Storyteller Conclave

This week, Sara & Rob shine the Systems Spotlight on Monster of the Week by @EvilHatOfficial. Hunt high school beasties a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer, travel the country to bring down unnatural creatures like Supernatural, or lead the government investigation like The X-Files. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on yo...

A storytelling trope that spans into any genre, is the MacGuffin – the object of importance that sits at the center of the story. The heroes and villains both seek it, and control of it means victory! This week, Sara & Rob look at interesting ways to use MacGuffins in our stories! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen t...

Sara & Rob have spent years talking about how to build a better narrative for your TTRPG. What if your table just wants to hack & slash their way through the game, though? This week, Sara & Rob discuss weaving story together with good ol’ fashioned combat! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favo...

Almost every single TTRPG player has watched a movie, read a book, or played a video game and thought, “I’d love to run a game based off this IP!” This week, Sara & Rob examine some of the games based on existing IPs, as well as the pros & cons of playing in someone else’s world! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storytelle...

This month, Sara & Rob are shining the System Spotlight on Dresden Files Accelerated by @EvilHatOfficial! This game, using the FATE Accelerated system, brings the brilliant Urban Fantasy setting of @longshotauthor’s Dresden Files books to your tabletop. Conjure it at your own risk! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen...

Music and lighting set a tone in movies of hope, foreboding, or fear but in a table top game it’s often hard to get people on the same page. This week, Rob & Sara will be diving deeper into the theme and discussing how to draw your players into the moment and keep them feeling the weight, even beyond that session. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.c...

Rules and settings typically go hand-in-hand with TTRPGs, but not always. Between Generic systems, Open Licenses, and SRDs, rules can be used for just about any game type. This week, Sara & Rob explore the world of opportunities offered by generic systems, the OGL, and SRDs. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your...

One of the most common components of any TTRPG Fantasy world is a vast and varied pantheon of gods, that grant favor and magic to those who venerate them. Rarely, however, does their worship mirror real life. This week, Sara & Rob examine polytheism in TTRPGs. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite devic...

Deadlands is the premier Weird West roleplaying game of action-horror. The year’s 1884, and folks from all over the world journey to the American frontier in search of opportunity. But danger awaits! This week, Sara & Rob shine the System Spotlight on Deadlands by @PEG_Games. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on you...

The final boss of any TTRPG is scheduling. Inevitably, every storyteller will face the day when someone misses an important session. This week Rob & Sara workshop scenarios where key individuals aren’t present, and what to do. 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 Tw...

All drama is born of conflict, and villains are conflict personified! A good villain can make or break your story, so this week, Rob & Sara want to spend time discussing what makes an interesting, motivated, well-rounded villain for your stories! 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 A...

The Pulp genre defined the stories of the early 1900s with its over-the-top adventures. However, many of the tropes borne of those stories still show the racism and imperialism of the period. This week, Sara & Rob look at how to do Pulp without the regressive tropes! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorit...

The Chosen One – From child wizards to Jedi, a character being destined for great deeds is a common and powerful trope! In a TTRPG, however, it can leave the other PCs feeling left behind. This week, Sara & Rob examine the pros and cons of using the Chosen One trope in your game. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to...

With over ½ a million dollars in Kickstarter & a 2022 Ennie award for best game, Root brings woodland creatures together to fight for money, justice, and freedom from powers far greater than them. This week Rob & Sara dive into the furry & feathered vagabonds & outcasts of Root by Magpie Games. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller...

The term “sandbox” is often used to describe a world filled with opportunities and bereft of direction. Many storytellers want to offer this to their players but fall into the traps the style presents. This week Sara & Rob examine the obstacles and opportunities presented by Sandbox worlds. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . List...

It may not seem like much, but the characters can have a huge impact on the world around them. Slaying dragons and rescuing people is certainly heroic, but what about the little things like helping at an inn for a night? Rob & Sara explore the butterfly effect small moments can have to make things more dramatic. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/story...

When we are motivating our players the default is usually money or items. But after a series of sessions those tend to fall away. In this episode Sara & Rob focus on making characters have a personal stake in aspects of the story that can spur them to adventure. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite dev...

In the tranquil world of Ald-Amura, the peaceful world is threatened when a mysterious poison known as The False Gold appears. Monsters are now afflicted with terrible wounds and uncontrollable rage. This month Rob & Sara review the Monster Care Specialists, a Miyazaki inspired world, and strong narrative storytelling tools of Monster Care Squad. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm...

In pulling together a plot idea we often think of the impact to the setting, the world turned upside down. But what about the villain? Why not flip the script and see things their way? This Storytelling 202, Sara & Rob discuss what it’s like to build a plot from the villain’s perspective. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave ....

Are archetypes in stories a crutch or a hindrance for the storyteller or even the players? Are they defined by the mechanics or exploited by them? This week Rob & Sara get into the depths of this discussion and try to find how important classes and Archetypes are in storytelling. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on...

Many Storytellers build our stories around climactic and exciting “Boss Battles”. But where did this convention come from? Join us this week as Sara & Rob dig through the past and dissect the reasons why we have “epic boss battles” in 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...

This month, Sara & Rob shine the System Spotlight on Brindlewood Bay. The players take the place of an elderly women’s mystery club, drawing inspiration from “Murder, She Wrote” and others like it! 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 Twitter ( @st...

Episode 200 (Character-Driven Plots) received quite a response, and our listeners asked for more clarification! So, this week, Sara & Rob will be workshopping plots live to show how the process works 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 Twitter ( @st_conclave ) – In...

There are many settings where combat just shouldn’t be done. Maybe the characters are children. Perhaps the enemies are unstoppable monstrosities. In the last of our Combat miniseries, Sara & Rob discuss games where combat ISN’T an option! 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 Au...

Initiative has been rolled and combat has begun! Does it have to be a fight to the death? In this week’s continuation of the Combat miniseries, Rob & Sara discuss how to know when the fight is over. 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 Twitter ( @st_conclave )...