Storyteller Conclave

All things must come to an end. After 5 years and more than 260 episodes Sara and Rob are stepping away from the microphones and putting down their headsets. This episode wraps up the culmination of their efforts to bring more narrative nuance, reviews of different systems, and fresh perspectives on ttrpg topics. So listen in as they bid a fond farewell to their listeners. From Rob and Sara: Farew...

For the last 5 years of the show we have had a lot of game systems, themes, and stories that we have thought about running. Tonight Sara and Rob will discuss what games they are looking to run, what interests them about it, and what their challenges might be. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite device! Or...

This week we polled our discord for their “hot takes” on things in the TTRPG world. This could be anything from system design, acceptance of rules, homebrew, anything at all. And we were delighted by the number of responses we received. Sara and I are thrilled to go through each and everyone one, and either stand fast with you or plunge a dagger of detest in your opinions cold dead hea...

TTRPGs often have their own lexicon of terms we need to learn to engage with the game, with terms like “THAC0” and “Benny” to describe the mechanics. The in-game world can often have unique terms as well, with “Netrunners sporting some preem chrome” instead of “Hackers with excellent cyberware” This week, Sara & Rob discuss the unique lingo tosse...

Tonight’s show is our April System Spotlight, and it is focused on System Spotlight: Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy. This urban fantasy investigative ttrpg trusts your intellect, and has its gameplay focused on WHO your character is, with deadly realistic combat. We are also delighted to have two of the crew from its creation, Addison Goff & Ash Sanders, joining us. Listen to us liv...

Not every session needs to be about the plot. Sometimes your characters need to see what makes life worth living, talk to other NPCs, or simply just fool around. This week, Sara and Rob will be addressing the moments in stories when players and storytellers can sit back and have some light hearted fun. Listen in as they discuss the Desserts in Storytelling. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night...

Special Note: This show had some audio issues, the opening is a bit different due to this. We are sorry. After 5 years of system spotlights, Sara and Rob have seen a ton of different settings and themes for games. But this just opened the door to focused themes and ideas that they have never seen, but probably exist somewhere. This week they will talk about systems, themes, and styles that they wo...

A frequent rant of Sara’s has been about the damage that D&D has done to the gaming community. This week, she officially drags out the soap box and takes a good long deep dive into the full negative impact that D&D5e’s popularity has done to the TTRPG community as a whole. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on yo...

Do you have 3 six sided dice, some 3×5 notecards, pens, and a bit of time? Well you can not only learn but also play Tiny D6! This week Rob & Sara review this minimalistic rule set that explores many different settings. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite device! Or Amazon Audible Find us on Twit...

Ok, we are Storyteller Conclave not “roll the dice and consult the charts” Anonymous. But why can’t we have stories in OSR? What makes dice such an adverse reaction to narrative. This week Rob and Sara pull back their sleeves and start to discuss OSR vs Narrative. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite devic...

It’s come up more than once when writing shows and its time to bring it to light. Sara and Rob have made more than one reference between BDSM and TTRPGs and how much it can teach. So find a comfy leather back chair, grab a warm drink, and be attentive, for this show is going to be a bit racy. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen...

Love and Hate are extremes that follow our PC’s and NPC’s alike. But there are shades of gray, moments of understanding, and possibly even attraction that can infiltrate. Join Rob and Sara as they pen letters of envy on the topic of Evolving Relationships in roleplaying games. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your f...

Defined as “ joyously fun and disastrously romantic”, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, from Evil Hat Games, is our system spotlight for this very RED month. Keeping up with the theme of February, Sara and Rob grab their weapons, don their gayest apparel, and step into this PbtA system about celebrating queerness! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-concl...

TTRPGs are often about escape from reality, a step away from the drama of our lives. But there are still adult themes there to explore. No, not just romance, but loss, grief, depression, and even death. This week Rob and Sara step into the month and talk about gaming with Adult Themes. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us...

We say it in our system spotlights, “Games teach you how to play them”. Things like instincts, backgrounds, hubris/virtue, and goals give PCs direction for their characters. This episode, Rob & Sara round up those tools and discuss how that could shape your game sessions. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your fa...

While framing stories, we often want the game to feel a particular way. A key part of that is how “real” it should feel and what consequences should be. This episode, Rob and Sara will discuss where escapism and realism collide when defining feel TTRPGs. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite device! Or Amaz...

Wanderhome is a “slice of life” TTRPG, where players explore their characters versus the world around them through conversation and moves. So this week Rob and Sara will take a journey, village to village, season to season, to explore the mechanics & more that Jay Dragon created. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on...

It’s one thing to have a good group play well together, but another to have their methods of play mesh. One might be an opportunist, another plans, and others just want to adopt NPCs. This week Sara and Rob discuss what group harmony looks like from the Storytellers seat. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favori...

Let’s sit back, relax, and recap the year. Join us live @ 7pm Eastern on MixLR.com/storyteller-conclave for our Year-End Review! The Discord Live Chat will be open to all, so please come hang out with us! Ask questions, review the year, and talk about what is to come in 2024! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on y...

Stealth is a mechanic that nearly every TTRPG has. Who hasn’t dreamt of playing the mysterious ninja or catburglar? However, it can seem like your players are avoiding all of the obstacles you’ve laid out! This week, Sara & Rob discuss the best ways to run stealth encounters! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us...

With a TV series that started back in 1966, Star Trek is the longest continuously running universe ever to grace our media. This week Sara and Rob will be reviewing one of the newest TTRPG adaptations by Modiphius Entertainment, and boldly going where (a few) storytellers have gone before! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to...

As Storytellers, we strive to make our games feel like living worlds. Having lifelike NPCs can make or break that feeling of immersion. This week, Sara & Rob take a deep-dive into the best ways to make your NPCs not only feel like they belong, but also react to your story. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your f...

Often recognized as the “compulsion loop”, TTRPG’s contain a core gameplay loop that we build into our games. But it isn’t the same loop if it’s narrative or more combative. This week Sara and Rob discuss a few different loops that games have and how you can use them to help focus your players on what’s next. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyt...

Every game system has something unique to offer; a reputation system, a world building tool, a neat relationship mechanic. Is there any reason we shouldn’t borrow these mechanics for our own games? This week, Sara & Rob look at mechanics that are ripe for the borrowing! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on you...

We all struggle with the thought that our plots might not be “original.” There are only 9 basic plots, after all! This week, Sara & Rob discuss how to lean into repurposing plots for your own home games by filing off the identifying marks and using popular stories as your own! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen...