Role Playing Public Radio

Halloween is right around the corner so we are once again talking about running terrifying games. RPGs can’t really provide shocks like film or TV, but it’s still possible to run a truly scary game by keeping a few principles in mind. Specifically, a GM should focus on presenting ambigious information, giving players some but not total control and characterizing NPCs and monsters well....

Morality and alignment are two of the trickiest issues in tabletop RPGs. Every player has their own perspective, beliefs and biases and they frequently come out during play. How do you deal with conflicts over moral dilemmas? We go over several possible reasons why this occurs and how to resolve it. Tom forgot his letter at work, but we do have several shout outs and anecdotes: Minecraft : A highl...

My campaign for Monsters & Other Childish Things, Road Trip is out!  Buy your copy now. Cody has a new blog, Popgun Chaos. Read his reviews and essays about comics and bask in his glory . The Get Aaron to Gencon Kickstarter was a success! Listen to Aaron’s gam e. If you contributed enough to get a button or DVD, bug Aaron about it . Episode Synopsis: The newest campaign setting for Dunge...

My campaign for Monsters and Other Childish Things, Road Trip is available for pre-order! Buy it here! The Codex of War is out! Download it here. If you like our AP episodes, donate to the ‘Get Aaron to Gencon’ Kickstarter to get early access to 5 AP episodes. The real world holds just as much adventure as any fantasy or sci-fi setting. In this episode, Tom and I discuss various types...

At long last, the Codex of War is finished! This is the third book in the New World Campaign setting . The colony has survived its first winter in the New World, a testament to the courage and fortitude of its inhabitants, but now a greater threat looms over the fledgling settlement. While nearby native tribes have decided to live peacefully with the colony, a powerful coalition of tribes farther...

Adam Scott Glancy is one of the co-authors of Delta Green and is the man behind Pagan Publishing . I talked to him over Skype about the newest Delta Green book, Targets of Opportunity , a collection of new DG antagonist groups and M-EPIC, a Canadian anti-mythos organization.  We also talk about the resurrection of The Unspeakable Oath , the legendary Call of Cthulhu magazine, a scenario about temp...

Role playing is a collaborative hobby but conflicts between players and the GM inevitably arise. Cody, Dan, Tom and I discuss how adversarial gaming can affect your game and how to deal with it. RJ and I also talk about the new online tabletop section of the RPPR forums and we get into a discussion of the differences between long standing campaigns and shorter ones. We also have a few anecdotes an...

RPPR regular Cody reads 3 classics of fan fiction: The Music Destroyer , Guess Who , and Napoleon Dynamite in the Outer Space . This is accompanied by Beethoven’s Concerto no 5 in E flat major .

For this episode, we have Cody and RJ as guests and we discuss how to deal with improbable and implausible player devised plans. While heist movies are based on elaborate schemes, does every game need a 20 step plan in order to slip past a single guard? We also talk about current RPPR projects. The Codex of War is still underway but we have made significant progress. RPPR regular Aaron will underg...

In this episode, we have a special guest: Mike from Bear Swarm. We discuss why edition wars and hating on games in discussions is a pointless endeavor and why people endlessly flame each other over them.  We also talk about Catalyst Game Labs and of course, Tom has a letter. Shout Outs: Triangle : A great horror film that is better the less you know about it before you watch it. Pandemic : A board...

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Codex of War Ransom! In this episode, Cody, Tom and I discuss the use of social skills against other players, because of this blog pos t. When I ran a game at Fear the Con, I disallowed a player to use a persuasion skill against another player. We disagree and explain our beliefs towards the use of social skills and free will in games. RPPR Forums Threads...

New Rewards for the Codex of War Ransom! Have Ross run a game of YOUR CHOICE over Skype! In this episode we discuss how to add a sense of wonder to your game. Tabletop RPGs are only limited by your imagination yet too many games are dull dungeon crawl affairs of 10 foot wide corridors and orcs guarding pies, forever.  So how do you get that overwhelming awe in your game? We both talk about a few w...

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT RPPR AND THE NEW WORLD CAMPAIGN! GET 10 PREVIEW ACTUAL PLAY EPISODES. HAVE YOUR CHARACTER WRITTEN INTO THE NEW WORLD CAMPAIGN. LISTEN TO CODY’S UNEDITED READING OF MY IMMORTAL ! In this fanfiction reading, Chris, Jason and I each read a timeless classic. Jason reads Batman: Nemesis Fight a tragic tale of loss and fireballs. I read Halo: Halos in Space , an epic saga of...

Zombies of the World: a web series from RPPR co-host Ross Payton. Visit the Zombies of the World website and tell your friends about it! The Codex of War: A New World Campaign PDF ransom is up ! Donate now to make sure we meet the goal! Synopsis: Running a mystery based game is far different than an action based game. Tom has realized this after running several Call of Cthulhu games so we decided...

My Immortal is one of the most infamous fanfictions on the Internet. Cody reads the first four chapters, the opening of a goffik epic.  I can’t really add on to that. Prepare for the darkest, most dramatic saga of this generation. Or not.

In this episode, we have two guests, Cody and Aaron, to help us dispense advice for newbie game masters and share stories of our novice attempts at running a game. Plus the usual letter from Tom, an anecdote and an explanation of the phrase “There’s monsters in the school, Tom.” Promos Fear The Con: We’ll be there! Nerdbound: They run a campaign based in the New World. Shou...

During the holidays, we got together to record some classic fanfiction for your enjoyment. First off is Tom reciting Doom: Repercussions of Evil a classic story of horror and rocket missiles. Read the entire story below the fold. John Stalvern waited. The lights above him blinked and sparked out of the air. There were demons in the base. He didn’t see them, but had expected them now for year...

In this episode, Tom and I review 2009 in terms of gaming. The most memorable moments, games we played, games we wished we played and more. We also go over some of what we have planned for 2010 and Toms has some ‘anti-resolutions’ for New Years in his letter. Shout Outs Eclipse Phase Quick-Start Rules Dead Snow : Nazi Zombies plus college students FTW Russian versus fights – craz...

THE GUY WITH A JETPACK AND A HIGH POWERED RIFLE: When combat broke out he would zoom up into the air and start sniping. He had a kind of code against killing, he only killed villains if they fought back, or sassed him. Ab3’s first proper rant is now immortalized by RPPR! Listen to find out the worst heroes ever made in a horrible superhero campaign. This rant was originally posted on rpg.net...

If you are a fan of our Actual Play episodes, head over to the brand new RPPR Actual Play Podcast. It will feature a new AP episode every single week! We’ve already got over 11 hours of Call of Cthulhu ready for download. Don’t forget to comment on the episodes or post about them in our forums if you enjoy them. As you might have realized, it’s been a while since we’ve done...

[singlepic id=57  h=320 float=left] The Hulk has arrived! The Goblin Hulk has dropped anchor! Weighing in at over 17,000 words, this campaign sourcebook details the inner workings of the goblin hulk, a massive ship supporting an entire horde, bent on despoiling and looting everything of value in the new world.  Learn the secrets of the engineers and shamans who keep the ship running and the machin...

The Paragon Tier begins! A year has passed since the destruction of the thieves’ guild. The Water Barons now control Border Town, the second settlement of the colonial government. With their new power comes new challenges and new allies. A dragonborn sorcerer joins their ranks, played by Bill. What else happens? You need to listen to find out. The New World Campaign has continued on the RPPR...

A group of prisoners has been shipped to a remote laboratory in Nazi Germany during the final days of World War 2. But when they arrive, their guards disappear and they are left to their own devices. The lab is deep within the wilderness and a raging snowstorm makes escape on foot impossible. What happened to the lab’s personnel and what is still inside? Find out in Tom’s second playte...

A group of vigilantes has learned about a secret project codenamed Long Stairs by the US military.  They’ve found the base and must plumb its depths to find the truth behind the mystery of all masks, both good and evil. What dark secrets will be uncovered? Who will be spared? Find out in the thrilling conclusion of the Age of Masks.

Pacing is vital to form of storytelling, yet it seems to be overlooked in role playing games. After running a dozen games at Gencon and Dragoncon this year, I realized how important a proper pace is for a RPG. Tom and I discuss the importance of pacing, how to improve pacing in a game and what kind of mistakes a GM should avoid when running a game. Plus, a new letter from Tom, anecdotes and a favo...