Dice in Mind

Episode 74 Teaser

Episode 73: It’s Dragon Talk!

We are thrilled to chat this week with Shelly Mazzanoble and Greg Tito, the wonderful co-hosts of the Dragon Talk podcast and authors of the upcoming Welcome to Dragon Talk: Inspiring Conversations about Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Love to Play It. We spend most of our time exploring the book, diving into the potential for D&D to make the world a better place through fostering community, mental health, and so much more. And did we mention you can preorder the book? Please check ou...

Episode 73 Teaser

Episode 72: Aaron Pollyea

We are joined this week by Aaron Pollyea, chief engineer for Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius. We talk about his process of starting out nearly all of the starships of the game. Even more interestingly, Aaron shares with us his personal and professional story of how he became a scientist and then master of starships. We even dove into some serious talk about historical reenacting. Although Aaron's work can be seen in all of the Star Trek Adventures sourcebooks, most notable is: Utopia Pla...

Episode 71: Forty Minutes of Vamping

An episode in which Brad and Jason catch up after not having recorded for awhile by exchanging their thoughts about science fiction, fantasy, and RPGs. Join us for a wide-ranging and rather unstructured conversation about the good stuff. Welcome to Dice in Mind, a weekly podcast in which we explore the meaning of life through the lens of RPGs!  In each episode, we will consider everyday stuff like science, religion, philosophy, and economics…through the lens of a specific roleplaying game a...

Episode 71 Teaser

Episode 70: Bill Smith and Star Wars

This week we bring you RPG royalty! Seriously. We have the good fortune of sharing our fascinating conversation with Bill Smith, writer and editor of the much hailed Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (2nd ed.) core rulebook, Game Master Handbook, and more from West End Games. Bill's work on the mechanics and storytelling of Star Wars roleplaying should not be underestimated. His influences subtle and significant remain manifest throughout the science-fiction and fantasy RPG zeitgeist to this d...

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Episode 69: Humble Leadership in Trek

This week Brad, Jason, and his friend and colleague Dr. Aaron Peterson discuss the potential for Captain Pike of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to use humility to inform the practice of leadership. Along the way, they debate the realities of leading in the way in the real world, share some stories, and provide another update on their upcoming book. Please join us as we dive deeply into how Trek can inform our own leadership. And if you are interested in the book, drop us a note. Aaron and Jas...

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Episode 68: Jim Johnson Trifecta Part 2

Friend of the podcast Jim Johnson is back! An accomplished author and project lead for Star Trek Adventures at Modiphius, Jim joins us to talk about the creative process behind the Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook. We see this latest expansion of the line as Jim's love letter to Star Trek. Join us for the second half of our two-part conversation on starships, Trek, and many things adjacent. Please check out Jim's oeuvre with and beyond Modiphius: Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook Sc...

Episode 68 Teaser

Episode 67: Jim Johnson Trifecta Part 1

Friend of the podcast Jim Johnson is back! An accomplished author and project lead for Star Trek Adventures at Modiphius, Jim joins us to talk about the creative process behind the Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook. We see this latest expansion of the line as Jim's love letter to Star Trek. Join us for the first half of our two-part conversation on starships, Trek, and many things adjacent. Please check out Jim's oeuvre with and beyond Modiphius: Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook Scr...

Episode 67 Teaser

Episode 66: Dr. Erin Macdonald

This Week's Guest: Dr. Erin Macdonald Erin Macdonald (PhD, Astrophysics) is a tattooed one-woman STEM career panel, with recognition as a researcher, speaker, engineer, and consultant before her current career. She lives in Los Angeles working as a writer and producer and is currently the science consultant for the entire Star Trek franchise. She is available for staff writing positions, consulting, and freelance work! Please also out Erin's creative work: Website Twitter YouTube Spacetim...

Episode 66 Teaser

Episode 65: Steve Kenson

This Week's Guest: Steve Kenson Steve Kenson has been a professional RPG author and designer since 1995 and has worked on numerous books and games, including the award-winning Mutants & Masterminds, Freedom City, and Blue Rose for Green Ronin Publishing. He has written nine RPG tie-in novels and runs his own imprint, Ad Infinitum Adventures, which publishes material for Icons Superpowered Roleplaying. He helped found the annual Queer as a Three-Sided Die panel series at Gen Con. Steve lives...

Episode 65 Teaser

Episode 64: Laurie Ulster

This Week's Guest: Laurie Ulster Laurie Ulster is a transplanted Canadian who somehow survived a very confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in middle school, then fell in love with Manhattan about 10 minutes after her arrival at NYU. After many years as a television producer, where networks like MTV had her producing everything from musician interviews in dive bars all over the East Village to game shows in Malaysia, she made the switch to digital, overseeing websites at Fu...

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Episode 63: Dr. Megan Connell

This Week's Guest: Dr. Megan Connell Dr. Megan Connell is a board-certified psychologist in private practice who formerly served in the US Army. In her current work she utilizes tabletop role-playing games as a clinical intervention. In 2017 she co-founded the media company Geeks Like Us which focuses on geek and gaming culture. She is the author of the upcoming book Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy.  She is a board member for Geek Therapeutics a training platform that develops professional pr...

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Episode 62: Dr. Gwendolyn Marshall

This Week's Guest: Dr. Gwendolyn Marshall Dr. Gwendolyn Marshall (she/her) is a full-time game designer for 2CGaming, as well as a frequent freelancer for Pinnacle Entertainment, MCDM, Archvillain Games, and more. She is also designer and co-owner of Arcanist Press, with whom she won two ENnie Awards. Her titles include Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e and S5e: Superheroic Roleplaying for 5th Edition. She is also a college philosophy professor, a parent, and a pansexual, tra...

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Episode 61: Building your Homeland!

This Week's Guest: Us! We take a step to the side this week from our regular schedule of interviews to chat about the joy (and potential) of worldbuilding. Along the way, Brad and Jason share their own creative processes of developing an entirely novel setting for D&D (Brad) and a new world-within-canon setting for Star Wars (Jason). It's time to grab a pencil and some paper! Welcome to Dice in Mind, a weekly podcast in which we explore the meaning of life through the lens of RPGs!  In eac...

Episode 61 Teaser

Episode 60: Ben Riggs

This Week's Guest: Ben Riggs Ben Riggs is a writer, teacher, and podcaster. He traveled the world teaching in his 20s. During his journeys, he tutored a princess, saw both the Sahara and Mt. Fuji at dawn, and discovered his wife and fellow traveler, Tara. He has settled down in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he teaches English and history, and he and Tara have a son, Simon. Ben’s RPG podcast, Plot Points, has been running for the last decade, and his work has appeared on NPR an...

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Episode 59: Travis Baldree

This Week's Guest: Travis Baldree Travis Baldree is a full-time audiobook narrator who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate. Apparently, he now also writes books. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his very patient family and their small, nervous dog. Please also out Travis' creative work: Travis Baldree Legends & Lattes (Amazon) Legends & Lattes (Barnes & Noble) Legends & La...

Episode 59 Teaser: Travis Baldree

Episode 58: David Mack

This Week's Guest: David Mack Please join us as we chat with prolific New York Time's bestselling author and grandmaster David Mack about his writing in and beyond Star Trek, his thoughts about where science fiction is headed, and his insights into the business of writing and publishing novels. Please also out David's creative work: David Mack (website) David Mack (Amazon author page) @DavidAlanMack David Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 36 novels of science fict...

Episode 58 Teaser

Episode 57: The ARE the Droids You’re Looking For

This week, we dive into the question of how to play a robot/android/droid as a PC or GM one as an NPC. It is a topic we have been thinking about for more than a year and finally had the time between interviews to record. Whether it be in the roleplaying worlds of Star Wars, Star Trek, Dune, Android, Starfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, or Red Dwarf (anyone? anyone?), we explore what it means to not be human behind the dice. And now for something completely different, in the GM corner this week: ...

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Episode 56: Karen Twelves

We are pleased to bring you this week our interview with author, editor, and improv-er (is that a word?) Karen Twelves. As you will hear, Karen has keen insight into the potential of improv to improve our game not only at the table, but also in the real world. She is also a dynamic and lovely individual. Enjoy the chat! Please also out Karen's creative work: Improv for Gamers (workshops) Improv for Gamers (gamefound) Improv for Gamers (2nd ed.) Also mentioned: Leadership from the Ready R...

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Episode 55: Tim Pratt

This week we chat with the prolific writer Tim Pratt about his work in science-fiction and fantasy.  Along the way we discussion short stories, poetry, and of course roleplaying games.  If you love any of those things, or living in Berkeley, this episode is for you! Please also out Tim's creative work: Homepage Short Stories on Patreon Tim on Twitter Tim Pratt is a Hugo Award-winning science-fiction and fantasy author, and has been a finalist for World Fantasy, Philip K. Dick, Sturgeon, S...

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Episode 54: Leadership Trek Update

And now for something completely different. This week Brad interviews Jason and his friend and collaborator Aaron as they share an update on their upcoming book, which explores leadership through the lens of the grand captains of Star Trek, and will be published by McFarland. Please join us as we dive deeply into how Trek can inform our own leadership. And if you are interested in the book, drop us a note. Aaron and Jason would love to talk with you. In the meantime, you can check out these...

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Episode 53: Shamini Bundell

This week we chat with Shamini Bundell, an individual who truly works (and plays) at the intersection of science and RPGs.  When not producing a short film, recording an actual play podcast, or writing for theatre, you can likely find Shamini seeking out accoutrement for her next cosplay.  Join us as we explore how these various activities can meaningfully inform one another! Please also out Shamini's creative work: Science and Dragons DIY Film Club Shamini on Twitter (you definitely want ...

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Episode 52: James Sutter

This week we chat with James L. Sutter, co-creator of both Pathfinder and Starfinder.  Yet, as you will hear, James has done so much more in his creative work.  From writing to performing on guitar, join us as we explore James' unique and diverse range of linguistic and artistic expression.  And make certain to stick around until the end of the interview.  That's when things get serious and we talk about what matters in life. Please also out James' creative work: James L. Sutter James' Boo...

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Episode 51: Ron Lundeen

Join us this week as we chat with prolific author Ron Lundeen about his work on Pathfinder and so many other creative projects.  However, what impressed us even more than Ron's oeuvre in and beyond gaming is his attitude toward what matters in life and his interest to pay it forward to aspiring writers.  We went a little long with this interview because there was so much to consider.  We welcome you into the discussion. Please also out Ron's creative work: Run Amok Games Run Amok Blog Ron'...

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Episode 50: James D’Amato

We are very pleased this week to bring you our conversation with James D'Amato, prolific author of RPG guides and the host of the One Shot Podcast.  As you will hear, James shared much more than his thoughts about roleplaying games and his upcoming NEW book.  Along the way, we talked about the importance of how our decisions in real life have to fit...and the joy that can result when the mechanics of a game promotes gameplay.  So, sit yourself down and take a listen to this wide-ranging and ...

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Episode 49: Jim Johnson and Writing Redux

Hang on, because this week we bring you a MEGASODE follow-up interview with Jim Johnson, accomplished author and project lead for Star Trek Adventures with Modiphius.  We specifically asked Jim if he would offer a workshop of sorts on how to pitch and write for the new missions briefs so popular with Star Trek Adventures.  We went long, but we think you will agree it was worth it.  Enjoy! Please check out Jim's oeuvre with and beyond Modiphius: Scribe Ineti: Jim Johnson's Writing Pistols a...

Episode 49 Teaser