Roll For Topic

Andy and Chris diverge from the show’s regular format to discuss a novel they both love and how to set meaningful stakes for RPG encounters… until Chris fails his saving throw and goes into a wild rant about the character creation process in D&D. Listen as they try to salvage some positive insight from Chris’ … Continue reading "Episode 71 — What’s Up with D&D Character Creation?"

We had ourselves a game convention! Chris and Andy share some brief reflections on the first Roll for Topic Con, a (very) mini-convention at which games were run, old RPG sourcebooks were traded, and fun was had.

Special guest Laura joins us to talk about the challenge of finding the right balance of tone and story at the gaming table. We also hear about Laura’s experience helping to organize the U-Con convention, and about her recently-finished East Texas University campaign, in which her players dealt with supernatural threats, midterm exams, and mean … Continue reading "Episode 69 — How Do You Balance Action, Levity, and Drama? (with guest GM Laura)"

What do large-scale battles look like in the games you run? Chris and Andy discuss the different ways that big battles can play out in a roleplaying game, and talk about the appeal and limitations of large-scale combat.

Amber Seger (@rocketorca) and Kyle Latino (@kylelatino) join Chris and Andy for part two of our playthrough of The Ground Itself! Show notes for Episode 67: Amber Seger, graphic designer, illustrator, co-owner of the Geekspective podcast network, and all sorts of other awesome things Kyle Latino, mad master of RPG maps The Ground Itself, the wonderful RPG … Continue reading "Episode 67 — ‘The Ground Itself’ Actual Play Part 2 (with Amber Seger and Kyle Latino)"

Amber Seger (@rocketorca) and Kyle Latino (@kylelatino) join Chris and Andy for an epic playthrough of The Ground Itself! Working together, we collaborate to tell the story of one extremely weird castle and the people who live and (maybe) die there. Show notes for Episode 66: Amber Seger, graphic designer, illustrator, co-owner of the Geekspective … Continue reading "Episode 66 — ‘The Ground Itself’ Actual Play Part 1 (with Amber Seger and Kyle Latino)"

After an opening reflection about character creation, Chris and Andy tackle the question that drives us all: what is THAC0, how does it work, and why do so many gamers point to it as a confusing stumbling block?

Join Chris, Andy, and guest GM Joel Boonstra as they venture off-script and deep into the heart of 1980s children’s cartoons! With the help of the Gamma World roleplaying game, they create a team of barge-dwelling crime-fighters certain to dominate Reagan-era toy store shelves and Saturday morning TV.

For a change of pace, Chris and Andy take a break from talking about roleplaying games and actually play one! We play a short game of Sports Are Just Numerology, a fun one-page RPG for two players by Ben Roswell. Listen as your co-hosts stumble through the frightening world of sports!

How are your physical game books a part of the experience of tabletop gaming? How do you handle, annotate, and use them at the table? Andy and Chris wade into questions about the beloved books that contain the games we play.