Riley, GM of Friend & Foe Adventure Co. Embraces the Wacky and
Oct 4, 2023
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Guest Riley, host of two indie podcasts, talks about their journey as a Dungeon Master, early experiences with RPGs, homebrew rules and content in tabletop RPGs, legalities of stealing ideas, creating quests and NPCs, the origin story of Friend & Foe Adventure Co., recommended board games, and advice for starting a show.
Creating custom content and classes can enhance the game experience.
The podcast gained popularity for its connection to the 'Borderlands' franchise and engaging story.
Quickfire Chaos segment introduces random encounters and creative roleplaying scenarios based on 'Borderlands' elements.
Deep dives
Origin story and early planning
The podcast, 'Friend and Faux Adventure Co.' was born out of the host's desire to start an actual play podcast based on the 'Borderlands' video game system. Early on, the host reached out to potential players including Phil, who had never played the game before, Kimmy, who was initially undecided, Matt, who had some experience with the game, and Kyle, who had played the third installment of the 'Borderlands' game. The host also started the board game community show as a way to practice talking to people and learn audio editing.
Building the podcast and audience
The podcast gained traction thanks to its connection to the popular 'Borderlands' franchise, but also attracted listeners who were drawn to the story and characters. Some fans of the podcast were already familiar with the 'Borderlands' lore, while others discovered the podcast without prior knowledge of the game. The host highlights that listeners who stay beyond the first few episodes tend to become dedicated fans, particularly after episode three when the characters and world-building shine.
Interacting with the game designer
Ian, one of the designers of the 'Borderlands' tabletop role-playing game, became a guest on both the host's board game community show and the actual play podcast. The host initially focused more on discussing the 'Borderlands' game during the interviews, but also found a connection with Ian. The host mentions that Ian's involvement did not directly influence the show, but their interactions and friendship have been meaningful and fostered a sense of community.
Home Brewing Classes and Creating Custom Tables
In this podcast episode, the host discusses their experience with home brewing content for a game they enjoy. They mention creating custom tables and home brewing two classes to cater to their wife's preferences. One class is a pet-based class, originally designed around a pet cat but modified to a pet hummingbird. The other class is based on a character from Borderlands 3, and the host explains the process of translating the character's skills into the tabletop RPG format. The episode also touches on the distinction between home brew rules and home brew content, emphasizing the importance of both in enhancing the game experience.
Quickfire Chaos and Roleplaying Scenarios
In this podcast episode, the host introduces the segment called Quickfire Chaos, where they and their guest roll up random encounters from the internet and create roleplaying scenarios. They discuss the scenario of finding the remains of a hero lost in battle and building an NPC who is a dairy worker with a lack of enthusiasm. They talk about incorporating elements from the Borderlands video game series into the scenario and the process of character creation. The episode also includes recommendations for board games like Lords of Waterdeep and the Quacks of Quedlinburg.
Riley is the host of two awesome indie podcasts, an actual play Borderlands TTRPG show called Friend & Foe Adventure Co and The Board Game Community Show. Riley loves creating shenanigans for his players and chatting with board game designers.
