The Table Dragon: Recent Episodes

The Table Dragon

Dragon*Con's Official Tabletop Podcast -

We created this 'cast primarily to answer various questions that have been posed at panels and in hallways where the time to really explore and answer them wasn't available.  The majority of the focus is on tabletop roleplaying games, but we plan to hit board games and tabletop minis games here and there along the way as well. New episodes quarterly, or whenever we're able (life, right?).

Have a question or topic for us to kick around? Let us know!

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In which we talk about various approaches to planning coherent and successful rpg campaigns.

  • Modules and Railroading

  • The improv/spontaneous/"ideas-in-a-cloud" approach

  • Event-based approaches; the campaign "timeline"

  • Site/Setting-based approaches; here's what's going on - get involved where you like

  • Having PCs decisions make a real impact on the game and world

  • The Group Template, tailoring the campaign to the PCs, giving the characters a personal stake

  • Player/Character-based approaches

  • Recap

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Rucht & I are both really excited about our next show topic!...

...unfortunately, we haven't been able to find the time to record and release it.  This season has been one unexpected reschedule after another.  Life, right?

Anyway, Ep 6 will come when we can find the time.  Maybe we can even squeeze in two this next quarter.  We'll see.  Always uncertain is the future.

Thanks.

~Jared

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In which we talk about running horror games.  Our perspectives on what it takes to make a really good horror game, some useful tools and tips, and things to watch out for.

  • Horror Scenes vs Horror Campaigns

  • Laying the Groundwork / Player Buy-In

  • What is a "Horror Game"?

  • Be Up-Front, or Count on Players to Pick Up Your Cues

  • Table Atmosphere: Focus, Lighting, Ambience, Audio

  • The Uncanny vs. The "Powerful"

  • Just a Bit "Off"

  • Investigation & Mystery: More Questions Than Answers

  • To D&D or Not to D&D: That Is The Question (or, "Choose the Right System For Your Group")

  • Description: Technique, Tone, and Delivery

  • Recap

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In which we talk about encouraging passive, unengaged, or otherwise minimal-effort gamers to get a little deeper into character, narrative, and roleplaying. Plus the usual tangents and related bits.

  • The 'problem' and what it means

  • Passive players

  • Pushing the player's buttons

  • Setting the expectations

  • Giving cues, planting seeds

  • Using the alpha player

  • Don't be adversarial as a GM

  • Look for opportunities

  • Pay off the risk / make it worth it

  • Extension of self vs independent characters

  • Character evolution

  • In Sum

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In which we talk to Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis of Twogether Studios about Illimat - the modern classic card game they dreamed up with the Decemberists.

Editor's Note: Technical issues resulted in a somewhat garbled audio quality.  We attempted to troubleshoot this for some time, but time was short and we'd already rescheduled once so we decided to roll with it.

- Collaboration with the Decemberists

  • The feel of the game

  • Mechanics and design

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In which we discuss the various forms of "problematic" tabletop RPG players we've encountered, and how we've addressed those issues + some related tangents.

  • Is there really a problem?

  • Differing play styles / what people want out of the game / knowing your group

  • The Annoying Player

  • The Disruptive Player

  • The Checked-out/Inattentive Player

  • The Player Who Runs Away With The Game

  • The New Player

  • Adjusting the game / changing it up

  • Having a talk

  • Killing/Resurrecting the game

  • Doing something else

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In which we kick around some tips for those new to running tabletop roleplaying games - i.e., "GMing" - and what to do when you're setting up your first session.

  • A game, and knowledge thereof

  • A Setting

  • Something To Do

  • The Preface and First Scene

  • Pacing

  • When things go wrong unexpectedly

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This is - or shortly will be - the home of The Table Dragon's podcast episodes.  

A lot of tabletop-related questions get asked at panels or in hallways at Dragon*Con, and many of those are mere tips of proverbial icebergs.  Given the pace of the event, there just isn't time to really dive in and explore/dissect/discuss those sorts of subjects right then and there.  A shame, right? 

Then we remembered the internet is a thing, and humanity has had the ability to record sound for, like, 140 years.  Eureka.

Enter The (Table) Dragon - a question-driven show about tabletop gaming inspired by various interactions we've had.  As Rucht Lilavivat heads the Tabletop Gaming Track at the event, this is DragonCon's official* tabletop podcast.

We have recorded a few shows so far, which we plan to release in the coming months.  The beginning focus is on tabletop roleplaying games (as that's where a lot of questions come from), but we plan to hit other forms of tabletop, such as board games and tabletop miniatures games, here and there in the future.  Our schedules are busy, but we're hoping to have something to release at least once a quarter or so.

We're just starting out, and we're still learning a lot of things.  It's basically just us having the kinds of conversations we normally have (albeit edited for coherency), but we hope this show will be helpful, entertaining, or some combination thereof.

Thanks, and enjoy.