3RPG Podcast

This week on the pod Jay and Sandra sit down to talk all things TTRPG with GM, designer, writer and actor, Justin Alexandrian of the Alexandrian. Comments: The Alexandrian https://thealexandrian.net/ So You Wanna Be a Dragon Slayer? (Justin Alexander) https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Dragon-Slayer-Characters-ebook/dp/B0DC538KBB Deathbringer TTRPG (Professor DM) https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/...

Description: This Halloween the gang goes trick or treating with a pillow case full of 'fun' sized batteries no, hopefully not tampered with 'treats' to inspire your Halloween based TTRPG session. The occasionally comic 'trick' might also rear its skeletal head. Comments: The Mummy as a Monster: Unraveling a Pop Culture Icon – Arlington Heights Memorial Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrk...

Description: Our discussions of Genre continues on the pod as Jay, Sandra and Chris get into with our inner Goth as we discuss the popular genre: The Gothic. Complete with lace, decay and a touch of the sublime (in silly comic format). Comments: Rata, I. (2014), An Overview of Gothic Fiction https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339018083_An_Overview_of_Gothic_Fiction The Castle of Otranto http...

Description: This week the gang talks VPL's, scary movies and other things that go bump in the night in our attempts to scare the bejeezus out of each other as we discuss the genre of Horror and how it can be used in your game as part of our Halloween month! Join us...if you dare! Mu-wa-haha Comments: Amityville Horror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_based_on_the_Amityville_haunting#Films Polt...

Description: This week the gang goes to Magic school to talk about what they like (and dont like) and the arcane arts. Open (this link)...says me. Comments: De Koven's The Well-Played Game (sorry mispoke) https://www.google.co.jp/books/edition/The_Well_Played_Game/YYiFAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=inauthor:%22Bernard+De+Koven%22&printsec=frontcover Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold Open 03:34 – Topi...

Description: This week on the pod Chris and Jay sit down to talk, interview, and create a One-Shot Workbench adventure with fellow game designer and podcaster Extrodinaire GM Neal of the Dungeon Master Block Podcast Network. Comments: GM Neals podcasts https://dungeonmasterblock.podbean.com/ GM Neals Substack https://www.thestruggleisneal.com/ Check out Neals work here https://rpggeek.com/rpgdesig...

Description: This week Jay, Sandra and Chris go out on a limb to discuss the hot topics: silly straws, marshmallows, sumo, empathy, identity and death in TTRPG. We walk a mile in the shoes of others and ask some tricky questions. Potential bawdy humor and risque topics abound. Comments: Faure: Requiem in D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-uzBqbMUvc Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open (Acronyms) 00:55 -...

Description: Deixis is a type of linguistic 'narrative pointing' and how words or phrases meanings change in context. How we 'point' at things narratively in games (especially without giving away the scoop) is what the 3RPG gang talk about this week. Do we have a 'point'? Comments: Duck Chess https://www.chess.com/terms/duck-chess Duckling Race https://www.duckrace.com/chicago Timestamps: 00:00 -...

Description: This week Jay, Sandra, and Chris get a little esoteric as we feel around the conundrum and symbiotic relationship of game mechanics, rules, artifacts, narrative and game feel using board games to illustration the point. While we may not get all our terms exactly correct we have a great time exploring this interesting space of game design. Comments: Twilight Struggle Board Game https:/...

Description: This week the Jay, Sandra and Chris sit down to interview prolific game designer and writer Gareth Hanrahan to talk all things RPG scenario writing, Tolkien and other topics! Comments: Gareth's Homepage https://garhanrahan.com/ Links to some of Garth's work below: The Borellus Connection https://pelgranepress.com/product/the-borellus-connection/ Hands of the White Wizards https://free...

Description: Even hobbies can get overwhelming and we all can reach a breaking point. This week, Jay, Sandra and Chris talk about how they deal with artistic/creative and burnout when it comes to RPG gaming week to week. Do no pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Comments: John Cleese on Creativity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvKeu46jgwo Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro (how comedy is filmed) 04:15 -...

Description: Sometimes things slip through the cracks, the 3rpg grab bag O fun and holding sweeps them up. Today we empty out our junk drawer of ideas and questions and lay them out in audio format. Standard chaotic humor mixed in with old rubberbands and paperclips. Comments: Kingsman Church Fight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90OFZQx_7xI John Wick Stairs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDpAqBN...

Description: This week, after our extended rant about fasion and animated cats, the gang eventually gets to ranking their top 10 monsters (criteria may vary). Do you agree with our lists? Post your top 10s in the comments below and let us know what you think. Timestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open 00:59 - Fast Fashion Facts 05:45 - Garfield dreams 08:42 - Topic Introduction fake out (more animated cat talk...

Description: This week the Sandra hold the gang together (as tired Jay goes off the rails) as we try to become amateur meteorologists as we brave the outdoors and talk about whether or not to use weather in your game. Answer: Of course you should. Apologies for the manic nature Comments: Garbage Pail Kids https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_Pail_Kids Dinosaurs Attack! (Topps) https://en.wikipedi...

Description: This week Jay and Sandra sit down with artist, game designer and anthropology enthusiast Federico Sohns to talk about his games, art and philosophy. Support Indy! Comments: Check out the Federicos's art here: https://federicosohns.artstation.com/ Zephyr: An Anarchist game of Fleeting Identities https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/araukana-media-ltd/zephyr-an-anarchist-game-of-fleetin...

Description: This week the 3rpg army hunkers down behind the battlements to discuss all things combat and battles. Can we hold out the night and await a much needed sortie by....cartoon characters? Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Mild Embarrassments 7:19 - Main Topic: Battles! 8:47 - Building up tension over battling 9:45 - Battles within battles 11:03 - Designing the Big/Epic battles (pardon the audio...

Description: This week we take random route down the catwalk as fashionistas of our fanstastic fabulous worlds. Will we move on to the next phase or who will be voted off the great 3RPG Fashion Bee. Probably not. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: Flopless Gorillas 3:10 - Topic intro: Flavor and Fashion 4:47 - Authenticity, Accuracy 5:47 - The Categories of 'Fashion' 7:12 - How to consider your worlds fashi...

Description: On this week's episode, the 3RPG hosts reveal their least favorite spells and how to rework them into arcana worthy of your precious spell slots. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 5:07 - The List 7:05 - #10 Chris - Identify, Sandra - Detect Traps, Jay - 'Elemental Clutter' 12:10 - #9 Chris - Create Food/Water, Dark Vision, Jay - Fireball 17:32 - #8 Chris - Stone to Flesh, Sandra - Familiars, Ja...

Description: In this episode, Sandra and Jay talk with fellow podcaster and gamer Isaac Shaker about his pod, his homebrew world and much more. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 1:25 - How and why TTRPG? 5:05 - Player vs. DMing. 7:23 - Rotating DMs? 9:32 - Isaacs Homebrew world 11:46- Tech, Gods & Plato 14:54 - Setting the Stage Podcast 20:09 - Systems for Introducing new Players 26:16 - Other Worlds to...

Description: The 3RPG hosts are giving all the love to caster classes this week by sharing our top 10 spells and how we abuse them in our own games. Comments: Joni Mitchell Controversy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Mitchell_blackface_controversy DOMINUS! aka ERA - Ameno (sorry not sorry for the 90's earworm) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xUnSVTh8fI And because we love you all... the li...

Description: What happens when you have a group eager to play but zero new story ideas? You turn to the classics for inspiration! Whether theming an entire campaign in an established IP or borrowing story elements to enhance your own, join the 3RPG hosts as they share their favorite franchises and movie picks for an epic (and quick) adventure. spoiler warning - while we make every attempt to not r...

Description: Join Jay and Sandra as they go head to head with fellow tabletop host Dave Townsend of Games With Dave. Comments: For more about Katadancon and how to be a part of it: https://tabletop.events/conventions/katahdin-con-2026 Pamola - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamola Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 2:11 - Enter: David Townsend 5:26 - Who, what, when is Games With Dave? 7:29 - 28 Interviews in...

Playing with the passage of time is part of storytelling, but what if you want some of those details are still essential? Queue the montage! In today's episode, the 3RPG hosts break down the what, when, hows of planning a riveting sequence without boring your players. Comments: - Sandra's character did not, in fact, die that night. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 5:25 - What is a montage? 12:15 - Risks of...

Dogs, pigeons, and hippos, oh my! Join the 3RPG hosts as they tackle the tricky balance of allowing pets in your game without letting the menagerie take over the table. Comments: - 1:45 - This opens up a much larger discussion about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation. for a great entry into this topic, we recommend: A Taste of Culture: Discussing Cultural Appreciation | Nora Brue | TEDxRansom...

Description: Who knew that leveling was such a hot topic that it needed two episodes? Jay, Sandra, and Chris did! Join the 3RPG hosts as they fight their way to the top of the leveling curve and finally demystify the quest for ultimate POWAH! Comments: - Mammatus Clouds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammatus_cloud Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 6:12 - Level up method 9:24 - Levels after dying? 13:30 - I...