What do we mean when we say rewards beyond loot? Not just money, treasure or magic items. Let’s give a few examples and it’ll be clear. ## Non loot rewards (01:24) Some examples: - Land - Titles - Association (part of a guild/group/etc) - House / Place to live - Renown - Something personal - Narrative power ## GMs - What can we do with non treasure…

What is an information dump? When a large amount of information is dumped upon the players. Mostly tedious information. Here are some ways to make dumping information more interesting. Show, don’t tell (00:26) This is the most basic and fundamental principal. Don’t just tell things. - Effects: Think what will be the result of the information you wa…

In today's episode we talk about two very different aspects of information management. I have good news and bad news: the bad news is that most game systems have some really iffy bits that somehow managed to get past the playtest phase or just not suited to your game and that sucks, the good news is that you don’t have to use them. Sometimes a part…

What makes a player character compelling? # Uri’s take (01:04) What makes a player character compelling? - They don’t snugly fit into a stereotype. We’ve talked about avoiding stereotypes and cliches in the past ([Episode 2 - avoid character cliche](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/avoiding-character-cliches-episode-2-35aab600eb0406/)). And it’s fine t…

Both Eran and I have been playing a lot of the video game XCOM lately. Even though it is NOT a roleplaying game. Still, even though it is not a roleplaying game - there is a lot we can learn from it. What is XCOM? ------------- A series of computer games. Started in 1994 with X-COM enemy unknown and many sequels. Rebooted in 2012 with XCOM: Enemy U…

Disclaimer: this is a comedy episode, any and all advice must be treated as such We are joined with our technical dwarf Aviv Icel Manoch! ## Aviv Or - How do you handle a monster strike? I had a session once where a young black dragon simply refused to fight, just handed us a leaflet about the challenge rating struggle and encouraged us to support …

A quick disclaimer: Eran LOVES running published modules, Uri… no so much. Also, we are talking about published adventures, not published campaigns. There are some differences that we won’t get into. ## Picking an adventure (03:57) Use the fact that other people read it: - You can read ratings, reviews and comments. This will help you pick a good a…

In this episode we will recommend some GM-less games that are fun to play and easy to play around the table as well as online. ## Microscope (02:29) A world building game by Ben Robbins Easy and fun to play even with just two people. [http://www.lamemage.com/microscope/](http://www.lamemage.com/microscope/) [http://www.lamemage.com/store.html](http…

Today's episode we will be talking about ways that the GM can make their players feel uplifted. ## How Uri uplift his players spirit (01:05): Every once in a while I do an “uplifting session”. That is a session whose entire purpose is to make the players feel uplifted. When? After the end of an adventure for example, to let the players experience t…

We got this short and to the point email from Peter: Hello, I'm not saying that my players are not smart, but... How do you make your players feel smart when you're running a game? Good question! Uri’s suggestions (02:46) There is a difference between making players feel smart and making players actually act smarter. This of course is also true for…

In this episode we will speak of the phenomenon of “GMing Anxiety”. DIsclaimer: We are not therapists or psychologists. So, what we will do in this episode is present some issues that we encountered and how we dealt with it. Remember: Anxiety is what we feel, not what is actually happening. It’s an emotional reaction to outside stimuli, but it does…

# What is Fishing? (in the context of RPGs and this episode) Taking the good stuff, form or content, and remixing/remodelling or re-whatever to use in your game. # Why fishing from the classics? They’re the classics for a reason. Now we will go over some of the elements you can fish from a classic and show how it can be done. Uri will use [Shakespe…

A while back we asked our listeners what topics you want us to talk about and **Sivan Kotek** said “can you talk about new non OSR indie games”? Well, Sivan, yes, yes we can. # Kiss Her Before the World Ends (03:23) by **Alice Grizzle** Alice on Itch.io: [https://itch.io/profile/tafkat](https://itch.io/profile/tafkat) On the cover: *Your world is e…

How do you define a “hero” in your game? In [episode 50 - Who is an adventurer](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/who-is-an-adventurer-episode-50-36e432309ba698/) we discussed Who is an adventurer, but we didn’t talk about what is a hero. ## The word “hero” have several different definitions * Heroes \- famous individuals * Heroes \- individuals doing t…

We have a guest: Di, author of “[The Anatomy of the GM curse](https://gnomestew.com/the-anatomy-of-the-gm-curse)” on the Gnome Stew gaming blog. ## What is a guiding action An action that powerfully affects the game's experience for some or all players. ## What isn’t a guiding action It can be done consciously or reflexively, mostly by a GM, becaus…

A while back Uri came across a twitter post about “Bracket Night”. The idea of a bracket night is that you select 16 items of a specific topic and divide them into brackets, pitting one against the other and have a discussion about “which is the best”. This is determined by a discussion followed by a vote. So Uri immediately gathered 10 veteran GMs…

Since Uri had several GMs ask him how to create a realistic political landscape in a fantasy setting. However, we are not experts in political relations. So we brought in a professional! Haggai Elkayam Shalem - a political psychologist. ## Intro to Politics (02:20) What is politics? ## How to build a realistic political landscape (04:25) Start with…

Each game involved some basic elements such as: - System (the game mechanics) - Setting (the world, the location, the metaphysics etc) - Themes (the subject matter) - Plot structure (episodial, dungeon crawling, overarching plot, sandbox) - Nature of the characters (young, inexperienced, hardened veteren, fish out of water, professionals etc.) Each…

The other day Uri started a discussion in our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast) about suggestions for future episodes. A lot of great ideas came up, and today we’re focusing on a topic suggested by a listener named Tal Shiboli’s: The Spotlight. Defining the Spotlight (01:22) \- When we say The Spotlight in this episode …

# What is derailing (01:45) Derailing is the act of going off planned session, basically when the campaign is going off tracks. # Uri’s suggestions: ## Some examples that cause derailing (04:15) - **The Squeaky Goblin** - The NPC that becomes the focus of everyone’s attention - usually a goblin with a squeaky voice that take the focus of the whole …

This will be the last episode of the year 2019 as well as the last episode of the decade so it is only fitting that we will use it to talk about the most important issue of the roleplaying game: Snacks! We will be discussing off play food - meaning actual food eaten by actual players. Uri’s session usually includes full meals before the sessions, i…

## On the nature of Mysteries The “Known Unknowns” (00:50) The nature of mystery explained by United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld concept of the “[known unknowns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_known_knowns)”. The known Unknowns are what creates a sense of Mystery. For example the monsters in the dungeons. We know there are …

### Why? As the name of the episode suggests “Empowering Fellow players” means that you empower other players and they will empower you. But, on a more pragmatic note, empowering other players makes the game more fun for all participants, it makes events more memorable, increases immersion, and let players feel the impact of their actions. The impr…

**Definitions** (01:45) There are 2 types of RPG streamings - Around the table vs virtual conferencing. **Technical Prerequisite** (03:15) Streaming platforms: Twitch, youtube, facebook, etc. Consider [OBS](https://obsproject.com/). What are the needed components to create a stream? * Streaming software * Conferencing software * Overlays (see an ex…

Why is it important? (01:00) Who tracks the initiative? (03:50) Tracking init was considered one of the holy duties of the GM. But does it have to be? See our episode on Sharing GM Responsibilities. Different initiative mechanics D&D (2E-5E) & Pathfinder (06:20): You roll a d20 for Initiative. (skip to 07:00 to hear us digress to D&D 1E). Pathfinde…

Different types of Dice Mechanic - Exploding dice - What are they? And the effects they generate? (01:05) - The Wild Die ([Savage Worlds RPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/261539/Savage-Worlds-Adventure-Edition?affiliate_id=2966)) (03:50) - Min-max-mid die ([Sentinel comics the RPG](https://store.greaterthangames.com/sentinel-comics-the-role…

### What do we mean when we say Offplay discussions? (00:30) When we say offplay discussions in this episode we mean instances where the players are discussing the events that happened in-play and what to do next but as players and not necessarily as their characters. There are two prevalent approaches to offplay discussions: In some gaming parties…

Thank you Lauren and Jesse for this interview! ### Previous experience (2:10) [Trophy](https://trophyrpg.com/) [The Final Girl](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/182628/The-Final-Girl?affiliate_id=29668) [Hot Guys Making Out](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/156244/Hot-Guys-Making-Out?affiliate_id=29668) [Lauren's hacks](https://www.thestray…

Giving the ordinary some attention can help establish a believable world, and create the basis for exciting changes. [Holidays and Anniversaries (episode 8)](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/holidays-anniversaries-and-celebrations-episode-8-35cb85c9839280/) [Your Next Character Should be an Accountant (episode 74)](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/your-nex…

### Using and playing extras As a GM, please avoid using these beings as easy targets. ### Taking advantage of this opportunity (6:45) * Treat as characters - start thinking about the supporting characters as characters and not as equipment/extensions of your character. * Names - so you can humanize and speak to them. * Interaction - the difference…

### Why have a “special” episode? (1:06) It’s a fun break from the routine, it keeps the tension going, it’s a way to make some in-game event more special and it allows you to do things that the “regular” rules/flow/setting might not be well-suited to. And it encourages everyone to put more effort and excitement into the game. ### When? (2:25) A sp…

This episode focus on suggestions for character concepts that might be different from your usual tropes, with boring or "unwanted" histories or ideals. [Better Backgrounds](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/better-background-episode-58-372bd15a77f9e8/) [Avoiding Character Cliches](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/avoiding-character-cliches-episode-2-35aab60…

"Folk vs Medicine" charity event, this Sunday! [icel.me/wish](http://icel.me/wish) [Facebook event](https://www.facebook.com/events/419128882065377/) ### Player perspective (1:55) Talk with your GM: to make sure you're not going to focus your attention on anything that might not be of value Build your character concept: based on what's available in…

Maps not only show you different scales, they also help you think in different scales. It’s a common thing for maps to follow adventures, but sometimes it can be the other way around. The scale of the map you are using in your adventure is influencing how you and your players perceive the game. ### A room, a floor, a building (3:40) Limiting the sc…

Further reading: [Aviv's advice for playing in text chat](https://icel.me/en/games/roleplaying-in-text-chat-3012) [Discord](https://discordapp.com/) [Sidekick bot](https://github.com/ArtemGr/Sidekick) ### Fluid obligation (5:15) ### A standard chat session (9:10) Who writes what and when. ### Main issues (18:55) It’s slow! We can only focus on one …

### Why are we recording this episode? Isn’t this a roleplaying podcast? Feedback is the way we improve what we do. [Players motivations](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/365abc29b5e3c2/) ### Feedback in RPGs is hard (3:40) Games are a social activity that one enjoys with their friends. That makes it harder to give constructive feedback as you don't wa…

### A process, not an event (1:35) > Greetings, oh dwarven dwarfs who dwarf on the shoulders of dwarfish dwarfkin! > Recently, after 20-30 years of a role-playing draught, I started listening to your podcast just for fun. > Thanks to you and your inspiration I started playing last week in TWO different groups: one in which I’m a player, and a famil…

### Ways to resolve opposed player actions (1:25) In a PVP game, the players may be actually working against each other and fighting or killing other players' characters is a valid option. This is a very different game set than most. We want to talk about instances where PC disagree with each other and wish to use the mechanic to solve the issues. …

Talk to your GM. ### Why retire your character (3:05) * Because you feel that they have fulfilled their purpose in the narrative * Or because it has fulfilled its purpose in an off play way (I wanted to play a swashbuckler to study the class/explore an idea or theme) now I’m done. * I want to try a new class * They don’t work as intended * They’ve …

### Weekly questions (1:15) [Full explanation of the weekly question](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-question-week/), and [examples for its uses](http://www.uptofourplayers.com/2016/03/rp-tool-examples-fro-weekly-questions/). ### Consume genre-related content (6:00) Fill your head with X. ### Fill-in details (7:35) ### Create! (9:05…

### Tal Shiboli asks (1:30) [Right here:](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast/permalink/879485379079046/) > I have a bit of an issue with taking notes as we play and still following what goes on at the table (yay for ADHD). Would love to get some tips on how to take quick,tidy notes during a session that's not too disruptive for my nonexis…

For the purpose of this episode, when we say “props” we mean any additional implements that you add to your game that are not an inherent part of the gaming mechanics. ### Handouts (3:07) These are basically just pieces of paper with a depiction of the information or images that the characters are exposed to. [Etchings by James McNeill Whistler](ht…

### Setting the scene, the Five W’s (1:10) * Who is it about? * What happened? * When did it take place? * Where did it take place? * Why did it happen? Retro justification: How did we get here? ### Forward-thinking (7:00) Is this getting us somewhere? - Did this push the plot, or a character arc, forward? If not - Do we need this? ### Uri's tools …

**Note: **We say the word "indie" a lot in this episode, and bring up mostly indie-adjcant games, but that's only a force of habit; this advice works just as well for big names and big companies. [The chart that is not recommended](http://inkwellideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/rpgchart1.gif) ### What makes a system good (or bad) (2:30) ### Ask…

**What is a genre?** A category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content. **What is a mash-up?** Something created by combining elements from two or more sources. ### Combine a new genre into your existing game (6:05) ### How to understand the components and characteristics of a genre (9:00…

### Why is this an important issue? (3:10) * Running a game is an experience worth experiencing. * You get the chance to learn new skills that you might not get to as a player (learning new rules, understanding pacing and plot building, improvising) * The more GM there are, the more new players there will be! * This experience will, in all likeliho…

James Graham, of [Leisure Games](https://leisuregames.com/) fame and and [d100news](https://d100news.com/), tells us of LG's top selling RPGs from 2018. Last time we had James over, we talked about the top selling RPGs of Leisure Games for 2017, on [episode 13](https://dwarves.podiant.co/e/35e72b2e691a26/). ### Top Ten New RPGs (1:50) 1. Scum and V…

Avishay Zarad wrote: Good afternoon! It’s hard for me to write a good background for my characters. I tend to fall into the trap of writing an overly complicated background that, in retrospective, isn’t relevant, or doesn’t come into play. When I try to avoid that - I write an overly simplistic background that is less enjoyable to me. Do you have a…

### Yossi’s email (2:10) > Dear long-bearded dwarves, > I need you to forge me an advice, please. I have two main problems with the group I'm currently playing in as a player (Tactical D&D 5e group). > 1. Analysis paralysis - My party tends to overthink their actions, meaning before each decision fork or a door, they talk a lot in real time, plan a…

### Books by Drew * Spells, Sword & Stealth (1-4) * Super powered (1-4) * Fred, the vampire accountant * Forging Hephaestus * Standalone titles: Pears and Perils * Topher Nightshade vs. The Camp of the Undead Apocalypse * Second-Hand Curses Check out [www.drewhayesnovels.com](http://www.drewhayesnovels.com). And also [Authors and Dragons](https://w…