[PREVIEW] Design Session #78: Flaws Emerge

We never said we'd get it in one! While we're very happy with the core mechanics of Threadspinner, as we continue to record episodes across all three campaigns, we've begun to take note of some design flaws that need addressing. One of the dangers of making the game rules diegetic is that the PCs know that they're in a story and can try to exploit the narrative structure to shortcut the game! We don't really spend enough time in each Region for it to feel as well-realized as we'd like it to! Kinda sucks if you have 0 Thread and want to continue participating in the game but can't! Maybe The Fae shouldn't be able to generate up to 15 charges to copy a powerful enemy's strongest ability!The show's called a Playtest for a reason, and this month we have a variety of large and small design problems to tackle, while still making time to talk about whether we should get around to watching Mad Men. We should probably get around to watching Mad Men.Edited by LukeThis episode is possible thanks to all $3 and up Patreon subscribers! If you're listening to the 5-minute preview of this episode, then you can listen to the full episode by subscribing today!

Iris, Crystal and Maxie meet up to talk about Angel's Egg, a classic experimental animated film created by Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano. It's a movie that deliberately leaves us with far more questions than it does answers, and it leads us to contemplate the purpose of the characters, the visual language it uses, and what philosophy means to us.Edited by IrisThis episode is possible thanks to all $10 and up Patreon subscribers! If you're listening to the 5-minute preview of this episode, then you can listen to the full episode by subscribing today!

Luke, Maxie, and Iris discuss some of the music that Luke sent to Maxie as inspiration for the Threadspinner Playtest soundtrack, which draws from sources such as Dark Souls, Death Stranding, Hollow Knight, Raising Arizona, Twin Peaks, Tenet, The Big O, and more!Listen to the playlist here!Edited by IrisThis episode is possible thanks to all $3 and up Patreon subscribers! If you're listening to the 5-minute preview of this episode, then you can listen to the full episode by subscribing today!

Warfare changed forever when Dr. Lorien Lovejoy invented chemical gas that rendered an entire battlefield silent and dead in a matter of minutes. Now, the engineer who erased a generation whiles away in his laboratory, preparing to unleash even greater horrors upon The Wake.Three newly-Threaded heroes step out onto the streets of Mother-of-All, wandering a sinkhole that's been converted into a neighborhood ruled by a vicious gang.CREDITS:Zoe Tunnell as Magnolia KaneMorgan Taylor as Love the UncutCrystal Zaslavchik as Reverie, the Waking DreamerLuke Varner as The ThreadspinnerEdited by Luke VarnerMusic by Max KnightleyCover art by Tavish BuchananBuy our book!Support us on Patreon!Join the Discord!

Long ago, the Razorback King conquered Loromir with the power of flame. The country and its King faded into myth, and their spirits passed into the afterlife. Now, the Razorback King rises again, gathering power to set aflame even the land of the dead.A novice Threadspinner leads three undead adventurers to map the long-dead spirit of a prosperous seaside city-state, where a great foe dwells.CREDITS:Iris Christianson as Syr Violet of the Coiling VineMax Knightley as Thistle, the Bastard DaughterTyberius Wilson as Xalatan, Sage of Wind and ShadowLuke Varner as The ThreadspinnerEdited by Iris ChristiansonMusic by Max KnightleyCover Art by Tavish BuchananBuy our book!Support us on Patreon!Join the Discord!

Welcome to Threadspinner GLOW, the bug-themed playtest of Threadspinner, the Souls-inspired afterlife exploration RPG! In this episode, our players introduce us to the cast: a highborn bartender, a lord of thieves, and a sentient fungus!CREDITS:Lexi Waltner as Stan Stickley, aka...Mike Painter as VelniasMolly Rhinebeck as Heiress, Discarded Queen of the Golden HavenLuke Varner as The ThreadspinnerEdited by Mike PainterMusic by Max KnightleyCover Art by Tavish BuchananBuy our book!Support us on Patreon!Join the Discord!

Welcome to Threadspinner SPARK, the urban fantasy themed playtest of Threadspinner, the Souls-inspired afterlife exploration RPG! In this episode, our players introduce us to the cast: a young film starlet, her bodyguard, and a disgraced Threadspinner seeking to write her biography!CREDITS:Zoe Tunnell as Magnolia KaneMorgan Taylor as Love the UncutCrystal Zaslavchik as Reverie, the Waking DreamerLuke Varner as The ThreadspinnerEdited by Luke VarnerMusic by Max KnightleyCover Art by Tavish BuchananBuy our book!Support us on Patreon!Join the Discord!

One of Morgan's favorite films is the 2000 cheerleader classic Bring It On, so she showed it to Crystal and Iris! They discuss the film's earnest love for cheerleading, potential for heartbreaking lesbian fanfiction, and progressive views on race, gender, and sexuality!Edited by CrystalContent Warning: This episode contains use of homophobic slurs.This episode is possible thanks to all $10 and up Patreon subscribers! If you're listening to the 5-minute preview of this episode, then you can listen to the full episode by subscribing today!

The Year of Threadspinner keeps on Threadspinnin'! Luke has now run multiple sessions of the game, and the major take away: game's good! Game works! That said, there's lots of small revisions that we already need to make. We also start laying out the ideas for character development for the Threadspinner!Edited by LukeThis episode is possible thanks to all $3 and up Patreon subscribers! If you're listening to the 5-minute preview of this episode, then you can listen to the full episode by subscribing today!

Welcome to Threadspinner FLAME, the medieval-themed playtest of Threadspinner, the Souls-inspired afterlife exploration RPG! In this episode, our players share the characters they've created: a paladin of love and creation, a wizard seeking primordial power, and an executed traitor whose chains compel supplication!CREDITS:Iris Christianson as Syr Violet of the Coiling VineMax Knightley as Thistle, the Bastard DaughterTyberius Wilson as Xalatan, Sage of Wind and ShadowLuke Varner as The ThreadspinnerEdited by Iris ChristiansonMusic by Max KnightleyCover Art by Tavish BuchananBuy our book!Support us on Patreon!Join the Discord!