What Would The Smart Party Do?

While at The Kraken Gaming Retreat, Gaz and Stunt Ben Guy joined legendary game designer Jonathan Tweet to discuss all manner of gaming topics, taking many quandaries live from the audience and delivering sage advice.

While at the Kraken gaming retreat, Gaz and Stunt Ben (Guy) caught up with famed game designer Jonathan Tweet to discuss his chapbook for the event - Fighter Wizard Elf — My Rules for Bare Metal D20 Gaming among his many other games, design in general and what it's like to travel to a German Schloss to play games with like-minded folk!

We were delighted to be joined by returning guest, Jason Cordova, to talk about his new release of anthology retro horror game, Public Access.You can check out the Kickstarter here.Check out an Actual Play of the game on Unconventional GMs.

Love Blades in the Dark, but want that Swinging 60s vibe? Maybe you're more of a Tinker, Tailor, spy maker kind of guy? Join us this time to go all psychedelic and groovy (or dark and moody) with Tim Denee telling us all about the new Blades '68.With guest Stunt Ben, Chris (aka Dirk the Dice off of The Grognard Files)Out on Backerkit

There's a new trend of playing with tiny groups, from solo journaling to one-on-one play and just having a pair of folk to game with due to scheduling or family time or many other factors. What's it all about? This time we dive into playing with 1d3-1 other players.

An enlightening chat with John from Wyrd Science. What does it take to make an RPG magazine in the modern age, and why on earth would you do it? Who reads the publication, and how would you determine what to put in there?You can find more about Wyrd Science here

It's been a long time since Gaz and Ben started this podcast, well over 200 episodes in fact. In this official 200th* show the lads reminisce and consider what they might have learned over recent years.What's been your favourite show?* more than 200 shows are available.

Call of Cthulhu Associate Editor Paul Fricker returns to talk about systems in RPGs - are they a help or a hindrance? Have you picked the right system for you? Can you have the best session ever (TM) without rolling any dice?You can listen to Paul's latest project Eldritch Stories hereSee some excellent Call of Cthulhu Actual Play on Unconventional GMs

What to make of history? Why, some great gaming of course! We are joined by Dirk the Dice from The Grognard Files to chat about what can be learned from the past and turned into gaming gold.Don't forget to check out the Hexham Heads and other myths!

Gaz is joined by Unconventional GMs co-host Guy Milner to talk about great adventures, scenarios and other things for ttrpgs. There has been a lot of discourse recently about scenarios being the thing that defines a game or it's designers, so the lads romp through some old and new examples of what is a good (or suboptimal) adventure. Drop a line with your favourites!

Dirk the Dice, genial host of the Grognard Files joins Gaz this time to talk about humble beginnings, the games we used to play and how that's changed over the years. The tables get turned part way through as interviewer becomes interviewee, but that's no bother as a lovely chat on all things gaming transpires.You can listen to the Grognard Files hereSee great examples of Actual Play at Unconventional GMs, including Dirk the Dice in Deathmatch Island

The long-awaited return of Cold City and Hot War gives the lads a perfect opportunity to talk to designer Malcolm Craig about the new versions of the game, inspiration for cold war Berlin, a deep dive into lazy-GM mechanics and much more!For an Actual Play of the new game in action, go to the Unconventional GMs youtube channel.Check out more details on the games on the Handiwork website.

This time Becky Annison and Josh Fox of Black Armada Games join us to talk about the new edition of Lovecraftesque, GMless games, design and small press publishing. Find out all about Black Armada on their website. Check out fast-paced Actual Play at Unconventional GMs!

Gaz is joined by (Stunt Ben) Guy to talk about pacing in games. How do you manage pace and get the most out of your sessions? Check out Unconventional GMs for pace-filled games!

Hi All It's been a minute, we've had a lot to deal with on the home front, but I've pulled out the stops and got you some Stunt Bens in to chat about reviews in gaming - how useful they are and what we want from them. Have a great festive season - all the best! Gaz & Ben

With a new edition of D&D on its way, more evolution than revolution, what elements could be done differently? The lads dive into other games and new ideas to see what could make the hobby's big player even better.

How do you prepare a new game for running at a convention, event or just with your friends? Gaz is joined by Stunt Ben, Guy from the Burn After Running blog and Craig from Third Floor Wars to give you all the advice you need and more!

We were delighted to have returning guest Jason Cordova on to talk about all things Brindlewood Bay, The Gauntlet and more! The Gauntlet Feat of a Black Dragon The Darkened Threshold Burn After Running Unconventional GMs

How much should players contribute to the ttrpg experience? How much are they allowed too? The lads discuss getting more out of your gaming sessions.

Live From the Spring Kraken 2024 in Germany, Gaz joined forces with game designer Robin D Laws and fellow Unconventional GM Guy Milner to give a seminar on running adventures games for ttrpgs. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠⁠.

How do you put more character in your #ttrpg character? You don't have to go full method actor, here are some simple and actionable ideas to get you started. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠.

Episode 186 – What Games Workshop Can Teach Us There's a lot of crossover between geeky hobbies, and with the lads both working for the big Games Workshop back in the day, what can skirmish games teach us about RPGs? If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠.

Episode 185 – Cities (aka Fantasy Tripadvisor) After wandering the wilderness and diving down dungeons, plucky adventurers wish to go to an enthralling city. Maybe your entire campaign is based around one location. The lads explore various cities from ttrgps and the merits and flaws thereof! If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 184 – Hot War, Cold City (with Jon Hodgson and Malcolm Craig) Joining the ‘cast this time, Jon Hodgson of Handiwork Games and RPG author and academic Malcolm Craig. The Cold War period and monster hunting in Berlin come to the fore as the lads dive into Hot War and Cold City among other great games from the Handiwork studio! You can find out more about Malcolm Craig here. And here are some links for Handiwork Games:Hot War & Cold CityFiveEvilMaskwitchesBeowulf If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 183 – Unacceptable! (a.k.a. It’s Not You It’s Us) There are a plethora of gaming events to go to these days and you meet all kinds of people and playstyles. Often this is a cause for celebration, a way to pick up new ideas and techniques. Sometimes though, it’s suboptimal. There are still some people who haven’t got the memo about gaming with others, and this time the lads aim to set things straight.

Episode 182 – How To GM with Justin Alexander The lads are delighted to have returning Good Friend of the Show, RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. He’s got a new book coming out, available in all good purveyors of such things, So You Want To Be A Game Master. Join for great insights, some not seen or heard before on the Alexandrian (or maybe anywhere!) and to get a unique precis of what is in this fine work. Visit Justin’s excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as check out what’s hot at Atlas Games. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 181 – Gaming in Ukraine with Tasha from idearoll Fresh from The Kraken gaming retreat, the lads have met old friends and made new ones. Chief among those is Tasha from the idearoll youtube channel, who joins them this week to talk about gaming events, the scene in Ukraine and challenges of the current environment. A great episode full of enthusiasm and community spirit! You can find the idearoll channel below (in Ukrainian), which also has several other links for supporting the team’s efforts. idearoll on YouTube. Get yourself a copy of the Vaesen Spirits and Monsters of Mythic Ukraine on Drivethru here. Charitable links:Defence And DeminingMedical AidRebuild UkraineCome Back AliveHospitallers If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less.

Episode 180 – Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb Returning special guest Rob Schwalb, creator of Shadow of the Demonlord, Punk Apocalyptica, D&D designer and more, returns to the show to tell us all about his design process and work on his new Kickstarter, Shadow of the Weird Wizard. The Kickstarter project page is here: Shadow of the Weird Wizard. If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less.

Episode 179 – Pendragon 6e with David Larkins Returning special guest David Larkins, Line Editor for the King Arthur Pendragon RPG joins the lads to talk about the new edition, it’s starter set and get back to basics on what Pendragon is all about for new players and old hands alike! If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 178 – Starforged With Shawn Tomkin Returning special guest Shawn Tomkin, designer of Ironsworn and of particular interest this time, Starforged. It’s an excellent Sci Fi RPG and well worth digging into, which is exactly what the lads do this time! If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 177 – Wilderness Travel Fancy a trip to the Isle of Dread!? This episode the lads take a look at traveling in the wilderness, how to make it interesting and what tips and trips can improve the journey. If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 176 – Dungeons Not Dragons Whether you’re from the old school days of white-lined maps on blue backgrounds, or newly arrived at the idea of maps, scouring the internet for your Roll20 backgrounds, dungeons have a long and storied history in RPGs. Join the lads as they look back over the years at dungeons, what makes them good and how they can be used better. If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours

If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll know we love AGON, powered by the Paragon system. This time the lads are delighted to be joined by Sean Nittner, the co-author and independent game designer Tim Denee, who’s done some great stuff with the game. Come on in for a deep dive on the game design process, what makes these sets of games great and how to squeeze more gaming juice from your sessions! Evil Hat have a ton of great games you can peruse for your delectation on their website.You can see more of Tim’s great work on his website, Old Dog GamesIf you’re in the US, or plan on travelling there for a convention, find out about Big Bad Con here. If you dig actual plays then check out the new Unconventional GMs for games played in about two hours!

Episode 174 – Beyond Dread Portals (a.k.a. Climinal) This time the boys are joined by Good Friend of the Show and returning guest Dr Mitch and Newt from D101 Games to talk about their new project Beyond Dread Portals. A game for those wanting to move slightly away from what D&D has to offer, but with some familiarity so the leap of faith isn’t too scary!

Episode 185 – Cities (aka Fantasy Tripadvisor) After wandering the wilderness and diving down dungeons, plucky adventurers wish to go to an enthralling city. Maybe your entire campaign is based around one location. The lads explore various cities from ttrgps and the merits and flaws thereof! If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 184 – Hot War, Cold City (with Jon Hodgson and Malcolm Craig) Joining the ‘cast this time, Jon Hodgson of Handiwork Games and RPG author and academic Malcolm Craig. The Cold War period and monster hunting in Berlin come to the fore as the lads dive into Hot War and Cold City among other great games from the Handiwork studio! You can find out more about Malcolm Craig here. And here are some links for Handiwork Games: Hot War & Cold City FiveEvil Maskwitches Beowulf If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 183 – Unacceptable! (a.k.a. It’s Not You It’s Us) There are a plethora of gaming events to go to these days and you meet all kinds of people and playstyles. Often this is a cause for celebration, a way to pick up new ideas and techniques. Sometimes though, it’s suboptimal. There are still some people who haven’t got the memo about gaming with others, and this time the lads aim to set things straight. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 182 – How To GM with Justin Alexander The lads are delighted to have returning Good Friend of the Show, RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. He’s got a new book coming out, available in all good purveyors of such things, So You Want To Be A Game Master. Join for great insights, some not seen or heard before on the Alexandrian (or maybe anywhere!) and to get a unique precis of what is in this fine work. Visit Justin’s excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as check out what’s hot at Atlas Games. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 181 – Gaming in Ukraine with Tasha from idearoll Fresh from The Kraken gaming retreat, the lads have met old friends and made new ones. Chief among those is Tasha from the idearoll youtube channel, who joins them this week to talk about gaming events, the scene in Ukraine and challenges of the current environment. A great episode full of enthusiasm and community spirit! You can find the idearoll channel below (in Ukrainian), which also has several other links for supporting the team’s efforts. idearoll on YouTube. Get yourself a copy of the Vaesen Spirits and Monsters of Mythic Ukraine on Drivethru here. Charitable links: Defence And Demining Medical Aid Rebuild Ukraine Come Back Alive Hospitallers If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 180 – Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb Returning special guest Rob Schwalb, creator of Shadow of the Demonlord, Punk Apocalyptica, D&D designer and more, returns to the show to tell us all about his design process and work on his new Kickstarter, Shadow of the Weird Wizard. You can jump on in for the Kickstarter project here, or just pick up the free quickstart to see if it’s your sort of thing! Shadow of the Weird Wizard. If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 179 – Pendragon 6e with David Larkins Returning special guest David Larkins, Line Editor for the King Arthur Pendragon RPG joins the lads to talk about the new edition, it’s starter set and get back to basics on what Pendragon is all about for new players and old hands alike! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 178 – Starforged With Shawn Tomkin Returning special guest Shawn Tomkin, designer of Ironsworn and of particular interest this time, Starforged. It’s an excellent Sci Fi RPG and well worth digging into, which is exactly what the lads do this time! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 177 – Wilderness Travel Fancy a trip to the Isle of Dread!? This episode the lads take a look at traveling in the wilderness, how to make it interesting and what tips and trips can improve the journey. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 176 – Dungeons Not Dragons Whether you’re from the old school days of white-lined maps on blue backgrounds, or newly arrived at the idea of maps, scouring the internet for your Roll20 backgrounds, dungeons have a long and storied history in RPGs. Join the lads as they look back over the years at dungeons, what makes them good and how they can be used better. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you’re less keen, give us a shout, we’d are open to development opportunities! 🙂

Episode 175 - Paragon System with Sean Nittner and Tim Denee If you're a fan of the show, you'll know we love AGON, powered by the Paragon system. This time the lads are delighted to be joined by Sean Nittner, the co-author and independent game designer Tim Denee, who's done some great stuff with the game. Come on in for a deep dive on the game design process, what makes these sets of games great and how to squeeze more gaming juice from your sessions! Evil Hat have a ton of great games you can peruse for your delectation on their website. You can see more of Tim's great work on his website, Old Dog Games If you're in the US, or plan on travelling there for a convention, find out about Big Bad Con here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 174 - Beyond Dread Portals (a.k.a. Climinal) This time the boys are joined by Good Friend of the Show and returning guest Dr Mitch and Newt from D101 Games to talk about their new project Beyond Dread Portals. A game for those wanting to move slightly away from what D&D has to offer, but with some familiarity so the leap of faith isn't too scary! The Beyond Dread Portals Kickstarter page https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/645319106/beyond-dread-portals D101 Games website https://d101games.com More about OpenQuest https://openquestrpg.com Crypts and Things https://d101games.com/product/crypts-and-things-remastered/ Reboot the Future https://d101games.com/product/crypts-and-things-remastered/ If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 173 - Third Floor Wars (a.k.a. Third Party Podcaster) A third podcaster, Craig Shipman from Third Floor Wars joins the lads this time to talk about some of our collective GM experiences at running three different games. From Blades in the Dark to Savage Worlds by way of Call of Cthulhu, this mighty triumvirate of gaming tells you what's hot and what's not, with tips, tricks and experiences of running these popular RPGs. To listen to John Harper's series on running Blades and more, head on over to his Youtube channel. The the glorious media empire of Third Floor Wars and more of Craig's great content visit the website here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 172 - OGL OMG (a.k.a. Version Wars) There has been no end of social media frenzy about Hasbro / Wizards of the Coast and their attempt to introduce a new Open Gaming Licence. What is? Why are they doing? What's everyone upset about? Does it impact your game at the kitchen table? Find out, all this and more, with special guest Mat from Steamforged Games. If you are interested in the legal aspects of all this check out Legal Eagle. The latest on the open D&D playtest and OGL 1.2 is on the WotC website. For Games Workshop reminiscing, Baz talked about Goonhammer. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 171 - 2022 Retrospective (a.k.a. A Polite Golf Clap) A look back on the past year, what's been good for gaming, what can we look forward to and more. A genial fireside chat with your amiable hosts. If you are interested in solo play for Ironsworn as mentioned check out this channel. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 170 - Star Wars (a.k.a. Live Long And Prosper) A chance to reminisce among other things, the lads chatter about bringing Star Wars into your gaming life and what's good about that. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: [email protected]: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)