This week we bring you a conversation around rules and creativity. Do rules restrict creativity, encourage it, or have nothing to do with it? We also get into a little bit of talk about if we're playing (and thinking) with the the rules as written, or rules as remembered! d20 Network Spotlight: Werewolf: the Podcast -- https://keepontheheathlands.podbean.com/ Game of the Week: Steve G: BIOJACKED -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/421367/BIOJACKED?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve S: 3rd Era PDF Me...
Jan 17, 2023•50 min•Ep. 127
As we return for the exciting conclusion of our two part first episode of Retrostar our crew investigates the mysterious crate! Thank you Ben and Hagen for allowing us to record and playing with us! The GamerNation Con 8 Kickstarter campaign has funded and closed! As of the time of release I don't have another link to give you, so check for updates here! -- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gncon/gamer-nation-con-80s *We have an affiliate link with Drive-Thru RPG. All this does, is give us a ...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 126
As has become our tradition, around the Christmas/New Years time, we drop a little mini-episode, just to let all of you know a little of what's going on in the background, what plans are for the future, and so on. Usually we drop this between Christmas and New years, but time got away from us this year, so you're getting it as the first episode of the new year! We'll be back to the chaos that you all expect next week! Thank You all! The GamerNation Con 8 Kickstarter campaign has funded and close...
Jan 03, 2023•16 min•Ep. 125
This week the Steves have a discussion about that classic trope of splitting the party! We talk some of the pitfalls, and benefits of doing it, and also talk about our feelings about it, and experiences doing so! The GamerNation Con 8 Kickstarter campaign is live!!! Find it here (and even pledge to get a game run by one of the Steves!) -- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gncon/gamer-nation-con-80s *We have an affiliate link with Drive-Thru RPG. All this does, is give us a small percentage of...
Dec 27, 2022•54 min•Ep. 124
Follow our groovy crew and their misadventures through outer space in this newest installment of Retrostar, a very narrative, rules-light celebration of retro-sci-fi! Thank you Ben and Hagen for allowing us to record and playing with us! Also, the GamerNation Con 8 Kickstarter campaign is live!!! Find it here (and even pledge to get a game run by one of the Steves!) -- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gncon/gamer-nation-con-80s *We have an affiliate link with Drive-Thru RPG. All this does, i...
Dec 20, 2022•39 min•Ep. 123
This week the Steves have a chat around our preferences regarding "generic" or "universal" systems, versus systems dedicated to a particular genre/setting. Along the way we discuss our feelings on the cyberpunk genre, and also some thoughts on personal nostalgia. d20 Network Spotlight: Werewolf: the Podcast -- https://keepontheheathlands.podbean.com/ Game of the Week: Steve G: The Crypt Has Opened -- https://happyjakgames.itch.io/the-crypt-has-opened Steve S: The Broken Cask -- https://www.drive...
Dec 13, 2022•51 min•Ep. 122
Here is the short session zero from our Retrostar actual play we recorded a little while ago. We are working on a brand new intro for these actual play sessions so just a cold open this week. Thank you Ben and Hagen for allowing us to record and playing with us! Also, the GamerNation Con 8 Kickstarter campaign is live!!! Find it here (and even pledge to get a game run by one of the Steves!) -- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gncon/gamer-nation-con-80s *We have an affiliate link with Drive-T...
Dec 06, 2022•22 min•Ep. 121
This week the Steves are joined by Micah (also known as FatCrab) from the Table/Flip podcast to talk about creating and running settings, and how to appropriately set your players expectations for those settings. Most of this talk centers around the Genesys system and settings for it, but as with the discussion of canon last week, the principals apply to pretty much any game! d20 Network Spotlight: Table/Flip -- https://anchor.fm/tableflip/episodes/ Additionally you can find Micah as FatCrab on ...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 120
This week, 1 Steve is fishing, so the other Steve has a talk with GM Phil from the Order 66 podcast about "Canon" and how to use (and deal with) it in your games! There's a lot of talk about Star Wars specifically, but the concepts are able to be applied to most anything! Check out Phil and his Studio 404 Games friends at https://www.studio404games.com/ d20 Network Spotlight -- The Order 66 podcast -- http://feeds.feedburner.com/Order66 GamerNation Con Kickstarter link! -- https://www.kickstarte...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 119
This week we bring you a conversation that starts around getting comfortable, and how it can help you get better RP in your games, which then veers into comedy games, and then a talk about safety tool use in comedy and horror games. d20 Network Spotlight: The Forge -- https://forgegenesys.com/ Game of the Week: Steve S: Gobblin' -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254667/Gobblin?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve G: Delta Green: The Conspiracy -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/411202/Delta-Gre...
Nov 15, 2022•52 min•Ep. 118
As a sort of 'closer' to Spooky-month, we sat down to chat with Bridgett Jeffries about just what it is that makes horror gaming fun for those who enjoy it. For those who don't know, Bridgett is an amazing, and amazingly fun person. She's a podcast host, streamer, writer, and a community ambassador for Chaosium. We talk about what got us started in gaming, how we got interested in horror gaming specifically, some tips on running horror games, and have a whole lotta laughs in the process. *ALSO C...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 117
This week we welcome Kyle Skarp, better known as "Skarpie" on various Discord servers. We talk about the wonderful supplement for Genesys that he co-authored with Scott Zumwalt, called "Hell is Full" along with ways to take pieces of it and turn up the gritty and deadly in other Genesys settings! Check out Hell is Full on the Genesys Foundry on Drive Thru -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/373041/Hell-is-Full-A-Genesys-Zombie-Apocalypse-supplement-for-Something-Strange?affiliate_id=2018399 ...
Nov 01, 2022•53 min•Ep. 116
This week the Steves are joined by local (to them) creator Alexandra Frund Clinton, who has written an RPG called The Deittman Files about ghost hunting, and paranormal investigation! It's a pretty darn cool game, and a very cool conversation is had! Links for Alexandra and The Deittman Files: The game on Drive-Thru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/366442/The-Deittman-Files-a-Ghost-Hunting-RPG?affiliate_id=2018399 Her novels on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BH55XN5T?ref_=dbs_p...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 115
This week we welcome fellow d20 Radio hosts Logan and Griffin from the Story Told podcast to come talk about a game that is near and dear to both of them, Changeling! It's a fun time, and we Steves get to learn a bit about a game that certainly hasn't gotten the attention of some of it's siblings. Check out more of Logan and Griffin on their own The Story Told podcast at https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/ Game of the Week: Logan: The Wizards and the Wastes -- https://nerves.store/products/the-wiza...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 114
This week we bring you an interview with creator Todd Crapper of Broken Ruler games about his recent release, Pandora: Total Destruction. It's an interesting take on the "Supers" genre, and has some interesting things to say as well. We also go into some things Todd learned while writing this game, and how it shaped what the game now is. Links for Todd and Broken Ruler Games: Pandora: Total Destruction on Drive-Thru -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/395733/Pandora-Total-Destruction?affilia...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 113
This week we bring you the recording of a panel that we were asked to do at the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo! We talk about why as the GM, you should be the biggest fan of your players. The audio isn't the greatest, but given we sorta forgot to prepare for actually recording live, we didn't think it sounded too bad for setting a cell phone on the table between us, in a room with a PA system, and close to 200 video and arcade games! So enjoy, and if you're able to do so, plan on joining us again there ...
Oct 04, 2022•58 min•Ep. 112
On the eve of Spooky-Month, the Steves sit down and have a chat about different things a GM can do outside of the game itself to help increase that sense of tension while playing games where you want it. That and some other ramblings and musings! d20 Network Spotlight: The Court Games podcasts Court Games -- https://courtgamespod.com/ Fortune and Strife -- https://courtgamespod.com/L5RFnS/ Crimson Gold Agonies -- https://cgapodcast.com/ Game of the Week: Steve G: Beasts and Basements -- https://...
Sep 27, 2022•50 min•Ep. 111
This week we figured we'd do something just for fun, so we asked Chris Spivey to just come talk with us for a bit about whatever came up. So that's what happened. We talk gaming stuff, some of the business side, and the challenges that happen as a small publisher in the current state of the world. Also, Chris lets us in on a snippet about his new [REDACTED]. Enjoy! Links for Chris and Darker Hue Studios Twitter: https://twitter.com/Darker_Hue Website: http://www.darkerhuestudios.com/ Facebook: h...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 110
We made it to 100!!! So to celebrate, we invited back a previous guest who likes just as varied a selection of games as we do, someone who writes about rpgs in lots of places, Egg Embry! Also, Egg has just released a cool little playtest for a game he's working on called Human... Almost. We chat about that, and assorted other things in our own Me and Steve way! You can find Egg either on Facebook (Egg Embry) or Twitter (@eggembry), or in many places his work appears, from the d20 Network blog, t...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 109
What happens when our friend, and fellow d20 Network 'caster Sugi stops by to chat with the Steves? We end up talking a LONG time! Of course, we're talking painting minis, which one Steve has never done, one Steve has done quite a bit, and Sugi does A LOT! There's a good bit of "how to get started" some general Q&A, and a little more technical stuff as well. We have a lot of fun, and Sugi shares a lot of insight from his 20+ years of painting experience. By the way, Sugi hosts a (currently o...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 108
This week the Steves have a chat about planning and prepping for a new campaign. We discuss a bit of our processes, weaknesses, and fears around starting new campaigns, be they in systems we're long-familiar with, ones we're new to, or somewhere in between. (Yes, we get into more Star Wars talk!) d20 Network spotlight: The Order 66 -- http://feeds.feedburner.com/Order66 Game of the Week: Steve S: Meddling Kids -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/83837/Meddling-Kids?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve...
Aug 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 107
We've all heard the term "meta-gaming" used, and usually with bad connotations, but what is it? And is it always bad? This week we Steves ponder this very thing! d20 Network Spotlight: Eberron Renewed -- https://thegeekpantheon.com/category/podcast/eberron-renewed/ Game of the Week: Steve G: Teenage Mutant Dirtbags -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/404270/Teenage-Mutant-Dirtbags-A-Roleplaying-Game?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve S: Car Wars -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12199/Steve...
Aug 23, 2022•48 min•Ep. 106
This week we're joined by Douglas from Gaming Ballistic to talk about GURPS from Steve Jackson Games. Along the way Doug shares some inside info on the publishing side of the business, and also talks about his current Kickstarter for some old-school solo-play adventures! Links for Gaming Ballistic: Website: https://gamingballistic.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/GMingBallistic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GamingBallistic/ Webstore: https://gaming-ballistic.myshopify.com/ Kickstarter: https...
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 105
In honor of "Back to School" season here in the US, the Steves have a chat around some of the ways we've found to stretch our gaming dollars (or maybe it's just a way to be able to buy more games...). In any case, it's a collection of budget-friendly tips to help out if you need em. Or, just laugh at us for being cheap! d20 Network Spotlight: Shared Sagas -- https://sharedsagas.podbean.com/ Game of the Week: Steve G: a|State -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/393580/astate-Second-Edition?af...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 104
What starts out as a conversation talking about games played on or in the water swirls with the Steves talking a lot about movies, and perhaps some reasons why things do or don't exist! d20 Network Spotlight : OPCast -- https://anchor.fm/opcast Game of the Week: Steve G: Army of Darkness -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/2486/Army-of-Darkness-Corebook?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve S: Polaris -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3891/Black-Book-Editions/subcategory/7804_34884/Polaris-31?...
Aug 02, 2022•53 min•Ep. 103
So we started with the intent of talking about taking adventures/modules and porting them over to a different system/setting. Of course, because us, we end up off in a couple rabbit-holes, but there's still some good conversation! d20 Network Spotlight: The Staggering Dragon -- https://thestaggeringdragon.com/category/stagdrag-podcast/ Game of the Week Steve S: Twisted Genomes: Wasteland Mutations -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/395771/Twisted-Genomes-Wasteland-Mutations?affiliate_id=201...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 102
This week we're talking with 2 of the organizers of a local gaming convention. Wizz and Alex fill us in a little on just what the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo is, and what can be expected if you attend, but we also talk a bit about just what goes into organizing a con, should you have the desire to try to do it yourself! To find out more about the convention here's the website for it. https://www.pghretrogaming.com/ Links to their social media can be found at the top of that page. And yes, both Steves...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 101
Because you can never have enough Star Wars RPG content (and because Steve just couldn't get left out of the conversation), Hooly is back with another episode talking about running games in the Star Wars universe! We talk a little bit about using other systems to play in Star Wars, and some talk about what makes a story feel like Star Wars. Because it gets mentioned a time or 2, and because it's such a great resource, here's a link to Wookiepedia. https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page Hooly...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 100
Hooly is back and were talking Star Wars! Due to technical difficulties and time constraints there is no game of the week bumper. Sorry folks. d20 Network Spotlight: Primed By Cortex -- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/primed-by-cortex/id1539916746 Game of the Week Steve G: Movie Night -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/267571/Movie-Night?affiliate_id=2018399 GM Hooly: Awakened Age -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/396262/Awakened-Age-Superhero-Genesys-Setting?affiliate_id=201839...
Jul 06, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 99
This week we have a discussion with the fantastic Eddy Webb around his game Pugmire, as well as some of his design philosophies. d20 Network Spotlight: Werewolf The Podcast -- https://keepontheheathlands.podbean.com/ Game of the Week Steve S: mutants in the Now -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/378040/Mutants-in-the-Now?affiliate_id=2018399 Steve G: Invasion of the Tuber Dudes -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/245866/Invasion-of-the-Tuber-Dudes? affiliate_id=2018399 Eddy Webb:Inspiri...
Jun 28, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 98
