Dice in Mind

Raised in the mild climate of Northern California, Christopher Griffen's steady diet of Marvel comic books, Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and all the sci-fi he could read turned him into the man-child that he is today. Now a writer of both role-playing games – Traveller, from Mongoose Publishing is his game of choice – and comics from Markosia Publishing, he is living the dream, collaborating with some of the best in the business to create narratives for all to enjoy. Please check out these relevant links: Pioneer RPG Christopher Griffen on DriveThruRPG Christopher Griffen on Amazon Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Robert M. Hazen is Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution’s Geophysical Laboratory and Clarence Robinson Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University. He received the BS and SM in geology at the MIT, the PhD at Harvard University in Earth science, and was NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at Cambridge University. Michael Wong is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist whose primary scientific interests are planetary atmospheres, habitability, biosignatures, and the emergence of life. He is co-authoring a revised edition of the textbook Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach. He also hosts a podcast that examines science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek. He is working with Staff Scientist Bob Hazen to assess the network topologies of exoplanet atmospheres for potential biosignatures. Please check out these relevant links: Dr. Robert Hazen (Carnegie Science) Dr. Robert Hazen (George Mason University) Dr. Michael Wong (Carnegie Science) Dr. Michael Wong (Website) Time's Second Arrow: Evolution, Order, and a New Law of Nature Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Matt Forbeck is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author and game designer with over thirty-five novels and countless games published to date. His projects have won a Peabody Award, a Scribe Award, and numerous ENnies and Origins Awards. He is also the president of the Diana Jones Award Foundation, which celebrates excellence in gaming. His latest work includes the Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game, Hard West 2, Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, Minecraft Legends: Return of the Piglins, and the Shotguns & Sorcery 5E Sourcebook based on his novels. He is the father of five, including a set of quadruplets. Please check out these relevant links: Matt Forbeck (website) Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game: Core Rulebook Shotguns and Sorcery: The 5E Sourcebook Star Trek Adventures Second Edition: Species Sourcebook Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

And now for something completely different... Welcome to our first and only actual play episode! Join us as we embark on a homebrewed session of Star Trek Adventures titled "Ethics of the Fathers". Please check out this relevant link: Star Trek Adventures Second Edition Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Keith Ammann is an ENNIE Award–winning writer based in Chicago. He’s the author of several books of advice for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons players, including The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters, MOAR! Monsters Know What They’re Doing, How to Defend Your Lair, and most recently Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games, as well as the blog The Monsters Know What They’re Doing. He’s been a role-playing gamer and game master for more than thirty years. He likes to play outwardly abrasive helpers, out-of-their-element helpers, and genuinely nice, helpful helpers. Mostly, though, he plays non-player characters. And monsters. Please check out these relevant links: Making Enemies: Monster Design Inspiration for Tabletop Roleplaying Games Spy & Owl The Monsters Know What They're Doing (blog) Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Ben Robbins has spent most of his life elbow-deep in role-playing games. He created Microscope, Kingdom, and In This World, writes the ars ludi blog, and spent years running Story Games Seattle to bring total strangers together at the table. He's working on his new game, Rules of Law, as soon as he finishes writing this bio. Please check out these relevant links: Lame Mage Productions Microscope RPG Pioneer RPG Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

W.M. Akers is a novelist, playwright, editor, game designer, copywriter and, well, just about any other kind of writer you might require. He is the author of Westside, Westside Saints and Westside Lights, the creator of Deadball: Baseball With Dice and Comrades: A Revolution RPG, and too many plays to mention here. He is also responsible for Strange Times, a weekly newsletter that investigates the weirdest news 1921 has to offer, and Strange Pulp, an irregular journal of weird fiction. Please check out these relevant links: Website Deadball: Baseball with Dice Letters to the Stars Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Dr. Jason von Stietz is a licensed psychologist and cognitive behavior therapist who specializes in the treatment of people with OCD, Panic, Insomnia, and Sport/Performance related issues. Please check out these relevant links: Dr. Jason von Stietz (website) Movie House Sports Psychology (podcast) The Mentally Fit Athlete (podcast) Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Aaron Pollyea has a background in astronomy and physics, but currently has a day job dealing with climate change and its intersection with agriculture. He has been a life-long Star Trek fan, and has been working as a freelance writer for Star Trek Adventures since it began. In his free time, Aaron may be found gazing through his telescope, reading a good book, or doing historical reenacting with his wife. Al Spader is a middle school science teacher, father of five-year-old twin boys, and a freelance RPG writer and game designer. As a regular writer for Star Trek Adventures and lead designer of the Sentience 2d20 RPG, Al brings his knowledge of neurodivergence and social-emotional learning to the TTRPG community. Please check out these relevant links: REDACTED! Core Rulebook (coming soon!) Saucer Squadron Core Rulebook Pioneer RPG Kickstarter Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Dr. Aaron Peterson comes to Converse University from the North Star State of Minnesota. He holds an EdD in Educational Leadership with a focus on higher education administration from Minnesota State University, Mankato, an M.S. in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University’s School of Law and a B.S. in a double major of Communication Studies and Aviation Operations from St. Cloud State University. Dr. Peterson is the Director for the Doctorate in Professional Leadership and Assistant Professor of Leadership. He teaches in the Doctorate in Professional Leadership and the Master’s in Management programs. He is also currently developing graduate courses focusing on higher education leadership. He previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership with emphases in higher education and student affairs at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Prior to faculty roles, he served in multiple leadership roles in higher education and student affairs. These areas include residential life, financial aid, and student advising. Please check out these relevant links: Faculty Website Second Star to the Right: Essays on Leadership in Star Trek Call for Chapter Proposals: Beyond the Next Star Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Derek Tyler Attico is a speculative fiction author, essayist, and award-winning photographer. In fiction, Derek has won the Excellence in Playwriting Award from the Dramatist Guild of America, and he is a two-time winner of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds short story contest (“Alpha & Omega,” “The Dreamer and the Dream”) published by Simon and Schuster. Derek is also the author of the bestselling, critically acclaimed Star Trek novel The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko by Titan Publishing. Please check out these relevant links: Website The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Dr. Michael Wong is an NHFP Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Science's Earth & Planets Laboratory working with Robert M. Hazen and others. His primary scientific interests are planetary atmospheres, habitability, biosignatures, and the emergence of life. He is also co-authoring a revised edition of the textbook “Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach” with Professor Jonathan Lunine. His other passions include photography, writing, public speaking, graphic design, and playing a variety of team sports. He hosts a podcast called Strange New Worlds, which examines science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek. Please check out these relevant links: Paper in Nature (behind a paywall) Strange New Worlds Podcast Website Twitter Instagram Pioneer RPG Kickstarter Traveller RPG Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Ross Leiser is an asexual geek, math-loving theater and choir kid, and forever GM (by choice) who specializes in player-facing design. He's worked many jobs, from math teacher, to grocery store pizza maker, to flooring wholesaler, to landscaper, but he's a lot happier making games full-time. Since March of 2017, he's operated under the brand Outlandish Adventure Productions, with products that spark whimsy and capture the imagination, but with a serious focus on system syntax, narrative-mechanical cohesion, inter-party balance, and positive gameplay experiences for both the player and game master. His body of work primarily includes independent, third-party supplemental products for D&D 5e on the Dungeon Master's Guild, but now he's a senior designer on the core design team of the award-winning Cosmere RPG as a decade-long Sanderfan who's utterly obsessed with the Cosmere's magic systems, and having an absolute blast working alongside the most wonderful team in the world. Please check out these relevant links: LinkedIn Ross on Dungeon Masters Guild Cosmere BackerKit Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Katrina Ostrander has served as editor for over a dozen media tie-in novellas spanning multiple genres including cyberpunk, fantasy, Lovecraftian horror, and science fiction. She has worked with emerging writers as well as New York Times–bestselling authors. As the Creative Director of Story and Setting with the Asmodee Franchise Development Team, she oversees the internal and licensed development of the company’s proprietary IPs. Besides her work as an editor of tie-in fiction and developer of IPs, she has written for or developed over a dozen roleplaying game products, including adventures, supplements, and core rulebooks. Please check out these relevant links: Website The Worlds of Android Asmodee Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

It's a midsummer night's interlude! Instead of a full episode, we bring you this brief PSA. Please check out these relevant links: Fantasy Flight Games Edge Studio Cosmere RPG Second Star to the Right: Essays on Leadership in Star Trek Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

It's our sesquicentennial episode! Jim Johnson was born about the same time Apollo XII landed on the moon (and has always been kinda spacey) and shares a birthday with the Kindle. He is the author of the Pistols and Pyramids weird western series and the Potomac Shadows urban fantasy series. He's also written a bunch of other stuff in and around the SFF genres and pen and paper RPGs. He's currently the project manager and line editor for Modiphius's Star Trek Adventures RPG. Please check out these relevant links: Website Facebook Twitter YouTube Books on Amazon Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Dr. Michael Wong is an NHFP Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Science's Earth & Planets Laboratory working with Robert M. Hazen and others. My primary scientific interests are planetary atmospheres, habitability, biosignatures, and the emergence of life. I am also co-authoring a revised edition of the textbook Astrobiology: A Multidisciplinary Approach with Professor Jonathan Lunine. My other passions include photography, writing, public speaking, graphic design, and playing a variety of team sports. I host a podcast called Strange New Worlds, which examines science, technology, and culture through the lens of Star Trek. Please check out these links from the episode: Strange New Worlds Website Twitter Instagram Boldly Go! Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Ross Leiser is an asexual geek, math-loving theater and choir kid, and forever GM (by choice) who specializes in player-facing design. He's worked many jobs, from math teacher, to grocery store pizza maker, to flooring wholesaler, to landscaper, but he's a lot happier making games full-time. Since March of 2017, he's operated under the brand Outlandish Adventure Productions, with products that spark whimsy and capture the imagination, but with a serious focus on system syntax, narrative-mechanical cohesion, inter-party balance, and positive gameplay experiences for both the player and game master. His body of work primarily includes independent, third-party supplemental products for D&D 5e on the Dungeon Master's Guild, but now he's a senior designer on the core design team of the award-winning Cosmere RPG as a decade-long Sanderfan who's utterly obsessed with the Cosmere's magic systems, and having an absolute blast working alongside the most wonderful team in the world. Please check out these relevant links: LinkedIn Ross on Dungeon Masters Guild Cosmere BackerKit Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Peter Tinaglia is a human teacher who wants to use TTRPGs in places of work as a team building tool. His day job is teaching teenagers about history, but his evening job is running an after school D&D club for teenagers and teachers. Please check out these relevant links: ShadowDark SoloDark Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

Greta K. Kelly is (probably) not a witch, death or otherwise, but she can still be summoned with offerings of too-beautiful-to-use journals and Butterfingers candy. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her husband EJ, daughters Lorelei and Nadia who are doing their level-best to take over the world. The Warrior Witch duology, consisting of THE FROZEN CROWN and its sequel THE SEVENTH QUEEN are both out now. Greta’s third novel, THE QUEEN OF DAYS, a stand alone adult fantasy is also out now. Please check out these relevant links: Website The Frozen Crown The Seventh Queen The Queen of Days SFF Addicts Podcast Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.