Tabletop Hot Takes

You want to make an interesting villain. You want a BBEG that will stun your players with their interesting facets and faces. You want a nemesis as every great hero has. Funky and Aria have some thoughts on that. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's  itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can'...

Funky and Aria show their autistic colors by talking about trains. Railroading is a dirty word for so many people in RPGs. Funky and Aria think that's wrong. They talk about 19th century story theory, west marches games, and compromising. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's  itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to...

Funky and Aria are joined by their second guest for the second time! Sophia from Moviestruck joins to share her Tabletop Hot Take: Failing is Good and Important! Find more of Sophia at Moviestruck and Rolling with Difficulty ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's  itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot t...

Funky and Aria discuss time loop episodes. How do you run them? What are some ground rules? Where has that damn crystal gone?!... Funky and Aria discuss time loop episodes. How do you run them? What are some ground rules? Where has that damn crystal gone?!... Funky and Aria discuss time loop episodes. How do you run them? What are some ground rules? Where has that damn crystal gone?!... ... ------...

So many games want to have the ability to express mental illness in their characters. They "accomplish" that goal in so many different ways. Aria opens the floor to discuss this with Funky and talk about the pros and cons of different options here. They then contemplate the gentle sound of falling rain... CW: mental illness, specific diagnoses, honestly just the whole episode and a lot of differen...

Cults are great as RPG villains. Aria and Funky discuss details they think are important to making them and portraying them. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's  itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.takes@gmail.com

Aria and Funky go off the rails with a metadiscussion about tropes as whole. Funky goes off on Romantasy. Aria goes OFF on cyberpunk. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's  itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.takes@gmail.com

We yak and chat about movies, roses, smelling, and just appreciating life in general. It's a beautiful thing, y'all. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.takes@gmail.com

Aria and Funky talk about the pros and cons of various dice resolution systems, Game Master workload, and lose a bunch of audio... (Yay...) ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.takes@gmail.com

Aria and Funky welcome their first guest (Doug Lief of Nostalgium Arcanum) to discuss Final Fantasy 9 and Fabula Ultima. They go at length on topics of politics, why dragoons are sadly overlooked, and esteemed music artist Erutan (aka KatetheGreat19). ----------------------------------------- Doug's Shows Nostalgium Arcanum Playing By Ear Still Muppeting ----------------------------------------- O...

Do you wanna write a screenplay? / C'mon, give it a try / We'll never see you anymore The coffeeshop / is your new home today... You need to see the beat sheet / or else you're lost / Just give us a listen now... Do you wanna write a screenplay? / It doesn't have to be a screenplay Go away, Funky! / Okay, bye ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io -------------------...

Aria and Funky talk about the well-known storytelling tool of Chekhov's Gun. They talk about foreshadowing, paying off previous sessions, and, of course, mysteries ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- Want to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.tak...

TW: Chritianity, religious trauma, discussion of children dying Inspired by two VERY different games, Aria and Funky discuss some interpretations of the biblical apocalypse in two completely different games. Camp Kingdom Come and The Seventh Seal couldn't be any opposed. But they are both based in the same idea. Aria lays out their trauma, and Funky cries about it. --------------------------------...

Aria and Funky discuss Hawgbilly, a game system they found during UGNET. This one is rough. Swine & Sorcery is certainly interesting. But the misogyny of the 2000s sure shows. Aria also learns the definition of the word vamp, and Funky shows off his (terrible) mountain man dialect. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- W...

FINALE of the Ultimate Gamerunner Name Elimination Tournament. (4-Part Series) The highest effort shitpost imaginable. We kinda went ham on this one, honestly! Link for Games Involved - full download and review links for all as much as possible! Bracket - The full bracket to see the whole thing if ya want. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------...

Want to vote on Bracket placements for the final round? Go Here and fill out the form. Rank your faves and least faves! Part 3 of the Ultimate Gamerunner Name Elimination Tournament. (4-Part Series) The highest effort shitpost imaginable. We kinda went ham on this one, honestly! Link for Games Involved - full download and review links for all as much as possible! ----------------------------------...

Part 2 of the Ultimate Gamerunner Name Elimination Tournament. (4-Part Series) The highest effort shitpost imaginable. We kinda went ham on this one, honestly! Link for Games Involved ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- What to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us...

Part 1 of the Ultimate Gamerunner Name Elimination Tournament. (4-Part Series) The highest effort shitpost imaginable. We kinda went ham on this one, honestly! Link for Games Involved ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- What to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us...

Aria and Funky discuss Scum & Villainy, a game system they are both quite familiar with and played/ran in a years-long campaign. They have a lot of thoughts on this one. So settle down for a long conversation about a pretty good system for doing stuff in space. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- What to reach out to u...

Funky watched the movie, Aria didn't. They talk about it, and one reason why it's so great. They get into theme, classic boy band arrangements, and Caramell Dansen. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- What to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.ta...

Many moons ago, Professor Funky stumbled upon his signature way to start a campaign. He shares it now with the world at large. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io ----------------------------------------- What to reach out to us? Got a question? Want to share a hot take you can't put anywhere else? Email us at: tabletop.hot.takes@gmail.com

Aria and Funky discuss session zeroes, how prevalent they are, what sorts of things to include in them, and taco bell. ----------------------------------------- We guested on another podcast! Go listen to Moviestruck with Sophia Ricciaridi at https://moviestruck.transistor.fm/episodes/moviestruck-episode-123-the-fifth-element-1997-feat-tabletop-hot-takes ----------------------------------------- O...

Aria has an early christmas present for y'all. A lesson on better role playing! Do YOU want to be a better role player? Of course you do! Lucky for you, Aria has some classic tips and tricks. ----------------------------------------- We guested on another podcast! Go listen to Moviestruck with Sophia Ricciaridi at https://moviestruck.transistor.fm/episodes/moviestruck-episode-123-the-fifth-element...

What even IS a space opera? Aria and Funky attempt to find out. Along the way they discover the truth about Sandy Cheeks, and Horse Opera. ----------------------------------------- We guested on another podcast! Go listen to Moviestruck with Sophia Ricciaridi at https://moviestruck.transistor.fm/episodes/moviestruck-episode-123-the-fifth-element-1997-feat-tabletop-hot-takes -----------------------...

Funky and Aria discuss their feelings on playing Superintelligences. Make sure to listen all the way to the end. This episode has an extended blooper section. We get into 1960's Batman, Sandy Cheeks, and being the smartest person in the room. ----------------------------------------- Our Patreon Funky's itch.io -----------------------------------------