Lair Of Secrets

Join us for the Lair of Secrets' annual summer reading list! We run down a few of the books on our respective lists, but we're always looking for more! Featured in this episode are: Red Sonja Consumed by Gail Simone When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente Infinite Archive (The Midsolar Murders #3) by Mur Lafferty Vicious by V.E. Schwab As well as side quests to talk about Iain Banks' The Culture series, Terry Prachett's Discworld, and Neal Stephenson's Seveneves. Suggest your own book ideas in the comments! Chapters 0:00 Intro & Rocket Misfires0:40 Red Sonja: Sword & Sorcery Revival1:45 Moon Cheese Madness: Scalzi’s Absurd Apocalypse3:10 Seveneves vs. Moon Made of Cheese4:20 Ghosts in Cryo: Cold Eternity Breakdown5:35 Space Opera and the Glam-paign Idea6:50 Infinite Archive: Murder, She Wrote in Space8:00 Vicious by V.E. Schwab: Superpowered Rivalry9:10 The Overflowing To-Read Pile10:20 Pratchett’s Final Discworld Reflections11:20 Saying Goodbye to The Culture Series12:00 More Books, More Time: Summer Reading Goals13:10 Share Your Book Picks!14:00 Outro & Call to Action Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Summer Reading List 2025 (S4E24) on YouTube. Show Notes Red Sonja Consumed by Gail Simone (Ken) - I got this as a Christmas present, and I’m looking forward to Gail’s take on Red Sonja in novel form (I already read the comic book series she wrote; it was great). From the book blurb: The gutsy, wild, tortured free spirit, forged in pain yet unafraid of life or death, Red Sonja, the famous, fiery She-Devil and barbarian of Hyrkania has never concerned herself with the consequences of her actions. She’s taken what she wanted, from treasure to drink to the companionship of bedfellows. She’s fought who deserved it (and sometimes those who didn’t). And she’s never looked back. But when rumors start bubbling up from her homeland—rumors of unknown horrors emerging from the ground and pulling their unsuspecting victims to their deaths—and a strange voice begins whispering to her in her sleep, she realizes she may have to return to the country that abandoned her. And finally do the only thing that has ever scared her: confront her past. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi (David) - I’ve been a fan of most of Scalzi’s books. This is one of his more humorous books like Starter Villain and Kaiju Preservation Society. I’m looking forward to it. It’s also going to hold me over until the next Old Man’s War book comes out. The moon has turned into cheese. Now humanity has to deal with it. For some it’s an opportunity. For others it’s a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible. Astronauts and billionaires, comedians and bank executives, professors and presidents, teenagers and terminal patients at the end of their lives -- over the length of an entire lunar cycle, each get their moment in the moonlight. To panic, to plan, to wonder and to pray, to laugh and to grieve. All in a kaleidoscopic novel that goes all the places you’d expect, and then to so many places you wouldn’t. It’s a wild moonage daydream. Ride this rocket. Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes (Ken) – Barnes’ third sci-fi/horror/ghost story novel is out. I loved the creepy atmosphere of the first two, which makes this one an easy pick. Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago… The cryo program,

The crew infiltrates a raider lair to rescue a kidnapped girl, navigating irradiated sewers, sentry turrets, and a heavily armed Thriftway gang. Steve NuGunnar faces off against his nemesis Thriftway in a brutal final encounter to reclaim his prized NuRay 3000. Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Fallout 2d20 Resources: Links to community forums, wikis, rules, podcasts, and cheat sheets. Chapters 0:00 Intro & Recap2:10 Turret Ambush!4:59 Raider Chase Begins7:35 Ghoulardi Loots, Team Pushes Forward14:00 Echoes and Radiation20:00 The Showdown Chamber28:00 Frag Grenade Chicken Toss36:00 Raider Meltdown in the Water45:00 Lucky Buck and the Leg Blasts54:00 Ghoulardi's Sniper Shot1:03:00 Nuka Cherry Rage Shotgun1:12:00 Raider Wrath and Ramming Speed1:20:00 The Last Shot at Thriftway1:27:00 Terminal Hacking Mini-Game1:39:00 Brotherhood Logs & Power Armor1:41:00 Cliffhanger Ending Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout 2d20 Chapter 5: Thriftway Throwdown on YouTube. Show Notes Recap of the mission: tracking the kidnapped girl from Covenant Opening battle: turret gun ambush and team tactics Nurse 17 charges into the fray armed with teddy bears and tea party rage Lucky Buck's accidental luck-fueled sharpshooting streak Ghoulardi’s chicken-stuffed frag grenade attack Steve NuGunnar confronts Thriftway for the NuRay 3000 Girl rescued from a makeshift cage by Nurse 17 Fallout-style terminal hacking minigame live! Discovery of Brotherhood T-60 power armor and terminal logs Time freezes, leaving the team mid-victory… Featured Image A view of sewers from Fallout 4.

On this episode, Ken recaps running ShadowDark, Mothership, and Gaslands Refueled at a local RPG convention. We also delve into how to support your local conventions (MEPACon in the Pennsylvania, and Who's Yer Con? in Indiana). Chapters 0:00 Intro & MEPACon Setup2:10 Venue Upgrade & Con History4:00 ShadowDark: Morka Norden Recap7:00 Learning from Live Play & Light Mechanics9:30 Mothership Funnel: Decanted Breakdown13:00 Emergency Decanting & Medical Mishaps17:00 Engineering, Design Tweaks, & Player Strategy22:00 Gaslands: Straight to Hell Tutorial26:00 Concrete Jungle & Advanced Play Challenges30:00 Why Local Cons Matter & Final Reflections Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Support your Local Convention (S4E22) on YouTube. Show Notes MEPACon RECAP What is MEPACon? MEPACon stands for "Mid-Eastern Pennsylvania Gaming Convention" Located near Allentown, PA About 30 minutes from Ken’s house.  Held every six month, in spring and fall Not sure on the exact head count, but Ken's thinking 150 people. Probably more. Moved to Delta Hotels by Marriott, which is a MUCH better hotel than the previous one (which is being torn down) Ken ran four games: Decanted: A Mothership funnel … that failed at being a funnel. Except, maybe not? Morka Nordan: A ShadowDark adventure ripped from Ken’s lunchtime adventure Got used to the digital tabletop handling all the light stuff. It's harder to do in the real world. This is the game where Ken realized just how many ShadowDark mistakes he'd made with his lunch time game. Two Gaslands Refueled games Straight to Hell: A 2-hour intro game Concrete Jungle: A 2-hour race/battle royal game that probably needs to be 4 hours. And maybe I just need to run three 2-hour slot tutorials during the weekend to build up a base of experienced players. Supporting Your Local Conventions Importance of local conventions for playtesting, community, and outreach Thoughts on prepping for Who’s Yer Con and leveraging past games Reflections on building in-person player communities post-pandemic Featured Image Meta An old-time ariel map of Allentown, PA.

After some bartering in Covenant, the Wastelanders continue their quest to hunt down Thriftway's raiders. The Wastelanders' goal? Recover Steve NuGunner's NuRay 3000. Oh, and a girl who was kidnapped from Covenant by the raiders. Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Fallout 2d20 Resources: Links to community forums, wikis, rules, podcasts, and cheatsheets. Chapters 0:00 Intro & Wasteland Recap5:15 Covenant Refuge and Raider Fallout13:10 Upgrades, Bartering & Lars’ Plea20:40 Junkyard Clues & Mole Rat Mayhem31:25 Tracking Raiders & Teddy Bear Prep40:10 Ambush in the Wastes: Sneak or Shoot52:45 Sewer Entrance & Guard Elimination1:00:50 Shotgun Justice & Laser Luck1:17:35 Sewer Showdown & Whip Disarm1:33:55 The Turret Twist & Fallout Cliffhanger Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout 2d20 Chapter 4: Shotgun Justice on YouTube. Show Notes The wasteland adventurers delve deeper into the irradiated heart of the wasteland as Steve NuGunner, Lucky Buck, Goulardi, and Nurse 17 arrive at the battered settlement of Covenant. After narrowly fending off raiders, they resupply, regroup, and are thrust into a high-stakes mission: rescue a kidnapped girl taken by Thriftway’s Enclave-aligned raiders. Nurse 17 gets upgraded with stealth and speed, becoming a teddy bear-draped death machine, while Steve is laser-focused on retrieving his beloved NuRay 3000. Following tracks to a junkyard-turned-camp, the group uncovers clues leading them to an ominous sewer entrance. Their infiltration escalates quickly as stealth gives way to gunfire and buzzsaws. From sneak attacks to shotgun justice, the team cuts through the raiders, pushing deeper and deeper into the base. Along the way, they interrogate a survivor, sprint into potential traps, and navigate the green-tinged threat of an oncoming radiation storm. The episode crescendos with a chase into the sewer depths—just in time for the hum of an auto-turret coming online. Featured Image Meta A man aims a shotgun in a screenshot from Fallout 4.

Ken and David explore Moonbeam.stream, a streaming platform made for tabletop gamers and creatives, while sharing their live-streaming experiments and future content plans. They also dive into their respective ShadowDark campaigns, filled with dungeon chefs, dagger-bound skeletons, and low-level party drama. Ken preps for his return to Philmont, while David tempts fate with yet another enticing Kickstarter. Moonbeam sites Moonbeam.streaming The Lair's Realm on Moonbeam Chapters 0:09 What Is Moonbeam.stream?1:19 Streaming Past and Present2:48 Live Streaming Experiments3:28 Ken's OBS Trials & Switch Bridge Setup4:50 Drawing Dungeons and Mothership Maps5:46 Streaming One-Shots and Actual Plays6:07 The DIE: Die Improvement Environment7:24 Portal Vibes & Co-Working Streams9:29 Scheduling & Chaos Coordination14:21 Ken’s Training for Philmont18:18 Altitude, Monsoons, and Backpack Logistics25:04 Cooking in the Dungeon: ShadowDark Update28:24 Party Health Woes and Lucky Rolls30:55 Skeletons, Dire Rats & Goblin Politics33:49 ShadowDark Western Reaches Kickstarter35:13 Alien RPG Evolved Temptation35:55 Wrap-Up and Community Links Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Moonbeam Chasing (S4E20) on YouTube. Show Notes What is Moonbeam? Not a crypto-currency. Ok, it is, but we’re not talking about THAT Moonbeam. It’s a streaming platform, currently in beta, that’s meant to have better moderation capabilities and a more creator-friendly pay structure. What are we doing with Moonbeam? Game Prep Campaign Notes Map Prep FoundryVTT exploration Random experiments Video Games? Maybe.  Ken’s thinking about a Switch bridge. Actual Play RPGs The Die Improvement Environment or D.I.E. Helping rehabilitate those recalcitrant dice. Stuff we like so far Co-working Streams Random folks playing video games Haven’t watched an RPG session yet (probably should) Stuff we probably need to figure out A recording schedule? Posting? Figuring out how Realms work. (We’ve got a Lair of Secrets realm, but how does it interact with other realms?) Featured Image Meta A black and white image of the moon over Lake Champlain. Photo by Ken.

On this episode, we talk about the top mistakes we made running ShadowDark (aka "how Ken accidentally enabled hard mode for his campaign"). Our mistakes include "overly complicate torch management", "create deadlier rat diseases", "don't use Luck points", and more! Looking for more ShadowDark content? Check out these Lair episodes: d12 Ways ShadowDark is Awesome! (S4E15) Shadowdark Impressions (Campaigns & Coffee) Chapters Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch d8 ShadowDark Mistakes We Made on YouTube. Show Notes 1. Overcomplicate Torch Management You don't need to do torch gymnastics to light a new one. If your old one is burning down, and the players want to start a new torch, they do it. The timer is reset to 60 minutes, and the old torch is discarded. Keeping fractional torches around ("But we had 15 minutes left on this torch!") is a natural impulse given the importances (and potential scarcity) of light, but fractional torches make things complicated. And the mechanic isn't meant to be complicated. A reasonable house rule I've seen for torches that go out less than halfway through their burn cycle is to round down to 30 minutes. Keeping track of "half torches" is still work, but less work than breaking it down further. That said, if you’re under threat, then yes, there are torch gymnastics. There’s a DC 12 Dexterity check to ignite a torch under such conditions. - If it’s dark, same DC, but with disadvantage. We’ll talk more about that in our ShadowDark house rules episode coming up. (Sly Flourish - https://slyflourish.com/shadowdark_house_rules.html) 2. Create even deadlier rat diseases The common rat in ShadowDark is infected with a fast acting disease that immediately saps the adventurer's Constitution. Depending on how you interpret the rule, it either prevents all healing until the adventurer makes a saving throw OR the adventure can't recover their lost Con until they make a saving throw. Ken chose the latter. 3.  Don't use luck points For Ken’s first few games, he didn’t use Luck points at all. Which, given how deadly ShadowDark is, can be a pretty big difficulty upgrade for players. Running the same scenario at a convention (and swapping in a Seer character from Cursed Scrolls #3) revealed just how helpful Luck tokens are (the seer being able to create Luck tokens 3x per day). 4. Get Spell Mishaps Wrong Ken’s game made spell failure MUCH more dangerous by rolling on the mishap chart whenever a spell casting attempt failed (and not just on critical fumbles, as per the rules). This makes it much more likely your 1st level character is going to get killed when failing to cast a spell. 5. Don't Plan for Carousing Carousing is a big part of the game. During downtime, players can spend gold to have adventures in town, earning XP, acquiring allies (and maybe an enemy). But to do it, they need gold … so it helps to make sure that they’ll actually have that gold when they got home.  Also, read the carousing and “learn skills” downtime activities before you start the adventure, so you know what the players can do at the end.  6. Get Stuck in D&D 5e Mode ShadowDark is a cousin of D&D 5e … and 5e has a rule for everything. It’s easy to bring in default 5e assumptions (I’m looking at you, opportunity attacks) rather than looking for the ShadowDark equivalent.  7. Stress about when to level up Do you level up at session's end or in the middle of the session? This is more a preference than a mistake (though your mileage may vary). Leveling up is super easy in ShadowDark, but it does slow things down a bit. 8 Wasting time looking up rules that don't exist ShadowDark is a rules-light game. D&D or Pathfinder fans may come in looking for detailed rules for, well, just about everything. Most of the time, ShadowDark doesn’t have them. Like “Learning” during downtime.

Our group of wastelanders (and one former Vault dwelling weapons tester) defend the fortified town of Covenant from raiders in the latest chapter of our Fallout 2d20 Actual Play campaign. The raiders defeated, the group gains access to Covenant, where they uncover rumors about a ghoul named Thriftway dealing in slaves for the Enclave. Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Fallout 2d20 Resources: Links to community forums, wikis, rules, podcasts, and cheatsheets. Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Welcome to the Wasteland1:00 - Raiders at the Gates: Defending Covenant4:30 - Entering Covenant: A Safe Haven or a Lie?9:45 - The Barter Extravaganza: Caps, Junk, and Haggling26:00 - The Junk Jet Temptation: A Heavy Investment31:30 - Thriftway’s Shadow: Raiders, Slavery, and the Enclave44:10 - The Alarm Sounds: Lars Returns, Badly Wounded50:15 - A Mission Forms: Tracking Thriftway and Saving the Girl1:03:30 - Outro: Next Stop – The Hunt Begins! Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout 2d20 Chapter 3: Rumors & Raiders on YouTube. Show Notes Raiders at the Gates – The team helps Covenant fend off a raider attack and earns the town’s trust. Covenant’s Secrets – The town appears friendly, but there’s an undercurrent of unease, especially toward ghouls. The Great Barter Session – A deep dive into Fallout’s economy as the group haggles for ammo, supplies, and a stealth module for Nurse 17. The Junk Jet Temptation – Lucky Buck eyes a bizarre but deadly weapon. A Growing Threat – The group hears rumors that the Enclave is buying slaves from Thriftway, but his location remains unknown. A Sudden Attack – Lars, a local mechanic, returns badly injured, revealing that raiders took his daughter. A New Mission – With a lead on Thriftway, the party gears up for a rescue operation. Featured Image Meta A raider base in Fallout 4. Credit: Bethesda.

Fallout 2d20 uses zones instead of conventional battle maps or theater of the mind to describe where your characters (and their enemies) are in the game world. In this episode, we talk about how Fallout zones work, offer advice on how to use them, and take a peak at some other games that use zones. After fighting our way through the wasteland, we geek out about Alien: Isolation, the excellent survival horror game now available on the Switch, and the Foundry Virtual Table Top. Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Fallout 2d20 Resources: Links to community forums, wikis, rules, podcasts, and cheatsheets. Chapters 0:00 Intro – Welcome to the Lair of Secrets1:00 What Are Fallout Zones?3:45 How Zones Improve Tactical Combat9:30 Obstacles, Cover & Hazards in Zone-Based Play15:20 Zone-Based Games – Fate, Shadowdark, Alien, and More19:45 Jump Scares - Playing ALIEN: Isolation in the Dark26:30 How Alien: Isolation Preps You for Running an Alien RPG31:10 David’s New Obsession: Foundry VTT34:50 Foundry vs. Roll20 – Which Virtual Tabletop is Better?37:45 Final Thoughts & Sign Off Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout Zones on YouTube. Show Notes Main Topic Overview of zones in Fallout 2d20 What and why? Abstract way of representing regions and distances in a game. Half-way between battle map and theatre of the mind … sort of. Great for RPGs featuring more abstract locales. Lets you avoid infinite 5-foot-squares. Fallout 2d20 zones Reach - Arms reach (within close, but not an actual zone; minor action to close; confusing wording) Close - Any distance within the zone you’re in. Medium - Distance of one zone Long - Distance of two zones Extreme - Distance of three or more zones How do they impact movement / weapons? Difficult terrain: “A zone may be filled with difficult terrain, slowing anyone attempting to cross it.” Fallout 2d20 core rules (p. 38) Obstacles are similar in that they hinder your movement, but they exist between zones—attempts to move from one zone to another where an obstacle is present may slow your progress.  Fallout 2d20 core rules (p. 38) Hazards are parts of the environment that inflict damage to creatures caught in them. A hazard may be present in a specific zone, or it may be spread among multiple zones. Fallout 2d20 core rules (p. 39) How to Represent Zones Theater of the Mind How far can you take it in theatre of the mind? Visual Zones Use index cards or draw out boxes representing zones.  Battle Maps Create your map. Draw lines on it indicating zones Outside Example: Zone 1: The near battlefield, on the shores of a stream. Between zone 1 and 2: the stream that must be crossed Zone 2: The field on the far side of the stream Zone 3: A stand of broken boulders & battle tank Zone 4: The edge of a forest. Hulks of buildings looms in the distance Inside Example: Zone 1: The Library Zone 2: The Entrance Hallway Zone 3: The Kitchen Zone 4: The Basement Zone 5: The Balcony and second for overlooking the dining room Prior experience with zones in other systems FATE Index Card RPG Professor DM / Dungeon Craft Alien (Year Zero system) Forbidden Lands Adjacent Shadowdark Fallout scenarios we ran The Lab (small scale zones) Surface Fight (open range) The Dungeon (larger, longer-range zones) Advantages & Disadvantages Advantages Makes range more abstracted; in Cyberpunk RED, if I want to give the solo a chance to use his sniper or assault rifle skills, I probably need to scale up my map. With zones, the distance gets abstracted … and the map doesn’t even need to exist. Disadvantages Breaks your brain a little. Can be hard to conceptualize (particularly if you come from a minis-based game.  Reach vs. Close Building-as-a-zone vs.

As our Fallout 2d20 Actual Play campaign continues, the party treks across the wasteland toward the settlement of Covenant. Along the way, they encounter dangers both grotesque and ridiculous, from gutting radioactive bugs for dinner to dodging their own teammates grenades. And yeah, Steve's still trying to recover his prototype laser pistol from the bandit leader known as Thriftway... Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Fallout 2d20 Resources: Links to community forums, wikis, rules, podcasts, and cheatsheets. Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Welcome Back to the Wasteland1:04 - Meet the Survivors: Ghoul Chemists, Security Officers, and a Nurse Handy3:15 - Scavenging, Cooking, and Campfire Debriefs7:40 - Lucky Buck’s (Un)fortunate Grenade Luck12:30 - Wasteland Travel & Gunfire in the Distance18:05 - Sneaking Into Trouble: Raiders at Covenant22:50 - Explosive Ambush: Baseball Grenades & Laser Blasts30:20 - The Last Stand: Raiders’ Final Moments37:45 - Covenant Welcomes the Survivors45:10 - What’s Next? The Mystery of Thriftway55:20 - Outro: Join Us Again in the Wasteland! Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout 2d20 Chapter 2: Covenant Clash on YouTube. Show Notes Picking up from last time: The team emerges from their bloatfly battle at Taffington Boathouse, scavenging for supplies and making camp. Character Highlights: Ghoulardi, the chem-crafting ghoul, prepares a fine (if unsettling) wasteland feast. Steve NuGunnar, still haunted by the theft of his NewRay 3000, is determined to reclaim it from Thriftway. Nurse 17 plays both den mother and war machine, tending to the team and disarming Lucky Buck in the most literal sense. Lucky Buck, ever a source of accidental chaos, makes up for past grenade mishaps with a well-placed explosive. Svenghoulie, the enigmatic wasteland ghoul, provides a Molotov cocktail mid-battle as a thoughtful gift. Tense Wasteland Travel: Gunfire in the distance signals trouble near Covenant. Raider Ambush at Covenant: The team executes a surprise attack, eliminating hostiles with a mix of precision, explosions, and mechanical saws. A Welcome at Covenant: The settlement's guards thank the party for their assistance, allowing them entry. On the Horizon: The mystery of Thriftway and his stolen tech looms large, promising more danger ahead. Featured Image Meta The town of Covenant, as depicted in Fallout 4. Credit: Bethesda.

On this episode, we delve far from the light to geek out about Shadowdark. The old-school-inspired RPG strips Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition to its essentials, and then adds in some modern sensibilities. We talk about our favorite mechanics, how it's impacted our other games (looking at you D&D 5th Edition!), and our players' penchant for wandering off into the dark. PLUS: Squishy wizards! Unlimited spells (if they don't kill you!) Morale failures! AND the upcoming Western Reaches Campaign Setting Kickstarter (link in the comments) Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Straight into the ShadowDark1:30 - Rolling Old-School Attributes (3D6 in Order!)4:10 - The Darkness is Your Enemy: Why Light Matters7:30 - Inventory Tetris: The Beauty of Gear Slots10:00 - Squishy Wizards and the Horror of 1 HP13:00 - No XP for Combat? Time to Get Creative15:20 - Skills? Where we're going, we don't need skills!18:00 - Morale Checks: Making Enemies Run in Fear20:30 - Unlimited Spells (But at What Cost?)23:00 - Clerical Penance: Displease Your God and Suffer26:00 - Rolling on the Chaos Tables: Why Randomness is Fun28:40 - Limited Rules, Maximum Improv31:00 - Excited for Western Reaches—More ShadowDark Content!32:30 - Final Thoughts & Where to Find Us Online Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch d12 Ways ShadowDark is Awesome! on YouTube Show Notes Old School Attributes. Roll 3d6. In order. Re-roll if you all your stats are under 14, re-roll. No one can see in the dark But the monsters can. Where do the monsters lurk? Gear Slots Carry a number of items equal to your STR stat or 10. All gear besides typical clothing fills one gear slot. Gear that is hard to transport might fill more than one slot. Squishy heroes A wizard with 3 hit points? Good luck. Skills Easy? You do it. (It’s infectious … started doing that in D&D too) Hard? You roll? Something make it easier? Advantage, Harder? Disadvantage Morale Enemies who are reduced to half their number (or half their hit points for a solo enemy) flee if they fail a DC 15 Wisdom check.  Large Groups. Make one check using the leader's WIS modifier. Throwback to old school D&D Your spells can kill you Dare to roll on the spell failure charts Magic missile bathes you in purple light? Unlimited Spells Just. Keep. Casting. But do you risk it Clerical Penance Inadequate or subversive penance (such as donating your sacrifice to a party member) only displeases your deity further and makes the spell loss permanent. Embrace the Random Talents depend on a die, not choice Limited rules. Maximum improv. Stripped down version of 5e removes a lot of the game’s specific rules. Improvise when the specific is needed. The rules system can fit in your head once you play it enough It’s in the Goldilocks zone of size The Western Reaches Kickstarter! Shadowdark RPG: The Western Reaches Setting ShadowDark Quickstart Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set (PDF)

We kickoff our Fallout 2d20 campaign with the protagonists (not sure we can call them "heroes" just yet) waking up in the Wasteland. Fallout 2d20 Campaign Page: An overview of the campaign, plus links to episodes and related game resources. Chapters 0:00 - Intro & Audio Shenanigans3:15 - Meet the Survivors8:40 - Escape from the Hospital Basement14:55 - Reg the Super Mutant Chef22:10 - Journey Through the Wasteland29:30 - EyeBot Encounters & Enclave Paranoia35:50 - The Boathouse Discovery42:15 - Bloatfly Swarm Attack!49:40 - Lucky Buck’s Unfortunate Grenade Fumble55:20 - Steve Learns About Boats & Water1:02:45 - Looting the Boathouse & Finding the Note1:10:30 - What’s the Deal with Thriftway?1:18:15 - Closing Thoughts & What’s Next Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Fallout 2d20 Chapter 1: Wasteland Wake-Up (S4E14) on YouTube. Show Notes Intro Banter & Setup: The team settles in, adjusting audio, discussing wildlife encounters, and reflecting on the horror of screech owls. Meet the Survivors: Ghoulardi – A grizzled ghoul with a quick wit. Nurse 17 – A pre-war Nurse Handy bot obsessed with Goldfish crackers and proper nap times. Steve NuGunnar – A Vault-Tec security veteran, utterly baffled by surface life. Lucky Buck – A shockingly lucky Brotherhood of Steel initiate with questionable grenade etiquette. Cryogenic Awakening: The group escapes a hospital basement, encountering a radroach-dissecting super mutant chef named Reg, who warns them to leave before his kin arrive. First Steps in the Wasteland: The survivors are joined by Svenghoulie, a ghoul carrying grenade-stuffed rubber chickens. The Journey to Covenant Begins: Along the cracked highways, they dodge a suspicious EyeBot blaring patriotic music and explain the concept of boats to a bewildered Steve. Bloatfly Brawl at the Boathouse: The team arrives at a seemingly abandoned boathouse, only to be swarmed by oversized, irradiated insects. Lucky Buck’s Unlucky Grenade Incident: Attempting to clear the infestation, Buck fumbles a baseball grenade, obliterating the bloatflies—and nearly taking Steve with him. Looting the Wreckage: The team scavenges supplies, discovering food, weapons, and a note pointing them toward Covenant and a mysterious Thriftway. Closing Thoughts & Next Steps: The session ends with a healed-up Steve demanding answers about Thriftway, as the group prepares for what lies ahead. Featured Image Meta Cryo-chambers from Fallout 4. Credit: Bethesda.

After venturing into the dark with only a torch to guide their way, the Campaigns & Coffee crew talks about their experiences playing the ShadowDark RPG (where they ARE very likely to be eaten by a grue). They discuss the dungeon-delving, old-school-inspired game’s real-time torch mechanics, its focus on fast-paced and high-stakes decision-making. They also look at encumbrance (no, you can not bring a golf club bag's worth of weapons), spell mechanics, and the game's relentless tension. Chapters 0:00 – Welcome1:00 – First Impressions of Shadowdark RPG3:05 – Torch Timer: Exciting or Stressful?5:36 – How Shadowdark Brings Back Old-School D&D8:11 – Minimal Planning, Maximum Action12:30 – Encumbrance: You Can’t Carry Everything!16:25 – Spells, Failures, and Magical Chaos18:00 – Fun (and Bad) Player Choices20:46 – The Overlord’s Healthcare Question22:06 – Outro and Final Thoughts Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch Shadowdark Impressions (Campaigns & Coffee) on YouTube. Show Notes David’s Sunday RPG Sessions Running Shattered Ark and diving into Shadowdark with friends. First Impressions of Shadowdark A game that balances intensity and relaxation, depending on playstyle. Real-Time Mechanics The torch timer creates urgency, making every decision count. Roleplaying vs. Action Less focus on deep character backstories, more on immediate problem-solving. Using Foundry VTT Learning the system while displaying maps on the big screen. Dungeon Delving Emphasis Shadowdark restores a classic Dungeons & Dragons dungeon-crawling feel. Comparing to Older D&D Editions Discussing how early D&D had more encounters and rest limitations. Encumbrance Matters! Inventory slots limit loot-hoarding, forcing strategic choices. Spell System Spells don’t disappear, but failed rolls can make them unusable or go awry. Player Stories Highlights of decision-making, torch anxiety, and unexpected survival. Featured Image Meta Cover art from the ShadowDark core rule book. Credit: The Arcane Library.

On this episode of Lair of Secrets, we present the our guide for new Game Masters, packed with advice, tips, and encouragement for those ready to take the GM seat. We explore choosing the right game, gathering players, preparing efficiently, and rolling with mistakes while ensuring a fun and engaging experience. Chapter List 0:00 - Welcome to the Lair & GMing 1012:00 - Choosing the Right Game for You & Your Players5:00 - Prepping Smart: Rules, Research & Quickstart Guides8:30 - Finding & Pitching to Players11:45 - One-Shots vs. Campaigns: Starting with Low Commitment14:20 - Tools of the Trade: GM Kits & Digital vs. In-Person Play17:30 - Rolling with Mistakes & Improvising on the Fly20:15 - Setting Expectations & Managing Player Dynamics23:00 - Encouragement for New GMs & The GMUary Initiative25:10 - Closing Thoughts & Join the Lair Community! Listen to the Episode Watch to the Episode Watch The Lair's Guide for New Game Masters (S4E13) on YouTube Show Notes Identify games you are interested in Game that you’ve been playing? A game you’ve had on your shelf and have been interested in? Watch videos or listen to podcasts about those games. Like say … Scum & Villainy or Cyberpunk RED actual plays here at the Lair :)  Make the Pitch Read the room and look for: games that fit the players might like Sense of whether they want a one shot or something extended Offer to run one game With the option to run more if you and the others like it Offer to run a self-contained game Fiasco Honey Heist Lasers & Feelings Lady Blackbird D&D Essentials Kit Do a test run Play the game at a convention Get a feel for how the game is run Try a solo adventure See the Dragonbane boxed set and its solo adventure Do a mini session with people excited for the game to “kick the tires” of the rules get used to being the GM figure out the virtual game table as the GM What’s your minimal viable game as a new Game Master Run a one shot That one shot means there isn’t a long commitment The one shot can turn into a multi-shot game if everyone is enthusiastic about it Quickstart rules for games Pregen characters This way you know what the character abilities are and how they might be played What we recommend you reading and setting up Review the scenario Take notes about parts that are confusing or not fleshed out. What we recommend you and your players review before the game: The basic rules for the game Rules Cheat Sheet Find one or make one Review the characters Some tools Index Cards Notebook List of names Pencils.  Extra dice Build a tool kit! Running - Don’t worry. You’ve got this. Talk with your group and set expectations. Ask the rules lawyer to chill (or to help) Let the group know that if you can’t find a rule, you’ll make a ruling and move on Roll with the fumbles (see also: ken makes awesomely bad mothership maps) Don’t worry about being “right”, work on having fun Featured Image Meta Cover art for the D&D Essentials Kit. Credit: Wizards of the Coast.

In this episode, we brainstorm ways to launch your campaign without resorting to "they meet in a bar". Providing fodder and inspiration is Greyhawk '76, Ken's upcoming D&D 2024 test drive campaign, and David's just launched open table ShadowDark campaign. We talk about how to engage players through immediate conflict, emphasizing choice, and balancing proactive vs. reactive player behaviors. Chapter List 0:00 Intro0:26 Ken’s Greyhawk Campaign Concept1:51 Greyhawk Nostalgia and Resources4:27 70s Aesthetics Meet D&D5:48 ShadowDark’s Torchlight Mechanics11:38 Kicking Off Campaigns with Conflict16:11 Engaging Passive Players19:57 Crafting a Dark Empire22:34 Outro and Call for Feedback Video https://youtu.be/GObxgGFpQQQ Show Notes Introduction: The hiatus of Elemental Apocalypse and excitement for D&D 2024. Greyhawk Revisited: Ken’s “Greyhawk 76” campaign idea with a 70s aesthetic, playlists, and retro maps. ShadowDark Adventures: David’s exploration of ShadowDark mechanics and its old-school D&D feel. Engaging Players: Starting campaigns with immediate conflict (e.g., being chased). Emphasizing consequential choices to encourage player buy-in. Balancing proactive and reactive player behaviors. Hero’s Journey: Using inciting incidents to create origin stories for party cohesion. Avoiding Passivity: Techniques to engage reluctant players or inspire action when adventurers resist the call. Overlord Advice: Brainstorming ideas for building a sustainable, formidable dark empire. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Bluesky Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch YouTube

We look at The Electric State RPG, a role-playing game game featuring a slow motion apocalypse, haunting artwork, and a cyberspace plague so intoxicating that people died playing it ... simply because they forgot to eat. We start with Simon Stålenhag's original art/fiction book, which depicts a young woman's journey across the wrecked remains of the United States. We then walk through the role-playing game, discussing its setup, mechanics, and how it translates art book into a different kind of apocalyptic game. Finally, we get confused about the upcoming 2025 The Electric State movie. Directed by the Russo Brothers, it shares the visual aesthetic of the book and the game, but the setting itself has gone from somber death dream to ... action comedy? After geeking out about The Electric State, we talk about Netflix's new KAOS series (featuring Greek gods in a modern day setting), the Balder's Gate 3 and Mechwarrior 5 video games, using Obsidian for an Ironsworn: Starforged solo campaign, and news of various Lair experiments. Check out our unboxing of the Electric State RPG! Chapter List 0:00 Intro2:15 Introducing The Electric State3:40 Exploring Themes of The Electric State: A Slow-Motion Apocalypse6:10 Comparisons to The Last of Us and the Visual Narrative7:55 The Netflix Adaptation: Apocalypse Meets Comedy?10:05 Year Zero Engine and Its Role in The Electric State RPG14:50 David's Thoughts on MechWarrior 5: Tactical Mech Combat16:50 Ken's Adventures in Baldur's Gate 3: An Epic Battle with a Door19:25 Starforged, Solo Campaigns, and Using Obsidian for RPG Journaling26:05 Winter Break Gaming Plans and Balancing Nostalgia28:20 Revisiting KAOS on Netflix: Greek Myths and Modern Horrors30:40 Planning for Starforged and Co-op Gameplay35:00 Outro: Cloaking Device and Final Remarks Listen to the Episode Watch the Episode Watch The Electric State RPG (S4E11) on YouTube Show Notes Introduction Ken beat Hades. Insomuch as anyone can beat Hades. The game REALLY keeps going after it is "finished". David completed his gaming coffee table project. The Electric State The Electric State book and RPG are set in an alternate 1997, where a slow-motion apocalypse combined with a virtual reality addiction, is wiping out civilization. The Electric State art/fiction book An example spread from The Electric State artbook by Simon Stålenhag. Released in 2018, The Electric State is a hybrid art book/fiction book. It’s a story of a slow motion apocalypse, and tells the story of a young woman and her robot traveling through a ruined American landscape in an alternate 1997. The world’s been wrecked by a plague of virtual reality, which almost everyone succumbed to. Like Stålenhag's Tales from the Loop, the book is a combination of art and written fiction. Unlike Tales from the Loop, there’s little wistfulness or sense of nostalgia in The Electric State. It’s about the end of the world … and it’s a somber read. It's been categorized as a graphic novel, but it's more of a novella wrapped in beautiful artwork. Most pages feature a short narrative, usually connected to the illustration on the accompanying pages. The Electric State RPG An example spread from The Electric State role-playing game. Inspired by the artbook, The Electric State RPG is published by Free League. It was funded by a Kickstarter, which raised $413,598 from 5,715 backers. Game Mechanics: Powered by Free League's Year Zero Engine [PDF] , used in games like ALIEN, Tales from the Loop, and Mutant Year Zero. Emphasis on survival, exploration, and narrative-driven journeys in a crumbling, dystopian America. Ideal for players in the right headspace, as the setting is emotionally heavy and reflective. Narrative Depth: Rich background story involving Neuronics technology developed in the 1960s for remote-controlled warfare. Escalation to civil war and the fracturing of the United Sta...