Recorded just before Episode 13 (Echoes of the Veil), this session has Scott running Mind the Gap—Emanoel Melo’s compact introduction to CBR+PNK—for James and Sean. The pamphlet delivers a self-contained cyberpunk heist in the Forged-in-the-Dark lineage, offering both a crash course in the system’s flow and a taste of its sharp, high-pressure style. We used it as a baseline for comparison with Raffi’s expanded version in Episode 13, highlighting what the core rules do well, where questions remain, and how the system might evolve when stretched into longer form play.

Topics discussed:

00:01:15 Getting started with Characters

00:17:30 Getting started with Play

00:20:35 Car 18

00:21:38 Determine the package

00:23:32 The first thing that happens...

01:08:10 Entering Car 19

01:16:00 The lights turn red

01:19:00 Change direction!

01:23:00 Car 17

01:28:00 Car 16 -- turned around?

01:34:04 The Simulacrum

01:35:14 The bunny is a virus

01:47:46 Deliver to car 12

01:49:52 Denouement -- Crispr doesn't actually have a family, Diz has terminal cancer

01:55:08 Discussion on CBR+PNK and some comparisons with BitD

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net

Jamie and Scott dig into how we’re all wired to find creativity in different ways. This is a critical part of the process. Not only are we talking about how structure drives us all differently but communicating those expectations at the table. We circle back to some ideas we referenced early on and begin our exploration of OSR ideas and GNS.

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out James' article series, Rules in Practice and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Intro

03:54 - Structure vs tyranny of the blank page

05:55 - Fiction First

07:15 - the Social Contract. Matt Colville, Language Not Rules

11:15 - Game Design with Luke Crane & Thor Olavsrud

12:00 - GNS

13:45 - Save the Cat

14:40 - Structure generating creativity vs. restricting creativity

16:40 - Investment in story vs characters

17:35 - Kishōtenketsu

20:25 - Player agendas

21:20 - Verisimilitude in RPGs

25:35 - the fruitful void

25:25 - GM responsibility to contextualize

27:00 - Torchbearer

30:15 - Consequences to feed narrative

31:50 - Play by vibe

34:14 - Relationship of character to story

36:50 - What players bring to the table

42:45 - Not everybody is a creative writer

46:00 - Real life experience + playing well in a rpg

51:45 - LitRPG

The crew have a conversation about how to convey information at the table. The GMs responsibility and the roles players have to bring the fiction to the game. This is a big topic but we chat about props, failing forward, NPCs and other tools we employ to bring depth and color to our worlds. As usual, our conversation ranges far and wide.

Topics Discussed:

00:01:00 Introducing the ideas

00:07:50 No One Cares About Your Lore (until it becomes part of the story)

Enter the Dungeon

00:10:50 Show, Don't Tell

Thomas Flight

GM Paizo GameMastery Cards I don't think they produce this anymore but you may be able to find aftermarket versions

00:22:10 Bringing It Into the Fiction

00:27:00 Character Backstory

00:39:30 World Lore

00:58:10 More Out of Character Info

01:04:00 The Perception Check

01:11:10 Handouts & Learn from Teachers

01:18:20 Power of “Meta Knowledge"

Games we talk about: Dungeon World, Invisible Sun, Trail of Cthulhu, Burning Wheel, Apocalypse World.

For more podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

The gang has a discussion on structure in TTRPGs. How does structure make a good horror game? How does setting inform players what they can and can’t do? Some examples of story structure in World of Darkness, Invisible Sun, and Dogs in the Vineyard. Then the crew plays a short session of Whispering Vault, Mike Nystul’s 1993 story game inspired by the likes of Hellraiser and Nightbreed. We play it fast and loose but hope we hit in the key elements of play and this intriguing game’s explicit ritualistic structure.

Topics:

1:45 Weird forward games

2:25 Is Mark a god?

3:30 Where is the Weird in WoD, Invisible Sun, and Lovecraft Country

6:50 Where is the horror?

11:25 Setting Expectations as Structure: Implicit vs Explicit Structure

23:15 The Illusory World tropes

36:00 Whispering Vault Actual Play

36:30 Character Creation

48:40 System overview

51:10 The Call (game begins)

57:20 Navigation to the Realm

Of Flesh

60:00 Dismissing the Guardian

67:57 Creating Your Vessel

72:45 Healing the Enigma

115:38 Binding the Unbidden

116:15 Wrapping Up

For more podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

In episode 4, Jamie and Scott have a lot to say about agency at the table. Who controls what? Who drives the story? Who narrates die outcomes? Traditionally the GM handles a lot of this but we challenge groups to explore situations where you can hand over a lot of that responsibility. And we discuss over a dozen games that change how we think about agency.

Topics:

1:00 Seriousness

3:35 Ginni Di - https://youtu.be/DXUnEk4cuYI?si=M_5Dr4dv_b_E-1vH

4:50 Monte Cook - https://www.montecookgames.com

10:35 Characterization Agency

13:30 Combat

16:24 Losing control of PC

19:00 Blades in the Dark

22:30 metagame

23:40 Invisible Sun

28:00 "Action" Agency

35:00 Torchbearer

37:00 die rolling

42:30 Apocalypse World

44:35 Cypher System

45:35 Plot Agency

52:10 Proactive Roleplaying

How To Be a Great GM - https://youtube.com/@howtobeagreatgm?si=Fze0DEXg5gbr456E

54:20 Novel characterization

63:43 John Harper

65:15 Setting canon

66:18 Shock

70:00 Hero Wars & RuneQuest

75:40 Burning Wheel

79:35 "Push-Pull" Agency

90:00 Community & IT Crowd

92:29 Dice adjudicating conversations

For more podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

In Episode 3 of Modern Mythology, we continue our exploration of horror RPG systems with Chronicles of Darkness, the successor to White Wolf’s World of Darkness and the “new” World of Darkness. While the editions’ lineage may be complex, the system’s core mechanics remain intuitive and accessible. To demonstrate how it plays, we dive into an Actual Play with a simple yet evocative premise: “Your characters work at a 1990s convenience store.” From character creation to the gradual escalation of tension, the scenario unfolds, transforming the ordinary into something unsettlingly extraordinary. At the end we talk a bit about what we learned and the pros and cons of "traditional" RPGs.

5:20 Virtue and vice

7:25 Aspirations

16:00 Story begins

49:35 CoD Breaking Point

61:45 Wrap up the game

63:00 One Shots

64:22 Discussion about cultural appropriation

67:00 Where’s the horror?

69:00 The Big Lie

74:25 Health and recovery

76:00 System driving player behavior

For more podcasts and articles check out our site ModernMythology.net

Welcome to modern mythology, a podcast that explores the many intersections of story and system in every episode. We will discuss some facet of how RPGs function as modern myths, providing a shared canvas for creativity and the collaborative discovery of new worlds.

Episode 2 Collective Stories. Getting on the same page with Session 0 by the end, and we begin our exploration of RPGs with Blades in the dark actual play.

Collision of Myth and roleplaying 0:26

Some of our favorite RPG moments 3:35

Film and media 6:25

Growing up gamers 9:05

What kinds of characters do you play? 11:40

Social Contract and games 15:08

Safety tools 18:30

Break 29:15

We’re back talking about horror games 29:40

Blades in the Dark Actual Play 30:00

Wrap up 1:40:00

Visit ModernMythology.net for more episodes, content, and links to our other podcasts.

In the first episode of Modern Mythology, hosts Scott and James have an introductory discussion about how RPGs function as modern myths, blending ancient storytelling structures with collaborative, character-driven gameplay. We explore how mythology and archetypes inform the way games are created and played, with RPGs often becoming shared narratives that draw from communal ideas and personal creativity. Highlighting the importance of player agency and story structure, they aim to inspire listeners to deepen their approach to games.

Future episodes will explore different genres, online versus in-person play, play styles and cultures of play, and how RPGs can evolve as a storytelling medium.

Writers or gamers 1:30

Processes 2:30

The Old Formula 3:12

Fantasy and beyond 7:15

Different story structures 8:25

Kishōtenketsu 

Save the Cat Beat Sheet

Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey

Gods and Monsters 12:00

A Pattern in RPG books 13:30

Format 16:00

What do we want to get out of this 18:00

What will we bring to the discussion 25:55

More about Modern Mythology RPG podcast.

Long‑time friend of the show and gamer Johnathan Lee drops in as we crack open Mothership, the d100 panic engine from Tuesday Knight Games. A brisk build phase shows how quickly you can assemble a potentially doomed crew. Then we plunge through a five‑scene drift where hull plates groan and heartbeat monitors spike. Note the scenes that kicked off TOMBS (Transgression, Omens, Manifestation, Banishment, Slumber).

Afterward we really begin to dig into some of the push and pull between mechanics and story and how we see different games engage with the material in a different manner, potentially creating very different results even between similar scenarios.

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out James' article series, Rules in Practice. More installments in this series to come.

Topics Discussed:

Mothership AP

00:01:00 Setting

00:07:00 Characters & System Briefing

00:16:40 So it begins - Transgression

00:28:45 Stasis Pods

00:38:00 The Cockpit

00:40:10 Check the Bounty

00:46:00 Waking the Captain - Omens

01:02:00 Run Ship Diagnostics

01:10:15 Enter the Chapel

01:17:15 Engine Room

01:26:00 Gear Up

01:30:15 Space Flames - Manifestation

01:34:50 Shut It Down!

01:46:10 “Perhaps Battle Dress is in order"

01:50:10 VacSuits

01:52:20 Freedom!

01:59:00 Solar Pilgrimage

02:10:00 Panic

02:14:45 Ultimatum - Banishment

02:15:00 Controlled Burn - Slumber

02:27:30 Wrap Up

Deconstructing Mothership and System/Style discussion

02:32:00 Execution

03:00:00 Exposition

03:07:00 Evolution

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net

On this special episode we bring fellow Philadelphia-based designer Raffi onboard to explore Echoes of the Veil, a new expansion that turns the

Forged in the Dark masterwork of design CBR+PNK into a quick-fire mini-campaign engine.

We jump straight into character creation, unpacking the new runner-growth track and “Weird" options, modular downtime boards, and other Veil-specific mechanics along the way—smart add-ons that deepen play without slowing the momentum that made CBR+PNK a cult favorite. Expect tight action, abrupt pivots, and a city that pushes back as hard as you lean in. After the session we dive into a far-ranging discussion of style, system, and all things RPG.

Listen now, grab free sample pages, and back Echoes of the Veil on Kickstarter to keep indie cyberpunk thriving.

Heartfelt thanks for joining us, Raffi. Go support this fantastic creator!

Topics Discussed:

Echoes of the Veil Actual Play

00:02:30 Character Creation

00:13:37 Safety and Guidelines

00:14:29 Background

00:24:00 The Drop

00:30:55 The Toll

00:39:40 Break & Entry

01:17:00 The Twist

01:28:10 The House of Po-Po

02:01:45 Epilogue

Interview Raffi

02:13:35 What have we been playing?

Traveler Character Generator

02:28:00 Digging into process with Raffi

02:38:30 Inspiration

02:49:14 Bringing The CBR to our PNK

02:53:15 Get your gamism on

Therapeutic approaches to RPGS

Intentionally Therapeutic TTRPG resources

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net

Episode 12 welcomes clinical-tech nerd—and lifelong D&D DM—Sean, deepening the Modern Mythology bench to four hosts. (Sean, James, and Scott are on-mic this time).

A quick opening discussion uncovers Sean’s gaming roots and, in the process, reveals some of how each host hacks rules at the table, a topic we will surely return to. Scott—who has logged hundreds of systems—champions underrated mechanics and explains why he drifts from Dungeons & Dragons even as the podcast keeps circling back; Sean defends single-system mastery; James moderates the middle ground.

With philosophies compared, the crew jumps to the Third Horizon for Free League’s Middle-Eastern space opera Coriolis for a short actual play. Two linked scenes showcase the streamlined dice-pool engine and its signature tension lever—Darkness Points, a GM resource that turns player pushes into creeping cosmic peril—setting the stage for the show’s new, sci-fi-focused chapter.

Check out our YouTube channel for a development discussion about Coriolis.

(Trigger warning: suicide)

Topics Discussed:

00:00 Meeting Sean

00:05:03 Characters on the fly

00:06:20 Resource management

00:09:50 System experience

00:23:05 Minis & the Grid

00:26:10 Coriolis AP

00:38:16 Character discussions

00:46:55 Scene one - Pinned down

01:02:25 Scene Two - Divide and conquer

01:20:49 Scene Three - The getaway

01:23:15 Scene Four - The sacrifice

02:02:40 Debrief

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net

Our horror TTRPG spotlight winds down—for now. Jamie, Mark, and Scott unpack game mechanics that subtly shape pacing and tension, exploring ritual framing, partial successes, player-facing rolls, and objective-driven rewards.

We also discuss two cult-favorite horror rpgs we haven’t covered before—Unknown Armies and Kult—before diving into a brisk (~30-minute) actual play of Don’t Rest Your Head.

Topics Discussed:

01:30 Podcast milestone

05:59 Honorable mentions

09:25 Unknown Armies

23:00 Kult

40:30 Applying these ideas at the table

66:20 Don’t Rest Your Head — actual play

88:40 DRYH debrief

90:00 More games we love

100:00 What’s next?

Listen on ModernMythology.net or your favorite podcatcher, and catch more from Scott about Unknown Armies on YouTube.

Keep an eye out for upcoming articles from James exploring play style versus system on the Modern Mythology blog.

In Episode 10, Mark, Jamie, and Scott follow up our discussion on story-facing design by zeroing in on player spotlight: who talks when, who takes control of a moment, and how game systems shape pacing and participation.

This episode asks a simple but essential question—how do you decide who gets the scene? From GM-led framing to player-initiated action, from systems that distribute authority to those that leave it to group consensus, we discuss how spotlight is shared, negotiated, or wrestled for. It’s not just about giving everyone equal time—it’s about making every moment count, and using mechanics to support scenes that land with emotional clarity and narrative weight.

Topics Discussed:

00:00 What is the “spotlight “ about
00:03 “Splitting the party”
00:09 Character perspective
00:11 Player vs character
00:22 Systems that drive spotlight
00:43 When dice drive spotlight
00:47 Player driven spotlight
01:04 Scenes and pacing

For podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

We sat down with Sacha Lightfoot of Slightly Reckless Games to talk all things Ronin—a brutal, beautiful RPG about masterless samurai and the weight of honor. We dig into where the game came from, what makes it sing, and why we think OSR games are SHITE (clickbait, we actually don't).

Sacha shares what’s next from SRG, and we get into how Ronin adapts and builds on Mörk Borg’s core concepts. There’s death, duty, and just enough darkness to feel real. As always, we talk theme, tone, and what we’re really chasing in an RPG.

Stick around for a preview of our Ronin Actual Play with the Late Night Marauders, and don’t miss the chance to back SRG’s upcoming expansion, Densetsu.

Also, check out Scott’s StartPlaying page for weekly Ronin sessions—featuring both original and published scenarios:
👉 https://startplaying.games/gm/myth-forged

Topics Discussed:

2:00 What are we working on

8:10 Slightly Reckless Games

17:20 Lets talk about Ronin

23:40 Death and Resurrection

32:30 Exploring OSR

40:10 Honor System

46:00 Densetsu Kickstarter on its final week https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slightlyreckless/ronin-densetsu

53:00 Third Party Development for Ronin

58:00 Ronin Actual Play excerpt (1 hour) of module 13 Demons of Akuma Saizo by John Ossaway.

For podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

Here is our inaugural conversation about story structure and the ways both system and choice shape our RPG sessions. In this episode, we focus on the classic three-act structure—how it translates into collaborative, improvised play over the course of an ongoing campaign, or within individual sessions.

We explore a few core questions:

Where does the responsibility for story lie in an RPG?

What games drive narrative through structure, and how do they do it?

How can we think differently about the formulas we bring to the table?

Our goal is to offer several ways to create story in nearly any type of game, including those without explicit narrative mechanics. This is the beginning of a longer conversation about how stories emerge in play, and the different tools we can use to shape them.

More to come on this topic, we’re sure.

Topics Discussed:

00:01:00 What we’re playing?

00:18:50 Narrative Structure

00:24:00 Site-based games

00:44:42 Sandbox games

01:01:00 Player facing

01:08:00 Story Driven Structures, ie Three Acts

01:10:00 The Inciting Incident

01:19:00 Act Two

01:27:00 Reluctant Heroes

01:29:00 Act Three

01:33:20 Wrapping Up

For more podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

This episode highlights an exciting new story game from Bully Pulpit Games, Zhenya's Wonder Tales, a GMless rpg driven by cards to tell grim slavic-inspired fairy tales. We do our first interview with the game designer, Jason Morningstar - prolific designer of Fiasco, Shab-al-hiri Roach, and Gray Ranks, among others.

Check out Zhenya's Wonder Tales on Backerkit - Campaign ends April 4th.

Topics Discussed:

00:00:45 Intro

00:07:30 Green and Narrow Bed

00:12:12 Zhenya's Wonder Tales

00:24:00 Art by Momatoes

00:32:20 Safer spaces in rpgs

00:37:25 Explicit stakes in *moves*

00:48:30 No dice?

00:54:00 Interview Wrap-Up

@jmstar on social media

Actual Play

00:56:20 Rules Read Aloud

We ran Zhenya's Wonder Tales in Roll20

01:04:00 Choose characters

01:10:10 Enjoy as we play Zhenya's Wonder Tales

For more podcasts, articles and more visit ModernMythology.net

Burning Wheel has stayed Scott’s favorite RPG for a reason, and this two-hour episode digs into the specifics. We look at how the game’s tools reinforce each other at the table: lifepath character creation, goal-driven play, organic advancement, and combat with real risk. In combination, those systems tend to produce strong characterization and narrative momentum without forcing outcomes.

Burning Wheel is an fantasy RPG designed by Luke Crane that pretty consistently shows up in many of the top lists of Indie RPG’s. It uses a d6 dice-pool engine and centers play on character beliefs and consequential choices. The current core book, Burning Wheel Gold Revised, is presented by the publisher as the definitive revised edition.

Even in this short session, the interplay of these mechanics creates standout moments—scenes shaped by player intent, and tension that comes from pressure rather than pre-scripted plot. If you’re interested in how system and story lock together in practice, this episode works as a clear case study. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Topics discussed:

00:00:30 Introduce Characters

00:16:45 Scene One - The Arrival

00:28:10 Scene Two - The Prodigal Child Returns

00:37:00 Scene Three - The Race to the Throne

00:48:25 Scene Four - Slip Away

00:56:00 Scene Five - Involving the Etharch

01:05:00 Scene Six - The Receiving Room

01:08:50 Scene Seven - Sibling Reunion

01:23:00 Scene Eight- Gathering Storm

01:37:00 Scene Nine - Now We Hunt Orc

01:59:30 Debrief - Song of Unraveling

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

ModernMythology.net

Modern Mythology Ep. 22 — Technology takes a reflective look at how changing technologies have shaped tabletop role-playing games over time. From physical tools at the table to digital spaces that bring groups together across distance, we talk about what stuck, what faded, and why.

Along the way, we explore how randomness, connectivity, and new creative tools altered player expectations and game culture. The discussion moves through technology adoption, miniatures, bringing technology to the table, and the question of what the “big jump” was. We also talk about RNG, online gaming, getting the party together, virtual tabletops (VTTs), streaming, and artificial intelligence and LLMs—then close by considering where technology helps the most, and where it’s best to step back. Throughout we ponder the pros and cons and implicit tradeoffs that always arise in the course of adopting technology into our lives.

Topics:

00:00:00 A Looming Threat

00:02:00 Jump right in

00:08:30 Technology adoption

00:13:45 Miniatures

00:19:15 Bringing technology to the table

00:25:15 What was the big technological jump?

00:36:40 RNG

00:40:44 Online gaming

00:55:20 Getting the party together

01:05:00 Virtual Tabletop (VTT)

01:13:45 Streaming

01:17:35 Artificial Intelligence and LLMs

01:31:30 Technological Sweet Spot

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

ModernMythology.net

Episode 21 closes our sci-fi season with a debrief: what we learned when theory met the table. We revisit the systems we ran—Coriolis, Freemarket, CBR+PNK, Mothership, Twilight Imperium among others—and pull out the through-lines that surfaced across very different design priorities, moving between genre, system, and setting.

Across the season, certain levers kept showing up, including Dark Points and panic clocks. Downtime becomes a design layer, not just a breather. Tech and transportation aren’t just stylistic; they’re constraints you can plan around, exploit, or get trapped inside. Memory and transhumanism come into focus too: what happens to stakes when identity is modular.

One question kept circling throughout the season: what makes something science fiction at the table? Vibes matter, but so do the costs the rules make visible—risk, logistics, scarcity, and human limits. The boundary gets tested against fantasy: when is “sci-fi vs. fantasy” a productive restriction, and when is it an empty category you paint over with aesthetic? No single answer lands, but a few useful ways to frame the problem emerge.

If you’ve been with us all season, this is the after-action report. If you’re new, it’s a fast way to see how we read mechanics as part of story structure.

Topics Discussed:

00:00:45 Talk of Genre

00:29:00 What we played

00:45:00 Heroes and the Everyman

00:01:00 Media Touchpoints

01:05:00 Downtime and Resource Management

01:19:15 Games we didn't play

01:52:30 Season Favorites

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

ModernMythology.net

This week is an interesting collision between board games and tabletop RPGs as we jump into Twilight Imperium: Ashes of Power, the Free RPG Day adventure built for the Genesys roleplaying system. Designed as an easy on-ramp, Ashes of Power comes with simplified Genesys rules and pre-made characters—so you can go from “what is Genesys?” to “roll initiative” fast.

In play, we focus on what makes Genesys narrative dice work: a roll doesn’t just hinge on success or failure. It also includes story-driving fallout like Advantage vs. Threat, plus swingy moments of Triumph and Despair that change the scene in surprising ways.

If you’re curious how a “board-game readable” resolution engine can still generate rich improvisation, this episode is a great sampler of Genesys in motion.

This is also our final sci-fi themed system for the time being in our actual play series. Next episode, we’ll look back on the sci-fi games we’ve played and what we learned along the way.

Topics Discussed:

00:00:30 Boardgame to RPG

00:03:40 Free RPG Day

https://www.edge-studio.net/shares/twilight-imperium/

00:11:35 Setting Info dump

00:17:45 Scene 1: Ashes of Power

00:22:15 Scene 2

00:41:40 Scene 3

00:48:40 Scene 4

01:05:25 Scene 5

01:11:25 Scene 6

01:18:30 Scene 7

01:40:30 Scene 8

01:44:10 Scene 9

01:48:00 Debrief

01:55:40 Let’s Roll Some Dice...

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

ModernMythology.net

In this episode, Jamie and Scott dig into troupe-style play—campaigns where each player might run multiple characters over time instead of a single, fixed PC. We talk about what changes when you treat the cast as an ensemble instead of a party, and how that shift can affect spotlight, continuity, and the kinds of stories your table can tell.

Using games like Ars Magica, Pendragon, Blades in the Dark, Street Fighter, and Call of Cthulhu as examples—plus related play styles like West Marches, (featured in the newest Critical Role campaign), we trace how different designs handle rotating characters, support casts, and backup sheets. Some lean into covenants, households, or crews as the “real” protagonist; others quietly assume you’ll have replacement investigators or alternates waiting in the wings.

We also get practical. Why would you run a campaign in troupe mode? How do you build emotional investment when players are juggling multiple sheets? What are the pros and cons—the real pitfalls like prep overhead, continuity snarls, uneven buy-in—and what tools actually help you avoid them?

Topics discussed:

00:00:45 What is Troupe Style play

00:07:15 Why?

Philip José Farmer's The Dungeon Series

00:16:50 Pros and Cons

00:30:00 The Funnel/Attrition

Elder Goblin Games

00:39:00 Generational Play

00:42:00 Exploring the setting

00:49:40 The Hex Crawl

Legendary Kalmatta #61 OSE West Marches Hexcrawl Actual Play

00:57:00 Implementation

Ars Magica

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

ModernMythology.net

Next in our first line-up of sci fi RPGs, we get to play a really exciting game in our catalogue – Freemarket by Luke Crane and Jared Sorenson. This is a system-forward, reputation-driven game that’s brilliant and notoriously opaque, at least at the outset.

FreeMarket runs like an open-world sandbox. Your choices broadcast to the network; the network pushes back. Stakes aren’t hit points but status, access, and who will work with you tomorrow. The game excels in long-form play, but this session spotlights the core loop: scenes framed by goals, conflicts resolved without binary pass/fail, and consequences that reshape what you can credibly do next.

We run a short actual play to show that loop in action while Scott lays the groundwork so you can see how it operates. We close with tools you can lift for any RPG: treat social capital as a resource, let player-defined objectives pull content, and use mechanics that reward collaboration while still pricing trade-offs. If the setting or rules feel unintuitive, this episode makes them legible—and immediately useful at your table.

Topics discussed:

00:00 Character Creation

16:25 Scene Development

24:00 Initial discussion about “The Brand”

42:30 “The Hand That Feeds You”

70:20 “Party With Dodger”

85:25 “Desperate Search for Attention”

98:50 “Right Place, Right Falafel”

110:55 Endgame

121:00 Reflecting on Freemarket

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net

All four hosts join the table as Scott storyguides Trinity Continuum: Æon by Onyx Path, marking the first full-group session in our sci-fi series. We put the Storypath system through its paces, showing how Attributes + Skills shape scene pacing and spotlight moments, while smart resource management heightens tension and demands sharper decision-making. It’s a clear demonstration of our story-meets-mechanics approach—and a preview of the tone and tempo you’ll see in our live-streamed sci-fi campaign launching October 2025.

Canon note: for the online campaign, the mission-briefing org is The Directive, not “Aegis,” to align with Trinity canon.

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out James' article series, Rules in Practice and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

Topics discussed:

00:02:40 A piece of history

00:15:20 Actual Play - What are we doing here?

00:18:15 The crew of the Keres

00:23:20 Karu V

00:27:55 The Away Team

00:56:00 Planetfall

01:21:16 Day 2 - Second Wave

01:42:24 Recap of StoryPath System

For podcasts, articles and more, visit ModernMythology.net