Gaming and BS RPG Podcast
466 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 102 ratingsGaming and BS rpg podcast is a fun and informative show about tabletop role-playing games. Brett and Sean are two system-agnostic hosts who share their opinions, tips, and experiences on various rpg topics. You'll also hear from other listeners and discover new resources. Don't miss this podcast that's full of humor, insight, and BS. Subscribe now and join the BSers community!
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Episodes
Horror, Tension, Suspense
April 29, 2021 17:05 - 1 hour - 78 MBGames with horror, tension and suspense are not always easy to run, or play. Setting the tone of these games is not always that easy given that many of us play games outside the genre and for fun. Whereas these games may need a level of seriousness in order to ‘get it right’. Announcements GameholeCon...
The Game Group
April 23, 2021 23:41 - 1 hour - 79 MBThe rpg game group, dynamics can make or break your game – be it one shot or long-term campaign. Casual conversation on game groups. ad: The Streets of Avalon Random Encounter Beerleaguer comments on Beyond Your Table Beerleaguer comments on Beyond Your Table Sean and Brett: First off, big thanks for the Podcast and the...
Beyond Your Table
April 15, 2021 17:05 - 1 hour - 77.4 MBImplementing something new into your home group’s role-playing game may be different than incorporating it into a game somewhere else. Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums. Sean is playing Mork Borg Saturday, April 17th – 9am CT gamingandbs.com/twitch Gamehole Con – start thinking of games you want to run Random Encounter Welcome first...
POWER of the MOOK
April 08, 2021 17:05 - 1 hour - 61.4 MBPower of the mook in rpg’s. They can be cannon fodder, but let us get creative in how we use mooks in our games. Announcements Gamehole Con – let us know if you’re willing to run a game under our banner. We’ll ensure your game is full, and maybe a token of appreciation. Random Encounter...
World of Darkness
April 01, 2021 17:05 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBWorld of Darkness, a tabletop rpg that Brett ran for 15 years. He talks about the setting, the mechanics and why it appeals to some gamers. Announcements Gamehole Con, housing options opens April 1, 2021 Brett’s interview on Third Floor Wars podcast Random Encounter Mark ‘official BS archivist’ Dawson on Why all the Hate Mark ‘official BS...
Why All the Hate, Sean?
March 25, 2021 17:05 - 1 hour - 70 MBWhy does Sean hate D&D 5th edition? There has to be a reason for this. Maybe it’s the skills, classes or races. Does he really hate it? Announcements Gamehole Con has ordered posters and plans an in-person convention this fall. Random Encounter Akodoken comments on RPG’s that Influenced Our Play Akodoken comments on RPG’s that...
RPG’s That Changed Our Play
March 18, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBYou play D&D, but then you come across that one rpg, or two, or three, that really changes how you play or run a role-playing game. Thanks to Blake Ryan for the inspiration. Random Encounter Tom comments on RPG PURGE Tom comments on RPG PURGE I’ve done this twice. Once when I realized my RPG...
RPG PURGE
March 12, 2021 02:25 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBThe mighty rpg purge. How do you determine what to keep and what to unload? Sometimes it’s easy to decide. Simply look at the role-playing games you haven’t played in a while or have lost it’s luster, sell, trade or donate them. Do you ever have regrets on getting rid of that rpg? Why do...
RPG TOURIST
March 05, 2021 18:05 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBYou are about to play a supers game, but aren’t into comics of movies. That’s just an example. Do you do anything special when you’re about to play in a genre or system unfamiliar to you? Thanks to Jim Fitzpatrick for the topic! Announcements Let’s play! Topic on Discord and Forums. Visit gamingandbs.com/games Arcadia Magazine...
Moving Past the Example in RPG’s
February 25, 2021 18:05 - 1 hour - 74.4 MBA rpg player gets stuck. GM says “you could do…” The player now hangs on to GM’s example. How do you get the player to move past the example? Announcements Find a game, run a game. Link Brett was a guest on Craig Shipman’s “THIRD FLOOR WARS – Tabletop Talk” – due out in April/May...
Inject Homewbrew into Prepublished Adventures
February 18, 2021 18:05 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBUsing prepublished adventures are handy, but may not facilitate the character development you seek. But you can inject homebrew elements into your prepublished module and make it your own. Announcements Gaming Moot and Roundtable help you find a new game to play and meet other BS’ers. Link. Brett will be a guest on Craig Shipman’s...
Slow Burn vs Hot Start in RPG’s
February 13, 2021 00:01 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBSlow burn lay out everything up front. Hot start or in media res, getting right into the action. Opening an rpg with either has its benefits. Random Encounter The Warden comments on Deploying Lore The Warden comments on Deploying Lore There are typically two approaches I like to use when it comes to providing setting...
BBS021 Forbidden Lands with Phil Vecchione
February 06, 2021 01:50 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBForbidden Lands is a tabletop RPG by Free League Publishing. Sean is about to run a short campaign and taps Phil Vecchione to provide some insight. Phil has been running Forbidden Lands for over a year and the original player characters are still alive. Phil Vecchione is no stranger to Gaming and BS. He’s been...
Plot Coupons
February 06, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBRight? Plot coupon, where you have to go around and collect a plot point from NPC’s before you can move to the next step in an rpg scenario. It’s one of Brett’s favorite things to do in tabletop role-playing game! Random Encounter Voicemail from Kyle on Deploying Lore Voicemail from Kyle on Deploying Lore Email...
Not So Supers
January 28, 2021 18:54 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBSean is not a fan of supers rpg’s. Brett is not a fan of the hex crawl. We ask ourselves why and would there be any way to open up our minds. Random Encounter - Voicemail from Craig Shipment, and an offer! - Voicemail from Kyle - DM Cojo on Playing Pretend - Deploy the love... email from Stephen Dragonspawn - Matt H. on pre-written adventures vs homebrew Die Roll - Craig’s Youtube – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYOGZIpC-07NtWr-xBm8zm9aV3oA4HPM7 - Akodoken’s product – https://ad...
Ways to Deploy Lore
January 14, 2021 18:05 - 1 hour - 66 MBConveying rpg lore to your players. You can give them the mongo journal you created, but there may be other ways to deploy lore in your tabletop rpg. Thanks to Billarnold on the forums for the inspiration on this one. Random Encounter DM Matt emails us on Brett using different ability for skill checks DM...
Playing Pretend
January 09, 2021 18:05 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBPlaying pretend allowed us to be a cop or robber or doctor or superhero when were kids. Now we play role-playing games and sometimes forget we’re taking on a role. Lets go back and play pretend! Random Encounter Voicemail from DM Cojo Voicemail from DM Cojo Voicemail from Chris Shorb Voicemail from Chris Shorb Email...
Spot Hidden, Perception, Notice
January 01, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 68.4 MBSpott hidden in Call of Cthuhlu, perception in Dungeons and Dragons, maybe it’s notice in other games. Some game masters will find these skills to be a royal pain in the ass. You tell the player that they need to roll the skill to see or hear something. What if they fail the check, and the failure brings the...
Team Spirit
December 25, 2020 00:08 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBTeam spirit, yes we have it, how bout you? Is Dungeons and Dragons a team game? Certainly it is a collaborative rpg. You need to rely on different class abilities in order to overcome obstacles and have your character survive. Little argument there, but what about being an actual team game, with mechanics, or incentives,...
Codified Rules in RPG’s
December 12, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBSome tabletop role-playing games can have a LOT of rules and mechanics. We can often use them or not. Pick what you want, leave what you don’t. But! There may be advantages to codifying rules for your rpg. Announcements New Avalon product on DTRPG – Avalon Trinkets Exploring Eberron giveaway, enter your email here: https://gamingandbs.com/explore-eberron ...
Healing in Table-top RPG’s
December 03, 2020 18:05 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBEvery PC hurts, sometimes. Healing in table-top role-playing games. You can use spells, scrolls, potions, but then there’s the long and short rests. A combat lasts 2-3 minutes. The party is wasted. You hear it come from the players, “we rest!” Are there other ways to handle the 5 minute work day of an adventurer?...
Some Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
November 27, 2020 20:18 - 1 hour - 74 MBBrett throws some Advanced Dungeons & Dragons at his home group and realizes how it is turning his game into something different. This isn’t to talk about the rules of AD&D, but to offer insight into how the game provides a different experience for his game group and how Brett runs the fantasy rpg. Announcements Giving a...
Audio in Tabletop Role-playing Games
November 13, 2020 18:05 - 1 hour - 81.2 MBAudio in tabletop role-playing games can certainly help with immersion. You can use looping music for background ambiance, or you can use sound effects for things occurring within your game, examples include the crackle of a fire place, sounds of laser guns, battle noises with swords clanging and much more. Does it ever become too...
Game Master Screen Today
November 06, 2020 18:05 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBGame master screens, we talked about them in the past. Do we use a GM screen or do we not? But times have changed as we start to do more gaming via online – Zoom, Discord, Skype…has the purpose of the GM screen changed with the times? Random Encounter Voicemail from Chris Shorb on GM...
Game Master Is Not A Player
October 29, 2020 21:30 - 1 hour - 79.4 MBOf course the game master is considered a player in a traditional tabletop role-playing game. They just have a different role with different duties and responsibilities. Seriously, being the game master is no joke. You schedule games, maintain order at the table, paint the picture, become well-versed in the rules, create or present the setting....
Cursed Items
October 22, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBCursed items in tabletop role-playing games can make for some pretty shitty situations for player characters. “OH! Yeah, you’re always at minus two to hit.” That can suck. However, there are other ways to make cursed items quirky, fun, laughable yet not too obnoxious. Thanks Ahzad for the inspiration! Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration...
Losing in RPG’s
October 16, 2020 17:07 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBLosing in RPG’s, some say it’s not a thing. But aren’t there times when we feel like we lose in tabletop role-playing games? Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Random Encounter Feedback from the forums on Changing How You GM Idahogamer Great episode gentleman! I enjoyed hearing the ideas on how...
Changing How You Game Master
October 08, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 74.1 MBAn introspective episode on how Sean wants to become a better game master. Maybe you’ve considered making a change. What would lead you to change how you game master? What things do you want to eliminate from your style? What aspects would you want to start incorporating more into your role-playing games? Do you have...
Game Mastering on the Fly
October 03, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 65.1 MBGame mastering a role-playing game on the fly is not easy. Familiarity, practice and some brief quiet time certainly helps. Random Encounter Voicemail from Chris Shorb Voicemail from Chris Shorb Matt V. comments on GM’ing for Money Matt V. comments on GM’ing for Money Hey guys, hope life finds you well! Keep meaning to write...
Game Mastering for Money
September 23, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBGame mastering for money. Turning your passion for roleplaying games into a profession. How much to charge. What to expect. Thanks to Dayminkaynin for posting it on our forums. Random Encounter Todd Crapper of Broken Ruler Games sends in a voicemail on Descriptions on Demand Todd Crapper of Broken Ruler Games sends in a voicemail...
TRUST
September 19, 2020 17:04 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBWe spend a lot of time talking about dealing with different issues, problems, players, and styles at the rpg table, but we don’t often talk about Trust. How important is it for the group? Let’s talk about it. Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Random Encounter Voicemail from Chris Shorb Voicemail...
Easy Wins in RPG’s
September 10, 2020 18:34 - 1 hour - 72.1 MBEasy wins are not about killing the big bad. But we do spend a lot of time talking about “The Big Bad” in our games, helping to make those encounters/fights/etc the best they can be. But, how much value do we put on those easy or quick wins in our games? Those times the party...
Descriptions on Demand in RPG’s
September 04, 2020 21:20 - 1 hour - 65.2 MBDescriptions on Demand in tabletop rpg’s. We’re not always comfortable, especially in a new game, when the GM gives us the talking stick and asks us to make something up on the spot about their game world. Here’s an article that references this approach: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/44891/roleplaying-games/gm-dont-list-11-description-on-demand So… what do we think about this? From Roger Brasslett...
Making Thieves Interesting
August 29, 2020 17:44 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBMaking thieves in tabletop rpg’s more interesting is going beyond just picking pockets and opening locks. Inspired from a post from Grotonomu. Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Heroes Save Villages, charity game on August 29th at 4pm cdt on Hobbs665 Twitch channel,staring Jason Hobbs (Hobbs and Friends), Kevin Madison (Dungeon...
Brett Takes D&D Survey
August 22, 2020 16:58 - 1 hour - 99 MBProducers of Dungeons and Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, put out a survey to better understand tabletop gamers and their preferences. Sean thinks it would be interesting to have Brett take the survey. If you have not taken the rpg survey, we encourage you to do so, but feel free to answer the questions out loud...
Why Do Player Characters Wander Off
August 14, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBWe talk about this all the time, the idea that player characters like to go off the map, make a choice that sends the GM scrambling for what to do – they want to get off the Sean Train and take a tour of the forested hills “Over there, that spot on the map…” Why...
RPG Campaign Talk
August 07, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBYou want to run an rpg campaign. Your players roll up characters and you do a few intro adventures but realize you don’t have anything long-term. Setting up an rpg campaign. Thanks to Tom for bringing this up. Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Delta Green: Music from a Darkened Room...
Dungeon Crawls
July 31, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBDungeon crawls. Confined spaces for your rpg player characters to adventure through. The concept Brett comes up with doesn’t mean it has to be a dark, dank, underground structure. Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Delta Green starts July 30th with session zero, tune in on Twitch.tv/gaming_and_bs at 8pm cdt Random...
Monsters as Monsters
July 15, 2020 21:05 - 1 hour - 68 MBSometimes, it’s ok to have monsters simply be monsters that need to be fought. Not everything the PCs go up against needs to be fraught with moral dilemmas. There are times when we treat monsters as monsters. Announcements Virtual Gamehole Con event registration and badges available now. Sean won an all inclusive copy of Burn...
Build Your Own RPG System
July 11, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBThe topic of GM Style has lead Brett down a potentially dangerous path – the poor bastard is thinking of building his own rpg system! *shudder* So, let’s ask ourselves – why the hell would anyone do such a thing? Announcements Chases coming to How 2 RPG please subscribe. Gamehole Virtual Con moves forward for...
Relying on NPC’s
July 02, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBI’ve been thinking about PCs relying too much on NPCs. In a couple games I’ve been running/playing in, it seems like almost every time a question gets asked or a decision has to be made, the PCs say, “What does the NPC think? Does the NPC know the solution?” Basically, the PCs want to follow...
Game Master Style
June 26, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBGame Master’s style, it’s not about whether a game master is good or bad. It’s about the things they do. One GM may be strict rules-as-written, another may go with the flow at the table. We all have our own style. Random Encounter Mike Watkins sends in voicemail about spell components and resources Mike Watkins...
All About Resources Part 2
June 20, 2020 16:56 - 1 hour - 74.2 MBEpisode 296 it was all about the resources in tabletop rpg’s. We talked about the idea of tracking gear and food and such as a possible way to help make certain adventures/stories fun. Now let’s see if we can come up with some methods for tracking this stuff so it’s not too much work. Random...
BS’ers Are Smarter Than BS
June 13, 2020 16:11 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBThis episode is full of good feedback on previous topics. It proves BS’ers are smarter than BS.
All About the Resources
June 06, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBOk, I have 3 torches; rations, iron, 2 weeks; 1 waterskin and 20 arrows. We know the ruins are a week’s journey, one way. Time passes. Now you are down to 5 arrows, no water, and the bear ate your food, what do you do? This is a different type of game, but what challenges does it present to players? What now drives the direction? Instead of taking the road, we should probably travel along the river, but we know what lurks near the river… Connect with us... GamingandBS.com/Forums Gaming...
Applying Pressure on PC’s, Part 2
May 30, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBIn episode 294 we talked about applying pressure to the player characters in order to add a sense of tension. We never outlined how to apply pressure and tension. We make an attempt at doing that in this episode. Next Episode Subscribe on iOS or Android so you don’t miss our next episode. GamingandBS.com/Forums GamingandBS.com/Twitch...
Applying Pressure to PC’s
May 22, 2020 19:21 - 1 hour - 84.1 MBWalking through the woods and you come across a “insert creature here”. Fight it, win. But what about applying more pressure to pc’s? “You are in a spaceship, the engines are out, there’s a creature making its way down the corridor and you have been poisoned with the antidote three decks below you.” Keep things...
Skill Piling in Tabletop RPG’s
May 14, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 71.6 MBSkill piling in tabletop rpg’s, the fail and subsequent “I check” from another player, and another, and another. We list examples, determine if it’s a good idea, and whether it apply to all role-playing games. Announcements Event registration for Gamehole Con is live. Nov 5-8th, 2020 Con of Champions, May 23-25, online. Proceeds go to...
Low Fantasy Gaming the RPG
May 09, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBLow Fantasy Gaming is the title of an actual role-playing game by Pick Pocket Press. We have Jason Hobbs from Hobbs ‘n Friends podcast to provide us some insight to this cool fantasy rpg. Is this an OSR type of game? System only – no setting? The Midlands, Adventure Frameworks Versions of the game (“standard/original” v....
RPG Campaign Not The Same Across Groups
May 02, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MB“This is something I’ve fallen prey to. If you decide to run a campaign for your group that you’ve previously run for another group…be very careful. Your expectations are going to run along with what the previous group did. I can guarantee you the new group will probably go in a direction you never thought...