Storyteller Conclave

From initiative, to armor, to maneuvers to damage, combat is a core pillar of many systems. But is it necessary? Can combat be handled narratively? In the first episode of our miniseries on TTRPG combat, Sara & Rob discuss having Combat WITHOUT Combat! 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 Am...

Cortex is an award-winning tabletop roleplaying game system that has existed in one form or another for over twenty years, powering multiple licensed roleplaying games. Cortex Prime is the newest version of this much-loved set of game rules, refined and redesigned for a new, digitally-supported generation. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-con...

When discussing encounter design, we often break them into their simplest archetypes : combat, social, chase, etc. But, do encounters need to necessarily be only one of those categories? Can we mix a chase scene with a puzzle encounter? What would it look like? How would you go about balancing it, and playing it out? This week, Sara & Rob discuss multifaceted encounter design in this month’s S...

Finding the right game system to match the story you’re trying to tell can be a daunting task. Sometimes, the best move is to use an existing system in an unconventional way. This week, Rob & Sara discuss repurposing game systems for settings their mechanics DIDN’T have in mind. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on...

Reactive play vs proactive play: what they are, why it matters, and why playing proactively is more fun. We are joined by Jonah and Tristen Fishel, authors of Game Master’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying. 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_concl...

The year is 1776. The British are coming, and the Continental Army is calling for heroes to win the day. Sara & Rob are taking this month’s System Spotlight to review the kickstarter, that launches April 11th!, 5e adventure titled Nations & Cannons. Join Sara, Rob, & their lead designer Pat Mooney, as we take the fight to the Redcoats in historical DnD 5e adventures! Listen to us...

This month’s storytelling 202 is a workshop, well at least for Rob & Sara. Session Zero’s have been discussed but what is it like to actually come up with the prompt for your players? How much do you disclose? This week the duo will challenge each other, assist, and compile some prompts for Session Zero! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyte...

When the characters are level 1, a goblin is a scary beast. But by level 5 they may be able to shake off a few rounds with a dragon. By level 10, they might be looking for what gods have been itching for a butt kicking. Expanding on last week’s topic of progression and advancement, Sara & Rob will be joined by Autumn M. Birt and Jesper Schmidt, award winning authors, to discuss how chara...

A little to unknown genre in TTRPGs are single player games, but they are making big strides. From 1,000 year old vampire to single player D&D, there are multiple ways to enjoy the space. But how does that play out for storytelling? This week Rob & Sara will review Single Player TTRPG Games. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave ....

Most TTRPGs feature an advancement system, where your character can grow and learn over time. Story outcomes can be greatly affected by the pace and degree by which the characters change as the story unfolds. This week, Sara & Rob discuss progression systems and power curves. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on you...

Brought up multiple times by our community and the RPG community at large, we are proud to be reviewing Blades in the Dark. This game of daring scoundrels, in a fledgling crew, seek fortunes in the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. A long time coming, this System Spotlight is one Sara & Rob have been looking forward to! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http:...

As Storytellers, there’s a desire for “character-centric” plots. Often this involves bringing elements of a PC’s backstory into play. This week, Sara & Rob explore another way to tackle making a plot that focuses on a character – by looking at the consequences of their actions! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storytelle...

Militias, police, mega corps, and even school teams have at least one thing in common – structure. There is a pecking order, command, or policy that has to be followed to keep order and flow practice. But how do you bring something this rigid into a story, with imaginative players, without taking away from their agency? This week Sara & Rob stand tall, salute, and fill out the request fo...

“I manage a 4 person team in creative problem solving exercises.” Is this from a work resume, or a description of your D&D group? Actually, it can be both! This week, Rob & Sara discuss the various ways which playing TTRPGs assist us in building and applying real-world skills! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Li...

Worlds Without Number is a fantasy role-playing game built from the ground up to provide gritty, hard-edged adventure in the fathomless future of the Latter Earth, a fantastic realm of time-lost sorcery, savage foes, and barbaric splendor. Compatible with Stars without Number, it gives you the tools to take it up a notch. This week Sara & Rob turn their sights to the stars and go one step beyo...

Do your players commit the cardinal sin of “Splitting the Party”? Do you have a lone wolf that likes to stray from the group and do their own thing? In our next Storytelling 202, Rob & Sara discuss the art of splitting the party without causing confusion and boredom at the table! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Lis...

As characters advance in games so do their powers, sometimes out pacing even the most adept storytellers. When that happens, how do you make challenges seem, well, challenging? This week, Sara & Rob discuss how to design challenges when characters break the power curve. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favo...

It’s time to address the elephant in the room – Discussion of the new Open Gaming License (OGL) along with OneD&D has set the internet ablaze! What is WotC trying to do? This week, Sara & Rob discuss what this means for the gaming industry and what D&D fans can do about it. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen...

Urban Shadows by @magpiegames is an urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which mortals and monsters vie for control of a modern-day city. Vampires, faeries, hunters, and wizards fight to carve out a piece of the streets and skyscrapers. 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 F...

Stories are driven by their major plot beats and epic encounters. But what do you do with the liminal, or “in-between,” spaces? This week, Sara & Rob kick off the new 202 series by discussing travel, downtime, and other stories BETWEEN encounters! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on your favorite device...

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 2023! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on y...

Storytellers, relax and put your feet up because this one’s for the players. We all want a good game and a great story, but what can the players do to make that happen? This week, Sara and Rob are reaching out to the players to help them set up their storyteller for success! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on yo...

Do you want to explore the unknown universe? Do you want to be terrified that your next move may send you into the vacuum of space? For this month’s System Spotlight, Sara & Rob explore a space-faring double-feature of rules-light systems, “Mothership” and “Lasers and Feelings.” Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Listen to us on...

When playing TTRPGs, we usually tell heroic stories fraught with danger, where death could loom over every step. For new Storytellers, finding the balance between “challenge” and “deadly” can be tough! In this Storytelling 101, Sara & Rob discuss death & lethality in our stories! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storytelle...

Apple. Addis. Landrover. All of these have made a brand, an image, a vision of what people see and feel when they hear their names. Dungeons and Dragons has become a household name in much the same regard. This week Sara and Rob explore the idea that D&D might be a lifestyle brand… and is that so bad? Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conc...