Fear the Boot: Recent Episodes
Fear the Boot
Fear the Boot is an irreverent, round table discussion of tabletop role playing games. In this weekly show we debate game-related issues, offer advice for improving your game, and poke fun at the hobby. Our cast changes a little from show to show, but we always assemble a group of dynamic individuals with divergent views, guaranteeing you will hear several perspectives on everything we discuss.
- (0:24) A joke to an AI becomes a show topic. * (2:48) Characters born in a cursed forest, without sunlight. * (7:48) Characters who compulsively collect…feathers…? * (13:18) Characters who accidentally caused a rebellion. * (19:29) Characters with an unusual knowledge of fungi. * (25:03) Characters who cannot stand the sight of open water. Hosts: Dan, Julia, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Switching to a bucket list of what we want to play. * (1:30) Wayne wants to play Dresden Files. * (4:13) Dan still wants to play an Injustice game. * (6:11) Mary wants to play a necromancer. * (9:05) Doug wants to play Stargate (or something like it). * (10:18) Wayne wants a settlement building game. Rebuild 3 demands compliance! * (14:38) Dan wants to play ourselves. . * (18:08) Mary wants to play multiple characters. * (22:25) Doug wants to play Greek mythology. * (26:00) Wayne wants to play a game with plenty of alternate history. * (28:50) Dan wants to play Battletech (plus Mechwarrior). * (30:17) Mary wants to play a group of paladins (with strong nods to David Eddings’ ). * (35:37) Doug wants to play assistants to Cold War spies. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) The bucket list of games we want to run. * (1:31) Doug’s long-term campaign. * (3:10) Wayne’s : St. Louis game. * (7:03) Dan’s Battletech: Silver Scorpions game. A . * (9:37) Mary’s Castle Ravenloft / Curse of Strahd game. * (12:41) Doug’s western game. * (14:58) Wayne’s campaign based on . and . * (18:57) Dan’s Hunter game. , watchable on Netflix. . * (22:39) Mary’s Mummy game. . * (25:40) Doug’s campaign. * (26:51) Whatever Wayne backed last on Kickstarter. Right now, that’s . * (29:47) Dan’s Battletech: Solaris VII game. * (33:36) Mary’s Oregon Trail (with dragons). Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:30) An old Apple //c computer and early computer RPGs. * (4:16) Transitioning from video games into tabletop RPGs. * (9:44) The expectations players bring from a video game to pen-and-paper games. * (12:41) The tyranny of choice brought on by a lack of a character-driven path. * (18:05) A lack of clear and connected outcomes. * (19:50) Mixing new and veteran players. * (26:13) Expanding intra-party roleplaying. * (28:39) Asking why someone wanted to make the jump. * (35:06) Trying to translate one medium into another. Hosts: Caleb, Dan, Doug, Mary
- (0:29) What is your goal for the first session of a game? * (2:10) Who are these characters really? * (6:08) When who you wanted to be isn’t who you became. * (11:34) A buffet of NPCs. * (16:14) Keeping the first session low pressure and shorter length. * (20:33) The social leader of the group. * (25:30) The flexibility in session one. Using the first game as a test of session zero. * (33:43) Testing the waters as the Game Master. * (37:09) Using rules and rolls a bit more than you otherwise would. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:23) Prompts and prepositions. The clockwork circus is coming to town! * (1:40) Wayne’s circus in space. * (4:13) Mary’s circus on the frontier. * (7:53) Doug’s carnival of nightmares. * (8:41) Dan’s carnival of hope. * (13:10) Celestial crystals that grant power. * (14:05) Mary’s crystal preppers. * (16:08) Dan’s crystal entanglement. * (19:45) Wayne’s crystal invasion. * (24:57) Doug’s crystal gift. * (27:05) A whole lot of tests, quandaries, and Faustian deals. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Fear the Con has funded and ! We hope to see you Thursday, June 20th to Saturday, June 22nd. * (1:58) Getting back to what you love, inspired by Ray Bradbury’s . * (5:16) The tyranny of compromise. * (9:54) Wanting the GM to build the world instead of “yes-and” player input. * (15:43) Why Wayne discarded some ideas he was excited about. * (19:06) The passion for sharing stories. * (22:06) Watching players engage with obstacles and NPCs. * (26:06) Hopeful or despondent? Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Wayne has a problem: the Wardens from Dresden Files. Coming up with too many excuses for why powerful organizations don’t care about the characters’ problems. * (7:14) Session Zero can help…or maybe not. * (10:29) There’s always someone bigger, and maybe your allies lack what you need. * (14:42) What if the characters are the backup? Or maybe they’re starting to get a reputation. * (17:41) Not letting it become a chip on the GM’s shoulder. Players that hamstring themselves. * (23:45) The assistance not being what the players expected. * (27:54) Falling back to the mature answer. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:30) What steps do we take to bring a character to life? * (1:49) Ask what’s important. * (6:53) Seeing the good and bad in a single trait. * (8:06) Doug’s personality triangle model. * (10:54) Demonstrating character quirks. * (16:34) Making characters that both have and express personal growth. * (18:57) Taking a hobby, off-topic skill, or development path. Keeping your character in continuity. * (23:11) Practicing a character. * (29:43) Developing your idea in other creative media, but consider leaving a gap before the game begins. * (35:35) The last few days of the ! Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
Today’s ingredient: The dead are consuming the living. Why and how? Let’s find out! Fear the Con 2024’s Kickstarter . Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) In defense of technology at the gaming table. Caleb’s setup with . * (5:13) Dan’s Lion King sing-a-long and Wayne’s Ghostbusters game. * (6:27) The deeper pool of online players, including AIs. Remoting in a missing player for an in-person game. * (14:04) Working distance and distraction into the game. * (17:54) Digital storage and organization. The wonder of CTRL-F. * (25:21) Minimalization of the gaming experience. * (30:01) Dodging some issues by allowing only one person to have technology. The visual obstruction created by laptops and such. * (41:01) Getting digital audio to work for you. * (45:00) Balancing it all out. Advantages, disadvantages, familiarity, and the passage of time. Hosts: Caleb, Dan, Mary, Wayne
I decided to skip over the Iron GM and go for a Tungsten GM. The ingredient? All broadcasts cease because something won’t let them get through. What’s the game plot? Also, the Fear the Con 2024 Kickstarter is ! Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:30) Dan runs a game a bit too literally. * (4:12) The intersection of technology and roleplaying in a way that isn’t required by the game. * (7:32) Why multimedia doesn’t pay-off the way it does in other forms of storytelling. * (13:36) The prep time technology adds, and the stability it takes away. * (15:59) The time spent digging up the right asset on-the-spot. * (20:52) The physical space taken up by technology. Playing “follow the leader” at a subconscious level. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Why talk about intelligence? episode about Cicada 3301. * (9:24) A game takes an unhelpfully long break, only to be replaced by another RPG. * (12:44) The lack of a bottomless “buffet of ideas” in a closed setting. * (14:24) Use minimal starting information to give you room to work. * (18:12) How to run a school (everyone go play Persona 5). * (24:48) Create a wide variety of NPCs and give them their own lives. * (30:38) Keeping the party together, even if it doesn’t quite make sense. * (31:57) PC-specific NPCs, so you know the players are bought it. Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:22) Picking out the point we became curmudgeons and what exactly that means. * (4:48) Being too set in our ways. * (11:19) The self-destruction that comes with stagnation. * (21:32) Wii have a solution. * (24:32) Ducking new games while at a convention. Playing on an airplane. * (32:57) The role of pragmatism. Why expand your horizons when no one lets you go there, anyway? * (38:43) There’s always going to be something wrong. * (41:09) A lesson learned from . Hosts: Dan, Doug, Wayne
- (0:29) Thanks to Eric Van Note for Swole Mole! * (3:15) The value of terrible GMing. * (8:42) Everyone is their own most inept critic. . * (15:28) The worst possible outcome: something being forgettable. * (22:20) Asking Doug to grade his own game. * (25:35) The value of creating art, simply for the act of creation. * (37:04) A few in someone’s eyes. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Dan prefers affiliated groups, Wayne does not. * (2:15) Cohesion, identity, and help. * (9:35) Affiliations you start with as opposed to those you pick up along the way. * (11:56) The party’s direction and motivation. Affiliating with an ideal. * (20:23) Affiliations create an obvious pool of NPC relationships. * (25:40) External versus internal affiliations, and how they’re not mutually exclusive. * (32:06) Taking extreme positions just to highlight the topic. Hosts: Dan, Doug, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) An update on the . * (4:48) The (at least temporarily back in print!) and our . * (8:09) Why play InSpectres as an interlude to the main campaign? Apparently only Dan has heard of . * (12:58) Plus an extra player. * (16:10) The, “yes and,” style of gaming. * (21:31) Assisting new players when they’re stuck. * (26:24) Seeing roleplaying games as a starting point, not a finished product. * (33:43) It’s not just a game; it’s on the mics. * (39:19) No takebacks! Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:28) Things are getting set for ! An intro to RPGs game is . * (2:03) A shared Minecraft server. You can find more information . * (5:52) Realigning your game with a mid-campaign session zero. Special thanks to . * (8:46) Making the case to have one. * (12:59) Remembering the times we did this during the Skies of Glass campaign. * (16:38) Reusing or reviewing the exact same work you did in session zero. * (23:15) Being too specific or too general. Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) Julia ruins everything. * (1:35) Things are getting set for ! An intro to RPGs game is . You can also announce your games . * (9:03) Coming out of a period of deep fatigue. How one game still never missed a week. * (16:18) Spoons and other finite resources. * (20:06) Why it might be best to bite off a bit less. You may not be gaming as much as you think, anyway. * (26:41) Does gaming with strangers help the problem? * (31:37) Kids, you’re already in the real world. * (34:32) Strange schedules and cascading cancellations. * (37:42) Gambling with the eleventh dollar. Hosts: Dan, Julia, Mary, Wayne
- (0:28) Running a game when someone else knows the setting a whole lot better than you do. * (2:07) The lack of pronunciation guides in most games. * (3:16) Narrowing down the task by asking what’s important about the setting to the players. * (7:59) Getting the essence or feel of the setting right. We need a recap of BattleTech lore. * (12:53) Start small and work outward, learning just what you need for each step along the way. * (21:15) Tell your players you only know some canon and therefore will only use some canon. * (24:01) Setting an ending to the canon so you can tell your own story. Breaking continuity early to get it over with. * (28:35) Keeping a chunk of authentic setting. Otherwise, why run it at all? * (33:56) Asking your setting experts to give you limited homework. * (35:09) We look forward to seeing you at ! Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) The is live for one more week! * (1:56) The wonderful confusion new players and GMs bring to a roleplaying game. * (16:59) An imagined internal-consistency is sometimes more fun than an intended one. * (22:17) The burden of your own expectations. * (28:29) When contradictions aren’t actually contradictions. The . * (35:16) The emotion of . * (36:22) The ideas that mistakes allow us to explore. Hosts: Dan, Julia, Mary, Wayne
- (0:31) The is live! * (1:04) The new fiction podcast, . * (3:09) Game mechanics we’re particularly fond of. * (4:54) Rerolls and other roll-modifying mechanics. * (10:13) A close relationship between skills and attributes. * (15:46) Life paths in character creation. * (24:48) Using all the dice. * (30:12) Injury instead of a simple health pool. * (38:08) Lots of randomness. * (40:31) Building something bigger than your character. * (44:13) Double-edged character traits. Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:28) The is live! * (1:12) Things a Game Master has done to make a world seem a little more alive (with credit to JoshB for the topic). * (5:46) Plot hooks, substories, and unanswered questions about my character. * (9:16) Allowing characters to have goals, ambitions, and projects. * (13:32) Giving me things I can trust that won’t betray me or become a vulnerability. * (19:52) Investing the players in world-building that matters. * (29:25) Don’t constantly veto your players. * (31:55) Digging through enough specifics may reveal a general truth you can use. Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:28) The new fiction podcast, . * (1:43) Dan re-reads the D&D 2nd Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide. Wayne watches . The inspiration D&D’s creators drew from . * (6:38) The rather disjointed rules of early RPGs. * (8:23) The heavy crunch of early RPGs that might be as much unearned reputation as reality. * (13:02) Why an early RPG may have needed to describe concepts that would be misinterpreted as immutable rules. * (16:06) Narrative examples of play. * (19:17) Separating old games from OSR games. Conveyed interpretation and social tradition. * (27:07) The shortcuts around setting building, and how rules may have gotten caught up in those. Hosts: Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:36) An odd tangent on names. * (3:39) A conversation about AI art. Some parameters we’re putting on this episode. AI art . * (8:08) An admittedly non-technical overview of how AI generally creates its work. . * (17:43) AI creations as a starting point instead of the final product. Why the lack of semantics may distinguish what inspires humans as opposed to AIs. * (29:32) The positive impact of AI creativity, contrasted with the intellectual property and monetary concerns. * (37:02) The human-seeded meta-thought used by AI, and the inevitability of its adoption across multiple industries. * (47:26) After taking jobs, technology may also improve lives and push humanity forward. Automating simple tasks or “shifting them left”. * (54:45) The financial incentive to use AI art versus the status incentive to use human art. Hosts: Dan, Julia, Mary, Wayne Some of the sample AI art Dan made while playing around with an app… A man with two beards that’s holding a third beard (stupid beard hog), Jesus with hot dogs for fingers, and…OH NO! Its mini-Jesus off the ropes! What’s that Lassie? Jesus is here? And he thinks our dogs are gnolls? And Gabriel is also a dog? OK, so now we’ve got gnolls with underbites, some random people in the background, Jesus with John Wick levels of determination, and…what the hell is that thing in the lower-right!? What the AI thought Gnarl should look like. I’m totally going to stat this out and use it in a fantasy game.
- (0:30) Giving a remote episode a try. We have a fix for Dan’s audio that should improve the quality on our next remote show. * (1:42) Catching up with Brodeur and DJ, who was on to talk about . * (4:43) Putting some parameters on the topic. * (9:42) Does Wizards of the Coast hate you? Envy other publishers? Or just not understand the market? * (16:36) Why people went along with the OGL to begin with. A genuine belief that some people in the mix have the best of intentions. * (24:47) Why care at all? * (29:23) The silent majority that may neither know nor care this is all happening. * (36:21) Why this might be a good thing. on Dan’s resentment of what D&D represents, despite his enjoyment of the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, DJ, Wayne
- (0:44) Friday night chit-chat each week, starting at 8pm Central. * (2:18) Fear the Con 2023 dates have been reserved with the hotel for June 16th and 17th of 2023, with the Wing Night on June 15th. * (3:37) Wayne preps his players for a Savage Worlds: Alpha Flight game. * (8:18) Learning through trial-and-error by running homebrews and setting-dense games. * (10:42) Give your players a little homework. * (15:04) Where will the game begin? * (20:37) What the characters need or want. * (24:53) Trickling out more information as the game goes on. * (31:31) Pay careful attention to the questions your players ask. Hosts: Dan, Julia, Mary, Wayne
- (0:22) The villain as the dark inverse of the hero. * (9:20) A big CGI fight at the end that seems visually out of continuity. * (16:06) Zombies and Lovecraft. * (20:37) The freedom to like or dislike, and how little that says about you as a person. * (23:33) Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, and Disney. * (26:59) Let’s not be too reductive. * (34:26) Maybe we’ve just been around too long and seen too many stories. * (37:15) Elves with short hair. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Brodeur recommends a manicure and pedicure to Dan. * (5:58) Dan, Wayne, and their muscle tension. * (11:24) A straight-razor shave and the thrill of death. * (15:56) Fandoms that (at least temporarily) put people off from the product they love. * (28:08) On anime. * (31:37) The need to be inviting within gaming, since it’s a social hobby. * (37:56) Gratuitous violence and opinion as identity. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) Brodeur flees to Oregon. * (4:08) Failure comes to East Texas University. * (7:26) Dividing the blame between the players and Game Master. * (11:40) Player silence and passivity. * (17:30) Things lost for lack of time. * (19:34) Substance use, depression, and the option of just narrating the ending. * (26:32) Was there a post-mortem with the players? Not judging a whole campaign by its ending. * (30:09) If the players don’t know how to answer, ask a more specific question. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:33) Wayne gives a shoutout to (but not Brodeur). * (1:53) Wayne ends a D&D campaign without a boss fight. * (3:11) The mutual theft of ideas between video games and tabletop roleplaying games. * (8:00) Considering all the ways a story can end. * (13:18) Another example from a D&D game. * (21:06) Post-campaign, no-boss epilogues. Player freedom in shaping the ending. * (28:02) Redefining the game in a character-centric way. * (32:33) Allowing other solutions to small problems and other endings to the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:29) Brodeur’s post-Gen-Con review. (I know, we’re right on top of the latest news.) A shoutout to , , and RogueOperative. * (8:02) Customizing modules for your players and characters. * (11:48) Modules as a framework, not a full script. * (18:26) Know the module well enough that you can deconstruct it into its components. * (24:37) An imaginary scenario using a well-known story as a module, adjusted to an obviously unique character. * (36:44) How the whole context of a pre-written scenario can be changed by just swapping proper nouns. * (42:32) Separating story-writing from story-telling. * (43:31) Some great example modules include Chris Hussey’s for Savage Worlds and Red Star Rising campaign for D&D 5th edition. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) A listener, James, gets us talking about integrating player-character backstories into your game. It starts with the players giving you something to work with. * (3:01) Sitting for too long on too much information, or mining the backstory abusively. * (7:43) Finding the possible connections between backstories. * (11:08) Let’s do it live! Dan sets up a D&D game with Wayne as his player. Building story by eliminating coincidences and undefined areas. * (19:22) Wayne sets up a Skies of Glass game with Brodeur as his player. Remembering that NPCs have their own lives that still go on, even when the PC isn’t around. * (30:02) What’s the “therefore” there for? Continuing thoughts that seemed otherwise complete. * (31:42) Integrating character backgrounds into a story that’s already written. Even the most fleshed-out plot still has gaps that can be filled with player-made content. * (37:59) Too little, too much, or no background at all. * (42:35) Punting Mary’s insight, because it deserves its own episode. * (44:32) Paying attention to backgrounds for what should be important in your game, because it’s important to that player. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) How awful can a few years be? (Spoilers: Multiple things got worse since this recording!) * (3:49) An experiment in unequal levels of preparation and participation. * (8:34) Not all players will bring the same level of contribution, nor do all games encourage it. * (14:32) Pattern versus incidence. * (18:52) Reasons to not just sit it out. * (20:43) Why using past experiences of what was to infer what ought to be may not be the best approach. * (25:11) Setting expectations for the division of labor. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:24) Releasing episodes out of order. * (1:24) The little convention that could, despite how hard life tried to stop it. * (6:59) All of the hurdles that weren’t COVID. * (14:00) The obstacles that came up during the convention. * (24:24) In spite of everything arrayed against it, the con went really well. * (31:42) Thanking Eric Van Note for the picture of Gnarl, which . You can contact him for your own commission at: vannoteillustration@gmail.com * (33:50) Wishing we’d had more time to talk to people and paced ourselves better. * (39:11) A request, an idea, and a placeholder. June 15th, 16th, and 17th are the tentative dates for Fear the Con 2023. * (43:46) A big “thank you” to our community! Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Interrogating Mary on her gaming history. * (1:33) The last few days before ! * (4:54) The distinct moral perspective of a child. * (7:39) Leif responds to our show on vertical creativity. * (13:58) A thought exercise on who should win the 51/49 preference: players or GMs. * (15:41) Wayne and Dan’s answers. * (18:09) Mary’s answer. * (21:12) Brodeur’s answer. * (26:15) Dan’s retort about the assumed-risk of the Game Master. * (30:51) The courtesy inherent in having a group with multiple GMs. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Mary, Wayne
- (0:29) A difficult GM learns a lesson from an Uno game. * (4:10) Navigating the internal conflict between “roleplaying” and “game”. * (11:20) The need for control that ultimately comes from fear. * (16:45) Giving the players their wins. * (23:34) The ugly math about how many people aren’t that good at a given task. * (29:32) The importance of having rapport before doing this. * (32:29) Saying, “yes,” while camouflaging the railroad. Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Julia
- (0:29) appears to have catering, but we could still use more GMs! * (5:21) Laundering identities. * (7:03) Game Masters getting fixated on things that aren’t important to the game they’re running. * (12:00) A lack of flexibility. The . * (19:36) GM distress when the party solves something too quickly. * (26:32) Let’s get passive-aggressive and make the GM solve their own problem! Obstructionist Game Masters. * (33:39) Problems should have purpose. * (43:24) Difficulty that’s out of place. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:29) A new show type on the horizon: phone the Boot, or something similarly clever. * (2:04) Kids’ games at . Our episode on gaming with children . * (4:15) Brodeur goes on and . * (6:17) Brodeur gets invited to crash someone else’s game as a guest GM. * (10:02) The whole situation is awkward, starting with the style of game. * (16:59) The gut-punch of unintentionally outshining the person that invited you. * (18:51) Or, maybe outshining the other person isn’t such a bad thing. * (25:42) Expect the players to keep doing whatever you allow to work. * (33:10) The right kind of consultant. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Tex
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(0:29) A shoutout and thanks to WashingCon!
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(1:09) Fear the Con is coming up in mid-June.
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(2:25) Wayne annihilates his player-characters in a Legion of Liberty game, and they love it. Our episode on action economy.
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(10:22) The perspective that comes from getting your butt kicked.
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(13:52) The difference between the party getting defeated, the party getting cheated, and the party getting destroyed.
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(19:44) Rewinding as opposed to setting up round two.
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(27:35) Consequences don’t have to be applied directly to the player-characters.
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(33:35) Allowing players to choose the form of their defeat.
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(36:44) Brodeur terrorizes his staff.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:29) June 16th, 17th, and 18th for ! You can see Mikey Mason’s material . * (2:40) Reviewing the idea of horizontal and vertical creativity. * (4:56) Horizontal creativity doesn’t mean the player has to get lazy. In fact, it may mean the GM is getting lazy. * (12:35) How horizontal creativity can add complexity to the story. * (16:22) Understanding why a GM is limiting something. * (20:56) Players taking ownership for how far off the ranch they’ve gone. * (31:59) Learning more about the game through player experimentation. * (36:27) It’s OK to just let players have their fun. Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) – Bordeur, Dan, and Julia will be at this weekend: March 26th and 27th, 2022. * (2:23) – Defining how we’ll be using “vertical” and “horizontal” creativity over the next two shows. * (5:45) – The laziness that often accompanies horizontal thinking. * (8:08) – Creativity within seemingly narrow (i.e. “vertical”) ideas. * (11:10) – Playing within the GM’s parameters and rules. * (19:16) – What is it about the player that refuses to conform? * (28:27) – How horizontal creativity forces the GM to tell a story they may not have wanted to tell. * (31:08) – Why is it so hard to compromise a bit? Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Wayne
- (0:44) Get signed up for ! * (1:02) Brodeur is now on TikTok for some reason. . Do what you will. * (5:45) Welcoming Jason back to the show. * (6:31) There I Was…When Nothing Happened. The Kickstarter . * (11:26) Why “winning the fight” may not be a winning strategy. * (17:24) Seeing another way out. * (22:16) The five stages of avoiding violence. * (31:33) The relationship between anger and fear. Understanding your own psychology. * (38:55) Designing encounters with a clear understanding of your NPC’s motivations. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Jason, Julia
- (0:28) The teeth on the dog go click, click, click. * (1:30) Brodeur discovers New Game+ mode in video games. * (10:23) Weather and environmental effects in an RPG. * (13:09) Weather as a reflection of some other truth in the setting. * (14:53) Setting the mood and adding immersion. * (19:21) Does the environment not come up more often because it’s not in the rules? * (25:02) The storytelling side effects of being inside when we game. * (26:53) Using the environment to control the flow of the game. * (35:05) Integrating environment into your rules and narrative. * (39:09) Don’t forget to sign up for ! Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:18) Time to set the mood for bedtime. * (5:06) Wayne, Boxman, and the latex room. * (14:32) Watching sports for all the wrong reasons. Brodeur joins TikTok. God forgive us all. * (16:57) Wayne pulls a plane, and Brodeur brings the pain. * (26:22) Kids versus bikes. Bikes win. * (28:54) Kids versus cars. Cars win. * (32:39) On blowing up toilets and toys. * (38:07) Waynezilla. Meanwhile, Phoenix gets really crazy and burns…a candle. * (44:23) Oh, the places you’ll go. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Phoenix, Wayne
- (0:28) The site for is now live! * (2:07) Monday Morning Quarterbacking your own games ( for anyone that doesn’t know that phrase). * (3:36) Getting past being your own worst critic. * (8:17) and . * (12:57) Using game recordings to prepare for the next session. * (17:01) Approaching your recording with the right mindset, goals, and expectations. * (25:20) Using game audio to exonerate yourself in your own mind. * (29:53) The freedom to no longer take notes during the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) A fond farewell to Chad. * (4:50) Keeping the perspective that we all started somewhere. * (7:34) The amount of good advice every human being ignores; sometimes experience is the only effective teacher. * (12:49) The less you’re willing to step up, the more you ought to be patient. * (16:24) Don’t confuse personal style with absolute right and wrong. * (21:40) Determining whether you should stick around or just find another use for your time. * (24:04) When you’re the only one loving or hating the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Ghost of Tsushima, Red Dead Redemption 2, and archery in schools. * (8:51) Starting up new games as old ones end. Fear the Boot’s . * (14:34) . Preliminary questions and contagious enthusiasm. * (20:56) Wayne passes the GMing torch to Chad. * (28:12) Building a game around a set of parameters: a group of good guys with a lasting legacy. * (34:33) A game in three chapters, each with their own era and setting. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Brodeur’s . * (4:10) The RPG. * (7:29) A descriptive and contextual character sheet. * (15:35) The game’s replayability. * (19:01) The art book. * (23:09) on March 26th – 27th, 2022. * (25:07) Fear the Con on June 16th – 18th, 2022. The room block number is 2413940. You can place your room reservations , which should prepopulate the con dates. * (25:39) Food drama! Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:35) Brodeur’s syphi-list. * (3:48) Continuing a game after mass-character-death by playing in the afterlife. * (16:43) What happens to the characters that didn’t die? * (20:15) When a player can’t attend their own afterlife. * (26:17) Alternate options for science fiction games. * (29:00) The price of coming back. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:36) Press or entertainment? . * (2:41) , , and . * (9:57) The consolidation of our hobby. * (16:30) Shareholder vs stakeholder economy. * (21:48) An important disclaimer. * (23:03) Some possible bad news for the current iteration of OGL products. * (27:48) The disparity between RPGs and everything else Hasbro does. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) The scheduling crush of Christmas, and some love for . * (7:06) The many stories you can get from a single game idea, as demonstrated by . * (11:14) The greater number of outcomes possible in story versus crunch. . * (12:54) How prompts give you the framework to interpret and develop ideas. and the . * (18:26) Having the right tool for the right story, and how too much freedom can become a problem. * (20:33) An odd aversion to adding elements mid-game, even though it’s the crux of character creation and other pre-game activities. Our episode . * (32:58) The vast number of online tools for generating random content ideas. Mashing games together. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Brodeur starts off a game session with a cutscene, which becomes its own pun. * (5:02) Other media as a metaphor for how you structure your storytelling. * (6:50) Not withholding player agency for too long. * (13:26) Having to roleplay with yourself. * (16:11) Revealing information to the players. * (22:31) Read the table and manage the length of these scenes. Letting the players have an emotional response to truths their characters don’t know. * (28:58) Using cutscenes to set the tone for the game. * (33:32) How cutscenes can lock you into a particular truth. * (38:44) The value of scenes that lack obvious utility. * (50:46) Short attempts and immediate feedback are your friends. * (52:35) The added content . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:44) When only the shell of a character gets made, for lack of knowledge about the world. The episode where we previously discussed this . * (13:19) Using an opportunity in the present to expand the character’s past. The influence of other players in the process. * (17:01) The person with no past. Creating memories. * (26:07) Fixing on the fly instead of flushing. * (33:11) Players helping players. * (40:28) Your willingness to adjust, without allowing others to take unfair license. and of World War I. * (45:31) Potential problems and pitfalls. * (51:17) The plot opportunity created by new or conflicting information. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:33) Brodeur went to Gamehole Con, and Dan can’t take other people’s money. * (8:08) How age changes what you care about. * (10:02) The end-of-year blackhole that consumes our schedules (and, by extension, our games). * (11:23) Brodeur loses his motivation to GM. * (15:28) Player satisfaction does not necessarily equate to GM satisfaction. * (21:49) Fighting the burnout that strips away your enjoyment of the hobby. * (31:28) The buy-in of the whole group to relieve one person’s pain. * (40:38) Letting go of the unneeded prep in order to get to the part that’s actually fun. * (48:49) Time and the other finite currencies of life. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:32) Fear the Con’s room block number is 2413940. You can place your room reservations , which should prepopulate the con dates. * (1:08) Brodeur’s second product pick from the con circuit: . * (6:13) The “World of Darkness” problem, when games sit too close to real-world ideas people hold near-and-dear. * (13:46) Why this occurs in some modern-day games but not others. * (30:36) Prepping for a game that will hit close to home. . * (35:43) GM-enforced conformity. When it’s more lifestyle than game. * (43:03) Brodeur goes furry in defense of World of Darkness. * (44:29) Going back to solving it in session zero. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Dan is the new Brodeur. * (4:51) Fear the Con coming up June 16th – 18th, 2022. * (5:52) Brodeur hits a few conventions. We start by talking attendance numbers. * (15:33) The companies that were conspicuously absent, and those that filled the void. * (18:45) Was the change for the better? * (22:46) The problem of talking about problems. * (28:09) Companies may no longer feel they need conventions. * (37:12) Accidental engagement and unexpected discovery. * (42:25) Brodeur’s post-Gen-Con product pick: . Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) Fear the Con coming up June 16th – 18th, 2022. * (2:54) Making a plot that’s personal to the characters, without falling back to cheap shots. * (9:42) If you don’t want purely violent responses, don’t rely on purely violent hooks. * (15:43) An example about a Firbolg. Our two episodes on West Marches games can be found and . * (23:52) Finding out you were the villain’s stooge. * (32:33) Why overdoing any motivation can end in meta-game problems. * (41:19) Looking at the facts you know about a player-character to create something interesting to explore. * (44:51) Tying in all of the characters, not just one. How involvement creates interest. * (54:13) When the characters don’t yet care about each other. * (59:27) Fear the Boot’s actual plays can be found . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Introducing Vece. You can find the Skies of Glass playtest . * (1:35) Brodeur continues hurting himself. You can find . * (11:35) What got us thinking about playtesting a roleplaying game. playtest survey. * (14:43) Why you may not know what you need to ask. * (18:35) Taking feedback seriously, while remembering no one’s opinion is “right”. * (25:58) Testing obscure facets of a game. * (31:58) Playtesting the fluff (i.e. setting, introductory text, explaining the RPG hobby). * (44:16) Deciding the order in which you’ll complete tasks. * (56:19) Making incremental changes instead of over-correcting. * (59:42) Testing the minimum viable product and building up from there. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Vece, Wayne
- (0:30) Let the bodies hit the floor! * (5:24) Defining the “action economy”. The video of three master fencers versus 50 random people . * (14:57) Consider not using a lone enemy. * (17:48) Using objectives instead of enemies. * (27:37) The erosion of the Game Master’s enjoyment. The idea of “action equity”. * (37:58) The value of a cooperative table, where the GM and players aren’t trying to one-up each other. * (46:22) Setting the tone for your table. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Dan’s situation with his Blades in the Dark character. * (2:21) The “play cycle” of an RPG. * (6:06) Designing a character that works in the play cycle, but not very well outside of it. * (24:54) Why not just play another character or revise the existing character traits? * (32:55) “That’s not what my character would do!” * (37:28) Adding onto what exists. * (48:27) An issue of sympathy. * (50:51) Chris Hussey’s AP for Pinnacle can be found here: and . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:33) Brodeur’s ongoing work to blind himself. * (2:40) Gaming when down a person. Putting some parameters on the discussion. * (7:53) Avoiding cliffhangers that hinge on a single character. * (11:58) Subtly reframing the scene to obscure the unknowns. * (16:31) Get a few what-if tips from the missing player to help you guide the scene. * (20:33) Being flexible, not just in executing the situation, but also in adjusting the outcome. * (22:44) Using pacing to avoid the issue completely. * (40:54) When the player’s absence is felt by the party, even though there was no cliffhanger. * (47:18) Gatekeeping interactions with the absent character. Owning your choice to create a cliffhanger. * (53:56) Keeping your perspective straight. You can hear . Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:24) Maybe combat shouldn’t be played to the point of annihilation. Violence as part of the human experience. * (5:50) The social contract of a fight. Jason Brick’s show. * (9:43) Playing the enemies sub-optimally, or managing combat according to your strengths as a GM. * (21:18) The “soft” rules that different RPGs offer for resolving combat. * (33:47) The freedom that comes from what’s never seen behind the GM screen. * (38:54) GMing under the . * (44:21) The joy of an un-antagonistic table culture. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Wayne gives a shoutout to Old Man Hussey. (Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a link to the AP he ran.) * (3:15) Brodeur gets us started on the joys of combat in roleplaying games. How initiative balances the spotlight. * (7:05) Why fight at all? * (11:31) Intermixing roleplaying and combat. * (16:09) Rolling back to spotlight management. * (23:10) Creating tension in combat through narrative or numbers. * (32:15) When the game doesn’t allowing for fudging. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:52) A love that makes Brodeur and Wayne uncomfortable. * (4:37) Actor has a seat at Brodeur’s table but doesn’t seem to enjoy it. * (10:14) The importance of looking for context and motive to understand a behavior. * (18:50) Someone else’s struggles don’t invalidate your boundaries. * (26:33) Getting perspective, possibly with the help of a third party. . * (35:49) Sometimes something has to be broken to create a new opportunity. * (41:05) The power in just talking to someone. * (45:08) The healthy and unhealthy act of venting. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Phoenix, Wayne
- (0:27) Where’s Brodeur? * (2:00) Fear the Con Online, June 25th – 27th. You can create and sign up for games . * (4:04) Having patience for people, whether in discomfort or just struggling with old habits dying hard. * (6:42) Neglected gaming spaces and snack stashes. * (13:01) Change up your gaming traditions. * (14:54) Have minimal expectations for your first gathering. * (19:20) People may have fundamentally changed. * (25:43) Put together all of the gaming supplies that weren’t needed online, but are needed in-person. * (36:39) Consider adjusting the plot or chasing a side story. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia
- (0:28) And the cat came back…! * (1:13) Fear the Con Online, June 25th – 27th. You can create and sign up for games . * (4:00) As we get close to gaming face-to-face again, we look back at over a year of online gaming. * (5:43) It’s better than not gaming at all, and there’s no commute. * (8:38) The self-consciousness that comes from being on camera. * (16:19) No one has to host the game. * (22:41) You’re not away from your nest. * (26:26) Electronic resources are accessible from the same device you use for online gaming. * (30:06) Better isolated side-talk. * (33:04) You can game with people drawn from a deeper pool. * (34:16) The frustration of technical difficulties and missed social cues. * (39:25) Being home can make you a bit too accessible. The social flow of the game. * (44:11) You don’t get out of the house. * (52:48) The loss of tactile objects and environmental ambience, particularly when technology won’t come close to replacing them. * (58:10) Being stuck to The Chair™. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:39) Silver milk. * (7:54) Spotlight vs. validation. * (12:40) Being a fan of the players. * (18:27) Evaluating whether the idea is genuinely bad, or you’re just being judgmental. * (23:39) Asking players why they think their ideas would work. * (27:25) Picking the hills that are worth dying on. * (36:36) Not punishing someone’s moment of bravery. * (41:39) Why is this on the Game Master? * (46:08) The inherent risk of shooting someone down. Separating success from validation. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:40) (or not) in a Mexican restaurant. * (21:16) Wayne’s weird skill of making eating interesting. * (23:45) A Dresden game gets a bit depressing, but not all entertainment needs the same tone to succeed. * (30:47) An engaging story, that’s true to your creative vision, is worth more than cheap thrills. * (35:09) Stories don’t have to have a single tone. * (41:12) Not wanting to be pigeon-holed as someone that has no range. * (47:28) The value of narrow questions and immediate feedback. * (53:46) Your story doesn’t have to be what you expected. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:22) Hating on Zoom, and welcoming Tex and Old Man Hussey. * (1:48) Welcoming author and former Assistant BattleTech Line Developer , and other/new Tex from (his recommended episodes and the ). * (6:21) BattleTech in the 80s, including it inspired. * (11:05) Virtual World and early VR gaming. * (21:45) If Virtual World drove the nature of Clan ‘Mechs, then what real-world events drove BattleTech’s story’s other inflection points? * (29:45) Maintaining consistency and continuity in such a detailed setting. * (34:53) Is there a freedom of story-writing that accompanies a fundamental shift in the physical products? * (39:41) Attack of the tripods. * (43:16) Handling inconsistencies in the previously-written canon. * (48:45) Popularity and product runs. * (53:09) The bashfulness of new Tex. * (56:06) Real-world romances inspiring fictional ones. Hosts: Ben, Chris, Dan, Tex (new), Tex (old)
- (0:24) Blades in the Dark as a Charles Dickens’ book, rewritten by H.P. Lovecraft. as a genre. Richard Trager from . * (8:06) Where Dan’s plans for his character diverge from what our game can reasonably handle. * (15:42) Balancing resources a player wants for their character. * (27:36) Not doing the work, but wanting the reward. * (38:38) The freedom that comes when trappings matter more than rules. * (40:15) Being fixated on a particular way of accomplishing a goal. * (46:13) Brodeur gives a shoutout to Joshua A. and…uh…something else. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Sharing space with other GMs and three kids. * (7:40) XP and loot in a West Marches game. * (11:57) And a child shall lead them… * (19:22) Lifelines to sanity. Wayne’s . * (21:16) Player negotiation with the Game Master. Seven questions to help develop characters. * (29:17) When players want something without understanding its context in the world. * (32:37) An example from our . * (36:25) A big thanks to the people giving us feedback on the ! * (37:27) Back to the Blades in the Dark character example. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Brodeur’s slamdemic, language choices, and current game. * (6:13) The beginning of Brodeur’s problems with Actor. * (13:18) Cue Ball returns with some insight. * (17:20) Why this might have been the wrong solution for Brodeur and/or a misunderstanding of Actor. * (23:42) Understanding where Actor is coming from. Why was Brodeur the only one addressing this? The much-referenced interview with Chad . * (27:26) The balance of power around the table. * (36:48) How would Actor respond to this in one of his games? * (44:54) The unacceptable solution: talking to Actor like an adult. Why Actor is better than Law School. * (54:21) A very mature solution to the problem, and how Brodeur ruined a 13-year-old’s life. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Who is Amy? * (1:07) Why do we tolerate so much bad behavior at our gaming tables? Separating this topic from what one might encounter during public games (e.g. conventions, organized play). * (8:41) Friendships aren’t transitive. Also, perhaps we put up with the bad because it’s less than the good the same person brings. * (10:37) Opinions are identity. * (11:37) Hating confrontation while thriving on the drama. * (18:36) People are a bank. * (24:41) Social vampires that draw something they need from healthy groups. * (27:49) Issues of socialization. The cycle of abuse, and the dispensability (or indispensability) that comes from the number of friends you have. * (35:26) Being around too many people that are a lot like you. * (43:58) People are attracted to hobbies because they “fit” them, and ours is a hobby of ideas. * (50:18) “That’s the Game Master’s problem!” * (52:33) The mistake of not handling the issue. Hosts: Amy, Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) In a world where… * (1:29) Laura is Lura, and now Dawn is Don? * (3:50) Explaining and Powered by the Apocalypse. * (7:32) Transitioning the same characters from Masks to . * (12:44) The implicit model of every RPG system. * (17:17) Rebuilding the character instead of trying to directly translate it. * (21:40) Transliteration versus paraphrasing. * (31:06) Or just make a new character! * (39:02) The possible fragmentation of Pathfinder. * (45:04) podcast. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:29) Lura struggles with her own name, but we’re there to help! * (3:39) The flash fiction anthology, , is still available for purchase. * (7:43) Laura is starting a game for minority and marginalized people. You can contact her to learn more , email (Laura@FearTheBoot.com), or by PMing her . * (11:40) Wayne is also starting up a game, unrelated to Laura’s. You can contact him via email (Wayne@FearTheBoot.com) for more information. * (13:27) Please be respectful. * (15:33) Chad gets interviewed . * (18:48) Following up on to hear how Wayne’s resurrection of a game panned out. * (22:27) What Wayne did to preserve the game during the gap. * (32:40) Whether the game was started right where it left off or somewhere in the future. * (43:26) The value of equally interesting and banal game recoveries. * (50:30) Writing only what’s necessary to get things moving again. * (52:51) Getting Gnarl into The Sims. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:24) A literal F-bomb. * (1:27) The fishbowl of gaming in a game shop. * (16:22) The desired safety—yet expected vulnerability—of a public gaming space. Missing context. * (21:49) An allegory of pets. * (27:32) Please not just D&D. * (29:03) An update on Fear the Con 2021. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) The flash fiction anthology, , is now out! * (3:35) Love for Johnny Lawrence that no child of the 80s should have. * (17:43) Wayne runs The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men with a family audience. * (24:37) How an audience impacts execution of the game. * (29:18) Tailoring to audiences based on your relationship with them. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Enjoying roleplaying as an artform. * (1:44) When desires collide. * (11:37) The opportunity to express or explore controversial ideas. * (16:54) Indulging a power fantasy. * (23:20) Stress relief. * (30:28) Interacting with a particular world. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Brodeur gets back on the ladder again. * (1:13) Dan plays doctor, which gets us wondering what makes people want to roleplay anything at all. * (5:59) Why it’s good to know what motivates someone to roleplay. * (10:07) Structured social interactions. * (15:13) Exploration of self. * (18:28) Exploration of others. * (21:38) Escapism. * (27:30) The opportunity for creativity. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) General Bootspital. * (7:19) More observations from roleplaying in an MMO. Not using freakshow characters to make yourself stand out. * (11:46) The great, unoccupied average. Distinguishing your character by who they are, not what they are. * (27:35) How collaborative game-building can keep characters from being freakshows to begin with. The praise-worthy amount of heart that often goes into freakshow characters. * (34:20) The potential laziness of a freakshow character. Using questions to develop the character past that initial laziness. * (44:42) Sometimes average and interesting characters get made, simply because the person doesn’t realize what they’re playing is unusual in concept. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Laura
- (0:29) Fear the Boot: Quarantine Edition. Plus, Brodeur versus Ladder. Ladder wins. NOTE: Brodeur has not actually lost an arm or eye. I meant to say he’d lost use of them. * (3:57) Roleplaying in an MMO, and why I never thought I’d do it. * (5:29) My history with MMOs. * (7:09) Comparing an MMO to any other electronic play surface. * (9:41) Five qualities that help RP in an online game: environmental props, costuming, emotes, a thriving RP community, and private locations. * (15:17) Why it’s best to have a large pool of roleplayers to draw from. * (19:35) Tips for finding the right group a little faster. * (21:55) The unexpected quirks created by roleplaying so anonymously. * (27:44) Remembering that an MMO is just another medium of play. Hosts: Dan
- (0:24) Bringing everything together into a single ending. Remembering that the GM should get their say as well. * (8:05) The collaborative building of a world with conflict. The natural concern for one’s own creation. * (19:40) Differentiating the ending and epilogue of the game. * (34:50) Knowing where to let go. * (42:56) #SaveGamer…? Ask Brodeur. We’re not dealing with this one. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) Never humor Brodeur. * (1:17) Jason Brick is launching a new flash fiction anthology, with several Fear the Boot hosts contributing. You can find the Kickstarter here. * (4:23) The fine folks at feed Dan’s Enclave addiction, and he repays them by referring to Wasteland Warfare as Wasteland Warriors. * (8:32) Discussing how to end a long campaign, as inspired by the end of our , along with an upcoming campaign Wayne is preparing to wrap up. * (10:18) An aside on projects we’ll be doing between major actual plays. * (13:00) Hooray for even keeping a game alive until it ends! * (15:06) Why the expectations around the end of the game create unique stress. Remembering it’s not just the GM’s ending. * (18:22) Asking the players what they want from the ending without having them dictate the plot. * (25:25) Writing the ending in session zero. * (26:23) Getting back to the example ending from Skies of Glass. * (36:33) Accepting player freedom in their choices and giving them some responsibility for their own satisfaction. * (40:10) Respecting the difference between an individual character’s ending and the shared, group ending. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Brodeur’s response to our critiques. Settling disputes in online games. * (3:12) Minis are just cool to create and use. * (6:32) A form of art and inspiration. * (11:40) The value to visual thinkers and visual learners. * (21:40) Estimating the percentage of groups that use minis. * (27:29) Minis as commemorative art. * (36:06) Three ways of consuming miniatures. * (44:03) , who did excellent mini-painting work for Wayne and Dan. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Models, minis, figs, and toy soldiers. Brodeur proposes . Why Chad is wrong about . * (4:02) Minis in an RPG. Enriching or distracting? Brodeur’s on the matter. * (15:36) What miniatures bring to and take away from the typical roleplaying game. Distaste for collectibles and blind box purchases. * (25:22) The added work surrounding minis. The need for more minis than you originally thought you’d need. * (30:34) The separate hobby—and required skills—for building and painting minis. * (36:55) The value in the mere presence of minis. Keeping things consistent. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Brodeur’s , Wayne’s , and Fear the Boot’s . * (3:49) Looking at an updated view of the effect COVID is having on tabletop gaming. Setting some parameters on the discussion. * (8:47) The impact it’s had on our own games and gaming groups. * (20:32) How COVID is affecting the podcast. * (24:41) How COVID is affecting game creators, publishers, and retailers. Dan and Brodeur’s prior predictions . * (30:50) An aside on miniature wargames and Gnarl versus Unicron. * (34:28) The effect on manufacturing and distribution. * (41:42) Will COVID have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on gaming? * (53:04) The possible loss of talent from the industry. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:30) Nagging Brodeur to do an episode of . Brodeur’s . * (7:21) Revisiting command structures in a game. Waiting to set roles until after you’ve had a chance to play your character. * (14:28) Your character isn’t their job. * (21:44) Not having a group structure at all, juxtaposed with the inevitability of interpersonal organization. * (31:39) Micromanagers in leadership roles. * (35:28) Putting some focus on whether non-command personnel are right for their roles. * (48:33) Unplanned shifts in role that occur during the story. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Developing a GMing style. * (2:38) Defining “GMing style,” as it will be used in this show. * (9:19) Laura, as a GM who is running her formative games. * (12:10) Picking up helpful ideas from other GMs without losing your own style. Sticking with it. * (18:43) Struggling with a sense of detachment from the game, due to the number of things a GM has to keep track of. * (35:12) The influence of experienced GMs. Ignoring absolute advice, and how “Show, Don’t Tell” . * (45:00) After running about 10 games, what has Laura found didn’t work? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura
- (0:28) How this topic may tie into the next campaign in our . * (7:47) The particular struggle over captain, as opposed to any other position on the bridge. * (9:21) The attractive folly of choosing a reluctant leader. * (17:00) The difference between trying to shoehorn in the wrong player versus the wrong character. * (26:03) Getting the right player and the right character. * (30:40) “A captain makes my participation pointless.” * (31:08) What a good captain looks like. . The power of a title. * (40:17) A trio of real-world examples. (That was supposed to be True Dungeon, not Real Dungeon.) * (59:42) . * (1:02:26) Letting people find their roles naturally, during the course of the game. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Have a game! And an online calendar. * (3:09) When one player asks for a very specific game. * (9:08) Determining exactly what they want from this game. Yes, Chad, Green Squadron . * (11:18) Does the rest of the group want to participate in this game? * (12:40) An intentionally difficult example with . Restraining yourself as the subject-matter expert. * (18:32) Asking the requester to give spotlight to the other players while limiting their own. * (29:54) Now you have to sell it! * (31:17) Switching back to Green Squadron, which presents a different set of problems and opportunities. * (36:53) The value of a beloved but unremarkable character. * (40:47) Not abusing meta-game knowledge. * (50:13) Be prepared to concede as much as you’re asking for. Self-inflicted insignificance. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Introducing Zylo and reintroducing Chris. * (0:49) A brief history of Fear the Conline. * (3:42) The dual novelty of running a con game and online game. * (7:10) Position the screen below the camera. * (9:02) Allowing for early communication between the GMs and players. * (11:52) The Zylo made. Allowing time to setup the expected game-play tools. * (19:07) The degree to which an online con feels like a regular con. * (27:58) The length of game slots. * (33:27) Issues with communication and coordination. Timezones. * (42:10) Panels, seminars, and streaming events. * (46:00) A roundup of final thoughts. Fear the Boot’s . Hosts: Chris, Dale, Laura, Wayne, Zylo
- (0:29) Are there TWO soulless gingers on the show!? * (4:03) Minnesotans and their grey ducks. * (6:03) Lura explains her tarot deck and witchery. * (14:37) A reading for Gnarl. The . * (26:22) A reading to give Wayne game advice. * (39:30) A reading on Dan’s love life. The . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:29) Bad Brodeur gets bashful. Lura and finding God’s love in F7. * (8:13) Dan prepares to run a West Marches game. You can find our prior episodes on West Marches and . * (11:02) The fresh perspective children and new gamers bring to the table. * (21:31) Working player-to-GM collaboration into a setting-driven game. Worldographer by . * (29:05) Growing your GMing skills by limiting your rating. * (46:26) Collaborating with parents to build the boundaries of the game. * (51:54) West Marches: After Dark. Maintaining continuity after a more adult session. * (55:47) Increasing the disconnect between the game and real-life horrors. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Laura
- (0:37) Wayne has to rather abruptly put his Dresden Files game on hold. * (10:46) The added difficulty of an ending you couldn’t plan for. * (11:47) Remembering where you left off. Taking a record of what both the GM and players remember and care about. * (24:13) Using audio instead of written notes. * (27:03) Finding game-oriented activities you can do in the interim. * (31:05) Using game-related prose. * (38:20) Time jump? Or pick up where the last game left off? * (44:30) Pacing yourself and picking the best ideeas. * (49:55) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video and the signup site . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:29) Unplugged cables and the ever-moving studio. * (4:20) The cost of a press pass. * (6:10) The hardest thing to do in a horror game. * (10:35) The lack of . When Pat was . * (23:01) Cutting away reality to nurture a new kind of fear. * (26:17) Displacing tension into the place of fear. Keith Curtis’ alien puppet. * (33:32) Starting with control of the gaming environment. * (37:10) Not taking this as license to terrorize or traumatize the non-consenting. * (38:31) Misdirecting so the familiar feels unfamiliar. * (43:49) Keeping the pacing up and downtime down. * (49:59) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video and the signup site . Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:18) after this episode was recorded but before it was released. * (1:14) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video and the signup site . * (2:35) Brodeur got some inside info regarding Gen Con. The article he wrote prior to getting this info . * (4:46) The letter from Gen Con to key vendors. * (8:02) Fear the Boot makes the call! * (16:40) Critiquing the questions that were asked. * (22:10) Defending the questions that were asked. The artist we were partnered with for Wizard World can be found . WARNING: The art displayed on his Facebook page is technically SFW, but it’s very risque. * (37:39) The general vacuum of information in the RPG industry. * (39:48) Juxtaposing how the handled a similar situation. * (52:41) Cats, weed, and the moral dimension of COVID. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Laura
- (0:29) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video and the signup site . * (7:41) Fear the Con 2021 has been locked in for June 25th – 26th, 2021. * (9:39) A question about henchmen, courtesy of Jesse Sierke. Setting some boundaries on the discussion. * (12:56) How many is too many, particularly if you’re not trying to run an empire-building or administrative game? * (15:35) Making it the burden of the player that brought in all of the NPCs. * (18:58) When players treat the NPCs as a valueless resource. Abstracting a group of NPCs into a single, collective unit. * (28:42) Tracking social transactions. * (37:17) Making the players explain why they need hirelings to begin with. * (41:03) The role of the party should always eclipse the role of the henchmen. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (1:05) A message from Matt about some issues with a GM. * (2:21) Player creativity can spook the GM into responding in frustrating ways. * (13:35) Reasons why GMs find themselves in this situation. * (21:47) The role of player empathy in fixing the problem. * (30:10) Buying time to rethink instead of immediately reacting. * (34:28) Outsourcing the solution by asking players for more input. * (39:46) The value of being honest. * (44:56) Throwing a different curve-ball than the one you’d initially planned. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:36) Adapting the show to current realities. * (1:52) The history of West Marches and the context of the advice we gave. Ben’s on his game. Another contribution of his to the hobby: . * (11:17) More information on the Skies of Glass play-test document, slated for release on April 21st. * (14:28) The mental and social impact of COVID, including what you can do for yourself and others. The relevant . Hosts: Dan
- (0:46) Repeating regarding Fear the Con 2020. * (2:14) New content and general improvements . * (7:10) Explaining what a West Marches style game is. The West Marches game through GamersTable can be found in the Star Trek Adventures area. * (17:08) The nature of character relationships in an ever-shifting party. * (19:06) Sharing information between the participants. * (22:18) A different style for different people. Cameo appearances. * (29:46) Some random thoughts on maps and technology to aid a campaign. * (34:36) Keeping everyone on the same page regarding game events, creative boundaries, and such. * (49:08) The origin of the name, West Marches, and the idea’s history . Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:41) Some unfortunate news about Fear the Con 2020. A blog post with some more information is coming soon. * (4:14) Brodeur’s new endeavor (as of this episode, the site is still very heavily under construction). * (7:55) Dan and Brodeur go to GAMA Expo! The usual relationship between tabletop games and conventions. * (14:57) Why the con-to-game relationship seems to be breaking down this year, and what that may mean for our hobby. * (27:04) The potential impact on retail. * (31:11) Answering some of the questions the listeners asked us to look into. * (41:18) How all of this affects the end consumer. * (47:36) The misuse and abuse of Kickstarter. * (57:03) The resilience of the tabletop gaming hobby. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan
- (0:24) Betrayal to the . * (4:40) Why Wayne abuses utility powers. * (6:19) Chad passes judgment. It might be easier to say, “no,” upfront than to have the fight later. * (13:02) Fear of the unknown. Wayne’s confessional mini-show, now available . * (16:53) Getting Dale’s perspective as a publisher of game supplements. You can find . * (24:25) Dale’s advice for the splat-averse. * (32:34) How Dale can attract people to his products. Splat certification? Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Putting Dale in the hotseat as a Game Master. * (10:01) Pitching the same idea to Chad and Wayne as theoretical players. * (17:13) Judging the regularity of and motivation for playing unusual characters. * (23:52) Kicking the pitch back to Dale again. * (32:46) The unique problems of playing from splat you wrote. * (38:17) Flipping the script and using splat to empower other characters. * (43:52) Dan’s trouble with trust. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Why Chad doesn’t have a strong opinion on splat. Getting to the player’s real reason for the request. Allowing unusual requests as a form of collaborative world-building. * (4:20) Why Chad’s games more easily accommodate weird ideas. * (7:22) Re-skinning existing content instead of creating new content. Abusing splat. * (8:17) Not trusting the players to self-moderate. * (19:54) Why Dale, as a player, likes splat. * (27:49) Putting Dale in the hotseat as a player. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Our history with podcasts and…iPods…? * (4:44) Fear the Con is ready to go. Fear the Boot . Getting some old hosts back and relocating the recording studio. * (12:42) A disagreement over splat books creates a show. * (19:41) Around the table, asking who thinks what about splat books. * (21:26) Knowing the content or at least trusting its creators. * (25:04) Splat as a relief from burnout. * (28:04) How publishers break their own games. * (31:49) Trying to solve the problem after the game has been broken. * (35:58) The FCD pitch versus genuinely contributing to the game. Doing your own homework and balancing. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:25) Introducing Kimi from , , and Golden Lasso Girl (, ). * (7:07) The Decuma Kickstarter, which . * (11:03) What Decuma is meant to do, and how it plays. * (16:20) Establishing characters and a setting so we can do a live demo. * (20:41) Playing the game demo, starting with character connection cards. A side note on how to shuffle a tarot deck. * (26:55) What we got from just two cards, including plot points for the GM. * (29:12) The world dynamics card, between the character connection rounds. * (34:09) Two location card examples. * (38:44) Building an area map as you work through the cards. * (40:50) The meaning of the name Decuma. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne Guests: Kimi
- (0:29) Laura in Chad’s shoes. Dogs in the hood. * (8:18) Fear the Con’s and ready for your games! * (12:10) Wayne is in the process of improving . * (17:01) Why there are certain games we won’t run or won’t play. * (18:06) Why Wayne won’t run Battletech, and Dan won’t play Mechwarrior. * (19:00) Why Wayne won’t run Blades in the Dark, but Laura will. * (19:37) Why Dan won’t run Dresden. * (20:24) Why Dale won’t run Dresden or Misspent Youth. * (23:33) Why Dan struggles running horror, and most of the hosts struggle with Lovecraft. * (33:47) Why Dan won’t run a supers game but would love to play in one. * (35:16) Wayne ran , simply for the challenge of it. * (36:21) The simultaneous value and limitation of practice. Dan pitches a supers game based on Owlman’s (). Hosts: Dale, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:22) A very important number. * (8:45) Lura, Chad, Stacy, Cathy, and Karen. * (15:38) Why Lura isn’t allowed on Fear the Boot anymore. * (22:25) Why Julia is still allowed on Fear the Boot. * (31:58) Fear the Con’s shifting demographics. You can sign-up to attend . * (36:42) Cucks, clucks, pedants, and show prep. * (42:12) Wayne misses his own dinner. * (53:03) How Chad controls a room. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:28) The joys of having a host rotation again. * (3:10) Errata in tabletop games, and why we’re grateful when companies release them. * (9:34) How publishers can do errata wrong. * (17:39) Chad’s Dresden character makes him realize things he ought to know to accurately portray his character’s life experiences. The podcast. * (24:04) Researching the minimum viable product. * (30:30) What to do with information beyond the minimum viable product. * (35:03) Playing your own character lawyer. * (40:08) Information that can flesh out your roleplaying. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Laura
- (0:25) Holiday postmortem of our games. Wayne wastes money on nasty food. * (2:49) The case for and against soup, and the dark gluttony of Palladium books. * (9:21) Chad’s for soups and stews. * (17:13) The and old-time cooking. * (20:24) Reporting on a bit of holiday loot. * (21:18) The . * (22:42) espresso. * (23:57) , and ebony dice . * (26:56) . * (29:07) and . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:29) The holidays came in like a wrecking ball! * (2:01) Wayne’s Family Feud survey is still up for answers! * (3:24) Gnarl is here to save your Christmas! Available on Amazon and Audible. * (5:54) Chad’s opinions save the show! * (7:26) No one likes distractions. * (10:10) Why Chad doesn’t like basements. * (16:43) Wayne’s aversion to cluttered tables. * (25:04) Chad’s distaste for chairs and high tables. * (34:21) Why Dan wants chairs instead of a couch. * (41:02) Once upon a time, through thin bathroom walls. * (46:35) The ups and downs of having food present. * (52:39) Gaming outside the normal flow of the household. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:23) Wayne’s Family Feud survey. * (3:09) Love for D&D and its sister games. * (5:24) A conversation with Chris Hussey about the strata of podcasts. * (10:46) What D&D has come to represent within the hobby. Gamers Table’s weekly Big 20 show (previous episodes here). * (19:31) Gaming as an aspect of a person’s identity. * (29:02) Handling the preconceptions in a constructive way. * (41:30) A call to action. * (44:47) The value the attention brings. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) The Audacity that can end the show! * (1:30) A topic from Jesse, with two parameters from Dan. * (5:42) Watch out for any real-world impact between the players. * (18:28) Managing your own reaction to the bully character. * (19:25) The attitude behind, “That’s what my character would do.” * (21:57) The in-character consequences of playing a bully. * (28:34) Targeting the penalties at the right party. * (34:58) Calling out your own character. * (37:50) GM-created deterrents against the bully. * (44:26) When you’re unintentionally bullying the Game Master, or the bully is going otherwise unchallenged. * (51:49) Inviting consequences upon yourself. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) A big THANK YOU to everyone that backed Fear the Con! * (2:43) Gamers Table’s weekly Big 20 show (previous episodes here). * (5:22) Blades in the Dark gives way to a Traveller game. Working through Traveller’s character creation system. * (16:10) Finding the patterns—and inventing the story—created by the random rolls. * (28:19) How the individual character patterns affect group design. * (34:30) Out-of-character misery as a weird flex. * (37:19) In-character misery as a point of story development. * (42:34) Swalwell’s musical number. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan
- (0:29) Introducing Laura. The episode where we first setup this topic. * (1:24) Fear the Con has funded! Start getting your games listed! * (2:18) Chris Hussey’s Savage Worlds setting book, The Wolverines Take the Highway to the Danger Zone. * (9:21) Why Laura GMed, and how she felt about the prospect of running a game. * (14:30) Where she got her early help. The Blind GM. * (18:06) How Laura structured her game prep. Getting help from an advocate. Keeping game notes in a topical structure. * (26:51) Writing the pre-generated player-characters. * (33:49) Executing the first few seconds of the game. * (37:31) The first curve-ball the party threw. * (42:53) Adding a sanity mechanic to D&D. * (47:11) How Laura felt the game went. * (50:31) Giving Laura a letter grade. * (55:31) Don’t take your first game too seriously, but be prepared to improve. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne
- (0:31) Fear the Con’s Kickstarter and Con Planner site. * (1:45) We’d appreciate it if you gave us a review on whatever site or app you use to consume the show! * (4:13) Wayne brings some sample characters for us to interpret on the fly, inspired by his experience with pre-generated characters in a one-shot game. * (9:48) The D&D sheet Dan was reading from. Paring down the sheet to a small number of interesting and actionable items. * (19:09) Expelling and improvising quite a bit more. * (25:31) Reading what isn’t on the sheet. * (30:11) Playing off of each other’s characters. * (38:22) Applying similar ideas to a minimalist sheet. The SoG sheet Dan was reading from. * (44:14) Wayne pulling identity from the average. * (48:16) Being mindful of the other players when looking at the obvious links. * (52:01) Starting from the weaknesses instead of strengths. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:24) Knowing why you’re changing the game, and by extension, whether it’s worth doing. * (6:50) Describing damage. Hit points versus wounds versus shock. * (15:57) Remaking characters in another system, mid-game. * (31:23) Finding an existing system that fits what you’re looking for. * (34:55) RPGs as a spectator sport. Or not. * (40:45) More on the Venn diagram project clock. * (43:14) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter. * (44:44) Congratulating Gamers Table on their successful fundraising. * (47:04) Gaming with Gage and Jon Brazer, because Chad can’t stop plugging stuff. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter, with added rewards for people that can’t attend. * (3:38) Wayne does something cool, tells Dan about it, gives Dan a poster from it, and then forgets all of it. * (9:38) Hijacking versus homebrewing. “Have to” versus “want to.” * (12:21) Deciding what attributes are important to a story and, by extension, what needs to be reflected in the system. * (17:50) What’s simulated in the game as opposed to simulated in the meta-game. * (22:58) The boon of the number of games available. * (33:54) Getting back to simulating what matters. You can download Chad’s free games here. * (42:31) Don’t homebrew just because something small isn’t working. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Fear the Con’s Kickstarter! * (6:12) An encounter in the Actual Play that felt inorganic to the flow of the main plot. * (14:25) Being aware of what knits your campaign together. * (19:42) Making a side plot compelling from the outset, even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first. * (29:29) Noting what players care about in the meta-game. * (33:09) Going for the quiet players instead of the loud ones. Getting the right type of buy-in. * (40:02) Evaluating whether a side plot works, with or without tying it back to the main plot. * (43:55) Creating buyer’s remorse. * (48:54) Fear the Boot’s Patreon. Hosts: Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter is live! * (4:50) When the party is split, it can make it easier to talk to an NPC. * (8:21) A split party creating a game of telephone. * (13:02) Giving characters their own chance to shine. * (21:55) Team-building and RP in the party’s reunion. * (23:12) The countdown to problems when the party separates. * (29:54) Two approaches for how the GM can resolve the separate actions. * (42:10) Having to remember multiple bookmarks if the game gets paused. * (43:08) How a split party can help the GM get an idea to stick. * (44:29) Avoiding factions in the split. * (47:34) Player-character separation as an inevitability, not a desired outcome. * (50:34) The role of the players in a divided group. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:32) The Kickstarter for Gamers Table’s Season of the Glitch. * (1:16) Fear the Con 2020 on June 18th – 20th, with the Kickstarter coming very soon. You can follow our progress in the Facebook group. The episode where we talked about Pat killing us all. * (5:35) Merging two questions from Facebook to talk about how we build settings with an eye for stories that can be told there. * (7:39) The motivation behind creating the world in the first place. * (24:07) As aside on automats and courtesy. * (29:36) What interests you is likely what you’re already developing. * (33:24) Looking at what the players can and/or care to consume. * (41:21) Where and when you start building the game plot, based on group interests. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:33) Fear the Con 2020 on June 18th – 20th! The Kickstarter is coming very soon. In the meantime, you can follow our progress in the Facebook group. * (2:09) Explaining who Brad is. * (2:59) The Kickstarter for Gamers Table’s Season of the Glitch. * (6:05) Laura decides to run a Halloween game for more experienced players. * (10:47) Intentionally and accidentally difficult players. * (14:21) Ask for help and get people invested in your success. * (17:53) Picking the right system and setting. * (21:38) Why asking for feedback may not be the best idea. * (26:45) Prioritizing the building blocks of the game. * (33:59) Accepting you’re not in control of everything, and notes aren’t always the answer. * (38:16) Advice for the players. Hosts: Brad, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:54) All that matters is the d-o-g. * (3:18) Answering part of Dustin’s question, and why it’s not getting a full answer just yet. * (5:13) Illustrations from No Man’s Sky, Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, and Freelancer. * (13:24) Slowing things down in the game versus the meta-game. * (19:04) Getting what you’ve earned. * (25:16) The slow flow of information in other forms of storytelling. * (32:54) Communicating a plausible, in-story reason for withholding information. * (39:54) Players that are desperate for information or overstuffed with it. * (44:56) NPCs in a guiding role. Extending the Three Clue Rule. * (54:40) Gating discoveries. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan
- (0:23) Chad talks a whole lot about not talking. Also, cattywampus. * (4:32) Wayne is playing Dragon Quest Builders 2. * (7:39) Chad is playing Assassin’s Creed Origins. * (16:31) Dale is playing Medieval II: Total War. * (23:39) Dan is playing No Man’s Sky. * (30:14) Dan is reading War Before Civilization. * (33:30) Wayne is reading They Called Us Enemy. * (35:36) Chad is reading Hardluck Ironclad. * (48:05) Dale is reading Becoming Superman. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Jonathan Belina asks about rules for dice. * (4:45) Cocked dice. Not rolling off the floor. * (8:31) Dice must be legible and visible. * (9:36) Don’t “play” with the dice. * (12:42) Dice bowling. * (18:48) Testing your rolls. * (20:41) Tenser’s Floating Disk at work…? * (28:18) An unexpected break in Chad’s Blades in the Dark game. * (36:02) Juxtaposing Chad’s situation against the break in Dan’s Skies of Glass game. * (41:22) Recovering with the onus on the players. * (47:23) Recovering with the onus on the Game Master. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Dan’s voice. A look back at older episodes. * (2:54) The double-standard of how social skills are handled versus any other check. * (8:00) When players cheat around their dump stats. * (12:47) The plausibility of counterfactuals. * (32:04) Having no awareness of the game you’re in. * (37:42) Holding me responsible for the things you didn’t tell me. * (41:28) Revisiting other topics. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) Introducing Dale of Jon Brazer Enterprises. * (7:11) The story of Jon Brazer, the character. * (9:07) How the degree of crunch changes your options for creating material. The OGL and similar licenses. * (24:26) Half of your money?! * (33:09) Revisiting the relationship between crunch (or the lack thereof) and what that lets you create. * (43:37) The positive role of more stuff. * (49:40) Getting started with Traveler. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne
- (0:32) Dan is having throat issues. * (1:01) A huge “thank you” to Zylo for doing so much for Fear the Con-Line! * (2:18) Wayne created a template to help with game pitches. You can find a blank version here. * (5:26) A sample for D&D 5th Edition. * (8:24) Every game starts somewhere. * (11:03) Structuring without restricting. A sample for Dresden Files. * (19:42) Pitches in-person versus on-paper. * (29:16) Adapting the pitch based on feedback. * (36:10) Adding miscellaneous notes. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) This studio is hot. * (2:55) The conundrum of character suicide. How Frankenstein's monster was actually made. * (16:10) Not being a victim of your own creations. * (31:28) Explaining the idea of a swan song and how it manifests in an RPG. * (39:17) Deconstructing a swan song that occurred in one of our games. * (40:56) Extra camera time. * (47:30) Letting a character arc run its full course. Death of a Salesman. * (51:59) Swan songs as a consensus of every contributor to the story. * (56:18) Recognizing the moments when they happen unplanned. Letting the character continue, anyway. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
Excuse the intro. I’ve lost my voice, so that was the best I could do. * (0:28) We are living in the future. We’re at the threshold of hell. * (12:39) An after-action report on bringing in a pair of new players. Planning versus problem-solving. * (32:52) Constant pressure squeezing out roleplaying. * (37:02) Failing to give the players a break. * (41:37) Shifting between modes of gaming and degrees of tension. * (56:45) Fear the Conline. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Charlie goes on a rampage. A tangent on Cluster-B personality disorders. * (6:51) Incorporating new people into the social context of your group. * (11:16) Revising our advice on how to meet someone. * (13:36) Using the pregame questionnaire as a loose guide. Dale’s publishing website. * (19:28) Observing and adjusting during session zero. * (22:07) Considering their worldview. * (25:41) The value of compromise and outside influence. * (29:14) Isolating the first part of the game. * (33:46) Balancing the spotlight. * (46:38) Why Blades in the Dark? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Play and life skills in higher animals. * (3:25) Vote for Reading Radio in the Columbus Podcast Awards. They’re listed in both the art categoryand podcast of the year. * (6:28) Introducing new concepts to established roleplayers. * (9:43) Limited material for character creation and game play. * (21:32) Making characters together. * (25:07) An example from Star Trek and Solaris VII. * (34:40) Knowing the rules. Unintentionally setting a precedent. * (48:04) Asking players to stick to what the GM knows. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:42) Dan’s phone betrays him. Spoilers and thpoilerth. * (14:10) Chopin makes you a superior person. * (14:52) Premises that are meant for one character but invite storytelling for many characters. * (18:17) Wayne tries one-to-many, and it doesn’t quite work out. * (22:15) Distilling a premise down to what really matters. * (27:03) The chosen one. * (33:39) Subdivide the premise so it works for multiple characters. * (40:08) A world big enough to ignore an individual. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:07) The glory and horror of self-insert. * (3:37) Dan does Shadowrun. * (16:45) Wayne does D&D. * (26:43) Chad does Star Wars. Sort of. * (40:31) Julia does Narnia. * (48:17) Dan does Battletech. * (56:42) A bit of gaming advice. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:31) Brodeur and the broken finger. * (2:57) Fear the Conline is set for June 21st and 22nd. You can sign up for games here and ask questions on Discord here. * (6:55) Explaining what B-plots are. * (10:00) How B-plots spread the spotlight, build investment, and strengthen the game. * (15:00) Building the marketplace of ideas. * (19:41) Don't punish the players for shopping. * (25:15) Likening an RPG to a Ken Burns documentary. Unpacking an individual's story. * (30:51) Encouraging a B-plot. * (39:04) Connecting the A-plot and B-plot. * (51:48) B-plots humanizing the parties in the A-plot. * (54:04) The B-plot as free content or wasted effort. Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Chad, Dan
- (0:30) The distinction between GM exposition and NPC voice. * (7:12) Confusion borne from seeing the same person say everything. * (11:14) Distinguishing the source and type of information. * (12:51) All parties being flexible. * (15:57) The nuance of truthful—but misleading—communication. * (25:20) When the player disbelieves. * (33:07) Earning the right to deceive. * (53:13) Summarizing the gaming advice. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Dan's chewing monster. * (0:51) Making a lot of money on motion sickness medications. * (11:11) Creating a world where order remains in spite of the players being agents of chaos. Dan's magic trick. * (20:01) An example of competing freedoms. * (27:33) Counterfactuals as a tool in RPGs. * (35:22) Soft concepts versus hard fact. * (38:04) The finite reach of the player characters. * (41:29) Describing motivation in simple, flexible terms. * (44:23) Giving NPCs Maslow's hierarchy of needs. * (54:24) Fear the Boot's actual play site. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) A possible online convention in place of this year’s Fear the Con. You can place your vote and find out more on Discord. * (1:04) Cell phone jammers. * (4:13) Accept creative solutions. * (12:36) Control the table. * (20:53) Don't confuse delay with plot. * (23:02) Don't always make the players roll. * (27:22) Get me back in the action. * (36:24) Love the PCs more than your NPCs. * (42:11) My backstory should matter. * (47:24) Your obsession is not the group's problem. * (52:51) Be invested in each other's characters. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:54) A possible online convention in place of this year's Fear the Con. You can place your vote and find out more on Discord. * (5:07) An episode of Gamers Table inspires a topic (special thanks to Gaming with Gage). * (15:17) Whether to keep an NPC or remove them. * (20:35) Keeping the NPC in the periphery * (26:53) Leveraging an NPC's ties to other characters. * (34:10) Camp followers. * (37:34) The right way to dispose of an NPC. * (41:21) Tying an NPC to the plot. * (47:19) When adopting NPCs goes wrong. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Secretary Chad brings a glorious gift. * (3:50) Give a backstory the GM can use. * (5:47) Be open to the GM's input on your character. * (12:06) Learn something about the rules. * (17:18) Bring something to the table. * (22:30) Put away your electronics and don't make me repeat myself. * (27:44) Try to engage. * (39:20) Humor me. * (42:10) Don't be a speed bump. * (49:31) Be creative. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Wayne learns object permanence. * (2:14) A player gets voted off the island. * (9:12) Not invested in the game or not invested in the group? * (12:16) Picking the kicker. * (22:40) Evaluating how the person responds to getting kicked. * (35:29) Along came an X-card. * (58:07) Final judgment. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) The Itty Bitty Writing Space Kickstarter. * (3:47) A topic from Wendell on our Discord server. * (4:49) Playing to genre, themes, and moods. * (12:59) Hijacking the experience everyone signed up for. * (18:54) The distinction between assenting to a social contract and losing agency. The Richard Pryor game. * (23:26) Why one person may be playing out of sync. * (31:06) When the contract turns into a railroad. * (32:56) The limited recourse available when someone breaks the contract. * (42:10) Freedom within limits. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:22) Catching up with how Chad's campaign ended. * (1:43) The steps taken to set the mood. * (11:08) Pacing of the game. * (15:36) Resolving the prophecies. * (19:37) How the players helped the Game Master. * (24:32) The things that went wrong. What Dan called "anticlimax" is more accurately "dénouement." * (31:33) A brick-wall ending. * (40:38) What went right. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Let's hear it for Devastator! * (1:23) An update on Fear the Con. * (3:30) Game scheduling falls apart one session before the finale. * (12:35) Recovering the game by bringing immediate intensity. * (17:12) Shaping the real-world environment to set a mood. * (22:46) Playing side content. * (36:43) Controlling the recap. * (47:27) The players' role in helping. * (1:02:47) Fear the Boot and Gamers Table Destiny 2 clan. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Finally all the way home! * (0:48) The Actual Play actor's studio. * (3:33) Dan's PCs are becoming more like NPCs. * (11:34) Not giving up your own enjoyment. Misreading the situation. * (17:27) Being a codependent player. * (21:09) Strategies for helping the GM with your PC. Reading the GM. * (30:39) Not dominating the game. * (39:43) Playing NPCs as PCs. The appeal of Fat Tony. * (47:29) Do bad PCs make good NPCs? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) Right place, wrong room. * (1:23) Playing the hatred between two player-characters. * (6:18) You aren't a victim of your character. * (10:04) Enemy Mine and Hell in the Pacific. * (14:34) Programming a path to peace. * (20:01) Giving the conflict boundaries without erasing its relevance. * (31:36) Not all wounds have to be healed. Metering conflict in the meta-game. * (39:57) Someone can't cook. * (46:22) Accepting defeat to keep the conflict from derailing the game. * (48:04) Having a final fallback for when it all goes wrong. * (56:00) Fear the Boot and Gamers Table Destiny 2 clan. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Recording at Julia's. * (1:36) Fear the Boot and Gamers Table Destiny 2 clan. * (2:58) A fond farewell to Don Dehm of Pulp Gamer. * (4:23) Wemic shoes, doo doo doo doo doo doo. * (11:02) Dividing the hobby in an implausible way. * (13:18) The value to the Game Master of players being in-character. * (20:42) Letting a game descend into total silliness. * (22:16) Flipping the narrative: The consistency players expect. * (31:17) Remediating the situation in-character. Explaining the swimsuit episode. * (34:02) Addressing things at the meta-game level. * (38:48) Player awareness of what the Game Master is doing. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia
- (0:33) A bottle of bourbon and a letter from the Hellhounds. * (8:11) Brodeur wants to blossom, plus something about Jenna von Oÿ. * (9:13) Discord and the things we won't do for you. A big shout-out to David for joining the hobby. starting a group, and then starting his own podcast, Next Generation Game Masters. * (14:30) Chad is Gandhi. Eric from Gamers Table is running a Twitch show, Luncheon Crawl, for his game prep. * (20:53) Making it through an RPG session when you aren't feeling it. * (23:04) Just muscle (march) through. Gaming as an escape, burden, or obligation. * (31:12) Setting the right expectations for yourself. * (38:51) Communicating how you're doing and what you need. * (44:43) Testing the mood with some marketing tricks. * (55:39) An exercise in adapting to a player's mood. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Reaching a milestone episode. A topic picked by our Patreon backers. * (2:59) How the podcast started. Its first hosts and logo. The deep well of storytelling topics. * (14:57) The show's first major crisis. How the ebb and flow of our lives affects the quality of the show. A history of its hosting composition. * (26:38) Show planning, social tone, and getting older. A changing industry. * (36:30) Fear the Boot's history of logos. The first boot, the color revision, the improved art, and the pinup girl. * (40:22) An assortment of projects and technologies that came and went. * (42:59) Actual plays. * (45:32) The impact the audience has on us. Hanging onto stuff. John's acceptance speech. * (1:04:03) FTB FTW card game. * (1:05:53) Thickening skin. The changing way we view other content creators. * (1:22:38) The future of Skies of Glass and other side projects. * (1:27:54) Things that have changed in 12.5 years. * (1:33:20) Predictions for the future. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) A topic inspired by a game of Bang. What it will take to make Dan stab someone in the back in a board game. The distinction between factions and a traitor mechanic. * (10:29) Hiding your intentions as a Game Master. * (15:54) The Simpsons, Family Guy, mailing pancakes, Russian manti, grilled cheese, Raddish Kids, and Uncle Dan cookies. * (20:27) Showing or hiding intention as a player. How hiding harmless things can add productive tension. * (28:01) Keeping the entertainment of the group as your central focus. The potential value of meta-gaming. * (40:15) Using Reductio ad Absurdum to determine whether a secret intention is a good idea or not. * (50:34) Falling off one side or the other. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Fear the boot is now on iHeartRadio. You can get the regular show here and the actual play here. * (3:02) A player's response to an unintentional Game Master error. An example with a dragon. * (10:50) Some quick advice to Game Masters: consider a ret-con and be prepared to own your mistake. Austin Powers speaking English English. * (12:59) As a player, have sympathy for the GM. * (18:04) What makes it right for the player. How the GM sets the tone. * (32:25) De-escalation. Unpacking your reaction and metering your response. * (41:30) Keeping the goal in mind: Restoring everyone's enjoyment, not "winning" the situation. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:22) The trailer for Bumblebee. * (4:09) The two extremes of product placement. * (8:21) Resizing a robot. Or not. * (12:07) The evolution of an idea when someone can tell you, "No." * (17:34) Nostalgia in the hands of the wrong person. * (22:17) Nostalgia versus new creations. * (26:07) The sliding window of looking back. * (34:07) The Alexander Graham Bell commercial. Using superhero games to handle Saturday morning cartoons, as suggested by Saving the Game. * (37:15) Back to the window. * (46:16) Creating properties that get tied in, anyway. Hipsters are still all the same. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Dan was a guest on Gaming with Gage. You can find the episode here. * (1:22) Explaining game explainers. An example from a Dresden game. * (10:24) Describing options and risks without dictating an action. Helping the player achieve what they want. * (14:09) Teaching concepts. Don't play the character for them or give instruction without explanation. * (23:20) A courtroom metaphor. * (32:12) Having a setting advocate. Giving character knowledge to the player. * (36:26) Stating an objective instead of an action. * (47:39) Playing a scrimmage to learn the game. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:00) Playing robots in a game, focusing on RP, not the stats. * (4:44) Who built you, why, and with what philosophical presuppositions? * (9:05) Some thought exercises to unpack a robot's mind. The Theory of Mind. * (14:27) Separating emotion, physiology, and mind. Emergent properties. * (20:44) Anthropopathism and assuming mind where it doesn't exist. * (22:55) The Turing Test and Chinese Room. Syntax versus semantics. * (31:01) How the distinction plays out in an RPG. * (44:06) Understanding the mind of the character you're playing. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Finding Caleb. Finding gaming. * (17:18) The historical inevitability of RPGs. * (22:15) The unusual mechanics of certain weapons. Khopesh. * (32:12) Distinguishing armor. * (36:12) Knowing the crunch. Counting references per action. * (40:26) The brand new player. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Fear the Boot is everywhere! The actual play site, Discord, Facebook, our forums, Patreon, and a whole lot of podcast aggregators. * (3:30) Handling player-characters that are being kept out of the action. * (7:56) Let some time pass. * (10:05) Play a different character. * (18:32) Hand-wave whatever is benching the character. * (23:04) The importance of player enjoyment over all else. * (25:08) Compensate for the problem. * (30:30) Have the game come to the player. * (37:32) Be receptive to the Game Master's help. * (43:09) Picking a solution for our current game. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Creating life from lifelessness. Rapidly replacing a player-character that's died. * (10:35) Making a character that's already tied to the party. * (13:05) An introduction that helps the moment. * (14:28) Accepting the unanswered questions. * (18:48) Helping nurture the character concept into the game. * (21:19) Adjusting the plot to make the character meaningful in the moment. * (24:50) Chad's murder mystery. The flow of character growth. * (31:01) How the murder creates the growth. * (38:21) Guilt vs evil. * (41:59) Two knives to the throat, a red herring, and following the law. * (52:51) Fear the Boot's Patreon and Discord. You can also now find our show on Spotify (regular show, actual play). Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:47) Derek Knutsen's Kickstarter for Flower of Heaven. * (0:57) The Kickstarter for GamersTable, Season 2. * (1:25) Explaining what we mean and don't mean by "recycling." * (5:51) Reasons not to recycle. * (9:17) How the What's Really Going On document helps. Separating the game from the experience. * (15:13) Embracing the passage of time. * (18:57) Dan's own Mandela Effect. * (24:31) Parallels to playing in a licensed setting. * (26:47) Running the same campaign for the same players. * (35:47) Picking a campaign to rerun. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:41) Derek Knutsen's Kickstarter for Flower of Heaven. * (1:27) The Kickstarter for GamersTable, Season 2. * (2:51) Defining C.A.R. NPCs with a few examples. * (11:42) Why GMs accept unacceptable behavior. * (21:34) Minding how an NPC is setup and used. * (27:35) Advice for players. * (35:24) Advice for GMs. * (45:39) Being cognizant of your character's nature. * (50:56) Good versus good. * (52:48) How video games might be helping. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:27) Never old news! A club eats a mammoth. Or not. * (3:13) Unintentionally scaring your players out of a course of action. * (8:50) Players scaring themselves. * (20:23) The distinction between railroading and GM expectations. * (22:33) Determining why the players are reticent and addressing that. * (36:13) Motivation to overcome fear. * (42:37) Hiding the source of danger. Richard Pryor games. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) The wonderful, illusory door. * (5:21) A warning to stop here. Hijacking Lasers and Feelings. * (10:50) Dark improv on a minimal pitch. * (15:20) The role of the alternates. * (18:39) The start of the game. * (25:02) Hijacking the party and hijacking the game. * (39:06) An NPC becomes the real game. * (43:55) Counting down. * (48:08) The missing Ruben. Significance and urgency. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:17) Thanking the people that made the convention happen. * (3:35) Mikey Mason's performance can be picked up here. * (4:37) Our thanks to St. Charles Nissan. * (5:29) Heather Phillips does an awesome job on a Masakari for Dan (pic 1, pic 2, pic 3). You can find her portfolio and contact info on Facebook. * (7:46) Brodeur figures out how to defeat Wayne's dice magic. * (11:25) Scooby Doo meets Army of Darkness. * (17:47) InSpectres and Lasers and Feelings. * (28:31) A Harry Potter game. * (34:49) Exiles. * (39:01) Hitting pretty close to the slot length. * (50:51) D&D 5th edition, and spending your energy well. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) Setting a boundary on the topic. * (2:16) Keeping an NPC fair. * (6:07) Tactical vs compassionate vs in-character. * (14:01) Enemy fear and greed. * (33:30) When the enemy's reality changes. The shock of success. * (40:24) Playing favorites. Hosts: Aisha, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Fear the Boot's Patreon site. * (2:05) Dan's dream comes true! * (4:49) Relationships between characters. Some examples to set it up. * (10:07) The difficulty of engineering relationships. * (17:51) Build common ground. Remember what really matters. Accept reality. * (23:59) Experiencing the backgrounds—not just writing them. * (26:05) The relevance of the players. * (44:39) Show me your war face! Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) Welcoming Stu and Kimi from Happy Jack's family of podcasts. * (0:49) Fear the Boot tries to pick out a sponsor. * (3:03) Playing yourself in a roleplaying game. Stu did it in college. * (8:22) The "show me" test and its relationship to the dice. * (16:01) Creating the character stats. Overestimating and underestimating. Level-setting. * (19:56) Avoiding the outliers. Why point-buy systems may be fair but inaccurate. * (23:32) Determining everyone's role in character creation. The time traveler's cheat sheet. * (32:05) Handling the transition. Dealing with family and friends. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Kimi, Stu NOTE: You can see the visit Chris and Dan made to Happy Jack's on YouTube or via MP3.
- (0:23) A love letter to an under-served demographic. * (1:43) Surviving without a gaming group. * (11:59) What if podcasting had existed earlier? * (16:39) Wayne and his apes. Monkeys in outer space. * (22:33) Things we never needed to know about Star Trek. * (29:19) Back to the love letter. Sorta. Nope, we're talking about Drow and Wemics. * (33:16) The love letter for real this time. Koko the gorilla addresses humanity. * (45:58) The Oxford comma, idears, and counting syllables. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:28) Fear the Con and its Con Planner site. * (1:08) A D&D game gets us talking about pets. * (3:45) How animals affect storytelling and group dynamics. * (9:02) Pets as PCs versus NPCs. Picking two thematic traits. * (21:19) Passing the pet to the right. * (31:19) Adding a third trait. * (36:10) The animal adventure. * (45:27) Finding the animal's voice through gameplay with another player. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Eric, Wayne
- (0:28) Fear the Con and its Con Planner site. The mixer is on June 21st, with the con itself on June 22nd and 23rd. * (1:12) Chad is running a D&D 5th Edition game. The shorthand version of spell components. * (6:46) Introducing a new player to RPGs. * (13:39) The group template (and its longer form) versus the pregame questionnaire. The Sword of Damocles. * (25:04) An Epoch of Rysos game that had a similarly diverse—yet equally cohesive—group. * (32:21) Short chapters, told out of sequence. * (42:43) Dissecting why the non-sequiturs work. Rory's Story Cubes. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Eric
- (0:52) Google searches on some podcasts, and a prank with Brandi that didn't happen. * (3:26) Letting players develop parts of the setting mid-game, including the NPCs. * (8:04) Fat Tony and Lovin'. * (16:59) How players can decide when it's appropriate to mess with something. * (24:30) Letting player investment drive truth. Tommy Wiseau tries out for the Joker. * (28:04) Walking back contradictions or problems created by player ideas. * (34:42) The legend of Pops. John Henry and the Johnny Cash song about him. Davy Crockett. * (51:01) Setting development as opposed to narrative control. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Eric, Wayne
- (0:52) Wayne visits Brodeur at Miniature Market (their Facebook page). * (5:21) Prologue games. Taking them seriously while recognizing their disposability. * (15:20) A shared history that's played instead of just written. * (18:57) How a prologue identifies issues, and what to do when one is found. * (24:46) The value of the missing middle. * (31:22) Finding your voice. * (35:49) Expecting too much from a prologue game. * (42:16) Bridging the prologue to the intended starting point of the first game. * (49:24) The important differences between a prologue and a flashback. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) There and Back Again Kickstarter. * (0:51) Simplification of Fear the Boot's Patreon. * (5:17) How can a wonderful dream become a nightmare? * (9:57) What We Do in the Shadows. * (12:49) Players that pad a a situation. * (16:41) Allowing for deliberation. Power-gaming through roleplay. * (25:14) Strategies for discouraging trap cards. * (35:35) The motivation for these contingencies. Hosts: Aisha, Chad, Dan, Eric
- (0:29) Welcoming Jason Brick to the show. Baby Shoes, Flash, Sojourn 1, and Sojourn 2. * (3:04) Setting up today's topic. Jason's Kickstarter for There and Back Again. * (5:41) Harkening back to The Gamer Traveler. Daniel Perez' current website. * (8:36) How real experiences affect your roleplaying games. Some examples from security work and drug use. * (19:36) The way things look, the way people get hurt. * (37:36) Spaaaaaaaace Camp! Also, Kuala Lumpur, architecture, and names. * (45:49) Intentionally bringing real experiences into your game. Hosts: Dan, Chad, Jason, Wayne
- (0:41) Welcoming Eric from GamersTable. Almost crashing Brodeur's place of work. * (1:23) GM Impostor Syndrome. The Dunning-Kruger Effect. * (6:35) Some help with that feeling of intimidation. * (10:02) How we suck. Failing fast. * (21:57) Effectively communicating criticism. * (32:53) To thine own self be true. * (44:52) Nobody's perfect. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Eric, Wayne
- (0:27) What we're looking forward to in 2018. * (1:02) Roleplaying games and related material. * (8:08) Video games. We somehow failed to mention the upcoming Battletech game. * (29:36) Upcoming movies. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:50) Wayne takes his entire party prisoner in a Necessary Evil game. * (2:03) Setting some boundaries on the discussion. Giving the concept of "agency" a clear definition. * (8:19) Keeping it fair and purposeful. * (14:16) Understanding the subconscious, social transaction. * (24:02) The relationship between failure, agency, and story. * (35:31) Gnarl ties it all together. * (40:43) Knowing why it happened. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
This was a short episode I cut a while back when life got in the way of our regularly-scheduled recordings. I've got a full-length one we did a bit later, which I'll be releasing immediately after this one—meaning, in a matter of minutes or hours. * (1:06) Backing off my own ideas to let truths about the player-characters decide where the game will go. * (4:45) Reminding players about their characters. * (9:01) Who the PCs are as individuals. Hosts: Dan
- (0:28) 1d4Con on April 13th - 15th, 2018. * (2:16) Brodeur GTFO. * (4:42) Some comments on Salt in Wounds. Fear the Boot's Discord server. * (9:43) Keeping a game fresh during someone's hiatus, without moving the game forward or leaving it on pause. * (18:02) Converging story-lines. * (20:03) Exploring the same story and setting from other perspectives. * (22:49) The difficulty of integrating a new person midstream. * (26:12) Ending the new campaign in a place that dovetails with the original one. * (29:07) Muscling through the shift. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:49) Fear the Con and its Con Planner site. All our love to Fred. * (2:47) The Salt in Wounds game setting, and why it intrigues Brodeur. * (14:40) Unpacking the human psychology of why we like dark things, starting with some examples from Dan's life. Resident Evil VII and Alien Isolation. Revenge stories. * (22:40) When these impulses manifest at the meta-game level. The traitor mechanic in many board games. * (28:09) Feeling bad for the Tarrasque. Butchering a dragon. * (38:36) The anatomy of what attracts us to evil, and why it can improve us morally. Midnight by Fantasy Flight. The Invitation. * (46:08) The banality of evil. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:41) A look back at the Big Board. * (3:37) Lesson prep for a church and how it demonstrates a social concept that applies to gaming. * (7:17) Performance by one versus content by all. * (15:14) Recognizing what's important to another person. * (25:01) Whose benefit is the game for? Setting the right level of control. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) Fear the Con's site is ready. * (1:13) Our emails have been fixed, including the confirmation for forum signup. * (8:56) The planned ending for a session of the Actual Play goes awry. * (14:59) Being fair to your players. The song that inspired the intended scene. * (21:23) Reinventing the end. * (22:02) Giving your players the freedom to surprise you. * (32:16) Changing up instead of panicking or doubling-down. * (37:50) Planning for the unexpected by looking at what something brings to the game, not how an event might turn out. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:37) Non-player characters that can be used to guide the party. * (2:04) Tying the NPC to the group while avoiding them becoming a GMPC. * (8:14) Needing them all the time is a sign something has gone wrong. Keeping them within their own character limits. * (15:36) The ways to avoid overshadowing the party with a guiding NPC. * (25:44) Not giving an NPC a planned future since the story isn't about them. * (31:19) Too far on the back-burner. * (34:12) Giving the NPCs consistency, usefulness, and the same depth as any other character. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Julia
- (1:16) Thanks to Sgt. Dan and Mumswear for the shirts. * (2:33) Thanks to Mark Larson for the Crown Royal bags. * (5:19) A shout-out to Andrew Martin. * (7:33) Brodeur's two episodes on running a game store can be found here and here. Miniature Market's website. * (12:49) A non-gamer opens a game store. * (19:01) Building an FLGS from scratch. * (26:17) Consolidating overhead expenses. * (30:34) Separate spaces for pay and play. * (33:38) The flow of the store. * (42:27) Integrating a store and website. * (45:38) The gateways to success no one thinks of. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Brodeur thanks John Wells, Mark Lawson, and Sgt. Dan for help with Crown Royal bags. * (2:33) Dan gets a copy of Battletech's Alpha Strike rules. * (4:25) A shift—or new fad—in tabletop roleplaying games: consuming play instead of participating in it. * (12:32) New technologies allowing a new market, misinterpreted as a change in an existing market. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:18) The Caring Bridge site for Pat. * (1:50) An update on Pat. (As of the episode release, the information is a bit outdated. Pat is now home on hospice care.) * (2:47) Whether to continue a game when a player passes. * (7:31) Keeping mementos from those we've lost. * (13:10) Moving on after loss. * (19:18) More mementos we've kept. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) The father-daughter podcast, Reading Radio. * (1:57) Brodeur beats the negative association with reading. * (8:35) Wayne doesn't have access to a computer and decides to go retro. * (12:31) The lingering value of the old way of doing things. * (22:11) The flexibility of a three-ring binder. * (24:18) Plot powerful. * (31:43) The appeal of tangibility. Online ordering for Crown Royal bags. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Event signup for Fear the Con 11 is now open. Additional shots at the stretch goals will be coming up in the next few months. * (2:13) Brodeur's love for minis. The Toy Soldiers video game. Jim McClure's Satanic Panic. The Army Painter Quickshade dip. * (10:21) Drawing inspiration from visual sources, tropes, and other sources. * (22:41) Daphne vs Velma. * (23:28) Replacing a character mid-game with one that isn't socially integrated with the group. * (31:25) Giving the character room to have a new voice while still being compatible with the group. * (39:11) Bringing in a geographically distant character. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:36) Chad's patience. * (1:33) This show will reference episode 13 of the Skies of Glass Actual Play. * (2:41) Characters finding hope in hopelessness. * (6:34) The mixed morality of a group of player-characters. * (15:14) Joe's innocence and the loss of it. * (29:19) The moment it all changed, and the unexpected poetry of it. * (38:52) Gaming being more like writing than acting. Dan's appearance on the Connections radio show. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Dan was a guest on The Greatest Show. You can see the video here or grab an audio version here. * (0:53) Dan was also a guest on the Connections radio show, talking about RPG culture. You can find that episode here. We hope you'll listen to the whole thing, but if you just want to hear Dan's part, that's at about 38:40. * (3:23) Fear the Boot now has a Discord server. * (4:56) Using the same things that motivate us in an RPG to help us improve our lives. Bullet journals. The Bullet Journal RPG can be found here. * (8:13) Breaking down large, daunting tasks. Making small tasks more rewarding. * (16:20) Assigning value to a specific task. * (21:25) Not all affirming things make good goals. * (23:58) Creating accountability. * (27:33) Milestone goals that allow you to take a break. * (30:49) Other gamification tools: Habitica, Darebee, and Duolingo. * (33:35) Using this approach to unlearn negative habits. * (41:50) A bit more about The Greatest Show. Also, The Specter Show and PRO Chess League podcasts. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, DJ
- (0:29) Brodeur turns a negative episode into a regular one. * (4:52) An end to a long-running D&D campaign. * (6:34) An unexpected finish. Microscope. * (10:20) Balancing player agency against story coherence. * (17:04) Confinement forcing creativity. * (21:30) The signs it was a successful ending. * (25:59) How Brodeur will end the next leg of his campaign. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Introducing Beth and Adam. * (1:27) Dan will be on the Connections radio show on Wednesday, November 8th, from 10:30pm - 11:00pm Eastern time. You can find how to tune-in here. * (4:00) Whatever this con is called, it's occurring on June 22nd and 23rd, 2018. If the Wing Night funds, that will be on June 21st. * (12:03) Admission to the convention is free. Whether it happens or not is purely up to the Kickstarter, which we hope you'll back! * (18:21) Taking Bob's place. * (21:26) The con's location. The random gnoll sketch Dan was given by a vendor last year. * (23:46) Ending a convention with heat exhaustion. Hosts: Adam, Beth, Dan
- (0:28) Charles has too little British for Brodeur and too little beef for Wayne. * (3:34) The flash fiction anthology, FLASH!, which you can grab from Amazon. * (4:54) The Lairdbalor. * (6:22) More properly introducing Charles. * (9:38) Corsana: The Phalanx Syndicate. * (12:43) Using an RPG to play-test a story. * (16:47) The relationship between forms of creativity. * (25:35) Intimidating the players by knowing your setting too well. * (43:15) The value of seemingly irrelevant conversation. Two things to give depth to a flat character. * (54:57) Get in on the Fear the Con 11 Kickstarter! Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne Guests: Charles Wellington
- (1:02) FLASH!, an anthology that includes Dan and several booters. You can get a copy on Amazon. * (2:20) Dan was a guest on The Greatest Show. You can see the video here or grab an audio version here. * (3:32) Playing characters that suck at their jobs. * (16:20) Portraying inter-factional politics in a roleplaying game. The Skies of Glass Actual Play. * (18:33) Defining who the factions are and what they want. * (20:31) Setting the constraints of the political game. Rules, reality, or requisites. Silent Memories. * (28:55) Avoiding the politics of pleasing a single person. * (33:57) Outsourcing the factions to other GMs. * (35:08) Revealing the politics to the player-characters. * (37:12) The outsider's perspective. * (45:11) The insider's perspective. * (48:58) Players who need to feel they're making the morally correct choice. Hosts: Chad, Dan, and Wayne
- (0:32) Making up reasons for why Wayne couldn't make it. * (1:45) Brodeur and the Marilith: A Dramatic Reading, coming soon. * (3:29) Trying to win over the group when you have a different plan. Just charge in! * (8:32) Playing the social dynamics around the table. * (19:24) Handling the issue character-to-character, whether through RP or in-game abilities. * (30:14) When the other plan is genuinely bad. * (36:55) Winning over the Game Master. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:29) Wayne goes to Washington D.C. * (1:48) Monotonal cities. The public service of preempting nerd rage. * (4:59) The setting has its own story. The Delmar Divide. * (16:47) Whether a city was planned, and how. Heavy zoning versus integrated spaces. * (24:30) The role of geography, trade, and time. * (39:11) Brodeur explains how to survive an apocalypse. Nine meals from anarchy. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:49) Life problems interfering with our recording schedule. * (1:47) Chad's latest garage sale find, and why Brodeur is banned from garage sales. * (4:57) The first D&D video game Chad bought, Shadow Sorcerer. * (9:12) A quick history of the relationship between tabletop roleplaying games and video games. The second D&D video game Chad grabbed, Secret of the Silver Blades. * (15:31) The third video game, Curse of the Azure Bonds. The original novel, Azure Bonds, and its subsequent module, also called Curse of the Azure Bonds. * (18:43) The puzzle wheels and game aids used as copy protection on the games. * (23:21) The not-so-new idea of transferring your characters between a video game and its sequel. The segregation of software stores. * (27:23) Parts of the Forgotten Realms they said they'd never develop...and then did. Keef the Thief. * (33:36) Bringing Alias to a new generation. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:35) Hiccups in the release schedule. * (1:14) Enigma, Transcendentalism, and living in the moment. Or having sex in High School. Finding social and psychological freedom in a roleplaying game. * (7:37) Progression that has only limited impact on game mechanics. * (18:47) An illustration from Left 4 Dead 2. * (23:11) Finding the best of both worlds. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:30) Brodeur's psychiatrist. Unfiltered Brodeur at the negative level. * (4:04) Sacrifice in a roleplaying game. Giving up something you want to make the game better. The D&D Actual Play. * (12:16) What constitutes sacrifice. * (18:00) Sacrifice versus beneficial trade-off. The story of Wesley Autrey. * (34:59) The confusingly mixed bag of altruism. "That's not love; it's commerce." * (39:17) Game Masters making sacrifice hurt. * (47:43) Some people try to save a cat from the Matrix. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:29) Episode 9 of the Skies of Glass Actual Play. * (1:06) Murder versus killing. * (14:03) The power of a personal reaction apart from a character reaction. * (16:45) Doing something in-character that sets back the party but adds to the quality of the game. * (27:17) Setting up Chad's character, the lies, and coming clean. * (32:07) How coming clean hurt the character but helped the group's enjoyment of the game. * (46:51) Playing for the enjoyment of the players, not the characters. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) Welcoming George to the show. * (0:52) Fear the Boot's Actual Plays are now on YouTube. * (2:26) An overview and history of Gen Con. True Dungeon. * (12:46) Spectacle and socialization over product. How Gen Con compares to San Diego Comic Con. * (18:16) How growth is changing things. * (25:48) The ten-year cycles of RPGs, and the role of products at the con. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, George, John, Wayne
- (0:29) Robots having ghosts and facial hair. Brodeur threw GoBots at people. * (9:16) Thanks to Stephen Brown for giving us the name of the show with plant brains driving vehicles: Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors. The toy Dan owned was K.O. Kruiser. * (10:53) The Autobot Matrix of Leadership gets around. * (14:11) Predictions about the McGregor-Mayweather fight, recorded before the event, that turned out to be entirely wrong. * (15:50) Observation of the eclipse, noticing the things other people don't, and how that helps scene-setting in an RPG. * (27:15) Giving setting personality. * (42:09) Grabbing too many—or the wrong—details. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Welcoming Ryan to the show. His Fear the Con game based on Happy Birthday, Robot. * (3:25) Reading the table for emotional effect. * (10:29) Empty space with context. * (18:45) Plot hooks for the PCs, created by the GM instead of the player. * (27:42) Creating hooks through new items, NPCs, and meaning. * (30:25) Along came a spider. * (44:31) Ryan's GMing advice in four sentences. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Ryan
- (0:28) Lighter rules keeping players from second-guessing their choices. * (12:16) Passing notes during an RPG. Its capacity to rob mature players of part of the game. * (16:07) Third person omniscience to set things right. * (24:38) Revealing the notes at the end of the session. * (29:06) The truth always comes out, anyway. Separating player reaction from character reaction. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
WARNING: The discussion in the early part of this show is rather crass. If you don't want to hear that, skip to 7:08. * (0:32) Why we're on a second take. * (1:23) The pre-recorded Actual Play is now on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or via its raw RSS feed. * (3:35) Dan fixed the Patreon episode prices. * (4:52) Brodeur goes off the ranch. * (7:08) Maintaining the tension when the players know the outcome of a game plot. The streaming AP on our Twitch feed. Metal Gear Solid as a metaphor for our tabletop roleplaying game. * (12:31) Serial fiction and pen names. * (19:06) Taking these concepts back to a D&D game with known gives. * (22:34) Who's responsible for keeping up the tension? * (27:39) Focusing on the facts the players don't know and the choices they haven't made. The importance of well-developed elements in the setting. * (34:43) Not abusing known information in the meta-game. The players' burden. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) The Skies of Glass AP is out. * (2:36) Our other AP on Twitch. * (5:46) Brodeur's new coworker. * (9:19) Timing the ending moment of the game. An unintended murder. * (17:16) The opposite extreme: letting a scene overstay its welcome. * (22:40) The difference between a cliffhanger and an abrupt ending. Advice on recovering the momentum. * (36:29) Envisioning a more satisfying ending and why one may not exist. * (39:28) Distilling advice. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) Excuse our mess. We're heading to see Pat at the hospital because of medical complications, and a dog is sleeping on the recording table. Things will be back to normal next week. SIDE NOTE: The most recent update on Pat's condition can be found here. * (1:01) Having expectations (or a lack thereof) about death in an RPG. * (5:01) Duty, obligation, and the specter of death in a Star Wars game. * (12:13) Being OK with character death, despite having not contemplated it up to that point. Consequence vs cheating. * (19:43) Time travel within games. Hosts: Dan, Karla, Wayne Guest Host: Gizmo
We made some changes, so be sure to review your Patreon settings before the end of the month!
- (0:29) White whales. * (2:09) What do you want to run but have never had the chance to? * (10:17) What do you want to play but have never had the chance to? * (18:14) What do you want to get published but never have? * (27:07) A big thanks to Chris Torres. * (30:06) How the lack of attention given to Amelie in the Skies of Glass AP led Dan to develop her more. * (43:14) Inverting the formula and letting player non-reactions create content. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) The Skies of Glass actual play is now public, and Lookout Radio has gone live. * (1:59) Some restructuring of our Patreon. A live-streaming actual play game is coming soon. * (4:47) Brodeur picks Gunslinger for a gestalt game, gets handed a pre-made. * (13:49) Developing as a Game Master by trying new things. Knowing when to fold 'em. Post-game feedback, and the vital nature of honest communication. * (23:48) Singing! Appealing to other senses and kinds of creativity. * (32:53) Elves and Dwarfs with John. [The Editor violently salivates at the thought of an actual Dwarf Fortress game and violently objects to any characterization of dwarfs inconsistent with Dwarf Fortress.] Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan, John
- (0:33) Chad fired Brodeur, Dan is the head of HR, Broflake pending. * (6:26) Fear the Con X, post-con. Special thanks to Adam, Bob, and Derek. Also thanks to Beth, Julia, our Kickstarter backers, and everyone who attended. Derek's beard. * (10:23) Some gaming advice that Dan learned at FTC: Hiring an agent of chaos. Over the berm, where Pat kills us all. * (17:10) Inspecting the Broflake. Brodeur's reaction to ghosts. * (23:49) Chad's topic: Darkenship. Nobody gets Dan's jokes. * (27:39) Technical expertise and real-world knowledge when running a game. * (32:38) Never weaponize the information. Instead, use it as seasoning. Mr. Robot. For anyone not familiar, PerfMon is performance monitor. * (40:46) Weaving the information into the narrative. * (44:07) Pat getting possessed by Ted Kennedy. * (48:05) A quick round-robin of best games from the con. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:03) Brodeur was in a frat. He didn't get paddled, strangely. * (2:51) Ending an ongoing campaign arc. * (8:52) The nature of the ending. What do the players actually want closure on? * (11:48) Pre-planning the beginning and end, even if the middle is unknown. * (23:03) Roleplaying games and the constant feedback loop with its consumer. * (31:03) Querying the players about the type of ending they want. * (35:32) Seek Chad. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Julia
- (0:34) After years of dodging anime, Dan falls in love with One Punch Man. Bill Burr give his take on the show (FAIR WARNING: NSFW language). Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony. * (8:01) Two things that could have messed up the feel of One Punch Man. * (16:47) Putting other anime on the table. * (18:06) Fear the Con X coming up on June 22nd - 24th! * (19:18) We're attempting an actual player series that we're marketing-testing on Patreon. Audience input is currently being taken here. * (25:04) The idiosyncrasies of Fantasy Flight's Star Wars game. * (33:28) Willingness to take on complex games. What's changed and why. * (43:51) A change in the gaming zeitgeist. * (46:14) Adding a third axis to the chart. * (53:56) The Gwent League. Five minutes of Chad's "no index rage" noise. Dan's dance remix of Chad's noise. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:24) Dan's top three card games in a video game. Chad loses it for Gwent. You can sign up for the Fear the Boot Gwent league on the forums. * (9:28) Entertainment that sounds awful in concept but works well in execution. Persona 5. * (15:00) Gotham. * (22:04) Dredd. * (29:38) Kung Fury. * (29:57) Deconstructing execution of an idea, starting with honesty about what the material is. * (46:51) Trust and open-mindedness when the elevator pitch sounds awful. Hosts: Aisha, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Brodeur helps organize Geekway to the West. Vast: The Crystal Caverns, Twilight Struggle, and Battlestar Galactica. * (10:00) Fear the Con X. Charlie talks about Secret Hitler. * (11:59) Not caring what people think. Surviving Comic-Con. Pat meets Dr. Who. * (25:22) 'Mechs, lantern rings, symbiotes, and the power-trading agreements among the hosts. * (30:15) The atmosphere of sports events. * (32:32) Keeping the current Skies of Glass game from becoming Star Trek. * (41:27) Defining the obvious trappings of a game and subverting them. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:40) A bunch of charity updates! Derek’s charity games (low level, mid level, and high level tiers). Pat's GoFundMe page. Manicorn work provided by the Mitch STL salon. * (6:10) Explaining what a perk or bennie represents before it's used. * (8:33) Deconstructing the Red Shirt. Creating emotional ante. * (12:23) Seizing narrative control. The goal: Make it descriptive. Tying it to traits instead of people. * (16:29) Making changes in the narrative to create consistency and plausibility. * (20:49) The Game Master getting a read on the players by watching how they interpret their re-rolls. * (29:29) Turning the named bennies into an in-character economy. * (32:50) Dry-erase table tents and other table props. Who do I have to be? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Chad and Wayne are AWOL. * (1:20) Dan learns a whole lot about Fritz Tornow and Hitler's dogs. * (4:03) Following up on Brodeur's lack of combat in his game. * (5:53) Brodeur does everything wrong, but it works. * (9:22) Starting with the party asleep and fully divided. * (13:44) Mid-scene cliffhangers and spotlight bouncing for about two-and-a-half hours. * (21:14) The pacing of the game versus the dosing of the campaign. * (26:54) Let's talk about that Bard-Warlock-Paladin. * (32:08) The epilogue and what Brodeur took away from it all. * (36:27) Players that are excited about each other's characters as much as their own. * (39:25) The more you put into your character, the more you get out of the game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan
- (0:27) Catching up on episodes and experimenting with a Skies of Glass actual play. * (2:51) A listener, Steve, asks about keeping characters engaged when their specialty isn't of any use in a particular scene. * (7:06) Asking how the characters got in this position. * (10:11) Game Master tweaking of the player characters to give them some options. * (12:18) Adjusting the rules so people can contribute when they normally couldn't. * (14:50) Not letting a scene linger too long. * (16:02) Complicating the scenario to give everyone something to do. * (19:32) Checking your planned scenes to make sure all of the characters can get involved. Hosts: Dan
- (0:23) Some more details on Derek’s charity games (low level, mid level, and high level tiers). * (3:04) Time to go bonus episode! The FAST test for stroke. * (5:10) Customers beat down Brodeur, illustrating the reason Dan became a programmer. * (11:26) Chad loves the customers. Or at least doesn't hate them. Dan and Wayne just don't generally get angry. * (22:56) A reality that doesn't work for anyone involved. Wayne puts himself in high pressure sales vs Dan's tactic for coping with them. Elmo's work ethic. * (31:59) Chad gets threatened over a stranger's girlfriend. * (45:29) Bottle it up for later. * (49:30) The GoFundMe page to help Pat and Beth with medical costs. His status updates on Caring Bridge. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Why Brodeur is scared of Aisha. * (2:49) Some new information on Fear the Con X. Derek's charity game (low level, mid level, and high level tiers). Booters and Shooters. Email Adam Gottfried if you're interested in pre-con tourism. * (10:17) Chad's anger. * (13:00) Games with too much RP and not enough combat. * (15:52) Combat that makes sense within the context of the game. * (20:37) Reasons combat can be important to the catharsis of an RPG. * (26:18) The tyranny of choice by which players opt out of combat they ostensibly want. The tyranny of moral complexity by which Game Masters strip combat of its catharsis. * (33:48) Zombie stories as an example of moral simplicity. * (38:38) Ma Carver as a counter-example. * (45:56) Why Brodeur's players opt not to fight. The limiting factor of time. The three round limit. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:43) Introducing our topic from Lars-Hendrik: Groups that have been abused by their GM. * (4:10) Knowing about the problems prior to the first game versus finding out when the game is in progress. * (8:00) Mending trust through transparency, patience, and consistency. * (12:22) Intentionally making mistakes. Rolling above the board. * (16:12) The bad behaviors we learn when coping with negative people. * (22:57) Eric's road to recovery. Realigning your view of the game. Cheating for the players and making deals. * (35:04) Picking the right game for a battered group. * (38:23) Handing off the GM seat. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Eric
- (0:28) Welcoming Zach. * (0:47) Brodeur gets on Facebook and buys a cell phone. * (17:55) Brodeur talks to the kids in a class about game design. After an introduction, they break up into small groups to play some RPGs. * (20:47) How far society has come in its acceptance of roleplaying games. * (26:54) Kids running games for other kids and adults. * (30:45) The variety of games the students had been exposed to. Aisha's Emerald City Comic Con coverage. * (44:47) Tearable by Third Act, Ten Candles by Cavalry Games, and other RPGs being played at the school. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Zach
- (0:29) Welcoming Eric. What attracted Karla to Dan. * (3:28) Tabletop roleplaying games as a spectator sport. The showmanship of the Game Master. * (10:59) The most interesting games as a distraction. * (13:00) The attributes of a good GM that also make for a good public performance. * (19:20) Turning a spectator into a part of the game. * (21:40) Actual Play recordings and the two extreme editing models. * (29:36) How running an AP affected Eric's regular gaming. The self-awareness created by self-editing. * (34:21) A regular gamer recording their own games. * (46:32) Feedback from an Actual Play, walk-on music, and essay writing classes. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Eric, Karla
- (0:36) A second take, and why Brodeur's wife just might be OK with bigamy. Star wipe. * (4:07) Pat's new refrigerator. Dan's plan to conquer Narnia and install Beth as queen. * (8:23) Today's Topic: Terrible segues. Brodeur's seat just might be up for the taking. * (10:29) Controlling your players via consequences. The concern that the logical consequence may derail the game or distress the player. * (13:27) Games that specifically accommodate consequences, whether through setting or rules. * (16:31) Strategy 1: Managing expectations before the game starts or as a particular action is being declared. * (19:51) Strategy 2: Backing off to calm down when emotional investment has gotten too high. * (23:38) Strategy 3: Preparing a mechanism for when it all goes wrong. * (28:08) Strategy 4: Let's make a deal. * (30:54) Strategy 5: Handle it at the plot level, apart from the players. * (38:58) Strategy 6: Roleplaying the consequence in a way that involves all of the players. * (43:45) Fear the Con X signup rolls on! You can PM Adam here and Derek here. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:27) Just Dan and Karla! Well, and the pets. * (1:04) Big Bang Theory. The clip Dan mentioned (WARNING: Yelling and NSFW language.) * (4:57) Celebrity gossip. The names Dan was looking for are Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance), Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen / Green Arrow), and John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn). * (8:50) The increased representation of women in the gaming demographic, but the enduring presence of the reluctant gamers we'd like to bring into the hobby. * (14:20) Karla's first impression of gaming, and what got her to try it. Roleplaying as a spectator sport. Finite choices to avoid overwhelming someone with choice. * (21:08) The difference between knowing what to do and how to do it. The value of familiarity with the source material. Assistance with character creation. * (31:32) Recognizing personality traits that may make the potential gamer reluctant. Hosts: Dan, Karla
- (0:35) Introducing James McClure of the Talking Tabletop podcast. You can find his two-part interview with Dan here and here, and his episodes with Chris here and here. * (5:16) The Satanic Panic Kickstarter. The Dark Dungeons tract. A quick look at the game's mechanic and the intended danger of being too successful. * (11:10) The "four spoke" mechanic. * (16:03) Why Jim chose to make a game about this particular topic. Steve Jackson Games got raided by the Secret Service and then got taken to court. * (24:27) What's in this book? * (28:15) What Jim would like to contribute to the roleplaying hobby. * (35:31) The Satanic Panic actual play recordings. * (37:47) Why the book doesn't include any real history of these events. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Chris, Wayne Guests: James McClure
- (1:45) Reviewing the situation with Sara's self-actualized character. * (6:29) How Wayne handled the situation by finding what Sara cares about instead of just looking at what the character cares about. Comparing it to what bothers an actor versus the character they're playing. * (22:13) Finding the point between the character and player, and using that to add emotion to the game. * (24:26) Keeping the momentum. * (28:20) The importance of giving rough bits of story an upbeat. * (39:24) Observing the player for clues about how to handle a character. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:27) Chad sits up. John is the youngest old man. * (3:45) Fear the Boot's early episode on RPG predictions. Mad milk and other inanities. * (10:35) What will roleplaying look like in a generation? Harold Camping and taking a knee. * (18:02) First prediction: Gatekeepers of quality, whether brand or editorial. * (27:17) Second prediction: The changing role of technology in storytelling. * (35:40) Third prediction: D&D will have a changing place in the hobby. Dan also hates Shakespeare. * (54:49) In closing: What do you think? * (55:23) Fear the Con X! Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:30) Brodeur's perspective on Valentine's Day. The value of unexpected gifts. * (12:39) Some perspective on failure, but also why it's not today's topic. * (16:16) The value of playing a character that has social needs. An example from a Dresden game. * (29:17) How imperfections contribute to the social bonds of most higher animals, including humans. How the lack of such connections affects a game. * (44:38) Game Masters not taking advantages of these needs or not even touching them at all. * (51:39) A call for GMs at Fear the Con X! Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:31) Welcoming back Chris, Julia, and Pat. * (1:32) Thanking John Ely for Pugmire and Chris Ings for an outstanding coloring book. The coming war between Corgi and Pug owners. * (8:19) Movie scenes that disturbed us as children. Sharing a Coke with the princess from Neverending Story. * (17:48) People stepping on each other's toes in Julia's game. Keeping to your role. * (24:15) Whether Pathfinder may be the wrong game for this particular group. * (26:30) Picking a good first game for new roleplayers. * (31:53) Back to whether this group is even playing the right game. * (34:31) Throwing tons of dice as a way of breaking the spirit of a system. * (42:38) Sending a message through sabotage. Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Julie, Pat
- (0:29) Gnarl's commentary on a sourcebook for gnolls in 5th edition D&D gets taken a bit too seriously. * (8:41) Dan's house, Chad's faux passport, a Twitter poll about homebrewing, roleplaying about roleplaying, and the creativity of gamers. * (18:23) The revenge of the gamification of gaming. The original episode on the topic. Duolingo and Habitica. * (25:53) Explaining what it means to gamify a game. Rare Elements Foundry (which was mistakenly called Rare Earth in the show) and Oriental Trading. * (32:59) When positive incentive is preferable to negative confrontation. * (46:13) Boiling down the advice and annoyance. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:03) A shout-out to Richard Thomas and Aaron Sturgill. Fear the Con X, AcadeCon, and a total breakdown in communication. * (4:27) Brodeur gets jealous and Dan throws shade at Gamerstable. * (12:27) Brodeur gets on Facebook, and Dan starts the Doomsday Clock. * (25:49) Pete's start in RPGs, condescension from RIFTS, and a GM on the railroad. * (37:52) Wayne's go-to generic game. * (38:51) The therapeutic value of roleplaying games. The Bodhana Group. Dreamchaser's dream mechanic as a metaphor for approaching life goals (Kickstarter link, Imagining Games site). * (52:46) Developing a character's past, present, and future. The Logan trailer as an exercise in game arc design. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Pete, Wayne
- (0:33) A natural first question presents itself. Magic by Mick Smiley. The story of Pete and Brodeur's love. * (8:44) Imagining Games and the Dreamchaser Kickstarter. Pete was previously mentioned in Episode 418. * (9:30) The end as the beginning. The dream and milestone mechanic in Dreamchaser. * (16:12) A sample dream and set of milestones to demonstrate how they work. * (20:33) The value of focusing on story before setting. * (24:45) What has Pete learned from running this? What does this book give us? What's the game system like? * (31:18) The duration of a Dreamchaser game. * (37:53) The belief mechanic and how it relates to dreams and milestones. * (47:25) Designing a game's story like a movie trailer. * (50:20) Some examples from games that have been run during the play test. * (59:56) How strangely well Dreamchaser would work for Mystery Men. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne Guests: Pete
- (0:47) An update on Pat. The GoFundMe page to help him and Beth with medical costs. You can follow his status on Caring Bridge. * (4:05) Sugar-free candy, bloopers, and Wayne's butt...? * (13:45) Prophecy and otherwise letting PCs see the future. * (17:22) Letting the prediction be only a possible future. * (21:00) Keeping the predictions vague. * (22:16) The "problem" of player agency. * (25:12) Removing the PCs from the equation. * (26:35) Sensing present situations instead of future events. * (28:53) Scaling the time between prediction and fulfillment. * (37:53) The consequences of trying to change the future. * (43:35) Deferring to the GM so they can play to things they control. * (48:08) Leaving the prediction neither fulfilled nor contradicted. * (56:10) Fulfilling the prediction "in medias res". Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:35) False alarm on Dan's interview on Talking Tabletop, but it's out now (part 1 and part 2). * (2:06) Chad's unexpected take on Alien: Covenant. The increasing social ubiquity of science fiction. The Fault in Our Mars. Laurell K. Hamilton plugs Fear the Con X. * (17:19) A Thai-rade and the importance of ordering spiciness correctly. White people mild. * (25:29) Adapting existing roleplaying games to things they were never meant to accommodate. Blades in the Dark to Rogue One or Star Wars Rebels. Dresden Files RPG to a far-future homebrew. * (32:34) Not getting lost in the weeds. Recognizing the broad-strokes that fit your needs. * (39:24) Recognizing what a game wasn't meant to illustrate. Hosts: Chad, Dan
- (0:27) The German-language podcast, Eskapodcast. * (2:17) Dan's idea about "cabinet GMing" that Brodeur, Scott, and the Germans are trying to steal. Having other GMs handle the actions of major NPCs to keep their actions independent and unpredictable. * (12:27) Today's topic: VaMinion steals Dan's idea, which was stolen from Wayne, which was stolen from Scott. Shielding a character from certain risks by virtue of who or what they are. The prior discussion on the X card can be found on this episode and across several pages of the accompanying forum discussion. * (18:47) Why the group template may not help you dodge this issue. * (24:10) Laundering real social issues through fictional elements. * (27:17) Does the dog die? * (31:14) Some approaches for dealing with this. Pregame conversation. Dry-run scenes. Simply not allowing it. * (42:37) The zero session, and surviving the cemetery gates. Life changes during the game. Hosts: Broduer, Dan, Wayne
- (0:22) Warning: Content is out of order, like Witcher novels or Firefly. * (1:12) Magic button of Annihilation: What Christmas song would you obliterate? * (7:18) Brodeur hates Trans Siberian Orchestra. Dan's ghetto heart isn't satisfied. * (10:20) Dan's exotic pets: An otter! * (13:40) Dan's defense of broadening the definition of "pet animals", but first some important caveats. * (19:43) The difference between tame and domesticated animals. A lion showing affection to its rescuer. Dogs seeking help from humans when wolves don't (experiment 1, experiment 2). * (27:47) The value of interaction with exotic animals. Dan's pet spider, Hermine (nee Herman). Click beetles. * (41:32) Brodeur goes too far. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:18) Dan and Chad were quoting Still Talkin (NSFW language warning). * (2:19) Music you listen to at the most formative moments of your life. Jidenna's Long Live the Chief and Method Man's Bulletproof Love. * (9:29) Del the Funky Homosapien. Alex Trebek's comments on nerdcore and the response song, Who is Alex Trebek? * (17:48) Dan and Chad pick their top three. Afrika Bambaataa. DJ Kool's Let Me Clear My Throat. Alphabet Aerobics and Chemical Calisthenics. * (26:08) Brodeur makes his picks. Pop Goes the Weasel by 3rd Bass. * (30:34) The use of personae and backstory in hip-hop. Hosts: Broduer, Chad, Dan
- (0:47) I lied about part 2, but part 1 of my interview with Jim McClure is out! * (2:50) XCOM 2 gets us thinking about setting the level of challenge in a tabletop roleplaying game. * (9:59) Games that get easier versus games that get harder. * (13:18) The kinds of challenge. Combat encounters, roleplaying, puzzles, mystery, etc. * (20:07) Identifying the type of narrative experience the players and GM are trying to get out of the game. * (23: 06) Why start the challenge low for veteran players? Ebbs and flows. Difficulty as a path instead of a moment. * (33:16) Always having a way forward. Richard Pryor scared for no reason. * (39:34) The importance of downbeats in the story. The right type of failure. The Heisman Trophy and the Ghetto Heisman. * (52:33) Knowing the reason for the specific challenge. Avoiding banal struggles. Bambi vs Godzilla. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) Much ado about butts. Thanks, Patreon supporters! * (3:35) Was this section even legal to air? * (5:58) Fish Donuts and the foxy Ms. Candida. * (9:15) What happened with the cell phones? Dan's +Jews! charger. * (20:19) Attention as a precious commodity. * (31:30) The things you just don't allow in your games. First example: Math heavy abilities and powers that take away the uniqueness of other characters. * (37:32) Softening the limits but restricting the books. Conceding aspects of powers to make them less annoying to the GM. * (43:55) Child prodigies, half-orcs, and monks. * (52:34) Not disrupting the fun for the players or the GM. * (55:12) Brodeur is a dictator. Player handouts, and knowing why you don't want something. * (57:31) What don't you allow, and why? What did you not used to allow, but now will, with what caveats? What changed your mind? Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:07) Fear the Boot's Secret Santa, run by Noob13. You can find details on the forums. * (2:15) Dan's interview on Talking Tabletop with Jim McClure. Fear the Boot's Twitter and Facebook links. * (3:59) A cross-town move forces Dan to look through his possessions and contemplate life. The Battletech warchest system. * (9:06) Changing taste in games perhaps tied to a diminishing ability to focus on crunch. Our episode on getting started with Battletech. * (16:09) A question to the listeners: How has time changed your taste in games? Hosts: Dan
- (0:35) Dan moves, and the studio moves with him. * (1:47) Fear the Con X's Kickstarter is in its last week. * (2:32) A big thanks to our Patreon backers for the new chairs. * (3:21) Our homebrew Transformers RPG. Along with a recent episode on Wayne's game, I discuss the nuts and bolts of creating an RPG from an existing IP. * (7:34) Numerically modeling a Transformer, using their stat cards as a starting point. The example of Onslaught. * (23:43) Testing the results through mass character creation and playing the game. Hosts: Dan
- (0:46) Fear the Con X's Kickstarter is live and needs your support. * (1:55) Support the Strays on No Shave November. Also, much love to Matt who joined the team after this show was recorded, which is why he doesn't get mentioned in the audio. * (9:45) The finite resources of governance, The Rules for Rulers, The Dictator's Handbook, and how it all relates to RPGs. * (20:29) Dan's Story: Contractor Competition. People want each other's resources for the same objectives. * (25:32) Techniques for designing the power structure. Political Order and Political Decay. * (49:44) So we were playing Riven... Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Wayne
- (0:28) Picking up where we left off from the prior episode. * (3:10) Research and essays, particularly The Pulling Report, countering the satanic panic. * (4:53) The CBN pamphlet on D&D as an example of what was being said about RPGs during the panic. * (11:34) The disappearance of James Egbert. * (20:43) Comparing Egbert's story to Mazes and Monsters. William Dear's The Dungeon Master. * (22:04) It's human nature to need someone to blame. Back to the pamphlet. * (26:29) Some quotes about, "What is D&D?" * (33:56) Don't talk to my XP or my son's XP ever again. * (37:00) The authorized Dark Dungeons movie. * (37:44) Patricia Pulling and the suicide of Irving Lee Pulling. * (45:18) The importance of not minimizing the tragedy, even if you deal with the absurdity with dark humor. The anonymous text service for people needing crisis intervention. * (49:37) The police leaflet on RPGs. The many criteria for knowing when your teenager is in a cult, including, "They're a teenager". Fighting the Zombie. "All I wanted was a Pepsi," from Institutionalized and sampled in How I Could Just Kill a Man. * (59:50) Leaflet's section on what we can do. Dan reads off the list and narrowly avoids having a stroke. * (1:08:35) Conclusions, and the legacy of RPGs. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:29) Happy Jack's fishy music-crafting. * (3:24) Today's topic requires a disclaimer of sorts: Satanic Panic. Jack Chick and, "What's a tract?" * (8:11) Why Chick is relevant: Dark Dungeons. What this episode is and is not about. * (11:12) Why Wayne wasn't affected by the panic. * (12:35) Discussing Jack Chick, himself, and satanic ritual abuse. * (15:20) A tour through the era of panic. How modern people can relate to what occurred. Other moral panics. Though exaggerated, malicious tampering with Halloween candy has happened. * (24:20) The fact that you know it's a d30, Dan, is damning evidence in its own right. * (31:14) Before we get to the documents: A slice of life. Experiences are shared. * (42:43) The FBI, and more experience sharing. * (46:01) Conclusions, and going out on a positive note. * (47:50) Definitely for the quote database: "SUCK A D4, PIG!" Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
An important update on one of our hosts. You can stay posted on the Caring Bridge site. Please send any well wishes to nevertellmetheodds99@gmail.com.
- (0:40) Arch-nemeses of today and times gone by. The crazy stuff people do in their sleep. * (15:20) Chad’s gaming topic: Character defining moments. Dan presents a large example. * (25:35) Brodeur does not top that. What can a GM do? Dan presents a counter-example. * (34:40) Tale of woe and reform aside, Dan answers the question. * (36:25) Another example of a GM intervention, so to speak. Even if you can’t create the change, you can create the opportunity for it. * (41:31) Responses, and gambling. Finesse in situational engineering. * (50:38) When a player requests the moment. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:31) A big thanks to our Patreon backers. * (1:32) NPC AI. Having non-player characters make decisions according to predetermined parameters. Our episode on quitting the field. * (5:43) Why this isn't just "deciding". * (6:41) The mechanical or rules-based approach. * (7:38) The parameterized or character-based approach. * (21:06) The psychology of fear, and the call of the void. * (23:59) Moving away from combat and into pure roleplaying. * (33:09) Star Trek, and the importance of NPC AI in such a deadly game. Deadly accidents. * (40:38) Dan restates his belief that dice are the Nth player. Treating groups as a single character. Hosts: Aisha, Chad, Dan, John
- (0:39) Fear the Con 10, June 22-24, 2017. Fear the Con 9 is lost, probably will be found-footage later. * (4:30) Brodeur goes to Archon for the aftermath of the cosplay. * (6:38) Pete introduces Brodeur to a new game, Dreamchaser. Dan comes up with "Four Hours at IKEA". * (19:24) Setting hard and soft goals for a game. * (26:07) The thinking behind the group template. * (30:04) The distinction between what a player wants from the game and what the GM wants from it. Expectations for the game. * (39:29) Thinking back to a game where the endpoints had been discussed and achieved. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:30) Pat is going to kill us all. * (17:03) The horror of the unknown. * (19:25) How Pat surpassed R. Lee Ermey. * (21:43) Creating expectation and setting a mood. * (23:47) Comedy = Expectation + Subversion. The human ability to cope with the known. * (26:56) The escape room: An objective-based, time-limited, puzzle game. * (28:11) The benefit to having extra people in puzzle situations. Expectations and patterns. * (31:37) Red herrings and the presupposition of significance. The Three Clue Rule. * (38:55) Brodeur compares this to the group template. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (0:18) It's just Dan and Chad today. Whatever happened to Julia? * (3:38) Behaviors tolerated and untolerated. Organization psychology. The book, Zapp! * (5:20) The four styles of leadership, as applied to roleplaying. Situational Leadership (with pictures or on Wikipedia or on the official site). * (9:48) Let it be written that here, on this date, Chad said in episode 69, "It's always better with men." I'm sure no one will take this out of context. * (12:12) Applying those four styles to roleplaying. * (22:26) The importance of recognizing the phase someone is in and knowing how to respond accordingly. Revisiting the gamification of games. * (27:52) Chad's hatred of cell phones and his very strong feelings on Pokemon Go. Dan speaks on reading the situation and self-awareness in general. * (35:04) Chad made an agreement, and it's been broken. He discusses his problems with authority. * (38:43) Consequences of the agreement. Hosts: Chad, Dan
- (0:24) The Mic-er Conspiracy, and editing what people say. * (2:26) Dan has a story! * (10:12) How Dan's story ties into gaming. The Facebook thread on the topic. Chekhov's Gun. * (15:24) The difference in how we search for meaning in life versus how we do so in an RPG. * (19:21) A tangent about Tarantino and the Rules of Eating in cinema. Everyday events that don't matter to the plot. * (22:15) Brodeur's counterpoint: Events need to further the game. * (26:04) Chekhov's Candy Sticks. * (33:13) Why do people drop things? Nowhere Man. The distinction between Chad and Dan putting detail in their games. * (44:51) Dan visits a casino in D&D 5E. * (46:13) There are five: The rivers Styx, Lethe, Acheron, Cocyteus, and Phlegethon - Hate, Oblivion, Sadness, Lamentation, and Fire. Dan yells at an undead boat driver. * (52:38) Conclusions on the incidental. What interviewing an NPC is all about for new listeners. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
NOTE: This episode is the second half of a recording that began with the prior episode. * (0:24) Spiders of my Mind, a game about psychotic murderers and an insane asylum. The day and night cycle. * (18:01) Brodeur asks: What attracted you to this setting? Pat is creepy and was super into a cat. * (25:14) Chad is diligent in crediting the source of the flashbacks mechanic: Mikel Matthews. * (30:11) On finding editors. * (32:15) Brodeur brings up the trouble with playing bad people. * (40:34) Chad talks about his love of dark games and a particular session about a haunted house. * (48:05) Brodeur notes that Chad's not playing these games for "evil is fun". Hosts: Brodeur, Chad
NOTE: The raw recording was enough for two shows, but the topic change left for rather uneven times. This is the first portion, and it's rather short. The upcoming second portion changes topics and is much longer. * (0:31) Why Wayne isn't on the mics. * (1:09) Dan runs the register. Automats. * (4:52) Dan gets going, and Brodeur shares his Kickstarter idea. * (6:22) A conspiracy theory is formed. * (6:41) Another Kickstarter idea. * (7:21) How a time jump in Brodeur's game shakes out. * (10:35) 48 hours in gaming, and the opportunities that a time-skip affords. * (16:33) Routine time jumps in a game. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:29) Getting Chris to St. Louis. Lovecraft stories and Easter Eggs in Fallout. * (6:24) The seven intelligences. * (9:43) Presenting information in the right way to a particular person. Examples from movies and RPGs. * (13:00) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Path of Exile is superior to Diablo 3. * (15:35) Pat as an analytical player. * (21:45) Wayne and Dan as additive players. * (28:13) Brodeur's GWAR game with the You Tell Me system. * (30:43) Beth and Dawn as accepting players. Our episode on finite choices. * (40:57) The summary Chad gave prior to the show. Game moments with or without context. * (44:53) Adaptability as a two-way street. Robot Chicken's sketch about Noah. * (53:58) Sara's "Knowledge is Power" play-style. * (1:00:32) The potential pitfalls of the play-styles. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:28) Andy Warhol gets trolled by Dennis Hopper through Strasbergian emotional memory. * (4:30) Dropped glasses become art, perhaps because of Yoko Ono's famous picture? * (5:41) Chad has an idea to pitch. * (9:20) Telling good stories without alienating the people they're about. Catching Pat in his refractory period. * (17:11) Chad owns MorningSkye.com and can't seem to opt out of the sale of a similar domain. * (24:09) Dan's idea that never happened, and why certain ideas in general don't get done. * (37:03) Tying it all together: Things done, things never done, and why. * (43:43) Dan will try to dig up the Lookout Radio demo. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat
- (0:24) Dan will record, anyway. The Pimp's Prayer (NSFW). Brodeur can't cry. Tyromancy, the cheese magic. * (6:39) The lowest form of horror. The 1979 movie, Zombie. The silent film, Un Chien Andalou. Hobo with a Shotgun. * (17:32) A time jump in Brodeur's RPG. * (21:32) Geoff Johns uses physics to make Aquaman a good character. The war between Amazons and Atlanteans. (Correction: The individual that led the defeat of the Amazons was Mopsus the Thracian, not a Theban.) * (32:21) Running a superhero game in the Bronze Age. * (36:29) An RPG with a cartoon aesthetic. Grave of the Fireflies, Wings of Honneamise, Anohana, Kill la Kill, and Bone Tomahawk. * (43:56) Red Dwarf and the assassination of JFK. Pokémon, Star Trek VI, the UN, and the comedy of violent politics. * (48:16) Funny patient names and the Easter Eggs in CMS test data. * (53:55) The life lesson of Ben-Hur. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:27) The Facebook post explaining our site difficulties. * (1:32) The Inkwell Ideas' Kickstarter for Hexographer 2. * (3:14) The cognitive dissonance of many gamers regarding fairness and success. Hosts: Dan
- (0:28) Fear the Boot's crossover with Dead Games Society. Gaming resources that are not sourcebooks. * (3:43) A sad farewell and all our love to Mark. * (4:39) Everyone begs for new chairs. Brodeur plans to steal from Good Will. * (6:10) Game-relevant table talk. Meta-gaming and immersion. * (17:41) When can a character speak and for how long? * (24:59) Action timing in Blades in the Dark. * (32:50) Models of initiative. * (46:15) Pat takes us back to the original point. * (49:13) Letting everyone talk—or not! * (55:25) Chad thanks Brodeur the Elder. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:29) A loose sound card, Patreon, falling pants, and attack chairs. * (3:42) The TSA, full-body scanners, and having to take your belt off. Wave of babies. * (8:14) RPG people tricks, starting with Dan trolling. * (10:46) Wayne getting the feel of a game. * (12:16) Brodeur interviews himself. * (14:04) Dan CAN judge you. But he rehearses his lines, too. * (16:28) Voices and the methods by which accents can be attained. Theme songs, and more ways to get hyped for a game. * (22:33) Chad's confession: The hit points are a lie. Conceptual damage instead of hit points. * (27:08) It's not fair? * (30:30) Wayne asks why. * (40:37) Naming NPCs after things in the room. * (44:59) Pregame rituals * (47:19) Fortunetelling for your NPCs. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:22) Horrible things you can do with Pokémon GO. * (1:04) Augmented Reality and Alternate Reality Games. Drug addiction. * (7:34) Wayne's wrestling efed. Gnarl's adventures on Twitter. * (17:53) Wayne's wrestler's name. * (26:18) The psychology of roleplaying. The freedom that a mask grants, particularly when it's a fully articulated gnoll mask. * (32:30) What would Brodeur say if he had Twitter and a purrsona? Next time, on "Everyone is Furries Furever". Mind-mouth filtering for the good of mankind. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:33) Moon, Dredd, and Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition. * (8:25) Dan comes up with one nice thing to say about the movie, Battleship. Also, they're voxels, not pixels. * (12:58) Chad recommends The Seventh Seal. * (14:15) Dan's Gnollsona days are to be in their peak soon. * (15:30) All the things worse than gamer categories. The Sokal affair and other uses of world salad. * (18:59) The three facets of GMing, starting with the adversarial. * (21:56) The confederate. * (28:29) The middle ground: the adjudicator. * (33:56) Pat's special dice. Labels are better at describing a moment than the GM. * (36:29) Chad hates the Myers-Briggs test. Dan hates the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, though it isn't mentioned in the show. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:31) The end of Brodeur's honeymoon with 5th edition D&D and his endless honeymoon with a Marilith. * (4:32) Brodeur denies, as all subs do, that he wants to bang the Marilith. * (14:21) When the whole thing needs to go. * (16:08) Topic of this episode: Sound and music. MyNoise. * (23:17) Issues with sound. Blending soundscapes together. The value of sounds people aren't aware of. Frederic Chopin's Raindrop Prelude. * (38:10) Let's talk about music. The NPR interview with the composer for Epic Mickey. Also, Radio Rivendell. * (43:45) Examples of music as used in Blades in the Dark, video games, and Dan's car. * (53:02) Rapid-fire advice. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, John
- (1:19) The requisite disclaimers. * (1:57) How mental health affects gaming, as the person with the condition. * (2:26) Attendance issues. * (5:15) Accepting that some issues can't be dealt with or accommodated in the context of gaming. * (7:02) Some ideas for accommodating attendance issues when you can. * (10:53) Beating yourself up during the game. * (12:12) Accommodating mid-game issues. * (17:37) Being anxious about being anxious. * (22:28) The relationship between depression and self-value. Asking the right questions. * (27:23) Tough thoughts during the downtime. * (31:55) Dan versus the X card. The importance of communicating meaningful information. Applying Hanlon's Razor to issue of offense. * (52:22) Wayne gives his thanks to a group at DruCon. The value of distraction. * (54:49) A big thanks to our Patreon backers! Hosts: Brodeur, Chris, Dan, Wayne
- (0:39) Mental health as a topic, why we're talking about it, and some important disclaimers. * (8:49) Why this relates so closely to gaming. * (13:47) Dan's history and issues. * (18:41) The uniqueness of the conditions when compared to "normal" thoughts. The courage of getting treatment. * (26:04) The anatomy of a panic attack. * (27:24) PTSD can come from any serious trauma. * (28:54) Brodeur's history and issues. * (32:47) The anatomy of PTSD. * (34:39) Wayne's history and issues. * (38:03) Medication as a way to get a handle on an issue. * (40:13) Time does not heal all wounds, but there are ways to cope. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook. * (46:22) Advice to people that know someone suffering from a mental disorder. Hosts: Brodeur, Chris, Dan, Wayne
- (0:40) Pulp Gamer isn't gone—just the network. * (1:30) Drucon. Special thanks to Adam, Bob, and Derek. * (2:43) Introducing Aisha and thanks to our Patreon backers. Her history with roleplaying games and video games. * (15:32) How some hosts are hard to edit. * (19:58) Our main topic: Old school ideas that still have value. * (27:22) The use of common sense regarding random charts. * (30:37) Something 5th edition brought back: Character Archetypes. * (34:01) Brodeur hates 5th edition and wants it to die. * (34:55) In defense of collars. Or callers. * (38:41) In defense of RP scripts. * (42:13) Brodeur's Sidebars: Exploring things OOC. * (46:41) Box text. * (49:20) Encounter XP. * (54:01) You can welcome Aisha through her forum profile. Hosts: Aisha, Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:31) With Pulp Gamer closing their network, Fear the Boot is now a proud member of the RPG Academy network of shows. * (1:20) TsunamiCon in Wichita, KS, from October 7th to 9th. You can find their page here and support their Kickstarter here. * (4:07) Where's Dan? Wayne went to a shibari event once... Also, duct tape is not to be used for bondage. * (5:02) After effects of the index card suggestions: Brodeur's game of reckless colonial expansion, party-throwing, and "What's money for?" * (11:06) The problem with index carding: Which of these things do I actually get around to doing? * (19:33) Problematic Plothook Parties. * (21:34) Success with consequences in Blades in the Dark. * (28:07) Game aftercare for GMs and players. * (29:47) They always wanna kill his girls. Maybe it's Pavlovian at this point. * (31:08) The serial killer, and how Chad screwed up. * (37:31) The forest for the trees. Table rules regarding phones. Salvaging the game from a plot hole and too many weeks off. * (51:29) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: I hate you too, Brodeur and Sgt. Dan. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Sgt. Dan, Wayne
- (2:29) Chad's garage sale find. You can find the relevant images here. * (10:46) On the formation of "The White Box", the first complete D&D set. * (14:46) Dan reads the sample roleplaying text in his bedroom voice. * (17:40) A touching foreword from Tom Moldvay. * (20:08) A page of Inspirational Reading. * (21:35) The RPGA form and the Roll20 Survey. * (26:14) Where it all went wrong. * (28:37) Alignment languages. * (30:10) Mappers, Callers, and sheet clutter. * (33:14) Who WERE these people?! * (39:13) Critiquing the character. * (47:04) Dramatic reading ideas. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:32) Patreon milestones coming up, including a live-stream Shadowrun AP. * (2:48) Dan played D&D 5E, and he liked it. Pat thinks it should feel wrong, but it feels so right, instead. * (15:14) Improving games by using the Stoplight. * (19:27) Removing the red lights to preserve feelings. * (20:47) Pat's take on the advantages of open communication. * (24:03) Phrasing the suggestions to be future-oriented instead of past-oriented. * (26:17) Stoplighting also needs to be applicable to GMs. * (33:42) Filling out a form for yourself. * (37:18) Chris' short film, It Figures, is being played at the Gen Con Film Festival. * (38:49) Why the Stoplight is worth doing. Hosts: Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (0:29) Fear the Boot is now 10 years old! * (4:39) The three promises of Fear the Boot: no ads in the show, no politics or religion, and never putting primary content behind a pay wall. * (9:35) Ways we want to improve the show over the next 10 years. * (12:40) If you want to help the show, Fear the Boot's Patreon, milestones, and backer rewards can be found here. * (18:05) Some thanks to the hosts, listeners, and industry professionals that have helped make this all possible. * (19:46) Things that have changed for us over the past 10 years. * (29:36) Dan mentions Stellaris (which is a great game) but actually meant Rebel Galaxy. * (30:02) Explaining boat anchor characters and how they change the parameters of what's occurring in the game. * (34:47) A child Chad played in a sci-fi game and an old man he played in a post-apocalyptic game. * (44:41) Adjusting the game to accommodate such characters, or opting not to allow them at all. * (50:17) Looking around you for inspiration and understanding. * (51:56) Discussing the changes to the game before it begins. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (0:54) Revisiting side games. * (1:39) How we deviated from our prior advice. * (3:47) Chad loses InSpectres and switches to Wilderness of Mirrors. * (6:13) On the activities of the players and their gang. * (9:18) Objective 1: Kill James Waite. * (11:28) Not keeping the side game and main game related. * (12:32) Could players that aren't there for side games be left in the dark? * (28:18) Easter Eggs for longtime fans that aren't necessary information to understanding the plot. * (31:57) Going back in time. * (33:48) Generating game ideas by asking what the players would like to learn more about. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:32) Running a game in a very short time slot. A possible Skies of Glass show series and Wayne's lunch game.
- (2:33) Keeping this a fully-developed game instead of using a specialized system or one-off approach.
- (3:20) Limiting the time spent on social interactions.
- (4:05) The value of proactivity. Moving some discussions offline to keep the game going. True Dungeon and Escape STL.
- (11:44) Forced energy and keeping the pace. Putting aside complex rules.
- (20:20) Changes to game prep and execution.
- (31:59) Chad's character concept.
- (35:23) Being episodic or skipping over periods of transition between major plot points. The potential sacrifice of some player agency.
- (42:55) Being pro-player when their agency is reduced. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:30) Pat's messed up sound levels and a really strange rant remind Dan that you can now get Fear the Boot on Google Play.
- (4:35) Running smaller, lower-prep games—that are related to your main campaign—to save the game from dying during downtime.
- (15:21) Some ground rules for making games like this work.
- (27:42) Keeping the side game from eclipsing the main game.
- (37:37) Keeping the tone of the side game from affecting the main game.
- (41:54) Fear the Boot’s Warframe clan. You can download the game here and find details on the clan here. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:29) Welcoming back James from The One Shot Podcast. Our prior interview with them can be found here.
- (4:08) The Kickstarter for Noisy Person Cards.
- (8:35) The value of using alternate voices in a roleplaying game.
- (13:09) Adding emotion to the voice.
- (16:29) The intensity of an emotion. Drawing on life experiences to make the emotion more real.
- (25:12) The cadence of a voice. Billy West's interview on Fresh Air.
- (27:38) Changing up the characters.
- (46:48) Paracosm Press. Hosts: Chris, Dan, James, John
- (0:32) Fear the Boot's Warframe clan, Fear the Ninja, is active again. You can download the game here and find details on the clan here.
- (4:21) Get your votes in for what game you'd like to hear us play with the folks from One Shot Podcast.
- (6:50) A big thanks to the people recommending our show on Reddit!
- (7:38) Brodeur gets touched. You can donate to Wayne's Make-A-Wish fundraiser here.
- (17:19) Significant time jumps within the course of an RPG's plot.
- (23:58) The importance of establishing the purpose of the time jump.
- (27:38) Observing what the players latch onto during that opportunity.
- (29:51) A chance for the players to introduce new ideas.
- (35:02) Evaluating the changes that have happened during that time.
- (45:12) The varying significance and scale of time to different characters. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
DISCLAIMER: While profanities were censored from this episode, the subject matter is more crass than what Fear the Boot normally covers. Personal discretion is advised. * (0:40) Welcoming Stu and Stork from Happy Jack's podcast. You can find the latest episode Dan and Wayne guest hosted here. * (0:57) Rosebud. * (5:52) The origin of "Happy Jack" and the narrative curve of his career. * (11:48) The worst hygienic choice you can make in a game shop. * (19:02) Stinky, the couch, and the worst hygienic choice you can make in a car. * (25:04) The most horrifying gaming story we've ever heard. * (31:31) An obnoxious interview subject. * (38:42) Things overheard in the game shop. The real-life inspiration of the play, Equus. The Animaniacs survey. * (43:23) A really dysfunctional Ren Faire. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Stork, Stu
- (0:29) Dan can't operate a mixer.
- (2:21) 1d4Con in Martisburg, WV from April 15th - 17th.
- (4:07) Upcoming crossovers with Happy Jacks.
- (4:29) Noah the Destroyer.
- (11:00) A Twitter poll we ran about whether it's best for game designers (or GMs running a game) to err on the side of too many or too few rules.
- (14:21) The value of crunch in settling disputes, enshrining character traits, and maintaining fairness. Rules can be ignored more easily than written.
- (24:47) Our own preferences in balancing the quantity and complexity of rules.
- (27:30) The value of a rules light approach. The games are less intimidating, easier to learn, and allow for greater creative freedom. Weird West, the PocketMod game by Stuart Robertson. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (0:41) Chris' short film, It Figures.
- (6:30) Wayne takes a turn at moderating the show.
- (7:18) Leaving a gaming group. Wayne sets some ground rules for the discussion.
- (14:26) The parallels between breaking up with a gaming group and breaking up with a significant other. Getting out of a game by ghosting.
- (17:19) When the problem really is on you, but the rest of the people involved may not accept that.
- (22:41) How the nature and history of the group affects the decision. A metaphor from MMOs.
- (28:34) Evaluating the overall state of the gaming group.
- (30:46) Gritting your teeth until a reasonable stopping point.
- (32:41) Living authentically.
- (38:11) The best time to drop out. Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, John, Wayne
- (0:26) Introducing Bob and offering a fair warning.
- (2:24) Eva Amurri, the nanny incident, and Dan's cynicism.
- (5:21) Bob sets the record straight on the drywall incident.
- (8:35) Green bean casserole.
- (16:51) Bob saves Brodeur from drowning.
- (20:00) How Bob got into gaming.
- (29:33) How Bob got Brodeur into gaming.
- (33:36) The value of gaming as a mental health aid.
- (36:51) Brodeur's real friends.
- (38:45) The subjectivity of suffering.
- (47:45) DGS Games and their Kickstarter for Traazorite Crusaders.
- (48:10) A shout-out to TableTop Game and Hobby in Overland Park, Kansas.
- (50:16) The Alex Jones conspiracy that Johnny G made his ringtone. Hosts: Bob, Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:36) The new XCOM Saga has started. You can watch it on Twitch here or keep up with the RP and after-action reports here. The next stream will be on Wednesday, February 10th, at 7:00pm Central time.
- (3:20) Some more information on DruCon. You can find out more on the Facebook group and sign up for events on Con Planner.
- (6:21) The Battletech dice contest is indeed over, but you can still see the plot ideas here.
- (6:50) A conversation about how to get started with Battletech (see our episode on that topic for more info) led to a novel approach for GM-driven character creation.
- (18:06) Reasons to consider using this approach.
- (32:33) The potential drawbacks to GM character creation.
- (35:52) Three rules for making this work. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (1:09) Pat and the nuclear football can be found in Bedtime Stories 5.
- (1:34) Giving life to a location. Making it feel like more than just a stopping-off point in the plot. Our episodes on dungeon building (part 1 and part 2).
- (7:07) Reasons to avoid getting too caught up in the minutiae of the setting. Cityographer by Inkwell Ideas.
- (18:05) The six questions to flesh out a location. You can find a sample questionnaire in the resource documents.
- (25:18) Letting the players answer the questions through their RP.
- (34:19) Locations that lack heart. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (0:35) Preparing a fallback game for one that has yet to die.
- (4:36) Brodeur is asked to pass his game notes off to another GM who wants to continue his campaign.
- (10:42) The positive reasons to share your game notes. Dan's sample game notes (explained in episode 209) can be found here, here, here, and here.
- (12:20) The practical problems with sharing your game notes.
- (28:26) Making your notes available to the general public.
- (36:04) Passing off the entire game to a new GM. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John, Julia
- (0:29) The Battletech contest is complete! You can find the list of winning game ideas here. I'll be emailing the winners within the next week to get their mailing addresses.
- (1:51) Blades in the Dark, digital edition early access with upgrade support through the finished product. You can grab your copy here.
- (3:05) Wayne was trying to figure out what he wants to run at DruCon and decided on a Power Rangers game. The gritty fan film.
- (9:24) Writing down the dirty dozen: roughly twelve ideas the game needs to portray in order to really capture the original intellectual property.
- (17:26) Either adapting an existing product in whole or cherry-picking ideas from multiple sources.
- (20:07) Handling a situation where multiple players are controlling a single, combined character in a game.
- (28:22) Using the dirty dozen to prioritize design choices.
- (38:46) The dated economics of Back to the Future. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John, Wayne
- (0:28) A pregnant pause. Dan hates Skype. Dan hates Norton even more.
- (1:11) Voting for the science fiction plot hooks is ending on Sunday, January 10th, at 11:59:59pm Central Time. You can get your votes in here.
- (2:07) Brodeur the Elder wants to hear about ABBA. That hate for disco. N-Trace's hip hop remix of Stayin' Alive. The mashups of Max Tannone.
- (8:46) Fear the Boot's spoiler policy.
- (11:05) The long bomb plot of Nier.
- (18:27) Tying this back to tabletop RPGs. Creating games where the most obvious explanation of events isn't the most accurate one.
- (21:11) Don't lie to the players or invalidate their actions.
- (28:57) When the villain just might have a point. Gnarl's Twitter feed. Fable 3.
- (44:58) The relationship between the long bomb and a more traditional mystery. L.A. Noire.
- (59:15) Brodeur and the Case of the Brand Comparison. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan
- (0:28) The amount of bleeping in the prior episode.
- (2:13) Voting for the science fiction plot hooks is still going on. You can get your votes in here.
- (3:32) The flooding in Missouri.
- (8:08) Natural disasters in roleplaying games. The eruption of Krakatoa. The radioactive fire at the West Lake Landfill.
- (12:13) The mundane aspects of life that get represented in a character's background but not during play.
- (14:04) Aspects that are excluded because they're too boring.
- (17:52) Aspects that are excluded because they're done alone.
- (20:43) Aspects that are excluded because we'd prefer not to think about them.
- (23:37) Aspects that are excluded because they create unwanted vulnerabilities.
- (28:23) Erasing the separation between items that are interesting enough to be in backstory but don't seem to make it into the game.
- (39:20) Turn around, don't drown. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Voting for the science fiction plot hooks has begun. You can get your votes in here.
- (1:38) Wayne has creative block while trying to make a character for an online game of Wield.
- (5:55) Generic-Man to the rescue! Pat is always rich.
- (14:55) Welcome to Fanfiction.net! (and Wattpad).
- (16:26) Being too distracted by life to contribute to a game.
- (17:31) Not knowing enough about the game to contribute.
- (19:34) Building the parts you know. Using random generators. Inkwell Ideas' card decks.
- (22:59) Mixing and matching. Play Doh and LEGOs.
- (29:43) Finding the character mid-stride.
- (33:45) OCD in video games. The house that's a museum.
- (39:08) Roleplaying in MMOs. Ralph Pootawn (link contains some NSFW material). Hosts: Dan, John, Pat, Wayne
- (0:30) Why it's not "still" Chris or Brodeur.
- (3:12) Chad's audio, visual, and computer setup for running Blades in the Dark. Google Drive and Myth Weavers.
- (5:01) How Blades in the Dark handles conflict. Devil's lettuce. The Doomsday Clock. Building tension.
- (13:33) Details on Chad's setup and how he uses it to improve the game and add immersion. Microsoft Onenote. Chad's collection of files for the game.
- (32:34) Lower tech alternatives.
- (34:44) Nihilistic Jeff Bridges as an example of an obstacle instead of just an enemy. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan
- (0:29) This is the last week to enter for the metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
- (1:55) Chad's Blades in the Dark game. You can BitD's Google group here. The video game, Dishonored.
- (9:24) Playbooks.
- (12:46) Uptime, downtime, and ongoing projects.
- (17:21) The "project clock". Stress, vice, and coin.
- (26:25) Similar mechanics for long-term projects in other games.
- (31:10) Illustrating the long gaps of time between adventures.
- (37:01) The value of an essay structure when speaking.
- (38:21) The takeaways that apply to other game systems.
- (42:42) Playing a game that's still being written. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Chris, Dan
- (0:44) Down a few for Thanksgiving.
- (1:14) Hamlet's Hit Points by Robin Laws. Tracking the story beats of an RPG.
- (3:37) How much game advice can actually be internalized and used.
- (8:58) An analogy from art theory about how the human mind compresses information into a usable form.
- (13:08) What Brodeur is internalizing for his current 5th edition game. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan
- (1:54) John observes an uptick of socially competitive games at Gen Con. Are You a Werewolf. Junta. Coup.
- (7:15) Undertale and how it changed John's mind on merciless gaming.
- (10:05) Why Dan can't betray people, even when it's the intended mechanic of a game.
- (17:27) What Undertale did for John's empathy that no previous game had. Never Have I Ever.
- (20:06) Being the betrayer when you don't want to. The Resistance, Battlestar Galactica, and Shadows Over Camelot.
- (25:05) Winning games through consistent behavior.
- (32:35) Too many games came out on November 10th.
- (38:16) How behavior in boardgames reflects our GMing style. Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Julia
- (0:27) When Fear the Boot turns into AM radio.
- (2:42) Giving away some metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
- (3:32) The Library Land Podcast.
- (4:44) The value in offering players finite options. Infocom games. Hosts: Dan
- (0:42) The value of simplicity, flat math, and limited modifiers.
- (5:10) The intentional lack of specificity in the 5th edition rules. The history of Anti-Magic Shell.
- (11:22) Are there any plans for setting material and the like?
- (17:22) Beast form and martial arts attacks. Sage Advice on Twitter.
- (19:34) Was the d20 mechanic a central part of design? An obstacle? An accepted legacy?
- (22:44) Why switch to 5th edition? What are its distinguishing traits and values? The free download of the basic rules and the starter box set for D&D 5th edition.
- (27:30) What ongoing adventure support does WotC have planned for DMs?
- (28:39) Wanting to hear more about insanity rules and madness.
- (29:03) Tagging bonds to award inspiration.
- (30:09) A question about flanking.
- (32:16) The relegation of feats, and the options for diversifying a class.
- (34:47) How did 4th edition influence 5th edition?
- (36:49) What other games were played during the design period and ultimately influenced the final product? Designers & Dragons.
- (40:20) Acknowledging some questions that didn't have available answers.
- (41:30) Why isn't there a full-length PDF for 5th edition?
- (43:25) To what does Vince most attribute the success of 5th edition?
- (44:04) What was the impetus for the advantage and disadvantage system?
- (46:02) Vince's favorite house rules and hacks for 5th edition.
- (46:32) What weakness of previous editions did they strive to avoid?
- (47:49) If you have any questions for Vince, you can chat him up in the forum thread for this show. You can also find him through Venture Land Games, his Twitter account, or his YouTube channel. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John Guests: Vincent Venturella
- (0:35) Introducing Vince of Venture Land Games and The Narrative Game System.
- (4:44) Questions we collected from social media. In case you don't have the links you can find us at: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and our forums.
- (5:06) Vince's favorite 'Mech and his take on the Clans. The Black Knight. Fortunetelling by favorite 'Mech.
- (11:16) Giving away some metal Battletech dice. You can enter by leaving your plot idea for Battletech (or generic science fiction) on this website.
- (14:14) Understanding the role of a rules consultant and how Vince contributed to D&D 5th edition.
- (23:19) The importance of tradition to D&D. The Legacy of Heroes.
- (25:58) What discoveries were made during play testing?
- (27:26) How did the existence and success of Pathfinder influence 5th edition?
- (32:00) What are the most common misconceptions about 5th edition that Vince would like to correct?
- (36:11) Scaling armor class and hit points for the right experience.
- (41:43) If class and background overlap, why can characters pick any skill?
- (43:40) Why do monsters play by a different set of rules than the PCs? Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, John Guests: Vincent Venturella
- (1:31) DruCon: the fan convention on June 3rd and 4th of 2016. You can find the Facebook group here and back the funding campaign here.
- (2:28) Using a well-established NPC in your game.
- (6:30) Why is the character there at all?
- (7:44) Know the character as a whole person.
- (8:49) Throw canon out the window.
- (10:35) Don't act like a fan of the character.
- (11:22) Remember that your game is a story about the player-characters.
- (13:42) Making sure the NPC doesn't dominate the players in ability, gear, contacts, or knowledge.
- (16:57) Give the character meaningful weaknesses.
- (19:41) Have the NPC be a fan of the PCs. Hosts: Dan
- (0:39) Welcoming Dr. Bob Arens to the show.
- (0:58) DruCon: the fan convention on June 3rd and 4th of 2016. You can find the Facebook group here and back the funding campaign here.
- (3:20) The episode we did with Bob about artificial intelligence in game. The Time Cube website (FAIR WARNING: very strong language).
- (7:45) John is wrong about John on Reddit.
- (10:10) Introducing FIWAGs and setting some boundaries on the discussion.
- (11:23) Players that grind their weed at the table.
- (12:53) Players and GMs that have shameless enthusiasm.
- (14:00) The diggers: people that latch onto cues and look for more in your game.
- (16:02) Alpha gamers.
- (16:38) Drink and snack bringers.
- (18:09) The group cop.
- (19:55) Players that challenge us as GMs.
- (20:33) The group librarian.
- (25:35) People that keep the game going between sessions.
- (28:14) Players that are open to a variety of campaign parameters.
- (31:22) GMs that clearly put effort into preparing their games.
- (37:23) The group artist. Nihilisa Frank and Nihilist Arby's. Hosts: Bob, Brodeur, Dan, John, Julia
- (0:29) We don't win 'em all.
- (1:07) Character pictures and why Wayne hates them. People that benefit from a visual element in the game. The concept art for the Star League throne. The legend of the collapsible cup.
- (12:16) The over-sexualization of female imagery.
- (17:08) The supposed link between gaming and anti-social behavior. The distinction between murder and killing, as illustrated by Witcher 3 and Robotech: Invasion.
- (26:52) The human knack for justifying evil. The value of a game that's deep enough that you can empathize with the "villain".
- (37:30) The relationship between moral behavior and consequences. Watch what you reward. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:28) Chad vs Pat's phone.
- (5:34) Brodeur hates train games.
- (11:09) Dan's gaming whale gets a certificate of authenticity.
- (15:00) Fortune-telling with gnoll coins.
- (16:34) There's no shame in a job.
- (19:46) Brodeur grows up poor.
- (34:15) Who did and didn't get TPed.
- (37:18) Dan's hood. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Pat
- (0:29) Chris is still doing the giveaways on Twitter and Facebook.
- (0:47) Wayne gets his first exposure to play-by-post games. You can find the Fear the Boot forum section for them here.
- (11:18) Jobbies, Research in Motion, and FIHAGs.
- (12:57) The player that challenges the GM on everything.
- (15:04) The dice cheater.
- (20:37) The dice bowler. Tiny and illegible dice.
- (25:48) Deaf people and music. Taylor Swift and Horace Mann.
- (27:36) The ball and chain.
- (35:50) The substance abuser.
- (39:23) The crappy voices.
- (47:49) Distracting devices. The FCC stops convention centers from jamming wifi.
- (50:16) Players that won't give the game a chance.
- (53:03) Players that won't stop playing with the gaming resources.
- (58:31) Be responsible for your own stuff. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
- (0:32) Chris is doing the video game giveaways on Twitter.
- (1:42) Welcoming Joe Wetzel and Keith Curtis. Dan gets a contest entry from a spam bot...?
- (7:00) An overview of Inkwell Ideas.
- (11:46) Using outside products to help with game prep and those moments when the GM is caught flatfooted.
- (14:12) Hexographer for world mapping.
- (17:17) Cityographer for creating cities and automatically populating them with NPCs.
- (23:12) Cards and mapping dice to help run a game.
- (24:47) Creature decks for various systems and types of monsters.
- (25:45) Encounter decks for plot or sub-plot ideas.
- (30:42) An NPC deck for random characters.
- (31:54) A coat of arms designer.
- (33:23) The dungeon morph cards and dice.
- (38:15) Joe's gaming CV. The current Star Wars games by Fantasy Flight.
- (47:47) Everyone names their whales: the RPG products that cost more than we had any right to spend, but we own them, anyway. The Sultan gaming table. Keith's aliens and their physiology versus Dan's Sirini and their physiology.
- (58:44) The retail and distribution facets of Inkwell's products.
- (1:03:16) What Joe and Keith have coming up in the near future. You can find Keith's portfolio and commission information here. You can follow Inkwell Idea's blog here and find their Patreon here. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan Guests: Joe, Keith
- (0:39) Brodeur becomes a host.
- (1:07) Follow Fear the Boot on Twitter for Chris' upcoming giveaway of PC and XBOX 360 games.
- (3:10) Dan gets a bunch of Battletech dice that he'll be giving away soon.
- (4:04) D&D 5th edition and Dan's inability to name an episode right.
- (6:51) The highs, lows, and expectations of gaming. How that relates to the length of time someone has been in the hobby.
- (14:44) The idea of gaming versus the reality of gaming.
- (17:05) Taking gaming too seriously. The value of simpler, sillier games.
- (20:06) Con games and one-shots as a point of reference.
- (24:55) Interspersing higher and lower expectation games.
- (35:16) The relationship between game expectation, age, and the prefrontal cortex. Hosts: Brodeur, Chris, Dan
- (0:28) Please let us know if you're not receiving your Fear the Con 8 Kickstarter rewards. It appears they're getting blocked as spam.
- (2:23) Our experience at a D&D trivia night for Tim Meehan. You can still donate here. What it felt like being the middle child of the roleplaying hobby.
- (10:13) Getting started with D&D 5th edition.
- (14:52) Comparisons between Pathfinder and D&D 5th edition.
- (22:21) The table-side value of giving more XP to low level characters.
- (26:42) Differences between Adventure League and Pathfinder Society.
- (29:28) The position of Adventure League to leverage off of Pathfinder Society. The familiar versus the new.
- (33:28) The difference between min-maxing and an effective character. Stack Exchange for roleplaying games. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne
- (0:44) Being a fan for a second time.
- (2:24) What's missing in American politics.
- (4:26) The winners of the Battletech drawing. More giveaways are coming very soon, so keep up with Fear the Boot's Twitter feed. You can find Chris' Twitter feed here and Dan's here. * (5:34) The Baby Shoes flash fiction anthology.
- (6:01) The Kickstarter for Loaded Up and Truckin'.
- (6:41) Head-canon. What it is and why we have it. * (17:04) Handling contradictory head-canons within a gaming group. Hosts: Dan
- (0:32) Medieval torture chairs.
- (1:20) Battletech box set giveaway. All you need to do is follow us on Twitter and tweet #GenCon2015 along with the name of a 'Mech you like. Don't know the 'Mechs? Just tell us that, or you can find some here.
- (1:50) Additional giveaways at the whim of Chris.
Dark Souls: Prepare to Die (PC) Motocross Madness (XBOX) BattleBlock Theater (XBOX) Mark of the Ninja (XBOX) Dungeon Fighter LIVE: Fall Of Hendon Myre (XBOX) Orcs Must Die! (XBOX)
- (4:15) Designing a villain for an RPG. The importance of depth. How to make your players care about him/her/it.
- (9:34) The force of nature.
- (13:13) The unstoppable force.
- (17:14) The ends justify the means.
- (2037) The fallen hero.
- (21:45) The madman.
- (23:53) The selfish or greedy. Slick Rick's Children's Story.
- (26:46) Personal enemy.
- (28:41) Pure evil.
- (35:24) Differing moral priorities or perspectives.
- (37:19) Someone panicked.
- (38:56) The fanatic.
- (40:27) A relatable but selfish need.
- (42:20) The devotee. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Pat, Wayne
- (1:00) Battletech box set giveaway. All you need to do is follow us on Twitter and tweet #GenCon2015 along with the name of a 'Mech you like. Don't know the 'Mechs? Just tell us that, or you can find some here.
- (1:28) The D&D trivia night for Tim Meehan at the Fantasy Shop. The flyer with all of the details can be found here. The event will be held at the Fantasy Shop's new location. You can also donate online.
- (2:52) Pick up a copy of the Baby Shoes flash fiction anthology!
- (4:03) Getting started with Battletech. Catalyst has a portal page for new players, but I'll link the five things I think you need most below.
Setting primer. Eras of play. Quick-start rules for Battletech. Additional 'Mech sheets and counters. Quick-start rules for A Time of War (Mechwarrior RPG).
- (20:04) My preferred editions of Battletech and Mechwarrior.
- (21:51) The "Klans".
- (22:28) How I would have handled Battletech's history in the latter days of FASA. Hosts: Dan
- (1:02) Asheville Scarefest in Asheville, North Carolina on October 23 - 25. You can find them at their website or on Facebook.
- (1:44) Fear the Boot is now available on SoundCloud!
- (2:30) Battletech box set giveaway. All you need to do is follow us on Twitter and tweet #GenCon2015 along with the name of a 'Mech you like. Don't know the 'Mechs? Just tell us that, or you can find some here.
- (4:26) Some of the products I saw doing very well at Gen Con include...
Shadowrun 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Fantasy AGE and Titansgrave multiple products by Inkwell Ideas
- (7:23) A big thanks to Derek Knutsen from THE ESTABLiSHED FACTS and Tim Patrick from Critical Glitch for helping me get some con-exclusives.
- (9:14) My love-hate relationship with con-exclusives.
- (13:07) Identifying with a faction in a work of fiction.
- (21:51) An upcoming crossover with One Shot Podcast. Hosts: Dan
- (1:09) Comics and roleplaying games. Early Garfield and Garfield Minus Garfield.
- (14:10) Our dearth of comic book and superhero games.
- (26:50) Superhero games we've played recently.
- (42:15) Guilty pleasures. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
- (0:23) Why Brodeur is still on the show. The card game, Poop.
- (9:49) Dan versus his Dad.
- (13:43) Brodeur versus the city of Valley Park.
- (20:14) Chad versus the purse snatcher.
- (28:55) Dan versus his dogs.
- (32:13) Chad versus a car door.
- (35:29) Wayne’s Mom versus some off-brand non-SUV.
- (38:39) Drivers versus heart attacks.
- (40:34) Brodeur versus his parents.
- (52:38) Continuity in character backgrounds. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne