Masters of Pen and Paper

What if your whole RPG fit on a single page? In Episode 42 of Masters of Pen and Paper, we dig into Searchers of the Unknown , Nicolas Dessaux’s ultralight fantasy RPG that strips old-school dungeon crawling down to its bare essentials. No bloated rulebook. No sprawling character sheet. Just a tiny stat block, some dice, and enough danger to make every delve feel deadly. We break down the game’s m...

Cut off from Earth, living in the shadow of sleeping machines… and the fear of those that wake. In Episode 41 of Masters of Pen and Paper , we explore Dreams and Machines , Modiphius Entertainment’s hopeful post-apocalyptic sci-fi RPG set on Evera Prime. Created by Chris Birch and powered by Nathan Dowdell’s 2d20 system, this game blends rich worldbuilding, narrative-first mechanics, and a unique...

Being the GM is work… a LOT of work. Between building encounters, writing NPCs, prepping maps, and organizing story beats, it can start to feel like you’re managing a project instead of playing a game. But what if you could cut down that prep time and still run an amazing session? In this Behind the Screens episode of Masters of Pen and Paper, we break down the tools, habits, and mindsets that hel...

All games ask a question. The Devil’s Dandy Dogs asks: What makes the best story? In Episode 39 of Masters of Pen and Paper , we fetch souls for the Devil—one story at a time. Written by Shanna Germain of Monte Cook Games, this narrative-first TTRPG puts players in the paws of shadowy hounds sent to retrieve souls… but it’s the story of the hunt that truly matters. We break down the unique structu...

There’s a wound in the world—and it bleeds gothic horror. In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , we dive deep into Rhapsody of Blood , the Powered by the Apocalypse gothic action RPG with themes like Castlevania, tragic heroes, and generational storytelling. We explore Minerva McJanda’s haunting design, the ever-shifting transdimensional castle, bloodlines bound by fate, and the brutal choi...

Welcome to Goblin Quest , a wildly absurd one-shot TTRPG where you play not one but five doomed goblins trying to complete a ridiculous quest before you're inevitably launched from a catapult or stepped on by an orc. Written by Grant Howitt, this chaotic romp is perfect for anyone who loves slapstick, improv-heavy games, and D6-powered madness. What’s in this episode: A deep dive into Goblin Q...

Fear Itself (2e) is a horror RPG that asks you to step into the shoes of regular people caught in terrifying, supernatural circumstances. Powered by the investigative GUMSHOE system from Robin D. Laws and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, this system flips traditional gameplay by removing barriers to key clues, encouraging paranoia-fueled storytelling, and inviting players to risk their sanity for the truth....

Sometimes campaigns stall. Burnout creeps in, players start to disengage, and game nights feel like a chore. It happens! In this episode of Behind the Screens , we’re exploring the power of pausing your campaign and how a well-timed break can actually reinvigorate your table. We talk about: Signs your campaign might be running out of gas How to communicate with your group about taking a break What...

What if your next solo RPG campaign wasn’t about saving the world—but about exploring the alley behind your house? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , Mike and Finny pounce into Be Like a Cat ; a whimsical solo/duet tabletop RPG that turns the everyday life of a cat into a full-blown adventure. From urban rooftops to cyberpunk networks and ancient myth, Be Like a Cat is a sandbox of imag...

Time is breaking down, the apocalypse looms, and only a handful of time-traveling agents can fix it. Enter: the Chrononauts . In this episode, DG and Finny dive into Time Force , a one-shot Blades in the Dark hack where players leap through time, make chaotic changes to the past, and deal with wild ripple effects in the present. We cover: The quick-start rules and structure of Time Force The time-...

What do you get when you mix Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, interdimensional portals, DIY rayguns, and high school angst? Slugblaster. This week on Masters of Pen and Paper , @Finny and Mike gear up and blast through one of the wildest indie TTRPGs around. Slugblaster is a high-octane, narrative-driven game where teens with homemade tech and bold dreams shred across alternate dimensions, battling corpora...

What do you get when you mix a gritty industrial fantasy city, demonic leviathan blood-powered tech, and a crew of criminal scoundrels with nothing to lose? You get Blades in the Dark ; one of the most iconic indie TTRPGs of the last decade. In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , Mike and Finny slip into the haunted streets of Doskvol to talk all things heist, horror, and heat. We dive into...

What makes a TTRPG truly work ? In this Behind the Screens episode, Mike and Finny dive into the concept of the Magic Circle — a foundational idea that shapes how we play, why we play, and what it means to build a shared space of imagination, immersion, and safety around the table. From the philosophical roots of Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens to practical tools like Session 0, tone checks, and &quo...

No players? No problem. In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG takes the wheel solo and explores Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition —one of the most powerful tools for solo RPG play, co-GMing, and improvisational story building. 📚 Learn about the origin of the Mythic system 🎲 Understand how the Fate chart , Random Events , Scene Structure , and Chaos Factor work 🧠 Explore how thi...

You’re not a brave hero. You’re not a cunning rogue. You’re a kobold—and your job is simple: DON’T DIE. This week, Finny and I dive headfirst into Kobolds Ate My Baby! , the riotous beer-and-pretzels TTRPG that flips traditional adventuring on its head. We’re talking: The origins of the game (including its Munchkin connections!) How the hilarious Polymorph system fuels chaos Barking to reroll dice...

Episode 27 – 7th Sea: Swashbuckling, Sorcery & Storytelling Ready to duel villains, dodge cannonballs, and romance royalty? This week, Masters of Pen and Paper dives into 7th Sea 2nd Edition — a cinematic tabletop RPG where storytelling takes center stage and dice rolls fuel high adventure. We break down the history of the game, its unique d10 risk system, and what makes it perfect for players...

Break out the dice, grab your crayon, and step into the dungeon of nostalgia. In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , we’re celebrating ONE YEAR of the podcast by cracking open the legendary 1983 Red Box edition of Dungeons & Dragons —the version that taught a generation how to adventure. We explore: The history and legacy of Frank Mentzer’s Red Box How a “choose your own adventure” solo...

What makes a great dungeon? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny go Behind the Screens to guide you through how to build your first dungeon —whether you need a sprawling mega-crawl or a quick map to save game night: 🗝️ Defining your dungeon’s purpose and theme 📐 Free tools for quick builds: DonJon, DungeonMapDoodler, Dungeon Scrawl 🎨 Paid software to level up your maps: Dun...

What do a runaway sky-pirate bride and a glitching mech pilot have in common? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny dive into two ultra-lightweight RPGs with serious storytelling punch: Lady Blackbird – a sky-fantasy escape drama with pre-gen characters, lightning sorcery, and one of the best one-shot setups in indie RPG history Shutdown – a tactical mech brawler built around...

What if your knight’s greatest battle wasn’t a sword duel—but surviving the story itself? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny delve into Mythic Bastionland , the rules-light, lore-rich Arthurian hexcrawl from Into the Odd creator Chris McDowall. With just 16 pages of core rules and over 140 pages of evocative myths, seers, and knightly trials, this game is as much a storytel...

What if your supernatural detective story could fit into a single game night? Maybe you want to change up the BBEG every time you sit down with your group, or maybe you just need to break free from your hum drum run of the mill fantasy TTRPG In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny dig into Monster of the Week , Powered by the Apocalypse TTRPG system, where every session is a mon...

What if your D20 rolls could mutate you into a radioactive plant-person with laser claws? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny explore the gloriously gonzo world of Mutant Crawl Classics , a post-apocalyptic TTRPG that blends ancient tech, deadly mutations, and Zocchi dice chaos into one beautifully mutated ruleset. If you love DCC, Gamma World, or anything that combines dice...

What if your choices didn’t matter—and the game still expected you to care? In this episode of Masters of Pen and Paper , DG and Finny go Behind the Screens to explore one of the most essential pillars of tabletop roleplaying: player agency . Whether you’re running a gritty heist, a high fantasy saga, or a chaotic one-shot, agency is what turns a script into a story—and your players into protagoni...

What if the price of survival was your last sliver of humanity? In this episode, DG and Finny jack into the glitchy, brutal world of CY_Borg , a cyberpunk TTRPG where style, violence, and anti-corporate rage collide in a data-drenched dystopia. This MÖRK BORG spin-off throws you into a decaying city of slums, corrupted tech, and rules meant to be broken. If you love neon grit, random tables, and f...

What if the monsters weren’t lurking in the shadows—but seated right at your gaming table? In this episode, DG and Finny delve into Vampire: The Masquerade 5e , the gothic-punk TTRPG where you don’t play the heroes—you play the vampires. This deep dive explores the blood-soaked lore, intricate rules, and storytelling potential behind one of the most iconic games in the World of Darkness . Curious...