Gaming on the Frontier: Recent Episodes
Gaming on the Frontier Podcast Hosts
Gaming on the Frontier - Our podcast covers the gamut of roleplaying topics from how to handle time travel in your game, playing extreme characters, to topics that every GM ought to know.
This week we finally present the actual play of the space game we, your hosts created with savage worlds. Our GM is Jonathon. Trav, Bruce and a number of friends played characters. This is our session zero where the characters are introduced and any kinks are ironed out before we start the plot for serious.
This week we finish our discussion of how to navigate the treacherous waters of the Fey Realm. How to bargain and how to leave with your future intact.
This week we discuss Fae social structure, Fae needs, and Fay bargains and how to not get crippled.
This week we finally bring our meta discussion of how to create or choose the best game system for your game to a close.
This week we start our 4th and final section of the meta discussion of how to choose or create the best system for your game.
This week we finish our discussion of why and how to add a witch hunt to your campaign regardless of the genre
This week we define what is a witch hunt and how to add it as a dramatic element into your campaign
This week we finish part 3 of choosing or building the perfect game system for your game.
back again with more of how to create or choose the best system. You can always modify it if you know what you want.
This week we begin our survey of your hosts favorite villain races to test the players against.
This week we continue to lay out the issues a gm faces when choosing the best game system for their game or even creating a new one.
This week we continue to lay out the issues a gm faces when choosing the best game system for their game or even creating a new one.
This week we begin a long examination of the factors that go into choosing or creating a game system for your campaign.
This week we wrap up our discussion of the face and mind of evil (EVIL I SAY) and how it differs from what drives the Superhero
This week we discuss what drives a supervillian and what makes them different from a superhero
This week we try to suss out why superheroes are different from the person on the street. What goes through their minds? What makes them Different. Are they any different than supervillians?
this was a big topic so it took 3 weeks. Hope you are still with us as we discuss the best ways to add Kids and significant others to your gaming group.
We continue to discuss your best options when adding kids and significant others to your gaming group
This week we begin our investigation on how to best include kids and significant others as active parts of your gaming group. How does this change play?
So you want to make a new god? Old ones not good enough for you, punk? Well here's how to do it without looking like a newbie gm. Part 1
this week we finish our saga of keeping the opponents introduced early in the campaign still have some teeth later.
This week we continue to say "Don't you hate when your best bad guy gets completely outclassed by the PC's when he used to stomp all over them". We do too. Here are some tips to keeping your opponents relevant for longer.
Don't you hate when your best bad guy gets completely outclassed by the PC's when he used to stomp all over them. We do too. Here are some tips to keeping your opponents relevant for longer.
This week we finish our delve into how to control those characters that start of fine but grow to be so powerful that they seem to overwhelm any narrative and challenge you create.
This week we delve into how to control those characters that start of fine but grow to be so powerful that they seem to overwhelm any narrative and challenge you create.
This week we finish our design session of our new space rpg and get ready to alpha test it.
This week we finish up on the design of our new interplanetary space game and submit it to Jonathan for approval
Wow, what a mouthful. We wanted to re-iterate how essential a good index is in a module as well as the game manual. Following that we talk about what should be in each game supplement so the GM has what she needs to do her job.
Wow, what a mouthful. We wanted to re-iterate how essential a good index is in a module as well as the game manual. Following that we talk about what should be in each game supplement so the GM has what she needs to do her job.
This wee we examine how to add complexity, logic, and cohesion to your supernatural adventures.
This week we talk about enriching and adding complexity to your supernatural rpg adventures to add cohesion and provide adventure hooks for later.
This week we finish our discussion of what has to be in the game manual for it to be a success but we still have to cover Game Supplements as well so keep tuning in.
This week we begin to set in stone the most essential components that must be in a game manual for the rpg to be a success.
This week we return to showing what tactics work and don't in good storytelling and adventure design. Thinks to do and avoid. Thing 1 and Thing 2
here is a list of episode names and some links to make finding the episode you want easier
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=drive_link
This week we return to showing what tactics work and don't in good storytelling and adventure design. Thinks to do and avoid. Thing 1 and Thing 2
here is a list of episode names and some links to make finding the episode you want easier
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=drive_link
This week we concentrate on the nuances of your Human Like beast characters and how to integrate them well into your game play.
Want to play a character that is more animal than human? Want to do it right? Listen as we discuss what makes these characters real and fun to play
This week we finish Jonathan's update on the development of the Space Game for the other hosts to play. This week, there is lots of information about the ships, equipment, and what our characters can do.
here is a list of our episodes for easy searching
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=sharing
This week we return to the space game our host Jonathan is developing for our hosts to play. He tells us what game system and important information about the setting for our characters. Trav and I are very eager to play this.
Here is a list of our episodes for easy searching
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=sharing
This week we finish our discussion of the issues that come up during character generation and how to surpass them.
here is a list of our episodes for easy searching
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=sharing
This week we our new host Kerrie explores how you can take the blinders off during character generation and make the character you really want to play
here is a list of our episodes for easy searching
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uMLUq0UzDKo5HSoMT9Rx5DjfDFqhY4nm4yEEU42a5U/edit?usp=sharing
This week we conclude on the benefits to having a co-gm and how to make that successful.
here is a link to almost our entire list of published episodes
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12NdlOrxuVzy85UHOdvAu1LYo8NGG7qGq/view?usp=sharing
This week we learn of the trials and joys of having another person in the kitchen when you are cooking up a great adventure.
We've noticed that some have difficulty in finding prior episodes. So here is a list of most of the episodes that you can enter into the search bar at tritacsystems.podbean.com
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12NdlOrxuVzy85UHOdvAu1LYo8NGG7qGq/view?usp=sharing
This week we finish our discussion of the two along with some final notes about how and when to stop cheating and griefing.
This week we continue our discussion of how computer rpgs compare to Tabletop rpgs, comparing the best to the best.
This week we finish our discussion of re-using your own early adventures or published early adventures and the challenges of that process
This week we consider how to reuse early published adventures. How to improve them and make them your own.
This week we tackle visuals and game resolution in our ongoing series of CRPG compared to Tabletop RPGs
We had a earlier podcast called "Why video games make lousy RPGs" but a lot has happened in the industry since then. We talk about how the best in breed Computer RPG (CRPG) compares to the best Table Top RPG (TTRPG).
This week we finish our discussion of how your characters handle the time between adventures in such a way to broaden your understanding of your character and maybe get some advantage from it.
This week we begin to discuss how your characters handle the time between adventures in such a way to broaden your understanding of your character and maybe get some advantage from it.
This week we finish discussing what constitutes wealth in your campaign and what system is there to represent it and manage it. Might there be a better one for your genre? What should your characters have to pay for in your game?
This week we discuss what constitutes wealth in your campaign and what system is there to represent it and manage it. Might there be a better one for your genre? What should your characters have to pay for in your game?
Your fearless hosts have decided to start a original ttrpg space campaign with Trav and Bruce as players and Jonathon as the GM. Pt 2 of our discussion.
Your fearless hosts have decided to start a original ttrpg space campaign with Trav and Bruce as players and Jonathon as the GM. Listen as we has out what we want in the game. What jazzes us.
this week we finish our discussion of how to add real diversity instead of just adding more stereotypes.
This week we continue and finish our discussion of the reasons you might not want a normal life but the uncertain life of an adventurer
This week we examine all the reasons you might be an adventurer instead of a normal life that one might expect.
This week we finish our discussion of which systems are best depending on whether you want cinematic play vs simulation play.
This week we explore which games and systems are better for simulation and why. Then we examine Cinematic and see if they are better.
this week we talk about threats that will occur in the future that need to be resolved now or threats coming from the future to present that endanger our present.
This week we finish up our discussion about what we consider the best and worst of tabletop gaming and gaming in general.
This week we discuss how the introduction of Psychic powers to a society at different tech levels would affect the development of that society
Merry Christmas. This week we finish (actually we ran out of time) listing our choice for the very best item to give a character in a Genre.
Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed.
This week we ask what is the best present to give to a character in a game we love. Merry Christmas everyone
This week we are joined by past hosts and friends for our 700th podcast.
We continue giving our recommendations for best in breed for tabletop rpgs on topics like
What system has the fastest combat?
If your character had to succeed in a task, which system should you be using?
and many more.
This week we are joined by past hosts and friends for our 700th podcast.
We recount our gaming cred for our 30-40 years of experience each
Then we move on to recount what was our most successful campaign and why
This week we finish our discussion of how a school for metahumans or whatever race would differ from other 2ndary schools.
This week we begin to discuss how schools for the superhuman would be constructed, what would be the issues, and what would they offer to the students that home-schooling would lack
This week we review traditional ways of increasing tension in table top rpg play and what are some good ones. Maybe there are some new ways.
This week we discuss why players may be disinterested and how to mitigate to produce a superior game experience for everyone.
This week we finish our analysis of how these npc groups and help or hurt your PC's success.
This week we talk about all the power structures that affect your pc character and how to make sure they have a good effect if possible.
We finish our exploration of how to use colonies in really any kind of game: fantasy, space, alternate history
This week we continue our discussion of how to create colonies, their purpose, and why they differ.
Even more weird small towns and why they are weird for you to build your adventure around or to just make it far more fun than expected.
This week we explore how making a strange town as the backdrop of your adventure can drive the plot or make it really, really weird.
This week we finish our discussion of why making a difference between them can make your campaign and adventures better.
This week we discuss the differences between Magic and Psionics you can have in your campaign and why it matters.
We have a treat this week. Gabri Torn a game designer and gm in Italy roams his country and sets up gaming sessions every few days for lucky locals. He tells all of his successes and challenges of this chaotic lifestyle.
This week we finish our analysis of dreamworlds with how settings are used and represented in dreamworlds.
This week we finish musing about Dreamworlds and awaken to discover how much they can add to a campaign.
This week we puzzle over Dreamworlds. What are they? How do they differ from Virtual Reality. What are their purpose? Can you still get good pizza?
this week we finish our examination of what a moon-sized portal platform would be like and the factions that would eventually fight over it.
This week we talk about the original exploration platform the Fringeworthy Termehlerns made before the system became automated and standardized. The size of a moon with hundreds of portals.
This week we review our host Jonathan's ability to bring the Awesome to his family vacation and then review probably the final Secret of the Fringepaths.
This week we give you 16 fun encounters in the wilderness to spark interest without turning it into the main point of the campaign.
You know that pesky time when you are between the main action and your gm just makes it a slog? Let's make that better.
Bruce wasn't satisfied in how we did the earlier episode so we did it again, but with all new material (mostly)
This week we talk about how fetch quests can reinforce the main quest and so much more.
This week we examine one of the most common complications of rpg games, tabletop or otherwise. There is a right way to use fetch quests to enhance the game and the story.
This week we finish talking about what it takes to survive but there will be another set next month.
This week we uncover who the Trickster Gods are and why you should bedevil your players with them.
This week your favorite group, previously called the Tri Tac Brain Trust, continues to weigh in on what the next edition of FTL 2448 should be like. FTL 2448 was Tri Tac's premiere Space RPG and has had 3 editions but its been 30 years so it needs some love to earn a place in the modern rpg sphere.
This is not official in any way. Just our best ideas of how to improve on an already great but outdated game.
This week your favorite group, previously called the Tri Tac Brain Trust, weighs in on what the next edition of FTL 2448 should be like. FTL 2448 was Tri Tac's premiere Space RPG and has had 3 editions but its been 30 years so it needs some love to earn a place in the modern rpg sphere.
This is not official in any way. Just our best ideas of how to improve on an already great but outdated game.
This week we continue or review of Everyday Heroes RPG. Bruce has a few suggestions regarding armor.
This week we review the successor to D20 Modern. See how well it handles street level heroics, and if it can build our favorite characters.
This week we finish our review with the editor of Ecryme RPG, a fantastic French RPG that is going through kickstarter soon.
Haven't gotten enough French, Steampunk, fight against the MAN rpgs set in the far future? This port of a French RPG is well worth your time to check out. Coming to Kickstarter in 2023.
This week we finish examining the temper of the various so called "universal systems" to see if they can indeed hold their edge.
This week we cut the Gordian knot to find out if there is a solution to having a universal system to rule them all
The passing of JM Thompson is a loss to gaming for all. Please take time to listen to Trav's remembrances of this great man.
This week we reveal all we had hidden about putting mystery in your games. Did you figure it out?
This week we encourage you to add mystery and mysteries to your game to enhance the mood and the story.
This week we start our tag team match of helping you run a bunch of superheroes that don't get their own movies.
Merry Christmas. Please accept this gift from all the hosts at Gaming on the Frontier Podcast and many more.
this week we discuss adventuring in the BioShock Columbia world and how Fringeworthy might fit into it.
This week we finish discussing how to convert bioshock from a video game to a full fledged rpg and maybe add Fringeworthy to it.
This week we start discussing how bioshock can be used as a rpg campaign of its own or as a setting or resource for Fringeworthy
This week we finish discussing how various features in a game system can be used to simulate horror by debuffing PC's in an adventure.
This week we finish our discussion of bringing the atmosphere and tropes of slasher movies, especially supernatural slasher movies, into your campaign.
this week we talk about supernatural slasher movies and how to bring that style into your adventures.
This week Jonathan and Bruce follow Trav in telling what originally attracted us to Tri Tac Games; which games; and do they still jazz us?
This week we do another Iron GM episode where in 20 minutes we make an adventure out of random story seeds for your listening pleasure and as a start to an adventure for you to use.
Also we delve into what drew us to Tri Tac games in the first place and if they still have the same attraction
This week we talk about how changes between editions of many game systems have enraged the players and what if any improvements they have made to the game play or marketing the game.
This week Jonathan tells us the trials, tribulations, and victory of using the Cortex system to run Bureau 13
this week we finish our discussion of the myriad of dangerously amateur supernatural sleuths in any world where the supernatural is hunted covertly.
This week we wonder about who might also be stalking the night fantastic, besides the official foreign supernatural agencies.
This week we finish our intro to adding magic to existing tech or better yet designing magic into the development of tech from the beginning.
We've talked about putting tech in your magic but now we talk about how to add magic to your existing tech or devise a history of technology where magic is incorporated from the beginning.
This week we start to explore what it really is, its intent and what limits have been placed on it
This week we start to explore what it really is, its intent and what limits have been placed on it
this week we finish examining if playing FW or Hardwired Hinterland as virtual worlds would make more sense.
There is a lot of weirdness about the these two properties. Would they be better as virtual worlds than real ones?
This week we offer tactics to both encourage players to attend regularly and how to prevent abuse of those characters while the player is away.
This week we begin our probe of how to handle player absence, temporary or permanent. What it means to the game and what is a fair way to treat both the character and the player.
Lots of us have very fond memories of the duo of Jak and Daxter video games. Now we help you play then in a tabletop rpg.
Lots of us have very fond memories of the duo of Jak and Daxter video games. Now we help you play then in a tabletop rpg.
We already covered how the bureau would be part of a post apocalyptic earth alternate world in general, but we realized that the regional teams and their bases would be a major factor. We wanted to give them their fair space.
We already covered how the bureau would be part of a post apocalyptic earth alternate world in general, but we realized that the regional teams and their bases would be a major factor. We wanted to give them their fair space.
We could have gone on for hours with new cool stuff to put in it but we stopped with 2 episodes. We also added larger items that are nice to drop off in the village to make life better.
We went over the venerable amuse a savage kit and made some suggestions from the new millenium.
This week we discuss how Bureau 13 or other supernatural investigatory agencies would operate after a holocaust
this week we finish our investigation of how to pitch a new campaign to your group without ticking off the gm
This week we talk about how to pitch a campaign to your players and the pitfalls therein
This week we are joined by Perky Goth to discuss the ins and outs of campaign creation of her Mazeworld property
This week we finish our exploration of how to deal with the discovery of a competing organization or a people who will be real competition (maybe deadly competion) in the future.
Great for all your adventuring rpgs. What happens when you meet a group that will be real competition for your future endeavors?
This week we finish our discussion of how angels and demons and mortals interact in modern supernatural games like Bureau 13.
This week we finish showing how tech from FW would help the Mass Effect races and how to bring it all together
This week we begin our exploration of how and why adding fringworthy to your mass effect game would be awesome.
This week your hosts compete in another IRON GM competition to create an adventure in 20 mins based on random items from the internet.
This week we finish our discussion of what it means to go rogue and how it can be good for a campaign.
This week we talk about breaking with tradition or the flow of the campaign and striking out in an entirely different direction. Maybe even as a solo.
This week we finish our discussion of how to implement EMT Teams in your campaign and run an entire campaign where those teams are the focus.
This week we talk about an alternate campaign where you aren't killing monsters but actively helping people.
This week we discuss how a super high tech Theme Park can go terribly wrong after 1000 years of neglect
Sorry I forgot to post the second half of the 600th episode last week. My brain was still on xmas holiday I guess.
This week we finish reviewing 13 years of podcasting and what we thought were our best episodes.
This week we celebrate our 600th episode and what episodes each host thought brought the awesome to our listeners.
This week we finish our Christmas episode and move to our topic of Supernatural using electronic or powered devices.
This week we celebrate our 2021 Christmas episode with lots of ideas of gifts low and high priced for yourself and your gaming family
This week we finish our interview with Jonathan Thompson, the lead designer for Savage Worlds Robotech
This week we begin our interview with lead developer JM Thompson for the Savage Worlds Robotech game.
This week we finish our attempt at giving players and gms reasons and tactics to use all the unique equipment in the game instead of either ignoring those resources or everyone using the exact same loadout.
This week we begin our attempt at giving players and gms reasons and tactics to use all the unique equipment in the game instead of either ignoring those resources or everyone using the exact same loadout.
This week we review a recently finished Kickstarter of a game similar to Bureau 13 but designed for quick and casual play.
this week we finish our discussion of Pagan characters. There is a lot to unpack so please comment in our face book group "Fans of the Gaming on the Frontier Podcast" or comment on our podbean site (tritacsystems.podbean.com
This week we discuss the challenges of playing a pagan character in a rpg and what examples exist to guide us.
This week we revisit that grand mcguffin that is used to humble and enlighten player characters: The Trap.
This week we finish giving you the secret handshake so you can be the best B13 agents there are.
this week we finish our discussion of wacky adventures and how to create them by giving lots of examples.
What's a wacky adventure? Why do we want them? How can we take a normal adventure and add the wackiness?
There is a right and wrong way to get what you want in a RPG. the best way is to come to a meeting if minds with your GM so she knows that giving you what you want is good for her. Lets talk about how to do that.
This week we finish our investigation of Kitchen Witches concentrating on who is hunting them and why.
This week we continue our investigation of Kitchen Witches and how they fit in the supernatural landscape
This week we talk about adding forgotten gods to your campaign. Where have they been? What is their motivation? How can the players deal with them?
This week we continue our discussion of how we challenged ourselves during covid by doing new and exciting things in our campaign and wrap it up by talking about what we as GM still need to develop.
This week we explore how, during the covid crisis, we pushed ourselves to try new ideas in our gaming campaigns.
This wee we finish our exploration of how changing the origin of IDET would change the campaign
This week we discuss how Fringeworthy would be if your campaign didn't start from Earth Prime.
We finish our discussion of how to implement the threat of the Green Goo in your campaign
This week we start or discussion of a little known but potentially campaign changing menace: The Green Goo.
This week we finish our discussion of how the immortal, shapeshifting mellor (old or infected) would shape world history, government, philosophy, and religion, both in the past and into the future.
This week we talk about if there were Mellor on Earth Prime and if there were, how would they be working to destroy us.
This week we finish answering the decades old question of what would you find in a superscience amusement part.
This week we answer the decades old question of what would you find in a superscience amusement part.
This week we review all the established aliens that you might find in the Bureau 13 game but of course you can make up more.
This week we finish our discussion (for now) of new powers to add to your Fringeworthy campaign.
This week we continue to discuss what new powers we'd like to add to the legendary fringworthy crystals.
this week we begin to discuss what changes we would like to make in the Crystal Use key powers or portal settings.
This week we begin our review of the new edition of HardWiredHinterland from Tri Tac Games.
This week we discuss how a modern supernatural policing force would be able to handle an invasion of mindflayers.
This week we finish our discussion of what goes into the best space games and why they add excellence to your game.
Some monsters get all the attention and remakes, but there are lots of supernatural creatures that have their own horrific charm and should get a chance to strut their stuff. This week we promote our favorite "unsung" monsters.
Some monsters get all the attention and remakes, but there are lots of supernatural creatures that have their own horrific charm and should get a chance to strut their stuff. This week we promote our favorite "unsung" monsters.
We are back with more ways to make the best space game whether on the tabletop, console, or whatever.
this week we beat the clock and make 3 new Fringeworthy or your favorite Interdimensional game adventures.
We continue this series with a new episode about how alien love begins and the pitfalls along the way.
We continue to examine all the options for space games and what they bring to your enjoyment of the genre.
this week we begin the daunting task of bringing together all the options for a space game so you can pick what you want your perfect space game.
this week we talk more about what we did online from going to conventions to fighting the siren call of Humble Bundle.
this week we recount how we as gamers have dealt with the pandemic and how it's affected our gaming.
This week we finish answering the question of "Could Bureau 13 be run during the revolutionary war in America?
This week we answer the question of "Could Bureau 13 be run during the revolutionary war in America?
Where is the primary Fringeworthy training base? What is near it? How do you get there? How do they handle security and all the strange races that are part of the new commonwealth?
Where is the primary Fringeworthy training base? What is near it? How do you get there? How do they handle security and all the strange races that are part of the new commonwealth?
This week we introduce our vision of what investigating the supernatural in the 1920's would be like. Spiritualism, tribalism, cryptids, even Cthulhu.
This episode marks the beginning of a whole new season of the Gaming on the Frontier Podcast. We re-introduce ourselves as hosts and give you a little history of the podcast. But don't worry because next week we continue with an actual topic: Supernatural investigations in the 1920's.
We've continue to talk about dirty tricks and total destruction on the fringepaths. This is how to fight for the platforms and maybe win
We've talked about the Termehlern/Mellor war, but this is how to fight for the platforms and maybe win
When the Ardana Nu and the other ships finally find their way home, what kind of reception will they receive?
When the Ardana Nu and the other ships finally find their way home, what kind of reception will they receive?
This week we uncover a competing supernatural agency to Bureau 13. This shared worldspace can provide lots of adventure seeds and artifacts to your B13 campaign. Join us as we tell Secure, Control, and Protect.
This week we review all of the incursion versions from Tri Tac and give our perspective on how they fit together and what versions you might want to play.
The Fringeworthy try to finally rid Forgotten Realms of the Coptic threat. Can they do it?
Interdimensional war on Faerum (Forgotten Realms). How do they do it? How does the science and magic mix?
This week we have 3 different topics (this week we talk about #2 second half and #3):
Classes vs Archetypes
What are feats all about
You know your game is in trouble when ...
This week we have 3 different topics (although we only get to the first 2 and not completely):
Classes vs Archetypes
What are feats all about
You know your game is in trouble when ...
This week we finish creating our ultimate supernatural hidey-hole or fortress depending on your play style and mission assignments.
This week we begin to investigate how to build an effective base to support B13 missions for fall back to after the mission is done.
We finish our fascinating discussion of Geek Therapy and how we can all benefit from it.
This week we start discussing with Paul Gross, a practicing therapist, who is getting his certification in Geek Therapy - using pop culture materials to enhance treatment and build connections between patient and therapist.
This week we finish our discussion of adding robots to your favorite game
This has been a 3 week discussion. I thought about breaking it up into 2 and then finishing after the next topic. If you would like that better, please give us feedback at TriTACSYTEMS@podbean.com or Fans of The Gaming on the Frontier podcast facebook page.
This week we continue to discuss how to effectively add robots to your rpgs regardless of the genre
This week we finish our discussion (for now) of how to stop a high tech alien force from taking over a world that uses magic.
This week we begin exploring how to stop a powerful imperialistic Fringe civilization from taking over the Pathways. In this case using the D&D magic world, Faerun.
This week we finish our discussion of whether the Fringeworthy Termehlern/Mellor war is really over or if Earth Prime is just in a remote area from it.
This week we discuss whether the Fringeworthy Termehlern/Mellor war is really over or if Earth Prime is just in a remote area from it.
This applies to a lot of games where there was a long lost war or apocalypse and everyone is still recovering from it. Doe the specter of those terrible powers still hang over the heads of civilization? Or are the Mellor just boogey-men to scare offspring into good behavior?
This week we concentrate on what Fringeworthy has to offer Bureau 13
We've talked before about trading between the high tech Fringeworthy and another world but this is an opportunity to add to the Bureau 13 lore and also talk about trading Tech for Magic. Both Fringeworthy and Bureau 13 world are high tech but in different ways. That's what's makes the deal so interesting.
This week we talk about what Bureau 13 has to share with Fringeworthy and vise verse.
We've talked before about trading between the high tech Fringeworthy and another world but this is an opportunity to add to the Bureau 13 lore and also talk about trading Tech for Magic. Both Fringeworthy and Bureau 13 world are high tech but in different ways. That's what's makes the deal so interesting.
This week we finish our debased sortie into playing evil characters
Intro by Voltaire - The Devil's Bris - When you're evil by kind permission
Please check him out at https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-devils-bris
This week we debase ourselves with the question of Can you really play an evil character or run an evil game?
Intro is by Voltaire - The Devil's Bris - 11 - When You're Evil by kind permission.
please check him out at https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-devils-bris
This wee we finish our discussion of how to enhance your pc by following his or her passion in game.
This week we discuss your pc's favorite things to do when not directly following the main quest line.
This week we finish our review of Tri Tac Games product Rogue 417, a campaign setting in a biological post apocalyptic world that is chillingly on point for the Covid 19 disaster even though it was first published in the 1980's
If you are listening to these episodes out of order, right before the credits there is a Travcast bonus of how to game in a biological holocaust and still survive.
This week we review an early product by Tri Tac Games that is especially relevant as we try to survive Covid-19.
Wait til the end to hear a bonus Travcast Rant on how gamers need to protect themselves and still game.
This week we finish our exploration of making yourself a better person with the finest of hardware, software, and biology.
This week we explore how you can enhance your game with improved versions of humans and the issues they bring.
This week we finish our discussion of how to research real world topics for accuracy, depth, and npc awesomeness.
This week we start our discussion of how to find out the skinny on real world topics to add realism and depth to your adventures.
this week we finish our 2nd set of Cults and Secret societies that you can add to any modern campaign
This week we finish our 500th episode as we continue to answer questions we asked about Fringeworthy in 1998
This week we celebrate over 10 years of podcasting and our 500th episode. We look back to some of the questions we had about Fringeworthy in 1998 and see if we ever answered them.
This week we finish our discussion of creating omega level threats to use against our global enemies.
This week we finish our Holiday episode. We hope everyone had a blessed Christmas or other holiday. Best wishes for the new Year.
This week we begin our holiday episodes where we give our pick of the best in RPG products.
This week we finish our mapping of the fall and possible recovery of the Fringeworthy Old Commonwealth.
Finally the episodes you've been waiting 10 years for: What happened during the Mellor War? This is not sanctioned by Tri Tac Games but is your hosts best understanding and analysis of what happened based on years of play and our long association with Fringeworthy creator, Richard Tucholka.
This week we finish our re-examination of how the children of Fringeworthy or Fringeworthy that are children would be treated by their respective worlds and now they would be trained (exploited?) for the benefit of all.
This week we begin our followup episode of how child Fringeworthy and children of adult Fringeworthy get raised and trained to be explorers. This is a followup to an episode we did way back at the beginning of the run of the podcast. We've learned so much since then.
This week we finish making the African Socialist Alliance an important part of the middle and late Fringeworthy campaigns
This wee we start or discussion of the redemption of Fringeworthy's second favorite bad guys, the African Socialist Alliance. At least in the eyes of the world (Earth Prime).
We finish our suggestions for the next edition of Bureau 13.
If you have any to add, please post them to our facebook group: Bureau 13 Agents Everywhere.
Welcome to SEASON 11 !!!!!!!
We continue our 3 part discussion on how Bureau 13 needs to change for modern gamers.
This week we begin our discussion of what should be in Bureau 13 for the next edition to bring it into the new millennium and beyond.
This week we begin to explore what having uplifted animals would really be like. How it would happen. How it would change us.
This week we finish our discussion of a campaign concept for Fringeworthy where instead of being explorers, the player characters are racers that in a race that can span the known worlds of the Fringepaths.
This week we continue our discussion of a campaign concept for Fringeworthy where instead of being explorers, the player characters are racers that in a race that can span the known worlds of the Fringepaths.
This week we begin our discussion of a campaign concept for Fringeworthy where instead of being explorers, the player characters are racers in a race that can span the known worlds of the Fringepaths.
This week we finish our discussion of where dimensional travellers would end up on the world of Eberron and when to do it in the world's history.
This week we start our discussion of how to add Fringeworthy to the D&D property Eberron. You too can add your modern characters to a steampunk d&d setting.
This week we finish our second part of the Player and GM tips and tricks for superior play. Hopefully 10 million gamers haven't beaten us to the punch on Reddit. :)
This week we continue our tips and tricks for superior play. Listen to these before you GM rule zero's them.
This week we continue or series on Playing Fringeworthy in someone else's Intellectual Property by adding FW to Forgotten Realms.
This week we finish our discussion of how to present and execute a horror game. How to deal with triggered players and avoid the situation, not the players, if possible.
This week we begin an adult discussion of how to run a horror game, not an action horror like Aliens, but visceral, personal horror. We will touch on trigger topics for lots of people so be warned and avoid if you think wise.
This week we finish our discussion of what is Epic Level Gaming and how it differs from regular gaming and why that is AWESOME.
This week we begin our discussion of what makes Epic Level play. How does it differ from regular play and why that is awesome.
This week we begin our discussion of what goes into the design of a ship. What role a ship should take in the game? How important is it to the game?
This week we continue with parts 2 and 3 of the second session of Fallout pen and paper.
This is the 3rd and final episode of our second session of the tabletop version of Fallout the video game.
This week we start our second session of playing Fallout PNP or Fallout tabletop rpg. There's just 2 sessions so enjoy
Sorry about the delay, I got a bad cold and was under the weather. Our next episode will drop at our normal time of Sunday.
This week we finish the first session of Fallout paper and pencil (PNP) for Fallout tabletop rpg.
This week we begin our actual play session of Fallout the pen and paper version of the computer game. Join Trav, Dana, and Ken as they trek across the wasteland, trying to survive.
This week we finish talking about the different kinds of games where you have to pick up the pieces.
next week we have actual Fallout paper and pencil play.
This week we begin to discuss what kind of post apocalyptic games there are and what makes a good one.
This week we continue to talk about how you can implement superscience is your game and what effects it will have.
Wow, I didn't know that it would take 3 separate sessions to record this topic but we are on the home stretch. This topic is so important for Science fiction as it is so easy to just treat it as a Mcguffin and miss the wide reaching effects of super high tech on all parts of a society.
This week we finish our discussion of how to convert your existing campaign or game to a whole new system.
This week we begin discussing how to change your game from one game mechanic to another. Sometimes it is as simple as adding a foreign mechanic or chart to your existing game. Other times everything has to change (say D&D to Fate). It isn't as simple as "just recreate your character using the new system's rules as there may be equipment, setting, and lore that relied on the previous system to resolve.
This week we conclude our second part of Superscience: Tech with unbelievable precision.
Adding superscience to your game can really punch it up. This level of god tech can change the entire game. This week we begin to discuss
Instrumentality with precision beyond understanding. Or "Can you really do that?"
This week we finish, for now, our discussion of what you need to do to include time travel in your adventures.
This week we start exploring what it takes to create a time travel Adventure and the weird twists and turns that can come from them.
This week we continue to discuss what is superscience and how to recognize it so you can put it in your campaigns.
This week we begin our discussion of what superscience really looks like and what it would mean to your campaign.
This week we start our discussion of adding "real life" monsters to your campaign based on urban myths, folklore, and real science.
just to prove we deserve our gaming cred, we celebrate the holiday season by creating two adventures out of random stuff and Christmas provided by our absent former gm, John Reiher. Sorry for the short episode, but we asked a lot of former hosts to participate but everyone was busy with family.
This week we finish our discussion of why Video Games make such bad rpgs and how to improve them.
This week we ask the question: Why do video games that propose to be rpgs do such a bad job at it?
This week we send you out to make better, more interesting characters by breaking stereotypes when appropriate but also keep the stereotypes because there is a reason they exist
This week we challenge you to give up your preconceived ideas of what a race or profession must be in a roleplaying game.
This week we continue or discussion of Real World cults and what they can bring to your adventure.
I think we finally got the bugs ironed out just in time for our 10th season opener.
This week we discuss real world cults past and present and how they can be used for your gaming.
This week we finish our exploration of invading the world of Dragonlance with characters from another game.
Hey, we are back. Sorry about the dead air.
This week we return to Adventuring in someone else's intellectual property with an exploration of Dragonlance, the AD&D property.
We conclude our series on playing Fringeworthy in Mario World! We talk about what Earth Prime can get from the denizens of the Mushroom kingdom and other lands of Mario World, as well as the possibility of an all Mario World Fringeworthy team! It's Ridonkculous!
Next time on the Tri Tac Podcast: Running a Fringeworthy campaign centered around the Fringeborn. Yes, Fringe Kids!
We continue with our series on Fringeworthy on Mario World. We recount Mario's origins, talk about Power Ups, and really get into it about Mario Kart Racing. We finish off with a stab at the cosmology of the Mario Universe!
This week, we start a new series of Fringeworthy in a video game universe!
This time, it's the 800lb... Plumber! That's right, itsa Mario!
We delve into the world of Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom, and what to expect when you arrive in Bowsers Castle...
We conclude our series on Fringeworthy in the World of Greyhawk. We discuss what UNIDA and TÆSS would find useful on this magic rich world. And we find out that Bruce doesn't like the Drow. The Drow LOLth in his general direction...
As promised, here is the link to the online interactive map to Greyhawk.
Next time on the Tri Tac Games Podcast, we are in need of a plumber... and mushrooms?
We continue our discussion of Fringeworthy in the World of Greyhawk. We continue our discussion of the races and cultures of Greyhawk, talk about it's connection to other planes of existence, and finish off with what the Fringeworthy can find to do in Greyhawk. And no Drow. Not a bit. Nope.
Welcome to the World of Greyhawk! You and your fellow teammembers are about to embark on an expedition to world of magic and danger! This is the first of three worlds of Dungeons & Dragons™️!
We conclude our series on the Cosmology of Skyrim with a discussion of various gods and their realms.
We continue our discussion of playing Fringeworthy in Skyrim. We delve into the aspects of the Gods of Skyrim and what it would be like to visit their planes of existence.
We return to the world and worlds of Skyrim with Professor Pixie and her able assistant Trav. We delve into the setting's mythos and all those planets you think you see are actually infinite planes that are really gods! Take a shot of something strong and prepare yourself for our foray into a video game mythology!
We finish our show on Bruce's idea for a game set in the 1980's, California Beachhead! Old fogey warning, we still talk about stuff from our youthhood.
We continue Bruce's game pitch for his idea California Beachhead. We pick back up where we left off, talking about the Kahunas and their gnarly powers! Old Fogey alert, we talk about the 1980's about how things were when we was young'ns!
Kowabunga dudes and dudettes! We pitch a game idea straight out of the 1980's! The Californian beach culture of the 80's versus the Martians! Get your Scooby Gang together and find you a ripped Kahuna to lead you, as we hang ten on this epic episode!
We conclude our series on playing Fringeworthy in the world of the Minecraft video game. We talk about how you would deal with the ramifications of another Multiverse network, something that is part of the Minecraft game. Thanks for sticking with this series and just remember, in Minecraft, there's a mod for that! (Possible drinking game, everytime John mentions that.)
We continue with our discussion about playing Fringeworthy in the world of Minecraft. We start out with a discussion of Magic in Minecraft, and end up talking about languages. Erm?
In our continuing series of Fringeworthy in other game worlds, we all become blockheads... Well, Minecraftians. What happens when your team of explorers discover a world where everything is made up of 1 cubic meter blocks? Where the physics are down right strange? When it's really dangerous not have a fire at night? Find out!
We finish our series of Fringeworthy in the world of Skyrim. We conclude with working out how big the world is vs. the video game world and we work out what can be imported from Skyrim to the other Fringe cultures.
We continue our exploration of Skyrim and how to integrate it into your Fringeworthy campaign. It's cold up in Saarthal, so bundle up.
This week, we start our series about the world of Skyrim and what your UNIDA team of Fringeworthy explorers can expect if they discover this world. We cover the basics of the world and where in Skyrim your team would appear.
As mentioned in this episode, here's a link to a map of the World of Nirn.
This week we finish our design sessions of the Best New Magic System. Thanks to the hosts for going on this journey with me. Thanks for all the suggestions by fans.
We thought we were done but we had one more session of questions to cover. Here is part 1.
This week we conclude our series on Xenoarchaeology in FTL:2448. We start with the Great Machines and the Not So Great Machines, various cultures and worlds, and end with Big Dumb Objects.
You can download the Xenoarchaeology PDF here. Links to other sites will be forthcoming.
We continue our examination of Xenoarchaeology in the game FTL:2448. We talk about what you need to gather before you go on your mission, the types of ships that you'll encounter, and what to expect when you do your dig. Break out the camel hair brushes and trowels, as we dust off our finds for this episode!
Download the Xenoarchaeology Outline PDF here.
In this episode, we start our three part series on Xenoarchaeology in FTL:2448 universe. We cover the types of people who go out into the galaxy and go looking for alien relics and hopefully not get killed by them.
Download the Xenoarchaeology Outline PDF here.
This week we finish our investigation of the world of woe that befalls the long lived (immortals) as well as the privations of time travel.
This episode, we talk about what happens when Santa Claus makes an unexpected left hand turn and ends up in the skys of the Hardwired Hinterland! What does the jolly old elf do when he is literally in another universe? And what do the denizens of the Hardwired Hinterland do when presents "From Santa" start appearing?
Tune in for another fun episode of the Tri Tac Games Podcast as we do our Christmas episode!
New: Tri Tac Games Discord Server
This week we finish up with the immortals and move on to time travellers and their issues.
This week we look at the pluses and minues of being a long lived or immortal character. We will also consider the life of the time traveller since they have many issues in common with immortal characters.
This week we fnish our investigation of how Bureau 13 would deal with the second world addition to the B13 universe.
So the question is "What does the Bureau make of the second world?" how does it respond and what is it willing to tolerate?
This week we finish our investigation of how to keep the supernatural secret in Bureau 13.
Ever wonder how to keep a secret - secret? This week we discuss the many methods for hiding the supernatural and thwarting villans but not letting butter melt in our mouths.
Join us as we talk to Melody Natcher, head of Tri Tac Games about the futureof Tri Tac as well as reminisce about the history of the podcast itself. Joined by Mark Kinney of All Games Considered and former host Peter Bryant, now of the MythWits.
This week we finish our discussion of how it would be to discover the world of the Animorphs. Be sure to listen next weed for our 400th episode.
This week we begin our discussion of what awaits the Fringeworthy when they find a portal to the world of the Animorphs.
This week we finish our second pass at the Second world sourcebook that has been added to Bureau 13 canon.
This week we begin our discuassion of who or what in the Bureau 13 world knows of the second world and how that affects play.
This week we continue to create the best magic system. We discuss artifacts and what they do in the game.
This week we finish our exploration of what it would be for a fringeworthy team to arrive in the events of the Supernatural TV series.
This week we begin our exploration of IDET visiting the earth of the Supernatural TV show.
This week we move on to Artifacts and how the are used and appear the perfect magic system we are designing.
This week we finish our exploration of what it would be like to be a fringeworthy team in the Final Fantasy world.
This week we continue our exploration of what it would be like to be a Fringworthy team, entering the final fantasy world.
This week we begin our exploration if what it would be like to be a Fringeworthy explorer in the Final Fantasy universe.
There have been a number of memorial shows about the passing of Richard Tucholka of Tri Tac Games. We, who worked closest with him for a lifetime decided to talk about how creative, revolutionary, and visionary Richard was in his life and career as our memorial to him.
When we released the D20 Modern edition of Bureau 13, we included a number of NPC's from the Second World Sourcebook which was OGL. Now we'll tell you how to use the entire OGL portion of the supplement in your Fringeworthy campaign.
When we released the D20 Modern edition of Bureau 13, we included a number of NPC's from the Second World Sourcebook which was OGL. Now we'll tell you how to use the entire OGL portion of the supplement in your Bureau 13 campaign.
When we released the D20 Modern edition of Bureau 13, we included a number of NPC's from the Second World Sourcebook which was OGL. Now we'll tell you how to use the entire OGL portion of the supplement in your Bureau 13 campaign.
We continue to create the perfect magic system. We ask the question "How do you acquire magic spells and cast them?". Listen in as we find out!
We continue our quest to create the perfect magic system. The question before us is, "Where do spells come from?", and we do our best answer that.
This week we finish our exploration of what kind of trouble the Fringeworthy can get into as they step through the portals into the world of Harry Potter.
This week we continue to discuss what happens when the Fringe explorers first step into the Potterverse.
Sorry about the delay. Apparently I thought there were other episodes scheduled before these and nobody told me we had dead air.
Anyways. Welcome to the potterverse you fringeworthy explorers.
This week we continue part 2 of our second development session of the new magic system.
This week we finish our just beginning discussion of how to incorporate Fringeworthy into Crash Bandicoot's crazy fantasy, high magic tech world.
This week we begin to talk about adding another great world to your Fringeworthy adventures and how to incorporate Spyro the Dragon into your game.
This week we continue with our questions that we are using the design the best magic system. We talk about other methods and the Mechanic, the person who uses magic items, but has no magical ability of their own.
This week we begin a new project: Create the perfect magic system for a rpg. We first explore how magic is done and the ramifications of the method to cast magic.
This week we finish making our alliance with Gengis Kahn of this alternate. Then it's back to Pokemon world and exploring the jungle again.
This week we continue exploring strang new worlds, leaving the pokemon world behind for now.
This week we start our second actual play session of fringeworthy on the pokemon world. Our pokemon citizens have discovered a strange 25 foot ring and someone riding an enormous wolf creature coming out of it.
This week we finish our discussion of How to use the Paizo Pathfinder property of Golarion in the Fringeworthy Universe.
This week we continue our discussion of how to play in the Pathfinder world of Golarion in the Fringeworthy game. We cover more of the species you might encounter and why UNIDA would want to contact the worl of Golarion.
This week we begin our discusion of how the Paizo Pathfinder property of Golarian fits into the Fringeworthy universe. Trav leads the discussion, as he is our resident Pathfinder expert.
This week we conclude our preliminary campaign discussion of B13 Prime Santa moving out into the multi-verse. When he visits British Empire Prime he is abducted by the Mad Monk himself. Can the Fringeworthy rescue him? What sort of problems will get in the way? And what about a certain consultuing detective? Adventure awaits!
Have a very Merry Christmas!
This week we begin a B13 adventure campaign where Santa of B13 Prime decides to spread his cheer to other alternate earths in the Multi-Verse. And who are you gonna call? Fringeworthy! Your team becomes Santa's Little Helpers!
What could go wrong?
St. Nicholas ©2016 Ben Hatke
This week we finish our discussion of heroic play with an emphasis on how heroic oriented organizations in rpgs can drive heroic play. A little shorter but that's how it worked out in the segments.
This week we continue our discussion about Heroic Play and how rpg systems can encourage heroic play.
This week we start our discussion of what is heroic play and why isn't there more of it in rpg games.
This week we finish our exploration of how to play Fringeworthy in the Legend of Zelda game world and how it would affect that world.
This week we continue to explore how to play Fringeworthy in the video game world of Legend of Zelda
This week we begin our discovery of how to play Fringeworthy in the Legend of Zelda game world.
SaveSave
This week we start our 8th Season and finish our exploration of colonization on the Fringepath.
This week we start our exploration of the various types, means, and reasons for colonization of the Fringepaths.
This week we conclude our investigation of how ancient and thought dead gods operate in the modern world of Bureau 13.
If you are going to Con on the Cob in Akron, Nov 10th be sure to get into the Pokemon World game run by Trav and Pixie.
This week we investigate how gods thought to be false or long dead operate in the Bureau 13 game.
This week we begin our exploration of whether the Star Trek Prime Directive would work in Fringeworthy. What would it take to make it work? What are the challenges?
If you've ever wondered if you could explore the robotech universe, this is the episode for you.
This week we finish our discussion of what kinds of spaceships excite us and how they are used in campaigns.
This week we start our discussion of what spaceships we think are cool and what makes sense for certain kinds of space campaigns.
This week we finish our discussion of bureau 13 agents stalking the night fantastic under the ocean or up the creek.
This week we continue to talk about our X-team, Team Nemo, and other topic of underwater exploration and supernatural policing.
We continue our bureau 13 underwater adventures by examining the tech necessary to have these kind of adventures long term.
This week we finish our second AP session and drag our abused bodies back to camp to plan on what to do about that portal.
This week we return to our Fringeworthy Actual Play that took place in the Pokeon world. We square off against an evolved pokemon and find something shimmering nearby.
This week we continue our discussion of adventuring underwater. After this we will take a short break and then come back with more to finish this topic.
This week we start our investigation of how to run adventures that take place underwater. What kind of threats are there? Where do they take place? Does b13 have a right to intervene?
This week we continue our actual play in the Pokemon world with an encounter with a Fringeworthy Warp.
This week we start an actual play recording of characters from the Pokemon world encountering the Fringeworthy on their world.
This week we finish our basic discussion of the game concepts in Tri Tac's space game FTL 2448
This week we regret the passing of a good friend, Terry Williams of Detroit.
We begin our discussion of the Tri Tac Games RPG FTL 2448
This week we finish our discussion of Bureau 13 policing more than the US and taking it to the stars!
This week we continue our discussion of how Bureau 13 fights back against alien threats.
Bureau 13 is usually played in the continental US., but supernatural threats come from any direction including up. This week we begin our discussion of how Bureau 13 fights threats from any direction, terrestrial or otherwise.
Not everyone who gets trapped in the Weird Zone becomes a scavengers. Sometimes they become Pirates and prey on the rest.
Not everyone who gets trapped in the Weird Zone becomes a scavengers. Sometimes they become Pirates and prey on the rest.
This week we continue our discussion of playing family teams in specifically Bureau 13 but this would be true in most rpgs.
This week we start or discussion of those brave souls who raise their children to become B13 agents.
This week we finish our discussion on how to create a profitable triangle trade route between the various locations in the Hard Wired Hinterland.
Hard Wired Hinterland is full of very unique island at both differing cultural levels and differing technology. This provides some interesting opportunities to set up trade between them with the player characters as beneficiaries. We continue our discussion of what the major environs produce and need so we can plan our lucrative air cargo route.
Hard Wired Hinterland is full of very unique island at both differing cultural levels and differing technology. This provides some interesting opportunities to set up trade between them with the player characters as beneficiaries. We begin our discussion of what the major environs produce and need so we can plan our lucrative air cargo route.
This week we finish our exploration of how to play Fringeworthy in the Star Trek Universe.
This week we continue our discussion of how to play Fringeworthy in the Star Trek Universe.
This week we begin our exploration of what it would take to play Fringeworthy in the Star Trek Universe.
This week we finish our discussion of how to end a campaign in a way that is satisfying to the players and GM and maybe sets the stage for something new.
This week we start our discussion of how to end a campaign in a way that is satisfying to the players and GM and maybe sets the stage for something new.
This week we finish our discussion of the multitude of vampire types in bureau 13 and how to integrate them with each other and society.
This week we continue our discussion of the multitude of vampire types in bureau 13 and how to integrate them with each other and society.
This week we begin our discussion of the multitude of vampire types in bureau 13 and how to integrate them with each other and society.
This week we finish our review of Tri Tac games new product: Murderhoof. It is a parody science fantasy of the my little pony IP where the ponies are very bad indeed.
This week we start our review of Tri Tac's new game Murderhoof: an invasion of pretty, pretty ponies and terror.
This week we complete our discussion of the Pokemon Universe and how to adventure in it, especially with Fringeworthy explorers.
This week we welcome our new host Pixie and talk about adventuring in the Pokemon universe.
We finish another session of make up a workable adventure in 30 minutes. Listen as John, Trav, and Bruce try to outdo each other in adventure design.
We have another session of make up a workable adventure in 30 minutes. Listen as John, Trav, and Bruce try to outdo each other in adventure design.
This week we finish our 300th episode recording. In addition to our retrospective of our podcast history we also recorded a standard episode on time travel adventures for Bureau 13. This is that final part.
This week we continue celebrating our 300th episode by talking about what inspires us in our gaming. Then we kick off our discussion of how to detect a time travel incursion in Bureau 13 (or any other game).
It's the Tri Tac Games Podcast 300th Episode!We finally made episode 300. Its been a run of over 6 years. We feel proud of our accomplishment and hope you also agree that we've brought to the awesome to you our listeners. This week we being our look back and forward regarding the Tri Tac Games Podcast.
This week we finish our grand reveal of the much expanded race The Victorians which will be much more prominent in the Savage Worlds edition of Fringeworthy.
This week we start our grand reveal of the much expanded race The Victorians which will be much more prominent in the Savage Worlds edition of Fringeworthy.
This week we finish our discussion of why the killer robots at Noram haven't cut a path of destruction across the Hard Wired Hinterland
Sorry about the delay. Our hosting site wouldn't let me upload for a few days. This week we begin our investigation of why the Killer Robots of Noram haven't taken over the Hard Wired Hinterland.
This week we finish our review of Tri Tac's new game Ez Space. An alternate history game where the future was a Heinlein and all the rest of the golden age science fiction writers imagined our foray out into space would be. Lots of aliens, butt blasting rockets, colonies, etc. Though we ask a lot of hard hitting questions, we really like this game and are trying to help Richard improve the next version.
This week we continue our review of Tri Tac's new game Ez Space. An alternate history game where the future was a Heinlein and all the rest of the golden age science fiction writers imagined our foray out into space would be. Lots of aliens, butt blasting rockets, colonies, etc. Though we ask a lot of hard hitting questions, we really like this game and are trying to help Richard improve the next version.
This week we begin our review of Tri Tac's new game Ez Space. An alternate history game where the future was a Heinlein and all the rest of the golden age science fiction writers imagined our foray out into space would be. Lots of aliens, butt blasting rockets, colonies, etc.
This week we finish our in-depth discussion of the menace presented in Portals 4: The Coptics.
Sorry if you've been following our Hindu/Arabian Nights adventure. Too many files have gotten accidentally deleted. I'll be glad to summarize if you contact me. This begins our adventure where the Victorian Earth (+3 Prime) has been attacked by Martians much like H.G. Wells story, The War of the Worlds. Her Majesty's Trans-Etheric Expeditionary Services (HMTEES) has contacted IDET (the Interdimensional Exploration Teams) asking them to pay back the favor where they saved Earth from being locked away forever from the Fringepaths by the Fringe Pirates in the Battle for Hatsumi Base. Our team is just a small part of that response. In this episode they use the advanced crystal key function Ghost Transfer to become immaterial and explore a Martian Cylinder landing site in the middle of Boston, Massachusetts. At this point any information about the martian threat is critical information.
This week we follow up our examination of Portals 4 with a continued in-depth discussion of the menace presented there: The Coptics.
This week we follow up our examination of Portals 4 with an in-depth discussion of the menace presented there: The Coptics.
Trav and Bruce went to Gencon and had a great time with Steve Wollet. We talk about what we saw and how Tri Tac Games were awesome there.
This week we finish probing the underworld of Fringeworthy exploration and interdimensional relations.
This week we begin our exploration of that special group of Fringeworthy who do what needs to be done and seem to answer to no one.
This week we finish our exploration of how to bring the look and feel of anime into your rpg.
This week we continue our exploration of how to bring the look and feel of anime into your rpg.
This week we begin our exploration of how to bring the look and feel of anime into your rpg.
This week we finish our discussion of how courage fits into Roleplaying games. Can it actually work? Do we want it to work? What systems support it?
This week we continue our discussion of how courage fits into Roleplaying games. Can it actually work? Do we want it to work? What systems support it?
This week we begin our discussion of how courage fits into Roleplaying games. Can it actually work? Do we want it to work? What systems support it?
This week we finish our review of Tri Tac Games newest product: Huradicator: the machine wars!
This week we begin to review Tri Tac Games newest product: Huradicator: the machine wars!
This week we finish policing interdimensional incursions. What causes them? What evidence do they leave behind? How does Bureau 13 know they are coming and send a team?
This week we explore the notion of interdimensional incursions. What causes them? What evidence do they leave behind? How does Bureau 13 know they are coming and send a team?
This week we finish our discussion of places whether real, imaginary or just unattainable that sound like great places to visit or explore but we find them very different when we actually experience them.
This week we begin our discussion of places whether real, imaginary or just unattainable that sound like great places to visit or explore but we find them very different when we actually experience them.
This week we finish our discussion of how maps interact with the gm and players to produce a superior game. Resources: Groups:Map-Making In GamesThe Library of Gaming MapsCartographer's Guild Software and Map generators:Hexographer Campaign Cartographer 3 Real and Fictional Maps:Stanford's Map Of Central London 1897Library of Congress Map Collections3-D StarmapsRPG Map Share
This week we explore how different maps can change how you think about your adventure and world. How the information on a map however innocent can inform the player and change the direction of the adventure. Resources: Groups:Map-Making In GamesThe Library of Gaming MapsCartographer's Guild Software and Map generators:Hexographer Campaign Cartographer 3 Real and Fictional Maps:Stanford's Map Of Central London 1897Library of Congress Map Collections3-D StarmapsRPG Map Share
We continue to try to get to the Brass Monkey Ball. And there will be blood. Oh Yes. Please visit the folks at Bully Pulpit games to check out Fiasco! You can get a free copy of the Brass Monkey Ball from the Tri Tac Games webpage! ----more---- Final images from the game:
The Tilt Table result!
The Final Play!
John Reiher designed a playset to be used with the Bullypulpit game Fiasco that draws from the HardWired Hinterland setting. We all got together and decided to try it out. We had a great time and we think it's entertaining. Let us know if you agree. On the technical side, we played an accelerated version of the game. Please visit the folks at Bully Pulpit games to check out Fiasco! You can get a free copy of the Brass Monkey Ball from the Tri Tac Games webpage! Sorry about some of the audio quality. I was overloading my microphone and nobody told me so it is a little distorted. ----more----Here are the screenshots of the play mats for the game: All the players. Our setup with all the relationships and other items assigned. After the Tilt table. The final reckoning.
This week we finish our examination of what happens when the existence of psionics or esp power is revealed on Earth Prime in Fringeworthy. This discussion is applicable for any world where these powers were suddenly revealed. Does the government try to suppress? Are they a threat to the common man? To decency? To privacy? What new laws will be enacted? Will people be put out their jobs? All this and much much more.
This week we examine what happened when the existence of psionics or esp power is revealed on Earth Prime in Fringeworthy. This discussion is applicable for any world where these powers were suddenly revealed. Does the government try to suppress? Are they a threat to the common man? To decency? To privacy? What new laws will be enacted? Will people be put out their jobs? All this and much much more.
This week we tried an experienent. 4 hosts did their best to create a playable fringeworthy adventure in 20 minutes based on 3 objects, persons, or places (set of 3) given to them by another host. The results can be heard here and downloaded from the Fans of Fringworthy facebook page or email a host if you don't do facebook. Hope you like them.
A while back we did an episode called "What's on your character sheet?". One of our fans, Dances with Ponies, suggested we expand the topic with Pc goals - goals that are imposed on the PC by others or by themselves.
A while back we did an episode called "What's on your character sheet?". One of our fans, Dances with Ponies, suggested we expand the topic with Pc goals - goals that are imposed on the PC by others or by themselves.
This week we conclude our exploration of how to improve the living conditions on primitive or post apocalyptic worlds using modern, superscience, or naturalistic techniques.
This week we continue our exploration of how to improve the living conditions on primitive or post apocalyptic worlds using modern, superscience, or naturalistic techniques.
John Reiher was featured on the latest episode of Mythwits. this is the audio only version. If you would like to see the video version please use this link: http://youtu.be/5YhtZlXDAHU
This week we begin our exploration of how to improve the living conditions on primitive or post apocalyptic worlds using modern, superscience, or naturalistic techniques.
Our good friends over at the Sunday Skypers played the Fiasco playset that John Reiher created for the HardWired Hinterland game. Give it a listen. It is sure to be hilarious.
This week we conclude our discussion of a world where most cats are sentient and many are human like. They outnumber us, so why don't they rule us?
This week we begin our discussion of a world where most cats are sentient and many are human like. They outnumber us, so why don't they rule us?
Spurning their opportunity to hide out at a western farm, which worked so well for Prof Silas, they go on an endurance flight to try to eat up the next 2 weeks of time and ditch Jason back on Hinterpol for a sizable sum.
This week we begin our discussion of how much it took to build Hatsumi Base and how much it takes to keep it going. This is followed by a more generalized discussion of what revenue is available to run IDA.
Welcome to the Christmas episode! This week we finish our discussion of what the winter solstice would be like on various alternate earths where Christianity isn't the predominate religion.
Welcome to the Christmas episode! This week we start our discussion of what the winter solstice would be like on various alternate earths where christianity wasn't the predominate religion.
This week we start our discussion of what helps and hinders on your character sheet. what needs to be right in front and what is better on the GM's screen instead.
This week we start our discussion of what helps and hinders on your character sheet. what needs to be right in front and what is better on the GM's screen instead.
Dan has a showdown with the Wolfe Brothers at the Airport. Ben Reiher agonizes about how to keep Jason from further harm after his surgery from gunshot wounds. We use the Clockwork Drama cards which allow the players to significantly alter the events in the game. They get 5 at the beginning of each session and can play 1 each during the session.
Dan makes his way with Waco to the Six Gun Junction airport to confront the Wolfe Brothers who have been funding all the attacks against them Ben and the rest have a tense night at the hospital as Jason is in surgery to repair his gunshot wounds and multiple gunman attacks continue. In the middle of all this death, a new life blossoms.
Wow! 250 episodes by my count of course. The site says we have over 300 but I only count the ones that matter. [grin]. Anyways, one of our listeners wanted to know why we haven't created an animation bible so that our games could be made into an animated movie or tv series. So we talk about that very possibility with the hosts and Richard Tucholka, creator of the Tri Tac games.
Rome never fell and rules most of the known world in the 15th century Alternate Earth. This week we finish our discussion of this fringeworthy race and member of the alien corp. Correction: John said that sugarcane is a new world crop, and that is wrong. It is a Southeast Asian crop that was introduced to Europe in our timeline in 800AD by Arab Traders. Here's the Wikipedia article on the subject: Sugarcane
Rome never fell and rules most of the known world in the 15th century Alternate Earth. Part 2 Correction: John said that sugarcane is a new world crop, and that is wrong. It is a Southeast Asian crop that was introduced to Europe in our timeline in 800AD by Arab Traders. Here's the Wikipedia article on the subject: Sugarcane
Rome never fell and rules most of the known world in the 15th century Alternate Earth. Correction: John said that sugarcane is a new world crop, and that is wrong. It is a Southeast Asian crop that was introduced to Europe in our timeline in 800AD by Arab Traders. Here's the Wikipedia article on the subject: Sugarcane
This week we finish our discussion of what it would take to bring the World of Darkness RPG into a Bureau 13 campaign.
This week we begin our discussion of how to bring the monsters and mayhem of World of Darkness into a Bureau 13 campaign.
This week I talk about the recent changes made to the Savage Worlds Fringeworthy playtest rules. * Update Campaign Types for Portal Book 4: Talked to Richard Tucholka and at this time, I'm not going to make any radical changes to the Campaign Types. Just editing for content. * Add UN Budget Rules for Early Years: Added and they definitely need another set of eyes to review and comment on. * Update UNIDA description: Didn't get it done. Too much other stuff going on. * New: Added Freelancer Character class. A new class of mercenary drifters who work for themselves.
Things to do next week:* Start on sandbox for Alt 0,2: Victorian 2 Earth/American Rebellion Earth * Create Archetypes for Fringeworthy * General Editing
Update again next Sunday! Links: Fringeworthy Google Drive FolderSavage Fringeworthy Design Facebook Page Note: Updated this with a louder sound track for myself. I have pre-made openings and closings for this podcast, so I've made sure to adjust the volume for the informational part of this podcast.
This week we start answering questions posted on facebook, our podbean streaming site, and the tritagamers.com forums.
This week I talk about the recent changes made to the Savage Worlds Fringeworthy playtest rules. * The first sandboxed world, The Junkyard pokiwol, has been created with adventure hooks. * The Fringeborn Character template has been added to the Character Creation section of the rules. * The Fringeborn Edge has been created. * Ported over the d20 Fringeworthy Campaign types and models. * Renamed the United Nations Space Agency to the World Aeronautics Exploration Agency, WAXA. This was added at the same time I added the United Nations Peacekeepers, Fringe Division.
Things to do for next week:* Update the Campaign Types to take account of Portals Book 4. Events in that book will alter potential campaign types. * Add in Budget rules for IDE Teams due to the fact that the UN doesn't have much money. * Update the UNIDA description to make it clear that it's an affiliate organization to the UN, that's beholden to the Security Council. * Add in the new character type: The Freelancer. A Fringeworthy explorer who doesn't belong to UNIDA or TÆSS.
Update again next Sunday! Links: Fringeworthy Google Drive FolderSavage Fringeworthy Design Facebook Page
We finish our series: adventuring during a disaster by considering what does IDET bring to the table if a global disaster hits the Earth?
Due to a computer failure I've not been able to record the sessions that followed this one. So I will summarize the events that followed. The Tinkerman Transport Company (TTC) flew to Six Gun Junction, the primary city of Little Texas. There they got in contact with Petrolux Oil Company that works the sole oil well in the Hinterlands to get some quality, high temperature oil as detailed in Tinkerman's notebook. They checked on the order for the finely tooled seat covers that the professor had left with Hempstead Fine Leather Goods and found it finished but warehoused, so they ordered it brought to the store for inspection. They went to The Foundry to purchase some more weapons but found little to their liking since most weapons were designed to fit in well for the 1890's time period that Little Texas emulates. A surprise visit from a stranger prompted Professor Silas to return to the Airport. There he met the CEO of New Horizon's Construction Company who needed his expert assistance in developing a superior explosive to aid their bid for the first railroad that Little Texas has ever had. After seeing how much money this could be for TTC as well as a way to get NHCC to pay for the very expensive lubricants they wanted Petrolux to make for them, he agreed and travelled to their compound. Turned out that they made their own explosives so the lab he needed was well equipped, but a number of workers seemed suspicious. Silas confronted the head machinist Bingo and made an enemy for life. That night someone tried to blow up Silas's hacienda. Only the quick actions of his bodyguard Alpha saved his skin and allowed them to dispatch the assassin. Sadly the Animal cat, Machen Meow, lost most of her litter of kittens, but she solaced herself by eating the eyeball she had ripped from the assassin's face during the battle. Meanwhile the rest of the TTC had a wonderful evening at the Kickapoo casino. Benjamin Reiher and Natasia made a little money at the black jack table. Jason the Pig cleaned up at the poker tables. Dan McCoy displayed his weapon prowess at the arcade and set up a special shootout exhibition for the next day. The next morning as they were leaving their floor of the casino suites, they ran into two gunman. Desperately trying to protect Jason, they ran to the fire escape but found a blaze of gunfire from the street right after they pushed Jason into the escape tube. Throwing caution to the wind, Benjamin leaped down to the next floor and managed to grab Jason before he slid out of reach but suffered multiple gunshot wounds for his effort. Dan and the casino guards arrived in time to chase off the kidnappers. Dan pursued someone he thought was involved and almost caught him but only managed to grab his duster. Fortunately the varmint's wallet was in the duster. In the wallet was a decent amount of silver coin and a premium ticket for the Wild Bill Shootout Extravaganza that Dan had set up. The ticket indicated that it was part of a group purchase. Trouble at the shootout? Dan hired a fast ride to Wild Bill's ranch and checked out the site for details on the competition and for possible ambush locations by the kidnappers. The shootout was to take place in a ghost town set rife with clockwork mechanisms and pressure traps. Wild Bill told him the competition against two of the greatest shooters Little Texas had ever known was the following: 1. Mechanized arcade bottle shootout2. Dollar toss shoot (any dollars hit are kept by the shooter - dollars are worth $35 US - up to 200 targets were tossed at a time but practically only 12 could be hit).3. Match Lighting - hit a number of Rube Goldberg contraptions that would ultimately light a match or light them directly with a bullet for extra points4. Wooden Indian Cigar Shootout - knock the lighted ash from the cigars held by wooden indians - Kickapoo approved.5. Ride by target shooting - hit targets that swing, jump, and bounce into view at a walk, canter, and then gallop down main street -- second round side by side ride with opponent tied to each other with a leash as each fired at targets on opposing sides of the street. Yanking on the leash was fair game.6 Follow the leader last minute challenge by Dan McCoy as each contestant had to hit targets picked by the leader (Dan and the other two contestants rotated as leader).7. Death Walk - can you survive the angry ghosts to get to the far end of Main Street Until the final challenge, Dan was leading the competition, which gave him lots of crowd support. Even his two competitors tipped their hats to him. The death walk for Dan: A ghastly undead bushwacker leaned over the edge of the general store and made Dan dance until Dan could hit him square between the eyes and put him to rest. A rotting dance hall girl beckoned Dan to fire at a target inside the salon, when he did the entire brick top floor swung out periously over his body. He could try to get where he would go through a glass window when it dropped or try to hit a small bullseye to stop it. Dan tried for the target and missed. Dan rolled back well enough that the bricks only bruised him under his undercover vest. As he passed the cooper's shop, barrows smashed through the window and slammed right into him. The crowd gasped because the barrows were supposed to fly right over Dan's head and give him a more targets to hit. Mechanical error or foul play? It had worked fine for the other two shooters who had already finished the Death Walk. Dan suffered 3 wounds and was now missing targets that were worth a lot of points. An electrical fence wire web rose up behind Dan and began to close. Dan had to pick up his pace or get zapped like a heifer. Just then a gauntlet of decaying and disintegrating townsfolk lined the street on both sides before him. All looked lost, but Dan realized they were firing in a pattern that if solved would allow him to walk unscathed while shooting the targets on each one, time permitting since that electric threat closed every faster on Dan. He rolled the dice and sussed the pattern, darting forward as slowly as he could to get the maximum number of targets. At the end of the competitions it was: Merry Burgess - 972Dan McCoy - 1103Cliff Levan - 1200 Cliff being the champion shooter of Little Texas was not surprised as his triumph, but everyone wondered what would have happened if there wasn't that tragic barrow accident that wounded Dan. Beating Merry, a man of no little notoriety, was still unexpected, Dan's sizable 2nd place purse would not be need to pay for drinks that night. This campaign is now on hiatus due to work requirements. Hopefully we will be back and recording in about a month. If you've enjoyed this campaign, please Bruce Sheffer a message, flaming or otherwise, at our facebook groups, the tritac gamer's forum, the podcast site (tritacsystems.podbean.com) or just give the Tri Tac Podcast a glowing review on Itunes and mention our actual play episodes. Thanks partners!
My computer crashed that had these files so I'm just now putting them out. These are the continuing adventures of the Tinkerman Transport Company, currently in Little Texas in the Hard Wired Hinterland.
An update on the status of the Savage Worlds Fringeworthy game. We talk about why it's late, what to expect in this new version of the game, and John Reiher apologizes for the delay in getting it out. We talk about the changes to the background and how things work in this game. And that we'll have both a player's guide version as well as a full GM's version. We encourage you to playtest the game, so visit the Fringeworthy Google Drive Folder to download the core rules for play testing. They will be updated on a regular basis so keep checking back as we progress.
We finish our series: adventuring during a disaster by considering what does IDET bring to the table if a global disaster hits the Earth?
Trav and Bruce relate the games that jazzed them at gencon as well as the indy night life.
This week we discuss what to do when the party splits up during an adventure. How to keep it from happening, How to mitigate the results. When does it make sense to split the party.
This week we finish up talking about how Bureau agents handle getting across borders to hunt down the nasties of the night.
Sakura and Phillip hear many legends of the Great Dog of the Mountain and begin their search. Too bad they almost burn down the mountain.
This week the team talks about how Bureau agents handle getting across borders to hunt down the nasties of the night.
The mystery man's identity is revealed. Officer dan throws down with the head of the Lizard Woods institute. The monster is unleashed.
Sorry about no episode last week. Miscommunication in our team. This week we discuss how Fringe Weather works and the very interesting possibility that it might be intentional. If so, how could that affect your campaign.
After a big welcome home party, they must decide their next steps. What is to be done about the smart dinos, if anything.
Sorry but we lost the episode between the last one. But we get into Queen Lavanya's kingdom after a few false starts.
This week we discuss one of the new Fringeworthy races: The Pangolisk. These engineered creatures are a cute as they were useful.
A flaming, electrified, dino battle royale. The combined group is forced to flee the outpost and make a forced march back to the Carnegie Mellon compound They discover a very useful location and a lot more questions.
This week Trav helps us to understand what makes up the canon of an intellectual property and what we can do with it. When are we violating canon and where we are extending it.
as promised we return to a full blown delve into one of the most unknown areas of the Fringeworthy Game - star platforms. We know they go to nearby stars, but WHY!!!!
More info on Origins including a new product that will premiere there. Be sure to check out Trav's games at Gencon.
as promised we return to a full blown delve into one of the most unknown areas of the Fringeworthy Game - star platforms. We know they go to nearby stars, but WHY!!!!
Officer dan lays the smack down on butcher boy's henchman after he dreams that he gets the smack down himself. The team finally gets to the big party they've been promised. Officer dan puts the team at risk by throwing down the gantlet to butcher boy.
Join your host, Bruce Sheffer and other grey and not-so-grey beards as we talk about the years of D&D playing we've enjoyed. Moderated by Ted Skirvin. In order of appearance: Ted Skirvin, Steve Brailsford, Adam Throne, Carter Maddox, Bruce Sheffer. We'll be returning to our regular fare next week with an exploration of the Star Portals in Fringeworthy.
we skipped last week's episode because it was a lot of busy work. So we get right back into the game with a visit to Hinterpol, the only trans environ police and investigation agency. Yes there will be grenades!
This week I throw a lot of side quests at the crew but they avoid them all to get the band back together.
We conclude our discussion of what makes a western and how to include western themed and flavored adventures in your campaign.
Officer Dan gets an inkling of what is in the mysterious book he found on the body in his hotel room
This week we begin our discussion of what makes a western and what works in a roleplaying game.
We continue our adventures in the New Pittsburgh Environ of the Hard Wired Hinterland. Ben Rieher and Natasha have turned blue from the spray of the bioreactor blowing up. Dan and Silas are trying to beat the law in New Pittsburgh. A might storm blows in. And why do guys keep dying around Dan?
We jump right into the middle of a Fringeworthy adventure in the late campaign model. The explorers are on a world set in a fantasy India or Arabia with much court intrigue.
The team finishes their talk about how to make your game better using new resources. Everything from physical to virtual to multimedia to social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Tri Tac Games
The team talks about how to make your game better using new resources. Everything from physical to virtual to multimedia to social media. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Tri Tac Games!
This week we finish offering examples of civilizations or powerful groups your IDET explorers may run into on the Fringepaths. Trav presents his power center: the Kanedians.
A bonus episode with a 3 hour session of Hardwired Hinterland. Please see our previous podcast Tri Tac Games Podcast episodes on the Hardwired Hinterland game for more information on this great game setting or go to TriTacGames.com Our cast: Officer Dan McCoy - mall cop turned pilotBen Reiher - army corp of engineersProfessor Silas - weird science scientist and inventorZach - Historian who is pretty good with a rapierBig Sambo - intelligent polar bear who used to be the state executioner of the island, Little KievNatasha - Ben's non-hero girlfriend
This week we continue to offer examples of civilizations or powerful groups your IDET explorers may run into on the Fringepaths.
A bonus episode with a 3 hour session of Hard Wired Hinterland. Please see our previous podcast Tri Tac Games Podcast episodes on the Hardwired Hinterland game for more information on this great game setting or go to TriTacGames.com Our cast: Officer Dan - mall cop turned pilotBen Reiher - army corp of engineersSilas - weird science scientist and inventorZach - Historian who is pretty good with a rapierBig Sambo - intelligent polar bear who used to be the state executioner of the island, Little KievNatasha - Ben's girlfriend who was abducted by wildmen and is about to be sacrificed to their god, a futuristic bio-reactor in the middle of the forest. I know I'm dropping you right into this, but David, the player for Zach missed last session so he gets brought up to speed and so do you.
this week we return to our discussion about fringeworthy power centers: other cultures on the Fringepaths that IDET may have to challenge. Each host presents his example of a power center and how IDET will have to deal with it.
This week we finish our discussion/review of the new Tri Tac game, Cloisters. A post apocalyptic setting for any game system. We continue our discussion of the interesting survivors and how to deal with them.
This week we continue to examine specific examples of supernatural creatures, the medusa sisters and Evil ghosts, for what kinds of banes would hurt or banish them. Finally we suggest example movies to use for bane detection and just good fun.
We've talked about banes before. They are the special weaknesses that most supernatural creature have. Knowing them and how to trigger them can spell the difference between defeating the supernatural threat and being lunch. This week we begin our discussion on how to detect and deduce these weaknesses.
This week we continue or discussion of how to handle first contact with competing exploration and expansion groups.
This week we return to Fringeworthy, although the subject matter is true of all contact with another powerful group. We explore what happens when you mean a competing exploration and perhaps imperialistic group that may be superior to your own in technology or tactics.
Wasn't it christmas just last week? So now we have to make plans for the next year. How can we make our gaming experience even more awesome than it is playing tri tac games products?
This week we present part 2 of the 2013 Christmas episode. We talk about what it would be like to bring back the ultimate technology from the Fringepaths and how that would affect society.
This week we present part 1 of the 2013 Christmas episode. We talk about what it would be like to bring back the ultimate technology from the Fringepaths and how that would affect society.
we finish our discussion how to tell if you are biting off more than you can chew and what to do about it.
Sorry about the missing episode. We will have the Christmas episode as soon as Peter gets it done. In the mean time please enjoy these two episode about how to know when you are in over your head and what to do about it.
This week we conclude our visit with the Norlanders: A viking culture that was the only one left after a plague eliminated all the rest of the cultures on the planet south of them. Be watching next week for our Christmas episode!
Your faithful editor had a back injury last week so I've not been able to edit the podcast as I would like. So again a short episode with not much editing. I'm better now and the episode on sunday should be back to the normal length and quality.
Sorry about the delay and the short episode. I hurt my back this weekend and couldn't edit as much as I would like. I'll make it up on the closing part. This week we talk about another Fringeworthy player character race, the Norlanders. They are the decendants of the northern tribes that were the only survivors of a world wide plague.
This week we finish our 200th episode with Richard Tucholka of Tri Tac Games. Lots more secrets to be revealed! Have fun.
Amazing. We've reached episode 200!!!! Richard Tucholka joins us for a great reveal of what are Tri Tac Games plans for the next 2 years. Be sure to listen to the end. We ask Richard some questions about his games and get some surprising answers. Update: A correction. AnCon is May 1-4, 2014 in Hudson, Ohio.
This week we finish our interview with industry insider, Tim Kask. Sorry about the short length. We don't always know how long an episode will end up when you start to edit. tune in next week for the 200th episode. We will be revealing secrets that we have never published. Stuff only whispered in the back of cars at 3 AM on the way back from cons.
This week we have the worthy Tim Kask telling us about a great new set of products that would be great enhancements and adventures to your Tri Tac gaming, especially Fringeworthy and Weirdzone. Tim was the first TSR employee, an editor of the gaming magazine Dragon, and a lead designer for many many products over the years. Recently he has started a new company when he isn't writing for Gygax magazine and has produced the products mentioned above. Listen carefully for a wealth of gaming anecdotes and great new products to enhance your gaming experience.
This week we finish our examination of the cyberpunk gaming genre with the aide of the inestimable Jay Libby!
This week we continue with our guest Jay Libby of DillyGreenBean Games to find what is so awesome about cyberpunk.
This week we are joined by Jay Libby who helps us understand how Cyberpunk can be so much more than what it has been before.
This week we finish our discussion on how to run a SF adventure in Fringeworthy and not ruin your campaign. We finish discussing types of SF adventures and what we think should be in a adventure worthy of the name SF.
This week we explore why making science fiction adventures is so much more challenging than fantasy or post apocalyptic. We break down these type of adventures and show how to succeed with them.
This week we finish our return to packing for success as we review the new technologies that have emerged as real products or in development which could make a real tactical difference in your Fringeworthy, Bureau 13, or Hard Wired Hinterland game.
This week we return to packing for success and tell about all the new gear we think will make a big difference in your adventure that has been released in the past 2 years.
Most of the crew when to GenCon and we took a little time out of our schedule to record an episode for you. We talk about all of the cool stuff we saw there and things we did and how you can make use of them in your games. This was a fun and light episode and yet full of good stuff! We were joined by Stephen Wollett as a guest host.
This week we end our prognostication of how the world would change if Bureau 13 went public and the supernatural with it. This week we concentrate on the neutrals and enemies of the Bureau as listed in the main source book and also Bureau 13 Extreme.
With Dragoncon among us, I didn't have time to edit this week's episode, so you get to listen to us with all our verbal mistakes. Hope it isn't too much of a strain. I'll be back in the saddle again for next week. Until this please enjoy this podcast as we move on to running adventures with steam punk.
This week we take a break from Bureau 13 revelation to talk about a very hot setting right now: Steam Punk. How to create the look and feel of steam punk in whatever game you play.
The Omega Event has happened. Something so serious that Bureau 13 has to announce its existence to the world. What happens afterward? This week we continue to examine that sea change through the lens of the standard Bureau 13 npcs in the Friends, Enemies and In Betweens section of the 2008 bureau 13 edition. We pick up where we left off with General McAdams. Please note that we decided that if nothing really changed for a npc or npc group with the Revelation, then we would not include it in this podcast examination. So we didn't forget your favorite npc, it was just business as usual.
The Omega Event has happened. Something so serious that Bureau 13 has to announce its existence to the world. What happens afterward? This week we examine that sea change through the lens of the standard Bureau 13 npcs in the Friends, Enemies and In Betweens section of the 2008 bureau 13 edition. Please note that we decided that if nothing really changed for a npc or npc group with the Revelation, then we would not include it in this podcast examination. So we didn't forget your favorite npc, it was just business as usual.
This is a commercial for the fine folks of Iron GM. They are good buddies with us and we'll be hanging out with them at GenCon. It is going to be an amazing event. One not to be missed. If you go to GenCon and you don't play in this event you are going to miss the very definition of epic. This is one they will be talking about for years to come. What is Razor Coast? Go to the ConMen PodCast and Listen to Episode 17 to find out!
This week we finish our analysis of the world of Erde, a prime Fringeworthy commonwealth supporter.
this week we examine the Fringeworthy world called Erde which has a large population of 1st Century Germans who have been transplanted to a virgin glacial world where they can develop isolated from their normal enemies and cultural contacts.
On this episode Peter Bryant is hijacking the show. This is a live recording from GenCon 2012. The adventure is Deutschland Uber Alles and is one of the plot points in the Savage Worlds edition of Fringeworthy. This is part one and part two will be up next week. If you like live role play sessions, you're in for a treat. If you don't, we'll see you in two weeks where we resume our regular broadcast.
This week we conclude our discussion on how to play characters who are a little or really, really insane.
This week we finish our discussion on how to introduce fairytale adventures or fairytale elements into your games.
This week we go deep into the dark woods, leaving a few bread crumbs, and talk about fairytales in your adventures.
This week, Bruce continues to take a much deserved vacation and leave the helm to Peter and the gang. They continue to discuss how to take off the rack adventures for other games and put them to use in Fringeworthy.
This week, Bruce takes a much deserved vacation and leaves the helm to Peter and the gang. They discuss how to take off the rack adventures for other games and put them to use in Fringeworthy.
thanks to our faithful listeners who discovered a problem with the second part of Weirdzone. This should be a corrected file. Please download it again and overwrite the original file. If you just listen to it on the site, it will stream correctly.
This week we finish our first look at one of Tri Tac's new game of interdimensional hopping using your house. We were very surprised at how fun and expandable this game is. We hope you will give it a try at their website: www.tritacgames.com
Last Gencon 2012, Tri Tac Games released their new game: Weirdzone (the day everything went to Hell). We've mentioned it briefly before, but we wanted to get into it and see if it was worth playing. Turns out it is another quality Tri Tac Product that is good as both a short or ongoing rpg. We've got the skinny on how to play it and have the most fun, depending on your group and the tone of the games they like to play.
Welcome back to our second episode on surviving the Zombie Holocaust! This time around John and Bruce wheel out their ideas on the best places to hide from those nasty zombies, Amber takes us on a boat trip, Paul goes to jail, and then we go on a cruise on the Blood Boat with Bruce. Then we go spelunking and hiding out on various military bases.
So sit back, grab a beverage of your choice, some snacks... brains... and listen to the podcast!
This week we conclude our series on setting up a colony in the Fringeworthy game. We discuss why colonies would be established at the perimeter of IDET controlled space and what are the responsibilities of the Exploration teams to colony members.
This time we visit the topic of surviving the Zombie Holocaust. What can you do to make sure that your loved ones don't end up as some zombie's brain pate on toast. In part one, our hosts, Amber, Trav, and Paul describe their ideal hideouts and boltholes to hide until the zombies die down. So sit back, get a snack... Brains!... and learn how to survive the Zombie Holocaust!
We talk with Paul Nunes about the uses of melee weapons in modern campaigns. How to survive and strive taking a knife to a gun fight, part 2.
We talk with Paul Nunes about the uses of melee weapons in modern campaigns. How to survive and strive taking a knife to a gun fight.
This week we conclude the first part of the colonization series. We wet our toes on the concept of true right and wrong and how clashes of culture can make that very hard to determine.
As a break from our discussion on Fringeworthy Colonization we look upon the plight of some Bureau 13 creatures that cannot be easily hidden in modern society. Is there any hope for them or must the bureau 13 agent be forced to Coup de Grace!
Sorry, but I've been slammed at work so I only have half an episode for you this week. We continue to discuss how to set up a colony and its issues, before heading off the reservation again.
This week we start on colonization of other world in games.
The reference is to Brave New World if anyone was offended.
This week we conclude our discussion of introducing super powered characters into a Fringeworthy campaign.
This week we conclude our probe of alien love or love between sentients that are not of the same species. This is an explicit episode. We will be covering adult topics, bodily functions, and sensitive situations. Please listen to one of our non-explicit episodes if this could offend you. Thanks for your support. We will be returning to our non-explicit game coverage next week.
This week we explore finding that special someone outside of our own species. This is very common in Bureau 13 and Fringeworthy. But the road to true love doesn't stop being rocky when you find that person. How will your union work out in practice? Will the plumbing work? Will you be accepted by your family, society, government? Will your mate even have the same rights and protections under the law as you enjoy?
This episode is an explicit podcast: We will be discussing adult subjects and adult situations, not that we will be using profanity. If you suspect that this could be shocking or a sensitive subject for you, please give it a pass. We will be returning to our normal nonexplicit episodes in 2 weeks.
This week we explore the idea of adding superpowers to your game. In Fringeworthy there is a world that grants all explorers superpowers while on that world. Which offers the possiblity of them keeping them on other worlds as well.
Trav leads this exploration. There is lots of comic book and movie superhero lore and fun.
This week we finish our discussion of different kinds of Bureau 13 adventures. Not the same old find and kill the monster adventures.
This week we concentrate on more subtle changes. Ultimately it depends on you the player and GM to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and try something truly different.
This week we open a new book on Bureau 13 Adventures. The adventures we've never run or experienced but would like to.
Each game has its genre tropes. That can limit the game. How can we break out of those expected adventures and run truly new adventures?
Mike Larsen ran 2 Bureau 13 games at a convention in New England called Carnage recently. He tells us all about the fun he had.
If any of our listeners are running any Tri Tac Games at any convention. Please contact us about prize support. We love to support game demos of our products.
This week we finish our exploration of playing an animated character, either in an animated world or here in the real world.
In the Fringeworthy Portal Maps there is a world where cartoon characters - toons are real. We explore what their reality would be like and whether is would be possible for a team of explorers to even visit them. What are the rules of physics, psychology, even biology?
- Toons only injured by cutting weapons
-- can be stunned for an action by
bludgeoning objects
exploding objects
electrified objects
burning objects
crushing objects
piercing?
-
are empty inside
-
Can inflate and become boyant
or are jet propelled
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character of toon has nothing to do with appearance
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toons weigh what they look like they should weigh
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gravity doesn't make a toon fall unless the toon knows that she should fall (same for humans in toon world)
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Toons that are normally good will grow horns when they are doing bad things
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Toons have violent reactions to drugs and alcohol
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falling cannot kill a toon
Turpentine/acetate/benzine can dissolve a tune
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If a toon has a body part that resembles an animal part, then that part will provide the function that it does for that animal (dumbo ears, owl eyes)
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Toon disguises always work initially on other toons
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Toons are gullible
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Can do impossible things but only when it is funny to do so.
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If you can make a toon laugh hard enough, you can kill a toon
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Objects with faces can talk and bite
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You can build a stable tower of any height, one object on top another. It will remain stable until you almost reach the top (then you have to jump)
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If you are embarrassed, you can pull something out of hammer space to hit your victimizer with.
From cartoon laws:
Cartoon Law I
Any body suspended in space will remain in space until made aware of its situation.
Daffy Duck steps off a cliff, expecting further pastureland. He loiters in midair, soliloquizing flippantly, until he chances to look down. At this point, the familiar principle of 32 feet per second per second takes over.
Cartoon Law II
Any body in motion will tend to remain in motion until solid matter intervenes suddenly.
Whether shot from a cannon or in hot pursuit on foot, cartoon characters are so absolute in their momentum that only a telephone pole or an outsize boulder retards their forward motion absolutely. Sir Isaac Newton called this sudden termination of motion the stooge's surcease.
Cartoon Law III
Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter.
Also called the silhouette of passage, this phenomenon is the speciality of victims of directed-pressure explosions and of reckless cowards who are so eager to escape that they exit directly through the wall of a house, leaving a cookie-cutout-perfect hole. The threat of skunks or matrimony often catalyzes this reaction.
Cartoon Law IV
The time required for an object to fall twenty stories is greater than or equal to the time it takes for whoever knocked it off the ledge to spiral down twenty flights to attempt to capture it unbroken.
Such an object is inevitably priceless, the attempt to capture it inevitably unsuccessful.
Cartoon Law V
All principles of gravity are negated by fear.
Psychic forces are sufficient in most bodies for a shock to propel them directly away from the earth's surface. A spooky noise or an adversary's signature sound will induce motion upward, usually to the cradle of a chandelier, a treetop, or the crest of a flagpole. The feet of a character who is running or the wheels of a speeding auto need never touch the ground, especially when in flight.
Cartoon Law VI
As speed increases, objects can be in several places at once.
This is particularly true of tooth-and-claw fights, in which a character's head may be glimpsed emerging from the cloud of altercation at several places simultaneously. This effect is common as well among bodies that are spinning or being throttled.
A wacky character has the option of self-replication only at manic high speeds and may ricochet off walls to achieve the velocity required.
Cartoon Law VII
Certain bodies can pass through solid walls painted to resemble tunnel entrances; others cannot.
This trompe l'oeil inconsistency has baffled generations, but at least it is known that whoever paints an entrance on a wall's surface to trick an opponent will be unable to pursue him into this theoretical space.
The painter is flattened against the wall when he attempts to follow into the painting. This is ultimately a problem of art, not of science.
Cartoon Law VIII
Any violent rearrangement of feline matter is impermanent.
Cartoon cats possess even more deaths than the traditional nine lives might comfortably afford. They can be decimated, spliced, splayed, accordion-pleated, spindled, or disassembled, but they cannot be destroyed. After a few moments of blinking self pity, they reinflate, elongate, snap back, or solidify.
Corollary:
A cat will assume the shape of its container.
Cartoon Law IX
Everything falls faster than an anvil.
Cartoon Law X
For every vengeance there is an equal and opposite revengeance.
This is the one law of animated cartoon motion that also applies to the physical world at large. For that reason, we need the relief of watching it happen to a duck instead.
Cartoon Law Amendment A
A sharp object will always propel a character upward.
When poked (usually in the buttocks) with a sharp object (usually a pin), a character will defy gravity by shooting straight up, with great velocity.
Cartoon Law Amendment B
The laws of object permanence are nullified for "cool" characters.
Characters who are intended to be "cool" can make previously nonexistent objects appear from behind their backs at will. For instance, the Road Runner can materialize signs to express himself without speaking.
Cartoon Law Amendment C
Explosive weapons cannot cause fatal injuries.
They merely turn characters temporarily black and smokey.
Cartoon Law Amendment D
Gravity is transmitted by slow-moving waves of large wavelengths.
Their operation can be wittnessed by observing the behavior of a canine suspended over a large vertical drop. Its feet will begin to fall first, causing its legs to stretch. As the wave reaches its torso, that part will begin to fall, causing the neck to strech. As the head begins to fall, tension is released and the canine will resume its regular proportions until such time as it strikes the ground.
Cartoon Law Amendment E
Dynamite is spontaneously generated in "C-spaces" (spaces in which cartoon laws hold).
The process is analogous to steady-state theories of the universe which postulated that the tensions involved in maintaining a space would cause the creation of hydrogen from nothing. Dynamite quanta are quite large (stick sized) and unstable (lit). Such quanta are attracted to psychic forces generated by feelings of distress in "cool" characters (see Amendment B, which may be a special case of this law), who are able to use said quanta to their advantage. One may imagine C-spaces where all matter and energy result from primal masses of dynamite exploding. A big bang indeed.
This week we conclude our discussion on how to defeat the mellor invasion of Earth Prime. We jump right into it after just a minute or so of review so you might want to listen to the first part again where we explained how quickly the mellor could create a massive assault force while undermining defense efforts with biological attacks and command replacement by mellor 4th columnists.
We concluded last time that after one month, there isn't any Earth Prime worth taking back.
We cover all the possible help you can get from the many worlds on the Fringepath that would be available in the middle campaign (-20 to + 20 nodes). You, of course, may have many more worlds that your gm has added to your campaign that aren't part of our standard Fringe Map product. We fully recommend that you use all the resources your GM will let you get your hands on. The Mellor are that tough.
While we conclude that we will be continuing with a final, late campaign, example of EP taken over by the Coptics, Richard Tucholka has asked us to table that while he and Trav work out the details. Sorry for the delay, but the final result will be awesome.
We finish our holiday podcast discussing what a world would be like if Santa Clause was as he is depicted in 20th century America and had the job of providing toys for all good girls and boys on Christmas. Assuming that he didn't do everything with magic, it would be a very different world.
This our famous holiday episode. First we discuss what we would bring to the holiday feast if we had no limits. This is both an in and out of game discussion. Everything from T-rex to the dish of the day is game.
Then we hypothesize why there are so many mid winter traditions in our world. We give examples and background if we have them. Mid winter festivals and rituals are excellent additions to any rpg campaign (except dark sun, I suppose).
We will conclude next week with a discussion of what the world would be like if Santa was really in charge of giving all the boys and girls their holiday presents.
Happy Holiday for whatever reason you celebrate. I hope it's the best one.
This week we continue our exploration of taking back Earth Prime if taken over by an outside force. We move into the middle campaign and sic the mellor on the Fringeworthy.
This is the first time we've really detailed how to use the mellor to destroy a planet and we were all surprised to find out that in a modern setting, it only takes about a month. Wow.
Jay Hailey returns as a host. Welcome back Jay!
Next week is our holiday episode so you will have to wait until the end or just into the new year to find out how to eradicate those pesky homocidal shapechangers.
We return to our episode "We Lost EarthPrime" and examine the possibility that Earth Prime could be recovered if it was taken by Fringe Pirates.
We discuss the likely Fringe Pirate tactics, their long term plans, and what resources exist to mount against them to take back Earth Prime.
We conclude our discussion on how to best play the inhuman aspects of monsters in games, especially Bureau 13.
This week we followup on a very early episode where we laid out the best supernatural creatures to add to a bureau 13 team. In this segment we talk about making sure the monsters are played in all their inhumanity, not just a pc in a rubber suit.
Next week we conclude this episode.
This week we take a sober look at what losing your planet means to your campaign. While this can be a campaign ender, it can also provide the fresh start you might be looking for.
While we discuss this in the context of the interdimensional exploration game, Fringeworthy, this topic is germaine to almost any game and campaign. What happens when the characters are cut off from all that they know and love?
This week we finish our discussion of sample missions that can be used to evaluate your Bureau 13 team's effectiveness.
This week we finish our discussion of phobias, character or player and how they can and should affect your game.
This week Amber leads on a fearful run as we shudder and flee the subject of Phobias. How can they be represented in your game? What advantages are there to having such a crippling quality? Find out this week and next.
That's right. We've completed 3 years of your favorite podcast of interdimensional exploration and adventure. This week we look back over all the episodes we've done. We are joined by Richard Tucholka who give us a lot of insight into his newly released products, some Tri Tac Lore, and what is planned for next year.
This week we begin our assignment of creating effective Bureau 13 training mission. These are missions that are designed to evaluate some aspect of a Bureau 13 team's performance, perhaps to allow them to be given high security rating or more difficult missions. The crucial aspect is that these are not "real" supernatural incidents, even though the supernatural may be part of the trapping of the mission or supernatural forces were used to in support of the scenario.
Each host was tasked with creating a bureau 13 training mission. In this episode Trav and Blix present theirs.
There will be a delay in the conclusion of this episode because next week is our 3rd year anniversary. We have a special show for that. The following week is a special Halloween episode. So the 2nd part of this episode will drop the first Sunday in November.
Bruce and Blix talk about our time running games at Dragon*Con 2012. This was originally a ConMen PodCast episode but it was so full of Tri Tac goodness we decided that you would like to hear it. When you get done with this episode make sure to check out the ConMen at conmenpodcast.com and look for us on iTunes and Facebook.
This week we finish our discussion of what was life like during the very early years after the discovery of the Fringe Portal in the antarctic.
We discussion the construction of Hatsumi base, political ramifications of the portal discovery, contact with intelligent aliens, and contamination of Earth Prime and other worlds by unthinking actions of the early explorers and the Victorians.
This week we return to our user questions. What happened after the Fringe Portal was discovered in the Antarctic until the first expeditions ventured out onto the Fringepaths?
Turns out it was a political hotbed. We discuss the initial construction of access to the portal as well as possible alternatives to Hatsumi base as a starting point for your campaign.
This is part one. We will finish next week. Please leave us comments and futher questions on our Facebook pages and especially a review at Itunes!
This week we step back from the trenches and catch a load of shrapnel as we discuss Character Deaths: When is it okay for a character to die. What kind of deaths are meaningful. What kind of campaigns support memorable character deaths.
We have Erik Spahr from the TravCast visiting this week as well.
this week we are distracted by all the things that take us away from the main quest line. What are these things and can we eat them? "SQUIRREL!"
Almost Dead from Gencon 2012! We recorded this about 2AM on Saturday right after Savage Saturday Nights.
We ran 10 demos of Tri Tac Games this year, at least half using the Savage Worlds System, two using d20 Modern and even 2 using the original Tri Tac rules by Richard Tucholka, himself.
This was the first time all the podcast hosts were physically in the same room together.
We continue to re-broadcast the John Reiher's SundaySkyper, Sunday Brunch episodes of HardWired Hinterland Actual Play. In episode 5 we have a knock down, bone breaking, bare fist fight between one of our heroes and a great ape. Who will break a bone first? Will it end in a knockout or will it go to the bloody end?
The descriptions are realistic so you were warned.
This week we finish our summary of creating a great fringeworthy campaign. It draws from all the 132 podcasts we've done so far. We know that our early episodes, while still available at the podbean site, are not always accessible through itunes or other podcatchers. We hope that this summary will help remind experienced gamemasters what to keep essential in their games and will be a good resources for fledgeling gms, especially new Fringeworthy GMs.
This will be the end of our summer schedule. Now that Dragoncon is behind us, we will be returning to our full hour long format after this.
This week we continue our summary of creating a great fringeworthy campaign. It draws from all the 132 podcasts we've done so far. We know that our early episodes, while still available at the podbean site, are not always accessible through itunes or other podcatchers. We hope that this summary will help remind experienced gamemasters what to keep essential in their games and will be a good resources for fledgeling gms, especially new Fringeworthy GMs.
This week we begin our summary of creating a great fringeworthy campaign. It draws from all the 132 podcasts we've done so far. We know that our early episodes, while still available at the podbean site, are not always accessible through itunes or other podcatchers. We hope that this summary will help remind experienced gamemasters what to keep essential in their games and will be a good resources for fledgeling gms, especially new Fringeworthy GMs.
This week we conclude our series on Winging It - Handling unexpected events in your campaign.
John Reiher has been running a Hard Wired Hinterland game over at the Sunday Skypers. They have lots of actual play adventure that are definitely worth a listen. This is the 4th of 4 sessions that really illustrates what rich and fun adventures can be run in this great game world.
John Reiher has been running a Hard Wired Hinterland game over at the Sunday Skypers. They have lots of actual play adventure that are definitely worth a listen. This is the 3rd of 4 sessions that really illustrates what rich and fun adventures can be run in this great game world.
John Reiher has been running a Hard Wired Hinterland game over at the Sunday Skypers. They have lots of actual play adventure that are definitely worth a listen. This is the 2nd of 4 sessions that really illustrates what rich and fun adventures can be run in this great game world.
John Reiher has been running a Hard Wired Hinterland game over at the Sunday Skypers. They have lots of actual play adventure that are definitely worth a listen. This is the 1st of 4 sessions that really illustrates what rich and fun adventures can be run in this great game world.
This week we continue our series on Winging It - Handling unexpected events in your campaign.
This week we begin our series on Winging It - Handling unexpected events in your campaign.
This week we finish our 3 part episode on Troublesome Characters, part of our "Saying Yes" series. This week Bruce has Scratch, an urban tribal character who, while intensely communicative, is almost impossible to easily understand. How to integrate someone who defys normal social conventions and appearances? Listen and comment.
We continue with our xbox matchmaking. No seriously we are talking again about characters that are worth playing but don't integrate well with other characters. This week Robert (Trav) brings us a military jock who just can't stand scientists and brainy types - a tough mix with Fringeworthy adventurers and other games with strong tech aspects.
This week start our journey with some hard to handle characters. Troublesome characters are those who don't fit well into a party but have something that makes them worth playing. We start off with John's character: the friendly sociopath. Not to be topped, Peter follows with a cannibal. That right. Sweet dreams everyone.
This week we finish our latest batch of user questions. We range all over the place including Bureau 13 for some Zombie and Vampire questions. Hope you've enjoyed it.
Please leave us a positive review on Itunes or Facebook.
This week we continue with another short question on the Blizniz. Then we discuss a big question about what Mellor Society and destiny might be after a cure for the mellor madness is found.
More questions from our fans to answer. We start off with a Fringeworthy question about the Blizniz, the elephantine race with the prehensile trunk. The amount of discussion about this race has been amazing, but they are a very different race. I love all the possibilities that each GM can try since there isn't a lot of canon about this race.
This week we finish our great interview with Dr. Nik Palmer who has written two great modules, Caravan and Seven Deadly Sins, great for Fringeworthy and Bureau 13 respectively.
We hope you enjoyed this episode and will buy Dr Nik's adventures for your campaigns.
We look forward to everyone showing up at Gencon to play in our game sessions. Even if all of them are sold out, please show up with generic tickets. We will try to add you.
Please stop by the Podcaster Meet and Greet and buy Trav a drink. He will be there with the stunning Amber Roe on his arm. He'll need one.
Please leave us a review on I-tunes. Especially a good one. That really increases the exposure of this podcast.
If you have any suggestions for the podcast or any topics you want covered, please leave a comment here or on any of our Facebook groups.
This week we start our interview with Dr Nik Palmer, a long time RPG adventure writer who has just released 2 great products on Drive Thru RPG: Mesopotamia and The Seven Deadly Sins
Mesopotamia is set in 3000 years BC in our historical past, but with all the mythology, magic, and mayhem intact. Fringworthy fans know that many Fringworthy worlds go to times in the past. This adventure path is a great fit for your Fringworthy Campaign.
The Seven Deadly Sins is an adventure path set in modern day so it is a great fit for Bureau 13 or your favorite modern supernatural RPG. It is mature restricted on Drive Thru RPG so make sure your update your profile to show mature content or you won't be able to purchase it.
This is the beginning of our summer schedule so our episodes will be about 30 minutes long until after Dragon Con, where we return to our regular length. Feel free to comment on this on Facebook.
This week we finish our discussion of the Golden Horde, The Fringeworthy Alternate World where the dominant culture is descended from Gengis Khan, and what fun it would be to play one of the horde in your campaign.
This week we explore putting a member of a member of the Mongol Empire in your exploring party for Fringeworthy. As one of the alternate earths in Fringeworthy goes to where the golden horde conquered the world, this is very possible. We explore the beginnings of such a culture and how that culture would clash with that of a 21st century viewpoint.
Also we want to remind everyone to sign up for our game sessions at Gencon Indy 2012. We are having a huge presence this year with lots of slots, but they go fast so be ready to register on May 20th. Information can be found at the Gencon Indy site at https://registration.gencon.com
go to find events.
Search under keyword Fringeworthy, Bureau 13, or Hardwired Hinterland
We finish out our questions from Facebook session. More Fringeworthy goodness, alternate histories, mellor, and what if's.
We just finished another question recording session but that won't drop for a few more weeks since I like to vary our content. So keep sending in those questions.
This week we answer player questions about Fringeworthy. We'd love to answer questions about any of our other games such as Bureau 13, Hardwired Hinterlands, FTL 2448, Incursion, WeirdZone, and even Duck Trooper and Beach Bunny Bimbos with Blasters.
However, we need you to send them in. We are recording another questions session this Wednesday, so please send us your questions via facebook or comments on this site, or any of our user groups you can find by links on this site.
This week we continue our discussion with Mark Kinney of All Games Considered about how to promote your podcast or other media. We recap our best advice on equipment for recording audio and then continue with promo's, forums, and convention demos.
This week we are joined by Mark Kinney of All Games Considered as we pick his brain on how to best promote and publicize a podcast. Mark has a wealth of experience with his own podcast as well as many industry contact. We look forward to being his padawan learners.
This is part 1 of a 2 part session. The last part to drop next Sunday.
This week we continue our exploration of the late campaign and how it is different from the middle and early campaign.
We are joined by Fringeworthy creator, Richard Tucholka for more previously unknown Fringe Lore.
Specifically we discuss those portals to Alternate Earths and Other Places that are not explored until the late campaign. What makes them different? Why wait until the late campaign? How does advanced crystal use allow us more options and strategies.
If you've wondered why play a mature Fringeworthy campaign, this episode will give you all the reasons you need.
Sorry folks but when you edit 8 simultaneous tracks, you occasionally make a mistake. I've removed the duplicated audo so this is the better version.
This week we return to the Mellor, those loveable homocidal shape changers who live to bite off your character's head. How are encounters with them different in the late campaign? Do they even have a place without nerfing them? Can "cured" infected mellor be player characters? We delve into roles that only experienced characters and players can pull off and what should be the cost of attempting a path of redemption.
This week we try to wrangle those pesky uber npc characters that you have to have for one reason or another, but they try to steal the spotlight from the real stars: your characters. How to rein them in by design and practice. Why have them at all?
Blix took the week off so we'll see him next week. But Trav, John, and Bruce have plenty for you.
This week we are joined again by Richard Tucholka and Melody Nacher. We examine what we know and what could be about the elephantine race of beings called the Blizniz. Richard reveals a lot of previously unpublished info about them. We really go to the limits as to how they could be used in a Fringworthy campaign.
High atop of might airship we scout for the best ways to expoit those wonderous devices: The Lightening Crystals. In the Hard Wired Hinterland you can use them to steal up to 90% of an object's weight. From there it is a short leap to squirrel suits and Buck Rodgers jetpacks.
We are joined by Richard and Melody Tucholka who reveal upcoming projects and inside secrets to Tri Tac Games.
This week we break down a bureau 13 adventure. We go through it step by step so both the players and GM can see how to create an awesome adventure that pops! If you follow these steps your adventure or players can't fail to succeed. Creating supernatural investigation adventures isn't easy, but we make it simple.
Then we go over our plans for convention appearances in the next 6 months.
This week we finish up our Adventuring During a Disaster series with part 5, diseases. We talk about diseases in general but we focus on Zombies! We invited guest host Ben Gerber of Troll in the Corner fame to talk with us about how to run a zombie outbreak in your game.
Thanks to Ben for being an awesome guest and when you're done listening to this episode, check out Troll in the Corner.
Also, please check out the Ultimate Drama Deck at Kickstarter. I've used it, it's really cool, and comes with the Blix seal of approval.
This week we finish our discussion of Bureau 13's primary training, reliquery, and dangerous supernatural containment facility. We concentrate on the last 2 parts this week.
What kinds of objects must be hidden away and destroyed?
What kind of creatures cannot be redeemed? And what do you do if they cannot be contained?
this week we continue our discussion of how the Bureau 13 training base in a pocket dimension could or should be designed. We talk about the time compressed area and if it should be that way throughout.
Next week we finish up with the other two parts: The reliquarium and the supernatural prison.
Sorry about that folks. Due to some difficulty in the sound of one of the hosts I switched the track I got his voice and forgot to blank out the original track. This has been fixed. Please enjoy part 1 of Bureau 13 Bangor Maine training base.
To Bureau 13 fans, the location of Bangor Maine is shrouded in mystery. Is it a top secret b13 base under a tool and die factory? It is a extra-dimensional pocket? Is it a prison for the damned and damning?
In bureau 13 all stories are true.
Come find out more about Bangor Maine in this week's episode.
This is the first appearance of our new host Amber Roe!
This week we continue our series on the Fringeworthy Races with the Tziel, a lizard men like race. Trav, John, and Bruce delve into their culture, biology, and birthing practices to bring them far above the easy cliche of the stalward native companion.
This was a lot of fun and a lot of surprises. Thanks for all the questions.
This is the second half of episode 104, but just in case you want to keep it separate, here's all the gencon 2012 sessions (except the b13 one John didn't get done) we will be running. We will be posting a lot more info on these sessions, plus product art for the new releases as we get closer to Gencon. Keep watching here and on our facebook pages. Search for our groups: Fringeworthy RPG Fans, Bureau 13; Agents Everywhere, and Fans of the Tri Tac Podcast.
This week we finish our discussion about how to play Super Rich characters in your games, how they can transform a game, support the party, and generally bring the awesome.
Then we have a special segment where we detail most of the gencon 2012 sessions in Indianapolis. Plus for no additional charge, we have an interview with Richard Tucholka detailing his new releases scheduled for Gencon, including the very first Canadian space rpg!
How can our prices be this low? Then get this: Richard Tucholka will personally be running 2 game sessions at Gencon. Be one of the lucky ones to get into his game sessions. They will knock your socks off!
This week we have Eric from the Travcast telling us how to run awesome super rich characters. Next week we will conclude with answering a comment from our facebook page about this and how to implement super rich characters in your campaigns and game systems.
This week we continue our exploration on how to run Bureau 13 in different eras in its history. We go from the 1920's to the future.
One correction is there was 2 published artifically enhanced human pieces. The Augumented Man, Hells Night by Richard Tucholka is the best reference. The Battle Body Implants, Stalking the Steel City by Bruce Sheffer was not a complete adventure but was a character addition to Bureau 13 lore.
We will be doing more elaborate podcasts on these eras in the future. Please feel free to contact us on what questions you have or areas you wish us to elaborate in those podcasts.
This week we travel back to the beginnings of Bureau 13 and discuss how running a campaign would be different depending on when it was run from post civil war to the future.
this is part 1. We will be completing this discussion next week.
Welcome to our 100th episode and our 3rd Christmas special.
This week we pose the question: Can everyone on the planet get their dearest wish fulfilled all at once (or at least on the same day)?
Then we continue into banter about what we think was our best episode so far and what we bring to the podcast community that the others don't.
Welcome back to our last double digit episode. We continue to discuss the basic, essential equipment needed for every bureau 13 investigation.
Be sure to listen next week for our Christmas Episode which is also our 100th episode.
Thanks for all the support.
This week we begin our coverage of basic Bureau 13 equipment loadouts. What should be used and available in a modern supernatural espionage investigation?
Blix is out but pops in for a second.
We have an audio issue this episode. Sorry but this is the best we can do. Future episodes will be much better.
This week we conclude our series on setting an adventure during a disaster. We gush about floods and water damage. Then we raise our eyes to the heavens as Death from Above descends on us. Space catastrophes.
We may continue this series with a final episode on disasters caused by man seeking things he was not meant to know. Let us know if you are interested.
As promised, we take a break from our series on adventuring during a disaster and delve into Hacking and Hackers. We define what hacking is, who is doing it, and why.
This week we continue our discussion of setting your adventure during a disaster with the searing power of Fire! Trav leads a hot discussion of how it will affect your game. How it can be used to drive player actions and plot. Blix provides excellent methods of using it in Savage Worlds campaigns.
Next week we'll take a break and give you something entirely different.
Be sure to listen to our upcoming 100th episode and 3rd Chrismas special!
This is part of our continuing series on Adventuring during a disaster.
This week we dig in and Blix leads us on an exploration of tornadoes, hurricanes, and all matter of storms.
Then John continues with the grand daddy of rock and roll, Earthquakes, tsunami, mudslides, and more.
This week we begin our 3 part discussion on creating and running adventures whose settings and plot include a disaster.
This is it! We wrap up the Season 3 premiere with the third installment of gaming in the 70's. Hope you have enjoyed the ride. Stay cool fool and don't let no jive turkeys give you no slack sucka!
Yo! This week we stay funky talkin' adventuring in the 70's. This is another funktastic episode filled with even more groovy goodness. Join our hosts as we continue to talk about what it's like for our characters in the 70's. We also hit the Fringeworthy and Bureau 13 aspects heavily sucka!
Next week, part 3, stay cool.
Awwww yeah! This week we are getting funky talkin' adventuring in the 70's. Shazam! This is a Dy-no-mite episode filled with groovy goodness. Join our hosts as we talk about what it's like for our characters in the 70's. We also hit the Fringeworthy and Bureau 13 aspects heavily. Dig!
Next week, part 2, stay cool.
We continue our discussion of how and why to play the role of a trader in your favorite RPG. We even discuss amazing low calorie hot sausage and why that's a good thing.
Next week we begin our discussion of gaming in the 70's with a special guest.
Please leave reviews for us on iTunes and leave comments for us on our Facebook page.
Links for this episode:
Pocket Stops: Wayang Kulit Fans of the Tri Tac Podcast on Facebook!
This week we begin our discussion on being a trader in your campaign. What benefits there are to the role of a trader. What are some of the better kinds for various purposes. What are the dangers and pitfalls to avoid.
This week episode is 1/2 hour to complement episode 87 which was also just a 1/2 hour. Next week we finish with a full hour long episode.
Links for this episode:
Pocket Stop: Simon Of Vandenburg's Essential Goods
We continue our discussion of integrating a team with members from high and low tech cultures. Then we go off the reservation and discuss the problems of culture shock on completing that integration. We end up with a discussion of the lack of systems that handle this issue in a meaningful way.
This is only a 1/2 hour episode, but not to worry. We will be releasing another episode this week so you get a full hour of Tri Tac Games Podcast goodness.
We return to our hour long format.
This week we discuss how to integrate a group of technologically disparate members. How well does that Roman centurion surf the web? How well does that Krelvin handle plugging together the 8-track stereo?
How much is the user friendliness of our tech just a cultural norm?
We discuss how a gm can use various rpg systems to represent this "culture shock"
this week we start off with a special post Dragoncon gaming segment where we discuss how our gaming sessions went at Dragoncon. Bruce was able to run a Fringworthy adventure called Mellor Assault on Hatsumi Base, that Peter was also able to play. Also Bruce ran a variant of the Pittsburgh Ripper senario for Bureau 13.
Then we finish our discussion of Mature gaming in the Hardwired Hinterland.
Please let us know how we are doing with the HardWired Hinterland so we can plan any further segments based on interest.
This week we return to the Hard Wired Hinterland for a discussion on how to create a campaign that is set in a mature world, but also with fully developed and experienced characters. How are characters different? What kind of adventures are more appropriate?
This episode concludes next Sunday and finishes our summer schedule. We will be returning to our full hour schedule until the start of next summer.
We continue our discussion of adventures on the beach.
A beach adventure is a good opportunity to have an adventure that doesn't involve weapon fire
Blix relates new ways to use a bikini top
Why sun tan lotion is your best friend
Please don't attempt to set yourself, your friends, or pets on fire.
Great opportunity for the great reveal of a previously unknown character trait or skill
Music bumpers on this and last week show are by
the Beach Boys "Fun Fun Fun" and "Lets Go Surfing"
Merrell Fankhouser's 2008 CD "Rockin' and Surfin' Vol. 3 "Pismo Beach"
As a bonus we have a "blue" segment which is more explicit and not more than R rated. We talk about nude beaches, more gear options, sexual conduct and rape in adventures. We didn't want to include it on our regular feed since this is a clean show, but we are making it available via the link following as long as nobody objects to the content. Warning, this mostly unedited so we don't sound as good as usual.
click on the link below to listen or rt-click to save
http://tritacsystems.podbean.com/mf/web/ur628j/tts_2011_08_17_beach_episode_bluemonooutputfinal.mp3
The actual "clean" podcast is played by the control below.
This week we take off for the beach. Jay Libby joins us for a romp across the sands as we cast off our preconceptions on what an adventure should be and soak in the inspiring rays of the sun. We scrunch our toes in the conundrum of whether our characters are ever off the job and can enjoy a golden afternoon with their worst enemy.
So belly up to the bar and order an unbrella drink on us
Show Notes:
What kind of adventures would be interesting if they occured on or near the beach?
What adventures already exist from various sources that use a beach as a center piece? * beach bunny bimbos with blasters * shadow over insmouth * any D-day adventure * pirates * thunderball * dr No * sea hunt * blood beach * club paradise * horror of party beach * Thunder in paradise
Beach associated locations: * art gallery * amusement park * aquarium * cannery * marina * outlet for storm drain * aquatic arcology * hotel strip * hot dog stand
Danger Island -- A Mock Horror Adventure for GURPS(tm) http://www-personal.umich.edu/~superman/JPK/APA-Best-of/Danger-Island.html
What kind of equipment would you still be wearing, carrying if you were in a swimsuit at a beach? What kind of contingencies would you set up? * shoulder bag with additional gear and/or 13th pocket. This shoulder bag goes over the back with strap across chest which provides storage but wearer can swim and run normally - hands free * submerged gear * buried gear * remote delivery gear * remote control seeking vehicles (big tire not hover)
swim suits: * string, * athletic bikini, * one piece, * triathelon, wet suit
string - any suit that is designed primary for legal modesty and to draw attention to body attributes. Does not limit mobility except for modesty reasons.
athletic bikini - bare midriff with good support and good sand protection one piece - best support, skin coverage while still showing off body lines
triathelon - designed to be used in or out of water with thigh to neck skin coverage. Provides support for additional equipment. Maximum legal protection
Wet suit - maximum thermal protection. best non-magical threat protection that doesn't raise too many eyebrows. Hot out of water. Limits mobility
Why Sun tan lotion is your best friend 1. Should not be used to protect skin in rpg - burns not fun 2. Can be used to write message 3. both a physical and social lubricant 4. bonus to wriggling out of bonds (escape artist) or grapple checks 5. bonus to sliding 6. bonus to chemical or burning material spray 7. can be used as a social ice breaker and then used to distract 8. minus to hide
bureau 13: * watch (waterproof), * cell phone (kirilean detector), * c4 tennis shoes, * bureau lighter, * 13th pocket
Fringeworthy: * comm link * watch * high tension cord * knife
it is always good to keep some cord on you. Can be worn as a belt or strap for bag.
Do you ever assume you are off the clock? Would you share a tray of umbrella drinks with Mathias Bolt for just one golden afternoon? 1. all off the clock - dress for show 2. most off the clock - off dress for show but with good shoes, 3. on the clock should wear triathelon suit and carry bag with additional equipment.
How does it change the threat level if the big bad is also in a swim suit (note Cthuthu in a swim suit is the ultimate no change in threat level)? How does it inform the adventure and your tactics when you are in a highly visible, populated, and possibly congested area?
What impromptu equipment can you find on the beach? * propane tanks for explosives * tiki torches and fuel for splash weapons and flame thrower * tiki torch holders make nasty spears * rocks in towel makes a sling or a bunch makes a club * kevlar covered rescue floats for shields * electrical devices for shocking * Life Guard med kit for first aid * beach patrol atv for mobility, attacking and fleeing * Jet Ski with tow rope for clotheslining aquatic foes - maybe grab and pull on land?
This week we finish our discussion of the Fringe Born, those children who were born to explore the multitude of universes that are connected by the Fringe Paths.
We consider how to represent those years of the Fringe Academy. What skills and feats would it represent. How would training for teenagers differ from those of adults.
What would their senior project be like?
This week we continue to explore the concept of using existing video games as if they were in the Fringeworthy multi-verse. In part two we talk about using Bioshock, Portal, Outcast, Unreal, Knights of the Old Republic 2, World of Warcraft, Wolfenstein, and Doom 2.
Note: Fixed my technical issues and your King of Dementia Radio is back in this episode!
This week we explore the concept of using existing video games as if they were in the Fringeworthy multi-verse. In part one we talk about using Fallout 3, Second Life, and Myst.
Note: Trav is not in this episode due to technical difficulties. Time was running short so I didn't have time to crop him in, but rest assured your king of Dementia Radio will be injecting his wisdom in part two!
This week we begin a big discussion for Fringeworthy about the Fringe Born. Since Fringeworthy ability is limited to one in one hundred thousand, finding new Fringeworthy is a lengthy process. Some of those found will be children, and, as time goes on, the discovery that when a pregnant Fringeworthy woman passes through the dimensional portal, the unborn child becomes Fringeworthy. What will their childhood like? Do they become explorers? What's it like being born in the million watt media spotlight for the first of the Fringe Born? Tune in and find out on the Fringeworthy Podcast!
Sorry about the missing episode last Sunday. I forgot to send the files to Blix who offered to edit the next episode. I had hoped to have an hour episode to make up for missing last week, but no such luck. Perhaps next week.
This week we finish our discussion of solo campaigns where there is just a single player and GM and the player only plays one character. Success in this kind of campaign is fairly hard to achieve, yet many new players or GM's wishing to play a new game find themselve here. We give our best tips for successful character creation, equipment selection, and adventure design.
This week we explore how to make a campaign successful if you only have a single player who only wants to run a single character. This informs the campaign from character design to adventure creation. Naturally you should also review our series: Packing for Success that was published in the early days of this podcast. While we concentrate on Fringeworthy, these issues will be similar no matter what game you are playing.
This week we continue with John Reiher's notes on running a successful beginning or Day 0 campaign. After editing it was a lot shorter than I expected so look for a new episode of the Tri Tac Games podcast also on the site.
This week we continue our introductory episodes on the recently published game Hard Wired Hinterland from Tri Tac Games. John Reiher captains this episode as we cover his experiences in introducing new players to the game and some surprising differences between HH and other exploration RPGs.
Links for this episode
FATE RPG Savage Worlds
This week we come live From Balticon! This episode Blix hijacks the show once again to record live from a convention. His co-hosts include Scott Sigler, John Monahan, Chris Lester, and Travis Surber. We discuss ways to kick your adventures out of the mundane and into overdrive. All of my co-hosts have published works and are experienced gamers. This is a must not miss episode!
Scott Sigler John Monahan Chris Lester Travis Surber
This week Bruce Sheffer presents his intro campaign for the Hard Wired Hinterland game. He provides a series of adventures that leads to a great conclusion and forms a platform for continuing adventures. Peter, John, and Trav help bring the awesome to this adventure arc for fledgling players and GM's in the Hard Wired Hinterland.
The state of things for the Savage Worlds edition of Fringeworthy. Spoilers, contest announcement, and just straight up goodies. Come and get some! Under the break are the new Skills and Edges for Fringeworthy.
New Skills: Craft (Agility, Smarts. or Spirit)
You are skilled at one of several crafts. Depending on the craft, this skill is based on Agility, Smarts, or Spirit. Some example craft focuses: Craft (Writing) Smarts, Craft (Carpentry) Agility, Craft (Painting) Spirit, or Craft (Demolitions) Smarts. You can use this skill to create something of value or for use by yourself or other people, or build an item for a specific purpose and quality. The GM decides how many rolls and how many successes you will need to complete the creation of the object and how long it will take. Depending on the number of successes you roll, the value or the quality of the item will increase or decrease. Raises count as extra successes. The GM can also set the difficulty for creating the item, starting with a target number of 4 and going up beyond that.
For example: You decide to create a table using your Craft (Carpentry) d6 skill and then sell it. The GM decides that you need four successes on four rolls to build a table worth $50 and that it will take you a day to do build it. Every success above these 4 will increases the value by $10. For every each failure under four successes, the value drops by $10, and to zero dollars if you roll four failures in a row. Your target number is 4. You roll the following: 11, 1, 5, 9. You get 5 successes, increasing the value of the table by $10, for a total value of $60. Now you have to use either your Persuasion skill or Streetwise skill to sell that table.
Performance (Spirit)
Performance is a catchall skill for the various types of entertainment. This skill must have a focus, such as Performance (Singing) or Performance (Newsreader). The skill can be taken multiple times for different focuses. You can use your Charisma bonus when rolling this skill. Use this skill to entertain, inform, or mimic another person. New Edges: Actor
Requirements:Novice, Spirit d6
You are a natural entertainer. You thrill the audience and make strong men weep. You gain a +2 to the Performance skill.
Fringeworthy
Requirements: Novice, Free to Player Characters.
You are Fringeworthy. You have the rare ability to use the Tehrmelern portals that lead to the Fringepaths. All player characters get this edge for free. It can be acquired by a other characters only by handling a crystal key over time. Although it will rarely come into play in regard to Earth born player characters, it should be noted that traveling the Fringepaths over an extended period of time imparts Fringe Vigor, slowing the aging process and even partially reversing the debilities of old age. Humans of 500 years or older are not unheard of on the 'Paths. In addition, you've now have a connection to the crystal keys that the Tehrmelern created to control the portals and with that connection, you can now call on different crystal key powers from these crystals. You've gained a new skill, Crystal Key Use, at d4, and two powers: Locate Portal and Find Fringeworthy. You have to take the New Power Edge to gain access to more crystal powers. You also receive an initial 10 Crystal Power Points to use these powers. You can gain more power points by taking the edge Power Points. Crystal Power Points regenerate at the same rate as normal Power Points. You can only use a single Tehrmelern crystal and command one crystal power at a time. Crystals are rated from 1-11. Types 8 to 11 have a defensive power. Types 9-11 have an offensive power. All crystals act as key at varying security levels for the portals and other Tehrmelern technology. (See Crystal Keys for more information.)
Handy Man
Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6
When it comes to working with your hands, you're second to none. You can make just about any object or device, given the right resources and sufficient time. You gain a +2 to the Repair skill and to all Craft skills.
This week we explore the concept of always trying to say yes to whatever another player might want to do in a game. Whether GM or Player we should always support each other's most creative efforts. However there are some dangers to avoid, and we talk about that too.
This starts our summer season where the episodes will intentionally be only 1/2 hour in length. With all the conventions and family obligations of the summer months we can't get together as often to record as we can the rest of the year. We hope we will be able to provide enough content to satisfy our loyal listeners.
Please let us know how we are doing. Especially please comment on our various forums, web pages, and facebook with any questions about any game we produce. We will answer them there and in a podcast as soon as possible.
This week we finish our discussion of props, sound, gaming environments, and a lot of other factors that can lift your gaming experience to new heights.
We have a lengthy interview with RPG dramatist Andre Krupa about using props, lighting, sound and more to make your adventures pop. This week we have the first part with an hour long episode next week finishing it up.
We continue our discussion of the big bad focusing on Tri Tac's much unappreciated gem: Beach Bunny Bimbo's with Blasters. Also we discussion Stellar Games: Night Life, A.C.E and A.C.E Supers
Stellar Games products are available through Tri Tac Games.
Who is the big bad of your game? Does he/she/it make the player gnash their teeth, froth at the mouths, and shake their fists? What are some examples of good big bad antagonists that really drive the story and the characters?
As promised, we have a full episode with is actually two recording sessions. First we discuss the Fringeworthy advanced crystal powers as part of a question from Eric of the Travcast. He wanted to know how the protective electrostatic dome power worked.
Then we follow that with a discussion of the Fringeworty Alien Corps race: The Dimixi. These spider-like creatures have many nuances that spring into view as we discuss them. We hope you will include them in your Fringeworthy Game.
As a special treat. Richard Tucholka took part in the Dimixi discussion. It is always great to hear from him about how we've extended and possibly abused his games. Even after 30 years, he still surprises us with background info nobody every recorded until now.
We continue our review of the podcast Blix recorded on Interdimensional Gaming at TotalCon.
Thanks again to Blix's friends at Totalcon for giving us so much to think about. We discuss their points and add our own perspectives. They suggested great enhancements to the game which we shall be developing in the future.
The podcast gang and my regular Fringeworthy group recorded this last summer. It includes John Reiher, Jay Hailey, John Altizer, Ken Arrondee, Erik Sheffer, and Bruce Sheffer as the GM.
We did have some mike dropout problems and for some reason skype recorder compressed JR and JH by 15% which had to be fixed. However, overall I'm very pleased with this AP episode simply because it showed what I think are some of the best aspects of FW play.
Please comment on the episode and let me know specifically what you liked and didn't like about the adventure design.
This week Blix hijacks the show and takes it to TotalCon. Enjoy this live recording with Blix as your MC and his three guest hosts: Jay Libby, James Carpio, and John Sussenburger. The show was recorded live before an audience and tackles inter-dimensional gaming. Being that my co-hosts, who are all games designers, have never played Fringeworthy, we spoke about inter-dimensional gaming in a broad general sense. This was a lot of fun and I think you'll pull some good info and a lot of laughs from this episode. Enjoy!
We conclude our inteview with Jess Hartley, rpg developer and blogger, about how gender does and doesn't affect adventure design and character development. We had a great time. Thanks again Jess for being such a great guest.
This week we are joined by RPG luminary Jess Hartley who sets us straight regarding how it is in gaming regarding gender roles and how to bring the awesome to our table. Jess has extensive writing credits and is both a longtime LARPer and table top player. This is part 1 of a 2 hour interview to be concluded next week.
We continue our discussion of anti-heroes. This week we concern ourselves with GM difficulties and how they work in different campaigns.
This ran shorter than expected. Next week we will have full hour of an special guest.
We explore what defines an antihero. We look at how he or she interacts with other characters, with lots of examples from movies and other games.
This is part 1. Part 2 concludes next week.
This week we examine how to build, maintain, and rescue a cover identity in an exploration or investigation game such as Fringeworthy, Bureau 13, Call of Cthulu, Shadowrun, Cyberpunk or others of the many genres that support this kind of play.
We continue our discussion led by Jay on adding Fringeworthy to your Star Wars campaign.
Then we continue to a Bureau 13 segment where we show how you can use banes to even the playing field with the creatures you hunt without having to resort to supernatural team players such as Mages, Psionicists, or Vampires.
This is the first part of our exploration of adding Fringeworthy to Star Wars while keeping all that makes Star Wars awesome.
This week we have a full Fringeworthy episode, but we are really talking non-game specific about what super tech is and how it might appear in your games.
This is another episode that was found hiding on my hard drive for nearly a year so the sound quality isn't to our current standards. Please forgive.
Links for this episode:
Indistinguishable from Magic by Robert L. Forward
Puppeteer General Products hulls by Larry Niven
This week we discuss the optimum Bureau 13 team composition. How many supernatural creatures should be in it? Is there an advantage to mixed teams?
The Gutter Skypes finish their run of Fringeworthy Actual Play. Thanks to all the gang, especially Mark Kinney of All Games Considered for being the GM.
They do go over the comments that they have collected during this run so you might find some illumination there.
The actual FW session starts at 01:11:10
This week we talk about what a great show is the Fringeworthy Actual Play done by the Gutter Skypes. We also talk about upcoming convention demos. Then on to listener questions. Trav's co-host on Dementia Radio has a lot of Fringeworthy questions for John and Bruce to tackle. Sit back and we delve into the hidden reaches of the Fringeworthy: The first and best transdimensional roleplaying game.
this is the official link to the next episode of the Gutterskypes Fringeworthy actual play sessions. Those of you who use Itunes have already gotten this as episode 52: sources of inspiration where Itunes is pulling down the wrong file. A file that until now didn't even exist in our library (cue twilight zone music). So the universe wants you to listen to this file, loyal fans :)
Wow, Itunes has linked our episode 52 to the gutter skypes Fringeworthy Actual Play episode # 5 somehow so what you get on the Podbean site isn't what you get in Itunes. So hopefully this one will actually link to the correct episode.
When you look for sources of inspiration for your adventure design where do you turn? Bruce, John, and Peter reveal their cache of thought provoking books, movies, comics, etc so you too can free your mind and make even more awesome adventures than you already do.
This is a blast from the past. We did this last March and only now is it getting published. Sorry about the sound quality. We've made significant improvements since then. Bruce got a brand new snowball mike for Christmas so that hum he used to have is gone.
Thanks to The Gutter Skypes who are doing a great job on their Fringeworthy actual play. I hope you are listening to them as well.
Links:
Books:
Ken_MacLeod: The Star Fraction, Newton's Wake: A Space Opera Sword of Shannara The Martian Chronicles The Skylark Series Thomas Convenant, The Unbeliever
TV:
The Wild Wild West Briscoe County Jr. Legend Star Trek: TOS The Prisoner Thundarr the Barbarian Kung Fu
Movies:
Deep Impact Damnation Alley Waterworld Oblivion Alien, Predator, Bladerunner, Alien versus Predator Jules Verne: The Mysterious Island, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Comics:
The Ministry of Space The Marvel Universe The DC Universe Wanted Get Fuzzy Brat Pack Heavy Metal Cerebus The Aardvark The Adventures of Tin Tin