Thought Eater Podcast: Starfinder/Kalmatta Recap

Hi everybody. I didn't run my Night Below game this weekend, but I was still able to jump into a couple of games, so I am doing a recap of them today on the podcast. I played in a Starfinder Society game Friday, then jumped into Jason Hobbs' B/X game this morning.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Kiki of the Grey Wastes

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Thought Eater Podcast: Five Minute Friday: A Cool GM Technique

Hi all! Elizabeth is off gathering supplies for her next adventure with Willy, so this week it is just ol' Froth on Five Minute Friday. Today I am talking about a cool GM technique I picked up watching Zac Eubank GM on Kollok 1991.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!!!

Kollok 1991 is a really innovative streaming show that I have been checking out on YouTube. I went ahead and embedded the 1st episode below if you want to check it out. Zac and the cast are excellent, and I highly recommend it even if you don't typically enjoy watching streaming games.

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Humpday Blog-O-Rama 4.3.19

Blogs are an integral, vital part of the RPG hobby. They serve as incubators for new games, sounding boards for fresh ideas, and platforms for up-and-coming talent. They keep "forgotten" games alive, foster discussions, and build communities. Not everyone can work for a big game company, command a large audience on Twitch, or make a living from their art or cartography, but every RPG enthusiast can easily create a blog and start sharing their passion with the world.

Every Wednesday on the Thought Eater podcast and blog, I take a look at what is going on in the vibrant RPG blog scene. Check out previous Humpday Blog-O-Rama posts HERE.


LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE HERE




LINKS FROM THIS WEEK'S EPISODE



MAPS

https://vulpinoid.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-flotilla.html

https://footofthemountainadventures.blogspot.com/2019/04/forest-geomorffs.html

https://greyhawkery.blogspot.com/2019/03/greyhawk-mini-map-whyestil-lake.html

http://medievalcastles.stormthecastle.com/castle-floor-plans.htm

https://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/2019-04-01_Gridmapper_Updates



SECRET SANTICORE

http://vanishingtower.blogspot.com/2019/03/santicore-2017.html
http://santicore.blogspot.com/p/the-santicore-archives.html



RANDOM TABLES

http://blog.d4caltrops.com/2019/04/random-impedimenta-d100-single-page.html

https://dungeonspossums.blogspot.com/2019/04/pickpocketing.html

http://eldritchfields.blogspot.com/2019/03/1d6-things-that-might-happen-when-you.html

https://heavyliestheaxe.blogspot.com/2019/03/things-that-have-worked-rumour-posts.html



MISCELLANY

https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/diy-dead-stamps-for-mccdcc-rpgs.html

https://www.rpgmusings.com/2019/03/so-you-wanna-play-a-seafaring-dd-campaign/

https://attnam.blogspot.com/2019/03/my-nethack-anniversary.html

http://www.rpgnews.com/



INSPIRATION

https://monstersizeghost.blogspot.com/



BLOGGER HALL OF FAME: CHRISTOPHER STOGDILL OF FRUGAL GM

https://www.frugalgm.com/



GOOGLE +

https://followmeanddie.com/2019/03/30/g-the-end-and-googles-still-making-changes/

https://diyanddragons.blogspot.com/2019/03/final-bon-mots-from-dying-google-plus.html

http://hobbygamesrecce.blogspot.com/2019/04/a-gaming-eulogy-for-google-plus.html

https://surprisingly-capacious.blogspot.com/2019/03/all-pluses.html

https://frothsofdnd.blogspot.com/2019/04/goodbye-google-plus.html


If you enjoy my free zine, podcast, and/or blog, please consider supporting my work for only $1 per month. 

Goodbye Google Plus

This is from a blog post I wrote shortly after joining G+

About 4 weeks ago, I started to explore G+ more thoroughly. I had ignored it before; it just seemed like another pseudo-Facebook type deal. Come to find out, it is a gamer's paradise. Dozens of obscure, forgotten games have found a home there. New RPGs are playtested. Free materials are shared. And lots and lots of games get played.

Within the first 20 minutes, I was approached about playing a game of Boot Hill. I nearly swooned. Boot Hill? I literally do not know anyone but the local game shop owner that has even heard of it. I have had a player-in-waiting, The Albuquerque Kid, for years. Powers and Perils? Yes sir! Oriental Adventures? You don't say? Numenera? Why not? Mutant Future? Let me at it. Night's Black Agents? Holy moly! Pathfinder as far as the eye can see. D6 Star Wars. Shadows of Esteren. Dungeon Crawl Classics. Cthulhu. The opportunity to play games of all varieties is staggering.

I got to play in an OD&D game for the first time in years. I got to playtest the latest 5e packet. And the games just keep coming and coming. I don't have time to play half the games I would like to. If I had this while I was in college, I may have never graduated.

There is no real cost of entry. Most games are played on free tables, usually Roll20 being run through a Google "Hangout". You will likely need a mic, but that's about it.

Now, I am sure I sound a bit noobish to many. I am certainly late to the party, as there are already thousands and thousands of gamers taking advantage of it. All I can say is, better late than never. Anytime I want to find a game, I can pretty much just hop on, click around a bit, and find something going on. There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't seen a game posted that I would love to play in.

Another bonus is that there seems to be a dearth of assholes. I am not saying they don't exist, it just seems like there is a lot less cynicism and edition-warring on G+ as opposed to the typical forum. I hope it stays that way. Everybody I have met has been cool.

Anyway, while you might be down in the dumps about not making it to GenCon for whatever reason, if what you feel like you are missing is the sheer GAMING, all I can tell you is that everyday is a convention on G+. Freelance designers share ideas, gaming companies preview materials, freebies flow like water, gaming news abounds, and most importantly, ACTUAL GAMES are going on near-constantly. So, don't just sit there feeling sorry for yourself! Get on G+ and find some games!

Humpday Blog-O-Rama 3.13.19

Blogs are an integral, vital part of the RPG hobby. They serve as incubators for new games, sounding boards for fresh ideas, and platforms for up-and-coming talent. They keep "forgotten" games alive, foster discussions, and build communities. Not everyone can work for a big game company, command a large audience on Twitch, or get paid for their art or cartography, but every RPG enthusiast can easily create a blog and start sharing their passion with the world. Every Wednesday on the Thought Eater podcast, I take a look at what is going on in the vibrant RPG blog scene.

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE HERE


LINKS FROM THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

Maps

https://joyfulsitting.blogspot.com/2019/03/traveller-supernova-local-stellar.html
https://alexschroeder.ch/wiki/Traveller_Subsector_Generator
https://travellermap.com
https://devilghost.com/software/travellercharacter/

https://rthorm.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/ruvifelns-cavern-rooms/

https://eltomocarmesi.blogspot.com/2019/03/un-extenso-subterraneo-en-blanco.html
https://www.patreon.com/emenica/posts

https://falsemachine.blogspot.com/2019/03/who-makes-maps.html

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1l-7JbIsb60osH0f06iNzHVnq-0oY-VNp



Props for Call of Cthulhu and Other Games

https://heropresstwo.blogspot.com/2019/03/making-paper-trail-great-big-story.html

https://propnomicon.blogspot.com/

https://cthulhustreasurebox.blogspot.com/

www.hplhs.org/



The Illusionist

https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-complete-od-illusionist.html

https://anchor.fm/Thedicearescreaming/episodes/Episode-62-Illusions-e39lke



Tables and Generators

https://paperelemental.blogspot.com/p/list-to-html-generator.html

https://thewizardofmacketown.blogspot.com/2019/03/d6-ways-to-introduce-your-next-npc-or.html

https://gamurgin.blogspot.com/2019/03/chumming-dungeon.html



Reviews

https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2019/03/review-eldritch-tales.html

https://chaosgrenade.com/2019/03/05/rambling-on-solar-blades-cosmic-spells/
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/dark-streets-and-darker-secrets

https://punverse.blogspot.com/2019/03/survive-this-vigilante-city-core-rules.html

https://laughleviathan.blogspot.com/2019/03/first-time-playing-knave.html



Inspiration

www.thehistoryblog.com/

https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/

https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/

https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/the-clothes-of-the-future-were-supposed-to-be-set-on-fi-1833057731

https://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-television-monocle-from-1938-was-silly-and-wonderf-1830067727



Gary Con

https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/gary-con-day-0-my-return-pilgrimage-to.html
https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/gary-con-day-1-berserk-robots-hotel.html
https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/gary-con-day-2-tulipak-lonely-d6-and.html
https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/gary-con-day-3-overpowered-wineskins.html
https://savageafterworld.blogspot.com/2019/03/gary-con-day-4-weasel-disguises.html

https://greyhawkery.blogspot.com/2019/03/greyhawk-going-on-at-gary-con-xi.html

https://twitch.tv/garycon

https://anchor.fm/plundergrounds

https://followmeanddie.com/2019/03/11/gary-con-xi-recap/
https://anchor.fm/follow-me-and-die/episodes/Saturday-Scrawl-Gary-Con-XI-Special-e3dsa8



Closing

https://chaudronchromatique.blogspot.com/2019/03/pdf-versions-of-my-zines.html
https://dreamsofmythicfantasy.blogspot.com


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Sign up for Virtuacon!

Check out this virtual gaming convention being held in October! Lots of great games are being run, everything from old-school faves to brand new stuff. There are lots of opportunities to play. More info is at the link below; you will want to be registered on RPG Geek to sign up for events.

CHECK IT OUT!

The Best 4....Weeks...in Gaming?

So I thought I would make this post as the GenCon excitement has reached a fever pitch. People have arrived and lines are forming. Not I. For millions of gamers, it just isn't feasible. The biggest reasons for me are family related, but you could point to a myriad of reasons one might not attend, from cost, to work-related issues, to living outside of the US, to just not wanting to brave a crowd of tens of thousands of people.

Hope you brought your deodorant...

I have always been the type that would rather watch a football game or other event on the boob tube rather than pack up the fam, deal with traffic, and ultimately not have the greatest view in the world. Of course, there are exceptions (like that Pink Floyd concert back in the day), but by and large, as long as I can see/hear what happened, being there in person is not crucial to me. In the case of gaming conventions, I can always catch up on seminars through social media. Important news gets around quickly, and the twenty minute delay in hearing the news is not such a big deal to me. Likewise, while I do collect a lot of old RPG materials, I cannot see myself waiting in line for things like free commemorative dice sets. There is nothing wrong with that at all, and I do not mean to sound judgmental; I am just speaking for myself. If I want an item badly enough, I can bid on it or find another way to get it. Anyway, I say all of this just to set up my point. There is ONE thing about conventions that has always made me jealous of those that regularly attend. The gaming. The near-constant gaming.

In my home games, I am always the referee. Always. I actually don't have a lot of folks nearby that would have ever even have played RPGs if I hadn't have invited them. This is fine and good, but I like to play too. I like to play old games. Obscure games. Brand-new games. All kinds of games. Conventions give you the ability to immerse yourself in a variety of games with other like-minded folks. That has always been the "draw" for me.

For years now, I have supplemented my in-person gaming with on-line gaming. I have always used the VT that WOTC tried to develop. It is a pretty simple program to use, and it works very well with 4e D&D, and other editions to some extent. It is limited though. It is not terribly well-known. In fact, when VTs get mentioned, it is rarely listed. It is also very much centered on 4e, which is fine, but it limits its appeal. There were other games I wanted to play, and for a long time it seemed like the only way I would get to play them would be to run them myself, likely with a group that wouldn't even be all that into it. Then I started exploring Google+.

About 4 weeks ago, I started to explore G+ more thoroughly. I had ignored it before; it just seemed like another pseudo-Facebook type deal. Come to find out, it is a gamer's paradise. Dozens of obscure, forgotten games have found a home there. New RPGs are playtested. Free materials are shared. And lots and lots of games get played.

Within the first 20 minutes, I was approached about playing a game of Boot Hill. I nearly swooned. Boot Hill? I literally do not know anyone but the local game shop owner that has even heard of it. I have had a player-in-waiting, The Albuquerque Kid, for years. Powers and Perils? Yes sir! Oriental Adventures? You don't say? Numenera? Why not? Mutant Future? Let me at it. Night's Black Agents? Holy moly! Pathfinder as far as the eye can see. D6 Star Wars. Shadows of Esteren. Dungeon Crawl Classics. Cthulhu. The opportunity to play games of all varieties is staggering.

I got to play in an OD&D game for the first time in years. I got to playtest the latest 5e packet. And the games just keep coming and coming. I don't have time to play half the games I would like to. If I had this while I was in college, I may have never graduated.

There is no real cost of entry. Most games are played on free tables, usually Roll20 being run through a Google "Hangout". You will likely need a mic, but that's about it.

Now, I am sure I sound a bit noobish to many. I am certainly late to the party, as there are already thousands and thousands of gamers taking advantage of it. All I can say is, better late than never. Anytime I want to find a game, I can pretty much just hop on, click around a bit, and find something going on. There hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't seen a game posted that I would love to play in.

Another bonus is that there seems to be a dearth of assholes. I am not saying they don't exist, it just seems like there is a lot less cynicism and edition-warring on G+ as opposed to the typical forum. I hope it stays that way. Everybody I have met has been cool.

Anyway, while you might be down in the dumps about not making it to GenCon for whatever reason, if what you feel like you are missing is the sheer GAMING, all I can tell you is that everyday is a convention on G+. Freelance designers share ideas, gaming companies preview materials, freebies flow like water, gaming news abounds, and most importantly, ACTUAL GAMES are going on near-constantly. So, don't just sit there feeling sorry for yourself! Get on G+ and find some games!

COUNTDOWN TO THE 'ZINE-CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT-TIM "MORPHO" REYNOLDS

Today I continue to shine the spotlight on contributors to my upcoming free 4e fanzine. Don't forget, it comes out this Tuesday, June 11th! Yesterday, we took a look at cartographer extraordinaire, Crypt Thing Robert Waluchow. Today we spotlight Timothy "Morph" Reynolds!

I first met Timothy Reynolds about three years ago, gaming online. We played (and still play) on the RPGTO; this is the virtual table that Wizards developed but discontinued. It is still going strong, but that is another story.

Tim aka "Morpho" aka "MorphoPractix" aka "SarialMorphoPractix" is the consummate gamer-the exact person you want playing at your table. Courteous, friendly, creative...anyone that has played with him remembers what a cool person he is to game with. I am lucky enough to have played dozens of sessions with him. Everyone likes Morpho.

Slowly but surely we got to know each other a little bit, and I began hearing more about his real life. "Morph", as I prefer to call him, alluded to the fact that he is a stage actor. Didn't surprise me at all, as he is a great roleplayer. I started hearing more about his parts in productions; he mentioned "Penny Dreadfuls" and "Varney the Vampire" one session, and I felt hip to know that I knew what the hell he was talking about. Anyways, I had let people know that I was working on a 4e fanzine, and Morph ended up emailing me about it. It turns out that he is a Renaissance man, and that drawing and painting are also among his many talents. Again, not really surprised. Turns out Tim is many things: an actor, playwright, poet, designer, and a visual artist. He is also my place to crash next time I am in Brooklyn, NY (half-kidding).

I am not a fan of modern RPG art. I love the classic stuff: Sutherland, Trampier, Otus...I don't like anything that feels overwrought or tortured. I want to feel an artist's character. I don't know if that makes much sense, but you can probably still appreciate how awesome it was when Morph sent me these images that he drew for a storyboard/treatment of a friend's upcoming outer-space sci-fi film. This is exactly the kind of art that I wanted to see in an RPG. It is visceral, fluid, and most importantly, it has character.

Slime on the foot? That's a BAD THING in outer space.

Space jealousy? That's even WORSE.

Uh, yeah, but space cutting is worst of all...

How awesome it is to have an artist with that kind of talent contributing to my little fanzine. Thank you so much Morph!


I asked Morpho a few questions in a vain attempt to unravel the enigma. Here are his responses:



1. How did you get into gaming?

I first began with Basic D&D in 1977, moving quickly onto AD&D.

2. I know you are a creative guy, you act in the theatre, you paint, etc. How do these tie-in to your gaming?

RPGs tend to attract actors and artistic types.  I always have drawn during game sessions - characters, combats that were happening, etc.  It has always fueled the game for myself and for my fellow players, as I tend to do character portraits for my companions and the DM.

3. Any projects or plans for the future with your painting? 

I will always do artwork and I am contemplating a tarot deck series of paintings.



The tarot thing sounds amazing. Morpho is a true talent, with an incredible knack for interpreting text and conveying it in an image. Everything I gave him was like a sentence or less, and he did incredible things with it. You will see for yourself soon enough. I do not want to publish his email, but if you want to contact him let me know and I will pass on the information. I can see him doing a lot of OSR work, as his artwork is perfectly suited for it. I will certainly be hitting him up for issue #2.

The Tuesday release is creeping closer! In the meantime, you can check out this awesome sneak peek at an original Morph image from the 'zine. I asked him for "zombies". No detail or anything. Look at how awesome this is! (Note the dude in the bottom left...super-creepy!)

"Zombies" by Timothy Reynolds

Check out the RPGTable Online!!!

I play D&D both face-to-face and online. I wanted to share a little bit of news about the RPGTable, which is the platform I use for online gaming. This was the second "VT" that Wizards tried to develop. They recently cancelled their involvement in it, and the company that designed it for them sort of reclaimed it.

The reason I bring it up today is that it has several features that should interest 4e players. You can import your Character Builder PC files straight into it. This works for PCs from the old offline builder as well. This obviously makes it user friendly for players, even if you no longer have a DDI account.

Most recently (like a week ago), the RPGTable guys were able to procure all of the data for 4e monsters. Like thousands and thousands of monsters. They are giving away level 1 and 2 monsters free, and the rest of the monsters are very reasonably priced. You can purchase them all at once, or break them into tiers.

They also have the 4e tile sets for sale. They give you the Essentials Wilderness and Dungeon sets free.

The table is free to use. You have to buy a subscription to be able to share adventures with others and to unlock other functionality. But if you just want to show up and play or run a game, you can do it for free.

What is awesome about it is that even if they shut down the 4e tools, you have access to the monsters, and you can still use your old characters. So for gamers such as myself that aren't about to shelve 4e, the RPGTable can help keep it alive. I have been using it for a couple of years now, playing with gamers all over the world. I would love for you to check it out. I actually will be running a Level 1 demo tonight. Slots are already open. All you have to do is register, import a PC, and get playing.

The table is here. The forums are here. The old WOTC VT forums are here. My online retro-gaming group is here. If anyone has any questions about it, let me know! 

Let's Play Labyrinth Lord!

Hi, a quick post today just to let people know that I have a Labyrinth Lord (B/X D&D retro-clone) game on the online RPG Table, and I still have a couple of slots open!

If you ever played on the old Wizards VT, basically when they decided to drop it, the company that developed it picked it up. The great news is that it is free to play; the rules are also free to download.

We meet kind of loosely on Fridays at 8 pm EST (GMT-5). Once you have registered above, you can join the game here. Full details on the game, including character creation rules, can be found here at the online retro-game Wizards group.

Anyways, if anybody is interested in checking it out, even for a session, it would be cool! Have a great weekend!

P.S.-Don't forget to check out the 4e Forever playtest if you haven't already!