Roll For Topic

Chris and Andy chit-chat about some recent games they ran. Then we dive into our topic about the most fun part about games: referring to the rules! Rules are arguably what makes a game a game; however, pausing the session to flip through a book can kill the narrative momentum at the table. So, dear … Continue reading "Episode 30 – When Do You Look Up Rules?"

Guest GM Jess Snyder joins Andy and Chris to address the timeless question: do you run published adventures or exclusively homemade ones? And how do you address the challenges that arise with each approach?

How do you go about bringing a new RPG to the table? Andy and Chris discuss—and do a little reflecting on the first year of Roll for Topic.

Happy holidays everyone! We’re back with an episode in which we play through the dungeon that we made during the last episode. Andy is your esteemed GM for this one and we were pleased to have Aaron, Matt, and Brandon join in as players! If you liked this two-part experiment of building and playing a … Continue reading "Holiday Special Part 2: Live Play-a-dungeon!"

As a change of pace for the holidays, Andy and Chris team up with previous guest Kyle to design a dungeon one-shot on the fly! Will the end result be a masterpiece of adventure design or a hilarious trainwreck that features psychic whales, post-apocalyptic shopping malls, and something called a “hyperskeleton”? Tune in to find … Continue reading "Holiday Special Part 1: Live Buil...

Call it stage fright, nervousness, or GMing anxiety, but all gamemasters must deal with it. What are some ways to minimize it? Andy and Chris discuss. Episode 25 appendix: Hotel Artemis. The Improv for Gamers book. The videogame Ion Fury. Junji Ito’s horror manga Uzumaki.

We’re joined by Aaron this week to talk about reading the written block text from adventures. When there’s block text in the adventure module you’re running, do you read it out loud? Verbatim, do you paraphrase, do you throw it all away because you know best?! Join us as we talk all about narrating at … Continue reading "Episode 24 – Do You Read the Block Text in Your...

This week it’s just Andy and Chris jabbering about how to introduce non-gamers to your game. We talk about such things as: character creation, whether players should have to read the rules cover to cover, and when and how to introduce mechanics into the game. Appendix: The Adventure Zone’s MaxFunCon East Live show where they … Continue reading "Episode 23 – How to Introduce...

Guest GM Al McWilliams joins Andy and Chris to talk about his Damage Dice Kickstarter, and to talk about the question that’s on every GM’s mind: How do you handle doors in dungeons? Episode 22 appendix: The Damage Dice Kickstarter project Gyld, Al’s company that makes cool gaming stuff Orcpub, a character generator for D&D … Continue reading "Episode 22 — How to H...

Audrey, who was on the show back in Episode 13, came back on to talk a bit about how the AADL RPG Fest went and then to help us think about what stuff from other media (videogames, movies, books, etc.) we bring into our tabletop games. Unsurprisingly a LOT of stuff came up in this … Continue reading "Episode 21: What Elements from Other Media do You Bring into Your Tabletop Games? (with Audr...

Andy is out sick this week so rather than skipping Chris decided to jump on the mic and blab about whatever struck his fancy for a few minutes, which happened to be running Halloween themed games! It’s only September; however, if you’re planning on doing something for Halloween now is the time to start prepping! … Continue reading "Episode 20 – The Shortest Episode: Running...

Gamemastering a roleplaying game at a convention is a much different ball game than running for your home group. Guest GM John Corey returns as we discuss the fine art of running games at conventions! Episode 19 appendix: Ann Arbor District Library RPGFest U-Con Numenera Phoenix Dawn Command …which is different than Phoenix Command Dungeon … Continue reading "Episode 19 — How to...

Matt, one of our first guest GMs, recently wrapped up a two-year campaign of 7th Sea, so we invited him back to reflect on what he’s learned. Also, we touch on the topic of using history to inform gaming. Episode 18 appendix: 7th Sea, second edition. 7th Sea, first edition. Eternal Lies.

As a change of pace from our usual format, we’re talking about Gencon 2019, from which Andy just returned! Chris and Andy discuss some GMing takeaways from the con. Episode 17 appendix (mostly games that Andy played at Gencon): Gencon, of course. The Mothership RPG. Band of Blades. Eclipse Phase. Cthulhutech. Delta Green. @geekteachin, who … Continue reading "Episode 17 – Reflect...

What do you do when one of your players has to leave the game for good? Hopefully, you give them a fun in-game send-off. Chris and Andy discuss what makes for a good farewell salute to departing players. Also: we want to hear your suggestions for topics to cover! Drop us a line if you’ve … Continue reading "Episode 16 – How to Send Off a Player Who’s Leaving Your Game"

We’re joined by Murph to talk about how to bring the action at the table alive. Do you paint word pictures, or slap down some gorgeously painted miniatures? If you have any feedback, praise, or criticism, we want to hear about it! Visit our contact page for how to get your message directly to us. … Continue reading "Episode 15 – Theater-of-the-mind vs. Maps, Minis, and Other Visu...

This episode we’re joined by Kyle Latino, our first returning guest (!), to discuss monsters. Listen as we all admit to just re-skinning existing monsters from the Monster Manual as needed. Episode 14 appendix: Fantasy Fun Council on itch.io – Kyle’s tables and supplements. Powered by the Apocalypse – the system all D&D DM’s secretly … Continue reading "Epis...

We’re joined by GM and librarian Audrey Huggett to talk about preparing to run an RPG. We also hear about Audrey’s successful efforts to bring roleplaying events to the library! Episode 13 appendix (aka show notes): Murder at Raccoon Ranch, a massive roleplaying/mystery event that Audrey hosted at her library. The In Between: Quest for … Continue reading "Episode 13 — How t...

How do you incorporate random elements into your games? Do you rely heavily on randomness or do you downplay it? Andy and Chris discuss the fun (and occasional terror) that random elements bring to a roleplaying game. Episode 12 appendix (aka show notes): The D&D Starter Set, featuring the adventure “Lost Mines of Phandelver” which … Continue reading "Episode 12 — How t...

What’s the best way to track and manage hit points and other details during an RPG combat scene? Guest GM Jason Matteson joins Andy and Chris to discuss this practical question! Episode 11 appendex (aka show notes): Habler’s Purse, a magic item that Jason created and makes available at the Dungeon Master’s Guide store (pay-what-you-want). … Continue reading "Episode 11 &#82...

What’s a GM to do when their players start getting bored or distracted during a game? Guest GM Greg Teachout joins Andy and Chris to discuss a challenge that every GM will face at some point. Episode 10 appendix: D&D 2nd and 5th editions. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. Save the Cat Writes a Novel … Continue reading "Episode 10 — How to Deal with Bored or Distracted Players (w...

How to you set the power level (and handle the power curve) in a tabletop RPG? Guest GM David Frees joins Andy and Chris to discuss. Episode 9 appendix (aka show notes): The D&D Expert Set. The Lore fantasy roleplaying game by GameFace Publishing (Dave’s game!). Hackmaster 5th edition by Kenzer and Company. Other games … Continue reading "Episode 9 — How to Manage the Power L...

What do you do when the PCs take actions that have severe consequences? How do you make sure that in-game consequences add to the game, rather than detract from it? Guest GM John Corey joins Andy and Chris to discuss! Episode 8 appendix (aka show notes): Microscope by Lame Mage Productions, one of John’s go-to … Continue reading "Episode 8 — How to Handle Consequences for Player...

It’s every GM’s worst fear: a combat scene that drags on forever as players lose interest. What are some tips for keeping combat scenes focused and interesting? Andy and Chris are joined by Caitlin Sanders to share their thoughts and experiences.

Have you ever run a game for just two people–or a group of ten? Does your game group size fluctuate from week to week? Jessica Snyder joins Chris and Andy to discuss the challenges (and fun!) of running games for groups of varying sizes.