Ep.26: Alignment

What changes when a novel becomes a roleplaying game, or a campaign becomes a novel? In Episode 30 of Modern Mythology, we explore the relationship between published fiction and tabletop RPGs: how shared worlds move between formats, and what happens when a story with a fixed course becomes something players can change.We trace that exchange through Tolkien, Dragonlance and The Expanse, among many others, asking how closely a game should follow its source material. Does knowing the canon give players more to work with, or make them reluctant to change anything? And how much does a system need to capture the experience of a particular world? Call of Cthulhu, Vancian magic and Amber’s diceless play offer different answers.James also discusses adapting his campaign into BLACKOUT: Terminal Ghosts, including the unexpected discovery that the party itself had become the novel’s point of view. We consider what happens to NPC interiority, exposition and character relationships in that transition, and how writing fiction can change the way we run games. Along the way, we revisit character death and discuss mechanics that give players reasons to talk about something beyond their next objective.Stay through the end for a preview of the BLACKOUT prologue.Topics Discussed:00:00:03 Back from hiatusWe've returned after a quiet stretch, noting a slower release schedule and major life changes before introducing the episode.00:03:52 Fiction versus RPGs: fixed and openHow does a fixed format like a novel or comic relate to the ostensibly open format of a roleplaying game?00:04:56 Tolkien, folklore and TolkienizationWorld-building is the shared craft, but Scott objects that games inherit Tolkien’s elves and goblins rather than the folklore he reworked.00:06:39 NPC flatness and the party as POVPlayer-facing design can leave NPCs and villains without interiority, something a draft of Blackout exposed when its point-of-view character turned out to be the whole party.00:10:23 Early connections between fiction and RPGsA historical look at Empire of the Petal Throne, Tékumel’s troubled legacy, Glorantha and RuneQuest, and the success of Call of Cthulhu.00:18:26 Dragonlance as a feedback loopHow campaign play informed Weis and Hickman’s novels, Terry Phillips shaped Raistlin, and the modules and books fed each other.00:23:25 Canon, extended eras and variantsExpanding novel timelines changed the campaign setting, raising the question of how closely a group should follow published canon.00:29:18 Why D&D novelizations fall flatThe friction in tie-in novels that name levels, classes and spells, or have characters do things a D&D game would rarely support.00:31:21 Why Blackout was worth novelizingBlackout was the rare campaign where almost every NPC and clue came back, thanks to a 2020 group that carried details forward between sessions. Discussion of how it came to be.00:35:38 Why play in an established settingReading and writing reshaped how the hosts run games, and GNS provides a framework for discussing whether players come for world, character or mechanics.00:41:01 Grounding exposition in the charactersBlackout’s AI Caliban and the infected girl Rosa became shared characters, helping ground research and exposition within the fiction.00:48:42 The Expanse began as a campaignThe discussion turns to The Expanse’s origins in an MMO pitch and campaign play, and how its escalating scale inspired Blackout’s Hong Kong-to-space arc.00:51:56 Licensing and stewardship as a death knellFrom TSR’s early troubles to WotC’s acquisition of Last Unicorn Games and the fate of its Dune RPG, the hosts discuss how licensing and acquisitions can end a game’s run.00:54:36 Does the system capture the IP?Star Trek technobabble charts, Call of Cthulhu’s sanity, Vancian magic from Dying Earth and Amber’s diceless negotiation show how mechanics can reflect their source fiction.01:05:23 Adapt the setting, not the eventsArtesia shows the potential of adapting a world rather than a plot; changing a campaign’s events can pull dependent threads loose.01:13:51 Connection scenes as mechanicsDelta Green’s bonds and a scene economy give players mechanical reasons to have the interpersonal conversations RPG dialogue often skips.01:15:30 Death, and remembering it is fictionRevisiting the death episode: letting players shape a character’s death produced a memorable sacrifice in Blackout, reinforcing the value of treating play as shared fiction.01:20:32 Absent players, first drafts, editingA missing player becomes plot, we discuss ghostwriting, and a novel’s repeated revision passes meet an RPG’s natural momentum.01:25:25 BLACKOUT: Terminal Ghosts prologueA sneak peek for those who listened to the end: a spirit crosses over, and we meet Nemo McBride beneath Hong Kong.

We continue our fantasy series with James taking the DM’s chair. This time, we look at one approach to homebrewing: preserving the conventions that give a setting its identity while modifying systems to lean further into them.Our actual play takes place in the Nameless Lands, a new Domain of Dread pulled from a world not altogether unlike our own. The Mists blur its borders, time has become meaningless, and names and histories are slowly wearing away. Two cursed wanderers are on their way back to the walled town of Karsova with a severed head in their saddlebag as proof that they completed their job.At the center of the Nameless Lands is Agrammon, the Undying One, a nascent Darklord. Orphaned by raiders, he survived through the criminal underworld and eventually grew wealthy through debts and imperial administration. His obsession with finding immortality through genuine magic led him to other worlds, and the rites that transformed him.The setting draws loosely on Ottoman administrative history, Silk Road funerary traditions, Scythian burial practices, and Balkan revenant folklore. James developed it as a possible campaign framework for roughly levels 6–12, along with custom characters and character classes for the session.As usual with our actual plays, we follow the session with a discussion of what happened at the table.Topics Discussed00:00:33 — What have we been playing lately? Witchlight, Van Richten’s, Tasha’s, and getting D&D books from libraries instead of buying them.00:06:57 — Ravenloft roots and the “evil character”: Older Ravenloft design assumptions, the Satanic Panic, and what happened when a character turned evil.00:11:38 — Why GMs cause problems for PCs: Why cursed items, complications, and resistance can make better stories than straightforward rewards.00:15:52 — Homebrew, balance, and encounter math: How custom items and spells interact with 5e’s balance assumptions and the difference between mechanical imbalance and spotlight problems.00:21:41 — The homebrew pregens: Drahamir the werebear druid, Ruhan the dhampir stalker, and the costs built into their abilities.00:32:33 — Rite of the Undying: The Nameless Lands: Introducing the Domain of Dread, Karsova, Voivode Radovan, and the cult of the Undying One.00:41:30 — Gnoll ambush on the caravan road: The first fight puts the custom characters and homebrew mechanics into action.01:20:17 — The blight at Sudavac: A spreading sickness turns the innkeeper’s son undead.01:25:13 — Safia’s offer for the head: A mysterious old woman offers to trade for the cult leader’s severed head.01:43:32 — Karsova, Radovan, and the head that won’t burn: The pair completes their mission, only to discover that the severed head refuses to burn.01:47:26 — The GM pulls back the curtain: James explains the obsidian spear, the undead-raising head, and a Domain of Dread still in the process of forming.01:55:17 — One-shots still need a want: Why pregenerated characters need motivations, and how games can give amnesiac characters drives through play.02:00:21 — Codified magic stops being mysterious: How explicit spell mechanics can strip away mystery, and how DCC and Shadowdark approach magic differently.02:05:32 — Mystery for the GM and emergent play: How much of a game world should remain unknown even to the person running it?02:19:38 — Starting at level six and tiers of play: How starting above low level changes character play and what levels actually represent.02:26:13 — Comparing three approaches to D&D: Lessons from running a published module, the 2024 rules, and full homebrew, plus ways to abstract secondary combats.For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

We continue our fantasy series with D&D. How could we not? Sean takes the DM's chair first. We play through the beginning of Shadow of the Dragon Queen, the 5e Dragonlance campaign: the road to Vogler, a memorial, and a party still finding its footing. Spoiler warning if you're planning to play it.This is the first of three episodes where each of us takes a turn running D&D,, looking at how we each run the same game differently. Afterward we get into D&D 2024, the ways we've each hacked the game over the years, and the tradeoffs of running a pre-written module.As usual for our actual-plays, the system discussion follows the session rather than interrupting play with meta-commentary. Hope you enjoy.Topics discussed:00:00:30 On the Road to Vogler00:07:40 The Characters00:19:30 Danger Ahead01:17:00 "I'm going take a little walk"01:28:55 Arrive at Town01:36:00 Kender Squire01:43:40 The Solamnic Knight01:50:20 The Memorial02:04:00 Reflection and Wrap-Up02:19:00 "Hermetic Rules"02:33:45 Narrative StructureFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

Have you had a character die mid-session? How did it feel, and had the table talked it through first? We all run games with violence of some kind, juggling different systems and different layers of mortality — and a lot of players read a death as an ending, an inconvenience, or a real emotional blow when a favorite character meets their end. This game, like many others, shows it doesn't have to be. In Episode 27 of Modern Mythology, Sean runs Turn of Fortune's Wheel — the official introductory Planescape adventure (spoilers ahead!) — for Scott and James. Planescape is a setting where belief shapes reality and the dead are part of the cosmology, and Turn of Fortune's Wheel wastes no time putting that on the table. We rolled up three characters and played through an engaging, genuinely lethal scenario to put death in gaming under the lens. After the session we get into how to handle a character's death at the table in a way that protects player agency and opens up better stories.Content note: this episode discusses character death and in-game mortality throughout.Topics discussed:00:00:37 Consent Check-in00:01:45 Characters00:07:40 Trope: You Wake Up in a Strange Place00:18:30 Exit the Room00:24:00 Doctor & Patient00:48:10 On the Precipice00:52:25 The First Death01:05:30 Jamie's 2nd Character 01:30:20 “Maurice, No!"01:31:45 Wrap Up & Death as a Narrative and Game DeviceFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

What alignment are you, and what does that mean? Does it drive your behavior? Does your character’s alignment drive theirs? We look at one of D&D’s most durable sacred cows: alignment as personality test, moral framework, table tool, campaign problem, and cosmology. Somehow, we try not to come to blows.We want to hear how alignment plays into your games.00:00:22 What Alignment Are You?00:07:45 Origins00:20:40 Descriptive or Prescriptive00:25:00 Character Dynamics00:31:25 Ubiquitous Evil Campaign00:43:00 In Other Games00:52:20 Relativistic View01:14:00 As Cosmology01:35:50 Recap01:50:15 Practical ApproachFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

In Episode 25 of Modern Mythology, we take on the Cypher System, a well-known universal tabletop RPG system with a strong reputation for flexible, narrative-driven play. Because Cypher isn’t tied to a single core setting, it gives us a good way to look at how a system’s mechanics shape story across genre—and in this case, through a fantasy lens.We’re joined by SJ McKeen—author, fellow pro GM, professional voice actor, and streamer—who brings both GMing experience and firsthand familiarity with Cypher to the discussion. Together, we look at what the system does well, how it supports narrative play, and what it offers groups who want a framework that can adapt to different kinds of stories rather than one fixed world.As usual with most of our actual-play episodes, we wrap up with a discussion of what the session surfaced for us about system, story, and play more broadly.Topics discussed:00:00:35 Introducing the Cypher System00:01:20 Special Guest SJ00:03:35 Broad strokes of setting?00:06:35 Meet our characters00:11:20 Monster Hunting00:12:40 Mountainside Temple00:44:00 The Gateway00:53:00 Miasmic Hallway01:05:45 The Prison01:10:45 The Inner Sanctum01:27:30 Charge!01:54:00 LTB!01:58:45 Denouncement02:02:00 Break it down02:04:10 Combat Downward Spiral02:12:00 Madness in RPGs02:21:40 Arcs and XP02:33:00 Learning Curves02:37:20 Read Character02:41:20 Functional Character Sheets02:48:00 What's SJ Up To?For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

In Episode 24 of Modern Mythology, we dig into one of the biggest questions in tabletop RPG design: how setting and system actually interact at the table. This is a dense, nearly two-hour conversation about the ways mechanics shape player behavior, how they steer attention toward certain kinds of choices, and how that pressure can either reinforce the fiction or get in its way.As always, we don't come away with a final conclusion so much as many opened avenues of discussion. We spend a lot of time teasing apart what happens when a game’s rules and its setting are working together, and what happens when they might be at cross-purposes. When does system push play forward? When does it create friction? When does a setting give players a strong sense of what matters, when do constraints help and when does they start to constrain the very story the table is trying to discover? How important is a fantasy map? Along the way, we look at the interplay of structure and fiction from several angles, asking how games teach people to play through their mechanics, and how different approaches can produce very different narrative results even when the premise looks similar on paper.One quick correction: during the episode, we say “rules agnostic” a few times when what we actually mean is “setting agnostic.” Apologies for any confusion there.Topics discussed:00:00:20 Framing the ConversationBTRCPhoenix Command00:16:00 Simulationism00:25:30 Setting Agnostic SystemsDaggerheart00:53:40 Death in system and setting (more on this in an upcoming episode)00:58:25 System Informs Setting01:11:40 Ideas about Setting informing SystemFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

Burning Wheel has stayed Scott’s favorite RPG for a reason, and this two-hour episode digs into the specifics. We look at how the game’s tools reinforce each other at the table: lifepath character creation, goal-driven play, organic advancement, and combat with real risk. In combination, those systems tend to produce strong characterization and narrative momentum without forcing outcomes.Burning Wheel is an fantasy RPG designed by Luke Crane that pretty consistently shows up in many of the top lists of Indie RPG’s. It uses a d6 dice-pool engine and centers play on character beliefs and consequential choices. The current core book, Burning Wheel Gold Revised, is presented by the publisher as the definitive revised edition.Even in this short session, the interplay of these mechanics creates standout moments—scenes shaped by player intent, and tension that comes from pressure rather than pre-scripted plot. If you’re interested in how system and story lock together in practice, this episode works as a clear case study. Hope you enjoy as much as we did. Topics discussed:00:00:30 Introduce Characters00:16:45 Scene One - The Arrival00:28:10 Scene Two - The Prodigal Child Returns00:37:00 Scene Three - The Race to the Throne00:48:25 Scene Four - Slip Away00:56:00 Scene Five - Involving the Etharch01:05:00 Scene Six - The Receiving Room01:08:50 Scene Seven - Sibling Reunion01:23:00 Scene Eight- Gathering Storm01:37:00 Scene Nine - Now We Hunt Orc01:59:30 Debrief - Song of UnravelingFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

Modern Mythology Ep. 22 — Technology takes a reflective look at how changing technologies have shaped tabletop role-playing games over time. From physical tools at the table to digital spaces that bring groups together across distance, we talk about what stuck, what faded, and why.Along the way, we explore how randomness, connectivity, and new creative tools altered player expectations and game culture. The discussion moves through technology adoption, miniatures, bringing technology to the table, and the question of what the “big jump” was. We also talk about RNG, online gaming, getting the party together, virtual tabletops (VTTs), streaming, and artificial intelligence and LLMs—then close by considering where technology helps the most, and where it’s best to step back. Throughout we ponder the pros and cons and implicit tradeoffs that always arise in the course of adopting technology into our lives. Topics:00:00:00 A Looming Threat00:02:00 Jump right in00:08:30 Technology adoption00:13:45 Miniatures00:19:15 Bringing technology to the table00:25:15 What was the big technological jump?00:36:40 RNG00:40:44 Online gaming00:55:20 Getting the party together 01:05:00 Virtual Tabletop (VTT)01:13:45 Streaming01:17:35 Artificial Intelligence and LLMs01:31:30 Technological Sweet SpotFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net

Episode 21 closes our sci-fi season with a debrief: what we learned when theory met the table. We revisit the systems we ran—Coriolis, Freemarket, CBR+PNK, Mothership, Twilight Imperium among others—and pull out the through-lines that surfaced across very different design priorities, moving between genre, system, and setting.Across the season, certain levers kept showing up, including Dark Points and panic clocks. Downtime becomes a design layer, not just a breather. Tech and transportation aren’t just stylistic; they’re constraints you can plan around, exploit, or get trapped inside. Memory and transhumanism come into focus too: what happens to stakes when identity is modular.One question kept circling throughout the season: what makes something science fiction at the table? Vibes matter, but so do the costs the rules make visible—risk, logistics, scarcity, and human limits. The boundary gets tested against fantasy: when is “sci-fi vs. fantasy” a productive restriction, and when is it an empty category you paint over with aesthetic? No single answer lands, but a few useful ways to frame the problem emerge.If you’ve been with us all season, this is the after-action report. If you’re new, it’s a fast way to see how we read mechanics as part of story structure.Topics Discussed:00:00:45 Talk of Genre00:29:00 What we played00:45:00 Heroes and the Everyman00:01:00 Media Touchpoints01:05:00 Downtime and Resource Management01:19:15 Games we didn't play01:52:30 Season FavoritesFor more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.ModernMythology.net