Dieku Podcast

We were joined by Manuel Sambs who created the Savage Worlds supplement Sprawlrunners which combines cyberpunk with sci-fi fantasy elements.   To learn more about Sprawlrunners and Savage Worlds:   DriveThru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Manuel%20Sambs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeiledFuryEntertainment The Veiled Fury Entertainment Discord Server: https://discord.gg/X...

It was an honour to be joined by Greg Costikyan who has created many ground-breaking table top role playing games such as Paranoia, Toon and Star Wars D6. Greg has gone on to be a change maker in the game design industry, speaking up for indie game developers, and sharing design theories that are now considered foundational.   To learn more about Greg and his work, please visit: https://www.c...

We were joined by Andrew Cawood, the creator of the World of Myrr, which includes the wildly popular Monsters of Feyland, Monsters of the Underground, Monsters of the City, and Monsters of the Wilderness.   To learn more about Cawood Games: https://worldofmyrr.com https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/cawoodpublishing https://www.facebook.com/worldofmyrr https://twitter.com/cawoodpublish https:...

We were joined by Luka Rejec, designer of TTRPG products such as Ultraviolet Grasslands, SEACAT, Witchburner, and Let Us In. Luka shared his journey of starting out in TTRPG forums on the Forge and G+, before he found his voice. Luka also shared his philosophy on learning through mistakes, and that trying to make things perfect is the enemy of learning.   To see more of Luka's work visit: htt...

We were joined by Andrew Kolb, the designer of the Ennie Award nominated Neverland TTRPG. Andrew shared his career path from graphic designer, illustrator, and game designer, and the lessons that he's learned along the way.  Using inspiration from the JM Barrie's original concept,  Andrew combined his mid-century styled illustrations with solid layout and typography to create a cohesive...

After watching an incredible football game on Sunday between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, it made me realize the similarities between Sports and the OSR Style of play.   OSR Style of Play = Sports (Random Tables & Complete Player Agency)  Other Styles = Scripted Drama (Railroad & Adventure Path) This is NOT to be confused with Ben Milton's great comparison of Com...

After taking a bit of a break over the holidays, the channel is ramping back up with more long-form interviews with some incredible of designers.  In the meantime, I just wanted to take the opportunity to look at what some of our previous guests have been up to!

2021 was another interesting year in the TTRPG Industry, and we asked Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series, to provide historical context to what we are seeing in a Year in Review.  Shannon also shared his insights on a variety of current topics including the return of conventions, DnD5E, OSR, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Swedish Game Design, Free League, Mothership...

We were joined by Gavriel Quiroga, designer of Hell Night which is currently on Kickstarter until January 22.  Gavriel discusses discusses his inspiration for design Hell Night, as well as his older games Warpland and Neurocity.  Learn more at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gavrielquiroga/hell-night https://www.facebook.com/gavriel.quiroga https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/1...

We were joined by prolific game designer, Philip Reed, who has produced volumes of supplements over his career. Although he has a full time job as CEO of Steve Jackson Games, he continues to pursue making small indie style game supplements out of his sheer love of design. Most recently he has created several supplements for OSR style games such as o Mork Borg and Troika. He shared some of his desi...

We were joined by Matthew Carlson, the creator of WanderSquares,  The Underwood Tunnels - a fantasy tabletop role playing game with an ever-changing map and choose-your-path adventure guide, designed for adventurers, 9 & up!   WanderSquares successfully completed their first Kickstarter in 2020, and now is looking to launch their second adventure - The Golden Hive - in 2022!  Fo...

Making role-playing games can feel futile at times, and sometimes you feel like just giving up. Maybe your game is too weird, too old, too..... whatever! I came across this inspiring interview with Wes Anderson from the New York Public Library, and it made me realize that sometimes you just have to find your audience, even if it is just a single voice.

We were joined by Yochai Gal, the creator of Cairn, an adventure game about exploring a dark and mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities. Character generation is quick and random, classless, and relies on fictional advancement rather than through XP or level mechanics. It is based on Knave by Ben Milton and Into The Odd by Chris McDowall.  &nbs...

We were joined by Tim Earley, who recently completed a successful Kickstarter for his new game - Holler, an Appalachian Apocalypse folk horror game. Tim's shares the inspiration for the game as a love letter to his own heritage and experiences growing in the Appalachia. Tim also shares how he got into RPGs and designing games, as well as the string of events that caused Pinnacle Entertainment Grou...

Leo from LF OSR  joins us to discuss his journey into the world of OSR, starting with AD&D stylized illustrations which grew into a thriving printing and design business including the amazing Packet of Particular Peaks!  Leo also shared his advice for new designers thinking about taking their first steps into printing their games and zines.   For more information on LF OSR https...

As part of filming the Friendly Local Game Store documentary, we interviewed a number of amazing individuals that brought great insight into all the things we love. We ended up with over 20 hours of footage, that we had to edit down to approximately 90 minutes.  As part of the bonus features in the Kickstarter we are including some of the extra footage that allowed our guests to be more in-de...

After a lengthy gap in podcasts, I provide a bit of an update on what I'v been up to - including the discovery that I'm a needle in a needle stack! But it also provided me some perspective on what I really appreciated about the TTRPG hobby, which is talking about games, game designers, and the industry in general. From that realization, I used my energies to create a documentary on the World's Lar...

I was joined by Kevin Madison from the Dungeon Musings YouTube Channel, which has now live-streamed over 500 gaming sessions since launching in 2015. As amazing as that feat is, even more impressive is the Channel’s Heroes Saving Villages charitable efforts. The Dungeon Musings Community has now donated over $10,000 for SOS Children’s Villages, an incredible organization that supports orphaned, ab...

In this episode of the Dieku Podcast, we were joined by M.A. Guax, a Brazilian TTRPG designer who has been developing some very interesting minimalist games since coming onto the scene. This last March, Guax hosted the first ever #LatAmJam on Itch with some of his fellow Latinx designers. Warch to learn more about how Guax entered the TTRPG industry and his philosophy on game design and influences...

In this episode of the Dieku Podcast, Shannon Appelcline, author of the "Designers & Dragons" series provides an incredible overview of the many companies that have contributed to the table top role playing game industry over 40+ years. Shannon also shared his insights on a variety of current topics including DnD5E, the OSR, Indie Games, Kickstarter, Swedish Game Design, Diversity & Inclus...

In this episode of the Dieku Podcast we discuss the burning question that keeps every game designer up at night. That of course is damage and armor! We pose some questions about damage and armor, and do brain dump and deep dive on the subject. We also share our own solution to damage and armor by identifying the problems we hoped to solve with the Dieku System, highlighting some samples and scenar...

In this episode of the Dieku Podcast we discuss design trends in the RPG industry, and in particular the OSR, where much of the innovation is taking place. Reviewing a recent episode of the Questing Beast, we dive into the idea of having unique voices within the industry that is a breath of fresh air compared to the corporate produced games of WOTC's Dungeons and Dragons. We then cover where this...

In this episode we have special guest, Chuck Welch, who has spent the last 25 years bringing together fans of the pulp fiction character Doc Savage through The Hidalgo Trading Company website and the Flearun Facebook group. When he isn't discussing Doc Savage online he edits the Bronze Gazette, a magazine devoted to Doc Savage. Pre-COVID, Chuck hosted an annual convention for Doc Savage...

Discussing the philosophy and design choices in making the Cities Grimm game setting, trying to balance the super hero genre with occult darkness, gangbusters, Cthulhu and temple run style games. LINKS TO DIEKU GAMES diekugames.com Twitter.com/diekugames Instagram.com/diekugames

Garry Snow introduces himself and his background on RPGs and shares his plans for The Cities Grimm RPG, as well as a minimalist RPG system that retains an OSR feel. Topics include a call out to Basic Red Box D&D, Palladium Games, and the goal of striking the balance between minimalism and comprehensive systems. LINKS TO DIEKU GAMES diekugames.com Twitter.com/diekugames Instagram.com/diekugames