with the Fifth Commandment, which tells us to “honor thy father and mother”—and a good bit more. We’ve also got a question from Patreon backer Kevin […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Our Ten Commandments series returns with the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” Before we get to that, however, we have a bit of business to go over and a bit of catching up to do. We spend a little time discussing our Patreon support, […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant, Peter, and Jenny return to discuss the Third Commandment! There’s quite a lot of banter and catching up to do first, of course, and we banter about illness, the forthcoming Amonkhet set in Magic: The Gathering, Snafu Brewing and TRAPPIST-1, and more. We also have a doozy of […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant and Peter continue our ongoing Ten Commandments series with a look at the Second Commandment! First, though, Grant has a fair bit to say about InSpectres and Pugmire, and some lessons he’s learned from those games lately. Then we tackle a question from an anonymous Patreon backer, […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant and Peter kick off a new, more theologically-oriented series this week! We’ll be looking at each of the Ten Commandments, and so of course we’re starting with the First Commandment. First, though, we answer a question from Patreon backer Richard Lorenz about other podcasts in the “geeky faith” […]
Download this episode (right click and save) After answering a short, fun, and humorous Patreon backer question, Grant and Peter dig into one of the most fascinating, important, and gameable events in all of church history: the First Council of Nicaea. In addition to establishing a lot of church orthodoxy that has lasted to the […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant and Peter Tackle an interesting Patreon supporter question about sandbox games and then move in to the very meaty and historically-important topic of Arianianism, a Christological heresy named after a guy who didn’t come up with it, and also responsible for the first council of Nicea. Links: […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant and Peter are back at it with part three of our Historical Heresies series. This time, we introduce a major competitor to Christianity in the Western Roman Empire, and a particularly interesting (read: complex and imaginative) Gnostic tradition: Manichaeism! We also provide one last plug for this […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Our holiday fundraiser for The Bodhana Group has officially begun! Grant and a recuperating Peter kick off this episode with a plug for that, before diving into the complex structure and philosophy of Gnosticism in order to lay a foundation for further episodes on specific Gnostic Christian sects. Grant […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant and Peter kick off a new Historical Heresies series, analyzing heresies from the early Church! Without much additional news, we dive right into our Scripture and topic, starting with Adoptionism and Ebionism. Along the way, we explain what we hope our listeners can learn from this new series and what we hope they […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Our Virtues & Vices series concludes with a look at humility! Peter’s published again in Sojourn Volume 2 and our fundraiser for The Bodhana Group is nearly wrapped up, and well past its goal! There’s also an ongoing discussion we’d like you participate in—essentially, we’re looking for suggestions […]
Download this episode (right click and save) It’s only Grant and Peter this episode, as we head into the final pair in our Virtues & Vices series! First, we talk about our ongoing (and quickly wrapping up) fundraiser for The Bodhana Group, and give Innroads Ministries some much-deserved plugs as well. Then we explore what […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant’s back, and there’s so much news! Our official store is open, Peter’s getting published again, Branden has a job, and our live Q&A episode is coming up. And all that’s before we get into our main topic, Kindness. After defining kindness and discussing its nature as a […]
Download this episode (right click and save) BIG NEWS: Branden will be a Save Against Fear 2014! If you’re not familiar with SAFe and The Bodhana Group, take a listen to Episode 25, “Therapeutic Roleplaying (with Jack Berkenstock)”. This should be our last bonus episode for a bit—Grant will be back next episode—but Peter and Branden […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Branden and Peter continue our Virtues & Vices series with a discussion of Envy! BIG news first, though: Episode 50 will be recorded LIVE, with an ongoing listener Q&A during the episode! Also, Grant’s working on t-shirts and other STG products. Then we talk about Envy: The Christian definition of […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Professor Branden schools Peter and Grant on some traditional lists of archetypal stories! We start things off with a reminder that Peter will be at Fear the Con 7 from June 12th to June 14th (find him there and say ‘hello’!), and a mention of our appearance on […]
Download this episode (right click and save) After an aside on the books which have impacted us most strongly, Grant, Peter and Branden settle in on a difficult and unpopular topic: Chastity. We take a few minutes to define it, then discuss the prospect of using chastity as an in-game plot driver or character trait. […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Our Virtues & Vices series picks up again with a particularly difficult topic: Lust. We briefly plug Sojourn again, and then dive headlong into a discussion about this capital sin. We explain what lust is (and isn’t), why it’s a capital sin, and why it’s so pervasive and […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Branden, Mike, Peter, and Grant pick up our “Science of Storytelling” series with a discussion of episodic storytelling structure and pacing! Branden walks us through the structure and guides the discussion; and as usual, we come up with examples along the way. See the full show notes for […]
Download this episode (right click and save) We’re back with more virtues! This time, we’re talking about the virtue of Patience, and its glosses of Peace and Mercy. As usual, we discuss and define Patience from a theological perspective, and then talk about its in-character and at-the-table uses. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:8-9, Hebrews 10:32-38, Galatians 5:22-25, James 1:19-20
Download this episode (right click and save) We welcome Mike, occasionally known as Mindtakerr on the Internet, as a new host! Then we talk about wrath – when anger is (and isn’t) a mortal sin, and how it can manifest in people. Then we talk about how incredibly common wrath is in all forms of […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Two major announcements: This is the first episode in our new “Science of Storytelling” series; and Save Against Fear, a remarkable gaming convention and fundraiser for sexually traumatized kids, is the weekend of October 11th-13th. You’re going to be hearing much more about Save Against Fear in the […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant, Peter and Branden continue our Virtues & Vices series with an episode on Diligence, the virtue contrary to the vice of Sloth. As usual, we explain the virtue—both culturally and theologically—before talking about its application in games and in our lives. Scripture: Proverbs 13:4, Matthew 25:14-30, Ephesians 4:28
Download this episode (right click and save) We’re back with Part 5 of our Virtues & Vices series! First, Grant talks about finding a church again, and some other news. Then we delve deep into one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth. What is it? Why is it more than just laziness? Why is it […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant, Peter, and Branden continue our Virtues & Vices series with a look at Temperance! We talk over the usual news, and thank those who’ve commented on past episodes (that’s always nice.) Then we dive into our Temperance discussion: How it’s commonly used in Scripture; its prevalence as […]
Download this episode (right click and save) Grant, Peter, and Branden are back with the next part of our Virtues & Vices series! We start with the final tally for the first RPG Podcasters’ Charity Drive, and a bit of other news. Then we dive into Gluttony—what it is, common misconceptions, why it’s a sin, […]
Download this episode (right click and save) We continue our Virtues & Vices series with our first (and according to Paul, the greatest) of the virtues: Charity, a.k.a love. We explain the Christian concept of charity and give some background theological material. Then we dive in to the in-game possibilities charity presents, as well as the out-of-game […]
Download this episode (right click and save) It’s an episode full of beginnings: Branden joins us for the first time as a host, and our Virtues & Vices series kicks off with a discussion of Avarice! We explain what avarice is (and isn’t), and discuss plot threads and character opportunities greed might present. We wrap […]