Gaming and BS RPG Podcast

Brett and Sean meetup during a Saturday LIVE stream to catch up and talk about spotlight hogging, or rather chasing the spotlight.  Join Sean every Saturday at 8am CT LIVE on Youtube https://youtube.com/how2rpg Stay in touch with the community, join the Discord. http://gamingandbs.com/discord Buy Brett's The Streets of Avalon rpg setting https://bit.ly/streets_avalon

Streaming on a Saturday morning, the boys got together to talk about some stuff. === Join Sean on Saturdays at 8am CT: http://how2rpg.com Discord: http://gamingandbs.com/discord Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seanpkelley

BSer Con 2: Electric Boogaloo is happening! Back by popular demand, we will be holding our virtual online #ttrpg convention in January 2023.  Event submission and badge registration is open now. Head over to http://gamingandbs.com/bsercon for badges, dates, and more!

The final episode of the show, we chose to do an AMA format. Thank you for all the questions. Special thanks to John for keeping us on the mics for just a little longer. Thank you to all the BSers! This one is dedicated to you. Random Encounter Voicemail from Jason Hobbs Mirko the Digitalhobbit...

We look back and reflect upon things we’ve learned over the last 7+ years. Random Encounter Chris Shorb calls in about Are They Lying? Email from my friend Chris D. Follow up email from Roger Brasslett about hanging it up Audio from Harrigan, friend and moderator of our Discord Die Roll Dwarven Fiasco Covenstead: A...

How the hell do you deal with lying in your rpgs? Lying NPCs that is, or lying PCs perhaps – not talking about out of game lying (e.g. “I swear it was Sean that took the last beer!”), but lying in your games. Announcements First episode of GM Mastermind dropped today. Go subscribe Random Encounter...

Gaming and BS trailer leading up to the final episode – #384. Submit your questions for the AMA: https://gamingandbs.com/ama Join us LIVE on June 27th at 8pm CT/1am GMT

Is getting a rpg starter set worth purchasing or should you go straight to the core book? Announcements Thank you carlclare for the kind review GM Mastermind! Random Encounter Matt aka mgr comments on the last episode Duet Gaming Forrest comments on Duet Gaming Die Roll Trailhead from Discord: 150 Toothless Skulls in Mexico, Ancient...

Duet gaming, or one game master and one player. Announcements End is near. After 7+ years and what will be 384+ episodes of the show, B and I have decided to retire. Random Encounter DM Cojo voicemail on save or die Die Roll Caught in the Backrooms – a little something by our friend Chad...

Brett assumes the role as game master as Sean plays two characters in this short adventure. Only this time Brett talks about the decisions he makes and why, and he does it in real-time.   Subscribe on iOS or Android so you don’t miss our next episode where we have a big news to share....

Vaesen, a nordic horror rpg by Free League Publishing. You will find out why we like this rendition of a curated role-playing game. Fancy talk for what we’re about to divulge. Random Encounter Voicemail from Chris Shorb Voicemail from Todd Crapper of Broken Ruler Games Jim F. emails about ep 377 using lore and setting...

If you want the Players to engage with your lore/setting/cool stuff – you need to make that stuff part of the solution to their problems. The lore must be relevant to the adventure. If they can solve everything with their character sheet, they don’t need your setting. Unless the player(s) really like learning your lore,...

Of all of the things that we steal from other art forms (e.g. movies, novels, TV, etc.) for our games, one of the things that would be most helpful would be to understand story structure, drama, and pacing. Developing and tuning our senses for these things will help us not only as GMs, but also...

We talk about making a setting/world believable for us/our players – helping to keep the verisimilitude working. But do we know what we need/want? I mean, what does it take for us to believe? What about the other players in the game? Perhaps we need to provide different things to different players to help them?...

One of the things we like to compare RPGs to is to novels, screenplays, etc. One of the things that we need to really understand and appreciate about this is that those products are HEAVILY edited, managed, and modified before they come to us. When we create an rpg adventure, campaign, or even a simple...

A special crossover episode. This week we feature an episode from Craig Shipman’s podcast Third Floor Wars. In this episode Craig interviews Sage LaTorra, co-creator of Dungeon World.  Enjoy. Find more Third Floor Wars: Website: https://thirdfloorwars.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThirdFloorWars Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thirdfloorwars Subscribe on iOS or Android so you don’t miss our next episode. GamingandBS.com/Discord GamingandBS.com/Forums GamingandBS.com/Games...

Rival adventuring party in your role-playing game, do you use them? How do you use them? It is obvious to the players they are a rival group? Announcements BSer Con event registration opens Jan 10 at noon CT Random Encounter Voicemail from Old School DM Warden sounds off on last episode DnD Success with a...

An extended Random Encounter segment as we talk more about 5e success and failure. Announcements Change in release schedule Intro the show – sign up BSer Con Evercon – website Arcadia – website Random Encounter Stephen Dragonspawn phones in a couple – bad dice Edwin emails us about Bad Dice Old School DM comments on...

Multiple NPC’s in the same scene can cause the game master to have a conversation with themselves. The players will want to know who is who. Thanks Edwin Nagy for inspiration on this one. Announcements BSer Con – submit your events. Event submission closes Jan 3rd. https://gamingandbs.com/bsercon Random Encounter Eric J comments on Good Dice...

What do we do when the dice turn on us? How to have fun even if the randomizer of choice fails us. Announcements BSer Con – event submission closes Jan 3, 2022 Introsignup Die Roll The Wachterhaus Crypt, dnd5e adventure. Expands on events from St. Andral’s Feast in Curse of Strahd on DMs Guild  ...

One of the things that can be very frustrating for our players is when they feel confused or ignorant. Sometimes though, being ignorant and working towards clarity is pretty necessary for the game to work. Announcements BSer Con – submit your events. Random Encounter Rory comments on episode 368 Hack Job or No Voicemail from...

Do we only want a solid core mechanic and then we lean on outside skills or ideas? In short, how much do we like to tinker/develop mechanics ourselves? We talk about the RPG hack job. Announcements BSer Con – Submit your events! Random Encounter Voicemail from Chris Shorb Voicemail from DM Cojo Edwin Nagy writes...

What makes us interested in a tabletop rpg? Is it the role-playing game setting(s), or is it the rpg system? Announcements BSer Con Random Encounter Gabe comments on ep 366 handling multiple expectations at the table Davy W writes in Laramie comments on Limiting PC Creation Options for Sake of Tone LordBob comments on Limiting...

What happens when you have more than one set of expectations/desires at the table? Have one person who doesn’t care if their PC dies early or often, another never wants to die, another wants to just have combat encounters, someone else only wants to role-play…. Announcements BSer Con badge registration and event submission open now...

Maintaining tone in a #ttrpg is one of the hardest things to maintain – Sometimes creating limits to player character generation options can help enforce and maintain this through the campaign. Announcements BSer Con – submit your events. Random Encounter Matt Bohnhoff emails us on The End is Near Voice mail from Chris Shorb Die...

Brett is running some AD&D and one of the features (bugs?) in this game is the Save or Die situation. Some folks hate this and others enjoy it. Where are we? Announcements BSer Con is underway with registration and event submission!! Head to gamingandbs.com/bsercon . It’s virtual/online Jan 28-30, 2022. Random Encounter Jim, inspiration for...

How are Sean and Brett organizing their GM stuff? campaigns, sessions, etc. Anything not working? How much is a matter of having to use the tools and use the tools (practice)? Thanks to patron Jim I. for the inspiration! Announcements IntroSignUp – Thank you Angus, check out Kirby’s Kids Podcast: https://bit.ly/3Gjv6My Project BS: Delta Green...

What are the Up and Down sides to knowing when a campaign is going to end? “Well… this is the last session so…” “We only have X more sessions” Does any of this impact how we plan, play, run? Announcements Project BS Random Encounter Bob L. writes in on episode 361 and Brett’s Dungeon E...

Location Encounters are sometimes a bit of a special beast. How in-depth do we make them? How big? How much time does that party want to spend here? How many game sessions are we ready have in this location? Sean and I got to talking about building and using dungeons and other such locations where...

One of the key things that make a TTRPG a TTRPG is that there is no “Right Answer” for nearly everything. By that I mean – when you have any encounter, there are quite nearly unlimited options for how you will solve it. No two groups will play through the same adventure the same way....

How do we nicely discuss the topic of “you should play X game instead of Y game” so that we don’t come across as snobbish assholes? “I want to play X type of game with Y system” is often met with, “Then you shouldn’t play that system, you need this better system.” Announcements Project BS:...

It’s a classic rpg trope. You all meet in a tavern, but it doesn’t have to be boring or the same every time you use it. Besides, there are other ways to bring your role-playing game party of characters together. Announcements Project BS: The Delta Green Experiment Sign up for some games Random Encounter Harrigan...

Always be prepping rpg’s. Many people don’t think Brett does any prep for his games, but that’s not necessarily true. Announcements Delta Green Experiment – we’ve chosen Hourglass (print / pdf) as our adventure. Next phase: Pick the dates and times for the game Gameholecon.com Random Encounter Chris Shorb leaves voicemail on dedication vs serious....

Using an image to portray the scene. Montage boards, throwing a picture down on the table or simply describing it to the players. Announcements Project BS: The Delta Green Experiment Third Floor Wars hosts Streets of Avalon game with Brett. Friday, Aug 27th at 8pm CT US Random Encounter David B. emails on homework and commitment...

Players in rpg’s don’t read the handouts, or read the GM notes about the setting or home rules, how much homework should they do? Announcements Event registration is under way for Gamehole Con Avalon game – Friday, June 27th at 8pm on Twitch Random Encounter Harrigan, Rory, Vece and FeelinGoodLouis comment on Delta Green Initiative...

Sean and I have been talking about running the same game with the same adventure to see who’s better… actually, just to compare notes on how things are going, talk about how we’re approaching things, and see if we can learn from each other.So, let’s see if we can setting on a system and an...

Sean and I take this hobby seriously – more seriously than some other folks do. What happens when there are differences in dedication between folks in a group? Should folks like Sean and I cut some slack to those who don’t take it as seriously/dedicated as we do? Announcements Gamehole Con events – 10 under...

RPG player feedback is not often considered. It is a little different from giving game masters feedback. We talk about it. Announcements Gamehole Con Random Encounter Stephen Dragonspawn emails us on Retcon Deputy Dragonspawn, of the BSPD I believe that you may have forgotten to mention that players often times have the ability to retcon...

Getting information to our players and to our GMs can be challenging. We want to do it in character, or as a character. Sometimes it’s just easier to break the 4th wall. Announcements Gamehole Con Random Encounter Timothy Stone calls one in Timothy Stone calls one in Edwin emails us on hex crawls Edwin emails...

RPG Retcon, revise. A piece of new information that imposes a different interpretation on previously described events. Announcements Sean submitted a game for Gamehole Con Brett has submitted 3 games for Gamehole! Email sent out. You didn’t get it? Sign up here Edwin Nagy is needing BS’er feedback, go here to provide it Random Encounter...

You appreciate the thing that one rpg does but you prefer to run another game. Why not pull in a mechanic from one system into another? Thanks Cojo for the inspiration. Announcements Sean and Brett submitting games to Gamehole Con Email about to go out. Sign up here Random Encounter Timothy Stone calls in about...

Thing about rpg editions is we look back at older editions and find things familiar, that we miss. Newer editions could bring ingenuity, a certain pragmatism or mechanics that make better sense. Announcements Gamehole Con registration opens July 1st! Random Encounter Email from Ty Email from Ty Hey guys I really love the show. As...

Brett wonders what kind of lessons did Sean learn when running one his most recent games. A GM’s journey is never over. Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums. Gamehole Con, come have fun! Random Encounter Sky comments on Discord about episode 345 modifying combats on the fly Sky comments on Discord about episode...

Being a better ttrpg player, it doesn’t have to always fall to the game master to produce a great gaming experience. Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums. Jim Fitzpatrick will be running a Sign Language game at Gamehole Con 2021! Random Encounter Todd Broken Ruler Games comments on modifying encounters on the fly...

You plan a combat encounter, but the party walks through it, or it knocks them down too quickly. We talk about modifying encounters on the fly. Thanks to Eric Salzwedel for the inspiration! Announcements Gamehole Con register an event under Gaming and BS. Official plushie is the Blink Dog! Random Encounter Todd Crapper comments on...

Streaming or recording rpg actual play takes a different approach to how might run your game. It all depends on why you want to do it. Announcements Get your events into Gamehole Con. Consider running under GBS banner! Random Encounter Email from Mark Tasaka Email from Mark Tasaka Hi Sean, I would like to wish...

RPG’s, source of joy, friendship, creativity, and much more. But for some of us they can become an obsession and possibly a crutch. We try and find the perfect game. Are we expecting too much? Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums.Submit events to Gamehole Con under GBS banner Random Encounter Voicemail from Timothy...

Jared Rascher broke Brett’s Avalon cosmology by changing the rpg setting!  Why isn’t Brett mad about that?  Let’s talk about what Jared did, why it’s pretty cool, and what ideas/lessons we can learn from this. Changing the RPG setting can be done. Make it your game. Will the changes make sense? Does it matter? We...

Overview of Symbaroum, the dark, gritty, and deadly tabletop rpg by Free League Publishing. We briefly touch on the mechanics and the setting. Announcements Let’s play! Want to try a new game, or play with other members of the BS community? Forbidden Lands – Year Zero Engine on How2RPG youtube channel Random Encounter Jared Rascher...

A game master can say no when running a tabletop rpg. It doesn’t always have to be ‘yes and’ or ‘no but’. For the sanctity of the game! Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums. Gamehole Con even submission opened May 1st. Third Floor Wars runs Brett and Sean through Blades in the Dark,...