Casting Shadows

We hope you enjoy our discussion. If you are inspired to leave a comment, you can do so at SpeakPipe , on Spotify, or at the following email address: runescastshadows AT gmail. My guest for this episode was kind enough to join me out of a shared appreciation for the ⁠GoBag podcast⁠ . GoBag focuses on covert action RPGs and maintains a lively tone of enthusiasm and a thirst for adventure. At time o...

In this installment of the Friendly Conversations about RPGs series, I am joined by Erik Schmidt of the Setting First YouTube Channel, Blog, and Discord (Links Below). Our topic for this discussion is the interplay of setting, character, and player perspective to help foster characters which feel believable and lead players toward play that feels natural and grounded in that setting. If you enjoy...

This is a 1:1 conversation with Scott Welker, long-time gamer and successful game designer, and most importantly for this video: 30 years of experience in the Navy working his way up to the top of the Enlisted ranks. With titles based in Savage Worlds, D20, Year Zero, and soon a system of his own making. Scott is one half of @ThievesGuildGamingOfficial. Our conversation is an examination of concer...

Special Guests :   ⁨@OrcusDorkus⁩   ⁨ @RPGSean⁩   ⁨ @ThirdFloorWars⁩  Panel Topic: Running Horror, Comedy, or Comedic Horror - in the moment. In this audio-only version of our frightfully cheerful conversation nothing has been cut or lost, but the video version on YouTube has had some extra details, notes, and ideas added to it which you might appreciate. You can also see all the nodding in that v...

This episode is another review of a post from the Casting Shadows blog , though this time the Wayback Machine is just taking us five short years (and a few decades of observation and experience) into the past. This time we look at a post based on the increasingly narrowing rhetoric around the technique of the Session 0 which tries to restore the balance required in that technique for long-term pla...

This episode includes a call from Jason Connerley in regard to the episode with the Arcane Alienist about RPGs and memory, and then sets the Wayback Machine for 2010 and a fresh look at an old post called By any other name~ LINKS: Weird Studies Podcast Homepage - Episode on Dungeons & Dragons, or the Reality of Illusions Nerds RPG Variety Cast Arcane Alienist Podcast By Any Other Name blog pos...

For this video version of this episode, I am joined by the host of the seemingly lapsed Hobbs and Friends, and the sadly sporadic Random Screed, by the Mr. Hobbs of Mr. Hobbs' Gamerhood: Jason Hobbs. He and I dive into some core elements of his recent foray into game writing with his release 'Bite the Bullet' which you can obtain PWYW on itch.io or DriveThruRPG. The game, a western-the...

For this episode, I am joined by the host of the seemingly lapsed Hobbs and Friends, and the sadly sporadic Random Screed, by the Mr. Hobbs of Mr. Hobbs' Gamerhood: Jason Hobbs. He and I dive into some core elements of his recent foray into game writing with his release 'Bite the Bullet' which you can obtain PWYW on itch.io or DriveThruRPG. The game, a western-themed RPG based on Into...

THIS IS THE FULL, UNABRIDGED CONVERSATION. Sean Kelley now host of the  @RPGSean  channel joins me for a natural discussion of seemingly tough topic: long-form and campaign play of cosmic horror RPGs. Drawing on experiences in our own play, using our own material, and such fantastic and lengthy campaigns as Impossible Landscapes and Masks of Nyarlathotep , we cruise through some core ideas, some f...

This is an OctOSR -adjacent episode. Thanks go out to BJ Boyd, the Arcane Alienist, for being a guest on this episode to help frame and execute a discussion on the nature of memory and some key ways that can affect our play and understanding of RPGs. You can find BJ's podcast at the link below: The Arcane Alienist For more RPG investigations, visit the  Casting Shadows blog Watch Annotated Act...

This is an abridged version of a long overdue conversation with Scott Welker, long-time gamer and successful game designer with titles based in Savage Worlds, D20, Year Zero, and soon a system of his own making. Scott is one half of Thieves Guild Gaming . Our conversation is a full on, open-minded examination about focused attention in RPGs - otherwise known colloquially but ambiguously and unhelp...

I am joined by 3 friends that I am fortunate enough to game with regularly, Brian Courtemanche, Brian Gregory (Stochastic Agency on YouTube) and the indefatigable Ivan 'More Bass' Podgwaite. We discuss some gaming topics for quite awhile (made less through the magical power of editing) before diving into some off the cuff inspiration and improvisation with the first few prompts of #RPGaDAY2025. I...

This episode possibly resumes more regular releases of the podcast while sharing thoughts on some topics I have missed recently and on that gem of a system, Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying. Casting Shadows Blog Send a voice message to CastingShadowsPodcast Runeslinger - YouTube

Is Hindsightless THE most sporadic podcast on the Internet? I am not sure, this one must surely qualify for something in that category. NOTE : The recap portion of this video has been subtitled for your convenience. I have been putting up a in-depth videos on the YouTube channel lately about the nature of RPGs, so this weekend, with my thin strips of free time, I grilled up a recap as a sort of ce...

This nearly 90-minute conversation was made possible by the open-minded attitude of TrilltheDM, the interest of MercuriousAulicus and Black Lodge Games, and I suppose, the letter X. In it, we discuss Trill's recent video: Mastering Player Choice in Mystery and Horror RPGs and take it further than the original 10-minute runtime would allow, dive into its specific context, and in general have an enj...

This episode is in three segments. The first presents links and reactions to just a few of the cool posts I have seen in response to the 2nd week of #RPGaDAY2024. This is part of a series for each week of the event. If you have suggestions for great posts, send me a message with the links! The second segment offers some tantalizing morsels stolen from the freshly unearthed Mordavia: Land of Horror...

This episode presents links and reactions to just a few of the cool posts I have seen in response to the first week of #RPGaDAY2024. This is intended to be the first of a series for each week of the event. If you have suggestions for great posts, send me a message with the links! CONTACT THE SHOW: E-Mail Voice Message FIND CASTING SHADOWS: Blog Channel LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE: Autocratik Blog Nerd...

In the first segment of this episode I quickly share some of my responses to the first week of #RPGaDAY2024 prompts. Later in the week ahead, I will be sharing cool prompts from other folk that I have found out there on the Internet. The second segment explores the structure and some suggestions for running The Great Campaign from Triple Ace Games for their Leagues of Adventure line using the Ubiq...

This episode takes us on a semi-farcical journey into language and imagery to talk about the very necessary nature a lack of meaning and import can have to immersive and engaging in-character play. Curious? I hope so~ #RPGaDAY2024 infographics are available at AUTOCRATIK AUTOCRATIK: Announcing #RPGaDAY2024 for August Contact me at: runescastshadows at gmail dot com Send a voice message to CastingS...

Links to the callers featured in this episode can be found below. This episode features calls from Sameoldji (link to his eponymous podcast can be found below), Jason Connerly formely of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast (link to his now complete library of podcast episodes can be found below), and Che Webster of the now intentionally intermittent Roleplay Rescue podcast (link provided below). Topics in...

I sit down with a second conversation with Daniel Jones of  @Primaeval  , this time about making the culture and approach to play at your RPG table more accessible to others. Do we achieve this goal? Join us and see~Contact Me: www.speakpipe.com/castingshadowsblog.com runescastshadows@gmail.com

In this conversation with Roleplay Rescue's host and seeker of immersive and engaging play, Che Webster, we discuss some blog posts about techniques that Che is trying out to get more of what he wants out of play. As that quest is near and dear to my heart, I thought others might resonate with it as well. We talk about making room for imagination, facilitating a more active stance in our imagi...

This episode responds to listener calls dating back to the last two episodes of the podcast and continuing the exploration of imagination, memory, and attention as valuable parts of RPG play. Thanks go out to Jason Connerly, Spencer/FreeThrall, and Jean-Francois 'SameOldJi' St-Onge for the calls and the interaction~ Podcasts mentioned in the episode: Nerd's RPG Variety Cast Keep off th...

This episode responds to listener voice messages, does a surface exploration of the experience of imagination and gets into some practicalities about the benefit of talking about imagination with your group. Listeners are invited to contact me via the methods below to share their thoughts on their experiences of imagination. Visit the Casting Shadows blog at https://castingshadowsblog.com Visit us...

Preparation is one thing that can benefit from change if you adjust your style or intentions for play. My guest has recently discovered a desire for playing more and more in-character (moving toward in-character as-character) and leaving room for immersion to happen. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/-01dPAKsvM4 MY GUEST: CRISPY of the @Tablerunner YouTube channel. Origin: "I'm an RPG en...