Explore every episode of the podcast RPG Lessons Learned
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Slug House, Part 1! (Tan Hack: Slug House) | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:33:41 | |
Tanner runs Slug House for Dusty, an old-school dungeon that's a bit bigger than what they are used to! Topics of converstation include hacking together your own OSR system, one player running multiple characters, the difference between a good online game vs a good in person game, eating food in a dungeon, perilous random encounters, shopping, GM never rolling dice, and managing your multitasking.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Death In Space! (Welcome to the Ring) | 26 May 2025 | 00:26:57 | |
Tanner ran Dusty through a one-on-one sci-fi OSR adventure in Death In Space, and it wasn't great! They chat about the joy of creating characters by rolling on random tables, playing a character with 1 HP, the power of a good setting and a pretty book, unstructured adventures, and the struggle to find one-on-one games that suit Dusty and Tanner's tastes.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Hex Dungeons At Home! (Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) | 19 May 2025 | 00:36:52 | |
Dusty tells Tanner about running games for some family and friends, and talk about secret doors in dungeons, metagaming the map, Jaquaysing the dungeon, keying your maps, pacing and indecision, red dragons vs green dragons, running Dusk again (!), homebrewing monsters, considerations for running games for youngsters, and the evils of fudging dice rolls!
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Lancer, Part 2: Campaign Update! (LANCER: Operation Solstice Rain) | 12 May 2025 | 00:30:43 | |
Tanner gives Dusty an update on his Lancer campaign with his home group, talking about how long combat takes, the importance of scheduling, designing tactical combat encounters, roleplaying mechanics, and the strengths of different mecha and sci-fi subgenres.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Escape from Drassana! (Star Wars d6) | 05 May 2025 | 00:21:35 | |
Dusty ran Tanner a one-on-one one shot in West End Game's Star Wars d6 system. Discussions include the fun of making an adventure vs running one, the best types of characters to play for a game with only one player, concepts vs practicality in adventure design, failing forward, and scripted lines for players!
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Best and Worst GM Advice! | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:38:58 | |
Dusty and Tanner talk their favorite GM advice from games they love, as well as some not-so-great advice, including advice on random encounters, asking your players what they want, magic tricks at the table, building trust between players and the GM, railroading in published adventures, and linear story structure.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Lancer, Part 1: Pre-Campaign Advice (LANCER) | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:21:40 | |
Tanner seek's Dusty's advice for his next campaign he is running for his home group, the LANCER RPG. Topics of discussion include 4th edition D&D, scenario design, roleplaying in combat, and lair assaults.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Cyberpunk, Part 3! (Cyberpunk RED) | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:27:26 | |
Tanner and Dusty talk the finale of their Cyberpunk RED mini-campaign, discussing tactical combat on battle maps, virtual tabletop gaming, and the campaign and system as a whole.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Cyberpunk, Part 2! (Cyberpunk RED: Agents of Desire) | 07 Apr 2025 | 00:26:12 | |
Dusty and Tanner talk about their second session in Cyberpunk RED, playing the published adventure Agents of Desire, discussing pre-written adventure layouts, PC and GM expectations for combat, and if a twist can be too obvious.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Cyberpunk, Part 1! (Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Easy Mode) | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:27:59 | |
Tanner ran the quick-start adventure for Cyberpunk RED for Dusty, and they chat after the game about their first impressions of the system, cyber Joe Rogan, the necessity for a Cyberpunk game to feel like cyberpunk, strangely-written adventures, pre-made characters, and combat rules.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Martin's Game, Part 2! (Old-School Essentials: Palace of the Silver Princess) | 24 Mar 2025 | 00:31:38 | |
Dusty gives Tanner an update on his long-running OSE campaign with the world's greatest GM, Martin, and they talk simulationism in RPGs, GMPCs, missing content in games, remembering RPGs for posterity, and expanding a published adventure into a campaign.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Carnival of Crime, Part 3! (Mutants & Masterminds, 3E) | 17 Mar 2025 | 00:28:15 | |
Dusty and Tanner discuss the conclusion to their Mutants & Masterminds game, and cover the volatility of 1-on-1 combat encounters, sidestepping GM prep, luck rolls, and how to talk GM-to-player instead of GM-to GM.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100!
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| Carnival of Crime, Part 2! (Mutants & Masterminds, 3E) | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:33:34 | |
Dusty and Tanner chat about Part 2 of Carnival of Crime in Mutants & Masterminds, and talk three-act structures, player agency vs railroading, and more.
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100!
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| Carnival of Crime, Part 1! (Mutants & Masterminds, 3E) | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:34:13 | |
Dusty and Tanner discuss the first session of their three-part Carnival of Crime mini-campaign in Mutants & Masterminds!
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Rat Trap! (Mutants & Masterminds, 3E: Rat Trap) | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:20:33 | |
Dusty ran "Rat Trap," the adventure in the "Mutants & Masterminds" third edition quickstart, for Tanner!
Intro / Outro Music: Mirror Image by BernardW100! | |||
| Abberant Reflections! (The Black Hack, 2E: Abberant Reflections) | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:39:51 | |
Tanner ran "Abberant Reflections," an Old-School puzzle-based dungeon, for Dusty in "The Black Hack!"
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| Hex Dungeon Catchup! (D&D, 5E) | 10 Feb 2025 | 00:27:45 | |
Tanner talks about taking the Hex Dungeon format back to his home group!
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| Hex Dungeon: Christmas Again! (Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) | 03 Feb 2025 | 00:21:08 | |
Dusty runs his original hex-based Christmas dungeon for strangers online!
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| The Veiled Society! (Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) | 27 Jan 2025 | 00:27:33 | |
Dusty runs "The Veiled Society" for Tanner as a Mystery Dungeon Crawl using Chris Gonnerman's "Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game!"
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| Throne of the Owl! (D&D, 5E) | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:29:32 | |
Tanner talks to Dusty about the 5th Edition D&D game he’s running for his home group.
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| Motor City Greens and Blues! (Trail of Cthulhu) | 13 Jan 2025 | 00:37:35 | |
Tanner runs Dusty through a Trail of Cthulhu hack set in 1970s Detroit!
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| Hex Dungeon: Christmas! (Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:25:16 | |
Dusty ran an original hex-based dungeon for Tanner using Chris Gonnerman's "Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game."
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| Hex Dungeon: St. Patty's! (Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) | 30 Dec 2024 | 00:27:01 | |
Dusty ran an original hex-based dungeon for Tanner using Chris Gonnerman's "Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game."
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| Hex Dungeon: Ruined Asylum of Uulgreth! (Scarlet Heroes) | 28 Jul 2023 | 00:37:11 | |
Tanner ran an original hex-based dungeon for Dusty using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| Hex Dungeon: Castle Frankenstein! (Scarlet Heroes) | 19 Jul 2023 | 00:27:24 | |
Dusty ran an original hex-based dungeon for Tanner using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| Hideous Daylight! (Scarlet Heroes) | 12 Jul 2023 | 00:25:37 | |
Tanner ran “Hideous Daylight,” an Old-School Essentials dungeon by Brad Kerr, for Dusty using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| Awakening at the Old Well! (Scarlet Heroes) | 17 Feb 2023 | 00:21:49 | |
Dusty ran “Awakening at the Old Well,” a one-page dungeon by BigfootBob, for Tanner using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| A mystery, Columbo-style! (Books & Bullets) | 25 Jan 2023 | 00:30:56 | |
Dusty ran a one-shot adventure for Tanner using Ray Otus’s “Books & Bullets” hack of “Lasers & Feelings.”
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| Temple of 1000 Swords! (Scarlet Heroes) | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:35:15 | |
Tanner ran “Temple of 1000 Swords,” an Old-School Essentials dungeon by Brad Kerr, for Dusty using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| Bloodstone! | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:22:34 | |
Tanner ran a one-shot adventure for Dusty using Matteo Sciutteri’s “Bloodstone” forged-in-the-dark mini-game.
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| Temple of the Moon Priests! (Scarlet Heroes) | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:46:18 | |
Tanner ran "Temple of the Moon Priests," a one-page dungeon by Gildor Games, for Dusty using Kevin Crawfords’s “Scarlet Heroes” system that enables one-on-one dungeon crawls!
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| Rogues, Transformers, and Used Books! | 10 Oct 2021 | 00:54:06 | |
Recorded on the road in 2019, Brian and Dusty are out shopping for RPG books at their favorite used book store. Along the way, they discuss several topics including how Chris’ rogue play shapes their understanding of the Rogue Class. They discuss their purchases, including what they found and what they didn’t. The show is rounded out with a long discussion about why we do what we do, why do we collect, and where do we draw the line with our hobbies. | |||
| Arriviste, Part 13.5: Player Retrospective! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 31 Aug 2021 | 00:32:54 | |
Dusty and Brian discuss what’s next for RPGLL; then Dusty, Nathan, and Chris discuss the campaign.
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| Arriviste, Part 13: Gehenna! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 30 Aug 2021 | 00:31:59 | |
Eduardo and Xep choose their fate and go on their last mission…
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| Arriviste, Part 12: Progenitor! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 29 Aug 2021 | 00:31:27 | |
Eduardo and Xep have a conversation with their sire at long last…
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| Arriviste, Part 11: Fauxdiluvians! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 28 Aug 2021 | 00:44:04 | |
The Camarilla takes Eduardo and Xep for Antediluvians…
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| Arriviste, Part 10: Sire! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 27 Aug 2021 | 00:24:31 | |
Eduardo and Xep may have discovered the identity of their sire…
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| Arriviste, Part 9: Conclave! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 26 Aug 2021 | 00:27:53 | |
Eduardo and Xep are summoned to a meeting of all the Kindred in the city…
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| Arriviste, Part 8: Diablerists! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 25 Aug 2021 | 00:40:31 | |
Eduardo and Xep run afoul of a Malkavian who reads Diablerie in their aura…
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| Arriviste, Part 7.5: Player Check-In 2! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 24 Aug 2021 | 00:13:40 | |
Dusty and Brian catch up after a long hiatus; then Chris and Nathan give Dusty feedback on session 2…
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| Arriviste, Part 7: Learning Combat! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 22 Sep 2019 | 00:35:48 | |
Xep and Eduardo wind up in combat and try to learn the system along the way…
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| Arriviste, Part 6: Fly By Night! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 01 Sep 2019 | 00:40:30 | |
Xep and Eduardo head up to Mooresville (a.k.a. Race City, USA) to investigate a group of Sabbat…
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| Arriviste, Part 5: Exposition! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 25 Aug 2019 | 00:27:00 | |
Xep and Eduardo learn about vampire clans from Smiling Jack.
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| Arriviste, Part 4.5: Player Check-In! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 18 Aug 2019 | 00:13:00 | |
Dusty checks in with Chris and Nathan after the guys finish their first session of Vampire… and Dusty and Brian get into some major spoilers for what this campaign’s all about!
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| Arriviste, Part 4: Diablerie! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 11 Aug 2019 | 00:23:37 | |
Eduardo and Xep finish their first session by unwittingly breaking the worst of Vampire taboos…
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| Arriviste, Part 3: Blood Hunt! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 21 Jul 2019 | 00:34:25 | |
The fledglings take part in a Blood Hunt to convince the city’s Kindred that they’re more than sire-less neonates…
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| Arriviste, Part 2: Smiling Jack! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 14 Jul 2019 | 00:34:33 | |
The fledglings find Smiling Jack, and learn about Vampire/Kindred traditions…
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| Arriviste, Part 1: Session Zero! (Vampire: The Masquerade) | 30 Jun 2019 | 00:35:06 | |
Dusty and Brian discuss session 0 of the Vampire The Masquerade game with Nathan and Chris!
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| World of Dungeons SWOT! (World of Dungeons) | 03 Mar 2019 | 00:32:37 | |
We perform a SWOT Analysis on the World of Dungeons system!
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| Hatari Tower! (World of Dungeons) | 24 Feb 2019 | 00:38:14 | |
Dusty, Mike, and Brian discuss their World of Dungeons session Hatari Tower and run it through the tried and true Start, Stop, and Continue exercise.
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