* (0:33) Fear the Con V!
* (1:25) The Power 16 III is still up and running! You can vote here. Round one will end at 6:00pm Central time on March 20th.
* (2:02) We’re delaying the discussion on faith until Wayne and Chris are both on the mics. This obviously requires a test to make sure Wayne and Chris are not the same person.
* (3:01) Our Twitter feed and topic ideas. Plus a tangent on voice acting.
* (6:03) NPCs the players are uniquely attached to. Steps for creating or finding those characters. Some ideas for leveraging such NPCs in the game.
* (28:49) Should RPG books include advice on handling problem players or other table-side issues that are likely to arise in the life of a gaming group?
* (36:55) Improving or speeding up character creation.
Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat, Wayne
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* (0:30) Dan got his copy of Impotent Nerd Rage by Mikey Mason.
* (1:40) The Power 16 III is now up and running! You can vote here. Round one will end at 6:00pm Central time on March 20th.
* (3:54) We’re proud to announce the release of the Narratavius app — written by Michael Ham and horribly mispronounced by Dan — featuring a Skies of Glass story by Chris.
* (7:02) Documentaries, comedies, and other entertainment that focuses on RPGs. The distinction between those that look at the hobby versus using RPG intellectual properties. What effect (if any) they have on non-gamers. What we’d like to see from such efforts.
* (30:39) Recovering a game after a long hiatus. The importance of desire, energy, and initiative. Getting people back into the flow. Why the players likely need to contribute more than the GM.
Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne
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* (1:04) The hosts versus social media.
* (7:51) Fear the Con V is still on its way and looking good! If you’re a GM, we could use your help. If you’re a player, then just be sure to grab the good games before they’re gone.
* (11:33) A discussion about fantasy fiction, mostly focusing on Tolkien and Leiber. Somehow a tangent on Tom Clancy gets worked into the middle.
* (25:40) Realism and internal consistency in a roleplaying game. When it’s important, when you should stick by your guns, and when to just let things go.
Hosts: Chad, Johann, John, Pat
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* (0:05) Dan falls victim to the flu. If you need a visual of how bad it is in our area, check out this map from the CDC!
* (2:02) Fear the Con V could use some more Game Masters, if you’re willing to run a game. A flyer is also available if you’re interested in posting one in your local game or book store.
* (4:31) If you’d like to make any donations toward Danger Brewery’s effort to bring more beer to the con, you can do so either via Facebook or straight through PayPal.
* (7:05) How each of the hosts got their start in roleplaying games, video games, and other form of geekery. The systems and experiences that most shaped their views on the hobby.
Hosts: Chad, Johann, John, Pat
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There is indeed be an episode coming out this week! I’ll be editing and releasing it this evening.
Also, for anyone that’s interested in following our Stone Keep remote game, we just wrapped up character creation last night. Our first post-game discussion has started on the forum.
* (0:24) Managing different player styles as a Game Master through such approaches as simultaneous solutions, varying your approach to the game, and setting forth expectations about how the game will go. Check yo self before ya wreck yo self, by understanding your character’s likely impact on the group.
* (40:29) When the GM walks away. The differences between managing rules disputes in RPGs and board games. What to do if the Game Master quits the game over a point of contention.
Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne
For those of you interested in following our “grand experiment” campaign, you can find the forum areas here.
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* (0:44) It feels good to be back, though Chris is sorry for calling Chad names.
* (3:25) A big thanks to Wizards of the Coast columnist, Tracy Hurley, for mentioning us in an article on Gamer Resolutions!
* (4:56) At Fear the Con V, Chris Ings will be running a Bloodname tournament for the surname, Badass.
* (8:22) Announcing the contestants for the Power 16 III! Voting will start in a few weeks.
* (14:05) Introducing an online game the hosts will be playing using Pathfinder rules and the Forgotten Realms setting. We’ll be using this to help us understand each other’s game styles and (more importantly) try to apply our own ideas to build and maintain a game. Whether this succeeds or fails, we hope it will serve as a great object lesson.
* (18:26) To start things off, Johann asks some questions about the intended level curve of the game, which leads Dan to ask why that’s important to his character.
* (34:28) Bringing together the cultures of different gaming groups and merging them into a new, mutually enjoyable culture.
* (37:10) An invitation to the audience to not only observe but also participate in our little experiment.
* (38:46) Lacking the time to develop our next topic, we spin down the episode. However, we kept recording, so Chad’s question gets a thorough exploration in the episode coming next week!
Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne
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* (0:48) Fear the Boot + Pat – (Dan + Dan’s job) = episode 256
* (1:36) Wayne will be posting his first game for Fear the Con V this Friday. If you’re interested in passing out flyers or hanging them up in your local game store, you can download them here.
* (6:21) Our Old Republic guild, House Nachash, is still going strong. You can find details on our forum.
* (7:33) Poop sock?
* (10:11) Pat and his peach cider.
* (12:28) Resuming an RPG campaign after a long break. Using the break as an opportunity for taking stock of what’s working, revising where needed. Easing back in. Keeping the game alive through outside conversation, or at least keeping the group in contact through a filler game. The pitfalls when coming back, including social distractions and forgetting what was going on.
* (36:09) How to get the most out of different GMing styles. Appreciating the distinctions and adapting your play-style to get the most from your Game Master. Evaluating your GM style. How to get the most honest feedback from your players.
Hosts: Chris, John, Karla, Pat, Wayne
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We’re supposed to release on Wednesdays, and tomorrow is that Wednesday everyone is blacking out their content to protest SOPA or something. So this was completely planned. We’re glad to hear Wikipedia, Boing Boing and other sites are following the proud example of the most important site on the internet. Or at least our iTunes feed.
We strive to get an episode of some kind out every week, but sometimes life has other plans. This week, multiple hosts are unavailable for reasons that are mostly work-related, so I don’t have an episode to release. We should be back on next week, and I look forward to catching you all then!
