Storyteller Conclave

Savage worlds calls it an interlude, D&D says its a long rest, and Mouse Guard refers to it as the players turn. But what happens during these down time moments? Sara and Rob this week will discuss what can make these excellent opportunities for RP and address some ways you can guide and encourage players to join in. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/...

Cyberpunk i s a tabletop role-playing game in the dystopian science fiction genre, set in a fictional version of the US in 2045, published by R. Talsorian Games in 1988. Cyberpunk Red, the fourth edition, released in November of 2020, is the prequel to the video game Cyberpunk 2077. This week’s episode explores the system and technology heaped world buried in corporate lies and gang warfare....

“Roll for Initiative!” These words are iconic in TTRPGs, but they set a tone that TTRPGs are inherently combat games. While this may be true for some, not all stories need to be about fighting. This week, Rob & Sara discuss building stories around non-combat encounters. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Find us on Twitter (@st_c...

Our TTRPG characters are often bold heroes that inspire others, or are connected to the underworld and have access to a network of minions. Others still bond with nature, or summon companions with magic. This week, Sara & Rob talk about handling companions, followers, and pets!   Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Find us on...

Some game sessions land differently than others, whether you tried to tell a horror story and your players felt it wasn’t fun, or your “big reveal” catches players off-guard, seen as a gaff rather than a brilliant twist. Oftentimes, the emotional impact, enjoyment, and interaction with a game can be a matter of mismanaged expectations – the story you told was different from...

A universe of body horror and corporate brinkmanship, where synthetic people play god while space truckers and marines serve host to newborn ghoulish creatures. It’s a harsh and unforgiving universe and you are nothing if not expendable. This month’s spotlight puts us in the terror-filled existence of Free League Publishing’s Alien TTRPG. In space, nobody can hear you scream!   Listen t...

Why is the BBEG always waiting in his mountain lair, his hand perched on the button, waiting for the heroes to arrive? And what is up with the monologue? Is this really necessary? Sara and Rob review villainy further and discuss the merits and flaws of villains waiting for heroes. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Find us on Twitter...

Not all villains are inherently evil for the reason of evil. It’s possible to have them misunderstood, confused, and or caught between loyalty and honor. And the best ones often feel almost heroic about their cause, at least in their own eyes. This week Sara and Rob will discuss how to build a better villain. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyt...

Maybe you have a player asking to play an “evil” character. Maybe your “chaotic neutral” is “chaotic lunatic” or your group’s paladin is the ubiquitous “lawful stupid.” Alignments can be good indicators of a character’s moral compass, but are often terrible guides for HOW to roleplay them. This week, Sara & Rob look at some common misconcep...

Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction RPG based on H. P. Lovecraft’s story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos. The game is published by Chaosium; first released in 1981 and is currently in its seventh edition. This month’s system spot light steps into the dark, mysterious and quite horrifying world of Cthulhu! Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http:/...

There are always monsters on the loose, princesses taken, and galactic wars coming to a planet near you. And for some reason, it’s always YOUR team’s job to solve it. This week Rob and Sara talk about “Hero Contrivance” and the in’s and outs of how to deal with it as a storyteller. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Find...

You’re excited to play in a new game. All your friends are there, the storyteller is good, and it’s a setting you will enjoy, except you just stare into oblivion wondering who or what you could be. Sara and Rob help take some of the stress off of you and give you some methods for finding your Character Concept!   Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.m...

Death is the end of a story, in most cases. Unless it’s a direct mechanic in a story it can feel like “the end” for players as well. When you present a different option, other than death, to a critical or dramatic moment it gives the player the option to keep the story going. But is this a trick or does it cheapen the experience or make the challenges feel less threatening? Tonight, Rob and...

Most TTRPG’s come with a setting and framework like fantasy, sci fi or pulp. But tend to be lighter on how the game should feel when it comes to the players and their interactions to that world. Those are often an unwritten contract between players and the storyteller, all too often undecided till well into the game. This can be confusing and upsetting if people don’t mix on how the game should go...

Ever heard an odd story about something fantastical and thought it might be true? Did you see an unexplainable occurrence and when you went back no one remembered it happening and all traces of it are gone? Well you might have just not had the clearance to know the truth. This week Sara and Rob are requesting access and examining the SCP ( Secure, Contain, and Protect) Tabletop RPG. Listen to us l...

When telling an RPG story there are many places to start, and the ending doesn’t have to be far, but the focus is important. Do the characters exist in a preexisting world and they are just watching and helping events unfold? Or is the world wrapped around your characters every move, do they move the world. This episode, Sara and Rob work through the differences between location or character centr...

Players often come to the table with ideas of where their characters came from. But not all systems have good ways to include this for the Storyteller, or even how much they should accept. Sara and Rob will carve out some of the tools that various systems use as well as some guidelines you may wish to include yourself when allowing players to help craft the world.   Listen to us live, every W...

As a storyteller, it is hard to get the setting, story, players and each game session going. But when players come to the table unprepared, ill equipped, or don’t know the system it can be a nightmare. Tonight Sara and Rob will be speaking to the players of games directly on being prepared for a session. Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-concl...

In 2009, Wyrd Publishing produced the world of Malifaux, both a city-state and a world in a parallel dimension. This world was created in 1787 after our own world was threatened by the decline of magic, and magicians looking for a new source of magic discovered a world separated from ours by a thin barrier. Through the Breach is an RPG set in the world of Malifaux where you, the player, are thrust...

For newer players especially, slipping into roleplaying a character can be challenging or outright scary. It can be difficult to step outside of yourself, to find your character’s voice, or feel silly to talk to your friends in a made-up voice. This week, Sara & Rob examine what Storytellers can do to encourage roleplaying at the table, and make staying in character less intimidating and more...

As a Storyteller you are the world around your players, and as such you give it life and tone. Each character you play – Non-Player Characters or NPCs – has to feel unique. But how do you come up with voices, traits, or quirks for this myriad of necessary characters? This week, Sara and Rob discuss methods of making your non-player characters feel less like talking heads, and more like...

Oftentimes you will hear storytellers talking about hooks or linchpins, but what are they really? And how do you use them? This week Sara and Rob explore techniques to pull your players into plots, quests, and adventures, what makes them work, and how you can use them.   Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave . Find us on Twitter (@st...

Star Wars is an epic universe that spans a millennia of time, thousands of races, all from a galaxy far far away. But when did it become an RPG? And where can you start to tell a story within it? Well “strap in kid” as Rob and Sara jump back to the beginning with West End games and travel through to the current incarnation with Fantasy flight, where they will focus most of their force   Liste...

We have all had players argue their interpretation of a rule, take fifteen minutes debating with another player on the proper tactics, or sit in silence because of another player’s robust play style only to rant in private later. Storytellers are there to keep the game going, but also to keep it fun. This week Sara and Rob review how to manage, de-escalate, and work through conflict at the t...

Did you just spend 45 minutes explaining in detail the structures, culture and city of the Orc empire, while your players nodded off? Is there a better way to show the differences in your world versus the stock campaign settings presented in modern fantasy? This week’s episode is here for you! Sara, mostly, and Rob (because he is BAD at it) will try and help you weave through the difficult p...