In this episode Host Lowell Francis talks with Becky Annison and Josh Fox of Black Armada games about what they've been playing, herbal witches, the final frontier, their Kickstarter for Ex Tenebris, and much more. The Ex Tenebris Kickstarter Black Armada GamesBlack Armada on itchJosh Bluesky: @armadajosh.bsky.socialBecky Bluesky: @beckyannison.bsky.socialWise WomenRapscallionStar Trek Adventures 2eSecrets of the Silent WitchFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Introduction01:45 Josh & Ex Tenebris16:25 Becky & Wise Women25:02 Lowell & Star Trek Adventures 2e36:26 Giving Me Life
Content Advisory: colonialism & imperialism; sexual violence in a horror/vampire context; death of loved ones, including miscarriage; excessive immersion; grief & bleakness.Mads joins Ian & José to talk about the relationship between player & character, the Magic Circle that divides them, and how experience can Bleed through from one to the other. Along the way we discuss some of the pitfalls of immersive gameplay, how to dial up or down that immersion, ways to stem the Bleed once it’s already started - and, of course, vampires!Mads’ Work!!Youtube ItchSprigs & Kindling Vol. 2Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp Our info:email: adifferenthex@gmail.commusic: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History returns to one of the earliest and most important superhero ttrpgs: Champions. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis talk about a game which is near and dear to their hearts-- both having played these editions extensively. They go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. They then move to general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug. This episode focuses just on the earliest editions-- prior to the release of the Champions 4th Edition, the "Big Blue Book."If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Intro00:58 The Pitch07:00 Gaming History17:46 Comics & Media History20:00 Thoughts
In this episode Host Rae Nedjadi (Apocalypse Keys, Once More into the Void) talks with Sebastian Yūe and Matthew Arcilla about games, superheroes, villainy, gender, and much more. They look at Evil Hat's forthcoming ttrpg, a classic from White Wolf, and a more modern take on heroism (which is apparently getting a second edition). Content warning for second segment: mention of sexual assault in a short story.Rangers of a Broken World (aka Heroic Chord)AberrantMasks: A New GenerationNever Whistle at NightBurn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in HollywoodRules, retcons, and rightsholders: The tough road for superhero RPGs Sebastian can be found at: sebastianyue.ca, sebastianyue @itch and bsky.socialSign up for SHIFT here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shiftrpg/shift-rpgHit Point Press: https://hitpointpress.com/Matthew can be found here: experimentego.bsky.social Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Introduction02:55 Rangers of a Broken World14:58 Aberrant26:35 Masks: A New Generation46:50 Giving Me Life
In this "bonusode*" for Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History, we talk with Wil Hutton aka Rivetgeek, lead developer for Tribes in the Dark. TitD reworks and re-imagines Tribe 8, Dream Pod 9's fantastical post-apocalyptic rpg from the late 1990s. This new version adapts the Forged in the Dark mechanics to this game of tribes, outcasts, and prophecy. Tribes in the Dark is Kickstarting through September 14 2025. Tribe 8 on WikipediaTribe 8 on DTRPGTribe 8 on RPGGeekWil on Bluesky @rivetgeek.aggregatecognizance.com *term borrowed from the Ranged Touch podcast...Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio
First episode of Roll for Mutation, a new series looking at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs. In this one hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the extended history of Gamma World, with a focus on the first two editions (of many). We talk about what Gamma World is, where it fits in gaming history, what the media context is like, and our general thoughts about the game. Roll for Mutation won't be covering things chronologically, but we do hope to hit the "tentpole" games in the genre early. ReferencesGamma World on WikipediaGamma World on RPG Geek Grognardia on Gamma World Grognardia on Gamma World 2e Designers & Dragons Volume 1 The 1970sGame Wizards For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and larps inspired by the works of Philip K Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio00:00 Introduction: Gamma World02:05 What is it?10:10 Gaming History19:12 The Media Context25:30 Our Thoughts
Lowell Francis provides a short introduction to the Open Hearth Gaming Community: what we are, what we do, how you can join, and how you can support what we do. WebsiteDiscord InvitePatreonPlayablShared HearthCommunity Code of ConductOnline Play ResourcesAround the HearthPlaying at the HearthYouTubePlay IssuesGamewayContact Us: openhearthgamingcommunity@gmail.comFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Introduction00:52 What is Open Hearth04:07 Joining Us07:36 Signing Up For Games14:20 What Happens When You Sign Up17:03 What to Expect from Play19:38 Getting Into Sessions21:37 Running Games23:25 Play Issues26:53 Open Hearth Projects and Events 34:06 How to Support Us
This is the edited version of an older seminar by Lowell Francis talking about planning and running TTRPG mysteries. It's about 50 minutes of talk followed by a Q&A. Lowell talks about his approach and best practices for running mysteries in rpgs. Topics include: Kinds of mysteries (set, set variable, improv) Plotting mysteries The power of the timeline Information handling Keeping player involvement Table management ...and more. See here for an outline of the talk Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
This time Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History jumps forward in time to the mid-1990s. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Underground (1993), Mayfair's attempt to build on the DC Heroes system with a dystopian, cyberpunk supers setting. Content warning: cannibalism, PTSD, transphobia, regressive treatment of disabilities and mental illness. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug.If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe.Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Intro00:25 The Pitch03:35 Gaming History11:40 Comics & Media History15:42 Thoughts
In the inaugural episode of Fireside Chat with Agatha, Agatha is joined by Lowell Francis, Community Manager for the Open Hearth and designer of Hearts of Wulin, to talk game design. Listen as Agatha pushes Lowell for more stuff for HoW and beyond!Agatha Cheng is the Co-Creator and Co-Host of the Asians Represent! and The Game Design Game Show podcastsShe works as a Cultural Consultant for content on Chinese history and mythology + the Chinese diaspora and TaiwanShe is the designer of Deadly SocietyLowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can check out all of Lowell's actual plays on YouTube. You can find Hearts of Wulin and more on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
In this episode we cover a wide range of games old and new. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Rich Rogers (+1 Forward, Hit the Streets) and Jay Brown (Diceology, Life: Indomitable).Smallville Flying Circus Blackout Mythomorphosis Spooky Asian ClubJust King ThingsFind Rich Rogers' Hit the Streets here +1 Forward Podcast Archives Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can check out all of Lowell's actual plays on YouTube. You can find Hearts of Wulin and more on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Introduction 01:15 Rich and Smallville16:14 Jay and Flying Circus32:45 Lowell and Mythomorphosis44:45 Giving Me Life
Be sure to check out the Hearts of Wulin Bundle of Holding running through Wednesday July 23rd, 2025. This is an edited and cleaned up version of a talk Lowell Francis, designer and co-writer on Hearts of Wulin, gave talking about moves, NPCs, set ups, and other topics in this game of wuxia melodrama. It is split between presentation and audience Q&A. This is part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
Horror as a genre can be a great tool to use in your ventures in GMing horror games, but horror movies aren’t the only place to pull from. You can pull from many forms of media including books and real life situations. Sit down with us folks and let’s see how we each approach running horror ttrpgs! This panel talk is part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Host Jellyfishlines moderates a panel with Mads, Vixie, and David Robles. The panel wraps with some audience Q&A. Jellyfishlineshttps://jellyfishlines.carrd.co/https://bsky.app/profile/jellyfishlines.itch.iohttps://jellyfishlines.itch.io/MadsMadelancholy on YouTube and Discordhttps://bsky.app/profile/madelancholy.bsky.socialhttps://madelancholy.itch.io/Vixiehttps://linktr.ee/thepocketdragonpubhttps://ko-fi.com/pocketdragonpubIndie Game Designer Month in September! The PDP is accepting submissions! Email pocketdragonpub@gmail.comDavid Robleshttps://linktr.ee/streamingrainbowYou can see how David GMs for horror in Mythos of War Journey through the Pyrenees and SS Sophia available on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcastsFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
In this second episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Villains & Vigilantes, the superhero rpg that broke the genre open. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug.If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe.Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Intro02:50 The Pitch09:20 Gaming History13:52 Comics & Media History17:20 Thoughts
In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at some really interesting and intense games. Host Mike Minutillo is joined community members Gwen Marshall and Ethan Harvey. Night Witches: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/146173/night-witchesFathom: https://sulcata.itch.io/fathomImpossible Landscapes: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/344408/delta-green-impossible-landscapesGwenhttps://bsky.app/profile/drgwenmarshall.bsky.socialhttps://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?keyword=gwendolyn%20marshallhttps://drgwenmarshall.itch.ioEthanhttps://ethanharvey.itch.iohttps://bsky.app/profile/cavedueller.bsky.socialFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
A recording of a talk by Lowell Francis about handling world building and collaborative elements. This session was part of Shared Hearth, the Open Hearth Gaming Community free ttrpg weekend. In this talk/discussion we hit on Reasons for a shared approach How existing games handle this Online tools and techniques Managing collaborative building ...and more. Talk Outline and NotesThis was a mixed discussion and Q&A. We talked about adapting a more fixed setting, like Duskvol from Blades in the Dark, and make it into one with even more interesting player input and creation. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp
In this first episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Superhero 2044, arguably the first supers role-playing game. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug.If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe.Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp 00:00 Intro01:30 The Pitch05:23 Gaming History08:55 Comics & Media History12:45 Thoughts
Ian & José are joined by Marc Majcher to discuss how we develop & pursue both in- and out-of-character aspirations. What makes a goal, and how can having one drive play? Along the way we talk about how closely we identify with our PC’s, and peer briefly into using techniques from improv theatre to improve our gaming.Timecodes:0:01:30 Pick Your Poison0:09:55 Setting character goals0:18:55 Goals & Plot0:25:44 How do games help us form goals?0:36:37 Instrumental play & balancing goals between PC's0:42:08 Finding goals through improv & PC embodiment0:48:52 Unconscious PC motivation0:52:24 Generic systems & stock tropes0:59:33 Pearls of Wisdom1:03:13 OutroMarc’s Work: majcher.com, Twitch.tv/mmajcherFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp Our info:email: adifferenthex@gmail.commusic: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex
In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at two really interesting projects. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined community members Amanda Mullins (iamatrex) and Chrys Sellers (Hectic Electron). We talk Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, and a hack of Microscope for a Star Wars writers' room. LINKSSprigs and KindlingAmanda's website The Between: Unsinkable on the Critshow's youtube The Defy the Gods KickstarterThe Defy the Gods QuickstartChrys's websiteThe Ugly Stepsister Amplitudes anthologyStar Wars Alternate New HistoryFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcasts can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.campChapters00:00 Introduction01:37 Amanda: Sprigs and Kindling21:28 Chrys: Defy the Gods37:08 Lowell: 44:17 Giving Me Life
Part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, Gauntlet Podcast, Open Hearth Podcast) talk all things superhero rpgs: challenges, combat, world-building, villainy, solo gaming, and beyond. We’re joined by a group of community members for this discussion/round-table (Jim C, Anders, Rod Santos, Sabine and Jolene). Hosts Show NotesSelected Games MentionedAnti-HeroesBetter AngelsCapes in the DarkEx-CapesGalaxies in PerilHearts of WulinHit the StreetsIn This WorldMasksMicroscopeSignal Light (Protean City Comics)Sword OperaUnionAge of Ravens GeneratorsSuperhero B-Plots100 Supers City EventsSupervillain Plot GeneratorSolo GamingSuperswornHeroswornFriendly Neighborhood SuperheroAnyone Can Wear the MaskFor more information about Open Hearth, check out openhearthgaming.com.