Another lunchtime chat! This time I answer Riley's call regarding "Minimum Viable RPG." Also, I backtrack a bit on my earlier stance about implicit settings. So, grab a bite, settle in, and join me and Riley! Don't forget to check out Riley's podcast, the Diegetic Advancement Podcast, for more great insights. https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/diegeticadvancement/ Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
I recorded a quick feedback episode—this time recorded from the parking lot of a cozy little café as I make my way to lunch. Today, I respond to some thoughts from Jason about my "Minimum Viable RPG" episode. So, grab a snack and join me for this lunchtime chat! Don't forget to check out Jason’s podcast, the Nerds RPG Variety Cast, for more great insights. https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376 Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
I respond to a thought-provoking question from Jason over at the Nerds RPG Variety Cast: Should GMs pre-plan specific adventure site bonuses, or leave them open to improvisation? I share why I opt for a flexible, on-the-fly approach to site design and gameplay in D&D and other RPGs. Topics include: * The pitfalls of pre-planning bonuses and tactical combat. * How abstract combat and player creativity enrich the game. * Using luck rolls to resolve player actions dynamically. * Encouraging collaborative storytelling for a more immersive experience. Check out the Nerds RPG Variety Cast episode that inspired this discussion here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376/episodes/S2B13-Approaching-TTRPG-Adventure-Site-Design-e2rfpeu Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
I share my thoughts on what's absolutely necessary to include in an RPG. Inspired by discussions on the Diegetic Advancement podcast and the Minions & Musings Podcast, I break down the bare minimum required for a game to be considered a role-playing game. I also share my opinion on what's not necessary, including artwork, "learn how to play" sections, and explicit settings. I feel that GM advice should be tailored to specific play styles and that different types of gamers have different needs. Topics discussed: The bare minimum for an RPG: a task resolution system What makes a satisfying game: character creation rules, skill systems, and dedicated mechanics The role of artwork and "learn how to play" sections in RPGs The importance of separating settings from rules GM advice and its limitations The different needs of various types of gamers (GNS) Other podcasts mentioned: Minions and Musings: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/eviljeff Diegetic Advancement: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/diegeticadvancement/ Nerds RPG Variety Cast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376/ Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe examines a challenging topic: the portrayal of slavery in the early days of tabletop role-playing games. As the holiday season approaches, he takes a moment to reflect on the darker aspects of gaming history that often go unexamined. Beginning with his insights from OSR October and Dave Arneson's First Fantasy Campaign, Joe highlights how slavery is presented as a commodity, complete with pricing mechanisms for male and female slaves. He contrasts this with the portrayals in other early RPGs (Tunnels & Trolls and Empire of the Petal Throne) where the treatment of slavery raises serious ethical concerns. Exploring the absence of slavery in TSR's D&D and how it was used to depict villains in AD&D modules, Joe emphasizes the importance of portraying slavers as true villains in the narrative. He also touches on Judges Guild's manumission rules, offering a glimmer of hope within the context of gaming, suggesting that characters can indeed act as liberators. Throughout the episode, Joe shares his personal stance that slavery has no place in heroic narratives, insisting that players should not embody slavers. He encourages a reevaluation of how these sensitive topics are handled in modern gaming, advocating for narratives that align with values of empathy and justice. Join Joe as he engages with this critical topic, inviting listener feedback and thoughts on the role of morality in gaming. Key Points Covered: * Historical context of slavery in early TTRPGs * Analysis of Dave Arneson's First Fantasy Campaign * The troubling mechanics of Tunnels & Trolls * Absence of slavery in TSR's D&D and its moral implications * The significance of portraying heroes as liberators * Personal reflections on gaming ethics and character choices What are your thoughts on the portrayal of slavery in RPGs? Do you allow players to engage with such themes at your table? Share your feedback with us at feedback@Dekahedron.com or leave a comment. Happy holidays, and until next time: happy gaming, happy life! Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
In this episode, Joe responds to listener feedback about the evolution of Traveller and alternative healing mechanics. Additionally, he discusses the philosophy behind hit points. Links: Evil Jeff's show: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eviljeff Karl's show: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karl-rodriguez Jason's show: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376 Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
In this episode, Joe answers a listener's question about getting started with Traveller. In his response, Joe meaders through every edition of the classic science fiction RPG from 1977 to today. Links: Jason's Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376 Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/355200/classic-traveller-facsimile-edition Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe talks about how he handles RPG healing mechanics in both new-school and old-schools games. Inspired by the classic works of Judges Guild and John M. Ford, he explores the concept of individual wound tracking and the importance of first aid in recovering from battle. #rpg #dnd #ttrpg Links: The Roleplayer Article: https://www.sjgames.com/gurps/Roleplayer/Roleplayer16/Wounds.html Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe marks a significant life milestone. He shares an intimate and candid reflection of a chapter of his life that is coming to an end 41 years--to the day--after it began. Links: Article about Joe: https://www.afcent.af.mil/Units/379th-Air-Expeditionary-Wing/News/Display/Article/809055/taking-care-of-service-members-first-priority-for-first-aid-kit-assembly-party/ Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe wraps up OSR October by exploring Dave Arneson’s trade system for Blackmoor. From there, he delves into the evolution of trade mechanics in early RPGs, including the classic Traveller game. Finally he talks about his own system to handle mercantile trade by players characters in D&D and other fantasy role-playing games. Key topics covered: Blackmoor’s Trade Mechanics: Discover Dave Arneson’s approach to trade. Judges Guild's Trade System: Explore the foundations of trade in RPGs. Traveller’s Trade System: Learn from one of the most influential space RPGs. Rolemaster's approach to handling speculative trading. Joe's home-grown solution. Links: Joe's blog post: https://vagabondgm.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-simple-trade-system.html Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Journey back to the early days of D&D with this look at random wilderness generation in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign. In this episode, Joe explores the approach to wilderness creation used by one of the pioneers of role-playing games. Discover how Arneson combined random tables with detailed descriptions to bring the world of Blackmoor to life. Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
For OSR October, Joe explores Dave Arneson's original reward system that he used in his Blackmoor while developing Dungeons & Dragons. Unlike the familiar XP system of modern D&D, Blackmoor required players to spend gold in order to gain experience points. Discover this strange and fascinating peek into the origins of the hobby, and how these mechanics differed from the more traditional approaches we see in modern RPGs. Happy gaming! Happy life! Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Welcome back to OSR October! This week, Joe dives deep into the original magic system used in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor, the proto-Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Blackmoor's magic system is very different from what we see in modern D&D. Here, magic users don't memorize spells – they create potions and other formulaic concoctions that need to be prepared beforehand. These ingredients can be dangerous or difficult to find, and spells are single-use! Joe also shares his fascination with single-use magic and mentions his own homebrew rules for creating magical items that are used up after a single cast. Do you think single-use magic could be interesting? Would you try running a game with this system? Share your thoughts in the comments! Links mentioned in the episode: Rules to the Game of Dungeon: https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/rules-to-game-of-dungeon-1974.html Don't forget to subscribe for more OSR October goodness! Happy gaming! Happy life! Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jpfgill More information is at dekahedron.com
For the first episode of OSR October, Joe dives into the early days of D&D with Dave Arneson's Blackmoor. He talks about "shallow dungeon dives" and how they evolved naturally from the megadungeons of the early days of the hobby. He also discusses the bottom-up world-building method used in Blackmoor. Get ready for a nostalgic journey through the origins of Dungeons & Dragons! #dnd #osroctober #osrtober #gaminghistory Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe discusses why he believes metacurrency is a valuable tool for enhancing role-playing games. He discusses the definition of metacurrency, with examples, and why he believes that metacurrency can increase player agency and streamline mechanics. The YouTube Poll: https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxote0nlgw5i3pX_uKFNBjioJoAhRL712S Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe is joined by James to celebrate Dekahedron's two year anniversary. In this episode, they dive into the depths of Star Trek: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier, the very first licensed Star Trek RPG. This classic game, released in 1978, offered a unique blend of science fiction and role-playing. In this episode, we explore the game's mechanics, its place in RPG history, and how much it still holds up today. We'll discuss what we believe to be the game's pros and cons, from the easy-to-learn rules to the lack of starship combat. Whether you're a long-time Star Trek fan or just curious about the early days of RPGs, this episode is a must-watch! Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
This episode of the Dekahedron RPG Podcast dives into the world of character motivation! Joe explores Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it can be applied to creating compelling characters in your Dungeons & Dragons game. Learn how basic needs like safety and esteem can translate into powerful motivations for your adventurers. This episode will give you a tool to build characters that are driven by a clear and personal purpose. #dnd #rpg #ttrpg #dndcharacters Share your thoughts via: 🌐 sayhi.chat/dekahedron 📧 feedback@dekahedron.com 📞📱 562-RPG-CAST (562-774-2278) More information is at dekahedron.com
Joe reflects on the #RPGaDay2024 challenge by expressing his gratitude to viewers and sharing his plans for future content. While he will be returning to his regular long-form podcast and YouTube videos, he hints at the possibility of continuing short-form content in the future, potentially during events like OSR October.
Joe concludes the #RPGaDay2024 challenge by reflecting on a fellow gamer he misses: Peter. They met through their shared passion for RPGs and maintained a long-lasting friendship, even after moving away. Joe fondly remembers their gaming sessions and the impact Peter had on his life.
For Day 30 of the #RPGaDay Challenge, "Person you'd like to game with," Joe reflects on the rewarding experience of introducing new players to the hobby. He discusses his enthusiasm for mentoring others and the joy of watching them discover the magic of role-playing games.