Tag Archives: Special Guest

Episode 41: On Taming a Lethal Conflict Inside Old and New School D&D (with Umbramancer)

Summary

Published: July 28, 2023

This episode has quite a title, doesn’t it? It’s not hyperbole, but you may have to check out Umbramancer’s series on YouTube for the complete picture from a D&D perspective. With luck, and your kindness, the parts in this episode will make sense.

SEGMENTS:

[1] an exploratory conversation about lethality as a feature versus story as a feature. Eloy Cintron, known on YouTube as Umbramancer, shares his practical application of all of my theory talk to D&D as we explore the metric by which he assessed my ideas on Layers of and Approaches to Play: Dungeon Crawl Mode vs Story Mode in Dungeons & Dragons.

[2] Calls for greater context from Jason Connerley and Che Webster

[3] How to get involved in the discussion

REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:

[1] People and Podcasts of the Internet: Roleplay Rescue Podcast and Blog, The Nerds RPG Variety Cast, Keep off the Borderlands, Random Screed

[2] The Elusive Shift: How Role-Playing Games Forged Their Identity (Game Histories) Jon Peterson

[3] Umbramancer YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@umbramancer5466

[4] Perspectives on Play by FreeThrall The Stochasium | Substack

[5] dungeon crawl mode versus story mode a video by @Umbramancer on YouTube

[6] #RPGaDay2023

NEXT EPISODE: It is time to talk about a lot of the varied “immersions”

Remember!

#RPGaDay2023 is on its way. Check the Autocratik blog by David Chapman or my Casting Shadows blog for all the details! Also, check out this fantastic warm-up contest by Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast as we wait for August to arrive!

CONTACT ME:

[1] ⁠Send a voice message to CastingShadowsPodcast (speakpipe.com)⁠

[2] Find me on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @Runeslinger

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Send in a voice message via Speakpipe!

Ubiquity Roleplaying Games Discord

Episode 40: On Framing Layers as Cakes, Practical Layers, and Lamenting Lacking Lexicons

Summary

Published: July 24, 2023

This episode is filled to the brim with words. With luck, and your kindness, those words will make sense.

SEGMENTS:

[1] The episode begins with the promised reply to Che Webster’s epic call-in from the previous episode (Exploring the Experience of Play). To hear that message in its entirety, please refer to that episode. It’s right at the beginning so you won’t have to search for it; just press play and relax. In this episode, a short and directly relevant section of his call is presented for context but that wee snippet o’ Che pales in comparison to the full expression of his ideas. Don’t cheat yourself. Go back and revel in the full message. The context of the tiny morsel of Che in this episode reveals the semantic nuance of Frames that were obvious to Che but not to me, and the understanding of switching costs in cognition when “multitasking” or alternating between two tasks – an idea upon which we are in full agreement: at least for certain tasks.

[2] We then move into what might be the meat or might be the side dish of this meal, practical examples of using understanding of layers to inform how we play.

[3] The last main segment of the episode is a recap of ideas I have expressed about a lexicon of useful terms, jargon, and techniques for roleplaying games.

REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:

[1] People and Podcasts of the Internet: Roleplay Rescue Podcast and Blog, The Nerds RPG Variety Cast, Keep off the Borderlands, Random Screed, Primaeval Fantasy

[2] On Switching Costs: ⁠Multitasking: Switching costs (apa.org)⁠ [3] ⁠The Elusive Shift: How Role-Playing Games Forged Their Identity (Game Histories)⁠⁠Jon Peterson⁠

[4] Umbramancer YouTube Channel: ⁠ Umbramancer – YouTube⁠

[5] Perspectives on Play by FreeThrall ⁠The Stochasium | Free Thrall | Substack⁠

[6] Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games as Social Worlds

⁠⁠Gary Alan Fine⁠⁠

298 pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 | © 1983

Promotional Blurb: This classic study still provides one of the most acute descriptions available of an often misunderstood subculture: that of fantasy role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine immerses himself in several different gaming systems, offering insightful details on the nature of the games and the patterns of interaction among players—as well as their reasons for playing.

[7] All for One: Regime Diabolique (Triple Ace Games, Musketeers face Supernatural Threats and Intrigue, Ubiquity) Actual Play Playlist

Solo Player Episode: Margot; An invisible experience of immersion

NEXT EPISODE:

The next episode will feature Eloy Cintron, known on YouTube as Umbramancer, who shares his practical application of all of this theory talk to D&D as we explore the metric by which he assessed my ideas on Layers of and Approaches to Play: Dungeon Crawl Mode vs Story Mode in Dungeons & Dragons.

Remember!

#RPGaDay2023 is on its way. Check the Autocratik blog by David Chapman or my Casting Shadows blog for all the details! Also, check out this fantastic warm-up contest by Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast as we wait for August to arrive!

CONTACT ME:

[1] ⁠Send a voice message to CastingShadowsPodcast (speakpipe.com)⁠

[2] Find me on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube @Runeslinger

—

Send in a voice message via Speakpipe!

Ubiquity Roleplaying Games Discord

Episode 39: Exploring the Experience of Play with Roleplay Rescue

Summary

Published: July 22, 2023

Thanks to Che Webster for leaving the lavish sensorium that is Roleplay Rescue for a time to drift about in this cemetery of lost content. Yes, I jest. Visit the great stuff that Che is doing his enjoyable site.

We will respond directly to Che’s call at the start of the show in a later episode focused on those ideas. Have no fear! Visit Keep off the Borderlands, Random Screed, and the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for more segments and messages along these general lines!

#RPGaDay2023 is on its way. Check the Autocratik blog by David Chapman or my Casting Shadows blog for all the details! Also, check out this fantastic warm-up contest by Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast as we wait for August to arrive!

RELEVANT LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Che Webster’s site – Roleplay Rescue

Spencer’s podcast – Keep Off the Borderlands

Jason Connerley’s Podcast – Nerds RPG Variety Cast

Jason Hobbs’ Podcast – Random Screed

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Ubiquity Roleplaying Games Discord

Episode 25: Alien, Encouragement, and Immersion ~ Oh My!

Summary

Please join me as I navigate three very different topics with the help of some kind callers. This episode features calls from hosts of The GMologist Presents, Hindsightless, Spikepit, and Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast podcasts. Karl, Joe, Colin, and Jason were kind enough to listen to one or more episodes of this podcast and have called in to give depth and meaning to the conversation. Links to those shows are below.

Topic One: Difference between Cinematic and Campaign Modes in Free League’s Alien RPG 

Topic Two: RPGaDay Call-ins 

Topic Three: Immersion, call-ins, and commentary 

LINKS:

Casting Shadows blog   

Runeslinger’s YouTube Channel

PODCASTS mentioned or calling in to this episode:

Spikepit  

Hindsightless  

Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast  

The GMologist Presents  

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Episode 24: Shipmans, Skorkowskys, and Nerds ~ Oh my!

Summary

Sections include notes on my guest appearance on Roundtable Roulette with host Craig Shipman and fellow guest Seth Skorkowsky, thoughts about the next ⁠RPGaDay⁠ (2022), more on our ongoing but sometimes interrupted Alien Campaign, and a special focus on the once-again recent and always interesting topic: immersion thanks to an interesting series of observations and call-ins appearing on the Nerds’ RPG Variety Cast.

Additional Links:

Alien Actual Play

Third Floor Wars

Modern Mythos

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