Fear the Boot, RPG Podcast
166 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 319 ratingsAn irreverent look at tabletop roleplaying games and a little bit more.
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Episodes
Episode 584 – developing past in the present
December 07, 2021 07:15 - 56 minutes - 26.6 MB* (0:44) When only the shell of a character gets made, for lack of knowledge about the world. The episode where we previously discussed this can be found here. * (13:19) Using an opportunity in the present to expand the character’s past. The influence of other players on the process. * (17:01) The person with […]
Episode 583 – does it bring you joy
November 24, 2021 08:31 - 55 minutes - 26.2 MB* (0:33) Brodeur went to Gamehole Con, and Dan can’t take other people’s money. * (8:08) How age changes what you care about. * (10:02) The end-of-year blackhole that consumes our schedules (and, by extension, our games). * (11:23) Brodeur loses his motivation to GM. * (15:28) Player satisfaction does not necessarily equate to GM […]
Episode 582 – degrees of separation
November 06, 2021 03:23 - 50 minutes - 23.6 MB* (0:32) Fear the Con’s room block number is 2413940. You can place your room reservations at this link, which should prepopulate the con dates. * (1:08) Brodeur’s second product pick from the con circuit: Never Going Home. * (6:13) The “World of Darkness” problem, when games sit too close to real-world ideas people hold […]
Episode 581 – Gen Con, et al
October 26, 2021 04:45 - 47 minutes - 22.4 MB* (0:28) Dan is the new Brodeur. * (4:51) Fear the Con coming up June 16th – 18th, 2022. * (5:52) Brodeur hits a few conventions. We start by talking attendance numbers. * (15:33) The companies that were conspicuously absent, and those that filled the void. * (18:45) Was the change for the better? * […]
Episode 580 – compelling depth
October 16, 2021 06:27 - 1 hour - 28.7 MB* (0:28) Fear the Con coming up June 16th – 18th, 2022. * (2:54) Making a plot that’s personal to the characters, without falling back to cheap shots. * (9:42) If you don’t want purely violent responses, don’t rely on purely violent hooks. * (15:43) An example about a Firbolg. Our two episodes on West […]
Episode 579 – playtesting a game
October 07, 2021 22:29 - 1 hour - 30.6 MB* (0:29) Introducing Vece. You can find the Skies of Glass playtest on our Patreon. * (1:35) Brodeur continues hurting himself. You can find his podcast here. * (11:35) What got us thinking about playtesting a roleplaying game. Gage’s playtest survey. * (14:43) Why you may not know what you need to ask. * (18:35) […]
Episode 578 – action economy
September 24, 2021 00:53 - 50 minutes - 23.8 MB* (0:30) Let the bodies hit the floor! * (5:24) Defining the “action economy”. The video of three master fencers versus 50 random people can be found here. * (14:57) Consider not using a lone enemy. * (17:48) Using objectives instead of enemies. * (27:37) The erosion of the Game Master’s enjoyment. The idea of […]
Episode 577 – evolve instead of excise
August 20, 2021 07:01 - 52 minutes - 24.5 MB* (0:28) Dan’s situation with his Blades in the Dark character. * (2:21) The “play cycle” of an RPG. * (6:06) Designing a character that works in the play cycle, but not very well outside of it. * (24:54) Why not just play another character or revise the existing character traits? * (32:55) “That’s not […]
Episode 576 – cliffhangers and missing players
August 10, 2021 07:36 - 59 minutes - 28 MB* (0:33) Brodeur’s ongoing work to blind himself. * (2:40) Gaming when down a person. Putting some parameters on the discussion. * (7:53) Avoiding cliffhangers that hinge on a single character. * (11:58) Subtly reframing the scene to obscure the unknowns. * (16:31) Get a few what-if tips from the missing player to help you […]
Episode 575 – tension and violence, part 2
July 16, 2021 06:28 - 49 minutes - 23.3 MB* (0:24) Maybe combat shouldn’t be played to the point of annihilation. Violence as part of the human experience. * (5:50) The social contract of a fight. Jason Brick’s Safest Family on the Block show. * (9:43) Playing the enemies sub-optimally, or managing combat according to your strengths as a GM. * (21:18) The “soft” […]
Episode 574 – tension and violence, part 1
July 09, 2021 00:30 - 40 minutes - 18.9 MB* (0:29) Wayne gives a shoutout to Old Man Hussey. (Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a link to the AP he ran.) * (3:15) Brodeur gets us started on the joys of combat in roleplaying games. How initiative balances the spotlight. * (7:05) Why fight at all? * (11:31) Intermixing roleplaying and combat. * […]
Episode 573 – meeting people halfway
June 28, 2021 05:36 - 59 minutes - 27.7 MB* (0:52) A love that makes Brodeur and Wayne uncomfortable. * (4:37) Actor has a seat at Brodeur’s table but doesn’t seem to enjoy it. * (10:14) The importance of looking for context and motive to understand a behavior. * (18:50) Someone else’s struggles don’t invalidate your boundaries. * (26:33) Getting perspective, possibly with the […]
Episode 572 – reentry to in-person games
June 18, 2021 20:15 - 50 minutes - 23.5 MB* (0:27) Where’s Brodeur? * (2:00) Fear the Con Online, June 25th – 27th. You can create and sign up for games on the website. * (4:04) Having patience for people, whether in discomfort or just struggling with old habits dying hard. * (6:42) Neglected gaming spaces and snack stashes. * (13:01) Change up your gaming […]
Episode 571 – remote gaming post-mortem
June 14, 2021 22:58 - 1 hour - 30.7 MB* (0:28) And the cat came back…! * (1:13) Fear the Con Online, June 25th – 27th. You can create and sign up for games on the website. * (4:00) As we get close to gaming face-to-face again, we look back at over a year of online gaming. * (5:43) It’s better than not gaming […]
Episode 570 – validating questionable ideas
May 21, 2021 09:01 - 52 minutes - 24.5 MB* (0:39) Silver milk. * (7:54) Spotlight vs. validation. * (12:40) Being a fan of the players. * (18:27) Evaluating whether the idea is genuinely bad, or you’re just being judgmental. * (23:39) Asking players why they think their ideas would work. * (27:25) Picking the hills that are worth dying on. * (36:36) Not […]
Episode 569 – managing a dark tone
May 18, 2021 09:23 - 56 minutes - 26.4 MB* (0:40) Delusions of Reference (or not) in a Mexican restaurant. * (21:16) Wayne’s weird skill of making eating interesting. * (23:45) A Dresden game gets a bit depressing, but not all entertainment needs the same tone to succeed. * (30:47) An engaging story, that’s true to your creative vision, is worth more than cheap […]
Bonus Episode 92 – the stories behind the fiction
May 07, 2021 09:13 - 1 hour - 28.7 MB* (0:22) Hating on Zoom, and welcoming Tex and Old Man Hussey. * (1:48) Welcoming author and former Assistant BattleTech Line Developer Ben Rome, and other/new Tex from Tex Talks BattleTech (his recommended episodes for BattleTech veterans and the one for non-players). * (6:21) BattleTech in the 80s, including the greatest piece of art it […]
Episode 568 – GM negotiation, part 2
April 30, 2021 07:00 - 47 minutes - 22.3 MB* (0:24) Blades in the Dark as a Charles Dickens’ book, rewritten by H.P. Lovecraft. Fallen London as a genre. Richard Trager from Outlast. * (8:06) Where Dan’s plans for his character diverge from what our game can reasonably handle. * (15:42) Balancing resources a player wants for their character. * (27:36) Not doing the […]
Episode 567 – GM negotiation, part 1
April 28, 2021 06:30 - 39 minutes - 18.8 MB* (0:29) Sharing space with other GMs and three kids. * (7:40) XP and loot in a West Marches game. * (11:57) And a child shall lead them… * (19:22) Lifelines to sanity. Wayne’s blog and fiction fragments. * (21:16) Player negotiation with the Game Master. Seven questions to help develop characters. * (29:17) When […]
Episode 566 – on different rails
April 16, 2021 11:11 - 1 hour - 29.5 MB* (0:29) Brodeur’s slamdemic, language choices, and current game. * (6:13) The beginning of Brodeur’s problems with Actor. * (13:18) Cue Ball returns with some insight. * (17:20) Why this might have been the wrong solution for Brodeur and/or a misunderstanding of Actor. * (23:42) Understanding where Actor is coming from. Why was Brodeur the […]
Bonus Episode 91 – the things we tolerate
April 07, 2021 09:19 - 1 hour - 29.2 MB* (0:23) Who is Amy? * (1:07) Why do we tolerate so much bad behavior at our gaming tables? Separating this topic from what one might encounter during public games (e.g. conventions, organized play). * (8:41) Friendships aren’t transitive. Also, perhaps we put up with the bad because it’s less than the good the same […]
Fear the Con 2021 update
March 23, 2021 19:00 - 1 minute - 1.38 MBAn update on how COVID is impacting Fear the Con 2021.
Episode 565 – translating characters
March 23, 2021 04:26 - 48 minutes - 22.9 MB* (0:28) In a world where… * (1:29) Laura is Lura, and now Dawn is Don? * (3:50) Explaining Masks and Powered by the Apocalypse. * (7:32) Transitioning the same characters from Masks to Necessary Evil. * (12:44) The implicit model of every RPG system. * (17:17) Rebuilding the character instead of trying to directly […]
Episode 564 – Wayne recovers a game
February 24, 2021 10:05 - 59 minutes - 28.1 MB* (0:29) Lura struggles with her own name, but we’re there to help! * (3:39) The flash fiction anthology, Worth 1,000 Words, is still available for purchase. * (7:43) Laura is starting a game for minority and marginalized people. You can contact her to learn more on her TikTok account, email ([email protected]), or by PMing her […]
Episode 563 – gaming with an audience, part 2
February 12, 2021 10:59 - 38 minutes - 18.5 MB* (0:24) A literal F-bomb. * (1:27) The fishbowl of gaming in a game shop. * (16:22) The desired safety—yet expected vulnerability—of a public gaming space. Missing context. * (21:49) An allegory of pets. * (27:32) Please not just D&D. * (29:03) An update on Fear the Con 2021. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
Episode 562 – gaming with an audience, part 1
February 11, 2021 11:28 - 41 minutes - 19.5 MB* (0:30) The flash fiction anthology, Worth 1,000 Words, is now out! * (3:35) Love for Johnny Lawrence that no child of the 80s should have. * (17:43) Wayne runs The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men with a family audience. * (24:37) How an audience impacts execution of the game. * (29:18) Tailoring to audiences […]
Episode 561 – why people roleplay, part 2
January 27, 2021 11:38 - 37 minutes - 17.8 MB* (0:24) Enjoying roleplaying as an artform. * (1:44) When desires collide. * (11:37) The opportunity to express or explore controversial ideas. * (16:54) Indulging a power fantasy. * (23:20) Stress relief. * (30:28) Interacting with a particular world. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
Episode 560 – why people roleplay, part 1
January 19, 2021 06:36 - 33 minutes - 15.9 MB* (0:29) Brodeur gets back on the ladder again. * (1:13) Dan plays doctor, which gets us wondering what makes people want to roleplay anything at all. * (5:59) Why it’s good to know what motivates someone to roleplay. * (10:07) Structured social interactions. * (15:13) Exploration of self. * (18:28) Exploration of others. * […]
Episode 559 – the unoccupied average
December 23, 2020 08:37 - 58 minutes - 27.5 MB* (0:29) General Bootspital. * (7:19) More observations from roleplaying in an MMO. Not using freakshow characters to make yourself stand out. * (11:46) The great, unoccupied average. Distinguishing your character by who they are, not what they are. * (27:35) How collaborative game-building can keep characters from being freakshows to begin with. The praise-worthy […]
Episode 558 – roleplaying in an MMO
December 13, 2020 09:24 - 30 minutes - 14.7 MB* (0:29) Fear the Boot: Quarantine Edition. Plus, Brodeur versus Ladder. Ladder wins. NOTE: Brodeur has not actually lost an arm or eye. I meant to say he’d lost use of them. * (3:57) Roleplaying in an MMO, and why I never thought I’d do it. * (5:29) My history with MMOs. * (7:09) Comparing […]
Episode 557 – ending a long campaign, part 2
November 30, 2020 10:01 - 46 minutes - 21.8 MB* (0:24) Bringing everything together into a single ending. Remembering that the GM should get their say as well. * (8:05) The collaborative building of a world with conflict. The natural concern for one’s own creation. * (19:40) Differentiating the ending and epilogue of the game. * (34:50) Knowing where to let go. * (42:56) […]
Episode 556 – ending a long campaign, part 1
November 12, 2020 08:00 - 44 minutes - 20.8 MB* (0:30) Never humor Brodeur. * (1:17) Jason Brick is launching a new flash fiction anthology, with several Fear the Boot hosts contributing. You can find the Kickstarter here. * (4:23) The fine folks at Modiphius Entertainment feed Dan’s Enclave addiction, and he repays them by referring to Wasteland Warfare as Wasteland Warriors. * (8:32) […]
Episode 555 – on models, part 2
November 09, 2020 08:00 - 45 minutes - 21.5 MB* (0:24) Brodeur’s response to our critiques. Settling disputes in online games. * (3:12) Minis are just cool to create and use. * (6:32) A form of art and inspiration. * (11:40) The value to visual thinkers and visual learners. * (21:40) Estimating the percentage of groups that use minis. * (27:29) Minis as commemorative […]
Episode 554 – on models, part 1
October 25, 2020 08:20 - 47 minutes - 22.2 MB* (0:29) Models, minis, figs, and toy soldiers. Brodeur proposes Frostgrave. Why Chad is wrong about the Enclave being fully defeated. * (4:02) Minis in an RPG. Enriching or distracting? Brodeur’s blog post on the matter. * (15:36) What miniatures bring to and take away from the typical roleplaying game. Distaste for collectibles and blind […]
Episode 553 – revisiting COVID
October 16, 2020 07:09 - 58 minutes - 27.6 MB* (0:28) Brodeur’s site, Wayne’s site, and Fear the Boot’s Patreon. * (3:49) Looking at an updated view of the effect COVID is having on tabletop gaming. Setting some parameters on the discussion. * (8:47) The impact it’s had on our own games and gaming groups. * (20:32) How COVID is affecting the podcast. * […]
Episode 552 – structure and authority
October 05, 2020 06:34 - 1 hour - 30.1 MB* (0:30) Nagging Brodeur to do an episode of Game Notes. Brodeur’s own show. * (7:21) Revisiting command structures in a game. Waiting to set roles until after you’ve had a chance to play your character. * (14:28) Your character isn’t their job. * (21:44) Not having a group structure at all, juxtaposed with the […]
Episode 551 – finding your voice as a GM
October 01, 2020 08:57 - 59 minutes - 27.7 MB* (0:28) Developing a GMing style. * (2:38) Defining “GMing style,” as it will be used in this show. * (9:19) Laura, as a GM who is running her formative games. * (12:10) Picking up helpful ideas from other GMs without losing your own style. Sticking with it. * (18:43) Struggling with a sense of […]
Episode 550 – I’m the captain now
September 01, 2020 23:15 - 1 hour - 32 MB* (0:28) How this topic may tie into the next campaign in our actual play. * (7:47) The particular struggle over captain, as opposed to any other position on the bridge. * (9:21) The attractive folly of choosing a reluctant leader. * (17:00) The difference between trying to shoehorn in the wrong player versus the […]
Episode 549 – game request from one player
August 07, 2020 03:00 - 1 hour - 28.2 MB* (0:28) Have a game! And an online calendar. * (3:09) When one player asks for a very specific game. * (9:08) Determining exactly what they want from this game. Yes, Chad, Green Squadron really does exist. * (11:18) Does the rest of the group want to participate in this game? * (12:40) An intentionally […]
Bonus Episode 90 – running an online con
July 27, 2020 07:53 - 49 minutes - 23.3 MB* (0:24) Introducing Zylo and reintroducing Chris. * (0:49) A brief history of Fear the Conline. * (3:42) The dual novelty of running a con game and online game. * (7:10) Position the screen below the camera. * (9:02) Allowing for early communication between the GMs and players. * (11:52) The promotional video Zylo made. […]
Bonus Episode 89 – Lura looks
July 15, 2020 07:19 - 1 hour - 28.2 MB* (0:29) Are there TWO soulless gingers on the show!? * (4:03) Minnesotans and their grey ducks. * (6:03) Lura explains her tarot deck and witchery. * (14:37) A reading for Gnarl. The Shadowscapes deck. * (26:22) A reading to give Wayne game advice. When are the pancakes coming in the mail? * (39:30) A […]
Episode 548 – launching a West Marches game
June 20, 2020 08:03 - 1 hour - 29.9 MB* (0:29) Bad Brodeur gets bashful. Lura and finding God’s love in F7. * (8:13) Dan prepares to run a West Marches game. You can find our prior episodes on West Marches here and here. * (11:02) The fresh perspective children and new gamers bring to the table. * (21:31) Working player-to-GM collaboration into a […]
Episode 547 – preserving a game
June 10, 2020 09:43 - 50 minutes - 23.8 MB* (0:37) Wayne has to rather abruptly put his Dresden Files game on hold. * (10:46) The added difficulty of an ending you couldn’t plan for. * (11:47) Remembering where you left off. Taking a record of what both the GM and players remember and care about. * (24:13) Using audio instead of written notes. […]
Episode 546 – numinous fear
June 04, 2020 08:58 - 50 minutes - 23.8 MB* (0:29) Unplugged cables and the ever-moving studio. * (4:20) The cost of a press pass. * (6:10) The hardest thing to do in a horror game. * (10:35) The lack of numinous fear. When Pat was prepared to kill us all. * (23:01) Cutting away reality to nurture a new kind of fear. * […]
Bonus Episode 88 – the opera of Gen Con
May 21, 2020 10:18 - 59 minutes - 27.8 MB* (0:18) Gen Con was cancelled after this episode was recorded but before it was released. * (1:14) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video can be found here and the signup site can be found here. * (2:35) Brodeur got some inside info regarding Gen Con. The article he wrote […]
Episode 545 – henchmen
May 15, 2020 09:09 - 47 minutes - 22.2 MB* (0:29) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video can be found here and the signup site can be found here. * (7:41) Fear the Con 2021 has been locked in for June 25th – 26th, 2021. * (9:39) A question about henchmen, courtesy of Jesse Sierke. Setting […]
Episode 544 – GM insecurity
May 01, 2020 07:37 - 50 minutes - 23.8 MB* (1:05) A message from Matt about some issues with a GM. * (2:21) Player creativity can spook the GM into responding in frustrating ways. * (13:35) Reasons why GMs find themselves in this situation. * (21:47) The role of player empathy in fixing the problem. * (30:10) Buying time to rethink instead of immediately […]
Bonus Episode 87 – three bits of context
April 19, 2020 07:42 - 24 minutes - 11.9 MB* (0:36) Adapting the show to current realities. * (1:52) The history of West Marches and the context of the advice we gave. Ben’s blog on his game. Another contribution of his to the hobby: Microscope. * (11:17) More information on the Skies of Glass play-test document, slated for release on Patreon on April 21st. […]
Episode 543 – West Marches
April 03, 2020 09:18 - 51 minutes - 24.4 MB* (0:46) Repeating the announcement regarding Fear the Con 2020. * (2:14) New content and general improvements for our Patreon. * (7:10) Explaining what a West Marches style game is. The West Marches game through GamersTable can be found on their Discord in the Star Trek Adventures area. * (17:08) The nature of character relationships […]
Episode 542 – off the script
March 23, 2020 09:28 - 1 hour - 29.7 MB* (0:41) Some unfortunate news about Fear the Con 2020. A blog post with some more information is coming soon. * (4:14) Brodeur’s new endeavor can be found here (as of this episode, the site is still very heavily under construction). * (7:55) Dan and Brodeur go to GAMA Expo! The usual relationship between tabletop […]