Eric, Chris, and Carl chat about the differences and challenges of running Sandbox worlds vs. a Narrative campaign in tabletop RPG games.

00:00 - Introduction

03:40 - Email

08:50 - Cool Stuff Found - https://gladdendesign.com

14:55 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Eric leads Chris and Carl through a discussion on creating lore and world building leveraging ideas from the players.  This idea of “Sourcing the Table” can lead to player buy-in and exciting adventures.

00:00 - Introduction

03:04 - Email

14:55 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Eric, Carl and Chris discuss the fun and challenges that are present with gaming with small party sizes (1 or 2).  They give advice on running these kinds of campaigns and offer players advice too!

00:00 - Introduction

03:33 - Creature Corner - NEW!

09:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Eric and Carl welcome our new co-host Chris and talk about using Nemesis NPCs in your RPG games.  These aren't necessarily the big bad evil character but can be someone (or a party) that gets in the player's way, beats them to the punch, or simply is an antagonist that adds interest to the campaign.

In the season finale, Carl and Eric wish James a fond farewell as they go through a number questions posed by listeners and friends of the show.  

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Carl and Eric interview James about being a professional GM.  They talk about everything from how he started to how the business is run.

00:00 - Introduction

05:57 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew deep dives into the tabletop RPG Savage Worlds.  Savage Worlds is a generic game system that is one of the favorites of Carl and Eric.

00:00 - Introduction

(Carl’s Music Video: https://youtu.be/pq-FKUDw7ro)

04:55 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

This week the gang talks about managing unrealistic expectations of both players and GMs in RPGs.  People often talk about the "Mercer Effect" in tabletop RPGs and the crew takes on ideas to lesson it.

00:00 - Introduction

03:22 - Main Topic 

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Eric walks through all the details of Pathfinder 2e from Paizo. This includes discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the system and what makes it fun for GMs and Players. He has some thoughts on the new remastered version, too.

00:00 - Introduction

06:34 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew talks about the concept of “failing forward” in tabletop RPGs.  This concept includes ideas on continuing the narrative after a failure or allowing for success but at a cost.  The team certainly has different opinions on this topic!

00:00 - Intro

06:27 - Main Topic

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James does a deep dive on the Call of Cthulhu game fro Chaosium.  He details the mechanics, great features, and how he plays the game as a Gamemaster (GM) and player.  Eric drives the conversation with questions that probe everything about this great game.

00:00 - Intro

04:50 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew talks about running hex and point crawls in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and Savage Worlds.  They go into the differences, advantages of each, and tips for running each kind of overland travel technique.

00:00 - Introduction

05:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew talks about things that make great gifts for the RPG gamers or wish others would give them!

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Some of the items discussed:

Unique Dice:  

Cardyhedron

Books:

D&D Art & Arcana

Ben Riggs' Slaying The Dragon

Monsters Know What They’re Doing

Sly Flourish - Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

Game Wizards: The Epic Battle for Dungeons & Dragons

So You Want To Be A Game Master: Everything You Need to Start Your Tabletop Adventure for Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Other Systems

The Game Master's Book of Astonishing Random Tables

Games:

Shadowdark  (arcanelibrary.com)

Custom Miniatures:

 Hero Forge:  https://www.heroforge.com

The crew takes on how you flavor magic or special abilities in tabletop RPG such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) to create a more interesting character concept.

00:00 - Introduction

06:31 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

The crew take a look at their physical and virtual RPG bookshelves to talk about the most interesting books and items they have on them.  Some of the items are rare or somewhat unique and some are simply cannot-live-without books.

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew answers an email asking about favorite characters and NPCs. Another email asks about how to find and vet players when Looking For Group online.  The main topic discusses ways a GM can be creative and handle curve balls thrown at them from players moving in unanticipated directions during our tabletop RPG sessions.

00:00 - Introduction

02:54 - Email

20:57 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

James, Eric, and Carl talk about different ways player characters could be introduced to each other at the beginning of a tabletop RPG campaign.  They include the ways players might link backstories and why a tavern isn't such a bad place to meet after all.

00:00 - Introduction

04:29 - Email

12:10 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew talks about ideas for bringing a new player into the RPG hobby. They touch on how do you introduce them to rules, character creation, and RPG concepts.  In addition, they also cover bringing a new player into an existing group (both new to hobby or experienced).  

00:00 - Introduction

03:50 - Email

10:40 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

The crew talks about some of the greatest games they played or GM’d … and some of the not-so-great.  Just a fun discussion for the season finale about our memories of games past.

00:00 - Introduction

02:50 - Email

15:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

Eric, Carl and James talk about how to run a horror game in a tabletop RPG.  Ideas on how to engage players, set expectations, and drive the narrative are presented.

00:00 - Introduction

04:20 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

Eric, James, and Carl talk about what essentials are in their RPG GM toolkit.  Everything from websites, books, and tools for running their role-playing game in person or online.  

Some of the items mentioned in the episode:

Savage Worlds Characters - Saveged.us

Carl’s OneNote template - https://youtu.be/41_HXccph1k

Lazy DM Notion Template

TokenStamp - https://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/

Tokens: Splattered Ink Tokens, Forgotten Adventures, Jan Loos and David North

Battlemap Creators: DM Andy, Morvold Press, Mythos Maps, Tych Maps 

Music: Syrinscape

----------

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

James, Eric, and Carl discuss ways of providing the lore of your setting without the dreaded lore dump. They also discuss how knowledge skills play into discovering this information.  The team walks through the good and bad ways to provide information to players during the game.

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

Carl, Eric, and James discuss ideas on how to make combat and fights in RPGs more interesting and engaging for players regardless of the game system.  They offer advice around four pillars-maps, enemies, victory conditions, and narrative aspects. Thank you to a listener for a cool stuff found this week!

00:00 - Introduction - Fun talk about 150th episode of Tabletop Tango and Jame’s campaigns

09:55 - Cool Stuff Found:  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/391108/Backstory-Cards-for-Foundry-VTT?manufacturers_id=17009

16:40 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

The crew talks about running bases, strongholds, and other places that the players can call their own!

00:00 - Introduction

05:00 - EMail

05:50 - Cool Stuff

08:45 - Main Topic

Contact us at gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com or visit and support at masteringtherpg.com

James, Eric and Carl talk about how to create a cohesive party in any RPG such as Dungeons and Dragons and Savage Worlds.  They look at how the GM can help and what players can do to help make an effective and narratively interesting group of adventurers. The discussion includes how partnering with other players, sharing backstory, complementing mechanically, and other ideas can lead to success.

00:00 - Introduction

01:20 - Cool Stuff  

150th Tabletop Tango Episode livestream: https://youtube.com/live/j58YM7-NRbA?feature=share

“Monster Manual” Song:  https://youtu.be/VAxDqAzKY9U

04:55 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

Eric and Carl discuss using small narrative breaks (such as Savage Worlds Interludes) for additional role-playing opportunities for players to explore backstories or share character information between intense parts of an adventure. The information is inspired by Savage Worlds but is applicable to any RPG—including D&D (Dungeons and Dragons).

00:00 - Introduction

01:30 - Cool Stuff

07:35 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

James, Eric, and Carl talk about preparing published RPG adventures for your table. They discuss suggestions on selection, preparing to run the adventures, running and pitfalls, and finally what can players do to ensure the published campaign goes off well.  This information is general and is applicable to Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, or any of your favorite RPGs.

00:00 - Introduction

03:40 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

James, Eric, and Carl talk about phenomenon of GM Burnout.  What is the cause, how to identify it is happening, what to do to avoid it… and if it happens, what to do to get the spark back. 

00:00 - Introduction

02:25 - Email

05:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

Carl and Eric talk about some upcoming games being kickstarted in 2023 with their thoughts on each. Carl also brings up a challenge he has in his current sci-fi Savage Worlds campaign and chats with Eric about ideas to improve engagement and next steps in the campaign.

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

Carl and Eric talk about the challenges and rewards when a player becomes a GM (Gamemaster) or Dungeon Master (DM) in a tabletop RPG.  There are many challenges as they start and the team offers some advice and ideas to make the transition easier.  The advice is valid for any tabletop RPG including Dungeon and Dragons (D&D).

00:00 - Introduction

02:30 - Cool Stuff - The Red Dragon Inn - https://slugfestgames.com/rdifamily/

09:45 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

Carl and James discuss what are and why you might want to use rival adventuring parties in your tabletop RPG game such as Dungeon and Dragons, Savage Worlds, or many others.  They go over the ways they enhance play and some suggestions for a successful game and campaign.

00:00 - Introduction

01:20 - Email

07:05 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

Carl, Eric, and James discuss the challenges and ways to motivate players in your tabletop RPG game such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), Savage Worlds, or other systems. They talk about different play styles with GM advice and what Player’s can do to self motivate and help motivate the GM.

00:00 - Introduction

02:45 - Cool Stuff - Kickstarters - 

Legend of Ghost Mountain  - https://peginc.com/legend-of-ghost-mountain-for-savage-worlds-launches-this-thursday/

Oracle Character Generator - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nordgames/the-oracle-character-generator-for-fantasy-rpgs

04:40 - Email

09:45 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

The team discusses ideas on driving character growth in a tabletop RPG.  This includes how Gamemasters (GMs) can help players reach their vision and what players can do to make an interesting character arc or journey.  Doesn't matter if it is Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) or another game system, you’ll find ideas like how to shape backstory, drive characters via moral dilemmas, and where game mechanics play. 

00:00 - Introduction

02:40 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

Season Finale!  Carl, Eric, and James talk about cool stuff from the past and their journey as players and game masters (GM) in Dungeon and Dragons (D&D) or other systems. They discuss some of their early mistakes, big lessons learned, and “Aha! moments.

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/asavageworldsgm

The crew does a creature corner this week along with a recap of Carl and Chris's time at Gamehole Con.

00:00 - Introduction

03:05 - Creature Corner - Hive Mind

19:15 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Carl and James talk about creating a satisfying end to an RPG campaign regardless of game system (like Dungeons and Dragons).  They have advice for both GMs looking to make the ending memorable and for players to up the epic-ness of final conflicts. The duo also answer a listener question on generic RPG systems.

00:00 - Introduction

01:30 - Questions / Feedback

11:30 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

James leads Eric and Carl through a discussion of how they create compelling and interesting monsters for their RPG campaigns for D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) and other RPGs (you know Carl is a Savage Worlds fanatic).  They look at the why you would do it, tips and tricks, creating compelling boss fights and some suggestions for players too.

00:00 - Introduction

03:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

Eric leads James and Carl through what, why, and how of creating a character backstory for tabletop RPGs like Dungeon and Dragons (D&D). They offer tips and tricks for players and GMs using backstories to guide their campaigns.

00:00 - Introduction

04:50 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

The trio talks about running and participating in social encounters and social situations in a tabletop RPG. They talk about the challenges and suggestions for players and GMs. Ideas are applicable to any RPG such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).  This week’s cool stuff found is a card game where you are an evil overlord. 

00:00 - Introduction

01:26 - Cool Stuff Found - “Aye, Dark Overlord!” - Fantasy Flight Games

12:30 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  Twitter is @masteringtherpg

Carl, Eric, and James compare old-school gaming (and OSR) to modern games and play styles. We also answer a question on using sanity from Call of Cthulhu in Savage Worlds.

00:00 - Introduction

01:25 - Question and Answers

15:12 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

Carl, Eric, and Morgan (our special guest) talk about how you can take some cool Savage Worlds RPG mechanics and use them in your system of choice (such as Dungeons and Dragons).  

00:00 - Introduction

02:40 - Cool Stuff Found

09:40 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

The team discusses how they think about creating a new campaign for tabletop RPG such as Dungeons and Dragons. Includes ideas on how to create a campaign concept and story arcs.

00:00 - Introduction

02:20 - Cool Stuff Found - The Lazy DM’s Companion https://slyflourish.com/

10:25 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

The team discusses disruptive player characters in RPG and how a GM can improve the situation. There are some suggestions for players on how avoid  becoming the “Selfish Rogue.”

00:00 - Introduction

01:50 - Cool Stuff Found - “Slaying the Dragon” by Ben Riggs - https://www.amazon.com/dp/125027804X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_6HE679YJ256XQYG43MC4

09:30 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!

In this episode our team discusses using familiars and other extras without upsetting the GM and all your friends!  There's a fine line sometimes between fun and disrupting so let's learn how to walk it.

00:00 - Introduction

01:39 - Cool Stuff Found - Noisy Person Cards -  James D’Amato

09:50 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions!  

Carl, Eric, and James talk about what a one-shot is, the challenges in running and designing them. They talk about tips on creation and running the events at conventions or your home group. They also throw in some player tips when playing in one.

00:00 - Introduction

01:14 - Cool Stuff - https://www.greatgamemaster.com/dm/

04:40 - Main Topic

If you have a question or want some advice on particular topic, send a note gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com  

Visit us and support at https://masteringtherpg.com 

The crew has a casual conversation about running and Game Mastering games at a RPG convention.  Discussion runs the gamut from why do it to best practices.

00:00 - Introduction

02:50 - Email

11:00 - Main Topic

Visit us at https://masteringtherpg.com and mail gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com for comments and questions! 

Eric, Carl, and James talk about Perception (or Notice, etc.) in RPGs and how they are used and misused. They talk about how they would use the mechanic and ways to make it work better in your games.

00:00 - Introduction

03:44 - Cool Thing (http://themonstersknow.com)

16:00 - Main Topic

Visit https://masteringtherpg.com to contact, support, and learn more about the cast.  Questions, suggestions, or just have use adjudicate something, email gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com

Carl, Eric, and James dig into the importance of actually role-playing in an RPG. They offer plenty of tips!

01:30- Cool Stuff: https://www.doubleproficiency.com

10:30- Main Topic

https://masteringtherpg.com 

In this episode, Eric, Carl, and James introduce themselves and talk about why they got into the hobby with some stories and then why they think tabletop RPGs are important. 

06:20 - Cool Stuff Found: Syrinscape https://syrinscape.com

18:10 - Main Topic

https://masteringtherpg.com 

Eric, Carl, and Chris answer a listener's list of interesting questions on Savage Worlds.  The crew also answered the questions over on the Tabletop Tango (www.tabletoptango.com) YouTube channel so this episode has a slightly different format.

If you have a question or want some advice on particular topic, send a note gamemaster@masteringtherpg.com 

Visit us and support at https://masteringtherpg.com 

Savage Rifts Discord: https://discord.gg/W3FvF9sZ SavageRifts.com: https://savagerifts.com/sr/ SavageRifts

Online Convention: https://savagerifts.com/con/

Savage Rifts Actual Play from PEG/Savage Rfits Con: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6VgkRiyHN8

Unofficial SW Discord: https://discord.com/invite/VqT7CJj 

Roll20 Savage Worlds Directory Game: https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/2204385/roll20-savages-savage-worlds-directory

Fallout: Rough Riders (Savage Fallout): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1io4xhuyJNLb8RYyVmjjRNgLyY4Ycc8pbAW4W94ZbE6Y/edit?usp=sharing