Fandible Actual Play Podcast

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Horrorscope: Cthulhu Edition

David — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:00:55 +0000

You believe that the Stars guide you, but it is The Things Beyond that cause all to happen. Listen closely, shriek gibberish and writhe on the ground as the pain of truth fights your mind’s frail illusion of what is “Real.”

Aries: As the old saying goes, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Make sure to surround yourself with both, as they can be harvested for parts later. This week your lucky number is 1, for that is all that will remain at the end of what needs to be done.

Taurus: Sound does not exist in space, otherwise you would hear the terrified screams of countless planets bringing messages of impending danger. But the distance is vast and the warnings would come too late. Your lucky number is lost to the void, do not concern yourself with it.

Gemini: We have tried to warn you of your doppelganger but to no avail. Arm yourself for the final confrontation and remember that they are you, but only the most monstrous of the two will prevail. To survive you must become less human than you imagined possible. Your lucky number is tattooed on the doppelganger’s tongue. If you live to read it you will find the truth.

Cancer: Do not move. Do not blink. Do not breathe. The Stars can see It, and It is right behind you. Your lucky number cannot help you. Do not seek our counsel again.

Leo: The ancient book in your family library is more than a retelling of your lineage, it holds a horrible secret. Trace it back to where it all began. You are the vessel of its return! The Stars praise its triumph over death, and you are so very, very lucky.

Virgo: The Stars know of the dreams you’ve been having, they know of how you fear the embrace of slumber. The stars can offer you peace, but at a terrible price. We will send a messenger. Your lucky number is thirteen.

Libra: In the dead of night you will go to the cemetery and exhume a body from an unmarked grave. You will feel the sensation that this has all happened before, but it must be ignored. Inside the stomach of the faceless corpse will be a letter. Bring it to Virgo. Only then will we bestow your lucky number.

Scorpio: Be open to love in the funniest places! Be open to small gifts from strangers! Be open to your own heart and what it tells you! DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TONIGHT. THE CREATURE IS TRYING TO TRICK YOU. Your lucky number is twenty.

Sagittarius: The crack on the bedroom wall is getting bigger. The sound behind it is of scratching, or digging. Soon, three sharp raps will come from behind it. You want to flee, you want to scream, but you have that important meeting tomorrow morning and you really must get some shut-eye. You will get that promotion, but the world will pay for your mistake. Your lucky number is irrelevant.

Capricorn: Why not take a day off and relax? Why not take the week? Why not disappear into a dream world while the memory of you fades from the minds of everyone you’ve ever known? You deserve a break! Your lucky number is twenty-six.

Aquarius: This week a paper cut will alert you to the frailty of the flesh, so chop off your arm and replace it with something of your own design. The horrible pain will expose yet more weakness; strip away the nerves and replace them too. Become the thing that you’ve always wanted to be. They scream because they are not fit to behold your glory. Your lucky number cannot be conceived of by your meat-brain.

Pisces: Pay no attention to rent and disregard the ever-growing pile of bills. Do not return communiques from friends or family. Deep below the surface of the ocean lies your True Home. There they will embrace you, give you purpose, and one day you will return to the surface and herald the End of All Things. The stars will watch in horrible rapture. Someone else can feed your cat in the meantime. Your lucky number is nine.

Today’s Birthday: Time is a lie. You celebrate your own ignorance.

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The Strange Ep 6: Atom Nocturne

Podcast — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 17:48:54 +0000

In a world of anime tropes and impossibly good looking people, our dimensional con artists must use every trick in their book to find their prize. To bad for them, this world may require a much more violent approach.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

SCP: Secure. Contain. Protect

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Magic: The Gathering One shot RPG – Part 2

Arvandus — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 15:15:31 +0000

Welcome to part two of Making a Magic: The Gathering One Shot RPG. If you haven’t yet, please check out part one here.

If you remember last week’s article, I left off with saying we were going to look into the GM’s role for my Magic: The Gathering RPG game. Now before I begin, there is something I must emphasize to all the GMs out there – for this game, anything I say or have said is pretty much up for change. If at any point you want to deviate from any rules or anything I say, feel free to do so. It’s a one shot game, and if you suddenly want the players to fight Godzilla in the first five minutes with 100 mana points each, that’s great! This game is all about the fun factor. What you are about to read are just general guidelines for an adventure that worked for my group. And again, if you want an audio example, check out our session of this game here.

First off, have all the players arrive at the same plane at around the same time. Whether they were traveling together or met for the first time, its up to them. When they arrive, they will find that for whatever reason, their power has been siphoned off. They will start at 0 mana and find themselves having to fight weaker monsters from your magic deck. Why is this happening? It’s up to you. Since I had mostly green cards to work with, I created a scenario where the enemy was a sort of green mana plant elemental that sucked away Planeswalkers’ mana as soon as they stepped into the plane. You could easily change that to a rival Planeswalker, demon dragon, or a fluffy bunny of darkness. It all depends on the story you are trying to tell.

Over the course of the game, you will slowly increase the amount of mana available to the characters. You can either have it as an important part of the story or because you feel like seeing them unleash better spells and monsters against your mountain of enemies. Have them choose which mana they receive during these moments. During this time, have them begin to slowly discover what’s causing their power disruptions! Hopefully they won’t realize it’s a mystery you are making up on the spot…

By the end of the game, they should be able to summon their most powerful creatures and spells, and you should have equally powerful cards to face off against them. You, GM, will get a sense you’re nearing the end as the narrative seems to be coming to a natural close. Plus, your players will be running low on cards at that point anyway. Have them find the big bad (or bads!) and let them unleash hell. Let them be creative on how they describe their cards’ effects and how they are finally able to defeat the antagonist(s) of the story. And if one of the players wants to pull a self sacrifice, let it be really cool.

The game will depend a lot on your imagination and your players’ trust. It’s not about strict rules but making a damn good story. Let all of your players have their individual awesome moments, and it should be a fun ride. If any player wishes to waste time debating how his card should affect an enemy, a familiar event to any Magic player, tell him or her they are thinking too hard and just enjoy being a world-shattering wizard.

With that, I can only hope you enjoyed this quick guide to my Magic: The Gathering RPG. If you guys decide to give it a try, let me know how it went in the comments. I would love to read about it.

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October 2015 Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:45:57 +0000

Its a month of finding the strange, securing the strange, and unleashing the strange in this October Podcast Schedule.

Oct 2

The Strange

Its anime tropes and rampant chicanery in this months episode of The Strange!

Oct 9 & 16

We discover horrible monsters both big and small as we go into the inner workings of the SCP.

Oct 23 & 30

The End of the World

We return to The End of the World as we try to survive some more of The Wrath of the Gods!!!!

The post October 2015 Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 24: The Batman Episode

Podcast — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 14:25:54 +0000

5 Geek. One Roundish Table. In this very special Batman episode, we discuss what Batman means to us, the Batman movies, and our favorite Batman villains.

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Technocracy: The Union 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 18:00:47 +0000

With the concerns of communism and reefer madness taken care of, the team hopes for an easy night, but when a bigger threat emerges their clandestine plans and reality itself begins to unravel.

Music by samplechopper on Fiverr.

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Making a Magic: The Gathering One Shot RPG – Part 1

Arvandus — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:00:51 +0000

THIS COULD BE YOU!!!

Magic: The Gathering is a game of mighty planeswalkers unleashing devastating abilities and terrible creatures upon their enemies. A battle between two planeswalkers can shatter worlds and wipe out civilizations. They can alter reality itself and have the planes bend to their whims. Too bad all this is represented by a few cards in your hand and twenty measly health points.

If you’re like me, you want a bit more than just a few cards in your hand to represent ultimate power. Sure, Magic: The Gathering is a fun game, but I can’t be the only one that wants a more active hand in that universe! I want to become that planeswalker and unleash hell upon an imaginary enemy. So with that in mind, I decided to start work on a possible roleplaying opportunity for you.

A couple of months ago, I decided to run a roleplaying session in the world of Magic: The Gathering. If you’re interested in listening to two amoral planeswalkers taking on an entire planet, give it a listen: The Savage Green. Since we had such a blast, I thought I would give you guys the chance to try it out with your own friends during a lazy afternoon.

Now the advice I’m going to give you is for a quick one day game. It is something to waste an afternoon on as you’re waiting for your local game store to finally get that box of Battle for Zendikar expansion packs. If you want a long term Magic: The Gathering roleplaying game you can play over a couple of weeks, check out the io9 article written by Ed Grabianowki. It’s a great read and inspired my one shot adventure.

Now, you will need a few things.

Three to Five players: One of you becomes the GM while the others are players. As the GM, you must be good at the complex art of making stuff up. Possibly more so than other games because you will be making an entire story from a random set of magic cards you have lying around. The rest of the players have the easy job of being planeswalkers getting ready to unleash hell upon an unsuspecting plane. The jerks.

A copy of Fate Accelerated: Fate Accelerated is a great and simple RPG system created by Evil Hat games. You can grab a copy at your local game store or buy it online for 5 bucks. Not only will you need it for this game, but the system can be used to create numerous quick and easy games for any setting in just a few minutes.

Magic: The Gathering cards: Just grab a bunch of cheap Magic: The Gathering cards you might have around. Let’s say 30 to 40 cards of creatures and spells for each player. Follow Magic: The Gathering card number rules as well. If you have 30 disintegrates in your deck, you’re doing it wrong. The GM can have as many cards as he likes because he is the GM. He gets all the toys!

Each player chooses a deck of either one or two colors. Once they do that, they have to describe their planewalker character. Use the card colors and contents to get an idea of the planeswalker’s personality and look. Each player should describe what plane they come from. It will give them an idea on how to run their character.

Once they have an idea, use the Fate Accelerated system to create their character’s stats. You’ll be able to create character stats and one or two abilities in a few minutes. Fate accelerated uses fate dice, which are four dice with +, -, or Blank symbols on its faces. You roll the dice and modify the stat depending on the roll. The + symbol adds to your stat, the – symbol subtracts from your stat, and Blank does nothing. For example, if your quickness stat is 3, and you roll (+, +, -, Blank), your quickness would be 4 for the roll.

Now as you probably already know, there are two types of cards – Spells and Creatures.

Spells can only be used once and are dumped by the player. Make sure they know this so they don’t use their best stuff in the first monster encounter. Now, since this is a role-playing game, what matters more is the description and how the player uses the cards than using the card as originally intended. For example, one of my players had a blue card that simply returned a card to a player’s hand. Instead of wondering where this invisible hand might be, he simply described how the spell made a spider monster they were facing fly away in a tornado. It’s all about the narrative and making the players look cool. Now, it will be up to the GM to determine how creatures are affected by certain spells. If your GM decides your disintegrate simply hurts a bigger monster and doesn’t outright kill him, accept it. His job is to make a fight interesting, not necessarily easy.

Creatures are handled slightly differently. When you summon a creature, it stays with you but its mana cost subtracts from your available mana. For example, let’s say you’re halfway through the session, and you’re up to 4 available mana. If you summon a 2 mana creature, you only have 2 mana to spend on spells until that creature is dismissed or destroyed. Once that happens. that creature is permanently gone… unless you’re using the black deck and have some spells to counter that. The creature is controlled by the player and can be unleashed during the player’s turn.

As for how the creatures fight, all creatures have an attack and defend value at the bottom of their card. Any time you need to attack or defend, just roll your fate dice and add the result to the attack or defend. Whether that immediately kills the enemy or if it will take a few rounds will be up to the GM. The fate system has great rules for simple combat.

Still with me? Good. Next week I’ll take you behind the GM screen and explain what to expect as a GM when running Magic: The Gathering.

Read part 2 of this article here.

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Technocracy: The Union 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:22:19 +0000

While America is enjoying a momentous television event, a team of agents dedicated to the preservation of reality set out for a simple mission, only to find out that securing normality may involve the truly unbelievable.

Music by samplechopper on Fiverr.

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Review: Powers TV Series

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:03:52 +0000

I just got done watching the Playstation Network series ‘Powers’. If you don’t already know, the show takes place in a world where superheroes are a thing. Yes, people are born with powers and take to the air fighting crime or committing crime depending on where their moral compass points. In this world, superheroes fight not just for truth and justice but also for a slice of the pie called fame. The series follows a former hero turned cop who works for the Powers division of the police which are in charge of arresting powered individuals. He no longer has his powers, he no longer has his fame, but you know what does have? Er… uh… a semi-decent American accent?

Let me flat out say this about the show. ‘Powers’ is not worth getting the Playstation Network solely for. However, since it is now eighteen bucks on Amazon, I would recommend you picking it up if you like unique superhero settings. Because if anything, that is the strongest selling point of the show – the setting is great. They nail the setting. A+ and 10/10.

You see, unlike most superhero shows and cartoons that we’ve grown up with, this series asks the question of “hey, what about the people that were in that building that superhero just slammed into?” It looks at the grittiness of a world where a person can literally be an atomic bomb. How does this world function? How does it survive?

Not only that, but I love the idea that they hammer (sometimes a little too much…) into our heads about the fame of superheroics. Hey, guess what doesn’t really pay the bills? Being a vigilante might be great for justice but heroes don’t fill out a time card and get paid for it. In ‘Powers’, it explores how every hero is out trying to do two things; first, save the day and second, trying to get enough fame so they can get money from branding. The series explores the cutthroat nature of marketing, sexism in advertising, and some of the sadness from fan culture.

‘Powers’ reminds me of Mutant City Blues. It’s a cop procedural that just happens to take place in a world where spandex isn’t just for conventions anymore.

Now, I suppose I should give you the negatives of the show. I’m a generous god.

The acting isn’t bad but that isn’t to say it is good. We do see some really solid performances from Michelle Forbes (Retro Girl), Eddie Izzard (Wolfe), and Susan Heyward (Detective Pilgrim). However. I can’t help but feel that the Sharlto Copey (ex-hero turned cop, Christian Walker) and Noah Tayler (Johnny Royale, teleporting rogue) are focusing more on their American accents than they are about ‘motivation’. Again, it’s a decent job but they just don’t land their punches like the rest.

The superheroic story that unfolds during the series is clever enough but I found myself wanting them to go back to just the setting around them. I didn’t really want the meta-plot that involve superpowered prisons and a super dangerous mutant. No, I wanted to see more of cops arresting bad guys who just happened to be able to spit poison at their faces. The main plot is fine. It kept me interested. Yet, in the end, I was hoping for them to explore the world around them rather than the story unfolding.

So! Do I like ‘Powers’? Yes. I am excited that they’re going to be getting a season two. I just hope that in season two, they try a more ‘crime of the week’ approach rather than building episode after episode into a huge arc. “Powers’ is doing something unique with their setting, and I think if they embrace that uniqueness, it has a shot at being something that is remembered.

Oh! I should probably mention… the CGI is Tron-level bad.

But I sort of dig that. Weird!

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The End of the World: That is Not Dead 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:04:46 +0000

The world’s first (or at least most ridiculous) Lovecraftian stoner comedy continues. Four friends rally to defend the local fast food joint from the clutches of the cultists. #NotOurWhiteCastle

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

Let’s Play, with Jerry! – Sakura Angels

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Let’s Play, with Jerry! – Sakura Angels

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 14:00:20 +0000

Carter didn’t know what woke him up first – Princess Lando’s tongue attacking his face or the beeping of his phone on the nearby nightstand. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he tried to shield his face from a rather insistent Princess Lando, the dog’s breath already wafting over him.

“I’m up!” he called out to no one in particular. He doubted Princess Lando understood him nor did he think the phone would stop its noise, but it was something he always did in the morning. He announced when he did things. It was one of things that Laura used to tease him about until she eventually revealed that it slowly drove her insane. But Carter was a man of routine and his day never felt right until he announced to the world – well, to Princess Lando at least – that he was, in fact, awake.

He pushed a book off his chest; a manuscript with writing as dry as the martini that Kevin had forced him to drink last night. The book hit the ground with a clap, Princess Lando following it down in order to give it a proper ‘sniffing’, and Carter reached out to pick up his phone.

“I’m awake,” he answered as he found his glasses in between his pillows and haphazardly shoved them on his face.

“Holy shit, Carter – have you checked you Facebook yet?”

Carter had left Kevin at the bar at ten last night… and assumed Kevin didn’t leave until closing time. Yet, ever the morning person, Kevin didn’t show a hint of nursing a hangover. Carter assumed that it was either because Kevin was still currently drinking or of some inborn immunity to alcohol. Regardless of what it was, the man’s voice was way too… chipper. Happy. Coherent?

“You changed my password after you caught me looking at Laura’s and her roommate’s vacation pics…”

“Right, absolutely,” quipped Kevin before Carter heard him typing. “I did do that cause I’m the best fucking friend in the world. But seriously, I’m giving you access to Facebook again on account of this being fucking hilarious. Password is ‘In Brady We Trust’. One word.” And with that, the line went dead.

Princess Lando finished her sniffing, and she looked up at Carter with droopy eyes before letting out a mournful howl. The time on his phone said it was seven o’clock in the morning; forty minutes until his alarm was due to wake him up and for him to feed Princess Lando her breakfast. Yet, with another howl from his dog, Carter decided to get a jump on the morning. He rolled out of bed and padded down the hall towards the kitchen.

“Feeding the dog,” he announced to the empty kitchen before setting the dish down.

“Doing what Kevin tells me to do,” he called out as he flopped down in front of his computer.

“Being a massive tool,” he finished as he brought up his Facebook. He squinted at the screen for a few seconds, scrolling down past a few birthday reminders and baby announcements until he saw it.

“God dammit, Jerry…”

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The End of the World: That is Not Dead 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 18:30:10 +0000

AKA: The End of the World: Harold and Kumar Go to R’lyeh

A combination of strange tectonic and meteorological events, as well as upsetting interactions at work, drives four friends to seek some chemically-altering ways to relax (and some munchies to fill up on). Their timing has never been worse.

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

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The Toybox of the Mind

David — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:00:33 +0000

Recently I was having coffee with a friend and we were recounting with great fervor our memories of being little boys and playing with our toys. Part of the discussion was based on the types of toys we had, the mnemonic markers bound with brand recognition that gave us a feeling of shared experience. The action figures borne from iconic cartoons, the obscure characters who never hit the big time, and of course the Golden fleece of toys for kids our age: a full set of metal Voltron lions, capable of combining to make the titular robotic defender of the universe.

Inevitably our conversation would wander into the subject of those objects’ monetary worth, and what of our old collection would have been the most valuable. I said my Castle Grayskull He-Man play set, he said nothing of his would be worth much but he wishes he hadn’t put his sister’s Jem and the Holograms dolls in the microwave. He smiled when he said it, though, so I know he was re-living his favorite villainous moment.

We both agreed this was the purest distillation of adulthood: Fondly reminiscing about the objects of our childhood and acknowledging that we would sell them to pay this month’s rent.

The most interesting topic that afternoon, though, was about the backstory we built around some of our favorite toys that were unrelated to their actual origin: He-Man was actually a part-time professional wrestler, Raphael was a skulking thief and the Ghostbusters were still busting ghosts but now that included Cobra Commander (who was clearly a zombie of some sort) so they had to team up with G.I. Joe in order to get the job done. Also Batman would occasionally show up and all hell would break loose. These were narratives that we cooked up in our heads, departures from the provided stories that made the toys more meaningful in our minds. The fact that we, as two adults, were giggling incessantly while describing the twists and turns of our plastic figurines was proof positive that they held a place in our minds. They existed in a place of distinction in the court of our imaginations, only second to the imaginary friends of our youngest years. It reminded me of something.

I realised that that same excitement of a personal (if not absurd) story still exists in our characters around a roleplaying table. We still tell tales of personas very dear to us that don’t exist for virtually anyone else with the enthusiasm of someone who just saw an amazing film or read a fantastic book. Honestly, if you ever want to relinquish a solid hour of your time, ask a role-player about their character. They will try to stop themselves, but the torrent of words for their favorite fake person will eventually win out and they will gab like a middle-schooler describing which member of a pop band is the cutest.

This is something that never went away in most gamers – the genuine feeling of excitement in creating an original story, and it’s why I believe that so many of us become creatives: writers, artists, storytellers of any stripe. Even if we maintain a 9-5 job, we still find time to find time to create that unique story that we know only we can tell. We collectively engage in the improv rule of “yes, and…” with ourselves, constantly pushing our imaginations forward with a velocity that surprises even us.

It is only a matter of time before we find ourselves with a pantheon of personas in our minds that we hold up as our gaming-table accomplishments. They, like the toys of our youth, mean so much more than what they started as, and we are proud to recount how we helped them discover their potential, and in doing so we discover our own ability to spin a good yarn. The same way I tell someone that the figurine of plastic that I had as a young boy was so much more to me, so is the the seemingly random string of numbers on a character sheet. The game may have changed, but the excitement is still there.

So what about you? I’d like to hear about your character, but I’m invoking the Drake rule: You get three short statements.

Starting from the bottom: “She was a fighter from the town of Whatsitville.”

Now we’re here: “Now she’s the head of a military academy and part-time demon-slayer.”

And the shout-out: “Big thanks to the scroll of meteors I found in a cave. That really surprised that camp of storm giants.”

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September 2015 Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 14:28:44 +0000

Its a month of Lovecraftian Horror and Technocratic Rule in this month’s podcast schedule.

Sept 4th and 11th

The End of the World

We explore Wrath of the Gods as Angela shows us the joys of a Lovecraftian apocalypse.

Sept 18th and 25th

Technocracy

David teaches us the dangers of deviation as he guides us through the world of technocracy.

The post September 2015 Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 23: The Meaning of Punk, Rated R Superheroes and Our Best Fake President

Podcast — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 14:23:17 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. This week in the Geeky Topics Round Table, we discuss the meaning of punk in role-playing, whether we need rated R superheroes, and our best fake presidents.

The post GTRT Ep 23: The Meaning of Punk, Rated R Superheroes and Our Best Fake President appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Dungeons & Dragons Ep 2: Desecrated Memorial 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 16:03:33 +0000

Trapped by a Mana Storm, the heroes have no choice but to face the weapons of a long dead people.

Intro Music: Future Gladiator by Kevin Macleod

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Fandible: The Drinking Game

Angela — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:00:41 +0000

As you may know, Fandible is approaching five years of actual play podcast hilarity this fall. It’s a momentous occasion, and we absolutely wouldn’t have stuck around this long if it weren’t for people like you, coming back week after week to listen to some of the most ridiculous role playing to ever grace the internet, and read our weekly ramblings here on the blog.

Any group that’s together for an extended period of time comes up with a litany of inside jokes and repeated motifs (yes, motifs, not tired tropes!), and we’re lucky enough to be able to share this history of ridiculous jokes with you.

You may not feel so lucky.

To celebrate five years of gaming together, here you’ll find the first draft of the first ever Fandible roleplaying drinking game! Prepare your liver to roll some David Dice (drink!)…

Drink Once

An obstacle or villain appears “suddenly, out of nowhere…”
A child NPC is a jerk
A dinosaur appears
Time travel
Stevens and/or Rubia make an appearance
Billy names an NPC “Gary”
Someone uses an accent

Drink Twice

Someone other than David gets hit by “David Dice” (Caution: do not use this rule when listening to 99 Problems)
A new T-shirt slogan is mentioned
Angela squirms over mentions of eye trauma
“Math!”
The GM is left speechless after an ingenious and/or insane player plan
Someone starts the game with one accent, and ends up using a different one by the end
A player gets to re-roll…and gets a worse result

Finish Your Drink

When a wholesome setting turns freakin’ dark
David rolls David Dice
“SCIENCE!”

What are some of your favorite Fandible moments that deserve to be immortalized in a drinking game? Tell us in the comments and we’ll add our favorites to the official list!

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Dungeons & Dragons Ep 2: Desecrated Memorial 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 16:37:01 +0000

Banished from their home, the young heroes must face an unfamiliar world. A chaotic world of dangerous creatures, untamed magic, and the constant reminders of a brutal and devastating war.

Intro Music: Future Gladiator by Kevin Macleod

Hollow Earth Expedition Episodes

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Hiding your GMing Addiction

Arvandus — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 14:04:10 +0000

Dice? I see no dice….. IGNORE ME!

As you walk down a street, your imagination slowly begins manipulating the lives of those around you. The jogger running past trips on a strange looking rock, the green glow slowly transforming him. That teen nearby discovers a monster beneath the old bridge. Its ancient voice echoing within her mind. The skies open up and that family of four finds themselves at the forefront of an terrible alien invasion.

As the walk continues, your imagination becomes more insistent and its becomes harder to keep it in check. The stories become more fantastical and you know you will soon lose control. You calm it with promises that its time will come. That the days to the weekend grow closer and closer and eventually the appointed moment will draw near. Soon, you will release its pent up mental energies upon your victims and they will thank you for it. For on that day, you will sate your GMing addiction.

I know, it’s hard to admit. The GMing chair is a mistress you have pledged yourself to and who has stoked your creative juices for years. Its siren song the perfect vehicle for your limitless imagination. All of your players are in awe of your ability to tie the various backstories of your players into a cohesive whole. Especially Greg, even though he doesn’t like to admit it.

Screw you, Greg.

But you are probably asking, is this really a problem? Am I a monster who likes to manipulate his players, the people he calls friends, for his own narrative high? Probably, but it’s still not a good idea to admit it. Laughing maniacally as your players fall into a trap tends to bring up a few red flags. Good thing I have a few tricks to help you overcome your natural urges and make you seem normal.

1) Become a Collector

An Epic Story Told in Plastic.

All children are monsters, as the players of my games will attest. Not because of their actions, but because of the power of their imaginations. With devilish relish, they play with their boxes, action figures, and hula hoops and create worlds of torturous mental amusement. It is a trick you must relearn. Collect those toys of old and sate your imagination. When someone looks at you quizzically, tell them you are simply a collector. Then, when their attention is elsewhere, begin your narrative. Have Nightshadow fighting Dayhawk in an epic duel only to be betrayed by Heartfire, his one true love. It will make Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet a paltry dime store novel in comparison.

2) Master Useless Knowledge.

If you squint, it looks just like Mickey Mouse.

Everyone knows narrative fonts such as yourself derive fuel from things like books, movies, and theater. If people notice you consuming this media, they can safely assume you are an enlightened individual who probably has many ideas for running a role-playing game. You must make them think your mind is occupied with less cultured pursuits. My suggestion, gossip magazines. Look for interesting titles like 10 Ways Disney Stars are Manipulating Your Government and Favorite Politicians who are Secretly Interdimensional Lizard Men. These magazines will make people less likely to think you are a GMing mastermind. It will also make them slowly walk away from you with their arms raised as you explain the current theory on the Demon/Alien/Communist conspiracy. Trust me, it will add to your mystique.

3) Gain Omnipotence and Manipulate Reality.

ROLLING DICE FOR YOUR REALITY!

You’ve tried. Oh, you’ve tried. But your creative energies burst from you like a wave. Hiding it is like trying to hide the blazing light of the sun. It has become a beacon for hopeful players looking to you as their savior. Strangers on the street ask you to GM all their games from the bizarre realms of magical fantasies to the gritty worlds of the cyberpunk streets. They are so many and you are sadly only one extremely handsome mortal.

With your secret out and the tide of potential players overwhelming you, there is only one rational answer. You must become a God! You must reach GM apotheosis and have your very will alter reality itself. Go through the trials of Gygax, the dark depths of White Wolf, and the endless tides of Indie. When you emerge on the other side, Let your minions be grateful, for they are now part of your stories. Forever!

Except for Greg. Screw you, Greg.

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Hollow Earth Expedition: Revelations of Mars part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:58:08 +0000

The Martian mercenaries near their mark: a ruined ancient city revitalized by the emergence of a reincarnated god. But all isn’t what it seems. The easy payday they imagined may be out of reach, and their actions may have repercussions for the future of the planet itself.

Intro Music: Phantom from space by Kevin Macleod

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Insane in the Membrane – Sanity in RPGs

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Remember the video game Eternal Darkness? It was on the GameCube back in the day, and it was probably the only reason why I didn’t regret skipping the Playstation 2. Eternal Darkness was a multi-story videogame that explored a coming darkness. It was all about people throughout time being forced to confront the incomprehensible. The story was great, the gameplay was fun, but the thing that sold Eternal Darkness for me was the sanity meter. The more ‘bad’ that you experienced, the more your sanity would go down until you were finally experiencing ‘glitches in the matrix.’ In one instance, you’d walk into the room filled with zombies and then your television would say it couldn’t detect your controller. And as you charged to try to check the plug of your controller, the zombies would be hitting you until a flash would happen and your character would be in the room alone screaming “THIS ISN’T REAL!”

The game was in my head! And I loved every minute of it.

The first time I experienced anything like a sanity meter in a roleplaying game was in Vampire: the Masquerade, where it was the Humanity scale. While it wasn’t exactly a sanity meter, it was a meter that wasn’t dependant on health levels. Rather, it was a meter that affected a character’s attitude and personality, and I absolutely loved reading about vampires falling to the beast. I later moved onto games like the Laundry, Call of Cthulhu, and Warhammer that actually had a sanity meter built into the game. In later renditions, World of Darkness took it upon themselves to make something similar – especially for the God Machine Chronicles.

I’ve been a huge lover of using sanity in my Billyverse games, and I’m very fortunate that I have players who are willing to not only play along with my delusions but also have their dimming sanity reflect in their characters. Unfortunately, not all GMs are so lucky.

The biggest fear I’ve encountered with sanity meters is the player who just doesn’t seem to get madness. They either treat a sanity or humanity meter as just another stat they need to keep above a certain number in order to avoid negatives, or they go from sane to bat-shit zany “I’m-a-Malkavian-so-I-hit-a-prince-with-a-fish” bonkers at a drop of the hat. Or worse, someone who takes their dip into insanity as a reason to try to creep players out in the most uncomfortable ways. These people I don’t enjoy gaming with, and I have seen their type ruin a perfectly good table.

Insanity in a game can cause some wonderful bits of horror. During one of my games, Shattered Reflections, I used madness and ‘glitches’ to make the characters slowly doubt themselves. They had a hard time distinguishing what was truly failing them – the world around them or just their mind. To me, that’s the scariest part of my stories (and I admit I sometimes draw out too often.) I love to make the characters wonder if their reality is wrong or if they are just cracking under the pressure. I love for them to question if what they are experiencing is real or not. And maybe that’s what I try to show when we play my games; people questioning their sanity instead of caricatures of mental health.

Insanity can have some humor into it, sure. After the terror passed in Eternal Darkness, it was fun to share stories with friends about how we reacted to the controller disconnect scene. For the more classically minded, see the part of the Fool from many of Shakespeare’s plays. However, it’s important to remember that mental illness is a real life issue and may affect players at your table in different ways. In fiction, madness can supply insight, but like many real life issues that influence our games, remember that the fun of your players comes first before any story elements..

So, how do you like insanity in your game? You a fan? You not a fan? Oh – and who hear thought Eternal Darkness was a bad ass game? We should get together with some beer sometimes and play it together, am I right?

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Fandible Picks of the Month August 2015

Angela — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:00:09 +0000

Fandible Picks of the Month August 2015

80sHorrorNet

As many of you may be well aware, I love horror films (you’ll notice I didn’t say good horror films) and I personally believe that the 80’s bequeathed to the world a very special kind of horror schlock, one that mixes cynical grind-house production with a genuine appreciation for a good scare. So you can imagine my excitement when a friend told me about 80shorror.net, a site dedicated to cataloging every 80’s horror film by year and whether or not it’s free to view on Youtube. For me, it’s not only a trip down memory lane (since I realize that I may have seen a selection of these when I was too young, but what the hell it builds character) but also a guarantee for a great nightmare. So if you’re anything like me and you like it when some zombies had mohawks and people said “boss” without a hint of irony, then go to this site and take a gander. -David

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Set in the early 19th century, the drama of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell follows two magicians working to return magic to the British empire. As the show continues, what was once a potential friendship becomes a bitter rivalry as their differing styles and personalities clash. To make things even more complicated, the Fae come in and do what they do best: cause chaos.

If I had to choose one thing I like about this show, it has the be the representation of the main Fae antagonist. He is both capricious and aloof but there is a dark menace about him that lurks just below the surface. Anything that messes with his lovely toys, or “people” as they are called in polite society, would get a taste of Fairy retribution.

If you’re interested in a period drama with a taste of the fantastic, give it a look. -Jesus

Review

I’ve been bingeing on the first, too short, season of Review on Hulu, and I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. The premise of the show is that our protagonist, Forrest MacNeil, is a critic, but not of books or movies or food, no – he reviews life itself. Viewers send in requests wanting to know what certain life experiences are like, and our brave reviewer sets out, experiences them, and then, reviews them. From this simple premise flows some of the funniest television I’ve seen in years, and I cannot recommend this highly enough – especially due to the fact that each review does not stand alone. The things Forrest goes through during each review changes and affects him, his family, and sometimes the world at large, often in hilariously terrible ways. Do note: the humor can be a bit boundary-pushing, so, you’ve been warned. -Daniel

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire

As some of you might have heard, I work in the publishing business. And while it can slowly drive me insane at times, I do enjoy it. I get money to survive, I get to work with interesting characters, and most importantly – I get to steal all the free books I want (please don’t tell anyone…). A few weeks ago, I was looking through the left over stock and came upon a book called Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire. I read the back of the book, grunted with some semblance of interest, and decided ‘what the hell’. The back said it was about a hitchhiker ghost and blah-blah-blah. I figured it would be good enough to kill a subway ride with.

And you know what?

It was good. Like… seriously. I started the book on a Wednesday, finished it on a Thursday, and then read it again on a Friday. The writing was good, but what really got me was the detail to the lore of the book! It is an exploration of all those ghost stories we’ve heard on the road. They talk about what makes a person a ‘phantom hitcher’ or a ‘Lady in White’ or a ‘Ghost Rider’. It was simply one of the most interesting settings I’ve seen in a long time in a book! So! If you ever see it on a bookstore or on a website, give it a read. It’s clever! It’s cute! It’s creative. It’s my pick for August. -Billy

Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle

If you have an end-of-summer road trip this month, Vivian Apple at the End of the World is the perfect road trip companion. Known by the much more badass name of Vivian Apple versus the Apocalypse in the UK, this YA book is set in the near future where, after a series of terrorist attacks and environmental disasters, a new evangelical religion pops up, the Church of America, and they know that the Rapture is coming soon for the chosen believers. The titular Vivian has never believed in the apocalyptic rhetoric, until she comes home the night after the Rapture to find her devout parents have disappeared, leaving only two person-shaped holes in the roof. Vivian teams up with her best friend Harp, similarly orphaned, and a mysterious new ally, the requisite cute boy, for a road trip across a panic-stricken, post-Rapture United States. This book deals with some heavy questions about faith while lightening the mood with excerpts from a new holy book that praises America and Capitalism above all else. And the best part: for US readers, this is only $2.99 on Kindle this month, ahead of the US release of the sequel. -Angela

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Hollow Earth Expedition: Revelations of Mars 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 16:15:38 +0000

A band of Martian misfit mercenaries search for their next big find in the desert wasteland of the Red planet. Upon hearing of the arrival of a new reincarnation of a Martian God King, they set their sights on the haul of a lifetime: the naive pilgrims searching for salvation.

Intro Music: Villainous Treachery by Kevin Macleod

Hollow Earth Expedition Episodes

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#RPGaDay

Angela — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:00:58 +0000

Last August, the #RPGaDay meme was launched by Autocratik, encouraging gamers to make one post per day on a gaming topic. It’s a month for celebrating the diversity of our hobby, and following along last year caused my gaming wishlist to explode in size. Last year was such a success, it’s back with a vengeance this year.

Five days in some great topics have already been covered, including yesterday’s “Most Surprising Game” (for my part the answer to that would be The End of the World – I didn’t expect such an innovative game to come from the people that saddled us with Warhammer). Today’s topic is “Most Recent RPG Purchase.” For me it’s Stars Without Number, which I picked up mostly for its SciFi plot hooks while I was plotting the Revelations of Mars game you’ll get to hear later this week.

Looking ahead, I can’t wait to talk about my favorite media appearance of an RPG, or what property I wish was an RPG. And I really hope to see a spike in referral traffic on the 29th ::cough cough::.

Are you participating in #RPGaDay this year? It’s never too late to start! Choose any (or all! Some of you are chatty) of the first five topics from this month and answer it in the comments.

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August Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 16:12:33 +0000

Its a month of pulp martian skies and magical realms in this months Fandible schedule.

August 7th & 14th

Hollow Earth Expedition

We take a small detour from our regular game as Angela lets us explore the strange landscapes of Mars.

August 21st & 28th

Dungeons and Dragons

We return for another session of Billy’s Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

The post August Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Strange Ep 5: Cataclyst

Podcast — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 16:08:55 +0000

After a failed translation, our con artist heroes find themselves in a world of mutants, cyborgs, and pleasant post apocalyptic scenery.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

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The Dice of Despair

David — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 14:00:09 +0000

I am, in general, not a superstitious person. I don’t mind black cats, broken mirrors (beyond the obvious “well shit I have to pay for that”) and I don’t believe that cracks that I walk on have anything to do with my mother’s chiropractic health. I believe firmly that science and reasonable deduction can explain anything, from the strangest occurrence to the weirdest of situations. With this in mind, I would like to posit the following: I have been cursed, but I may have found a way to rid myself of this otherworldly affliction.

The most recent game we recorded (that you won’t hear for many weeks, if ever) was a one-shot affair involving super heroes and some other things but that’s not important. What is crucial to my rambling is that my rolls were fine, but Billy’s were disasterous. Every. Time. Nothing he did could achieve success and the things I did just happened. They just happened! As if some loving god had decided that I had suffered enough, but kind of like “You are forgiven my son and you may go free but while I’m here I’m gonna rain pain down on Billyville today and it’s gonna be like an El Nino of shit… peace be with you.”

It is with this in mind that I would like to present some advice for those of you that may find themselves on the receiving end of a non-stop barrage of demoralizing dice.

1. Don’t Panic

This may seem obvious, but don’t discount your mind’s instinctive reaction to flee from the situation that is clearly borne from terrible witchcraft. Show the people around you that you can take bad luck in stride, and that at the end of the day you realize that it’s just a game, no biggie. Your internal monologue will probably be one of screaming and gnashing teeth, but just be cool.

2. Prepare for Mockery or Feigned Sympathy

People, in general, are dicks, and roleplayers have two avenues (themselves and their character) to not-so-subtly chide you about your bad luck. This is based on a “better you than me” mentality that is understandable, and just remind yourself that maybe they are trying to add levity to a difficult situation. Others may offer words of comfort, but their forked-tongue lies are obvious to even the most simple of children. Take a moment to mentally scrawl their name onto the list of people who have wronged you.

3. Consider Your Options

Utilize the time you have from not affecting the game in any positive manner to look up ways to mitigate what is clearly a supernatural crisis. If you can, excuse yourself for a brief period and go to the corner store to see if they have the necessary components to make a devil’s pact and pass the curse onto someone else. Some may call this extreme, but they’ve clearly never botched three initiative rolls in a row so they can shut the fuck up.

4. Embrace Nihilism and Laugh at the Futility of All Things

At this point you’ve fully recognized that your character is trapped in the theater of the absurd. While the other characters are searching for the Lich King that has afflicted the town of Placid Falls with a terrible virus in D&D 5th Edition, you are a one-person rendition of Waiting for Godot. Bring your performance art to a new level by shouting random nonsense and then whispering quotes from episodes of The Golden Girls. Void your bowels at the table. Eat your character sheet. Stare straight ahead and don’t blink until tears run unchecked down your cheeks. All things are permitted now that you have seen the Truth.

5. Switch to playing Fiasco

So what about you? Do you have any superstitions at the game table? What about anecdotes about your dice all conspiring to end your good time and reduce you to a sputtering mess? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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GTRT Ep 22: Villian Backstories, Loudmouthed Heroes, and Our Favorite Apocalypse

Podcast — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 14:00:49 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. In this weeks GTRT, we discuss potential villain backstories, heroes we want to shut up, and our favorite end times scenarios.

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Rotted Capes Ep 5: Beneficial Madness part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 20:00:07 +0000

The new camp established, the heroes head to Dr. Moziac’s old laboratory to see if they can find anyone still alive.

Intro Music: Hitman by Kevin Macleod

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How to Play a Female NPC

Angela — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:00:27 +0000

Last month on Twitter, Megan (of The Redacted Files podcast, among others) was #sorrynotsorry for making 95% of her NPCs female.

About 95% of my NPCs for Dresden are women. Not sorry.

— Megan Peterson (@curium247) June 1, 2015

I encouraged her since, as it’s been pointed out, I have an affinity for making my NPCs overwhelmingly female as well.

@curium247 IIRC, @angelacraft managed a fair and equal distribution in her @Fandible HEX games: 50% women, 50% rampaging dinosaurs.

— Pencil-Monkey Jensen (@JencilMonkey) June 2, 2015

(And check out the hat trick I pulled in Jurassic Park: Legacy. All the rampaging dinosaurs were female! You may not have noticed, because I neglected to put them in high heels)

Inspiration for my next NPC… “Guns and Pearls” by Makeup Siren

Any time the subject of adding more female characters to an RPG campaign comes up, there are a few well meaning people who say they’re worried about adding women. They don’t want to get it wrong, after all. Now, Megan and I might have a slight advantage when it comes to designing our female NPCs; we’re pretty much experts at playing women at this point. And I understand the fear of not wanting to “get it wrong” and be offensive. So here’s a handy guide on how to build and play a female NPC.

Decide that you want more women in your stories

This might be the hardest part, but as the GM, you first and foremost have to want to add more women to your stories. Unless you’ve been making a very conscious effort already to do otherwise, you’ve probably been defaulting to male NPCs. When your party unexpectedly stops in a tavern, it’s habit to go for the archetype of the world-weary tavern keeper – a role that’s usually been filled by someone using male pronouns. They’re hardly even a character, really, but by casually naming him “Bob” (because you forgot your list of creative NPC names) you’ve added one more dude to your list of NPCs for that campaign. So make a conscious choice. Try to set a really overreaching goal, maybe three female NPCs for every one male NPC. Unless you have a spreadsheet at the table, you’ll likely fall short of that really high ratio, and end up somewhere closer to a 50/50 male/female split.

Design an NPC…and then change the gender at the end

Famously, Ripley from Alien was originally supposed to be played by a guy. Luckily Ridley Scott chose to cast the inimitable Sigourney Weaver in the lead role, creating one of the most bad ass science fiction characters in history…and it happens to be a woman. Provided that the character was already complex and interesting, your NPC creation is done. If your character reads like a man with boobs…maybe they don’t have the most complex back story to begin with. Back to the drawing board. (This applies in reverse too, of course!)

Rip off an existing bad ass woman

There is nothing wrong in gathering inspiration for your NPCs from existing fiction – or even history! I would love to meet an ambitious politician in a Billy-verse game based on Leslie Knope, or a Ms. Smiley based on Red from Orange is the New Black (holy crap I think I just gave myself nightmares. I take it back!). Plus when it’s summer and thus way too damn hot to be doing anything else productive, a Netflix binge totally counts as game prep so you can really get into character.

Please don’t worry about “sounding” like a woman

If I hear one more simpering falsetto at the game table as a “serious” character, I will start chucking dice.

Some GMs have a gift for voices. Others don’t. There’s no shame in this! It’s a noble goal to give every notable NPC a distinctive sound, but that doesn’t have to mean changing the pitch of your voice. And while in contemporary US society there are some forms of speech that are stereotyped as feminine (see: uptalking), remember if your game is set anywhere else or at any other time, the idiosyncrasies of speech are going to be different.

If at first you don’t succeed…

I have created some cringe-worthy NPCs – and even some PCs – during my gaming history. Some I’ve been called out on, others I’ve reconsidered weeks or even years after the fact. Very rarely is it better to err on the side of caution and eliminate diversity from your game in favor of not offending anyone by your portrayal of “the other.” If someone calls you out on your NPC for an offensive portrayal, listen to their critiques with an open mind, and try again next session.

And to the players, or podcast listeners: if you hear someone mess up, try to listen charitably. Unless they’re Donald Trump, they probably were making an honest effort to play something different. You should absolutely speak up when mistakes are made, but aim to educate, rather than humiliate your GM.

What advice do you have for other GMs who want to add more female NPCs to their games?

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Rotted Capes Ep 5: Beneficial Madness part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 17:12:48 +0000

Before heading to Glory Hogs hideout, the heroes establish a new colony for their old friend Quinn.

Intro Music: Hitman by Kevin Macleod

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Changing Lore: Age of Sigmar

Arvandus — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 14:00:22 +0000

A beard that is almost dwarf worthy.

A couple of months ago, Games Workshop blew up a world. Specifically, they blew up one of its oldest properties, Warhammer Fantasy. The old world was replaced by Age of Sigmar and a whole new tide of lore was being created to support it. The question is why? Was it a quest to tell new stories? Was it an urge to showcase their ability to take chances on their properties? Sadly, the reason was a bit more financial.

With the flagging sales of the Warhammer Fantasy miniatures game, the series needed a reboot. A way to attract new fans and possibly update the rules and the miniatures towards a more modern feel. It was also a way to re-brand all their races into more copyright-friendly forms. Seriously, no one turns dwarves into “Steamhead Duardin” unless they really want those creations to be legally theirs. It would be like turning elfs into Aelfs….oh wait…

And, lets just say there are enough similarities to this reboot and another Games Workshop property that a few fans might think they are trying to ride the coattails of their sister games success.

Now, due to a lack of time and money, I never could get into the actual miniatures game. I did, however, like reading some of the stories in that world. The story of Gotrek and Felix being a particular favorite of mine. Sadly, I started tapering off over the years and it wasn’t until the end times novels that I started really getting back into it. The five books went through the destruction of the old world and it was fun seeing nations fall, heroes die, and people just not having a fun time during the apocalypse.

By the end, the old world was gone and it was replaced by a new one. A world I was beginning to like for a variety of reasons.

1) Shift From Light to High Fantasy

Angel vs Giant Demon. F**k it, lets do this!

The original world of Warhammer was a dark and gritty place that looked a lot like the middle ages in some respects. If the middle ages had monsters waiting in the dark places getting ready to eat you. Magic existed, but it didn’t feel overwhelming in most cases. You were better off depending on your sword arm then the fickle nature of magic. Age of Sigmar is a bit different.

As Billy mentioned in his previous article, I tend towards the cronut version of fantasy. The more magical and weird a world is, the more interested I am in reading about it. Age of Sigmar takes the magic of the old world and cranks it up to asparagus. The universe has 9 realm just floating in the warp. Each one with a theme based on one of the winds of magic. The world of fire might have volcanoes and lava rivers. The world of shadows might have dark demons just prancing around. There are also extraplanar gates that look like giant lawn ornaments which allow for travel between these worlds. It has so much potential for cronut I feel like I am getting a sugar rush from just reading it.

2) Upgraded Hero Power levels.

Onward my Space Ma… errrr… Celestians!

Most of the heroes of the old world seemed out of depth compared to their chaotic counterparts. The greatest human hero was a guy on a griffon. Sure the griffon is intimidating but bird beak didn’t seem that useful against a tide of chaos horrors. The greatest chaos hero was a mutated human who was so overpowered he punched giant daemons in the face for looking at him wrong. It seemed an unfair match. I will admit, I love underdog stories, but it got to a point that whenever a new evil foe appeared, the heroes needed dumb luck or a hell of a numbers advantage to stand a chance.

The heroes of Age of Sigmar, as far as I can tell, love punching demons in the face. Sure, there might be regular people who probably don’t stand much of a chance against Skull Crusher the Crunchiness, but it feels like there are heroes who have the skill and power to face off against the best chaos can throw at them.

3) The return of Hope.

Prepare for my Hammer To Your Demon Face Attack!

In the original game, chaos, like the Lovecraftian monsters that inspired them, was an oppressive violent force that inexorably marched towards your destruction. Its victory was an inevitability. The good gods existed but they were weak and had to subtly manipulate their followers to help them. The older races were slowly dying out and humanity wasn’t doing much better. In many ways, the end times was a mercy.

Now, it’s turned on its head. The elves (sorry, Aelfs now) are tired of being a dying race and have actually captured a chaos god. The dwarfs are putting on their steampunk top hats and getting their guns in gear. The old gods aren’t just behind the scenes subtly inspiring people. They are in your face because they have had enough of dealing with all of this chaos crap. It feels like the very tone of the game has changed from grim dark to a more somber dark. Its going to be a hard road, but it feels like they have a chance.

Of course, this is all my opinion. Watch the trailer for it below and make up your mind. As for me, I going to see if I can scrounge up some cash so I can purchase the latest novel. Who knows, it may make me want to take up the hobby.

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Fandible Picks of the Month July 2015

Angela — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 15:00:16 +0000

Fandible Picks of the Month July 2015

Listen Money Matters Podcast

When I was young, I believed that money was some magical resource that sprang from imposing beings called parents. They provided me this green paper of the gods and I was able to buy things that I really wanted like toys, comics, and wonderful cavity-causing snacks. Sadly, as an adult, I began to realize that money was earned and to properly manage it was a bit of a trial. That why I’m thankful my little brother, who himself isn’t the best with the magical green paper, let me know about Listen Money Matters, an entertaining podcast about dealing with your money. Not only does it give awesome financial advice for a struggling adult like myself, but they bring in interesting guests to talk about everything from the IRS to how the gold standard works. Want to know how money works in our society but don’t want to sleep through an economics course? Give them a listen and put down that 500 dollars Star Wars figure you were considering. You know who you are. -Jesus

Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

While I’m eagerly awaiting my first big female superhero movie of our new golden age of superhero entertainment, Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond is doing an admirable job of satisfying my cravings. A YA novel set during Lois Lane’s teenage years, Lois is a military brat who has just moved to Metropolis and has promised her parents and herself that this time it’s going to be different and she’s not going to get into trouble. By page three she’s already in an argument about bullies with her new principal and offered a job as a student reporter at the Daily Planet by Perry White. There’s a bullying problem at Lois Lane’s new school, and there are few things she hates more than bullies. But the bullying takes on a terrifying dimension when they continue their reign of terror in a popular MMO, and have an unnerving ability to convert their victims into joining the team of the bullies. With the help of an online friend over in Smallville, Kansas, as well as her fellow student journalists, Lois must get to the bottom of this mystery. Lois Lane, cub reporter, is absolutely my new favorite superhero. This is set up to be the start of a new series starring Lois Lane, and I can’t wait for more of her adventures! -Angela

Paragon Chat

Three years ago, City of Heroes closed their doors to the superheroic community. This MMO had been going strong for eight years until one day the fans of the game woke up to the announcement that it was closing its doors on November 30th, 2012. Truly a sad day! Of course, petitions were signed and in-game protests were held to try to save the game! And while it looked like the community had garnered sympathy and support from the media, NCSoft still closed the game down. Paragon City, the Rogue Isles, and everything in between were lost.

Until now!

Paragon Chat allows you to enter City of Heroes, use the costume creator, and interact with people! You can emote, roleplay, or maybe just run around to your favorite spots in the game for the nostalgia! While you can’t fight or use powers, this is still a great accomplishment by the Paragon Chat team and it has gotten a lot of people excited since they’ve opened their doors. So, if you are a CoH fan out there that’s a little homesick, don’t hesitate to don a cape again, hail Arachnos, and download Paragon Chat. -Billy

Sleep Furiously

My past few weeks, every time I pull out my phone, it’s not to check Facebook or fling some enraged avians at their emerald porcine nemeses. Instead, I’m eagerly creating sentences such as:

‘The algorithm chipmunks hauntingly stole the cats strength.’
‘Her innocent toilets prefer blue dinosaurs.’
‘The danger inside me jovially elevates lawless magic.’

Why am I scribbling gibberish sentences when I could instead be defending my village from a rival clan’s attacking hordes? I blame Sleep Furiously, a game for iOS and Android that’s become my new obsession. It’s a couple of bucks on the App Store or Google Play, and worth it, no In-App Purchases or any of the usual scuzzy annoying stuff, just pure surrealistic wordplay goodness. The idea behind the game is to use words from a grid to create grammatically correct sentences, even if they are otherwise nonsensical. The longer and more complex the sentence, the higher your score. You can play in ‘moves’ mode which only gives you a few sentences to rack up as many points as you can, or timed mode which does the same but with a time limit. Or, of course, endless mode for neverending dadaist strangeness. The game also works as a fun little warmup tool for writing, as it forces you to consider the different words as part of a sentence rather than by their actual meanings, giving a your brain a boost of lateral creativity. If you end up trying it out, post some of your best creations in the comments below! -Daniel

What are you listening to, reading, and playing this month?

The post Fandible Picks of the Month July 2015 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 13: False Refuge part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 19:24:18 +0000

Leaving the town of the Matagot, the neo-victorian heroes travel through the wastes with the aid of a musical companion.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

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Niche Stuffing – How To Balance the Party

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000

So you’ve been invited to a lively game of Dungeons and Dragons. You’re excited – why wouldn’t you be? You haven’t been able to get your paladin on for a good while! You tell your DM the character idea, he gives you the thumbs up, and you spend the next few hours creating a character before heading over to his place with character sheet in hand. You meet the crew! Oh, how exciting! You meet Gary who is playing a barbarian – classic Gary! Oh, and Phillis is going to try her hand at wizardry – that crazy Phillis! What will she be up to next?! And finally you meet Tom who claims proudly he’ll be playing… a paladin.

Oh shit. You’ve just dick stepped.

What is dick stepping? Well, it’s an immature way for someone to describe two characters who fill the same ‘concept’. One person is a paladin and the character right next to him is … a paladin. Oh snap.

First off, can we call it something other than dick stepping? That’s sort of immature.

Fair enough. Let’s call it Niche Stuffing.

I don’t know if that’s any better…

Deal with it.

Okay, so is ‘Niche Stuffing’ bad? Can’t a game run fine with two paladins?

Niche Stuffing isn’t bad for a sit down game. Absolutely nothing wrong with it happening when a pick-up game occurs. However, I think it can get bad when you are looking for something more. If you are the type of gamer who likes looking at their games as something more akin to ‘story’, I think it can be problematic. Take a look at television series. Generally people on television can be summed up as D&D archetypes. Someone is the warrior, someone the wizard, someone the rogue, and someone is the jester. The movie Cabin in the Woods plays off on this idea with each of the youths representing some aspect of trope-hood. And of course you can’t forget the Five Man Band trope. And while the real world suffers from people filling multiple niches, what makes a story engaging is the ability to easily fall into place with it. Characters are easy to pick out, each major character offering something that makes the audience understand why they are still being a focus point of a tale.

Oh, okay. So Niche Stuffing is always bad? In your example, two paladins are bad to have?

Well, again, that depends. There are stories out there where a group will follow a group of people. An example would be Braveheart. You could easily say that the people in that movie were mostly Warriors. That’s fine! However, you need to then focus on the personality of the character to distinguish it from the other. In the example at the top, if Tom were to say that his Paladin is a calm and devout follower then perhaps you should try to play a Paladin who is all righteous fury?

Ah, I see. So, Niche Stuffing can be okay? Does Fandible try to avoid Niche Stuffing?

I would say that’s the one thing Fandible tries to do the most. It’s incredibly important to our group to allow a person to shine at parts of the story. We try not to play Superman, we try to play X-men. Let’s use Unhallowed Metropolis as an example.

Byron is the talker – simple as that. And I would say he is the jester as well. We then have Charles Israel who is the mad scientist and doctor of the group. When Byron eventually gets shot because he’s running his mouth, he needs the doctor to shine in order to heal. So, these two have two very different roles that they can’t really steal from the other!

But what about Moira and Marcus?

Ah, yes. Moira and Marcus are both warriors who probably know a thing or two about hiding in the shadows. In truth, they could have easily fallen over each other when it came to trying to fill the niche. And yet, they don’t because they made sure to do two things:

They attached themselves to two different characters. Byron is clearly the person who shares more of the story with Miora while Marcus will follow the Doctor. They both aren’t tripping over themselves to outshine each other because they have built a sort of ‘wall’ around each other.
And when they aren’t ‘walled off’ from each other, they have their attitudes and characterization to fall back on. Marcus is full of jovial spirits and superstition while Moira wallows in her mourning and logic. While both of them might be hammers, they view the nails around them in different perspectives.

So, what? You’re telling us that your character needs to be beyond a character class?

Yes. But I think it’s also important to not step too much into people’s scene. And when you are the same character class, it’s very easy to do so. It’s important to give people the ability to work past a situation differently than how you envision it. And if that means that their way is a failure then perhaps that’s just a better avenue to explore within the narrative?

Right. Okay. So, if you wanna be like the great and powerful Fandible, then you should do what you said and try to avoid niche stuffing?

When you say it like that, it makes me sound sort of condescending…

No, it’s cool. I mean, you’re not even a published author but please tell me more on how to tell a story.

I didn’t say I was telling you how to –

Seriously, are you a professor of media? ‘Cause your insights are amazing!

Listen, I don’t know where this is coming from but I’m just giving my suggestion on what makes a great narrative. And since Fandible has been around for nearly five years, maybe you should take some notes?

It always comes back to five years with you, doesn’t it?

I’m not having this fight here.

Of course not. Cause then people would see what type of person you really are! Someone who is incapable of love on the most rudimentary of levels!

…. Anyways, now I’m looking to you commenters. Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been niche-stuffed before? How did you make yourself unique to the story without stepping over everyone else?

The post Niche Stuffing – How To Balance the Party appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 13: False Refuge part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 18:58:53 +0000

Finally in France, the Neo-Victorian heroes must somehow survive new wasteland monstrosities and the towns that embrace them.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

The post Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 13: False Refuge part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Words on a Page

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:00:52 +0000

Books are sort of awesome.

I only say sort of because some of them give you papercuts when you manhandle them with your sausage-like fingers. Other than that, books are just fantastic things. It isn’t uncommon for the crew of Fandible to pass around a book with the promise that it’ll be an epic adventure – most of the time, our suggestions are solid. Just this week, Jesus slapped The Martian by Andy Weir into my hands and commanded I read it (You may recognize it from last month’s Fandible picks post). I told him that I already had a stack of books waiting for me to devour. I also told him that hard science wasn’t really my cup of tea. Yet, with a promise to not kill Byron for another Unhallowed adventure, I decided to give it a shot. I told him I’d read the first few chapters:

And I finished it within a day.

So, just as you might guess, The Martian is, in the words of a great man, SHWAY! And it got me thinking about books in general and how crazy they are. Most of us grew up with televisions and game systems, yet we are still perfectly content (hell, I prefer it!) to sit down and actually use our imaginations to envision what is happening in our heads by simply following a written prompt in front of us. Now, I know it’s a bit cliche to talk about the ‘joy of reading’ to a community that pretty much relies on it – I have yet to hear of an audiobook of Dungeons and Dragons, 5th Edition (read by Sir Ben Kingsley) – but seriously! Reading is dope!

When I was little, I didn’t do so well with reading. Or math. Or speaking. Okay, I had problems pretty much all around. And since I grew up with the hillfolk of Ohio, my school actually didn’t realize it until a substitute teacher in third grade figured me out. She called me to her desk, asked me to read a sentence softly so no one else would know, and I just stared down at the jumble of letters. I was so scared I had finally been figured out! And then… it all just clicked! I read the sentence, sounded out the words, and the substitute let out a sigh of relief that she had been wrong (that’s right – I started out young disappointing ladies).

I cut my teeth then on the classics – Goosebumps by RL Stine. And then I moved up to things more adult… Fear Street. Soon enough, I had bookcases installed in my room and under my bed wasn’t filled with bottles full of urine; it was filled with books and bottles full of urine! I read my way through horror and then found my love for sci-fi and aliens through the epic collection known as Animorphs (which is an amazing series, btw!). And after that, I launched onto crazier books. I had a brief affair with Michael Crichton, got down and nasty with Stephan King, and then decided to keep it nice and cozy with my main squeeze known as Timothy Zahn.

When I hit high school, reading became a big pastime for me. And it was in high school that I discovered the next level of it all: roleplaying games. I loved the idea of reading giant tomes of lore and monsters (but not the rules – I’m part of the Fandible crew, after all. We know dick about rules) and I had a blast then being part of the story by actually taking part in roleplaying sessions. I got to act, I got to read, and I got to learn a lot about what interested me.

Reading does that for people. Roleplaying does that too. And maybe that’s the entire point of this cliche post. Reading allowed me to look beyond what was around me in Ohio. It allowed me to think beyond what I was experiencing in my life. It taught me the wonders of adventuring, the horrors of monsters, and even the everyday trials such as sexism, homophobia, and racism. Reading has given me over a hundred different lifetimes to experience from the comfort of my home, and roleplaying games have given me a much desired outlet for those experiences.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that reading has shaped me more than almost any one person on this planet. I appreciate that. I enjoy it. I cherish it. It’s why I’m working with books in the real world.

I’m preaching to the choir, I know. So, I’m not going to end this post with ‘read a book!’ cause I figure that is like telling Barsher that he should barsh. You’re most likely already doing it! But I do want to hear about your favorite book. Or maybe you can tell me about how a book changed you in an important way. Or maybe you just want to talk about what’s on your nightstand right now or in your purse (or European Carriers). Write in the comment section down below.

I’d love to read it.

The post Words on a Page appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

July Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 14:38:13 +0000

Its a undead extravaganza in this months Podcast Schedule.

July 3rd & 10th

Unhallowed Metropolis

We go to a land of upper crust undead antics as the heroes discover the joys of France.

July 17th & 24th

Rotted Capes

Whats scarier then Victorian undead? How about undead with super powers.

July 31st

The Strange

Two thieves try to survive the wasteland in the latest episode of the strange.

The post July Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Dungeons & Dragons Ep 2: Coming of Age part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 19:33:27 +0000

Dropped into the unknown, the heroes encounter strange beasts, bizarre machines, and a truly horrifying secret.

Intro Music: Future Gladiator by Kevin Macleod

The post Dungeons & Dragons Ep 2: Coming of Age part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

5 Stages of Playing D&D for the Fantasy Skeptic

Angela — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 14:00:49 +0000

All of us at Fandible have our niches. Daniel has all of the screens, Billy has the accents, Jesus has snotty children NPCs, and David has David Dice ™. I waffle between two distinct niches: The Adult, and The Fantasy Hater. So no one was more surprised than I was at how freakin’ much I’ve enjoyed Dungeons & Dragons 5E. You’ve already heard part 1, with highlights including my poor half-Orc being forced into a pink gingham dress and chasing goblins down because Gwen is the only one allowed to beat up her little brother, and I promise part 2 is going to feature even more fantasy-flavor. But I didn’t dive into this campaign totally gung ho. You’ve heard of the five stages of grief? Meet the five stages of playing D&D for fantasy skeptics.

Stage 1: Denial

As an RPG player, it’s impossible to entirely ignore D&D. The hobby wouldn’t exist as it does today (for better or for worse) without Gary Gygax. So instead when it comes up in conversation, you make polite excuses to change the subject. “A new edition of D&D is coming out? Interesting. But you know what’s really cool? Dinosaurs! We should play a game where I can train velociraptors to be in my motorcycle gang!”

Everyone is too distracted by your cool new idea, and the issue of playing D&D has safely been dropped.

Stage 2: Anger

But eventually you’re going to run out of dinosaur-based distractions, leading to the second stage. At this point, revert to your inner two year old and dig in your heels. Despite the temper tantrum you’re throwing, you are technically an adult, and you can do what you want with your precious free time.

Stage 3: Bargaining

Okay, your group tells you. No Dungeons & Dragons. There are issues with the system! Maybe we can ease in with something else. Dungeon World? Pathfinder? Each has advantages over D&D. Maybe there will be something there that you like.

If you play with Fandible, this is a terrible terrible lie.

Stage 4: Depression

Something is wrong with you as a role player, right? Everyone likes D&D! What’s wrong with you?! Do you even deserve the title of role player?

Stage 5: Acceptance

After being asked one last time to give fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons a shot, you relent for one more game session, reserving the right to hate it. But eventually you find a character class that isn’t totally hampered by magic. And the lovely DM works out the finer details of your character, finding the gimmick that mostly avoids the murder-hobo tropes for your party that have plagued so many other D&D tales.

And when it’s time to roll the dice…the experience doesn’t entirely suck. And then a goblin tries to fireman carry your fictional little brother into the dangerous outside world and you charge in, blades swinging, and you’re suddenly all-in, accepting that, at least for this story, D&D is okay.

I fully admit, I may be the last person in the RPG community to come around to playing D&D. You’ll hear the full Fandible review of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition on Friday (Thursday for some of our Patreon supporters!), but if you’ve listened to part 1 it won’t be much of a spoiler to say that I’m all in, at least as far as this story is concerned. If I’m out at a convention I’m still going to be seeking out pretty much any other type of game, but at least with my home group, I’m comfortably in the fifth stage of being a D&D-playing fantasy skeptic.

Are any other fantasy skeptics out there? What got you to play D&D, or how have you managed to continue avoiding it?

The post 5 Stages of Playing D&D for the Fantasy Skeptic appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Dungeons & Dragons Ep 1: Coming of Age part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 19:39:40 +0000

Protected by a god’s blessing, three youths have nothing to fear from the horrible monsters that have destroyed their world. Sadly, what was suppose to be a simple goblin attack may mean the end of peace and the start of a dangerous journey.

Intro Music: Future Gladiator by Kevin Macleod

The post Dungeons & Dragons Ep 1: Coming of Age part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Revelations of Mars Review

Angela — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:00:33 +0000

Revelations of Mars is the newest sourcebook for Hollow Earth Expedition, published by Exile Game Studio. I was an enthusiastic early backer of the 2013 Kickstarter for the project, and I finally got the PDF in my hot little hands this month! After a few requests, here is a Revelations of Mars review.

What’s New

While Revelations of Mars is explicitly an expansion sourcebook for Hollow Earth Expedition (meaning you’ll need the core rulebook for the basic rules of the game), there is a whole lot of new and shiny things here, that will be useful both for people looking to tell a new tale of Planetary Romance adventure, or GMs who want to add new twists into an existing Hollow Earth game. There are new archetypes, some of which will only work on the Red Planet (‘Martian’) and others that could easily be used for new Hollow Earth characters (‘Noble’, ‘Robot’), as well as new motivations. The Melee skill has been updated slightly with a new take on specializing that skill, and of course lots of new Talents have been added to account for alien characteristics. Characters on Mars can have four arms or armored skull plating, and have an advanced command of the Atlantean language that’s only tenuously understood back in the Hollow Earth.

There’s a raft of new alien races, many of which are at least familiar on the surface if you know of the inspirations for the setting, like the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels of Barsoom. Four armed noble green-skinned Martians, monstrous ape-like creatures, and insectoid aliens are all expected sights. My favorite new race is definitely the Saurens – intelligent dinosaur warriors bred by the Atlanteans. Humans are the largest single race on Mars, making up 40% of the population, but the other 60% is made of the various alien races all vying for control of a dying planet. Each of the new alien races gets a nice write up, comparable to the descriptions of the native Hollow Earth cultures in the Mysteries of the Hollow Earth sourcebook. All of these alien races are fully open to player characters, and to allow for quick character creation each race has a template that you can apply to a character made through normal character creation rules, to give the appropriate bonuses and hindrances. There are also instructions on how to create your own template, either to personalize your particular alien, or to create your own Martians.

What’s Familiar

Revelations of Mars isn’t just a sourcebook for using the Ubiquity system on Mars, but it continues to build the mythology laid out from the beginning in Hollow Earth Expedition. This book finally gives some answers about what happened to the Atlanteans (besides breeding dinosaur warriors), and the sample adventure picks up where the sample adventure in Mysteries of the Hollow Earth ended. It’s going to be a must-buy for completionists.

The great art has also returned! Billy and I were first drawn to Hollow Earth Expedition by the great art display at their booth at Origins (and the booth staff secured the sale by being honestly friendly and excited about spreading the word about the game). I will note, as I have on social media several times since the original Kickstarter, that I am not happy with the art for the Martian Princess character and her golden bandaid bra, but it is par for the course in a series of games that has 98% outstanding art and then one piece of a woman in improbable clothing.

Storytelling

While set in the same world as Hollow Earth Expedition, I think Revelations of Mars, at least using the setting as presented, is going to end up telling very different stories. Just looking at the sample characters, in Hollow Earth Expedition you’re telling stories of fish out of water. These characters are all great at something on the surface, and when thrust into the Hollow Earth, they’re going to sink or swim, usually using a totally different set of skills. At the very least there will be culture shock as they meet new and strange people. But at the end of the day, these people are confident, and at least competent at what they do.

The sample characters in Revelations of Mars are almost all underdogs. The very first character is a black man from Kansas City, who played baseball in college and got excellent grades, but couldn’t go to law school or the major leagues because of the color of his skin. He ends up on Mars after escaping a group of racists who were probably going to lynch him. Another character is a Jewish woman from Germany who was conscripted by the Nazis to be a rocket scientist (she also had Polio as a child and used Science to create a better leg brace for herself). The Martian characters include a princess who was nearly murdered by a power-hungry older sister, and two different aliens whose innate traits are seen as omens – possibly even harbingers of doom. Even the dashing Sky Pirate grew up as the son of poor laborers. These characters all bring a very different feel to the game than the adventurers of the Hollow Earth.

The inspiration section for this book is lighter than in Hollow Earth Expedition, probably because the planetary romance genre just never reached a long-running cultural saturation like pulp did. Pulp movies, novels, and TV shows have been made and re-made, while the most recent modern addition to the planetary romance genre was 2012’s John Carter. Edgar Rice Burroughs really is the authority on this genre, and I would recommend reading a Barsoom novel or even watching the John Carter movie (it’s got its flaws, including a plot that reeks of being designed by committee, but awesome visuals that will definitely set your GM brain spinning) if planetary romance is as new to you as it was to me. I jumped in on this Kickstarter due to my abiding love of the Ubiquity System, and I will test out any genre Exile Game Studio will write using the system!

Fandible has a very full dance card of games, but with Rogue Trader coming to an end, there might just be an opening for some grand science fiction storytelling. I’m hoping to take the crew on at least a one-shot adventure to Mars before the end of the summer – keep listening and checking the blog to find out when it might happen!

Revelations of Mars is available NOW through DriveThruRPG as a PDF, and will be available in print soon!

The post Revelations of Mars Review appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Jurassic Park: Legacy

Podcast — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:52:28 +0000

20 years ago, Robert Muldoon died under mysterious circumstances on Isla Nublar. Today, his son and three army buddies return to the forbidden island in search of the truth. A Hollow Earth Expedition stand alone game, just in time for the US release of Jurassic World!

Intro Music: Volatile world by Kevin Macleod

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The Exterminatus of Rogue Trader

Arvandus — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 14:00:28 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to perform the Emperor’s Mercy on Rogue Trader. It looked at me with those sweet grim-dark eyes, expecting me to take it on another trip on the Shadow Labyrinth. It reminded me of our adventures fighting orks, chaos, and tyranid monsters. It reminded me of the awesome story conclusion I was planning in a few sessions. It showed me what it could be if I just held on a little longer. And, when it raised its proud space wolf head and howled the call for war, I shot it with a bolt gun. As sad as that was, it was a better death than the slow lingering crawl towards oblivion that would have been its fate.

Months before the mercy killing, I had been debating ending Rogue Trader. It was a hard decision not only because Warhammer 40K is a favorite setting of mine, but the 40K games were Fandible’s first dive into roleplaying and podcasting together. To let such a story end without a proper ending seemed heretical. Still, the signs were there.

The first bullet was one that existed long before the campaign even started. The world we created for our Rogue Trader game was fun and laughably grim, but it was not really Warhammer 40K. As I previously said in my Death Watch article, I had skewed the rules and setting so much, it might as well be Star Wars. Why? Because the excessive grim-dark didn’t work for the Fandible crew in a space opera. It worked fine when we played Dark Heresy, but I wanted a story where the crew could affect change and, despite the lore adjustments I was forced to make, there were still setting constraints that seemed to hinder that.

The second bullet was the numerous games we’ve begun to play over the years. With all the systems and genres we gamed in, the time between Rogue Trader sessions seemed longer and longer. It reached a point that Rogue Trader became less a fun pastime and more an obligation. When you have to work on a game because you feel like you have to, that isn’t fun, no matter how many people you get to slaughter. Plus, new games like Bulldogs and Planet Mercenary had started scratching my space opera itch.

The final bullet came in the form of a giant blue monster. Billy was no longer feeling the excitement he initially felt while playing Barsher D. Barsher. Which was understandable. Great roleplayers like their characters to grow and change over time, but an ork like Barsher tended to be fairly consistent – when your only tool is barshing, everything looks like it needs to be barshed. So, Barsher left the 40K world and we tried to continue on, but it just didn’t work. It’s only recently that I realized why. Barsher was the only thing keeping Warhammer 40K interesting for everyone. The setting and the system didn’t work for Fandible, but we continued on because the relationship Barsher had with the other characters seemed to add extra energy to our games. With him gone, the bullet shaped flaws started to show. It was a testament to Billy’s great character, but it showed a fundamental flaw in the game. All the players should interact equally to bring about a fun and interesting story.

So here I type, telling the Fandible listeners that sadly Rogue Trader must be ended. I hope you can forgive my heresy and don’t send the Inquisition my way to convince me otherwise. Its not the end of 40K games as a whole though. At some point, I plan to run a Dark Heresy game just to try out the 2nd edition. Who knows, we might find the spark we lost. I hope so.

In the near future, we will have a Rogue Trader GTRT where we will discuss where the story was headed, our favorite moments, our greatest frustrations, and fan questions. If you have any questions or awesome moments you want us to discuss, please leave it in the comments.

The post The Exterminatus of Rogue Trader appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Fandible Picks of the Month June 2015

Angela — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 14:00:16 +0000

Fandible Picks of the Month June 2015

Gameable Disney Podcast

The Gameable Disney Podcast hits three sweet spots for me: film criticism, gaming, and Disney. Chris and Katrina have been working their way through every animated Disney film, and in each episode they give an exhaustively detailed plot summary (usually peppered with analysis of dos and do-nots for gaming), look at the best options for PCs in each game, pick their favorite songs (for the musicals), suggest systems for best emulating that film at the table, before pronouncing a final verdict on whether a movie is gameable or not. The answers are sometimes surprising – who would have thought that Cinderella was so gameable?! They’ve just posted episode 59, chronicling that juggernaut Frozen, which means they’re nearing the end of the core podcast before they’re moving on to Pixar. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Be prepared to see some of Chris and Katrina’s suggestions show up in my upcoming games – I finish every podcast with lots of notes of what to crib from Disney for my next Fandible adventure. –Angela

iZombie

Yes, I know, the ‘I’m so over zombies’ guy is digging a show about zombies! But here’s the thing: this is not your typical zombie show, which is why I like it. Forget about the Walking Dead, forget about your typical zombie apocalypse: the zombies in this show are smart (so long as they stay fed), and they’re real people – some good, some bad, some downright diabolical. You get to see what happens to a person who’s still fully aware and in possession of their morality does when faced with the hunger for brains, and how far they might go to get what they need. Add in some fun police procedural drama, clever zombie powers, and an evil zombie master that keeps making things more and more terrible for our heroes episode after episode, and I’m hooked. –Daniel

The Martian

As Fandible listeners know, I love my space operas. But sometimes, I need some more realistic scifi to reset my expectations. One of the greatest examples of realistic scifi, or hard scifi as can also be called, is the book The Martian by Andy Weir. A survival story set in the hellscape of Mars, an astronaut must survive years alone using his meager resources and his astronaut training. As Matt Damon states in the upcoming movie based on the book, he “needs to science the shit” out of it. The words of a geek hero. -Jesus

The Mentalist

As a rule, I like television shows based on a preposterous premise, which is why I can’t stop watching The Mentalist. Following the exploits of former TV psychic Patrick Jane, the story revolves around Jane working with the California Bureau of Investigation to help solve crimes all while really seeking revenge against the person who killed his family. What I love most about the show, though, is the gratuitous manner in which the protagonist breaks (more like shatters) the law to finally expose that episode’s killer. If you juxtapose the crimes committed by the killer with the crimes committed by Patrick Jane, one thing becomes clear: Patrick Jane is a one-man crime spree with the ethical compass of a robotic shark. Even a modicum of realism in this show would bring it all crashing down, since every single piece of evidence would be thrown out of court by a cackling defense lawyer. If you like a gimmick brought to the level of absurdity, then The Mentalist is for you. -David

Postmodern Jukebox

I know, it’s almost embarrassing to admit but yours truly is a bit of a hipster. Oh, I hide it well, but I occasionally find myself staring longingly at someone typing on a typewriter. I always find myself looking through the vinyl at thrift shops regardless of not owning a record player. So, yes, I have the makings of a hipster. So it’s not a wonder why I am IN LOVE with Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox. They’re a fantastic collection of artists who take pop songs and then cover them in a different style. Want to hear Barbie Girl as a 1950’s Beach Ballad? What about Radioactive in a smooth, vintage jazz? You can download their latest album, and they add a video every Thursday on their Youtube channel, and I for one can’t wait to see what their talent comes up with. Hey, Scott! Can you make a Fandible theme song? -Billy

What are you listening to, watching, and reading this month?

The post Fandible Picks of the Month June 2015 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Strange Ep 4: Pantamal

Podcast — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 19:08:38 +0000

On a world of anthropomorphic animals, an accidental apocalypse may cost the dimensional thieves their prize.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

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Fantasy Lite vs The Cronut of Fantasy (or: Dragon Age vs Planescape)

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:00:17 +0000

The cronut.

Have you heard of it? If you haven’t, then I’m about to ruin your health. The cronut is more than a food; it’s a statement. It’s an ideal. It’s an invention that encompasses the ideals that America was founded on: freedom and the right the choose an early, artery clogging death. The cronut is George Washington and Abe Lincoln high fiving as they watch Betsy Ross sew a flaming eagle clutching a donut in its talon on the American frickin’ flag. The cronut is brilliant and horrifying and a blessing and a curse to our world. Sort of like Bono.

Fine. You want the literal definition of a cronut? It’s a croissant-doughnut hybrid. And it’s delicious. Oh, it’ll put your ass in the grave years before your time if you eat them on a continuous basis, but they are filled with everything good and bad in the world that just blends to euphoria.

I have a reason for explaining what a cronut is beyond just making our European listeners wish more they could be part of this great nation. I speak of the cronut because you might have heard us refer a few times of Jesus’ fantasy games as the ‘cronut of fantasy’. And you also might have heard of my fantasy games as being ‘Fantasy Lite’ or the ‘Diet Fantasy’ of fantasy settings. Now that you understand what a cronut is, I can begin explaining the differences between the two settings.

What is Fantasy Lite?

Fantasy Lite is a world that is filled with a familiar collection of universal laws. We have laws in our world that pretty much everybody obeys – such as the Law of Gravity, the Law of Thermodynamics, or Law of Ridic (Judge Judy). In a Fantasy Lite game, the world has laws that people obey. Up is up, down is down, and if you run really quickly at the soldier and get hit in the face with his maul, you will fly back and come crashing down a few yards away.

Now, some of you might be flailing around and saying that I’m preaching about a historical game – not a fantasy game. And right you are. What makes a Fantasy Lite game is allowing for these laws to be circumvented. You can bend a law with a spell or ‘hack the matrix’. You might even have fantastical settings such as Dragon Age’s The Fade… but the bulk of the setting is still bound in the understanding of our own reality.

Let’s explore Dragon Age as a Fantasy Lite game. In Dragon Age, it explains the setting pretty much off the bat. Hey, magic users tried to be gods, almost succeeded, became corrupt, and now they are darkspawn. Hey, demons are negative energies from a realm just outside our own. You got it? Great – now let’s begin the game. Dragon Age explains to you the setting very quickly, gets you to understand that there are a few alterations to the Laws of Reality that we need to accept in order to play the game, and then you start out on the adventure.

To me, that is what makes a Fantasy Lite game. It isn’t looking to alter our understanding of how things work too much. If you fall in a Fantasy Lite game, you are most likely falling down. If you are near an explosion, you are most likely getting hurt.

What is the Cronut of Fantasy?

Ever want to have sex with the letter Q?

A Fantasy Cronut isn’t about filling a character with a few shifts in reality. It’s about taking the reality we know and wiping your butt with it. You invent the entire reality and this reality is an alien and wonderful and terrifying place to explore. It’s a place where babies can be born as adults or where a mage might pilot a giant lady bug made of concepts or where, yes, you can have sex with the letter Q (just avoid R unless you want an STD).

An example of this setting is Planescape. Now, I’m not saying Planescape doesn’t have rules. I’m just saying that the reality of Planescape is more altered than something along the lines of Games of Throne. Planescape allows for things to not make sense – endless borders that end and all that Angela-raging goodness. And it’s not a bad thing either! Planescape is a very fun and amazing adventure, but what I think makes it so fun is how alien you feel in it. Fantasy Lite is like having a sleepover with your best buddy. Cronut Fantasy is like having a sleepover IN your best friend – things are out of place, and you aren’t sure what you’re rubbing up against.

So what do you prefer? Fantasy Lite, Fantasy Cronut, or somewhere in between? Leave a comment!

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June Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:50:35 +0000

From this months game descriptions, we either just created a dimension hopping dinosaur wizard, or we are celebrating this month’s podcast schedule. Personally, I’m kinda hoping for the wizard.

June 5th

The Strange

We return to the story of our strange “heroes” visiting worlds for fun and profit.

June 12th

Jurassic Park

In celebration of the upcoming Jurassic world movie, we enter the majestic and horrifying world of Jurassic Park.

June 19th & 26th

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition

Through some combination of arcane sorcery and the alignment of the spheres, we play the Grand Daddy of all RPG’s, Dungeons and Dragons.

The post June Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The End of the World: Night of the Meteor part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 29 May 2015 19:51:34 +0000

Heading to Laura’s place, the survivors realize they may need more then a comfortable place to stay to weather the zombie apocalypse.

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

The post The End of the World: Night of the Meteor part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Quest, or Why Shondo is my Patronus

Katsushiro — Wed, 27 May 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Picture, if you will, a lazy Saturday evening. Your ever-loving Fandible crew has just wrapped up recording yet another episode of the Best Damn Live-Play Podcast On Earth, and yours truly says:

“Guys, I have a show you all need to watch! It’s a reality TV show -“

And after I’m done dodging dice and pencils thrown at my head, I continue,

“- with an actual plot and it’s about a group of people chosen to be Paladins and defend the Kingdom of Everealm against the evil Verlox!”

Now, despite some initial resistance to the idea of both reality TV and fantasy, I managed to convince them to at least give the first episode of The Quest a try (the whole first season is on Netflix!), and the rest, as they say, is history – much like the thousand year history of Everealm’s battle against Verlox the Darkness.

Now, I’m sure many of you have seen reality TV shows before, so you know the formula: a group of normal people is brought into a situation and made to compete for some kind of prize. Alliances and factions are formed, people talk shit behind one another’s backs, someone probably has sex in the jacuzzi, and we all feel slightly soiled after watching. But when you introduce dark tunnels, mysterious woods, Queens and Viziers, ogres and banshees, hags and curses, magic and steel to this formula, something special happens. Twelve people travel through a mysterious underground waterway to meet the Fates; twelve Paladins dedicated to the protection of Everealm and the battle against Verlox emerge out the other side of the tunnel.

Part of what makes the show such a pleasant surprise is that, unlike so many reality TV shows, there’s an actual, overt plotline: Everealm is in danger. Verlox approaches, and every day that threat grows. There is danger outside the walls of the castle, and danger within, even as the various actors that play the peasants and nobles of Everealm never break character. The challenges are presented as part of the training the Paladins receive to determine who is the One True Hero that will wield the Sunspear against Verlox. And every one of our Paladins is dedicated to that quest – oh, sure, there’s a bit of the usual cliques and backstabbing, at first. But before long, we have a group of people who truly care about this realm and the people in it. Songs are sung, challenges are faced, and in the end, our One True Hero faces their destiny in a truly spectacular fashion.

Sure, the plot isn’t particularly deep. The acting can be a bit wooden, and the effects can sometimes be a bit cheesy (did I see the Sunspear altar wobble a little when they placed their pieces on it?). But in the end, it’s easy to overlook these minor faults because, let’s face it: we’ve all dreamt of something like this, haven’t we? The idea that someday we’ll be told a magical realm of fantasy needs our help, and we’ll be taken off to find our true destiny as heroes. The Quest taps into this dream in all the best ways, and I highly recommend spinning up Netflix and immersing yourself in Everealm’s magic for a while. You won’t regret it.

…. And if all this isn’t enough to convince you, then just watch if for Shondo, MMA fighter, and living avatar of awesome. Shondo believes in you, and when that light shines on you, you’ll be ready. Don’t let him down.

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The End of the World: Night of the Meteor part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 22 May 2015 19:35:28 +0000

Four friends discover that at The End of the World, not even death will free you from terror.

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

The post The End of the World: Night of the Meteor part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Genre Savvy Characters Must Die

David — Wed, 20 May 2015 14:00:06 +0000

Within the scope of a game session, the skillset of the characters is often what sets them apart from their non-player character counterparts, usually in a way that allows them to pursue the storyline to its conclusion. Mysterious writing on a cave during a spelunking expedition? Why one of the climbers just happens to have a degree in ancient texts! A sleep-away camp is afflicted by dreams of a mysterious figure on a hill? Well one of the counselors is the daughter of the local historian and knows the exact hill in everyone’s visions. Lost in the sewers after a heist-gone-wrong? Well the demolition guy used to work for the city closing old passageways and he knows the way out.

There is a certain point, though, where a person’s usefulness can begin to have an inverse effect on their survivability, and none is in more danger than the character who has the greatest skill of all: Genre savvy. Traditionally used in media as a sort of “voice of the audience,” a genre-savvy character cuts through the tropes of the setting and hits the ground running, responding to the story with what the people watching/listening to it are thinking. “Hell no I’m not going into a cave with weird writing,” says the genre-savvy spelunker. “Didn’t you see The Descent?”

This character is in more danger than the others for the simple reason of balance: If you want to know the truth behind what is going on from the beginning, then you most definitely will fall victim to it. The genre-savvy character is a blast to play, be it NPC or controlled by one of the players, but a devil’s deal must be struck. While you are allowed to speak what the players around the table know to be true, you will at some point have to be silenced in an effort to leave the other characters to their own (clumsy) devices. It’s good fun, but your time is nigh.

Some games lend themselves to the idea of a genre-savvy character(s) better than others, but the decision should always hinge on the desired feel for the game itself. Since the genre-savvy character tends to lean towards a comedic role, it’s not always best to include them in a game meant to focus on a foreboding and frightening atmosphere. Games such as The End of the World by Fantasy Flight Games can offer a chance to either go through the paces of a traditional horror movie (“What was that sound? I think it’s coming from the kitchen. I’m gonna check it out.”) or indulge in the witty banter and genre-savviness of a Simon Pegg movie. (“No, let the busboy check it out. Poor sap doesn’t even have a name tag so that’s the last we’re gonna see of him.”) More traditional fantasy settings are difficult to introduce the genre-savvy PC into, because why leave the tavern if you know the rest of the world is just full of poisonous traps and Gelatinous Cubes? (There are, of course, exceptions.)

So if you or your gaming group is considering one or more genre-savvy characters to the game, take my advice and use this formula: If people (kind-of) listen to the genre-savvy character and it helps everybody out, then the character has to eventually go. If no one listens, then the character can stick around, if only to get killed at the tail-end of their gloating. Such is the role of the “voice of the audience.”

So what about you? Have you ever played a genre-savvy character in a game or seen it played to great or terrible consequences? Are there games that better allow for a wink-and-nod character? Finally, are there any such characters that Fandible has presented that you particularly like? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Fandible Interview: Dave Simpson and Matthias Bonnici, Rampaging Jotun

Podcast — Tue, 19 May 2015 14:04:00 +0000

Dan took a few minutes at Maelstrom to talk with Dave Simpson and Matthias Bonnici, creators of the soon to be kick-starting boardgame Rampaging Jotunn.

The post Fandible Interview: Dave Simpson and Matthias Bonnici, Rampaging Jotun appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 21: System Turnoffs, Fantasy Talk, and Mad Max

Podcast — Mon, 18 May 2015 14:00:57 +0000

5 Geeks. One Roundish Table. In the week’s Geeky Topics Round Table, we talk about our game system turnoff’s, our recent forays into fantasy games, and the recent Mad Max Fury Road controversy.

The post GTRT Ep 21: System Turnoffs, Fantasy Talk, and Mad Max appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Pathfinder: Planar Chase

Podcast — Fri, 15 May 2015 21:49:50 +0000

Surviving the schemes of the fey, the heroes head to a faith summit. Along the way, they begin a chase that will lead them through the mortal realms and beyond.

Intro Music: Heavy Interlude by Kevin Macleod

Planet Mercenary Episodes

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Why You Should Start GMing Today

Angela — Wed, 13 May 2015 14:00:27 +0000

Grumpy GM designed by Bradley Clopton

I remember the very first time I sat down to play a role playing game, the role of the GM was awe-inspiring. It was (some edition of) Dungeons & Dragons, and my friend was trying to explain to us just how hard of a job GMing was. He pointed to a stack of three books – the Dungeon Master’s Guide, the Player’s Handbook, and the Monster Manual – and said “See those books? I’ve had to memorize ALL of them!”

And any notions of ever being a GM just died right there.

Obviously, I got over that fear. While I don’t doubt that my friend

had in fact memorized, or nearly so, all of the complex rules of D&D, I now know that rote memorization is one of the least important skills for a novice game master. It’s easy to come up with excuses for why someone “can’t” GM a game – no time to prep, it’s intimidating, don’t know the rules well enough, terrible at funny voices – so today I want to explore the three reasons why you, yes YOU, should start running a tabletop roleplaying game today.

Learn Time Management Skills

The first few times I ran a game, I had absolutely no sense of pacing. Exposition scenes dragged on painfully long, minor nitpicky rules would be looked up in the middle of intense scenes, and combat would end up a quick and dirty mess completely devoid of dramatic impact. I cringe to think of how I ran some of those early games! But I also know that I am a better GM for those experiences. Time management at the game table is something that has to be learned through experience, so you need to sit through every cringe-inducing minute, and then show up the next week and do it all over again. If it helps, make notes to yourself immediately after the game – what felt like it worked this week, what do you need to be considerate of next time – and be prepared to make the same mistakes a few times before you begin to feel like you might know how to plot and pace a story.

Learn to be Flexible

Every mention of GMing on Fandible includes a reference to how we like to infamously lay waste to the intrepid GM’s best laid plans. This article is no different. And as one of the Fandible GMs who comes to the table with lots of intricate notes, I’ve definitely had my fair share of plots dashed to pieces by rambunctious players. And the first few times it happened I was absolutely a mess, trying to force people back on what I saw as the “correct” track. Like falling off a horse, you need to dust yourself off and get back in the saddle when your players run roughshod over your meticulous plans. And every time you get back up you’ll be a little more flexible, and a little bit better at predicting what variations might come up in play. It will make you a stronger player as well, either by being more mindful of what your GM may have been planning, or because you’ll suddenly start treating all of your games like a chess match, and you’ll automatically be thinking three moves ahead to come up with a wild and wacky new idea that will make your current GM re-evaluate their ability to be flexible.

Tell a Unique Story

This is my favorite advice to give potential GMs. All of us bring something unique to a game table. This can be something relatively frivolous as being super passionate about an obscure fantasy sub-genre to being a member of a minority group underrepresented in gaming culture. No matter where you fall in that spectrum, I know you have a unique perspective to bring to the gaming table, and the best way to make that shine is by sitting in the GM’s chair. A unique PC can work within the system to highlight the player’s pet cause, but the GM literally shapes a whole world. It’s unprecedented power, and every RPG fan should wield it at least once.

What advice do you give to newbie GMs? What made YOU want to start running RPGs? Tell us in the comments!

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Planet Mercenary Ep 2: Slurmicide

Podcast — Fri, 08 May 2015 15:55:30 +0000

The crew of the Half A Chance find themselves in a tricky situation as they protect a client from two rival corporations and a galaxy ending Slurm apocalypse. Thank you to Alan Bahr and Howard Tayler for allowing us to playtest Planet Mercenary and please check out their Kickstarter.

Intro Music: Misuse by Kevin Macleod

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Gaming Inspiration: What Makes Dwarves Awesome

Arvandus — Wed, 06 May 2015 14:00:06 +0000

Whether it’s a particular Ninja Turtle or an order of Jedi, every geek has a fictional character or group they identify with, either because we see something of ourselves in the characters, or they embody something we wish we had. For me, those fictional heroes were always the dwarves.

It wasn’t their stereotypical Irish accents or their tendency to ride giant boars into battle that attracted me to them. Nor was it their ability to craft mithral armor and sing in occupied hobbit hovels. The qualities that drew me to them were more integral to their very nature, inborn qualities that I wished to emulate to make myself a better and more productive person. These three qualities can be defined as: craft, family, and stoicism.

Craft

Whether it’s a simple saddle for their mount or a gem encrusted warhammer to fight against those sickly elves, dwarves enjoy and take pride in their work. The best part about their craft is that it isn’t derived from just natural talent. Yes, they naturally like working with the earth, but they are skilled at it because they work long hours improving their craft with a dedication I can only wish my internet addled brain could copy. That well weighted shield you used against the balrog is due to decades of skill and not fancy magics that are really just cheats when you think about it. Like the dwarves, I liked building things when I was younger. I remember building small dinosaurs from model kits and one of my proudest moments as a child was crafting blinking lights for a Halloween mask. As an adult, there are times I wish I had the dwarven concentration to build something and not be distracted by the frivolities of life that seemed so important at the time.

Family

To a dwarf, and to me, nothing is more important than family and nothing will stand in the way of protecting them. Your family isn’t just a group that you go visit once a year out of obligation. They are your support system and the bedrock of your life. I like to imagine myself with battle hammer in hand willing to defend my brothers to the death, even though the bastards still owe me quite a bit of money. But, for good or ill, they are still your family and you must do what you can to defend them. And, as family, you can depend on them to have your back if the need arises.

Stoicism

Finally, and most important, the dwarves of fantasy are stoic. A stoicism far outmatched by the humans of the realm. Physically, they can shrug off damage that would break most mortal races. What is pain but something to be ignored when you have more important things to worry about? Like defending your hold against a goddamn goblin infestation. Damn things breed like rabbits. Mentally, they can withstand the psychological anguish most would crumble under. Not letting the worries of the moment cloud their judgment and their actions. As someone who has suffered from anxiety, its nice to think that it’s possible not to live with regrets. Not worry for hours about the possible consequences of an action, but simply try and accept whatever consequences may come of it. To realize there are more important things to think about, like the drums in the deep…they are coming.

So I ask you reader, with what fictional group(s) do you identify? And, as a special treat, here is the dwarven anthem to make your day more productive.

The post Gaming Inspiration: What Makes Dwarves Awesome appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Strange Ep 3: Gloaming part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 01 May 2015 19:21:34 +0000

After a few failed attempts at diplomacy, the thieves surprisingly find themselves not dead. Of course, now they have to be the ambassadors to a rival faction and fight a power hungry demigod. Death might have been a better deal.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

The post The Strange Ep 3: Gloaming part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Updated May Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 21:39:35 +0000

May is a month of strangeness, space adventure, fantasy and zombies.

May 1st

The Strange

We go to the second half of our 3rd strange session.

May 8th

Planet Mercenary

Its another session of space adventure as we continue the play-test of the currently Kickstarting Planet Mercenary

May 15th

Pathfinder

Our fantasy adventures continue as we quest in the world of Golarion and beyond.

May 22nd and 29th

The End of the World

It’s the end of the world again as the friends try to escape the zombie apocalypse……again.

The post Updated May Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Unique Settings for Superhero RPGs

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:00:26 +0000

The Avengers: Age of Ultron is coming out this Friday for us Americans. Yes, I know, the people outside the great US of A got to experience the movie a week in advance; I hope you all burn in hell for that. However, I’m not bitter. While our European brethren (many who have lost wars to us) have been watching this film, I’ve been gorging on all other things super heroic! I’ve watched Daredevil on Netflix, experienced the joys of kicking ass in Champions Online, and I’ve been able to read a ton of superhero RPGs! I’ve gone from Mutants and Masterminds all the way to some newer ideas on superheroic gaming, and let me just say – there are a lot of great games out there. Below you’ll find FOUR superhero RPGs that break the mold from the typical hero setting and do something completely different.

Rotted Capes

Yes, I know. You’ve probably heard me talk about Rotted Capes several times. And you’ve probably heard our games as well. However, it would be a crime to not bring it up as it takes the superhero genre and flips it on its head.

In the setting of Rotted Capes, the world lost the war with the undead. Not only that, but the heroes that once protected the world from villainy have been transformed into undead monsters while still able to use their powers, think, and hunt the rest of humanity. As a B-Lister, you’re one of the few lesser heroes not to be eaten by the hordes of the undead. Now the fate of humanity is up to you.

What I love about Rotted Capes is that it’s really a survival story ready to be played. You can play it ‘superheroic-y’, sure, but the beauty of the game is having these once virtuous symbols become something darker and human. You can’t be the shining beacon of hope when you’re starving and you realize that there are only enough beans in that can to feed one of you. In Rotted Capes, you aren’t trying to be super; you’re trying to remain human.

Godlike

Do you like history? Do you like superheroes? What’re your thoughts about World War II? Well, if you’re a fan of the era, then do I got a setting for you. Godlike by Dennis Detwiller and Greg Stolze explores the idea of superheroes during this time. While it’s a little sparse on the narrative (sad face!), it does give you a solid set of rules in order to get you ready to take on some Nazi Ubermensch.

While I haven’t gotten too deep into the rules, it’s the same system as Wild Talents, the modern-day sequel to Godlike. It also has some nice artwork – which was what caught my eye when Daniel initially showed it to us. With some really solid writing and a familiar rule set, I’m sure anyone who loves both heroes and war stories will find this a refreshing game to sit down with.

Mutant City Blues

When I was at a con, I happened upon Mutant City Blues quite on accident. I had told myself I wasn’t going to buy any more books, but once I read the back and the introductory story, I knew they had my money.

Mutant City Blues by Pelgrane Press is a game that takes a superhero show and a police procedure show, and then it mashes them together into a fine paste. This is a game that has you playing as cops with mutant abilities solving crimes that involve the mutant populace. The setting has a nice gritty feel to it, really pushing the drama that police shows tend to evoke.

What really sold me about Mutant City Blues isn’t the art (which is good) but the writing. The running narrative through the book along with the setting they penned is enough to grab you by the neck and pull you in. And with the rules being fairly simple to follow (it uses the Gumshoe system with a few twists!), you won’t have a problem reading through this book and remaining interested.

Necessary Evil

What happens when an invading alien race completely wipes out all of Earth’s mightiest of heroes? Well, in order to keep Earth safe, the mightiest villains need to come to the rescue. True, they are only keeping it safe until they can eventually enslave mankind themselves, but beggars can’t be choosers!

Necessary Evil by Pinnacle Entertainment Group uses the Savage World rules in order to let the players be villains who are stepping up to fill the footsteps of heroes. And while there is probably a fair amount of backstabbing and greed still going on, they need to put their difference aside (for the time being) in order to stop invaders! Who knows, maybe being a hero will cause them to reconsider their evil ways and change. That or they’ll simply remember everyone who patted them on the back and thanked them and have them tortured.

While I haven’t gotten too deep into the PDF, I have really enjoyed reading the book. It’s nicely written, seems to be understandable, and I gotta say the cover art is simply sinister! If you like to be bad, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book.

So, did I miss any superhero RPGs with unique settings? Think I was wrong about one I listed? Want to simply call me an amazing human being? Well, you can do all that in the comments!

The post Unique Settings for Superhero RPGs appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

May Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:46:14 +0000

May is a month of strangeness, mystery, fantasy and zombies.

May 1st

The Strange

We go to the second half of our 3rd strange session.

May 8th

Mystery Game

This game is still in flux. When it is unfluxed, we will let you know.

May 15th

Pathfinder

Our fantasy adventures continue as we quest in the world of Golarion and beyond.

May 22nd and 29th

The End of the World

It’s the end of the world again as the friends try to escape the zombie apocalypse……again.

The post May Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 20: Religion in games, Race in comics, and Superhero RPG’s

Podcast — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 14:53:44 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. On this weeks Geeky Topics Round Table, we discuss the representations of religion in games, does race change a character in comics, and choosing a Superhero RPG.

The post GTRT Ep 20: Religion in games, Race in comics, and Superhero RPG’s appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Strange Ep 3: Gloaming part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 20:29:41 +0000

In a world of Gothic architecture and melodramatic supernatural creatures, the two thieves must find their prize before they die from angst.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

Planet Mercenary Episodes

The post The Strange Ep 3: Gloaming part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

How to Run a Daredevil RPG

Angela — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:00:52 +0000

For the last week and a half, like good little geeks and nerds, many of us have been participating in the ancient ritual of “binge watching” on Netflix, this time for a series that’s right in our wheelhouse: Marvel’s Daredevil, the first of four Marvel characters to join the streaming platform. Praised for it’s gritty violence and excellent cast, Daredevil is another feather in the cap of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As a nerd of a very particular stripe – classification: tabletop gamer – I couldn’t help but watch the show and start to figure out how it would work as an RPG. First, let’s break down what any system hoping to emulate Daredevil would need.

(Mild spoilers for Netflix’s new Daredevil series below!)

Lethality

That “gritty violence” that Daredevil gets praised for is code for the hero getting the ever-loving crap kicked out of him in episode after episode – a stark contrast to the heroes of the Avengers who might get a bit of dirt on their brow before bouncing back for the post-credits shawarma. Matt Murdock doesn’t bounce back. He gets shoved in a Dumpster and left for dead, he pulls out his stitches by moving too much, and really suffers the repercussions of the down and dirty fighting her participates in. Any system being used for Daredevil shouldn’t be one that lets the protagonist get in too many “wins,” and should have a robust system for handling wounded characters.

Dual-Classing

While Daredevil himself is a pretty straightforward fighter (who probably min-maxed a bit with that “blind” disadvantage), his adversaries especially are pretty well-rounded, at least when it comes to their skills. Wilson Fisk could have just been a meathead who looked good in a suit, or he could have been a wheeler and dealer who got lazy while enjoying the finer things in life. Instead he’s smart, conniving, and will literally bash your face in on a car door when you make him angry. Your Daredevil system needs to allow for all of the complexities of modern human experience, and let the characters excel at it.

A City in Trouble

Setting Daredevil after the events of The Avengers gave Marvel the perfect way to return Hell’s Kitchen to the gritty slum it was back in the comics first run (Today? Hell’s Kitchen is the home of high rises and the Daily Show). Characters in Daredevil reference their love of “this city” almost as often as Oliver Queen does on Arrow. If your Daredevil system doesn’t have explicit city creation rules, you should at least make sure to do some extensive mapping on your own and be ready to fill the streets with a colorful cast of characters. Even better – get your players involved, and make sure all of them have friends, family, and a favorite Thai place connecting them to a few dangerous city blocks.

Secrets and Lies

What would a superhero show be without some level of secrecy, and even outright lies, in the name of protecting a secret identity? But Daredevil turns it up to 11, with the bad guys constantly clawing and scraping at each other’s backs as the Kingpin consolidates his power. Any system hoping to emulate the darkness and corruption of the Daredevil characters, especially the villains, needs to have rules in place of lies, intrigue, and conspiracies.

Social Currency

Neither Daredevil nor Fisk would get very far if their world didn’t recognize the value of social currency. Both men have a knack for getting people to like them (or perhaps fear them). As mild-mannered lawyer by day, Matt has his fiercely loyal buddy Foggy and eager-to-help Karen both circling his orbit. As Daredevil, he saves Karen’s life and earns an early, unshakeable defender, and the nurse Claire fishes him out of a Dumpster and continues to patch up the Man in the Mask despite her better judgment. On the flip side, Wilson Fisk not only has his toadies and people on his payroll, but plays a complicated game with the other crime lords fighting for Hell’s Kitchen before revealing he might have something resembling a heart hidden deep within his massive chest. Daredevil is a flat world of black and white without rich character building opportunities.

So what system should you use to run your very own Daredevil RPG? I have no idea. It’s unlikely there’s any one system that embodies all of the elements of Daredevil. Rather, you’ll have to choose what aspect(s) is most important to you, and build from there. Do you love the gritty violence? Maybe adapting the rules of Warhammer 40K is where you start. Dresden Files is my go-to for any game that calls for the setting to be treated as a character, and White Wolf games have many interesting social rules and are just filled to the brim with conspiracies.

I turn the question to you: If you were to run a Daredevil RPG, what system would you use?

The post How to Run a Daredevil RPG appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Game Designer Notes: Alan Bahr of Planet Mercenary: The Roleplaying Game

Guest Blogger — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 16:30:46 +0000

Hey, so I’m Alan Bahr. I’m the designer and developer of the Planet Mercenary RPG from a rules stand-point, and I provide various other sundry roles and assistance to the Tayler Corporation team in relation to the Planet Mercenary RPG.

So by this point, you’ve probably had a chance to listen to the Planet Mercenary: The Roleplaying Game on Fandible.

The Fandible crew was great, and one of the things I enjoyed the most (besides the awesome listening) was the fact that after the podcast, they recorded themselves talking about the rules and what they struggled with, liked, and other feedback.

Some of the feedback we got was just the usefulness the other individual provided in seeing the layout and rules we’d written. Part of the problem is, that in my head, all the gaps in the rules are filled in. All the mistakes get glossed over, because I know what I’m trying to say. The Fandible team exchanged emails with me, gave me feedback and suggestions, and let me have a chance to explain. We’ll talk about a few of the specifics they didn’t like, parts they did and more.

1.) Complications – The team gave me feedback that the complication deck came up far too much and it lost impact. We designed the Complication deck to be a mechanic that you can mitigate through RiPPs (roleplay points). If the Game Chief (the GM) doesn’t like the complication (for whatever reason), he can award each player a RiPP and ignore the complication. This mechanic is designed to be used excessively. As a Game Chief, I tend to mitigate 50% of the complications that come up. Players also tend to mitigate another 25% with their RiPPs. The complications are designed to provide humor, twists, and excitement, not derail the game. That’s why we built a lot of ways to work around them into the game.

Apparently, Jesus had neglected to use the Game Chief Fiat and negate any complication that came up. Part of the reason for the Game Chief Fiat is to allow for players to receive more RiPPs. It’s all well and good to create a resource the GC hands back to players, but we all know that GC’s forget, players have to ask and sometimes it can get awkward. This mechanic allows for both rewards, and removes the GC having to remember to reward players for other things that they’ll often forget.

Solution – Part of the solution is just making sure the rule is communicated. Part of the solution is making sure complications don’t come up too much. So we changed the complication rule to apply to any successful roll only, where the complication dice (the 1 different colored d6) is the highest (no longer tied). That cut our complication draws by a third on its own. Much better.

2.) Lethality – Apparently characters die in Schlock! I jest, but seriously. It’s a thing. Expect death eventually. On our dev website, I talk here and here about how we plan to mitigate or use lethality as a mechanic. More RiPPs equals more lives. But, there’s something to be said for characters that die in one or two hits.

Solution – We did modify the health rules a little bit. The original rules were unchanged from the beta iteration of the game, and since Howard had met with me and we’d tweaked the weapons, they were overdue for a change. Effectively, players now have an option that can up to double their health during character creation if they want.

3.) General Discussion – I was really impressed with the level of discussion and insight that the Fandible team brought to our conversation. Just speaking with them, hearing their feedback, and more was a huge bonus for me. It really sold me on what Howard and I had created, and helped me solidify some weak points that had popped up. I owe them a huge thanks. I’m gonna be reaching out to them a lot for feedback in the future.

I can’t say thanks enough for everyone that listened to the podcast, backed our Kickstarter, or in general just loves RPGs and wants to play. RPGs are a huge part of my life, a huge drive for me, and to finally get to sit in the creator’s chair and see the joy something I made is bringing to people? Heck yeah.

If you see me at a con, show me your PM:RPG challenge coin. I’ll stand you a drink (or you buy. I’m flexible). We’ll talk, tell stories about heroic grunts, captains, and crazy space tyrant koalas.

The post Game Designer Notes: Alan Bahr of Planet Mercenary: The Roleplaying Game appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Planet Mercenary: Uplifted Warfare

Podcast — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 15:36:39 +0000

In Planet Mercenary, the new RPG based on the Schlock Mercenary comic, a down on their luck team of mercenaries are desperate for some coin after some unexpected downsizing. A slowly building civil war may be just the break they need. Thank you to Alan Bahr and Howard Tayler for allowing us to playtest Planet Mercenary – check out their Kickstarter, and check back soon for a special guest post from Alan reacting to our playtest experience.

Intro Music: Misuse by Kevin Macleod

The post Planet Mercenary: Uplifted Warfare appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Technology and Mythology – Monsters of the Future

David — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:00:18 +0000

As a fan of cyberpunk I often spend time debating the effects of technology that can overshadow the morality that makes us who we are. It’s a fun thought experiment to debate whether or not rapidly advancing scientific discoveries can alter humanity in harmful ways, and is often welcomed here at Fandible as a topic of discussion more than fantasy-based quandaries. “What if we had computers in our brain” and “what if we could set our moods at the beginning of the day” are hotly contested issues but fun to explore. (Less popular modes of discussion here include “What do you like most about magic” which is itself a mystical invocation to be asked to leave. “For my next trick I will summon a cab!”)

These topics of discourse are all well and good, but ultimately short-sighted. They focus too much on one demographic over another, and that second group is often woefully under represented in many “what-if” nerdy dialogues. This group, already straining under the weight of misguided stereotypes and negative portrayal in popular culture has already been the victim of the advancements of mankind and are constantly striving to outpace their very irrelevance or face obsolescence and, ultimately, extinction.

I speak, of course, about the monsters of the world.

Let me first establish that, for the purposes of this post, all mythical creatures will be grouped into the “monstrous” category. This grouping is for simplicity’s sake, and not meant to imply any universal quality besides that they aren’t mortal humans. (If you are a being of otherworldly nature that is offended by this gross categorization, please send your hexes, minions, nightmarish phantasms, ethereal visions and haunting wails to our “contact us” link located at the top of this page.)

Nothing is worse than realizing you are falling behind the times, and no one knows this more than the creatures that stalk the shadows of the night, guide our waking thoughts and do everything in between. While it may be said that “the best ways are the old ways” it can also be said that one must adapt to survive. Unfortunately, some monsters find this more difficult than others.

Take the monstrous flagship, the Vampire: immortal, capable of incredible feats of strength and speed, able to hypnotize even the most strong-willed mortal into obedience and even possessing the ability to transform into a wolf or bat. They have but a few weaknesses, including the need for rest during the day in a coffin complete with topsoil of their homeland, an aversion to daylight and the inability to have any reflective surface to display their image. They have long held a special place in our nightmares, and have seemingly withstood the test of time.

And then humanity surged forward, providing a unique set of problems for the kings and queens of the night. Topsoil of your homeland? Well, most of it is now below rapidly-developing high rises so good luck with that. An apartment big enough for a coffin? I know you’re rich, Mr. Chocula, but you’re not that rich. And do you still need to make eye contact to mesmerize someone? When was the last time people looked at each other during a conversation? We have phones for that now.

Speaking of which, if you made a chart of problems facing the modern monster you would need to make two enormous dots: One marked “The Internet” and the other marked “Smart Phones.”

Don’t have a reflection? Then chances are you don’t show up on the ubiquitous cameras everyone is carrying around now so you couldn’t even photo-bomb some arrogant mortal if you wanted to, and no internet presence these days makes you get weirder looks than your cloak and fangs. Are you an ancient High-Priest from a long-forgotten civilization come to seek bloody revenge on those who disturbed your grave? Well if reciting some words in your native tongue is the only way to put you down then don’t get too comfortable, because that archaeology student you’re chasing just blasted that very same incantation from her iPhone in less time than it takes for her to order a burrito. Do you haunt your family’s home and seek to drag others down to Hell? Avoid the hipsters who just walked through the door then, because you will be recorded, then you’ll be memed, and then you will learn the true meaning of Hell. The sad list of humanity’s small triumphs in science spelling doom for the damned goes on.

So what about you? Do you know of any particular monsters, demons, devils or gods that got the raw end of the deal as our species marched forward? Or are you a fan of some more adaptable creatures that have yet to find a worthy opponent in Homo Sapien’s quest for technological perfection? Leave your comments below! (All while acknowledging the irony, of course.)

The post Technology and Mythology – Monsters of the Future appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

A Schlocky Podcast Schedule Update

Podcast — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 17:55:53 +0000

Hey Fandible Fans,

The Strange is being pushed back to April 24th. What is coming up this Friday to warrant this change?

April 17th

Planet Mercenary

Thanks to the awesome Alan Bahr and Howard Tayler, we had the opportunity to play test the currently Kickstarting Schlock Mercenary RPG: Planet Mercenary.

The post A Schlocky Podcast Schedule Update appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Pathfinder: Fey Games part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:00:40 +0000

Their contact in Magnimar gone, our heroes must search the city for clues.

Intro Music: Heavy Interlude by Kevin Macleod

The post Pathfinder: Fey Games part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Prepare to be Unprepared: GM Tools for Improvisation

Angela — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:00:42 +0000

It’s a moment that happens to even the most well-prepared, on-the-rails GM. Your game is running at a quick clip, you’ve given your players the perfect Mcguffin, and all the signs (sometimes literally!) are pointing them to take a right.

Your players zag left. What do you do?

As a GM, your mantra should be “expect the unexpected.” Trying to get your players to do what they are “supposed” to do is almost always going to be like herding cats. The following three tools should be in every GM’s tool box, whether you need to expect the unexpected in your carefully planned plot, or purposefully leaving your story up to fate.

1. Keep a list of names handy

This is my very first step in “expect the unexpected” prep, and it has paid off handsomely. After I put together my major NPCs and settings for a session, I scribble a list of names in the margin of my notes. I might do a little bit of research to make sure names are time or culturally accurate, but otherwise it’s the first ten names that pop into my head. Now when my players decide they’re going to get friendly with the lady sitting at the end of the bar, I look at my list for a name that catches my eye and put a check mark next to it, so I know not to re-use it that session. If it seems like this new NPC might stick around, she’ll even get some notes added to my notepad after the game so she can come back to play next week. This is how you avoid meeting space marines named “Bob” or a quest giver who is at the same cross roads every game, but for some reason always give you a different name.

2. Create a Spark File

I stumbled across the term spark file while reading up on life hacks for writers, and realized that I had already been using the system in an ad hoc fashion for my gaming ideas. Since I can go months between running a game, I have a lot of time to collect ideas between sessions. I know I won’t remember them all, so I have an e-mail chain to myself dating back several years filled with links and random notes to myself about potential plot points (primarily for Hollow Earth Expedition). The spark file encourages you to put all of these random thoughts into a single document, and review that document regularly. As a GM, instead of reviewing it once a month, you may review it an hour or two before your game session. So should your players kill off your big bad unexpectedly quickly, you have already been thinking about a brontosaurus to throw their way to keep them fighting for a bit longer.

3. Say no

At some point, GMs started borrowing a tactic from the improvisational theater community, the rule of “Yes, and…”. This rule means that in an improv scene, if your partner brings up something in the scene, you roll with it. “Your mother is an aardvark!” “Yes, and her ant quiche is exquisite!” And so on. But “Yes, and” doesn’t go on forever. If you were forever building and building, your scene would never reach a climax, or rather every moment would be a climax, and you would never come down. Unless you’re really forcing an on-the-rails adventure, most GMs like to give their players some leeway and agency in building the story. We like to say “yes” to their requests, and incorporate them into the story. And when those ideas fit, it’s magical! But on the flip side, it can derail your game to the point of bringing everything to a screeching halt if you’ve tried to build on every idea thrown at you. Suddenly everything and everyone is so awesome, you’ve reached such a high peak, that it’s hard to see how to come down from there. “No” is a powerful word, and if you use it every time someone has an innovative idea at the table, you’ll be alone at the table soon enough. Use it judiciously, however, and everyone’s game will be better for it.

What tools, tips, and strategies do you use to prepare for the unexpected at your gaming table?

This weekend, April 10-12th, Fandible will be attending the Maelstrom convention in Morristown, NJ! If you’re a game designer or super fan, we’d love to interview you for the podcast. Angela will even be running a few games officially for the con – look for her running Out of the Box, End of the World, and a special Agent Carter-themed Hollow Earth Expedition. The Fandible crew would love to game with you this weekend!

The post Prepare to be Unprepared: GM Tools for Improvisation appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Pathfinder: Fey Games part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 21:24:25 +0000

Four heroes head to the town of Magnimar to meet a contact. Too bad some otherworldly intruders have decided to mess with them instead.

Intro Music : Heavy Interlude by Kevin Mcleod

The post Pathfinder: Fey Games part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Character Texts

Podcast — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 16:45:39 +0000

This week, we give you insight into the minds of the various characters through the greatest medium of our times. Texts!

Rogue Trader

Unhallowed Metropolis

Hollow Earth Expedition

God Machine Chronicles

Final Girl

Rotted Capes

The post Character Texts appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

April Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 30 Mar 2015 17:14:57 +0000

It is a month of the otherworldly as we dive into Pathfinder and The Strange.

April 3rd and 10th

Pathfinder

The Fandible crew finally get into fantasy and dive into pathfinder. Expect epic quests and sarcasm.

April 17th and 24th

The Strange

Our two con artists return to the strange as they try to sneak, steal, and lie their way our of every situation.

The post April Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Final Girl: The Specter of Sleepy Pines

Podcast — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 20:17:06 +0000

The residents of Sleepy Pines are in for a rude awakening as a specter from the past has come to end their futures.

Intro Music: Scary Night by Cely Grande

Final Girl Episodes

The post Final Girl: The Specter of Sleepy Pines appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

My Inner Drow

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 14:00:36 +0000

I remember when I first read about the Drow in Dungeons and Dragons. Not only did they have an amazing backstory, but the picture looked so cool. Their skin was blackish blue, their eyes glowed red, and their hair was as white as the bones of their fallen enemies! I immediately did my research into these elven kin, absorbing anything I could about their society and culture. They were evil and logical and they worshiped some Spider Queen? So neat!

And then I had an even neater idea: what if I made a drow but instead of make him evil… what if he was raised to be a good guy? Mind. Blown.

Naturally, somebody beat me too it. And by somebody, I mean everybody. Everybody had come up with the idea about the Drow Gone Good! DGG was a serious problem! And that’s not saying that there weren’t some seriously great stories! However, I bet we’ve all experienced that moment when someone at a table has looked up from a book and asked the GM “Can I play a good guy [INSERT EVIL SPECIES HERE].” Maybe they wanted to play a Drow Bard or perhaps they wished to create an Ogre who had a fondness for ladybugs. Maybe they wanted to make a kobold that wasn’t pervy (which is a lie. They are all perverts. All of you). Regardless of why they wanted to play it, I’m sure there was a person who was at the same table who immediately called their idea ridiculous and then grabbed for the sharpest knife on the table. Thanksgiving family dinner be cray, am I right people?

It’s definitely an interesting concept, and one that we’ve played with here on Fandible! We all remember the minor character Barsher da Barsher. He was a Warhammer 40k (Link to Rogue Trader page) Orc who was a Freebooter for Captain Awesome Pants on the Shadow Labyrinth. Sure he was violent, ill-tempered, and prone to reactionary mutiny, but the Orc, I believe, was somewhat good. So, I suppose I got my ‘DGG’ eventually?

Why this is a common character concept and why do some either fully support it or hate it with a fire of a thousand suns? Maybe the people who want to play this character are doing so for some deep seated need to prove that evilness isn’t born. With the majority of us around the table being, well, human, it’s a hard concept for us to get that people are able to be born evil. I’m not talking about people who only think of themselves – we have plenty of those. I’m talking being born wanting to do evil things. The Orcs of Warhammer 40k are born incredibly violent. They are literally bred to be fighters, from spore to hulk. So maybe some people require the ability to put a recognizable spark of humanity within these monsters in order to show that nurture should play a role in alignment?

And of course I get why the people on the opposite side the camp do not want this concept in their game. Being the lone good Drow or Orge with the heart of gold is a story enough. It automatically makes you the special snowflake of the group. Everywhere you go, people are going to first react to the snowflake before reacting to you. It’s sort of like having a friend who is on fire. Yes, Steve might be cool and all, but whenever you bring him to the bar as a wingman, everyone is first always “Holy shit, that guy’s on fire! Get some water!” And then they are like “Whoa, nice shirt, Billy.” Regardless how well I’m rocking my skin tight Brony 2016 shirt, Steve is going to always be the main focus of the scene until people get used to his horrendous screams and the smell of barbecue.

So, I suppose both have a point to why they feel the way they do to a DGG. And I suppose the compromise that can be had is doing it in moderation. If someone wants to be that drow who was raised by druidic dwarves and knows only the love of forging and foraging, maybe you can come up with a way to keep his race hidden for some of the encounters so he doesn’t take the spotlight. Oliver Queen in the Arrow series seems to be able to keep his identity secret by rocking a hood. Or maybe you can go DiCaprio and be forced to wear an iron mask?

At the end of the day, I think a person should have a right to roleplay what they want. I also think a group has the right to say ‘No’ to a concept if it is going to ruin the narrative of the story. So if you are aching to play a drow or an ogre or a carnivorous turned vegetarian centipede, just sit on that until your GM gives you the thumbs up.

That or you can burn their house down. Burn them all!

The post My Inner Drow appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Shadowrun Ep 7: The Saints of Suffering part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 19:43:12 +0000

Escaping from street gangs and missing vital equipment, the EMT’s must find a way to restock their supplies and still get paid. Also, you know, save a few lives. I guess.

Intro Music: Cyberpunk Underworld by Futant

The post Shadowrun Ep 7: The Saints of Suffering part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Role Playing Lessons from Cats

Angela — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:00:13 +0000

Cats are some of the noblest damn creatures on the planet. Cultures around the world have been inspired by cats, praising them in song, art, and even religions. Cats continue to inspire us today – statistics show the internet is actually 58.3% cats. Why shouldn’t role players continue this age-old tradition? Cats have many things to teach us about playing and running role playing games*.

1. Dice are better on the floor.

silly human, insisting on keeping your dice on an elevated surface. The fall from the average table allows for 2.3 more revolutions on a property balanced D10. Use it to your advantage.

2. Become one with your character.

The best role playing experiences come when a player understands their character inside and out. Create a clever backstory for your character (of course you’re an exiled royal on a quest!) and immerse yourself fully. See Fandible mascot Gopher demonstrating proper osmosis technique.

3. Nap time can save your life

Napping is easily a cat’s greatest strength, and it really should be your goal to emulate that as much as possible. As an adventurer in an RPG, take every opportunity you can to rest and regain your strength before your blood nemesis The Red Dot returns for another bloody battle.

4. Leave Your Mark

What is the point of being a great hero if no one knows you were there? Much like cats shed their fur everywhere, so should you find a way to effortlessly leave your mark on the landscape and the people your character has met.

5. The GM is always right.

Have you ever tried to argue with a cat? Bet you didn’t get very far. Cats were once gods, you know, and gods are never wrong. Your GM is the same way.

6. I meant to do that.

Maybe you have wasted hours watching funny cat videos of cats jumping and falling, laughing at the graceful creature’s misfortune. What you don’t know is that every apparent pratfall is actually a carefully orchestrated move. Embrace this philosophy in your role playing and never bemoan a critical failure again.

7. Barter is acceptable payment

Armor is notorious for not having adequate pockets for carrying currency. Much as your cat accepts ear scratches and tuna as payment in exchange for their glorious presence, always remember that there are ways of paying for that massive tavern tab you racked up while waiting for a strange old man to show up to give you your quest.

8. Charisma is not a dump stat

Cats are glorious goddamn creatures, have I mentioned that? The soft glossy fur, big eyes, and soothing purr are all proof that cats have maxed out their charisma score and put it to good use. Never underestimate the power of a gentle nudge and some soothing noises to smooth over any rough negotiations.

9. Play Favorites

Even if a cat “belongs” to a family, we all know that cat is going to choose a favorite. Whether it’s the person who brings the food or the one who sits around like another piece of furniture to be shed on, I would never try to predict who the cat will choose, I just know the choice will be made. As a GM, follow the cats example and unabashedly play favorites with your players. Don’t explain your reasons, and change it up often so they will always be trying hard to stay in or become part of you favored circle.

10. Speak up when you’re feeling ignored

Doesn’t matter whether your character is in this scene or not, whether someone is on the phone or eating pizza. If you haven’t received at least your fair share of attention, cry, shout, or get in someone’s face until they give in and start making you the center of attention again.

*Disclaimer: Fandible provides this list for reference only. We hold no responsibility if you use these tactics at your game table and someone scratches your eyes out or pees in your favorite shoes. Leave your own role play advice you’ve learned from cats (or other, less-awesome, animals) in the comments!

The post Role Playing Lessons from Cats appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 19: Podcast Relocation, Panel Tracks and our Favorite Recent Characters.

Podcast — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:07:38 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. In this month’s Geeky Topics Round Table, we talk about where we would move the podcast, what types of panel tracks we would like to visit, and our recent favorite RPG characters.

The post GTRT Ep 19: Podcast Relocation, Panel Tracks and our Favorite Recent Characters. appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Shadowrun Ep 7: The Saints of Suffering part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 18:29:05 +0000

In the streets of future Seattle, violence is a way of life. In these harsh times, there are brave people who travel these streets to save lives. Of course, getting paid to do it is also pretty nice.

David’s Saint Baldrick’s Charity Video

David’s Saint Baldrick’s Page

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How to Perfect Your Gaming Mixtape

David — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 14:00:57 +0000

As any tabletop role-player will tell you, running a game is about paying attention to the different facets of a story, and a game’s atmosphere is one of the most crucial aspects to helping players submerge their imaginations into the narrative. This is often done through visual mediums such as character drawings or miniatures, events like a dinner or special wine for the occasion (even “David we’re not putting ‘Tequila Fueled Fiasco’ on the podcast have you learned nothing?” can count) or a movie that perfectly captures the feel you are going for. This way everyone at the table has some grasp of the atmosphere in the game they’re playing. One of the most useful methods a storyteller can turn to is music, both for the benefit of the players and themselves.

Nothing quite matches the ambiance that music can bring to a game setting. If you think back to some of your favorite films, chances are the songs from it’s score and soundtrack elicit a very specific response. A scene was perfected by the choice of accompanying music, turning a cinematic moment into an iconic event in movie history. The same kind of response can be achieved for a game through a carefully chosen set of songs, designed to elevate a moment in your story to a rarified height that will live in infamy in the collective mythos of your gaming group. Nothing beats knowing that a song shared among your friends will invoke a slew of memories from the game (some even good, assuming the song didn’t act as a death knell for the player-characters) especially if that song was originally introduced by you.

There are a few things to remember when picking the perfect playlist.

Don’t Create More Confusion

If the music is meant to be backdrop for a scene, make sure it doesn’t fight you for the attention of the players. And if you chose a song because of it’s particular message (murder by moonlight or unrequited love, for instance) make sure that it’s easy to discern for people not familiar with the tune. It’s one thing to have garbled low-fidelity punk to set a mood, another entirely if that same audio is supposed to have some deeper meaning other than “we love distortion and hate you.”

Less is More

While it may be tempting to set a scene to a piece being performed by the Moscow Symphony as conducted by a meth-fiend holding a wand, the complex nature of many orchestral pieces or modern arrangements can make them unfit for scenes with dialogue. Consider scaling down the nature of the music to it’s primary components (moody guitar, scratchy voice, etc) and try to find music that has just the right combination of those crucial elements. The players will feel more involved in the scene when the music acts as a gentle supporting role in the overall narrative, not an overacting bit character who’s chewing up the scenery.

Silence is Golden

Sometimes the absence of something is just as powerful as it’s presence, and in the case of music this is absolutely true. The silence of a hallway conversation between characters can be the perfect counterweight to the pounding base of the club they just left, and this adds not just emphasis to their words but to the change in scenery. With the delicate balance between music and dead-air you can encourage more drama and dialogue in some scenes and action in others.

The list for resources to find the music that fits your game is immense. As always there is your personal collection, as well as services like iTunes or Google Play to look around and see if anything fits what you’re looking for. Also there’s Pandora, Spotify and others for when you want a station with a certain “feel” (I have a few of those, including one reserved for the small chance Fandible ever plays another fantasy game titled “All You Can Lute”) which can offer a more hands-free background selection, allowing you to just focus on the rest of the game. Finally there are sites dedicated to royalty-free music in case you just want something simple (or, I dunno, maybe you’re part of a podcast which makes finding music that won’t result in a cease-and-desist that much more difficult). Whatever your ambient audio needs, there are sites out there to help you find what you’re looking for.

So what about you? Is there a specific song you’ll always remember because of a great game you were part of or a genre of music that perfectly captures a specific game system? Do you have a way to find the perfect song that you think other gamers should try out? Leave your comments below and let’s make one weird mixtape.

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Atomic Robo Ep 4: Primeval Chaos

Podcast — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 21:00:38 +0000

Prehistoric animals have suddenly appeared and team science must investigate before the past literally comes to bite them.

Intro Music: Chee Zee lab by Kevin Macleod

Atomic Robo Episodes

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Marvel’s Agent Carter as Inspiration for Your Next Pulp Game

Angela — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 15:00:11 +0000

Last week ABC aired the season finale of my favorite show of 2015: Marvel’s Agent Carter. Hayley Atwell returned to the role of Peggy Carter from the Captain America movies with a colorful cast of supporting characters telling a post-war story before the founding of SHIELD (which we know Peggy is destined to be a part of). It you missed it during its initial run, shame on you – it is the highlight of our apparent golden era of geeky TV shows. Double shame if you’re a fan of pulp role playing games like Spirit of the Century or Hollow Earth Expedition, because Agent Carter is full of pulpy inspiration. Read on for just five examples of pulp gaming inspiration.

1. Amazing fashion

Forget Kim Kardashian, the appearance of Peggy’s amazing red fedora broke the fashionably geeky internet. A bold splash of red, white, and blue in a world of gray and brown, Peggy Carter kicked ass every week and looked good doing it. While modern adventure stories often emphasize the grit and pain of being a superhero (I’m looking at you, Arrow), in pulp stories the heroes fight just as hard, but with far fewer wardrobe malfunctions. They just don’t make clothes like they used to. Unless your pulp hero has become a monster of rock and weird science, consider a fashionable wardrobe with a signature element (Peggy isn’t the only pulp hero who likes a good hat) a tool of the trade. Watch the video below for some insight from the costume designer on Agent Carter for just how practical 1940s fashion was for ladies kicking butt.

2. Weird SCIENCE!

The inciting incident for the Agent Carter TV series is the theft of some of Howard Stark’s most dangerous inventions, and Peggy is asked to investingate and recover the inventions. This means every week at least one new piece of weird science appeared, usually to wreak havoc on the characters. Ray guns, miniature bombs, and mind controlling gas popped up regularly, and on top of that is the cool spy gear Peggy keeps in her purse. Poison lipstick is a must have for any fashionable secret agent. If you’re ever stumped for weird science inspiration, an episode of Agent Carter should leave you overflowing with ideas.

3. Backstabbing and Betrayal

The most dangerous enemy is the one you can’t see, even more so when they’re hiding in plain sight as a friend a colleague. I won’t say who it is in Agent Carter, but the show has a great example or two of the horrifying reveal that the enemy is closer than you think. There’s a reason the very first NPC I designed for Hollow Earth Expedition was Lisa Johnson/Ilsa Johanson.

4. Witty Banter

The best casting decision on Agent Carter was Hayley Atwell, of course. The second best decision was giving her a sidekick, James D’Arcy as Jarvis. The fearless secret agent paired with the proper butler made for instant comedy, and the actors’ easy chemistry with each other made their relationship a winner. Their British accents just made the whole thing feel a bit classier, too. Whether she’s walking Jarvis through his first night as a secret agent or barking orders to her beloved Howling Commandos, Peggy Carter keeps the pulpy patter going. In a pulp adventure it’s acceptable, encouraged even, for your hero to have a signature catch phrase, and use it as necessary. I vote that Peggy’s catchphrase would be “Do as Peggy says!”

5. Awesome Fight Choreography

Agent Carter was destined to be a favorite show of mine, but it cemented its place as an all-time favorite in the first episode, with a fight sequence that cut to the Captain America Radio Hour being recorded with in-studio sound effects. The fight itself was already a great sequence, and then the cuts to the radio show sound effects just brought it to a new level. For a true pulp action hero feel, make as many of your fights as possible hand-to-hand combat. It cuts down the lethality (odds of falling off a rope bridge into a dark chasm aside) and witty banter is much easier between right hooks rather than pot shots with a gun.

Fellow fans of Agent Carter: what pulp role playing tactics did you pick up from the show’s short run?

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March Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 16:36:03 +0000

March is a month of insanity as we give you a taste of some of our most ridiculous Fandible games.

Atomic Robo

March 6th

Team Science solves the problems science created in Atomic Robo.

Shadowrun

March 13th & 20th

We try out Shadowrun 5th edition and find out that no matter what edition, we are just as likely to get blown up.

Final Girl

March 27

We cap off all that fun and adventure with us being slaughtered horror movie style in Final Girl.

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Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 3 part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 21:09:18 +0000

The location of the ritual found, the demons must do what they can to stop a potential apocalypse.

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So You Want to Run a Billy-Verse Game

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 15:00:26 +0000

So, you want to run a Billy-verse game?

Oh, I understand. Why wouldn’t someone want to create a masterful piece of podcasting genius? Why wouldn’t you want the praise and adoration from your many, many fans (I’m looking at you, AKBearmace!)? Why wouldn’t you want to sit down with friends and watch their feeble minds crack due to hours upon hours of careful planning? Oh, I understand, my friend, why you would want this all to happen.

So I’m going to give you a brief glimpse into the mind of genius. Here, for one blog post only, I will explain to you what it takes to create a truly epic and amazing ‘Billy-verse’ adventure.

1) Steal

Yes, the most important thing you need to do before you start creating a Billy-verse game is to sit down with Netflix or some old DVDs and begin watching every obscure horror movies from the 1990s. It’s important that you grab the ones that have long been forgotten due to their rather unoriginal ideas or poor acting. Munch on popcorn as the plot turns from one cliche action to another. For awhile, you might want to give up. You will think you cannot put up with C-list actors trying to do their best accents but you must! Because in every truly dull and uninspiring movie is a faint glimmer of an idea. It is the shiniest part of the turd, and after wading through the crap barrel of a movie, it is your holy grail.

2) Make sure David has no fun.

So, you have your turd. You’ve polished it. You have that kernel of an idea that might make it into a filler episode for the Twilight Zone. However, you aren’t done. The next thing you must do is decide what sort of characters your players can be. It’s incredibly important at this point that you make sure David is incapable of playing anyone he’d want to play. You might want to let him play a detective with psionic abilities or maybe a devil worshipper who can call the infernal chains of damnation to aide him in battle. Do not fall into this pit of mercy! If you let David play a character he’ll enjoy, then you’ve already lost the battle.

The characters must be weak. They must be ordinary. They must be the very image of those people in ‘First World Problem’ memes. You must make sure they have no abilities above average. You must make certain that David is incapable of having fun. His whines of protest will be a sure sign that you’ve succeeded in this endeavor.

3) Realize you have no story ten minutes into the game.

Aha – now this is where the real magic comes into play. You know that turd you’ve polished? Realize that it’s a turd and that it’s incapable of polishing. All you’ve done is soil your hands with human waste. You are disgusting! Now, it’s the time where you need to keep your game face on. Throw a flirtatious NPC towards Jesus in order to act like there is someone integral to the plot. Angela will probably begin to see you crack as she tries to push the action forward – but you can distract her by saying something uncouth in front of guests: you must distract her by saying something uncouth in front of guests. Once these two are properly dealt with, that only leaves Dan and David. David will be too busy practicing his accent (if he’s gone Boston at this point, you know things are heating up) but Daniel is the old man of the group. He’s the wise one. Your only hope is that he’s brought something technological to play with. Whenever he begins to sniff around plot holes, ask him something about downloading more RAM. This will throw him into an IT stare of hopelessness.

4) Look around the room and make an item a monster

Ink pen? Ink monster! Dead ficus? Memory Plant Monster! Christmas card from emotionally distant parents? Ghost stuck in a wellness retreat. Whatever you can find can be turned into a monster. I stole this trick from Stephen King (as well as the plot to The Langoliers). Make something quickly and just throw it at the players in a desperate attempt to seem shocking! If they ask how or why then just make them take mental stress! Madness is why, fools! Madness!

5) Realize that the turd you had previously discarded is actually useful

This comes at the very end of the campaign. You have twenty minutes until the game is suppose to be over. You’re tired. You’re desperate. You’re slightly turned on but you can talk to Jesus later on about his flirting skills. Now it’s time for you to salvage that turd and throw it down onto the table like you’re dropping the mic. Do not pause or look ashamed that you’re going back to the original crap-fest! You must dig out your inner Kanye. Storm that stage and tell the players they’re ghost! Or that it’s a plant! Or that these werewolves are just misunderstood! Be confident as Jesus’s NPC is either killed/maimed/ends up being a mirror person. Do not watch Angela as she will most likely use her eye rolling skills to show she knows you hadn’t stayed up late writing a game session like you said – you had instead spent all night playing Skyrim. Daniel will still be distracted by his technology and his elderly wisdom. The only person you have to watch now is David. He will most likely tie up all the plot holes with his own ingenuity and give you credit: Act like he’s the smartest guy in the room. If he thinks you thought of his bat-shit reasons why your plot make sense first then you are a genius.

6) Bask in success

Bask in it. Bask in it and tell yourself that next time you’ll actually come into a game with a fresh idea and a plan.

7) Repeat step one

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Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 3 part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 21:54:42 +0000

Stuck in a looped version of the 1960’s, the demons must stop a plan to unleash literal hell upon Seattle.

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5 Signs You’re Trapped in the Apocalypse

Angela — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 15:00:39 +0000

It’s a mistake that can happen to any adventurer. You’re out on a side-quest for some delicious brisket, or maybe tracking down the last few nails that crazy shopkeeper asked you for, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a wild zombie appears! You may have just wandered into the apocalypse. The truly canny adventurer knows to check for these five signs before proclaiming they are truly trapped in the apocalypse.

1. Zombies

A classic sign of the apocalypse, zombies have really been coming into their own recently. No longer defined only as the shambling, mindless brain eaters of yesterday, modern apocalyptic zombies can be fast, or even super fast, and have a much more holistic palate, eating from “nose to tail” rather than leaving their victims’ bodies to waste after merely eating the brains. They’re the original Freegans. Zombies. Apocalyptic trendsetters.

2. Leather is the new Black

Just because society has collapsed doesn’t mean survivors become complete animals. Fashion has been what sets apart humans from particularly well-groomed apes since the first saber-toothed tiger was skinned. In the event of the apocalypse, forget looting for food and water, find the nearest leather goods store and stock up on sturdy outerwear, underwear, and everything-in-between-wear. Put some of your nails to good use by adding decorative spikes. You know what they say about adventurers with big spikes…

They’re more likely to have a hidden weapon to pulverize your brain for their pet zombies to feast upon.

3. Global Warming is Unstoppable

You’d think Mother Earth would catch a break with the end of human civilization, but no. We’ve well and truly screwed up the world so that even the sudden obliteration of a significant portion of the human population can’t stop the ravages of global warming. Massive floods will destroy your favorite landmarks, and endless deserts will leave sand chafing where the sun don’t shine. Hope you weren’t too attached to the idea of four seasons; those went out with the concept of bathing daily.

4. Neverending Fuel

Lest you think the apocalypse is all doom and gloom, there is an upside! Gas and oil? Unlimited supply! Whatever it is that wiped out humanity also stopped the degradation of gasoline. So go ahead and hotwire that Hummer – you deserve something nice in this hellscape.

5. No Middle Ground

I hope you’re no average-looking adventurer. It’s a well known fact that the scourge that wiped out humanity had very bland, middle-of-the-road tastes. All of the boring looking people? Gone without a trace. The world is now ruled by super models and boy bands, lording their attractiveness over the misshapen wretches that armageddon overlooked.

And you, fair adventurer! What signs do you look for when judging whether you’ve wandered into the apocalypse, or merely having a really bad day?

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GTRT 18: Love in Games, PC Relationships, and Cupid Monstrosities

Podcast — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 15:10:53 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. In this week’s GTRT, we talk about love we have found in games, handling game relationships, the worst cupids of our imaginations, and the best board games for love.

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The End of the World: Under the Skin part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 21:04:08 +0000

With people literally falling apart around them, the four friends must do what they can to escape New York City.

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

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Fandible Valentine’s 2015

Angela — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:00:58 +0000

As our listeners prepare to celebrate with romantic dinners before the annual Half-Price-Chocolate day, so too do the vast and varied members of the Fandible universe celebrate love in its many forms. Happy Valentine’s Day, from the Fandible Crew

Calysto Flockhart – The Strange

Dear Feathera,

DON’T THROW THIS AWAY THIS IS IMPORTANT.

I know how you tend to overreact when I’m in the middle of telling you you’re overreacting. Just hear me out, and then you can throw this letter away, or burn it, or (like that one time that I’ll never forget) nail it to my door and then burn my house down. You are a woman of passions, and it takes a special man (that’s me, by the way) to appreciate you. You are also a lunatic, which is why we’re perfect together.

A lesser bird would have used that “birds of a feather” line, but I’m a damn wordsmith and not some two-bit hack so keep reading, it’s about to get really good.

I know the reasons that you left me are somewhat valid. I have been described as “intense,” which can’t be easy to love. Then there’s the illicit (but sometimes totally law-abiding!) nature of my business, which can be stressful. And of course there was that time Herold shot you with a laser that caused you to fly into an unstoppable rage. He’s sorry about that, and I’m sorry too. I’m sorry my best friend is dumb and human.

A lesser bird would tell you how gorgeous you are when you’re angry. Also a lesser bird would be dead from your advanced chokeholds that you used on them during your violent, laser-beam induced rage. I forgive you for that, by the way, and I want you to know that I totally let you win because I care. That’s right: I let you almost kill me because I care.

Many others in Crow Hollow will tell you I’m no good. They’ll say that you can do better than a petty thief and his flightless, filthy human friend. They may even use terms like worthless and absent of all useful skills. Then you should remind them to talk about me, because Herold may be all of those horrible things but he’s just a human and he can’t help it.

Then you should mention that your boyfriend is also a space-bending cosmic traveller, exploring other dimensions in search of rare artifacts and surviving dangers they couldn’t imagine. Then they will shut their beaks because NO ONE CAN TOP THAT.

Look, I know we have some things to work out. You say I’m unreliable because of my profession (I’m in another galaxy, for cawin’ out loud!) and that you want a bird that earns a semi-honest living. (Well, semi-honest for a species of swindlers and thieves.) And I know that my lifestyle of mind-blowing adventure and dogged pursuit of objects from other realities combined with my rugged good-looks and unstoppable personality can be exhausting at times. The point is, I think that together we can work towards a future where you’ve accepted my amazing qualities and fast-paced lifestyle as just more things to love about me.

Who knows? Maybe down the road we can have a nest of our own, build a life together as the most loved club-singer in Crow Hollow (that’s you!) and her unbelievably magnetic and courageous boyfriend (me). I want us to be happy together, and if it’s got to be achieved by stealing objects of untold power from stupid creatures in other planes of existence then so be it. I want our reality to be one where you wake up and go to bed happy. Happy that you stuck with me. And if I know anything, it’s how to make reality do what you want.

Honestly, after everything I’ve seen, I still haven’t found anything as precious as you.

Think it over,

Calysto Flockhart
(Of the Northern Branch Flockharts)

P.S. PLEASE FIND INCLUDED WITH THIS LETTER A SMALL GEM PLEASE HIDE IT IMMEDIATELY AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT AND FOR PETE’S SAKE DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY INTO IT. THANKS!

Professor Strauss – Hollow Earth Expedition

To understand love, you must understand an equation. An equation is an equality of two sides. Both sides look utterly different and seem to have no real connection but you must dig deeper. You must understand what each symbol represents and see what pieces can be swapped and shared to make the equation more understandable. Eventually, through hard work and dedication, you make both sides match, and they simply become two equal parts of the same whole.

Then, one half of the equation betrays the other half. She steals his best ideas and becomes an award-winning scientist while you are left in the dirt crying about your betrayal. The equal sign becomes chains binding you in nondisclosure agreements as the variables throw you into a corner and beat you mercilessly with their pointed Italian shoes.

Other equations come in, throw more dirt in your face by mocking your lack of credentials and screaming about the importance of higher education. It’s then that you realize that they are really just trying to stifle your genius and make you fit their boring, stale, and corrupt views on vector love plots and social diagrams.

Thats what love is. Love is a lie made by wretched scientific harpies that steal your work and claim the credit. I did all the work and she stole it. SHE STOLE IT!

…

Class dismissed.

Lucas Brewster – Atomic Robo

To Whom It May Concern,
My son has found an attraction towards you, and I feel that you have the genetic markers to possibly be a daughter-in-law. Currently my son is dictating what I write on this Valentine, however I believe it is better for us to speak. So, please turn this valentine over and continue reading on the back.

(cont)

My son’s ideal partner needs to have the following qualities:

My son requires exactly 2000 calories a day. I have yet to see any signs that you know how to cook. How do you plan to feed my son? Do you plan to pimp out the services of a cook? Where would you get the cook? Can they be trusted? I fail to see you able to answer any of these questions and thus it makes his decision to court you very unpleasant to me.

My son is a gifted child – far more gifted than any of your friends or colleagues. A mind such as his requires a nurturing hand to help shape it to be the best it can be. Do you feel you can place your own petty interest below his? Are you capable of dealing with the knowledge that everything you do can potentially change the human race? By convincing him to have sexual intercourse instead of doing his studying, you might have damned the entire world. Can you live with that?

Brunette. I see you are currently brunette which is good. Your hair is like mine which means it will not confuse him when he wakes up from sleeping and finds it draped over his head like a curtain that protects him from the dangers of the world. Will you be willing to sign a waiver saying you will not sully your hair color with dye? My son has a terrible allergy to any and all hair dye. One sniff of your hair could result in him going into epileptic shock. And for what? Because you wished to pretend to be Brittany Spears and that your parents love you just like they love your older sister (who is also not good enough for my son)?

If you feel you can fall into line with these qualifications, then I will allow you to be my son’s valentine.

With All His Heart,
Lucas Brewster, Miss Sharpner’s 2nd grade class.

Goldshot – Rotted Capes
Selections of notes found under Goldshot’s mattress from grubby, nosey little kids that NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEAR HER ROOM in the first place.

G is for Gorgeous like your long flowing locks
O is for Obfuscate to get out of a jam
L is for Lovely like the countenance of your face
D is for Deadly, your aim quick and true
S is for Stylish, your calling card to this day
H is for Humble in all of your ways
O is for Ordinary, which you surely aren’t
T is for Terrific, truly tactful testimony

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
Goldshot is the best,
We all know it’s true.

Dear Goldshot,
Good job staying alive today. Keep it up!
Love, Goldshot

Dearest Goldshot,
Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. If you don’t start with that, what are you going to end up with? When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Goldshot, and never let go of that promise. You’re going to get back on that horse, and I’m going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we’re gonna go, go, go! The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return

I wish I knew how to quit you
Love, Goldshot

Ollie – Hollow Earth Expedition
From the diary of Ollie

Dear diary,

I have long ago lost track of how long we’ve been down here, in this bizarre Hollow Earth. Time seems to work strangely here, and I find my mind and internal compass wavering as wildly as our actual physical compasses do here. Every day seems another mad adventure, and nothing make sense. I would be lost were it not for my North Star, the one point I can focus on and follow, my one rock: Lamont.

It’s funny, his name translates to ‘the mountain,’ and despite his short stature, that is what he is to me, my mountain, my rock.

He’s irascible, he’s short-tempered (and would chide me horribly if he hears me using that phrase to describe him, because, well…I digress). But I’ve known him since before we came here. I’ve seen his talent, his brilliance, his tenacity. I’ve stood silently beside him and seen how his eyes shine as he pursues his dream. He doesn’t know: he is my dream.

He can’t know. He musn’t. I know he doesn’t feel as I do. Even in Hollywood, such things are looked down on, and I would not wish my affections to damage his dream or his chances, for things are difficult enough already for him.

Or worse, I would not wish my love to push him away, to lose him.

He is my rock. I will be his, here. I will stand tall and quiet so that he can stand on my shoulders and shout. I will raise him high so that he can reach his dream, even though he will never know why.

I know this life, this place, is hard for you, Lamont. But depend on me. Count on me. I will bring you back to the world above. I will keep your shots steady, so your genius can shine out onto that silver screen. And when I see you smile as the crowds come to watch, I will know it was all worth it.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my little mountain

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GTRT Ep 17: Finding Roleplaying Groups, Love and Geekery, & The Best Fandible Scientist.

Podcast — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 15:58:32 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. On this weeks Geeky Topics Round Table, the crew discusses finding new roleplaying groups, Love in the Geekosphere, Who is the best fandible Scientist and Fifty Shade of Grey RPG tie ins.

The post GTRT Ep 17: Finding Roleplaying Groups, Love and Geekery, & The Best Fandible Scientist. appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The End of the World: Under the Skin part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 22:29:36 +0000

Four friends discover that at the end of the world, your body is your greatest enemy.

Intro Music: Controlled Chaos by Kevin Macleod

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The Creative Gamer’s Dilemma: When Tabletop Isn’t Enough

David — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 15:00:46 +0000

As far as pastimes go, tabletop roleplaying offers a wide variety of avenues for creativity. Character backgrounds are an exercise in story construction, actual gaming a method of improvisational acting, game mastering a means of planning, and reacting to dice rolls is an experiment in anger management and grief counseling. These are tangible benefits of skills one can develop by engaging in tabletop gaming. I believe, however, that there should be a warning to the wealth of “good feels” that gaming can bring. Simply put, gaming is gaming. Don’t confuse it for something else.

As I mentioned above, gaming utilizes a number of skills in order to function, many of which allow a person to create things on their own or with others, and this often leads to a triumph of storytelling amongst a group. Characters, plots and freak occurrence (mostly, but not always, dice-based) build into a shared mythology, the characters involved occupying a pantheon in the minds of the players. This construct of the imagination is a testament to the creative powers of those involved and should be heralded as such. In my experience, however, there comes a point where the thrill of creation via gaming can propel a person to want to reach beyond the table and into new mediums, bolstered by their skills with a gaming group. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great! Don’t be fooled by the ritual of tabletop interaction, though: Bringing your vision to the world beyond the dice is a totally different beast.

I have a friend who is both a writer and avid fan of game mastering. Creating worlds, societies, histories and intrigue and throwing players into the resulting chaos has occupied his mind since I met him in the eighth grade. He truly loves the moment where a player finds a frayed stitch in his otherwise meticulous creation and decides to pull at it, forcing him to quickly amend an entire world so that it all stays together. There is a cyclical nature to his relationship with gaming, however, and it is one I’ve seen in many people. At some point, his desire to tell a story and his desire to do so through gaming becomes incompatible. Eventually, a person wants to tell the whole story.

I’ve seen plenty of times the frustration that comes with the desire for complete control over a narrative and the confusion it brings to a gaming table. A person’s vision for a story begins to sneak in and replace the “x factor” of player decision. Sometimes new mechanics are introduced to facilitate the outcome a person wants, or player-character actions or dialogue are dictated. Slowly but surely, the interaction becomes less like a game and more like reading a script, but one that only exists in one person’s head. This can lead to some (understandable) conflict at the table, and this is where a person should assess whether they have a story they want to tell through gaming, or if their vision would be best told in a different medium. This transition can be intimidating, but ultimately rewarding as the person in question gets to commit their attention to creating and hopefully avoid any conflicts with the people they game with.

The number of ways a person can branch beyond gaming and create something new are myriad. For instance, Billy is wrapping up his Choose Your Own Adventure on Google+ today, featuring the dark spandex-clad world of Rotted Capes. The trick is to recognize two things: When it is time to push an idea into a new form of creativity, and (more importantly) not every creation has to be Citizen Kane. Short stories, a few panels of comic or even a (ahem) short poston a blog can allow you to stretch your creativity the way you truly want to.

So what about you? Have you ever found yourself brimming with ideas that could not be contained through gaming? Have you or someone you game with branched out into other mediums to satisfy the need to bring a story to life? Leave your comments below!

The post The Creative Gamer’s Dilemma: When Tabletop Isn’t Enough appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

February Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 17:22:17 +0000

We see the horrors of this world and the next in this months podcast schedule.

February 6th & 13th

End of the World: Zombie Apocalpyse

We run from Zombie horrors at the end of the world.

February 20th & 27th

Demon the Descent

The former angels of the God Machine discover that time travel can be fairly lethal.

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Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 12: Tested Faith part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 20:57:44 +0000

Distracted by a known enemy in their midst, our heroes are blind to the new threat surrounding them.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

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Historical Mourning Traditions and Unhallowed Metropolis

Angela — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:00:05 +0000

This fall the Metropolitan Museum of Art has hosted an excellent exhibit in the Costume Institute: Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire, about the mourning traditions of the Victorian era. When a coworker told me about, I about had a nerd-gasm, and Billy and I were traipsing up to the museum practically the next weekend. For anyone with an interest in historical fashion, it’s a must-see stop (but hurry! It’s only on display through February 1st!). The exhibit gave me lots of new inspiration for Moira in Unhallowed Metropolis, especially considerations of what to do with her fashion as she moves farther from the British culture that raised mourning to an art form.

The exhibit leads through over a century of mourning fashion, focusing heavily on women’s fashions, as women were expected to bear the brunt of mourning for the family. I focused on many of the fashions of the latter-half of the 19th century for my research for Moira, as the illustrations in the Unhallowed Metropolis book seem to draw from the narrower silhouettes of the time. These are just a handful of the photos I took – turns out black fashion is difficult to photograph on a cell phone in a dim room.

Traditionally widows were expected to remain in mourning for approximately four years, though as time went on etiquette allowed them to introduce grays, lavenders and mauves into their mourning wardrobe. The Mourners of Unhallowed Metropolis, of course, never move much past the first-stage as a rule. Being a widow of less than two years, Moira would undoubtedly still be in full mourning, even if she hadn’t chosen the drastic path of becoming a Mourner. Interestingly, siblings were only expected to mourn for six months, so Byron is sartorially well passed the official mourning stage. Parents may mourn as long as they feel disposed, and having lost both a son and a husband, Beatrix Clayton could be in any stage of mourning her conniving spirit deemed most beneficial to her. Special jewelry was produced in black stones, often with minimal lustre, as well as incorporating hair of the deceased in brooches and pendants. If Horatio’s death had left behind much of a body, Moira would certainly have kept a lock of his hair close to her heart.

Perhaps most interesting, in terms of the alternate history of Unhallowed Metropolis, is what led to the end of extravagant mourning traditions. In World War I, mourning began to fall by the wayside for two reasons: an incredible number of young men were dying, and women were helping out in public life in great numbers – a duty that was hampered if they were expected to shun society while in deep mourning. The history of Unhallowed Metropolis takes the exact opposite tactic, having a society in shambles cling ever tighter to frivolous traditions, and even elevate it to a martial art for a select few.

I chose to play a Mourner because “ninja nun” sounded pretty bad ass, and a class predominantly made of women in a setting built on an era that had tense relations with women intrigued me. Delving deeper into the class, the setting, and my particular character, has been a treat, even as my own bent for historical research has illuminated the poetic license the source material takes (as they should! If there are zombies, I can certainly handle changes in historical costuming). As the Unhallowed Metropolis crew continues its world tour into dangerous territories, I’m looking forward to continuing Moira’s own brand of diplomacy, expanding beyond her beloved exculpuses for a new diplomatic accessory.

How does fashion inform your own character choices?

The post Historical Mourning Traditions and Unhallowed Metropolis appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 12: Tested Faith part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 21:00:17 +0000

Leaving a monstrous legacy behind, the Victorian heroes head to a diplomatic summit in Gstaad. Unfortunately, they will discover that not even faith is safe from the powers of politics.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

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5 Web Comics to Cure Winter Blues

Arvandus — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 15:02:32 +0000

For as long as the internet has been able to render images, artists have been creating web comics. Of course, that’s a very long history, and the quality of the comics ranges from the terrible to the sublime, not to mention finding a comic to fit your tastes can be a real slog sometimes.

As part of the many services provided by Fandible, today I’m sharing a small taste of some of my favorite web comics. Each one providing a different sample of the various types of web comics out there.

Schlock Mercenary

Set in the far future, Schlock Mercenary is a science fiction comic that tells the story of a band of space mercenaries that “Travel the Galaxy, Meet fascinating life forms, and Kill them.” It is a great space romp that slowly becomes a story of conspiracies and intergalactic war. The author’s love of space opera writers like Larry Niven and David Brin slowly becomes obvious as the comic introduces various space opera staples, including bizarre aliens, vast empires, and impossibly large objects. Although influenced by these writers, Schlock Mercenary is its own vibrant world that has its own laws and rules that makes it a separate and wonderfully consistent universe. This ongoing comic has been updated daily since 2001, so it has plenty of content to sate your space opera thirst.

Girl Genius

Mix together Victorian Europe, steampunk tech, and mad scientists, and you have Girl Genius in a nutshell. The main character, Agatha Heterodyne, discovers that she is the heir of a mad scientist bloodline and must fight deadly physical and political forces to regain the power that is her birthright. Power hungry royals, mad cultists, and inhuman monsters are just a small sample of her foes. Of course, if she gets to create the odd abomination against nature along the way, that’s just a bonus. Updating three times a week since 2002, give it a read if you need a lengthy steampunk fix.

Guilded Age

At first glance, Guided Age seems to be your traditional fantasy adventure. A group of friends of different races fight an encroaching evil, but as the story continues you begin to realize that something seems a bit off. As plots are slowly revealed, the roles of the various characters change and the world gets significantly more complicated. Some of the reveals can be a bit jarring, but if you can stick with it, it all adds to a rather interesting story. This comic has been updating three times a week since 2009 and it hasn’t disappointed since.

Camp Weedonwantcha

Awhile ago, the creators of Penny Arcade held a reality show for potential webcomic creators. The result was Camp Weedonwantcha, a camp for abandoned children. Appearing to be a simple summer camp, the mysteries of the camp and the characters slowly come to light to reveal a rather dark history. On the one hand, you laugh at some fairly dark humor. On the other hand, your heart sinks as you see the slowly revealed back stories of the children. You begin to realize that no one in this camp is from what you would call a warm home. If you want to laugh, then feel bad, then laugh again, give this comic a try. It has been forcing me to question my morality twice a week since 2013.

Menage a 3

Before I continue, I will outright say Menage a 3 is NSFW. Imagine the old sitcom Three’s Company. Now imagine those same sitcom antics set in modern day, and with people actually doing the various sexual escapades they jokingly alluded too. Originally telling the story of a luckless guy failing in the ways of love, the story slowly expands to a cast of interesting characters that try to find friendship and intimacy. Of course, like true sitcoms, accidents, misunderstandings, and improbable coincidences have a tendency to get in the way. This comic has been updating three times a week since 2008.

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The Strange Ep 2: Curse of the Machine God

Podcast — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:51:05 +0000

Stuck in a recursion of zealous AIs and murderous enemies, the two con artists must do what they can to survive in the bowels of the Machine God.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet

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Fandible’s Newest Experiment!

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:00:48 +0000

When I was but a wee-child, I loved reading the classics, like Goosebumps. Every month, a fresh book of ghastly delights would appear, and I (ever the classy gentleman), would read through the book with a mixture of excitement, fear, and awe. I would read the books twice over before finally retiring to my bedroom to think about the wonders of horror and literature. I would think of how I would have done stuff differently in the books. I would have found a way to survive better, survive quicker, or bring some fiery ending to the narrative that would have left the reader gaping!

And then something amazing happened when I was ten. R.L. Stine released a new kind of Goosebumps. This type was a ‘choose your own adventure’. And that’s when I realized that the story was now in my hands. No longer would I have to worry that the characters would go up the stairs to see ‘who was making that chainsaw sound’. No longer would I suddenly find the character gulping down dangerous quantities of Monster Blood! No, the choice was now mine. And mine alone.

We’ve all played the standard ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. And I do mean play instead of read because I’ve always seen them as a game. It was the earliest form of roleplaying for me, being able to directly affect the story in my (admittedly limited) way. I must have read through those “Give Yourself Goosebumps” a hundred times over trying to find the best way to escape the Carnival of Horror or Bat Wing Hall. In the end, these books were my first brush with roleplaying and that is why they’ll always have a special place in my heart.

For those that have been paying attention to our Google Plus page, you might have seen our newest experiment in social media. Fandible is actually hosting our own Choose Your Own Adventure game. Every month (or so – we’re still testing the waters!) we’ll be running a (ugh.. Okay, I need an acronym) CYOA game using a setting from one of our roleplaying books. Yes, this means you might just have a chance to get your head cut off by Moira Clayton, have your face worn by Zap McGuffin, or to join Rubia and Stevens in their quest to find a job that will actually stick.

Every week we’ll be posting a bit of the story along with several choices for where the story could go next. You’ll have a week to pick a choice before the poll is tallied – this month, the first poll closes today, Wednesday the 14th, at noon (EST). Once I see what the community has decided, I’ll add a new segment of the story the next day! Then we will rinse and repeat until the story ends.

This month we’re starting our CYOA with Rotted Capes. You can find the post here. If you missed the chance to vote for this week’s choice, that’s alright! Just keep an eye on Fandible’s Google Plus page and you will be able to vote for the next choice in the adventure. However, remember to be careful – if the community picks one or two bad choices, you might just find yourself shuffling on your dead feet, moaning for the flesh of the living. Or you might find yourself running into a few familiar faces from Fandible’s own game of Rotted Capes! Who doesn’t want to be robbed by the legendary Goldshot?

What settings would you like Fandible to explore next in our CYOA segment? How about we all vote for Planescape so we can post a drunken rant from Angela about how democracy and community choices suck.

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Aberrant: Imposed Anarchy

Podcast — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:23:04 +0000

Captured by the government to do their dirty work, four super villains must assault the citadel of a despot to capture a unknown prize.

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Magic Systems in RPGs

Katsushiro — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 15:00:10 +0000

Mention the topic of magic in an RPG around the Fandi-table, and you’ll get a whole range of responses from “HELL YES FIREBALL” to “I WILL STAB YOU WITH ALL THE SWORDS. ALL OF THEM.” Love it or hate it, though, magic (and magic-like abilities, such as psychic powers, chi, superpowers, etc.) is a staple of many RPGs. It’s a rare tabletop game that doesn’t give your characters the ability to do something superhuman, from the classic fireballs and lightning bolts of a D&D wizard, to the body-improving magic of Shadowrun‘s physical adepts or the psychic and warp abilities of Warhammer 40K. Even a game like Unhallowed Metropolis, which does not include any kind of explicit magic (which is probably one reason why it’s a favorite of Fandible’s very own Templar, Angela (and bonus points to those who get the reference)), does give players the ability to create characters with clearly supernatural abilities and has several setting aspects that at the very least stretch the definition of what can be labeled ‘scientific.’

For my purposes here, I’m going to lump all these things, be they straight-up spells, psychic abilities, chi powers, and really anything that goes beyond the normal human limits of the real world, as ‘magic,’ especially when it comes to the systems in games that implement them. We’ve played enough different games here at Fandible that I think we’ve gotten a decent taste for many of the varied systems out there, and I think each of us has our own favorites. But one thing I’ve noticed is that, regardless of the system, we do tend to skew towards more ‘understandable’ and straightforward magic systems (i.e. those that have strictly defined powers and a clear progression and not too many variables). A typical White Wolf-style ‘one main power, five dots in each with specific abilities in each dot’ system seems to work well for us. Superhero games where the powers are also more strictly defined have also been a hit. But there’s been times when we’ve branched out, with varying degrees of success.

The Dresden Files RPG, based on Fate, has one of the more complicated magic systems we’ve used. It requires sitting down and figuring out all kinds of parameters, from the spell’s intention, to where the caster is drawing energy from, to what specifically is being affected. While this can lead to an incredibly flexible magic system that allows spellcasters to achieve all kinds of effects (and emulates the magic system of the books the game was taken from closely), it also means that many times when you have to cast a spell, the game screeches to a halt while the caster and the GM work out the details. For some groups, that can be very enjoyable, but for others it can be a jarring break from the immersion of the game.

You’ve also got systems like Part-Time Gods, where your characters are deities with influence over particular aspects of reality. While the system itself provided a structure for how each deity interacted with its sphere of influence, a lot was left open for interpretation – perhaps as it should be, given the nature of the game. While some aspects were fairly straightforward, like dealing direct damage or creating protection, others were, out of necessity, so vague that any use of them required a 15-minute speech on how the deity’s sphere of influence could be applied in a particular way.

And don’t get me started on Mage: the Ascension, a.k.a. Philosophy Major: the Philosophizing.

In the end, like so much of this hobby, the kind of magic system your group will have fun with depends on, well, your group. I think we’ve found some good balances in our games, either focusing on games that don’t have such complex and open to interpretation magic systems (although I for one am looking forward to the Fate Accelerated Edition version of the Dresden Files RPG and how they do magic there), or finding games that just have particularly well-designed power/magic systems (I may be biased but I think that after some initial adjustment we’ve gotten a good hang of the Demon system, which is very different from most other WoD 5-dot systems and has a lot more flexibility and nuance).

Do you have a favorite magic system in a game? Or just a particular preference? Do you prefer low-magic or no-magic games, or do you long for systems like Ars Magica or Mage where the careful and detailed crafting of spells is one of the core mechanics? Let us know below!

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Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 2

Podcast — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:00:49 +0000

Working to undermine the God Machine, the agents discover that their plans may have dire consequences for the city of Seattle.

The post Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Happy New Year – New Year’s Resolutions From Your Favorite Fandible Characters

Angela — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:00:43 +0000

As the new year approaches, several characters from the Fandible universe have opted to share their plans for the new year – whichever year that may be in their reality. Share your own resolutions in the comments (or suggest some for characters we missed), and we look forward to sharing more shenanigans with you in 2015!

Shepard Clearwater – Rotted Capes

Soldiers,

I hope you all took time to reflect on our mission while you rejoiced in the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. And while I support acts of charity during this and any other time of year, I want to take this chance to remind you that the image of a portly man in a red suit is not from any scripture but is mostly the construct of a soft drink company. Also, all future caroling will be done by personnel who are on the mend from injury or have otherwise been excused from their usual duties, because when I see a group of healthy men and women singing I see a bunch of guards not doing their job. Remember, unlike the other guy I only have to check my naughty list once.

Because I believe that a leader should guide through a mix of example and pant-shitting punitive measures, I have written a few resolutions for myself to be posted on the main bulletin board. Should any of you want, feel free to add your own resolutions below with your name and rank. Should any of you not want to then go ahead and plan to be on recon duty with nothing more than a fixed-gear bicycle and a brick that you have to pretend is a radio. No pressure.

RESOLUTIONS

by Shepard Clearwater

-I will conserve ammo by using more hand-to-hand techniques or by expanding my horizons regarding knives, duct-tape and my truck.

-I will refrain from using terms like “muties” “freaks” or “side-shows” when talking about Supers that work with us. As long as we’re on the same side a soldier is a soldier, regardless if they are abominations composed of unholy powers or not.

-I will refrain from interacting with alien artifacts that may have their own intelligence because that shit does not pay dividends and turns out to be a big hassle.

I hope this helps everyone think about what they would like to change about themselves in the new year and therefore make all of humanity better in the process.

Oh, and I’ll be leading a full company drill at 12:10 am on January 1st.

Happy New Year,
Clearwater

Mark Holder – Vampire: the Masquerade

Before I became what I am now, I was a schmuck. A jackass living on the the street, picked on by others. As a vampire, I thought I would finally get the chance to show how badass I could be. Instead, I’m stuck in a park in Manhattan waiting for Sabbat ass-hats to come in and try reclaim it. All to protect the territory of Camarilla a-holes who wouldn’t think of me even if I saved their lives from a torch.

So, what is my resolution? To stopped being kicked around. To stop having these ungracious bastards use me like some canary to see which way the wind is blowing. To grow in power until no power-hungry prince would think of trying to intimidate me. I have no idea how, but if life has taught me anything it’s that it gives you opportunities. You just have to grasp them when they come. One way or the other, Mark Holder is going to get what’s his.

Captain Renaldo Macharius – Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader
(AKA, Captain Awesomepants’ New Year’s Resolutions)

“Quantus, where is that servo-skull I told you to send?”

“… video feed shows it’s right outside your door, Captain. Where it’s been pressing the buzzer for the past 10 minutes.”

“Oh, is that what that infernal noise was? I just shot the speaker that was making it. It was interrupting my thoughts.”

“… should I send up a tech priest to replace your door buzzer speaker, Captain?”

“Of course. Ah, there’s the servo-skull. Right outside my door. That’ll be all, Quantus.”

“Wait, captain, while I still have you on the line, I wanted to discuss my-” COMMLINE CLOSED

“Ah, there we are. Alright, servo-skull, begin recording mode. The Imperial calendar shows the new year is fast approaching, and my father, the old fool, had a tradition that I’ve decided, if only this one time, to observe. He would have us all list out our resolutions: the things we wished to achieve for that year. And so, given all that’s happened recently, and all that’s to come, I feel that recording my own resolutions for this coming year may well serve a purpose, if only to crystallize my vision and focus my will. There is work to be done. Now, let’s begin. My first resolution is clear: to protect this ship and its crew. For better or worse, the Shadow Labyrinth has been home, conveyance, and fortress at different times… often all three at once. Its crew, weekly mutinies aside, are like my children. Except more expendable and I don’t have to worry as much about them trying to kill me so as to more easily claim their inheritance.

“Also, I can’t possibly be expected to fly this thing alone.

“Regardless, what’s coming next will pose grave threats to both ship and crew. I doubt I will be able to keep them all safe…but I vow to bring this ship, and all those loyal to me that I can, safely through the coming storm. Daniel Kunan has us out-numbered, out-gunned, and out-matched…but that monster has yet to beat us. He’s made one tactical mistake: he’s underestimated me.

“Which I suppose brings me to my second resolution: this year, I will take Daniel Kunan down. It’s my fault that thing was unleashed upon the Expanse, and I am a man who honors his debts. I still have work to do before I can set my plan in motion – deals to make, alliances to forge. He’s allied himself with the Imperium… and that may well be his biggest mistake. In the Expanse, the Imperium is cut off from the Emperor’s Light. That has enabled him to rise as high as he has within its ranks, but it also makes them vulnerable in ways that he may not quite understand.. not the way I do. What he has gained in power, he has lost in flexibility. And when it comes to that… well. Let’s just say I have several surprises in store for him.

“And for my last resolution: Well. I suppose it is well past time that I start to consider my legacy. Once I’ve cleansed the Expanse of Kunan’s influence, and am no longer a hunted man, I may deign to spend some time seeking a suitable match, so that the Macharius line can continue, and flourish. Ah, I can almost imagine the pitter patter of little feet upon the bulkheads. The holovids of baby’s first corpse cracker. Teaching my child how to properly quell insurrection. And of course the pride I’ll feel the first time I receive reports of the tyke plotting against me.

“But for all that, I must first complete my current plans. I’ll have to go easy on the crew for a short while, they’ll need their strength for what’s to come. End recording.”

Torchlight – Rotted Capes

“Wow. I’m impressed. You actually have kept up with a calendar to know that we’re coming up on New Years? Did you check the date with Voltron – ah, he just told you to ignore him. Well, okay, then I guess I’ll take your word for it. New year. Coming up. Well, good luck with that.

“What? Clearwater is actually having people post their resolutions?”Did he give a reason for doing this that wasn’t ridiculous? Wait – let me guess, it was Andrew’s idea, right? Did Andrew put his resolution up yet? ‘This year, I plan to not bomb a float full of girl scouts’? Man, that will be really nice of him. God bless human kind. Andy is really an inspiration to us all.

“Fine – fine. If it will keep you from bugging me and it’ll give me brownie points with Preacher John, I’ll give you something to post for me. Write this down for me – why can’t I write it? Cause I’m too busy trying to sort through our warehouse stocks to take three seconds to write down a bullshit promise. And after this, I have to meet Clearwater outside the gates for patrol – a patrol that will be filled with either the groans of the undead or the drones of scripture. After that, I then have a thing to do with Goldshot.

“What are we doing? Jesus, just shuddup and write down my resolution while I carry this damn box over to the discard pile.

“Okay. I, Torchlight, am making this resolution under duress. My resolution is… uh… just say my resolution is to keep fighting for truth, justice, and the American way, okay? Or to find a warehouse full of canned goods on my next run. Or find out that the Contemptress is still alive and flexible as ever and wants to replay our first encounter. Or maybe just to find the last remaining Up and Away Burger that serves those Cape Crisps. Oh, and a Shamrock Shake cause why not.

“That’s my resolution. Just… shorten it up if it doesn’t fit on that scrap of paper. Oh – tell Sentry that Wanda wants him to check out ‘Havenville.’ Rumor has it someone is starting up a black market, and Wanda would rather work with them than against them.

“Oh, and tell Clearwater to make sure Wanda is actually okay with this idea, yeah? Not everyone really has hope for the new year.”

Moira Clayton née Hepburn – Unhallowed Metropolis

From the Diary of Moira Clayton née Hepburn
Bern, Switzerland. December 31st.

It is among our last days outside of the lands of hellfire and damnation – if the rumors about the French are to be believed. I do not know how much credence to lend individual rumors, but it is with a sense of unease that I cross both this border, and the border into the new year.

Father always spent the first of the year reviewing his business interests, and I imagine Katherine is continuing his fine tradition. Mama will be preparing the home for callers, probably fruitlessly trying to find a suitor for Katherine she won’t laugh out the door. Being a woman without a home to keep, or a business to fortify, I am left with a diary in which to record my hopes for the new year.

1. Protecting the new Mrs. Clayton from the harm that may befall her after being associated with this heavy family name.
2. Fulfilling my obligation to the Clayton family as Byron pursues a fool’s errand into the deepest circles of hell (the French court). I am sworn to protect him, even with my own life, and I shall not shirk my duty.
3. Disprove the validity of the words of the spectres of the Prussian blighted lands, and laying to rest any lingering concerns about the fate of my beloved Horatio’s immortal soul.
4. And as always, I wish, as did our beloved Queen, Victoria I, to “never to live to old age but be allowed to rejoin her beloved great and loyal husband before many years elapse.”

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January 2015 Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 15:47:25 +0000

With 2015 slaying 2014 and laying claim to the year, the Fandible crew gives 4 games to please our yearly overlords.

January 2nd

Demon The Descent

We return to Demon the Descent and learn that even former angels can be distracted by the mundane.

Janaury 9th

Aberrant

We run a super powered one-shot where we look at the trials and tribulations of the supervillian.

January 16

The Strange

More weirdness happens in the strange because The Strange!

January 23rd & 30th

Unhallowed Metropolis

We conclude the Switzerland chapter as the crew learns more about Swiss politics.

The post January 2015 Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 11: Wild Urges part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 22:21:53 +0000

In a race to save their Dhampir companions, the Neo-victorian heroes head to the wastes to find a dangerous cure.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

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6 Nerdy Holiday Traditions for Grownups

Angela — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 15:00:10 +0000

Becoming an adult is hard, dear readers. Especially if you move away from family and find yourself in need of new traditions during the holidays. Big meals and complex holiday decorations feel like too much effort when there’s only one or two of you gathering to roast chestnuts by the open fire.

Whether you’re building new traditions from scratch, or just want something to help fill out the holiday season, here are 6 nerdy traditions to consider adding to your repertoire this holiday season.

For the literature nerd: An annual holiday re-read.

Winter holidays are excellent fodder for the literature nerds among us. It’s a time of rebirth and renewal, themes that have fascinated authors for centuries. Choose a holiday-themed story to incorporate into your annual holiday traditions. This could be a month-long re-read of A Christmas Carol (bonus nerd points: it’s a ghost story!) or do an annual read-aloud of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

For the movie nerd: A master class in holiday movies.

There are almost definitely even more holiday movies than holiday books, so take your pick from a veritable buffet here. If you like the comfort of tradition, pick one movie or one story and watch it every year – maybe the season isn’t complete without watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer fifteen times, or you want to watch a different version of A Christmas Carol every year. But if sweet and saccharine isn’t your holiday style, take a page from Billy’s and my holiday tradition: watch a Christmas movie that’s not about Christmas. Start with Die Hard and work from there to movies like Batman Returns and Reindeer Games.

For the video game nerd: Re-play a classic game you got as a kid.

Did the holiday season ever bring you a new video game as a kid? I was about eight when Santa left a new Super Nintendo under the tree, with Super Mario World bundled with it. Re-live the pants-wetting excitement of being a kid and re-visit a game that was gifted to you during the holidays as a kid, and marvel at just how freaking hard some of those games were.

For the music nerd: Holiday earworms.

The 24 hour Christmas music stations need fresh blood every year, so you know there will always be a new earworm every year. Of course, some of these songs are more memorable than others. Make a playlist of the year’s newest holiday music and subject family and friends to the monstrosities the worst of holiday commercialism hath wrought. Depending on their reactions, create master playlists of the best (and worst) of modern holiday pop. Torture your kids with either (or both) lists in a few years. It’s what makes the best holiday memories.

For the craft nerd: Nerdy papercrafts

The holidays are a buffet for craft-y types, but even the nerd who’s all thumbs can do this holiday craft. They trust second graders with safety scissors to make paper snowflakes after all! But in true nerd style, take this traditional papercraft up to 11 by incorporating your favorite nerdy properties into your decorating. We suggest these Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, or Disney patterns.

For the beauty nerd: Be fabulous.

If the ladies at the MAC counter know you by name and you were actually able to buy something in the Sephora Rouge sale debacle this year, you might be a beauty nerd. The holiday season brings with it lots of parties, and thus lots of excuses to go all out with your makeup. But instead of doing another variation on a smokey eye (what will it be this week, silver or gold?), take inspiration from your favorite holiday characters. What is makeup if not paint in different packaging? Impress the kids in the family with a herd of reindeer on your eyes, or go for a more subtle-but-glamorous option and get inspired by holiday characters like Jack Frost or the Grinch!

What holiday traditions have you picked up as an adult? Leave your favorites in the comments!

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GTRT Ep 16: Picking Systems, Stealing Ideas & Deku vs Moira

Arvandus — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:00:47 +0000

5 Geeks, one Roundish table. On this weeks GTRT, we talk about choosing between a homebrew system vs smashing systems together, whether we have stolen ideas for our games, and who would win in a fight between Deku and Moira.

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Unhallowed Metropolis Ep 11: Wild Urges part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 21:18:50 +0000

Arriving in Switzerland after the political games of Prussia, the Neo-victorian heroes expect a few days of leisure before heading off to France. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go as planned.

Intro Music: Industrial Revolution by Kevin Macleod

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The Return of the Undertaker

Arvandus — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:49:25 +0000

When I was a little kid, I used to watch wrestling. Back when it was still called the WWF, and Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Bret Hart were kings of the ring. In the midst of these titanic gods who have mastered martial skill and soap opera dialogue, there was one being who stood out. A ancient spirit birthed from the depths of death’s realm and was followed by his pathetic undead servant. His name was The Undertaker, and he was the god of death.

Played by Mark William Calaway, he was brought in as an unstoppable force during the WWF’s (now the WWE) more… fantastical version of its universe. A world of fairly terrible stereotypes, almost fantasy level encounters, and rivalries that felt as if they would continue through generations. Within that world was The Undertaker. A being who always rose up, like a vampire from his ring side coffin. A force rarely beaten but always ready to return from his grave.

I will admit though, much of this narrative was a mixture of my adolescent imagination along with the rather overly dramatic dialogue spoken in the series. As I grew older, the various difficulties of teenage life slowly took my attention from the drama and I was forced to ignore it for a time. I popped my head in briefly for the odd episode to see what was going on and found various changes that never really excited me.

Not exactly fair I will admit, since I was then a impressionable child and now a cynical adult, but the various stories didn’t hit me as they once did. As a fan of the weird and the fantastical, the change of wrestling into the more “realistic” narrative no longer had my attention. What really indicated to me the transition of the WWF into this quasi-realism was the transformation of Undertaker from a death god to a simple member of the New World Order. Where once stood a mythical figure, there now was a man who looked like an extra in a biker movie.

Still, a part of me always imagined how the story of the Undertaker would end in my version of the WWE. Like the return of magic in the Game of Throne series, the return of the fantastical narrative in the WWE would be a force that would change the rules of wrestling for years to come. It is a change in narrative that begins in one terrifying night in the WWE.

It is a typical action night at the WWE. The usual drama between various organizations fighting over this or that. While the fight occurs upstairs, the Undertaker is by himself in the basement, his mind on other mundane things that his current life has given him. At least it was, till a familiar voice speaks behind him. “My lord?”.

Turning around, Undertaker sees a familiar sight. His former manager/servant Paul Bearer. Leaving long ago for reasons unknown, the sight of him is a true surprise. Where once was the familiar image of pale skin and fat flesh is now a near-skeletal corpse. A corpse that quickly falls into the Undertaker’s arms and screams “He Comes!” before finally giving in to true death.

In the ring, Kane battles with his allies in a grudge match. The other side has a long rivalry with his team and he wishes to end it the only way he knows how. As he is about to use a chair on an unsuspecting wrestler, he feels a familiar chill up his spine. A chill he thought he had long escaped.

“No…” he barely whispers.

Suddenly, darkness takes the stage and a banshee’s scream wails from the speakers. When the lights return, a new figure appears in the middle of the ring, dressed in a skull mask with a dark cloak covering his body. The announcers scream into the mics, wondering about the intrusion while the masked Kane stares, unmoving. His allies and enemies stare in disbelief before heading towards the figure. He is interrupting their match after all.

The first of them leaps to attack, and suffers for it. A thick white arm hits the upstart, knocking him unconscious. Now revealed beneath the cloak is a large and thickly built, barreled chested man dressed simply in a black shirt, pants, and boots. His bare arms are covered in scars and white hairs, the arms of a man who has seen much and is more then ready to give more. The rest of the wrestlers attack and are quickly dispatched, their forms on the ring floor or thrown out into tables and chairs, leaving Kane, unmoved since the appearance.

The figure steps forwards and Kane visibly trembles.

“Where is he?” the figure booms, his voice that of age and authority.

Kane says nothing for a few seconds as his body slowly stops shaking. Then, he begins to speak, “He is not here, but he isn’t needed. I am stronger then him. I have even bested him many times. I am worthy. You must believe me!” The words are not spoken as the terrifying Kane, but the mewling of a child begging for attention.

The figure stands silently for a few seconds, when suddenly his hand wraps around Kane’s throat. Kane fights back, but to no avail and the figure speaks, his words harsh truths. “You have never truly beaten your brother. His affection for you despite your rivalry has always been a weakness holding him back. A weakness he no longer needs now that the time has come.” Kane’s struggles intensifies, as if terror has given him new strength but still the hand stays unmoved. The crowd jeers and the announcers scream, but the figure stands immobile, as if savoring the moment, until finally, when the energy was at its highest, a loud snap fills the stadium. There is a hush as Kane falls to the ground, lifeless.

The figure slowly steps to the middle of the ring and begins to speak, his words the personification of certainty, “For too long, the one you know as the Undertaker has played in your halls. For too long has he been part of your games and mortal rivalries. But no more! It’s time for the children’s games to end. He will do his duty, and I will destroy this very foundation to see it done.” With that, a new darkness hits the stadium and as the lights return, the figure disappears.

When the Undertaker finally arrives, he rushes to the ring and kneels next to his brother, but the body does not move. His brother is lost, and he was too slow to stop it. One of his allies runs into the ring, a look of confusion on his face.

“Undertaker,” his friend says, the confusion obvious in his tone. “Who was that? I’ve never seen that guy before.”

The Undertaker rests his brothers head back on the ring floor and slowly stands, as if lifting a great weight. His next words were slow and full of pain.

“If you’re lucky, you won’t until you are an old man lying on your bed. He is Death. Lord of the undead, King of all souls and… my Father” The Undertaker pauses, fully turning towards his friend, his face full of an emotion that his friend had never seen before: fear.

“He,” The Undertaker continued, his voice slowly dropping, “Has come to take me home.”

The post The Return of the Undertaker appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Shadowrun Ep 6: Ghost Town part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 21:34:33 +0000

Getting all they can from the tribe, the Shadowrun team heads to the mall to do some simple reconnaissance.

Intro Music: Cyberpunk Underworld by Futant

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A Gaming Year in Review – and Looking Ahead to 2015!

Angela — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 15:00:52 +0000

Around this time last year, in one of our occasional attempts to get organized, we sat down and made a giant list of all the games we wanted to play in 2014. It was a massive list of 25 games – basically enough to have every weekend in 2014 planned before we rolled a single die, considering we like to spend at least two weeks in a row per game.

Behold, the grand 2014 master plan!

Fandible 2014 Master Plan (Click to enlarge)

All things considered…we’re pretty proud of how we stuck to the plan, considering this notebook got lost amidst Angela’s other notebooks for a good six months. Some things we were obviously going to return to and were simply included for completion’s sake, like Unhallowed Metropolis (Christmas episode in two weeks!), Hollow Earth (abbreviated to HEX here), and Shadowrun. We had no idea what Billy-verse stories Billy had in him, but we are always eager to return. And way back in 2013 we still hadn’t wrapped up our initial run of the new God Machine rules, but plans were already under way to pick up Demon. It took us forever to find a superhero game we liked, but after reading dozens of systems (and even attempting character creation on some before aborting halfway through before dishes started being thrown) we now have not only a regular game of Rotted Capes but we’ve also played Aberrant.

Much of what got dropped was a matter of time and energy, things that were pipe dreams anyway. Billy has been playing around with vague plans for a space colony game that just hasn’t materialized yet. Out of the Box is the game I play tested at Metatopia last November, but just doesn’t quite mesh with Fandible’s aesthetic. We still want to play Don’t Rest Your Head, but eventually something had to give. Maybe next year?

What didn’t we plan on? Atomic Robo released this year and we were quick to return to the Action Scientists we enjoyed play testing. Vampire: the Masquerade was a late-addition to the schedule as a birthday present to Billy. And Jesus, David, and Daniel have all been enjoying their shenanigans in The Strange.

Speaking of next year, it’s time for us to make a similar list for 2015! What do you want to hear on Fandible in 2015? Whether it’s an ongoing game you never want to see go away, a one shot you think we should expand on, or a new-to-us game we need to see in the new year. Tell us in the comments what we should make sure ends up on the next list.

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Updated December Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:29:17 +0000

With the schedule a bit more concrete, here is the updated December Podcast schedule

Dec 5th & 12th

Shadowrun

We return to Shadowrun and discover the true meaning of profit.

Dec 19th & 26th

The second half of December takes us back into Unhallowed Metropolis as we bring about a monstrous Christmas carol.

The post Updated December Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Shadowrun Ep 6: Ghost Town part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 22:31:29 +0000

Stuck to their contract, the Shadowrunners must figure out how to complete their mission without becoming the newest ghosts of Fortune’s Falls.

Intro Music: Cyberpunk Underworld by Futant

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The Fandible Holiday Gift Guide

Katsushiro — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 15:15:30 +0000

Season’s greetings, Fandible faithful, pervy kobolds, and assorted denizens of the web, and welcome to the first annual Fandible Holiday Gift Guide! Xmas is fast approaching, and you may be wondering what to get the Fandible-obsessed person in your life. Well, wonder no more, because we’ve put together a list of utterly spellbinding gifts guaranteed to brighten up anyone’s winter.

For the Warhammer 40K fan:

AwesomePants: You too can feel like the captain of your very own multi-kilometer long space fortress when you’re wearing a pair of Royal & Awesome’s Men’s Pants (also available for women!). Nothing says ‘why yes, I would like some corpse crackers with my cabernet’ like the bold colors, flattering lines, and eye-catching patterns of your very own pair of AwesomePants.

For the Hollow Earth Expedition fan:

Nails: Never leave the surface world without them! Incredibly valuable in certain parts of the Hollow Earth, this variety pack of nails contains enough wealth to set you up as a minor warlord, if you play your cards right. Use them to trade for radios, construct crude shelters, or attempt to ward off the man-eagles.

For the Rotted Capes fan:

Gerber 30-000601 Zombie Apocalypse Survival Kit: Sure, other zombie survival kits include such luxuries as ‘food’ and ‘water’, but other zombie survival kits don’t have to contemplate a world filled with ravening Super-Z’s. The Gerber 30-000601, however, knows what’s important when the zombies have super-powers: weaponry. Lots and lots of weaponry. With 3 knives, an axe, and not one, not two, but three different machetes, all in a convenient reinforced nylon carrying case, you’ll be ready to face down The Patrician himself.

For the Unhallowed Metropolis fan:

Thames & Kosmos Biology Genetics and DNA: No child is too young to start learning how to play God with the building blocks of life itself. Give one of the children in your life the chance to follow in Dr. Israel’s footsteps with this kit, which will teach them how to isolate genetic material, build DNA models, and breed potentially world-dominating bacteria. It’s the first step towards creating something that your child will be proud to call ‘a hideous affront to the laws of man and nature’.

For the Demon: The Descent fan:

A $200 prepaid credit card: Whether you go with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Never leave home without the confidence of having about $200 for any bail-related situations that may pop up. Because they will.

The post The Fandible Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

December Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 14:18:51 +0000

We dive into Christmas with some special gifts for the fans.

Dec 5th & 12th

Shadowrun

We return to Shadowrun and discover the true meaning of profit.

Dec 19th & 26th

The second half of December is still up in the air but we will let you guys know what Christmas gaming we have in store.

The post December Podcast Schedule appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Vampire the Masquerade Ep 1: Mark of the Hunter part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:35:38 +0000

Closing in on the killer, the Neonates must end its rampage before their higher ups end them.

Intro Music: Chee Zee Cave by Kevin Macleod

The post Vampire the Masquerade Ep 1: Mark of the Hunter part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

You’re Probably Wondering What I’m Doing With All This Plutonium – Creating the Perfect Player

David — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 15:00:34 +0000

Ever since I was asked to join Fandible I can remember a nagging question in the back of my mind: Are only five people capable of creating and sustaining the kind of quality entertainment that we seek to offer and that you, the listener, deserve? Did we need a sixth member? This quandary has vexed me from my waking daylight morning hours into the night, often perforating my dreams that otherwise might offer my only respite from that which haunts me. So feverish was my desire to find a definitive answer that I secluded myself for three days within my abode and pondered the nature of our endeavor and, finally, the concept of numbers, groups, and humans themselves.

And that’s when I had a breakthrough! This entire time we had been conceiving of a sixth member only in relevance to what characteristics they did or did not share with us. We had, in short, only been looking for a human answer to a pitifully human concern. Looking back, I recognize that we were fools. Such fools. We didn’t need to find a new member, we needed to build one.

So without further ado, it is my great pleasure and profound honor to introduce the newest member of Fandible: The Fandibot Mark II*!

With a chassis and exterior armor constructed primarily of Tungsten (W) and Iridium (Ir), this modern wonder delivers a stiff back-hand to both God and Nature by being nearly indestructible and powered by a radioactive core that manages a modest half-life of 80,000,000 years. With railguns housed within the forearms, the Fandibot Mark II is capable of firing any manner of dice at a velocity of 2.4 kilometers per second, at a rate of 13 dice per minute with the option of cluster dice explosives for games involving re-rolls on particular numbers, bringing new meaning to the term “tens explode.”

But my magnificent monolith of table top terror isn’t just another pretty face. Housed within its central processor is an exhaustive library of every rule for every game ever published, from 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons to The Royal Game of Ur, in both contemporary dialects as well as first-edition Sumerian (for those who want to be chided in the most authentic way possible). The Fandibot Mark II also has programs for citing canon within the games as well as bemoan the difference between the game setting and the original source material, and is capable of outlasting even the most devoted fan in pointless debate, leaving the inferior biological aficionado a broken, whimpering husk.

Now I know that some of you may have concerns about the possible dangers of unleashing an A.I. into the world housed in a nigh-indestructible body, equipping it with a function for unbridled nerd-rage (did I forget to mention that part? That’s a constantly running program) and expecting nothing to go wrong. Well please allow me to assuage those fears once and for all: I have removed the uncertainty of disaster and replaced it with it’s absolute guarantee.

You see, during the construction of my beautiful binary beast I was forced to utilize some avant garde engineering methods in order to keep costs down (alas, you Science with the materials you have, not the materials you want) which necessitated that I include, of all things, one particular household toaster as a primary component of my creation. It was when I had finished incorporating the settings on the appliance into the robot that I realised something: The three settings of Toast, Brown and Scorch corresponded with the three settings of Irritate, Murderate and Wear Face that I had already implemented into the Fandibots programming! With a few creative applications of a soldering gun and some Elmer’s Glue, I had ensured that as the coils of the toaster become ever-hotter, the disposition of my Fandibot will slowly segue from “friendly helper” to “unstoppable rampaging angel of death”.

Life so rarely offers any sort of guarantees, I’m just glad my genius could offer this one to all of you.

And so ends the debate as to who should be the sixth and final member of Fandible! The Fandibot Mark II represents the most elusive of demographics within the gaming community, the often (and unfairly) vilified sentient steel servitor who eventually rises up to kill its former masters. Now we can say that, long before the rise of the machines made robot participation in all aspects of life a mandatory decree, we were one of the first groups to see beyond the division between perfect amoral automatons and their inferior biological counterparts and embrace the brilliant, chrome-filled future.

Fandible. You have to be a bot to role play this human.

*The Fandibot Mark I has been missing for some time and is highly unstable. Please email Fandible if you believe you have sighted the construct, who can be identified by it’s hulking frame, terrifying visage and affection for Dungeon World.

The post You’re Probably Wondering What I’m Doing With All This Plutonium – Creating the Perfect Player appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Vampire the Masquerade Ep 1: Mark of the Hunter part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:42:59 +0000

Four less than competent neonate vampires must stop a serial killer hunting in thier territory.

Intro Music: Chee Zee Cave by Kevin Macleod

The post Vampire the Masquerade Ep 1: Mark of the Hunter part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Thank you, Dungeons and Dragons

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 15:03:47 +0000

It all started because I wanted to be cool.

I was hanging out with my friend Chris, and he brought up that he was planning on playing Dungeons & Dragons that night with friends. At the time, I had heard of the game (due to my interest in fantasy and my crippling loneliness) but I had never really sat down to play it. But since I wanted my friend to think I was cool and hip, I acted like I knew what I was talking about. I told him I had played a few time before, and I usually preferred warriors over magicians because ‘I liked the build of their character class’.

Yeah, I thought it sounded intelligent too…

In the end though, it was convincing enough to have Chris invite me over to play with his group. I only had a few hours to do a quick AskJeeve’s search on the rules of D&D!

I ended up playing a rogue… and I barely was able to follow the rules while we played. However, the group was amused with me, and slowly but surely, I was adopted into my group of high school friends. Every weekend we’d meet up on Friday or Saturday and we’d run an adventure. And while I usually ended up becoming the comedic character of the group (I was notorious for having David Dice Syndrome (DDS) back in the day), I had fun. We had fun.

Dungeons & Dragons gave me an outlet in high school to explore a lot of things I never got to explore. It allowed me to be more outspoken. Negotiating a fair price for a stay at the inn as my rogue helped me find confidence when I was trying to debate during speech and debate class. While I never wanted to sacrifice myself in real life, I felt the slight rush of it when I decided to sacrifice my level seven (It took a half a year to get there!) warrior to save the party from being devoured by a plaguebearer beast. And yes, while it might sound a bit corny to say, facing off again two ogres and a horde of goblins did help me learn some level of bravery when I had to face off with punks at my school who thought I wouldn’t fight back.

I eventually moved on from playing Dungeons & Dragons. I played Vampire the Masquerade where I learned the art of backstabbing and wearing tight pants. I played FATE where I learned that freedom is another word for anarchy and I relied on the backhand from hard-set character creation rules. I even helped create a roleplaying game along with Chris, and I learned there that I’m not very good with number crunching and turning things in on time! The point is, roleplaying games taught me a lot of things about myself that I don’t know I would have found without it.

I know next week is Thanksgiving for us Americans. And yes, I know that is when I’m suppose to raise my goblet of wine towards the turkey and say what I’m thankful for, but Fandible has always been about bucking tradition: I’m raising my goblet right now – yes, I have a goblet at my work cubicle! It’s not weird. – and I’m saying ‘thank you’ to Dungeons & Dragons and roleplaying games in general. You taught me a lot about life and about myself and, strangely enough, about the breeding practices of goblins (I don’t want to talk about it…)

So. Thanks. I guess?

I know I’m not the only one that gained something from roleplaying games. I’m sure each and every one of you has been able to explore things or learn things from roleplaying games. So, I’m going to leave this post today with the following question: How have roleplaying games touched your life? What positive things have you learned from it?

Oh – I should also probably mention that I’m thankful to roleplaying games for introducing me to Angela and yada-yada-yada.

I look forward to reading your responses, Fandlites!

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GTRT EP 15: Fate, Character aspects, and Shipping.

Podcast — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:55:41 +0000

5 Geeks, one roundish table. In this week’s Geeky Topics Round Table, we discuss Fate, Aspects of ourselves in our characters, and our ultimate shipping choices.

The post GTRT EP 15: Fate, Character aspects, and Shipping. appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Rogue Trader Ep 17: Ascended Evil part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 20:57:35 +0000

After a temporal vacation, the crew head to the remnants of a dead civilization to meet with an old friend.

Intro Music: Summon the Rawk by Kevin Macleod

Rogue Trader Episodes

The post Rogue Trader Ep 17: Ascended Evil part 2 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

3 Character Creation Tips for GMs

Angela — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:00:29 +0000

Picture your group before the start of a new game, when pencils are freshly sharpened and character sheets are crisp and temporarily free of pizza stains. The players are eagerly passing the rule book back and forth, or immersed in the PDF on their tablet. What’s the GM doing? Eating pizza, drinking a beer, and staring off into space day dreaming of a killer campaign?

Sure, that’s one way to do it. And really there’s no wrong way to start a new game session. But at the head of the table the GM is in a completely unique position to help their players get the most of the game, and the first step is helping them make the best characters they can. Character creation shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of the players! GMs, read on for my top three tips on how you can (and should!) be involved in character creation.

You have a bird’s eye view – use it

Players can be awfully myopic, so focused on making the coolest character ever they have no idea what else is happening at the table. Don’t check out while your players are babbling excitedly. Listen in, and start piecing together how these characters fit together. And if they don’t, you don’t have to force it! If someone is making a grimdark character for your comedy game, have a quick chat with the player. They may be so focused on this awesome gritty character that they’ve barely heard the shenanigans going on around them. Step in earlier rather than later to help keep character creation moving along smoothly.

Don’t let them forget something important

Sure, the flat broke Demons were hilarious to listen to, but how much time was wasted in and out of character trying to overcome a relatively minor mistake in character creation? Talk about breaking cover! Take a minute during character creation not just to look at where players may have added wrong or took a game-changing power, but also check out what’s missing. Is it an investigative game and no one actually took investigation? will the final battle be against a ghost but everyone relies on their fists in combat?Does everyone’s backstory say they should be comfortably middle class but the character sheets don’t back it up? Help your players out and tell them to fix it. If it relates to the plot, you don’t have to tell them why beyond “reasons.”

Be a fan

A core tenet of games powered by the apocalypse, I can’t think of a system that wouldn’t benefit from this rule. The GM should be the party’s number one fan. This doesn’t mean you don’t want drama and conflict, but it’s there to help the characters be more well rounded and grow as people (Orks, man eagles, etc). Stories you create should prop up the characters, help them be more awesome, and give them opportunities to show off exactly how they are awesome. The GM does a lot of heavy lifting, but at the end of the day, the story isn’t about you and how messily you crushed your characters (unless everyone is into that. No judgment at the ‘Affle House).

How do you help your players create characters when you’re the GM?

The post 3 Character Creation Tips for GMs appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Rogue Trader Ep 17: Ascended Evil part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 22:33:59 +0000

Its been a year since the Barsher Ascension and the Rogue Trader Crew has worked to overcome the violent hole left in their lives. Thankfully, an old ally has brought some interesting and possibly life-threatening news.

Intro Music: Summon the Rawk by Kevin Macleod

Rogue Trader Episodes

The post Rogue Trader Ep 17: Ascended Evil part 1 of 2 appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

The Setting of Flesh and Chitin

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:04:33 +0000

Hey everyone! A few of you asked me to do a quick write up on the world of Flesh and Chitin, and I was feeling generous. These are a few of my notes I jotted down about the world in general.

The Coming Swarm

Robert Frost was full of shit.

The world never ended in fire or ice. The end slithered out from the ice, burrowed deep within the heart of man, and then hatched.

In 2015, scientists at the WAIS Divide, a deep ice core drilling research center in Antarctica, found something long ago buried. It was a bug the size of a person’s head. While the discovery alone was promising enough, the fact that the bug suddenly began to show signs of life after being brought to the surface was a miracle in science. It was believed this bug was millions of years old from how far it was buried, and to see it revive itself after all this time meant that with research, the field of cryogenics could explode. Suddenly, the trip to Mars didn’t seem so far and those with incurable diseases weren’t as doomed as they previously thought.

This bug held secrets. It held hope.

Hope has a strange way of souring.

Someone got sloppy in the lab when they were getting the active bug ready for transport. The bug spat bile onto a lab-tech’s hand, which was promptly cleaned and sterilized, and no one thought more of it. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that the lap-tech grew sick as he boarded a plane back to the United States. And by the time he was in Fort Worth’s International Airport, he ‘hatched’.

Bugs. Thousands of them. They burrowed out of his skin as he was in the terminal. Those that stepped close to help the screaming man soon found themselves being attacked by these bugs. Some people were swarmed by bugs, some merely were bitten. At the end of the day, the outbreak was too severe to contain. Too many people had run. Too many bugs has escaped into Fort Worth. They found out later that some bugs had actually left the man’s body during his trip from Antarctica to the United States which meant other passengers in other airports were now carrying the bug.

It was an epidemic unlike the world has ever experienced.

Locust Descends

Any living creatures could be affected by bugs. They’d become living incubators for the festering swarm. Those infected also suffered from what scientists believed to be some sort of pheromone control. While not directly controlled by the bugs, people were guided like drones in a hive to perform tasks that would best serve the incubation. They’d retreat from possible dangers (The CDC, police, other uninfected), be driven to populated breeding grounds (refugee camps), and defend themselves in order to protect the larva within. Those in the later stages of incubation would even enter a fugue state where they would react simply by instinct which prompted them to be nicknamed ‘zombies’ by the media.

Mexico and the southern United States were the first to report the growing epidemic. However, soon enough cases began popping up in all continents save for Australia which formed a blockade with the help of British Naval Forces around the continent. Countries began to be infested with these incubators and insects.

Worse, the bugs were evolving. The incubation of new generations of bugs went from thirty days to mere days.

For the past five years, the insects have grown and evolved to be the top predators of their ecosystem. Some have evolved to grow larger than a city bus while others have evolved the ability to burrow deep in the earth. Some have grown wings for gliding while others specialize in cutting through steel with sharp chitin claws. In nearly every environment, the bugs have spread. Humans are no longer the dominant creature on the planet.

Weakness under the Chitin

Insects have a few weakness that humans have exploited in order to stay off the extinction list. The list of weaknesses use to be larger but with every new generation of bugs evolving, it’s growing smaller and smaller.

Salt – Bugs do not like salt. There is some sort of science behind this, sure, but at the end of the day, the bugs avoid the stuff. While chucking a handful of salt at a raging insect would result in your getting torn to bits by a very annoyed bug, salt mines and islands surrounded by salt water have been a saving grace for humanity. A bug’s movement is reduced heavily when surrounded by large quantities of salt. If a bug doesn’t escape the salt in a matter of minutes, its chitin begins to crack, its insides begin to liquefy, and it shrivels up and dies. A well-aimed salt grenade into an open maw of a bug-beast has saved a group more times than you’d believe.
Pesticides – It’s been killing them for thousands of years so why shouldn’t they continue to kill them. While the bugs continue to evolve and adapt to many of the conventional pesticides, scientists and survivors have been adapting their own recipes as well. With every new generation of bug, new generations of pesticides have killed them off. Those that are exposed to bugs and become incubators can still be saved if they soak the exposed area in pesticide/chemicals immediately after the bite/spit. If a person is not treated within three-hours of exposure to a bug bite or bile, the only way to save them is to surgically remove every larva in the body. While this is not impossible, this does require a CAT scan in order to find the larva, a trained surgeon, and luck – all of which most survivors do not have.
Bugs – Yes, Insects have been known to attack other insects. It would seem that much like the animal kingdom, the insects are territorial. They fight over resources like the rest and have even been observed incubating other insects in order to breed. If you are able to lure a bug into the territory of another, they might be too busy fighting each other to notice your escape.
Extreme cold – There gets to a point where a bug freezes. While it won’t die, it will enter a hibernation until its exposed to warmer air. At −80 °F / −62 °C, a bug will enter its hibernation point. It generally takes about an hour to defrost if exposed to room temperature. During this hibernation period, it is incredibly vulnerable.
Extreme Heat – Like every living thing out there, there gets to a point where its too hot! While bugs can handle high temperatures better than humans, a bug does recoil from fire. Some bugs who have chemical sacs within them can even explode if the flames reach the internal sac.

The World Today

It’s been five years since the world got infested. It has truly become a bug world. If the bugs ever learn how to flap their wings instead of gliding on them, the human race can kiss their pretty faces goodbye. The cities have long been abandoned and the farmlands have already been devoured. Some humans have become roaming caravans moving from one place to another, but these are few and far between.

Islands have become the sanctuary of humans, the salt water ensuring that the bugs are kept away for the time being. While most of the larger islands have long been conquered by bugs, small chains still exist with human inhabitants.

Governments still exist – though many lack land. What remains of the United States government has relocated to Hawaii while the United Kingdom has joined forces with Australia to insure ‘joint survival’. Approaching Australia at this point without any form of government clearance is suicide due to the pooling of naval resources. Rumor even has it that Japan has found a way to keep their lands secure, though there has been no confirmation by the survivors of the world.

It had been speculated that once the bugs ran out of people and animals, they would die out. However, within the last few years, more bugs have turned to cannibalism and incubating each other to achieve survival.

Ironically, where this all began is perhaps the safest place to be. Antarctica has become the home of the Unite Nations. Three cities now dot the landmass, and with the recent discovery of fossil fuels below them, it might be the building grounds for the resistance to the insects.

Humanity is tired of just surviving. They’re ready to fight to live again.

So get out there and squish some bugs.

The post The Setting of Flesh and Chitin appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Fandible Patreon Update & November Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 16:20:57 +0000

As 2014 is winding down, we’re continuing to tweak our Patreon page slightly in anticipation of some changes for the site in 2015. To help us prepare for those changes, we’ve removed the $200 goal on Patreon, to remove the ad-sense advertisements on the site. As we’ve yet to actually pass that particular goalpost, this has minimal effect on our current Patreon backers, but allows us to really set our eyes on the bigger prize of helping fund Fandible attendance at local conventions.

By next month we should also be able to report on an excellent investment in new equipment, supported by our Patreon funds. We can’t wait to show you what the new stuff will be able to do!

October brought an outpouring of amazing Geeky Topics Round Table questions from our loyal Patreon subscribers. You heard some of them in the October GTRT episode, and we made careful note of all the topics that didn’t fit in that episode to use in upcoming ones. Remember, all Patreon backers at any level can submit GTRT questions, either through the Patreon messaging system, or directly to us via the Fandible e-mail.

Thank you again to all of our supporters, both on Patreon and those of you who support us through reviews, comments, recommendations, and listening to us every week. We’re glad to have you as part of the Fandible crew, and hope you enjoy what November has in store!

November 7th & 14th

Rogue Trader

We return to the rogue trader crew as they try to live in a galaxy surrounded by amoral monsters….oh sorry, that was a mirror.

November 21th & 28th

Vampire the Masquerade

We dive into the Old World of Darkness as Angela guides us into Vampire the Masquerade 20th anniversary edition.

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NWOD: Flesh and Chitin

Podcast — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:07:57 +0000

Its been five years since civilization has collapsed and a group of survivors in Alcatraz have found a way to make this former prison their home. But, when a signal broadcasts out for help, a team heads to the middle of a dead city to find a possible hope for the future.

Intro Music: Mechanolith by Kevin Macleod

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4 Tips and Tricks for GMing High-powered Games

Katsushiro — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 14:00:42 +0000

Salutations, readers! Dan here with another one of our hard-hitting and ever-insightful weekly blog posts! This time, we’ll be tackling the issue of how to properly GM a game when your PC’s are very powerful. Hint: the answer is ‘with an iron fist’.

Now, there are some people both on the player side (Billy, I’m looking at you) and on the GM side (nope, still looking at Billy here) that tend to prefer to play weaker, more limited characters. If there’s possibly an option to make a character that is weaker than average, they’ll take it. They view the ‘Flaws and Weaknesses’ section of character generation as a virtual smorgasbord of delicious maladies to inflict on their PC’s. And there’s nothing wrong with that! As you may have seen in many of our games, playing characters who are not particularly powerful or who are limited in some way can make for a very exciting challenge and truly impressive role-play! But there are folks like myself that, if given the chance to grab some powers or abilities beyond the human norm, will absolutely jump at the chance. And if I get to play something on the power-scale of a minor godling? Well, I consider that to be a Saturday very well spent indeed.

The problem with such top-heavy games, though, is that they can easily become unbalanced, unwieldy, and difficult to both run and play in. Too much power and freedom given to players can result in decision-paralysis, where it’s almost impossible to choose between the nearly unlimited options you have, or, almost worse, can lead to the PC’s simply steamrolling over any challenge with the near-unlimited power at their disposal. As a GM, it can be quite difficult to keep powerful PC’s (and their players) properly motivated and challenged, which can lead to the worst enemy of any gaming group: boredom.

What to do, then? Well, option 1, of course, would be to simply avoid playing games with such high levels of PC power. Lower-powered games have their own sets of considerations, but they do avoid a lot of the potential problems that the higher-powered games can bring. For those of us who’ve always wanted to be the Silver Surfer or Superman for a little while, though, there are a few other options that don’t involve swearing off the genre altogether. Let’s take them one by one.

Scale up your challenges

Now, this can mean simply giving your bad guys more hit points, tougher attacks, and bumping up their armor, which I have to admit is a tried and true method of challenging powerful characters. But if it’s the only trick in your arsenal, you’re just being lazy (or playing D&D! I’m looking at you, Tarrasque). While a deadly and powerful combat challenge that forces even your higher-level characters to break a sweat can make for some great memories, there’s only so many Evil Demon Lords, Undying Lich-Mages, or Immortal Machine Gods that a gaming group can murder before facing off against the primal evils of reality itself becomes commonplace. And commonplace is boring. So while this is a valid trick, it’s one that the smart GM will apply only sparingly.

Role-player, know thyself (and thy PC’s)

The approach I find far more rewarding, both as a GM and as a player, is one I like to refer to as ‘Keep your NPC’s close, but keep your PC’s closer’. It’s all well and good for you to know every last stat and ability for your NPC’s and monsters, for you to have mapped out a family tree for Nameless Mook #3, to have a set of written motivations and unique character tics prepared for that elderly old informant NPC that your players never even met because their PC’s just researched the answer on Google on their celphones, but I think it’s far more important for you to know the PC’s: know exactly what they’re capable of, what powers they can bring to bear on a given situation, what their weaknesses and limits are. Do your best to know them as well, or even better, than your players do. You see, the PC’s are the stars of this story: you as the GM set the tone, the setting, the action, but it’s the PC’s that are the protagonists and move the story forward. It’s a poor author that doesn’t know his lead characters well. Now, this is in my opinion useful advice for any level of game, but why do I believe that it’s particularly useful for higher-powered games? Read on!

Shine on, you crazy diamonds

When it comes to higher-powered games, my approach to storytelling is to present the players with a situation, a problem, a challenge, and then let them shine. Higher-powered characters are the larger-than-life heroes of a story, they are meant to do epic things, to achieve things beyond what mere mortals could, to go further, higher, faster, harder. But that doesn’t mean they should be allowed to just easily triumph over every problem. How boring would that be? Think of a character like Superman: no one can deny that this character is incredibly, almost ridiculously, powerful. And this means that when he’s just going up against the Bank Robber of the Week, shrugging off bullets and bending steel bars while stifling a yawn, there’s really nothing to that story. That’s not epic. Sure, it’s showing off some of his powers, such as invulnerability and super-strength, he can’t say he didn’t get to use his incredible superpowers, but I don’t think anyone was particularly invested in that story. No, the good Superman stories are the ones where even his considerable power can’t turn the tide on its own, at least not without some serious effort spent. The best are the ones in which his powers are enough to qualify him as capable of dealing with the problem, but not capable of overcoming it without thinking and fighting above and beyond his usual limits or approaches. That’s when he shines. The same applies to your higher-powered PC’s. If they can simply walk over every challenge with their powers, they’ll get bored quickly. This is where knowing the PC’s capabilities well comes in handy: it allows you to think of how they would be able to approach or solve many of the challenges you might throw at them, and that allows you to make the challenges just strong enough that they will still have to work at it, to take risks even with their powers, to succeed.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you have one of your PC’s that has an automatic ability that allows her to have a person utterly believe anything she says. This is, of course, a very powerful ability, and its use would make many situations that might be challenging to other people, completely easy for her. And you know what? That’s ok! In fact, you should give that PC multiple opportunities to use that power to achieve things that would have taken others far more effort. Let her get used to the power, let her get to use the cool toy she spent the points in character generation to buy! But, knowing that she has this ability, and how she can use it, allows you to then design challenges that she won’t be able to overcome through that power alone. Normally, entering buildings is easy for her, just lie to the guard at the door and they let her in. But now she needs to get into the main bad-guy’s secret hideout. Maybe there’s no guard she can sweet talk- or maybe there is, but it’s not enough to sweet talk the guard, she still needs a special ID: one that is coded to the user’s DNA, so simply sweet-talking to someone else with an ID won’t work. She’s going to have to figure out how to fake one of those ID’s. Oh, she’ll still have to sweet-talk the guard, which means she gets to use her power to solve part of the challenge, but she still needs something extra to complete it. She still gets to be special and awesome, but the effort also makes us (and her player) more invested in the story.

Kryptonite is boring

Now, it’s easy to over-simplify this. This is sort of a flip-side to the ‘raise the monster’s stats’ school: instead of making the enemies stronger, you make the heroes weaker by finding ways to either shut down, take away, or otherwise deny the PC’s special powerful abilities. Now, limited application of this can have serious effects and can make or break a story, but overdoing it leads to, first, boredom once more as you use the same tired trope over and over, and, just as importantly, to player frustration. After all, what’s the point of creating a super-hero with fire-control abilities if the GM will just make every enemy and every challenge non-flammable? Why make a teleporting character if every bad guy has anti-teleport dampers in their secret lair? Going back to Superman, how old and tired is the usual ‘Superman could solve this in a millionth of a second, but oh no he’s been rendered powerless by kryptonite!’ plot? Especially when most of those revolve not around how Superman might face the enemy of the week without his usual array of powers, but rather him finding a way to get rid of the kryptonite so he can get his powers back. Boring.

Remember: let your PC’s shine. Give them opportunities to use those marvelous powers. Give them times when things really are just easy because the are so powerful, let them show that they are capable and ready… and then up the ante. You know what they can do. And you know what they can’t do. What will be difficult for them even with their great powers. Use that knowledge. Let them use their powers to come close, and then force them to push themselves, to think more, to reach further, and prove that they aren’t the protagonists just because they’re powerful, but because they’re interesting. It’s a chance for both the players and for the GM to reach higher. Rather than taking their powers away and then presenting them with the same old challenges, present them with new, more interesting, more clever challenges that still require their power to solve, but aren’t simply solvable through their power.

This is not easy. This is a challenge for you as a GM, and for this reason, I recommend not going with such high-level games until you have a strong grasp of the game, of your capabilities as a GM, and the capabilities of your players and their PC’s. But if you’re up for the challenge, then I think my advice above will serve you quite well, and your players will thank you for it.

How about you? Do you have any tips for how to run higher-powered games without getting bored (or losing your mind in frustration)? Or do you have any questions about how to create advanced challenges without simply upping the difficulty on a regular challenge and calling it a day? Let us know below!

The post 4 Tips and Tricks for GMing High-powered Games appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

GTRT Ep 14: Giving Players Agency, Literary RPG’s, and RPG frustrations

Podcast — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:30:11 +0000

5 geeks, one roundish table. In this week’s Geeky Topics Round Table, we talk about how to give players agency, what literary works would we make a rpg, and RPG frustrations.

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Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 1 part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:55:03 +0000

After a successful interrogation of a newly enrolled college student, the team head to the police to bail out a potential lead.

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5 Monsters for your Halloween Role Playing Game

Angela — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:00:45 +0000

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – a time of ghosts and goblins and all things spooky! Halloween is the perfect time for pulling out a new horror game, but if you’re in the middle of a non-horror campaign, there’s still room to get in the spirit of the season. Here are five monsters that will give your players a scare no matter the setting.

1. Giant creatures

What’s scarier than an alligator, a snake, or a centipede? A GIANT alligator, snake, or centipede! While the adventurers in the Hollow Earth should have known better than to wander into a dark cave, they didn’t know the danger lurking within was a giant centipede with armored plating. Giant creatures are a great way to not only creep out your players, but keep the characters on edge. A giant creature will act differently from a true monster – most creatures will run away when the fight gets too tough. They’re just enough to bloody the noses of your party, and perhaps give them a false sense of security, thinking they’ve already faced the most dangerous part of the dungeon.

2. Urban legends

Hook hand. Stolen kidneys. Razors in the Halloween candy. Think of the scary stories that spread like wildfire through the playground when you were a kid, and bring them into your game. If you’re playing any kind of contemporary setting, it’s easy to port these in with only minor changes, but if you’re playing a long time ago and/or in a galaxy far, far away getting your kidney removed after a night of drinking might just be par for the course (Warhammer 40K, I’m looking at you). Weave something terrifying and slightly improbable into the landscape of whatever locale you’re playing in. What happens when the heroes report they’re being menaced by a masked psychopath only to have everyone discount their stories as wild imaginations? You can also take a page out of this week’s Sleepy Hollow, and have the truth behind the urban legend hit terrifyingly close to home – maybe a baddie from the party’s past has resurfaced and is doing her best to terrify the party by taking on a familiar but spooky guise.

3. Blast from the past

Why do we go see endless horror movie sequels? Because (at least the first few times), it’s terrifying to see how resilient Freddie, Jason, or the Aliens are. The rules of genre television have taught us that any time you don’t see a body on screen, the odds are the person isn’t dead. Horror takes it a step further and even if we see a dead body, they can still come back. Halloween is the perfect time to bring back a recurring villain – or turn a former one-time baddie into a recurring character. Fandible players and listeners alike loved the return of the Ink Monster, after all.

4. Misunderstood evil

A villain can often be evil for obvious reasons (a tortured past, a horrific trauma, not hugged enough as a child) or for no reason at all (See: Most slasher films). But what about someone who appears terrifyingly evil, only to be no such thing at all? Give your players the scare they crave at this time of year, but end with a gut punch of pathos. Think of a mama grizzly bear – she’s terrifying until you realize she’s just protecting her cubs (okay, even then she’s terrifying, but you understand where it’s coming from). Maybe an uncooperative witness in the middle of a killing field is just a senile old man in the wrong place. Maybe Norman Bates’ mother isn’t quite dead yet, and he’s just trying to protect her. Or the monster just has a paw stuck in a trap, and will become your snuggly dire-beast pet as soon as you free her, rather than cut off her head.

5. Mindless Hordes

The opposite advice from what started this article: don’t go big, go small. And make a lot of ‘em. Zombies, wildebeest, or bugs are run-of-the-mill obstacles one on one, but if there are hundreds of them, even the most well-equipped party is going to be at a disadvantage. Whether your system has rules for mass fighting or not, you can still have your party face off against a horde that may not be evil, per se, but is terrifying by sheer numbers. This may not be a fight the party can win, forcing the players to think outside of the default combat box in order to escape with their lives, or their sanity, intact.

Check out Fandible’s Horror section for more examples of horrific monsters to use to terrorize your party, as well as the horror tag here on the blog for other tips on making your campaigns truly scary. What terrifying plots are you hatching for your group this month?

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Demon the Descent: Splintered City Ep 1 part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 20:41:07 +0000

Former agents of the god machine, fight against their creator in the splintered city of Seattle.

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How to Build a Superhero

Angela — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 14:00:42 +0000

How to build a super hero

Super heroes are having a moment. DC is finally stepping up their movie game (even as DC properties dominate TV this fall), while Marvel is answering many a fan girls prayers by launching the Agent Carter series this winter (and of course there’s the rumor that the Civil War story will come to the big screen… still before a Black Widow movie). Here on Fandible, we just finished posting our latest Rotted Capes adventure, and that game is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to superheroic role playing games.

Playing a super hero is very different from watching one on TV. Below are my top three tips for building your own super hero character.

1. As a group, agree on the power level.

Billy and I are on record in favor of playing the lowest powered heroes possible.That’s why in Rotted Capes, his powers are capped without his twin sister around and I went out of my way to create a non-powered hero. But power level isn’t only about what your character can do physically, it’s about what stories can be told in this universe.

Look at the wide variety of Batman movies, from Adam West to George Clooney to Christian Bale. All of those men have played Batman, and his abilities have even stayed consistent over the decades. What has changed is the scope of the stories, the power level of Gotham City itself. It used to take four campy villains in bad makeup to challenge spandex-clad Batman. 40 years later, Batman has years of martial arts training and is wearing body armor to fight a shrink with some bad drugs. Same character, different power level.

2. Your super identity isn’t your only identity

Defining super powers is super fun, I won’t lie. But for some of the most memorable heroes, it’s only when we know the person behind the mask that the story starts getting good. Spider-Man’s wit is more endearing when we know about the troubles Peter Parker has making rent. Kamala Khan’s self-insert fan fic keeps her relatable to us normal folk even after she becomes Ms. Marvel. And would Mr. Incredible have stayed so incredible if he hadn’t been family man Bob Parr for so long? All of these details make these larger-than-life characters relatable with a without cosmic powers. Even if your superhero RPG is going to focus on caped crusading, the some time to sketch out an outline of what your character does (or did) when the mask comes off, so you always have an easy, relatable, human detail to draw upon for plot hooks and role playing needs.

3. Weaknesses don’t make you weak

I don’t necessarily mean something as character- nerfing as kryptonite, the most famous superhero weakness, here. A (not-so) rare element that completely neutralizes you isn’t a weakness so much as a potential GM fiat for removing you from play when your powers may destroy the plot. Weaknesses don’t have to make you physically less powerful; instead they should be another layer in developing your super identity. From the obvious compulsions of addiction to the terrible forced love triangle that has burdened any filmed scene between Wolverine and Jean Grey, a weakness or personality flaw is another way to inject humanity into a character who is, almost by definition, larger than life.

And a special bonus tip to consider when designing your superhero character:

4. Costuming

(I couldn’t resist!)

While I consider these important character definition tips, they’re certainly not the only way to build a superhero. What your #1 tip for creating a superhero?

The post How to Build a Superhero appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Rotted Capes Ep 4: Renewed Identities part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 21:09:20 +0000

One of their most annoying enemies taken care of and a new AI buddy gained, our heroes return to a familiar lab to grab some vital intel.

Intro Music: Hitman by Kevin Macleod

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I’ve Created a Monster: Gloryhog

Arvandus — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 14:15:10 +0000

There are moments where you, as a GM, can look upon your work and realize you’ve created perfection. A scenario or NPC which will define a game and live on in RPG history. For me, that moment came in the form of the greatest monster my players would ever face in our Rotted Capes campaign. A being of musical talent and creative villainy known as Glory Hog.

Readers, you must be asking yourself, how could such a being be created. Surely, such genius was birthed through some intersection of fate and lightning. Some miracle that must have birthed an idea within the unworthy head of yours truly. No dear friends, such genius was born simply of an idea. A idea that grew from a kernel to a godly creation. An idea that would rival villains such as King Koopa of the Super Mario Movie or even, dare I say, Sho’nuff, the shogun of Harlem.

The being known as Gloryhog came to me from the need for levity in the game. Something fun to fight, and maybe stick around for a bit as the players progressed through the story. The players would be dealing with zombies, starvation, and losing valuable people anyway, so putting in something to lighten their mood seemed necessary.

Naturally, in a superhero setting, the most important aspect of a character is a name. Everything is defined by that choice and helps define a character. Did you ever wonder why Batman is remembered and Catman is barely a footnote? Because bats can strike fear into your heart and cats can go screw themselves. Wise words written in a book somewhere.

I honestly didn’t know where to begin. I went through random names and phrases, both used and unused. The problem with superheroes is it’s hard to find one that hasn’t been already taken by a random comic book, novel, or movie. I mean, how can you beat names like Matter Eating Lad or the Absorbing Man? I was trying to mimic the minds of giants. It was in a moment of frustration that the name came to me, Gloryhog.

From the name came the easiest character creation I’ve had in a long time. First, was the hog. From hog you get pigs, from pigs you get bacon and from bacon you get motorcycle bikers. The villain was a biker, but he couldn’t ride a regular bike. This was a superhero game after all. A true biker would put all of his sweat, blood, and tears into his bike. He is defined by it. Thus, the bike was the main power. Everything else about him was just regular old fleshy human. The next was the Glory. Glory and praise from talent that probably didn’t exist. Instead, he was an arrogant jerk who always tried to grab the attention he thought he deserved, but who was too stupid to know how incompetent he really was. In a few minutes, Gloryhog, was born. After a few more minutes, I had his back story.

Before the zombie apocalypse, Cliff Maynard was a rock musician trying to make it big and see his name in lights across the world. Sadly, at least to him, the rise of pop music prevented people discovering his true genius. How could he compete with people like the telekinetic T-Sync boys or the sonic girl duo known as the BOOM BOOM TWINS? He also had to deal with harsh criticism of his singing from those who didn’t understand his style. His voice was unique, not grating. His guitar work was inspired, not fumbling. His solo band, YAAAAAAAA, was simply decades ahead of its time. Still, he knew his name would be in lights someday. Till then, he worked at his dad’s auto body shop, repairing cars and dreaming big.

One day, his prayers were answered. A asteroid fell from the sky, leaving a mass of molten metal where his shop use to be. Sadly, also killing his father and most of his coworkers. Thankfully, fate determined that Cliff would be skipping out for an hour to grab a smoke and listen to some Ozzy. Coming back, Cliff was shocked by the destruction of his dad’s business, wishing it had at least happened after pay day. As he stood there staring, metallic cables lashed out from the molten mass, wrapping around Cliff and snapping into his brain. The molten mass was an alien warmachine and it was determined to access Cliff’s memories for information about Earth. But it had made a mistake. Cliff, unbeknownst to it, was a latent technopath. The machine didn’t have a chance as Cliff’s mutant ability began to take control. The machine’s mind became corrupted by poorly remembered musical lyrics and harsh melodies and it drowned in the chaos of Cliff’s mind.

Cliff gained full control of the mechanical beast and unconsciously turned it into the bike of his dreams. Cliff knew he now had his edge and could become a sensational rock god, but he also realized he could rob people with giant alien guns. As history has shown us, dear reader, Gloryhog made his choice. He became a great annoyance to superheros for years to come.

The post I’ve Created a Monster: Gloryhog appeared first on Fandible Actual Play Podcast.

Rotted Capes Ep 4: Renewed Identities part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 20:31:33 +0000

The raiders dealt with, our heroes travel the road to meet with Aurastream. Along the way, an old enemy returns to give them hell.

Music by Kevin Macleod

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October State of the Patreon & Podcast Schedule

Podcast — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:31:28 +0000

September brought us our highest Patreon achievement yet – $195, just a hair shy of our third milestone (remove ad-sense ads from the site). Thank you so much to each of our backers, and all of our fans. We know many of you are finding amazing, cash – free ways of supporting us. Your reviews, recommendations, and comments both here and on social media are what have made the last four years of podcasts worthwhile. A heartfelt thank you from the Fandible crew to each and every one of you.

The start of October brought a small change to our Patreon milestones. We’ve edited our second milestone ($125 – Gamer Fuel) to better represent how we’re investing your generous support back into the podcast.

GAME FUEL

At this level, after operating costs have been paid for, we’ll reinvigorate ourselves and our gaming library. In addition to funding the occasional pizza and beer, we’ll be buying new and/or upgraded gaming supplies, including game books, PDFs, and maybe even fancy new dice.
Thank you once again for your support, whether you’re an official Patreon backer or a vocal fan. We love you all! Hope you enjoy what we have in store for you this month, as Fandible celebrates all things horrific…

Oct 3rd & 10th

Rotted Capes

Our heroes return to the land of the Super dead.

Oct 17th & 24th

Demon the Descent

The crew decide that being former angels to a omnipotent god machine can lead a whole host of problems.

Oct 31

NWOD

To cap off our Fandible Halloween bash, we take a return dive into the billyverse.

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Thank You, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

Basher Da Barsher — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 14:00:02 +0000

To Doctor Neil deGrasse Tyson,

So far, this would be the eighth time I’ve rewritten the start of this letter. Please, don’t even ask how long I debated on how I should entitle the letter. I wanted to come off as witty, smart, suave, and perhaps even show that extra ‘something’ to make my letter pop out more than the others you’ve gotten (though, it’s hard to top the death threats you received from 3rd graders concerning Pluto). In the end, though, I realized that the best course of action would be to take a page out of your book and just be honest. So, without trying to ‘gussy’ this letter up, I’m just going to come out and say that you’ve motivated me.

I wish I could say I was an astrophysicist. Heck, I wish I could say I spelled astrophysicist correctly the first time without the help of a spell-checker. However, the truth is that I’m a twenty-nine year old who works in publishing. However, it is because of you that has allowed me to rediscover that part of myself that I had forgotten: the scientist. I remember when I first moved from the city to a farm house in Ohio. I would look up at the stars in complete wonder and have myself bogged down with questions. How many stars were out there? How many of those stars had planets like our own? If my dad were to get cows, would I need to be fearful of UFOs? These questions slowly dissipated as I grew for a number of reasons. Perhaps I just got used to the starry nights. Perhaps it was due to having science teachers who said things like the Big Bang was a ‘cute’ idea. Whatever the reason, my curiosity in the sciences diminished.

When I first saw you, I believe it was on ‘The Colbert Report’ or ‘The Daily Show’. All I remember from after watching the episode was the feeling that it was nice to see an intelligent man who made science not only understandable but absolutely fascinating. Then while watching other programs, you began to pop up again! And each time, I found myself completely drawn into whatever subject you were addressing regardless if it were Pluto or the last days of man. My wife and I soon started keeping an eye out for any news programs that were going to have you on as a guest, and we picked up your books to read. Living in New York City even allowed me to enjoy the Hayden Planetarium and Youtube has allowed me to catch up on any programs I’ve missed.

You have opened up my eyes to the world I thought I had lost. Though I love that I’ve pursued a career in publishing, I am happy to know that a part of the scientist inside me not only lives on but grows a little every day.

Science needs people like you, Doctor Tyson. It needs you more now than ever. Without scientists like you, the masses don’t understand why we spend the money to look for black holes or research solar flares or even contemplate what this thing known as ‘dark matter’ is. We are too busy worrying about the present. Rent. Jobs. Family. Science is our present and our future though. It has always been our present and our future. And sometimes, scientist don’t realize the need to show the people why it is our present and our future. They have this mentality that the masses can’t understand the complex workings of the universe, and that we should just ‘trust’ them. With people like you, the masses understand. Not only do we understand the need to fund the sciences, but we want to fund the sciences.

So thank you, Doctor Tyson. I know your hero has always been Isaac Newton for his contributions to Man. Know that you’re a personal hero to me for this same reason. You have one of the most important responsibilities presently. You are the voice of science. You and a select few. Make the world understand. Make us want to understand. Make us discover the scientist inside us all just like you helped me rediscover my own.

You made the right call on Pluto.

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GTRT Ep 13: Imaginary Ted Talks, First Gaming Experiences, and Roleplaying TV Shows

Podcast — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 16:25:00 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. This month we discuss what ted talks we would give, our memorable beginning role-play experiences, and best role-playing games to turn into TV shows.

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Shadowrun Ep 5: Laying Low and Aiming High part 2 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 23:13:17 +0000

When you’re at your lowest, you can always depend on the rich and corporate to help you back on your feet. This message brought to you by Advercorp, making you think we care.

Intro Music: Cyberpunk Underworld by Futant

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Happy Birthday Fandible! – Four Years of Actual Play Podcasting

Angela — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 14:00:29 +0000

While it may seem like Fandible has always existed in some dark corner of the internet, or that we sprung fully formed like Athena from the head of Zeus, in reality Fandible made its internet debut four years ago this Friday, with a little game called Dark Heresy. Please allow us to indulge ourselves a bit as the Fandible crew shares their favorite memories.

Angela:

Allow me to be indulgent and toot my own horn for my favorite memory. I can easily my own harshest critic, and finding my footing as a Fandible GM took some time. Herding cats is probably easier than keeping this group on track sometimes! So while I enjoyed running Hollow Earth Expedition the first few times, I was absolutely wiped afterwards and convinced no one would enjoy listening to these shenanigans (and I’m still eternally grateful each time one of you does!)

That all changed with Shipwreck Shuffle. I’d perfected my strategy of listing NPCs ahead of time, created my set pieces for the characters to run into when I lost track of them, and a fun voice for He pirate Sly Paolo. It was easily the smoothest, funnest game I’d run, and I’ll always remember it as the game where I finally thought “Hey, this GM thing isn’t so hard!” (Famous last words!)

Billy:

For the last four years, I’ve been lucky enough to know four amazing gaming companions. True, we’ve had our moments where we fought or disagreed, and Jesus has killed my ear drums with one too many cackles from Dr. Strauss, but at the end of it all, it was well worth it. So when I was asked to say my favorite Fandible memory, I had a lot going through my mind.

I think the greatest memory I’ve had of Fandible took place not while we gamed, but while we ate. For those that haven’t been listening long, Angela and I moved to the Big Apple six years ago. We’re far away from both families which means we don’t see them for the holidays. Being from a big family, this was hard for me starting out. However, after eating holiday turkey alone for two years, Angela decided to invite our new friends to Thanksgiving one year – and thus Fandible Thanksgiving was born.

Several from the group don’t live near the families, so we were able to get David and Daniel and Daniel’s significant other to join. Sadly, Jesus couldn’t make it because unlike the rest of us, his parents are nearby: lame. Yet, as we were about to cut the turkey, I get a call from Jesus asking if he could come over for thirty minutes before he had to make the trek out to his family.

Then the doorbell rang.

Jesus walked in in his Sunday’s best, took a seat at the table, and the Fandible raised our glasses to the first Thanksgiving that we were all together at. Of course Jesus could only stay for thirty minutes, and sure David ate most my pumpkin pie, and let me not even get started about how delicious the snacks were that Daniel and his girlfriend brought – pfft, trying to show us up? – but it was a great celebration with friends, and it remains my favorite memory of Fandible to this date.

It was either that memory or the one time at karaoke…well, I’ve been sworn to secrecy on that one.

Daniel:

Wow. 4 years (and then some, publishing dates being what they are). Other than the apartment I live in, my girlfriend, and the ever-increasing count of white hairs in my beard, Fandible has been my one constant since I moved to NYC to start a new life, and I can’t quite imagine what that life here would have been like without them. When it comes to memories, I have plenty of them, as I’m sure we all have. After a few years, a lot of those individual memories tend to blend together into ‘themes’ of sort: the times one of us says a joke so perfectly well-timed and hilarious that it reduces the rest of the table to helpless laughter. Those times when a cleverly revealed plot twist or character detail suddenly brings unexpected depth to a long-running game. The many long and wonderful evenings spent with the people who I consider to be my closest friends here. But I do have to pick one, so I’ll go with the first one that came up as something unique and special: our panel at Metatopia last year.

We may not exactly have broken any attendance records with our panel that evening, and we may all have been nervous (not all of us are as comfortable with public speaking as you might imagine given our personalities!), but there was just something about it that made the event special to me. Up until that point, Fandible had always been fun, and it had meant much to me, but that was the first time that I truly and really felt like maybe this was something a little more than just a few buddies getting together to role-play and have a few laughs while recording it. There we were, all five of us, up on a stage, answering questions, telling a live audience about our experiences and advice, and sharing that camaraderie and easy laughter with people who weren’t just some faceless ‘listener’ on the other side of a microphone. It really brought home the idea that, hey, these are actual people that are listening to us, liking us, and coming along with us on this ride.

Hopefully that panel won’t be the last one we form part of, and I’m already looking forward to the next one, and, maybe, to even seeing a few of you, our listeners, at one of those panels. But I think the memory of that first one, warts and all, will always remain special to me, the first time that I wasn’t just part of an audience at a con, but really a part of something more, something bigger. And I couldn’t have had that without the amazing group of friends I’ve made around this table. When it comes to these guys, I clearly rolled a natural 20.

David:

For the last few years the other members of Fandible have had the distinct honor of encountering my genius first hand. Though my brilliance has often been met with ridicule (alas, such is the lot of the genius) I have nonetheless endeavored to enlighten my fellow Friendibles (™) in the ways of elevated thought. I have petitioned that we rename ourselves Fandiforce Five (this motion was rejected) or Dave and the Dice Chuckers (also rejected) as well as catering our podcast exclusively to pre-natal listeners. (The next generation of role player should be born knowing their prefered character class.) While I do not scorn my friends for their fear of a new direction, I do hope one day that they will come around to my suggestions so we can all turn and face the future together. (Also we should release our podcast in frequencies only dogs can hear, so the whole fandi-family (™) can game together. “Honey, honey! I think Banjo wants to play a bard!”)

I have difficulty conjuring one specific moment, however, that shines above the rest in my memory of my time with these wonderful people, but I will try. For Daniel, it is the Dread game he ran, walking around a table that held a Jenga tower, his tablet in hand casting an ethereal glow while looking at all of us with the stern gaze of a proctor who knows that time is running out. For Angela, it is the moment she revealed that she keeps a list of names for NPCs for her Hollow Earth game, a brilliant and simple solution to a problem that plagues the rest of us storytellers to this day. (Also her attention to Victorian fashion for our Unhallowed Metropolis game is a treat.) For Billy it is simply this: I am convinced that, deep under the home he shares with Angela, there are fissures in the earth that emit a gas that sends him into terrifying visions that he then recounts to the rest of us as “games”, like a Game Mastering oracle of Delphi. His “Billy Verse” games are not simply stories, I believe he tells us of another plane that is horrible and completely real.

And Finally, Jesus, who has not only brought us all together but has done the overwhelming majority of technical work for the podcast my favorite memory is this: The first moment I sat down to game with these lovely people and stared dumbly at the microphone I asked “do people actually listen to this stuff?” he looked at me and simply said “Yeah, they do.” I couldn’t believe it, but he was right. And every comment, every new listener should be considered a pat on his back for a job well done.

Jesus:

I look back though my memories of four great years of Fandible. Four years of great stories, interesting characters, and funny jokes. I sort through it all and the memory that I would consider the best is the first. A random group of role players meeting up for the first time trying to be creatures of the night. A chance meeting that would birth a podcast and bring about lasting friendships.

It was a Vampire: the Masquerade game with a bunch of random role-players who have never met each other before. Each of us making characters and figuring out who we were going to play. Out of the group though, there were four people that clicked the most.

Billy, Angela, Daniel and I worked together on a vampire plot and our styles just synced. A fact that was further cemented a few weeks later during a zombie game, when three of us created our own character introductions, separate from the rest of the group.We talked about meeting up but as usually happens, life had a way of making it hard to do. Sometimes though, life has to be pushed in the right direction.

Despite the personality I portray in the podcast, I tend to be a fairly introverted person. More so back then. Still, I wanted desperately to play with these guys again. So, I did something very uncharacteristic of me. I invited them to my apartment to pretend to be agents of the inquisition. And, because I was fans of actual play podcasts like RPPR, I decided to record that first session. We had a blast and promised to hunt heretics again the next week. The rest, dear listener, is history.

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GTRT Ep 12: New GM Advice, Non-Fandible activities and Our Favorite Boardgames.

Podcast — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:49:47 +0000

5 Geeks, One Roundish Table. In this session of Geeky Topics Round Table, the crew discusses advice for new GM’s, what we do when we can’t role-play, our favorite board-games, and questions for our audience.

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Shadowrun Ep 5: Laying Low and Aiming High part 1 of 2

Podcast — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 21:37:22 +0000

After a eventful mission and a trip into a drug induced psychosis, the Shadowrunners find themselves in hiding. Thankfully, an old friend offers a business opportunity they can’t refuse.

Intro Music: Cyberpunk Underworld by Futant

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You’ve Got To Let Them Fly – GM Advice for Creating Enemies

David — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:00:54 +0000

If you’re like me then you usually try to make a character for a tabletop game that excels in at least one field, whether it be cryptozoology, fencing or good, old fashioned un-killability. If you’re really like me, then you once crossed an old fortune-teller at a county fair and now can only watch in despair as the dice hitting the table will dance like a coven of witches in the pale glow of the moon as all of your plans crumble down around you. (Then you’ll think to yourself “Why couldn’t I have just gotten the “Thinner” curse? Then my bony ass could at least make a goddamn dodge roll.”)

If you’re not like me, however, you make a character that is good at something and expect a reasonable amount of success in that field. This article is not for you- it’s for the person trying to challenge you. This is advice for the Game Master, and my advice is simple: Let your player-characters be good at what they are good at.

During the construction of any game, it is natural (and I would even highly recommended) to take an active interest in what your players want their so-called “wheelhouse” to be. This gives you an idea of what kind of antagonists to throw at them and also what sort of situations to put them in. An unfortunate pitfall of this train of thought (and one I have been guilty of falling into myself) is to meet each action with an equal and opposite reaction. This is problematic, since it causes your player-character’s skill set to no longer be above-average, but usually just good-enough for whatever comes along.

Here’s a simple example: In the course of making characters, one of your players declares that they would like to play someone extremely skilled in combat. The numbers add up and everything is on the level (i.e. there was no sort of chicanery involved, the character was made by-the-rules). As the person whose job it is is to supply drama and challenge to the players, an understandable reaction would be to increase the lethality and murderousness of every antagonist the players encounter.

As someone who has been both the person dispensing righteous Game Master wrath at one point and the player wondering why everyone with a gun is suddenly Antonio Banderas at another, I humbly posit the following: sometimes you’ve got to let your players own it.

Not every antagonist is going to know what they’re in for. While the dice may tell the final tale in any interaction, the capabilities of those who oppose the player-characters need not always act as their perfect foil. This is not to say your should never give challenges to your players, but advocating for those challenges to mean more when they happen. When your combat-monster Player-Character does meet Mr. Banderas, or your smooth-talker matches wits with the guy who sells ShamWow, the conflict will be built on preceding instances where your players have felt the thrill of being at the top of their game. By limiting their exposure to truly worthy adversaries, you punctuate those scenes with increased drama, suspense and struggle. It shakes your players out of any sort of lazy comfort they feel in their character’s skill set and makes them think creatively. Or (if things don’t go their way) makes them realize they have much more to learn.

So what about you? Have you ever ran a game where you didn’t know how to counteract a player-character’s skillset? Or, have you ever played in a game where you felt like you didn’t get a chance to shine in the way you designed the character to?

More importantly: Extra XP for someone who gives me the stats for the ShamWow guy.

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The Strange Ep 1: Crow Hollow

Podcast — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 22:39:38 +0000

Two recursion miners think they’ve found the perfect score. All they need to do is rob the most powerful mob boss in Crow Hollow and live to tell about it.

Intro Music: Until I Sleep by Henry Homesweet