The Great Debate!: Recent Episodes
Jim Ryan
Hapless would-be actor and comedy writer Jim Ryan pits his characters against each other in a series of no-holds-barred debates covering anything and everything about role-playing games. But can they do it in under five minutes? Tune in and find out!
The Great Debate! has reached 50 episodes! To celebrate Jim takes the audience behind the scenes - or at least, that's the plan...
Acknowledgements
(I ended up thanking quite a few people at the end of this episode - here are links for them!)
Melissa Avery-Weir - irrsinn.net
Tim White - Return to Northmoor & WTFAWD
Gregory Avery-Weir - Ludus Novus
Ed Healy - Atomic Array
Dan Repperger - Fear the Boot
Rob & the guys from The Bear Swarm!
Anim5 - IDDFOS & The Gutter Skypes
John Bell - Bell's in the Batfry
Indiana Jim Perry - The Adventures of Indiana Jim
Jennifer Hudock - The Goblin Market
Starla Huchton - The Dreamer's Thread
Jeff Greiner - The Tome Show
A. David Pinilla - The Podgecast & RPGPodcasts.com
Kevin & Jen - The Walking EyeThe Encaffeinated ONE - The WEIRD Show
Mark Kinney - All Games Considered & The Gutter SkypesShaun & Kristen - This Modern Death & 10 Minutes of MeStu & the guys from Happy Jacks RPG PodcastEddy Webb - The White Wolf BlogcastJ.C. Hutchins - 7th SonKatharina - Every Photo Tells
The book I mentioned in the outro is called Abduction Etiquette, and is now in pre-order - feel free to check it out!
Is it better to use a pre-existing setting or one that's home-brewed? Our resident demonologist and a lunk-headed superhero load up their intellectual artillery on the subject and fire it at one another.
Panelists:Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Shoutout & Tarrasque Poetry:Jeff Greiner - The Tome Show
Is it a good idea for GMs to pregenerate PCs for their campaigns? A clone and a college professor talk about it.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Bob 3, Troubleshooter Clone from the Great Biodome (voiced by Jeff Greiner)
Which genre offers a better choice of playable creatures? Fantasy or Science Fiction? A spaceship pilot and a dwarven skyship engineer attempt to discuss the matter - hopefully without getting into a dogfight!
Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet (voiced by David Selby)
Soren Magnus, Chief Engineer of the Dwarven Skyship Flying Hammer
A recording of myself running a quick game of ACTION CASTLE for some bored folks at Dragon*Con who were waiting for a panel to start.
Parsely Games
The Walking Eye
How important is having a background story for your campaign? A bounty hunter and a cleric sit down and chat amenably about the subject.
PanelistsFather Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
I didn't get to go to GenCon and decided to record a chat about it! I commiserated with three other folks (Kim, Jason and Kent) who also didn't get to go this year. Fair warning: we rambled for about half an hour!
Jason's Blog Kim's Audio Projects
For full show notes, go here.
Is it a good idea to bring an old PC into a new game? A cyber-hacker and a government agent delve into what it means to transfer your character.
Panelists:
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Intro by Katharina of the Every Photo Tells podcast.
Are house rules the way to go when running an RPG or are they a bad idea? A pirate and a futuristic military grunt take each other to task on the issue.
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Sgt. Dan Saunders of the Planetary Exploration Force (voiced by Indiana Jim)
Shoutout & Promo:
Indiana Jim Perry - Codename: Starkeeper
Is it a good idea to adapt an RPG from another source, such as a series of novels? Our two undead panelists ponder the pros and cons of adaptation.
Panelists: Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin Lord Connor Shadowbane
Announcement: Go check out the 2010 Podcast Listener Survey!
Shoutout & Promo: Mark, Carol & Mags - All Games Considered
Is planar travel cool and exciting or is it just a tool to help the Game Master mess with the players? A college professor and a dwarf engineer debate the subject.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Soren Magnus, Chief Engineer of the Dwarven Skyship Flying Hammer
Listen in as an old feud between two fantasy characters comes burbling to the surface. A wizard and a cleric face off to discuss which kind of power is better: Arcane or Divine?
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Is the guy who always knows the rules a help or a nuisance? A samurai and a superhero talk about the place of rules lawyers in RPGs.
Panelists:
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Is it a good idea to rotate Game Masters in an ongoing campaign? Listen in as preacher and a hacker toss the issue back and forth between them like a rag doll!
Panelists:
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Shameless Self-Promotion: The Every World News Podcast
Advantages & Disadvantages. Merits & Flaws. Edges & Hindrances. Are they helpful to a game? A vampire and a college professor debate the pros and cons.
Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
NOTE:
There will be a slight delay as I deal with Christmahannukwanzaayuladanivus, after which there will be more debates forthcoming!
Is it a bad thing for player characters to kill or should it be perfectly acceptable? An archwizard and a superhero take up arms over the issue.
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
When PCs fight each other, does everyone lose or is it just another way to get their game on? A necromancer and a samurai square off on the subject.
Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
What dangers lurk beneath the waves? And what the heck is an aspidochelone? Our intrepid panelists -- a pirate captain and a cleric -- slyly skirt around these questions and many more about underwater adventures!
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Are pre-written adventures a useful tool or do they do nothing but force PCs down a pre-determined track? A college professor and a government agent tackle the issue of who's really in the driver's seat when modules come into play.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Special Agent Jack McCandless
CONTEST!
The character suggestion contest is over. Thanks very much for your entries! I announce the winner after the debate.
Shoutout & Promo:
RPGPodcasts.com
Is trying to make a character as powerful as possible a good thing or a bad thing? A wizard and a bounty hunter flex their intellectual muscles over the subject.
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Intro by Stu, Tappy & Stork of Happy Jack's RPG Podcast
CONTEST!
Only one day left for the character suggestion contest - it ends November 5th! E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com
and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line. The winner will receive a
personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!
Shoutout & Song:
Beatnik Turtle - The Song of the Day Dot Com
Are good and evil absolutes for your PCs or do your characters see things in shades of grey? A superhero and a pirate tackle the issue of anti-heroes in RPGs.
Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Intro by J.C. Hutchins
CONTEST!
Just one week to go on the character suggestion contest! E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com
and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line. The winner will receive a
personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!
Shoutout & Promo:
The Gamer's Haven Podcast
The idea of warfare as a theme in RPGs is kicked about, pummeled and salivated over by our panelists. A cleric and a fighter pilot wage war over the concept of waging war.
Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet (voiced by David Selby)
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
CONTEST!
E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line. The winner will receive a personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!
Promo:
7th Son: Descent
Our resident bounty hunter clashes with our resident cyber-hacker over the issue of animals in role-playing games. What's the best way to use them, if at all?
Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Shoutout & Promo:
Eddy Webb - The Whitechapel Project
Some like to search every nook and cranny of a room and strip-search every fallen foe while others prefer to just move on. A pirate and a demonologist talk about the practice of looting in RPGs!
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
Shoutout & Promo:
J.C. Hutchins - 7th Son & Personal Effects
How bad are evil PCs? Really bad? Or just a little bad? Should they even be allowed? Our panelists - a superhero and an undead necromancer - have a little chat about it.
Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Shoutout & Promo:
Starla Huchton - The Dreamer's Thread
Are random encounters a good idea for a campaign or should everything be plotted out? A fantasy priest and a government agent roll the dice and find out.
Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Shoutout & Promo:
Anim5 - Solid Symbols
Here's a shorter version of the Captain Payne Promo -- it's the end section, in which he addresses the listener, by itself -- should anyone need something a bit more brief.
In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I've put together a new promo for The Great Debate! featuring Captain Payne, in which we get a little peek at what life in his game setting is like. Feel free to download and distribute it in good health! :)
Ever have your PCs dumped in the ancient past or a far-flung future? Can that kind of thing even fit into a game? Two panelists from opposite ends of the historical spectrum discuss the use of time travel in a role-playing game.
Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet (voiced by David Selby)
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Just how permanent should PC Death be? Two priests squabble over the issue.
Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
Are magic items a good thing for a role-playing game or are they just a nuisance? A college professor and an elf mull it over.
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Our panelists -- a superhero and a cyber hacker -- discuss the use of money in RPGs. But can they avoid selling out?
Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Shoutout & Promo:
Shaun, Kristin & Randy - This Modern Death
My new podcast has just launched its first episode! Don't worry folks, The Great Debate will be continuing unabated, but now here's something else to listen to, if you're so inclined! It's called The Every World News Podcast and is geared towards Sci-fi, Fantasy and a number of other genres. If you think you might be interested feel free to check it out at:
www.everyworldnews.com
Is it a good idea to have a necromancer player character? A bounty hunter and an undead wizard who happens to specialize in that very field have a lively discussion about it.
Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
In some games the Game Master has absolute control, but in others players chime and add to the plot whenever they feel like it. A vampire and a cleric discuss the finer points of player narration -- hopefully without killing each other.
Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Shoutout & Promo:
The Encaffeinated One - The WEIRD Show
Is it a good idea to play something other than a human in an RPG? A monster-hunting priest and an elven wizard throw down over the issue of nonhuman player characters.
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
Shoutout & Promo:
Jennifer Hudock - Goblin Market
Here is the second promo for The Great Debate! to reflect the new web address! As always, feel free to distribute it as far and wide as you desire!
Should poison be allowed on either side of a role-playing game? A pirate and a government agent wrestle with the issue.
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Taste the adrenaline in the air as a samurai and a college professor do battle over the merits of combat in role-playing games. Who will survive?!
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
Shoutout & Promo:
Ryan Macklin - This Just In... From Gencon!
How many out of character considerations should be allowed to influence your role-playing, if any? And what kind? Two monster hunters duke it out over the issue.
Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist
What's the best approach to the use of powers that set your PCs aside from everyone else? Two powerful beings clash haphazardly over the issue of special abilities in RPGs.
Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
This episode discusses railroading in RPGs. One panelist is from feudal Japan, the other is from a dystopian future and it's likely neither one has ever seen a train before. Let's hope they grasp the metaphor!
Panelists:
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Shoutout & Promo:
The White Wolf Blogcast
What should your character receive more experience points for? Combat or role-playing? A college professor and a necromancer attempt to have an earnest discussion about it.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Shoutout & Promo:
The Bear Swarm! Podcast
Do you like campaigns set in one area or do you prefer to globe-trot? A well-traveled pirate and a reclusive cyber hacker discuss it.
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Shoutout & Promo:
The Adventures of Indiana Jim
Do town guards, police officers or government agents help your adventuring party or are they nothing but a nuisance? On this episode we talk about the use of authority figures in games.
Panelists:
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Shoutout & Promo:
The Tome Show - 4th ed D&D Interview: One Year Later
Which genre makes for a better campaign setting? Fantasy or Science Fiction? PCs from each of the two clash over the issue.
Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet
Shoutout & Promo:
International Detective Dragons From Outer Space (IDDFOS)
Here is my first promo for the show. Feel free to download and distribute it as you see fit! :)
A cleric and an anthropology professor duke it out over the value of having a pantheon of deities in a role-playing game. Are they there to watch over your PCs or to drive them stark-raving mad?
Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Is it a good idea to run a game with undead PCs or NPCs? A vampire and a bounty hunter go head-to-head on the topic.
Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Which vision of the future is more fun to play your sci-fi campaign in? Two realities collide when a cyber-hacker and an ace starship pilot get together to talk about it.
Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
Does playing without dice help a game or hinder it? Our guests debate the merits of diceless role-playing games.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Special Agent Jack McCandless
To role-play or not to role-play? Listen in as two immortal beings clash over the subject.
Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Is it okay to fudge the rules sometimes? We threw a pirate and a samurai into a room together to have a nice, calm conversation about it.
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
Is it better to build a great conversationalist or a heavy hitter? Our panelists go at it over the best method to build a player character.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)
The battle between live-action and table-top role-players comes to the Great Debate! Listen as a vampire lord and a government agent go at it!
Panelists:
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Lord Connor Shadowbane
A superhero squares off with a Wild West bounty hunter. The topic: the use of shape-changing villains in RPGs.
Music for this episode includes excerpt from "Pennsylvania Rose" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).
Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
The first episode of The Great Debate!
It's the pirate vs the elf as we debate the merits of fear effects in games. Be afraid.
Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
This is the third and final short I recorded for the Player's Handbook 2 release on D&D Game Day. My intention was to set the situation for each of the sketches in three of the most "cliche" locations for an adventuring party to meet: at an adventurer's guild, at an inn, and in a dungeon cell. All three of these shorts played on War Pig Radio on that day and I remember desperately trying to bulldoze my way through them to get them all done in the week leading up to it. Harrowing, but lots of fun!
This is the second of the three spots I did for the PHB2 release. Hooray for drunken player characters! ;)
Before we get to The Great Debate, I wanted to share this series of three audio shorts with you. I did them for War Pig Radio for the release of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 2. I've edited this first one just a little bit for copyright reasons, so you may notice that one of the names has been changed. I'll let you sort out which one it is. :)
Behold the archive for episodes of The Great Debate! Downloadable episodes are coming soon!