Roll For Topic

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.

Have you ever imported a rule or system from a different roleplaying game into the one you’re running? Andy and Chris are joined by Mark French as they discuss GURPS-eating rabbits, which games model recoilless rifles, and also the topic at hand. Episode 5 appendix: The infamous GURPS-eating rabbit. GURPS Special Ops, the game sourcebook … Continue reading "Episode 5 – Bringing E...

What do props and handouts add to a roleplaying game session? Special guest gamemaster Kyle Latino joins Chris and Andy to discuss the pros and cons of using handouts in your game. Episode 4 appendix: The Dragon Ball Z roleplaying game, which served as Kyle’s entry into the roleplaying hobby. The Savage Beard of She … Continue reading "Episode 4 – Props and Handouts and When to U...

What makes a good DM screen, and what do they add to the game? Special guest gamemaster Matt Wilson joins Andy and Chris to talk about how they do (or don’t) use dungeon master’s screens. Episode 3 appendix (AKA things that got mentioned): Eternal Lies, a Trail of Cthulhu campaign that Matt is preparing to … Continue reading "Episode 3 – How to Use a Dungeon Master’s...

What’s a GM to do when their best-laid plans are derailed by pesky players? Andy and Chris discuss the many ways roleplaying game sessions can go awry. Transcript below provided by Barbara Tozier! Episode 2: How to stop derails from happening? [opening music] Chris: Hello and welcome to _Roll for Topic_ an RPG podcast. This … Continue reading "Episode 2: When Roleplaying Games Derail"

Is it possible to run a satisfying game session in just one or two hours? In this inaugural episode, Andy and Chris share their experiences running game sessions with very tight time constraints. Transcript below provided by Barbara Tozier! Episode 1: How to run a game in two hours or less [opening music] Chris: Hello, … Continue reading "Episode 1: How to GM a Game in 2 Hours or Less"