Casting Shadows

This episode takes three relatively recent posts from the Casting Shadows blog and brings them into the audio format of the Casting Shadows podcast - raising three different observations on the members of our hobby for your consideration. Links to those posts and other material mentioned in the episode are below. Voice Comments are welcome at www.speakpipe.com/castingshadowspodcast Adam Neely Link...

This is a very brief description of the second half of #RPGaDAY2026 on my written blog, Casting Shadows , in a table of contents style. The responses walk a line between sharing character ideas, exploring how games handle and encourage character and characterization, and offering some ideas about what those characters might be about. The incredible briefness of all of this may be traumatic for est...

This is a brief description of the #RPGaDAY2026 event as it is playing out so far this year, with some tips and locations to help fight the tide of algorithmic suppression and step out of community siloes. There is also a brief survey of what I have been sharing on my written blog, Casting Shadows , in a table of contents style. The briefness of all of this will stun established listeners into a s...

We hope you enjoy this episode. 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. LINKS: #RPGaDAY2026 starts August 1st | Casting Shadows AUTOCRATIK: Announcing #RPGaDAY2026 in August LAUNCH VIDEO MIRKE the MEEK Podcaster RPGaDAY Solution

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