The Ultimate RPG Podcast

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Jess Fink in a discussion about erotica, the vulnerability of fanfiction, and processing trauma through turning it into fiction. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a magical sci-fi villain with an impending enemies to lovers storyline. SHOW NOTES ⁠Jess Fink is an award winning illustrator and graphic novelist, and the author of the graphic nove...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Alan Linic in a discussion about improv comedy, flaws in different improv scenes and schoolings, as well as Alan's new show on the One Shot Network, Roll for Recall. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a dystopian fictional sport, the god that has promised to remove the curse from said sport, and a former athlete turned politician who is being f...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Jacob Pauwels in a discussion about the origins of his series, Roll for Sandwich, and the cookbook that the series birthed. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create an epic fantasy villain who can be best described as "untouchable, can see everything you're doing, and has absolute control" as well as having inserted themselves as the head of a religi...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Sam Sorensen in a discussion about his game Cataphracts, wargames and the humanity and unintentional storytelling that can appear in them. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a fictional death worshipping religion with special rites for bridging a connection to death in many different ways. SHOW NOTES Sam Sorensen⁠⁠ is a tabletop roleplaying gam...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Austin Walker in a discussion about texts that were inspirations for Realis. In the worldbuilding portion of the interview, they create a world with yearly global tournaments, the winning prize of which can be the ability to dictate ideology. SHOW NOTES ⁠Austin Walker⁠ is a game developer and the game master of Friends at the Table. He is formerly editor-in-chief...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Austin Walker in a discussion about reexamining core nerd culture texts from a historical lens, the pros and cons of being in constant conversation with your audience, and RPGs that were foundational texts for Austin as a GM and player. They also discuss Austin's currently crowdfunding new game, Realis, and his long running actual play, Friends at the Table! Part...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Jim Butcher in a discussion about the origin story of The Dresden Files, how he created characters in the earlier Dresden Files books, including with the help of RPG tools, as well as about his workflow and writing habits. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they created a world where musical talent is the source of people's magic and a powerful voice is wh...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Valiant Dorian and Poorna M in a discussion around how they became collaborators, the differences between how different cultures across the globe approach TTRPG play, and their new show on the One Shot Network that is currently being Kickstarted, "Whole New World". In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a world divided by elemental natures where me...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Meghan Cross in a discussion about designing games with digital play in mind, the hook and loop mechanic in Meghan's game HUNT(er/ed) and how the game benefited from having two designers. They also talk about inspiration behind Meghan's new game, Homecoming. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a seaside town with unpredictable and drastic tides...

EPISODE SUMMARY The second part of the interview with Tyler Crumrine. In this episode, James talked to Tyler about how things are done at Possible Worlds Games compared to the publishing industry at large. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they used Cosmic Century Knights to create an artist commune with an infrastructure based on engineered ant colonies, a special gooey natural resource,...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Tyler Crumrine in a discussion about his career before Possible Worlds Games, the pivot to designing TTRPGs as a career post COVID, and the future of Possible Worlds Games as a publisher of both known and emerging designers. They also discussed how Tyler goes about teaching his TTRPG game design course, and much more! The second half of the interview will be up o...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Taylor Moore in a discussion about the formation of the Kickstarter workers union and how one organize a union, the appeal of audio as an art form, the relationship between the actual play performer and editor, as well as a peak into the behind the scenes of Worlds Beyond Number. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create a saint in a pheromone based h...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Sharang Biswas in a discussion about what defines a game designer, teaching game design, as well as the role and influence of sexuality in his games. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, James and Sharang created a healing institution founded by ghosts, a faction of militant vegan dragon riders, and their worst enemies — the cheese makers. SHOW NOTES Sharang...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Gannon Reedy in a discussion about time constraints in actual play, especially when it comes to combat. They also talk about visualizing actual play as the GM, how Gutter became a horror podcast and Gannon's approach to making horror actually scary. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, they create an inscrutable god whose whims are impossible to predict, let...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Aram Vartian in a discussion about setting professional standards for yourself, the future of TTRPG publishing, the power of collaboration and how it has influenced his work. They also talked about Aram's upcoming projects including Dragon Age: In Darkness Eternal. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, James and Aram create an outer space human civilization w...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Dr. Emily Friedman in a discussion about the unique challenges of studying actual play, "the ambitious middle," the overreliance on digitization as preservation, as well as the responsibility of reviewing actual play and its obstacles. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, James and Dr. Friedman create a punk world that answers the question "What if Rococo go...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Sam Leigh in a discussion about their inspirations, what tarot can bring to TTRPGs, how they approach reviewing games, the future of their videos, and more. In the worldbuilding half of the episode, James and Sam create a horror corporation that hides its true actions behind friendly little mascots. SHOW NOTES Sam Leigh is an award-winning tabletop game designer...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Kienna Shaw in a discussion about the draw of solo and duet TTRPGs for them and whether the inability to be present for solo games changes how they design their games. Kienna also discusses their strengths and weaknesses as a designer and the biggest difference working on videogames vs TTRPGs has been, in their experience. In the worldbuilding half of the episode...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Jeff Stormer in a discussion about Jeff's evolving sense of what "Party of One" is, the evolving perceptions of what actual play should be, and the possible negative side effects of that. They also talk about what WebFests mean to Jeff as an artist. In the second half of the episode they create a superhero with reality warping powers and a moral code made of stee...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Viditya Voleti in a discussion about the benefits of leaving games unfinished and the decision making process behind prioritizing projects, choosing which games to publish, and how to price them. They also discuss the differences in designing a game when you're envisioning it as a physical vs digital product. In the second half of the episode, James and Viditya c...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Sean Foer in a discussion around the magic of introducing children and other beginners to the boundless creativity of TTRPGs, common mistakes game designers make, and his upcoming adventure module for Perils and Princesses called "Secret of the Night Market." In the second half of the episode, James and Sean create a sci-fi murder mystery! SHOW NOTES Sean Foer is...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Ryan Mossberger in a discussion about how Ryan got into D&D, old school RPG forum discussions, what makes a game designer, as well as the experience of discovering TTRPGs outside of D&D. In the second half of the episode, James and Ryan created a Grimdark legion of godlings with microniche domains and very complicated relationships. SHOW NOTES Ryan Mossberger is...

EPISODE SUMMARY James is joined by Ned Donovan in a discussion around their differing creative philosophies around actual play, Ned's three pillar theory, as well as the idea of divorcing parasociality from actual play. He also shares insights about the creation of Encounter Party. In the worldbuilding portion of the episode, they create a world where everybody is always watching and it would be a...

EPISODE SUMMARY Join James as he and Knife Lore talk about bringing characters to life with impersonations, trying to have a creative outlet in a bite size format, and the importance of using your platform and resources for good causes. For the worldbuilding portion of the episode, they created a "magical unpaid intern in the worst bureaucracy imaginable." SHOW NOTES Knife Lore is a TikTok creator...

EPISODE SUMMARY Join James as he and Jeeyon discuss intention behind her prose approach of writing games, the experience of working with a game editor, and growing a community on Patreon! Then hang as they create a world based on natural magic. SHOW NOTES Jeeyon Shim is a second generation Korean American indie role-playing game and live action role-playing game designer and writer. A former outdo...