Episode 75 - Making Magic Magical

Lights, camera, focus, the spotlight, are you ready for your close up? Today we compress various film and dynamic action inspired role-play concepts into a discussion about how you can give you game an certain va-va-va-vroooom by zooming into the dramatic moments.Timestamps: 00:00 -– Intro: Buckee's Brazeers 01:37 – Street Stories (Mr. Dandy) 06:23 – Topic Introduction 11:27 – The Choreography & Momentum of a Battle 22:43 – Cut aways, side-steps and continuity 25:18 – High Speed/High Stakes Encounters 34:37 – Some high speed action ideas 38:15 – Linear (and non-sequences) time Sequence 43:42 – Other Zoom effects Comments:Thunderroad boardgame https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/342070/thunder-road-vendetta Dropzone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_Zone_(film) Gilligan’s Island Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfSLuEj99d0 Want more 3RPG shenanigans?Find us on these additional platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4zJvM6rd5uEBONxbO275bU?si=81e12a3931de40ab Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3rpg-podcast/id1834280069 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1229bb55-61b3-409b-94cb-e70cd3ad0161/3rpg-podcast Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/3RPG-Podcast/B0FN1QQN6M?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpOur socials:https://www.instagram.com/threerpgpodcast/

This week on the pod Jay and Sandra sit down to talk all things TTRPG with GM, designer, writer and actor, Justin Alexandrian of the Alexandrian.Comments: The Alexandrian https://thealexandrian.net/So You Wanna Be a Dragon Slayer? (Justin Alexander) https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Dragon-Slayer-Characters-ebook/dp/B0DC538KBBDeathbringer TTRPG (Professor DM) https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/roll-for-combat/deathbringer-ttrpg-by-professor-dmMagical Kitties Save the Day! https://www.atlas-games.com/magicalkittiesRepublic of Rome (Avalon Hill) https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1513/the-republic-of-romeDungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Crawler_CarlTimestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:18 - Waterdeep Dragonheist 07:00 - Dispelling GM game prep 11:45 - Justins current projects 14:14: -Many spinning plates 19:08 - Recommended Starter RPG 23:53 - One-shot work bench with Justin 40:29 - Justin takes the 3rpg QuestionnaireWant more 3RPG shenanigans?Find us on these additional platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4zJvM6rd5uEBONxbO275bU?si=81e12a3931de40ab Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3rpg-podcast/id1834280069 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1229bb55-61b3-409b-94cb-e70cd3ad0161/3rpg-podcast Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/3RPG-Podcast/B0FN1QQN6M?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Description:This Halloween the gang goes trick or treating with a pillow case full of 'fun' sized batteries no, hopefully not tampered with 'treats' to inspire your Halloween based TTRPG session. The occasionally comic 'trick' might also rear its skeletal head.Comments: The Mummy as a Monster: Unraveling a Pop Culture Icon – Arlington Heights Memorial Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrk_OLMC7YThe Chimera House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_HouseBloody Mary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_(folklore) The Hanging Coffins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_coffins Famadihana https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FamadihanaMa'nene Ritual https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FamadihanaThomas Pettigrew https://www.britainuntold.co.uk/articles/the-british-surgeon-who-unwrapped-a-living-piece-of-egyptMummia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MummiaThe Fly (1986) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_(1986_film)Fire in the Sky (1993) Alien abduction scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5e2wzjuwJQThe Frightners (1996) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_FrightenersGhost (1990): Taken to Hell scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkQda_bL7tkThe Monster Squad (1987) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monster_Squad(see youtube for more)Timestamps: 00:00 - Chilling Coffin Opening (Woo) 03:26 - Halloween Fun Size 07:26 - (Hot) Topic Introduction Sandra's Folklore Tryptich 08:57 - The Origins of 'Poison' Candy 16:11 - A Halloween Urban Legend 22:30 - A serving of Bloody Mary's Jay's refections on the rituals of death 28:47 - The Hanging Coffins 31:18 - Famadihana, Ma'nene Ritual and Japanese Funerals 36:31 - The Burial wishes of the 3RPG hosts Chris's Halloween Monster Gambit 39:16 - What is the worst monster? 43:17 - Mummies aren't scary 49:25 - Rerouting the Mummy for RPG 50:34 - Film Recommendations 57:52 - Music Recommendations 60:00: This years costumes?

Description:Our discussions of Genre continues on the pod as Jay, Sandra and Chris get into with our inner Goth as we discuss the popular genre: The Gothic. Complete with lace, decay and a touch of the sublime (in silly comic format).Comments:Rata, I. (2014), An Overview of Gothic Fiction https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339018083_An_Overview_of_Gothic_Fiction The Castle of Otranto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Castle_of_Otranto Les Chants de Maldoror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Chants_de_Maldoror Bleak House https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak_House Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvia_Moreno-Garcia Rebecca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_(1940_film) Haxan Film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4xanTimestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open (Ranking Words) 05:53 - Topic Introduction 08:04 - Gothic Defined 11:34 - Unknowing 13:38 - Citations (see Rata, I.(2014) above) 15:49 - The Supernatural and the Sublime 18:33 - Weather 21:29 - Architecture, Society and Feminism 25:55 - Putting Gothic into a TTRPG 31:19 - Gothic in our Games 33:49 - Vampires 39:18 - Recommendations 4237 - Outro

Description:This week the gang talks VPL's, scary movies and other things that go bump in the night in our attempts to scare the bejeezus out of each other as we discuss the genre of Horror and how it can be used in your game as part of our Halloween month! Join us...if you dare! Mu-wa-hahaComments:Amityville Horror https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_based_on_the_Amityville_haunting#Films Poltergeist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist_(1982_film)The Comedian who we couldnt think of who talks about being scared of the doorbell: Sebastian Maniscalco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Swzvm-gXHgCarroll, N. (1987), The Nature of Horror https://academic.oup.com/jaac/article-abstract/46/1/51/6340662Cherry, B. (2009), Horror (1st Edition) https://www.routledge.com/Horror/Cherry/p/book/9780415456685Tudor, A. (1997), Why Horror? The pecular Pleasure of a Popular Genre https://www.academia.edu/586146/Why_horror_The_peculiar_pleasures_of_a_popular_genreTimestamps: 00:00 - Intro 4:01 – Topic introduction 5:51 – Horror Defined 9:31 – What scares the 3rpg? 13:14 – Horrors movies (being a child of the 80s) 15:07 – Thought 16:21 – Doorbell 17:58 – Horror at the table 20:34 – A little dip into subgenre (body horror) 25:03 – Theme: Knowledge 29:09 – Ghost hypothetical 31:20 – Ghost Stories 39:09 - The smell of fear 36:50 - Suggestions and Stories to add horror to your gamesWant more 3RPG shenanigans?Contact Info: [email protected]

Description:This week the gang goes to Magic school to talk about what they like (and dont like) and the arcane arts. Open (this link)...says me.Comments:De Koven's The Well-Played Game (sorry mispoke) https://www.google.co.jp/books/edition/The_Well_Played_Game/YYiFAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=inauthor:%22Bernard+De+Koven%22&printsec=frontcoverTimestamps: 00:00 – Cold Open 03:34 – Topic Introduction 09:39 – Components and methods 21:34 - Letting the players cook 23:02 - LoTR, Harry Potter, and Magic 25:13 - How we create our magical systems 27:55 - Where our magic comes from? 32:19 - And how does the world feel about it? 35:15 - Linguistics and Magic (and innuendo) 38:02 - Knowing, Fear and Awakening 43:08 - Onboarding, Complexity and Consequences 48:34 - Power (and new players) 58:45 - SummaryWant more 3RPG shenanigans? Contact Info: [email protected]

Description: This week on the pod Chris and Jay sit down to talk, interview, and create a One-Shot Workbench adventure with fellow game designer and podcaster Extrodinaire GM Neal of the Dungeon Master Block Podcast Network.Comments:GM Neals podcasts https://dungeonmasterblock.podbean.com/ GM Neals Substack https://www.thestruggleisneal.com/ Check out Neals work here https://rpggeek.com/rpgdesigner/160268/neal-powell Sinister Secrets of the Saltmarsh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sinister_Secret_of_Saltmarsh What Dreams May Come https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120889/Timestamps: 00:00 – Guest Intro 02:18 – Neal gives us his backround 05:13 – Cities of Darkscorch 06:10 – Neal’s struggle 07:26 – The Dungeons Master’s Block pod 09:31 – Facial Hair 11:27 – Grown Worlds (homebrew and saltmarsh) 15:29 – Setting up the One Shot Workbench 17:26 – The Well of Shadows 19:37 – Defining elements and goals 22:34 – Open Says Me? 25:39 – Developing other characters 30:04 – Starting the adventure and adding addition mechanics 35:03 – How to end the story 37:13 – Naming our One Shot 39:40 – Neal takes the 3RPG questionnaireWant more 3RPG shenanigans? Contact Info: [email protected]

Description:This week Jay, Sandra and Chris go out on a limb to discuss the hot topics: silly straws, marshmallows, sumo, empathy, identity and death in TTRPG. We walk a mile in the shoes of others and ask some tricky questions. Potential bawdy humor and risque topics abound.Comments: Faure: Requiem in D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-uzBqbMUvcTimestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open (Acronyms) 00:55 - Intro (Silly Straws) 04:23 - Topic Intro 10:39 - Playing a character of your interests 14:07 - Getting out of your wheelhouse 17:33 - Balance of Aksio Character Creation 20:34 - Challenges to identity and cultural elements 25:36 - Exploring difficult areas52 30:52 - Interesting identities we've explored 34:16 - Villains & Death 39:54 - OutroWant more 3RPG shenanigans? Contact Info: [email protected]

Description:Deixis is a type of linguistic 'narrative pointing' and how words or phrases meanings change in context. How we 'point' at things narratively in games (especially without giving away the scoop) is what the 3RPG gang talk about this week. Do we have a 'point'?Comments: Duck Chess https://www.chess.com/terms/duck-chess Duckling Race https://www.duckrace.com/chicagoTimestamps: 00:00 - Cold Open (Ducklings) 05:43 - Topic Intro 08:22 - Mystery Puppet Masters 13:08 - Hiding Hidden Objects 16:44 - Ending a Scene 19:29 - Making Memorability (subtly) 24:13 - (Mis)direction and Immersion 28:53 - Avoiding constant re-rolls 30:38 - Editing the scene 35:55 - Pointing New Players 39:30 - Providing Combat Info 43:45 - A Writing tip 47:10 - OutroWant more 3RPG shenanigans? Contact Info: [email protected]

Description:This week Jay, Sandra, and Chris get a little esoteric as we feel around the conundrum and symbiotic relationship of game mechanics, rules, artifacts, narrative and game feel using board games to illustration the point. While we may not get all our terms exactly correct we have a great time exploring this interesting space of game design.Comments: Twilight Struggle Board Game https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle Deadlands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadlands War of the Ring https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/115746/war-of-the-ring-second-edition Tale of the Arabian Nights https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/34119/tales-of-the-arabian-nights Spaced TV show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced Space Alert https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38453/space-alert Train https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_(board_game) The Well-played Game https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17242390-the-well-played-gameTimestamps: 00:00 -Cold open 00:24 - Intro: Travellers 05:58 - Topic Intro 11:06 - We Feel Around the Topic of Game Feel 17:34 - Balance of Aksio 21:26 - War of the Ring 24:10 - Tales of the Arabian Nights 28:55 - Cthulu 30:30 - More Board Games (explicit) 35:15 - Other Variables 38:55 - Meta-Elements (music) 42:20 - Strategy 47:57 - Train 49:40 - The Well-played GameWant more 3RPG shenanigans? Contact Info: [email protected]