GamingPerspectives

Jolene came across a blogger discussing some comment he had heard or been told.  Those were along the lines of "Your not a 'Real' GM if you don't make your own world or setting".  Your not a Real GM if you run modules, run one-shots, run games for kids etc.        Jolene told saw about the blog and he took a look at it and just to frustrate Jolene he thought of some ideas why someone would make th...

     In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss the idea of "What Kind of Player Are You?".  This topic is from a Reddit post that Saul read in the RPG forums.   The original poster had put of a panel with a little bit of an explanation of each"type" of player.       Though it is a way for a player to figure out what they enjoy most about RPGing, Saul thought it would be useful information for a GM t...

     In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss shopping in RPGs.  This topic was put forth by a Facebook post asking Saul to read a blog about shopping.  Saul mentioned it to Jolene who didn't think there would be much opinion on the subject, but even Saul was surprised by how adament people's opinion on the subject was.       From the players and GMs that absoulutely hated shopping in a RPG session...

     This episode came about from Saul reading a Facebook post about Storytelling and Railroading.  As gamers we all know the terms railroad and storytelling but Jeff Dee an artist and RPG author posted that he did not think "Storytelling" was an approbiate term for "Roleplaying".   As usual a large group of people responded with their ideas and that discussion lead to this episode.       Saul and...

     In this episode Saul and Jolene talk about Space Combat in Science Fiction RPGs.  There have been many SF RPGs and they all have to deal with combat in space in one way or another.  From developing a certain set of rules just for space combat or using their core mechanic into a set of space combat rules.          The problem many SF RPGs have is that space combat is very different animal than...

        In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss how players and GMs deal with Stuff. This is items that the playes posess or carry on their person.  How much stuff do they have and how do they keep track of their stuff.   Arrows, bullets, magic swords and food are at things that in most traditional RPGs have to deal with.  How do RPGs tell players to deal with the items that a character has.      ...

In this episode, Saul and Jolene finish up the three fantasy rpg alternatives to D&D 5th Edition.  In this third installment is on Low Fantasy Gaming Deluxe by Pick Pocket Press.       Like the other two FRPGs discussed Low Fantasy Gaming takes a different path than D&D 5th Edition.   Low Fantasy Gaming is a darker, gritter,  and a lower magic fantasy roleplaying game.        Saul and Jolene discu...

    In this Episode we are fortunate to interview Kuba creator of Touched by the Gods RPG.  Its a fantasy RPG using Free League's Year Zero Engine.       The Art is amazing and Year Zero engine is one of Saul's favorite systems as it can handle such wide variety of genre's and type of RPGs.  From mutant apocalypse to space opera to space horror the Year Zero system is fairly simple and flexible.  ...

     In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss three games that are good for those new to RPGs.  Jolene noticed a number of things of the games that Saul chose for Beginning RPG players.        First of all they are all six-sided dice based.  Even all the systems are very different they all share the plain ole' D6.  Jolene like most gamers love those polyhedrel dice.         This episode is quite fu...

    In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss why Magic Users are popular in RPGs and what magic systems there are and which ones Saul really likes.     Web Art by Jim Foster    Episode Art by Michael Shean-Jones    Music by Deephi Magic, song Magic Ride, from the album Imagination Serie

     Saul and Jolene continue their discussion of Fantasy Role-Playing games that are not D&D.  This week's game is Symbaroum a game by Free League publishing.   Like Warhammer Fantasy, this game is darker and grittier than Dungeon and Dragons 5th Edition.  But unlike Warhammer Fantasy the rules are much lighter and easier to learn and play.          The discussion does cover the idea that because...

     Saul and Jolene have been asked and seen many posts on social media about alternatives to D&D.  Saul decided to stay in the Fantasy Genre and chose a couple of games that are in the same genre but come at Fantasy from a totally different perspective.        This was supposed to be a single episode discussing a couple of what Saul considers very good examples of being Fantasy RPGs but as far r...

     In this episode Saul tries to give advice from a query on FB.  The post asked advice on how to deal with two players in their group of four players that always go beyond the limitations the GM wanted in their RPG campaign.  From using races and classes from books the were not on the GM's list, to porting characters from long dead campaigns from several edition past.        Saul and Jolene giv...

    In this episode Saul and Jolene talk about the SRD's (System Reference Document) that are being published by some game publishers of their in house RPG Systems.  Saul has been wondering about this happening with a couple of publishers.      Specifically Modiphius with their 2D20 system and Free League with their Year Zero Engine.  Each of these publishers have made several RPG rules using a ve...

In this Episode Saul and Jolene discuss finding your GM Groove, which to Saul means GMing a session, an adventure or a campaign where the players and GM have a great time.  Now there is nothing that will guarantee a game going really well but Saul has a list of things that can make it more likely.        Jolene is a bit confused by Saul's archaic terms but she broke it down for those not around in...

        In early July Saul was contacted by Christina from RPG Stories  on the Gaming Perspectives Facebook account.  Working with Christina we were able to get an interview with Agis Angelomatis.         In this Bonus Episode Saul and Jolene interview Agis of RPG Stories, to learn what they have been working on to change your online TTRPGs experience .  RPG Stories is a 3D Virtual Table Top for T...

In this episode Saul and Jolene discuss how different RPGs make you "roll" up a character.  They also discuss how they prepare to make their characters even before making any kind of dice roll or character creation decisions.  In some RPGs character creation can be quick or a long process but there are always choices that players make when making a character.     Thank you all for listening,     E...

     For this episode Saul and Jolene talk about Episodic and Long Arc campaigns.  How they are different and what to expect from choosing to run a campaign in either style        Saul has mostly run campaigns in the episodic style.  Though lately, within the last 10 years has run the long arc campaigns.    A couple where he came up with his own storyline and another rather famous published campai...

 RPGs go out of print for many reasons.  Is it a good idea to buy an RPG that will be going "Out Of Print"?  Saul and Jolene discuss the idea of buying RPG books that will be going out of print.  There are many reasons that a gamer might want to play RPGs that will no longer be printed.  Saul comes up with 3 different reasons why someone would buy a game that will no longer be supported and Jolene...

     Saul and Jolene discuss updating old and usually out of print games in this episode.  Saul and Jolene look at three, new modern takes on some old RPGs.  The old rules are either hard to get a hold of, because they are out of print, or the rules are written in a hard to understand style.        Saul and Jolene discuss how  updating the rules could bring these games to a generation of players t...

      Saul when running his D&D games has never allowed Evil Characters or Assassins.  Though Saul had this rule he didn't have to enforce for 25 years as a GM.  Many GMs often have limits in their games.  GM's often restrict such things as certain races, Alignments, Classes, "broken characters"  and many other reasons in many different games.       Saul and Jolene discuss this topic in this episo...

  In this episode Saul and Jolene talk about describing scenes in RPGs.  Saul and Jolene discuss how some quick and simple use of descriptions can add quite a bit to your roleplaying sessions.  Not only does it help getting the players engaged but also helps keep the game from getting too stale.       Thank you all for listening.  We ask that you share our podcast with your friends and family.    ...

     Saul and Jolene received an email from a friend who was complaining about RPGs that makes things harder by changing well known game terms for ones that are more evocative for their game setting.        Saul and Jolene looked into the game he was complaining about and they agreed that because the creators of the RPG were trying to be really immersive, they were making it more difficult to actu...

Its been a couple busy weeks since the recording of this episode.  It was recorded the week before Saul and Jolene went to Kublacon a gaming convention in Northern California.  It was a very well attended convention post Covid shutdowns.   So the getting ready for that convention delayed getting this episode edited and published.    Jolene and Saul have mentioned Vampire many times in previous epi...

Getting the players on the right track to the adventure that the GM has prepared is sometimes a bit of a problem.  Sometimes the GM's Plot Hooks are too vague, too numerous, or too obvious that the players don't follow the path to the adventure prepared.   Saul and Jolene discuss ways that could make it easier for your players to go down the right path onto the adventure.       As usual Jolene sco...