Fear the Boot

* (0:29) Brodeur’s slamdemic, language choices, and current game. * (6:13) The beginning of Brodeur’s problems with Actor. * (13:18) Cue Ball returns with some insight. * (17:20) Why this might have been the wrong solution for Brodeur and/or a misunderstanding of Actor. * (23:42) Understanding where Actor is coming from. Why was Brodeur the only one addressing this? The much-referenced interview w...

* (0:23) Who is Amy? * (1:07) Why do we tolerate so much bad behavior at our gaming tables? Separating this topic from what one might encounter during public games (e.g. conventions, organized play). * (8:41) Friendships aren’t transitive. Also, perhaps we put up with the bad because it’s less than the good the same person brings. * (10:37) Opinions are identity. * (11:37) Hating confrontation whi...

An update on how COVID is impacting Fear the Con 2021.

* (0:28) In a world where… * (1:29) Laura is Lura, and now Dawn is Don? * (3:50) Explaining  and Powered by the Apocalypse. * (7:32) Transitioning the same characters from Masks to . * (12:44) The implicit model of every RPG system. * (17:17) Rebuilding the character instead of trying to directly translate it. * (21:40) Transliteration versus paraphrasing. * (31:06) Or just make a n...

* (0:29) Lura struggles with her own name, but we’re there to help! * (3:39) The flash fiction anthology, , is still available for purchase. * (7:43) Laura is starting a game for minority and marginalized people. You can contact her to learn more , email (Laura@FearTheBoot.com), or by PMing her . * (11:40) Wayne is also starting up a game, unrelated to Laura’s. You can contact him v...

* (0:24) A literal F-bomb. * (1:27) The fishbowl of gaming in a game shop. * (16:22) The desired safety—yet expected vulnerability—of a public gaming space. Missing context. * (21:49) An allegory of pets. * (27:32) Please not just D&D. * (29:03) An update on Fear the Con 2021. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:30) The flash fiction anthology, , is now out! * (3:35) Love for Johnny Lawrence that no child of the 80s should have. * (17:43) Wayne runs The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men with a family audience. * (24:37) How an audience impacts execution of the game. * (29:18) Tailoring to audiences based on your relationship with them. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:24) Enjoying roleplaying as an artform. * (1:44) When desires collide. * (11:37) The opportunity to express or explore controversial ideas. * (16:54) Indulging a power fantasy. * (23:20) Stress relief. * (30:28) Interacting with a particular world. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) Brodeur gets back on the ladder again. * (1:13) Dan plays doctor, which gets us wondering what makes people want to roleplay anything at all. * (5:59) Why it’s good to know what motivates someone to roleplay. * (10:07) Structured social interactions. * (15:13) Exploration of self. * (18:28) Exploration of others. * (21:38) Escapism. * (27:30) The opportunity for creativity. Hosts: Brodeur...

* (0:29) General Bootspital. * (7:19) More observations from roleplaying in an MMO. Not using freakshow characters to make yourself stand out. * (11:46) The great, unoccupied average. Distinguishing your character by who they are, not what they are. * (27:35) How collaborative game-building can keep characters from being freakshows to begin with. The praise-worthy amount of heart that often goes i...

* (0:29) Fear the Boot: Quarantine Edition. Plus, Brodeur versus Ladder. Ladder wins. NOTE: Brodeur has not actually lost an arm or eye. I meant to say he’d lost use of them. * (3:57) Roleplaying in an MMO, and why I never thought I’d do it. * (5:29) My history with MMOs. * (7:09) Comparing an MMO to any other electronic play surface. * (9:41) Five qualities that help RP in an online game: en...

* (0:24) Bringing everything together into a single ending. Remembering that the GM should get their say as well. * (8:05) The collaborative building of a world with conflict. The natural concern for one’s own creation. * (19:40) Differentiating the ending and epilogue of the game. * (34:50) Knowing where to let go. * (42:56) #SaveGamer…? Ask Brodeur. We’re not dealing with this one. Hosts: Brodeu...

* (0:30) Never humor Brodeur. * (1:17) Jason Brick is launching a new flash fiction anthology, with several Fear the Boot hosts contributing. You can find the Kickstarter here. * (4:23) The fine folks at  feed Dan’s Enclave addiction, and he repays them by referring to Wasteland Warfare as Wasteland Warriors. * (8:32) Discussing how to end a long campaign, as inspired by the end of our&n...

* (0:24) Brodeur’s response to our critiques. Settling disputes in online games. * (3:12) Minis are just cool to create and use. * (6:32) A form of art and inspiration. * (11:40) The value to visual thinkers and visual learners. * (21:40) Estimating the percentage of groups that use minis. * (27:29) Minis as commemorative art. * (36:06) Three ways of consuming miniatures. * (44:03) , who did...

* (0:29) Models, minis, figs, and toy soldiers. Brodeur proposes . Why Chad is wrong about . * (4:02) Minis in an RPG. Enriching or distracting? Brodeur’s  on the matter. * (15:36) What miniatures bring to and take away from the typical roleplaying game. Distaste for collectibles and blind box purchases. * (25:22) The added work surrounding minis. The need for more minis than y...

* (0:28) Brodeur’s , Wayne’s , and Fear the Boot’s . * (3:49) Looking at an updated view of the effect COVID is having on tabletop gaming. Setting some parameters on the discussion. * (8:47) The impact it’s had on our own games and gaming groups. * (20:32) How COVID is affecting the podcast. * (24:41) How COVID is affecting game creators, publishers, and retailers. Dan and Brodeur’s...

* (0:30) Nagging Brodeur to do an episode of . Brodeur’s . * (7:21) Revisiting command structures in a game. Waiting to set roles until after you’ve had a chance to play your character. * (14:28) Your character isn’t their job. * (21:44) Not having a group structure at all, juxtaposed with the inevitability of interpersonal organization. * (31:39) Micromanagers in leadership roles. * (35...

* (0:28) Developing a GMing style. * (2:38) Defining “GMing style,” as it will be used in this show. * (9:19) Laura, as a GM who is running her formative games. * (12:10) Picking up helpful ideas from other GMs without losing your own style. Sticking with it. * (18:43) Struggling with a sense of detachment from the game, due to the number of things a GM has to keep track of. * (35:12) The influenc...

* (0:28) How this topic may tie into the next campaign in our . * (7:47) The particular struggle over captain, as opposed to any other position on the bridge. * (9:21) The attractive folly of choosing a reluctant leader. * (17:00) The difference between trying to shoehorn in the wrong player versus the wrong character. * (26:03) Getting the right player and the right character. * (30:40) “A c...

* (0:28) Have a game! And an online calendar. * (3:09) When one player asks for a very specific game. * (9:08) Determining exactly what they want from this game. Yes, Chad, Green Squadron . * (11:18) Does the rest of the group want to participate in this game? * (12:40) An intentionally difficult example with . Restraining yourself as the subject-matter expert. * (18:32) Asking the reque...

* (0:24) Introducing Zylo and reintroducing Chris. * (0:49) A brief history of Fear the Conline. * (3:42) The dual novelty of running a con game and online game. * (7:10) Position the screen below the camera. * (9:02) Allowing for early communication between the GMs and players. * (11:52) The  Zylo made. Allowing time to setup the expected game-play tools. * (19:07) The degree to which a...

* (0:29) Are there TWO soulless gingers on the show!? * (4:03) Minnesotans and their grey ducks. * (6:03) Lura explains her tarot deck and witchery. * (14:37) A reading for Gnarl. The . * (26:22) A reading to give Wayne game advice.  * (39:30) A reading on Dan’s love life. The . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:29) Bad Brodeur gets bashful. Lura and finding God’s love in F7. * (8:13) Dan prepares to run a West Marches game. You can find our prior episodes on West Marches  and . * (11:02) The fresh perspective children and new gamers bring to the table. * (21:31) Working player-to-GM collaboration into a setting-driven game. Worldographer by . * (29:05) Growing your GMing skills b...

* (0:37) Wayne has to rather abruptly put his Dresden Files game on hold. * (10:46) The added difficulty of an ending you couldn’t plan for. * (11:47) Remembering where you left off. Taking a record of what both the GM and players remember and care about. * (24:13) Using audio instead of written notes. * (27:03) Finding game-oriented activities you can do in the interim. * (31:05) Using game-relat...

* (0:29) Unplugged cables and the ever-moving studio. * (4:20) The cost of a press pass. * (6:10) The hardest thing to do in a horror game. * (10:35) The lack of . When Pat was . * (23:01) Cutting away reality to nurture a new kind of fear. * (26:17) Displacing tension into the place of fear. Keith Curtis’ alien puppet. * (33:32) Starting with control of the gaming environment. * (37:10)...