Role Play Chat

Every GM, every player and every table has their own philosophies for how they play tabletop roleplaying games. These ideas, these styles, these preferences are what influence your game. In today's episode I am joined by the amazing Seth Skorkowsky as we talk about some of our philosophies to hopefully inspire you to grow your GMing skills while having fun at your table.  If you liked Seths insigh...

We have all heard of the “Rule Of Cool” but it what does implementing it actually mean? Can all tables, genres and settings pull it off? In today's episode we talk about what this “rule” means and how to make cool moments happen in a fun and narratively engaging way. Join me and David as we talk about everything COOL. If you liked David's insights (who am I kidding, of course you did) you can find...

We ALL want to replicate that oscar wining monologue or the slow panoramic camera pan over the horizon at our table, but how exactly can you make a moment like that? Can you or does it come organically? In today's episode we talk about cinematic moments and how to engage your players in a way that makes these moments stand out and feel natural. Join me and Rhett as we talk about the kinds of cinem...

Dungeons can take on many shapes and sizes from sprawling complex canvern systems to small tavern basements. In today's episode we focus on the smaller scale dungeons, of 3 to 8 rooms in size and how you can take the things that make huge dungeons and use that to make a small condensed experience that is more digestable. Join me and my friend of the show Alex as we talk about how we build and run...

So much of what we do when we play role playing games involves social encounters. Fights where enemies can be talked down from their rage, stubborn leaders that need convincing to change their plan, secretive spies that have the password you need to unlock the treasure vault and much more! Join me and my guest Derrick as we talk about how we run social encounters in our games, what we do to plan t...

We don't always have the time or the desire to spend hours preparing our games. The good news is you can often run games with minimal prep if you need to or want to! This week I am joined by Jien to take a deep dive on the topic and help you learn how to run games without spending too much time preparing for them.  If you enjoyed Jien's insights I highly recommend you check them out on twitte...

A surefire way to make a players actions and decisions impactful is to make them consequential. Showing a player or a party the effects of their decisions, or better yet, making them deal with those decisions by creating new opportunities and obstacles for them can really imerse them in the world and make them feel ownership over the narrative that is being constructed. This week I am joined by Je...

Sometimes who is saying something matters more than what they are saying. This couldn't be more true when we consider unreliable narrators in role playing games. They keep secrets, they exagerate truths, they stretch and bend and manipulate. Unreliable narrators come in all shapes and sizes. This week I am joined by Scott from ZealZaddy to take a deep dive on the topic and help you understand how...

Welcome back to Role Play Chat!!! Season three here we come :D Okay okay, back to the usual intro stuff: A big part of what makes playing in a tabletop RPG fun are the spoils you get to enjoy after catching the villain, saving the town or rescuing the hostages. These rewards can take on many forms and can serve many purposes. In this episode I am joined by Star Shinobi to discuss the impacts, the...

Some show annoucements!  Hope you all had relaxing Holidays. -Mat

Few things in your game world are better vehicles to the personalities, conflicts and setting than your factions. In this week's episode I am joined by KoatheDM to talk about what a faction is, what is itsn't, what benefits well thought out factions bring to your game, some strategies to buidling them and much much more.  Enjoy! Mat And I encourage you to check Koa's TTRPG material out. He ca...

Telling a story can take on many forms when playing in a Tabletop RPG. One of the most immesrive ways is through environmental storytelling. This is a form of storytelling that videogames have mastered, but how does it translate to the tabletop? In this episode I am joined by friend of the show vince to discuss the pros, cons, our personal experiences and strategies for applying this fun and engag...

Many Tabletop RPGs allow players to dabble in different classes, learning skills from all groupings they are a part of. In this week's episode I am joined by Jarred from Monsters & Multiclass and we chat about the different impacts multiclassing has on the game. Be it as a Game Masters or as a Players multiclassing can empower players to explore new and creative avenues both narratavily and mechan...

Tabletop RPGs are a form of collaboartive storytelling, but how to get everyone at the table involved? In this week's episode I am joined by Nick from Scry Societey and we chat about the different roles and strategies Game Masters and Players can employe to ensure you build your game's stories collaboratively by engaging players to provide meaningful input in the game.  Enjoy! Mat And if you like...

A surefire way to improve roleplay at your table is to encourage players to embody the emotions of their player characters and to encourage them to lean into how they are feeling personally. However, do this comes with some caveats! In this week's episode I am joined by Allie from Dice Drop Evolution to discuss how character bleed and player bleed can affect your game (the good and t he bad) and e...

While they might seem simple, One-shots are one of the toughest types of adventures to run. Condensing the core components of the system you are using into one self contained sitting can be a challenge but this unique format has much to offer. I am joined by the amazing DMs from the DoubleDM podcast this week to explore this topic that is near and dear to my heart.  Enjoy! Mat And if you like the...

Downtime represents much of the play time in most table top roleplaying games. Shopping, campfires, training, on the road, homebase upkeep, etc. While some find it more fun than others, it is an important part of the game. In this bonus episode I chat with the folks from DoubleDM pod about why. Enjoy and be sure to look for DoubleDM if you like what you heard! Mat. -————— Role Play Chat is a biwee...

Should or shouldn't you split the party? That is the question. The effects of having a split party go deeper than you might expect! This week I am joined by friend of the show Vince to chat about splitting in the party. We talk about pros, cons and we also answer some questions from listeners.  Enjoy! Mat. -————— Role Play Chat is a biweekly(ish) podcast where your hosts Chris and  ...

Making a memorable baddie who opposes your party is often critical in tabletop RPGs. In this week's episode we take a deep dive on the topic of villains. We will discuss things like what makes a villain memorable, what archetypes can you use for inspiration, how should you include villainy in your campaign?  Enjoy! Mat. -————— Role Play Chat is a biweekly(ish) podcast where your hosts Ch...

When playing a roleplaying game with someone who is new to the hobby there are things to consider. In this week’s episode we talk about if you should change your DM style, run a session 0, consider the other players at the table and more related to running games for the uninitiated. We are also joined by a special guest: Gamer Mom Luna. You may know her from her twitch streams on the shared experi...

When tabletop gaming & improvisation collide you get the role play scene. To Chris and I, building and perfecting these moments of role play between party members is one of the most rewarding parts of the hobby. In today's episode we dissect what type of content makes for a good  role play scene and try our best to break down some words of wisdom for you to try at your table. Enjoy! Mat....

Portals, Flying ships or time-skipping to instantly arrive at your destination. These are tools some GMs leverage in there games to skip over travel. In video games this would normally be called fast travel. What is the role of fast travel in a TTRPG? In this episode we take a deep dive on a the topic. Enjoy! Chris and Mat. -————— Role Play Chat is a biweekly(ish) podcast where your hosts Chr...

The traditions, stories, legends and myths of the inhabitants of your setting make up a rich tapestry that contribute to a player's sense of immersion when playing in a TTRPG. Lore comes in all shapes and sizes! When we game master a game sometimes we create it ourselves and other times it is given to us in modules, or handbooks, the trick though is how you showcase it to your players. In today's...

Player types! A topic that most TTRPG creators address in their shows or podcasts. Chris & I take a different approach in this week's episode where we give you our take on player types - which is instead to talk about player behavior types. In this initial episode (which may eventually be a mini series) we take a deep dive on a how players respond to to risk in the game and how that affects th...

Tabletop games are uniquely positioned and particularly well suited for engaging and teaching people. In today's episode we talk to Rich, the creator of the unique Inspirisles system to chat about playing games for a younger audience, using TTRPGs to teach empathy and teamwork, and much more.  Rich is an all ages TTRPG creator. Who has lead projects such as the Inspirisles TTRPG system. It is a un...