Fear the Boot

* (0:18) after this episode was recorded but before it was released. * (1:14) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video  and the signup site . * (2:35) Brodeur got some inside info regarding Gen Con. The article he wrote prior to getting this info . * (4:46) The letter from Gen Con to key vendors. * (8:02) Fear the Boot makes the call! * (16:40) Critiquing the questions that were asked. * (22:10) Defending the questions that were asked. The artist we were partnered with for Wizard World can be found . WARNING: The art displayed on his Facebook page is technically SFW, but it’s very risque. * (37:39) The general vacuum of information in the RPG industry. * (39:48) Juxtaposing how the  handled a similar situation. * (52:41) Cats, weed, and the moral dimension of COVID. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Laura

* (0:29) Fear the Con Online, coming up on June 19th – 20th. The promo video  and the signup site . * (7:41) Fear the Con 2021 has been locked in for June 25th – 26th, 2021. * (9:39) A question about henchmen, courtesy of Jesse Sierke. Setting some boundaries on the discussion. * (12:56) How many is too many, particularly if you’re not trying to run an empire-building or administrative game? * (15:35) Making it the burden of the player that brought in all of the NPCs. * (18:58) When players treat the NPCs as a valueless resource. Abstracting a group of NPCs into a single, collective unit. * (28:42) Tracking social transactions. * (37:17) Making the players explain why they need hirelings to begin with. * (41:03) The role of the party should always eclipse the role of the henchmen. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (1:05) A message from Matt about some issues with a GM. * (2:21) Player creativity can spook the GM into responding in frustrating ways. * (13:35) Reasons why GMs find themselves in this situation. * (21:47) The role of player empathy in fixing the problem. * (30:10) Buying time to rethink instead of immediately reacting. * (34:28) Outsourcing the solution by asking players for more input. * (39:46) The value of being honest. * (44:56) Throwing a different curve-ball than the one you’d initially planned. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:36) Adapting the show to current realities. * (1:52) The history of West Marches and the context of the advice we gave. Ben’s  on his game. Another contribution of his to the hobby: . * (11:17) More information on the Skies of Glass play-test document, slated for release  on April 21st. * (14:28) The mental and social impact of COVID, including what you can do for yourself and others. The relevant . Hosts: Dan

* (0:46) Repeating  regarding Fear the Con 2020. * (2:14) New content and general improvements . * (7:10) Explaining what a West Marches style game is. The West Marches game through GamersTable can be found  in the Star Trek Adventures area. * (17:08) The nature of character relationships in an ever-shifting party. * (19:06) Sharing information between the participants. * (22:18) A different style for different people. Cameo appearances. * (29:46) Some random thoughts on maps and technology to aid a campaign. * (34:36) Keeping everyone on the same page regarding game events, creative boundaries, and such. * (49:08) The origin of the name, West Marches, and the idea’s history . Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:41) Some unfortunate news about Fear the Con 2020. A blog post with some more information is coming soon. * (4:14) Brodeur’s new endeavor  (as of this episode, the site is still very heavily under construction). * (7:55) Dan and Brodeur go to GAMA Expo! The usual relationship between tabletop games and conventions. * (14:57) Why the con-to-game relationship seems to be breaking down this year, and what that may mean for our hobby. * (27:04) The potential impact on retail. * (31:11) Answering some of the questions the listeners asked us to look into. * (41:18) How all of this affects the end consumer. * (47:36) The misuse and abuse of Kickstarter. * (57:03) The resilience of the tabletop gaming hobby. Hosts: Brodeur, Dan

* (0:24) Betrayal to the . * (4:40) Why Wayne abuses utility powers. * (6:19) Chad passes judgment. It might be easier to say, “no,” upfront than to have the fight later. * (13:02) Fear of the unknown. Wayne’s confessional mini-show, now available . * (16:53) Getting Dale’s perspective as a publisher of game supplements. You can find . * (24:25) Dale’s advice for the splat-averse. * (32:34) How Dale can attract people to his products. Splat certification? Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:24) Putting Dale in the hotseat as a Game Master. * (10:01) Pitching the same idea to Chad and Wayne as theoretical players. * (17:13) Judging the regularity of and motivation for playing unusual characters. * (23:52) Kicking the pitch back to Dale again. * (32:46) The unique problems of playing from splat you wrote. * (38:17) Flipping the script and using splat to empower other characters.  * (43:52) Dan’s trouble with trust. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:24) Why Chad doesn’t have a strong opinion on splat. Getting to the player’s real reason for the request. Allowing unusual requests as a form of collaborative world-building. * (4:20) Why Chad’s games more easily accommodate weird ideas. * (7:22) Re-skinning existing content instead of creating new content. Abusing splat. * (8:17) Not trusting the players to self-moderate. * (19:54) Why Dale, as a player, likes splat. * (27:49) Putting Dale in the hotseat as a player. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Our history with podcasts and…iPods…? * (4:44) Fear the Con  is ready to go. Fear the Boot . Getting some old hosts back and relocating the recording studio. * (12:42) A disagreement over splat books creates a show. * (19:41) Around the table, asking who thinks what about splat books. * (21:26) Knowing the content or at least trusting its creators. * (25:04) Splat as a relief from burnout. * (28:04) How publishers break their own games. * (31:49) Trying to solve the problem after the game has been broken. * (35:58) The FCD pitch versus genuinely contributing to the game. Doing your own homework and balancing. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:25) Introducing Kimi from , , and Golden Lasso Girl (, ). * (7:07) The Decuma Kickstarter, which . * (11:03) What Decuma is meant to do, and how it plays. * (16:20) Establishing characters and a setting so we can do a live demo. * (20:41) Playing the game demo, starting with character connection cards. A side note on how to shuffle a tarot deck. * (26:55) What we got from just two cards, including plot points for the GM. * (29:12) The world dynamics card, between the character connection rounds. * (34:09) Two location card examples. * (38:44) Building an area map as you work through the cards. * (40:50) The meaning of the name Decuma. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne Guests: Kimi

* (0:29) Laura in Chad’s shoes. Dogs in the hood. * (8:18) Fear the Con’s  and ready for your games! * (12:10) Wayne is in the process of improving . * (17:01) Why there are certain games we won’t run or won’t play. * (18:06) Why Wayne won’t run Battletech, and Dan won’t play Mechwarrior. * (19:00) Why Wayne won’t run Blades in the Dark, but Laura will. * (19:37) Why Dan won’t run Dresden. * (20:24) Why Dale won’t run Dresden or Misspent Youth. * (23:33) Why Dan struggles running horror, and most of the hosts struggle with Lovecraft. * (33:47) Why Dan won’t run a supers game but would love to play in one. * (35:16) Wayne ran , simply for the challenge of it. * (36:21) The simultaneous value and limitation of practice. Dan pitches a supers game based on Owlman’s  (). Hosts: Dale, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:22) A very important number. * (8:45) Lura, Chad, Stacy, Cathy, and Karen. * (15:38) Why Lura isn’t allowed on Fear the Boot anymore. * (22:25) Why Julia is still allowed on Fear the Boot. * (31:58) Fear the Con’s shifting demographics. You can sign-up to attend . * (36:42) Cucks, clucks, pedants, and show prep. * (42:12) Wayne misses his own dinner. * (53:03) How Chad controls a room. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:28) The joys of having a host rotation again. * (3:10) Errata in tabletop games, and why we’re grateful when companies release them. * (9:34) How publishers can do errata wrong. * (17:39) Chad’s Dresden character makes him realize things he ought to know to accurately portray his character’s life experiences. The  podcast. * (24:04) Researching the minimum viable product. * (30:30) What to do with information beyond the minimum viable product. * (35:03) Playing your own character lawyer. * (40:08) Information that can flesh out your roleplaying. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Laura

* (0:25) Holiday postmortem of our games. Wayne wastes money on nasty food. * (2:49) The case for and against soup, and the dark gluttony of Palladium books. * (9:21) Chad’s  for soups and stews. * (17:13) The  and old-time cooking. * (20:24) Reporting on a bit of holiday loot. * (21:18) The . * (22:42)  espresso. * (23:57) , and ebony dice . * (26:56) . * (29:07)  and . Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:29) The holidays came in like a wrecking ball! * (2:01) Wayne’s Family Feud survey is still up for answers! * (3:24) Gnarl is here to save your Christmas! Available on Amazon and Audible. * (5:54) Chad’s opinions save the show! * (7:26) No one likes distractions. * (10:10) Why Chad doesn’t like basements. * (16:43) Wayne’s aversion to cluttered tables. * (25:04) Chad’s distaste for chairs and high tables. * (34:21) Why Dan wants chairs instead of a couch. * (41:02) Once upon a time, through thin bathroom walls. * (46:35) The ups and downs of having food present. * (52:39) Gaming outside the normal flow of the household. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:23) Wayne’s Family Feud survey. * (3:09) Love for D&D and its sister games. * (5:24) A conversation with Chris Hussey about the strata of podcasts. * (10:46) What D&D has come to represent within the hobby. Gamers Table’s weekly Big 20 show (previous episodes here). * (19:31) Gaming as an aspect of a person’s identity. * (29:02) Handling the preconceptions in a constructive way. * (41:30) A call to action. * (44:47) The value the attention brings. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) The Audacity that can end the show! * (1:30) A topic from Jesse, with two parameters from Dan. * (5:42) Watch out for any real-world impact between the players. * (18:28) Managing your own reaction to the bully character. * (19:25) The attitude behind, “That’s what my character would do.” * (21:57) The in-character consequences of playing a bully. * (28:34) Targeting the penalties at the right party. * (34:58) Calling out your own character. * (37:50) GM-created deterrents against the bully. * (44:26) When you’re unintentionally bullying the Game Master, or the bully is going otherwise unchallenged. * (51:49) Inviting consequences upon yourself. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) A big THANK YOU to everyone that backed Fear the Con! * (2:43) Gamers Table’s weekly Big 20 show (previous episodes here). * (5:22) Blades in the Dark gives way to a Traveller game. Working through Traveller’s character creation system. * (16:10) Finding the patterns—and inventing the story—created by the random rolls. * (28:19) How the individual character patterns affect group design. * (34:30) Out-of-character misery as a weird flex. * (37:19) In-character misery as a point of story development. * (42:34) Swalwell’s musical number. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan

* (0:29) Introducing Laura. The episode where we first setup this topic. * (1:24) Fear the Con has funded! Start getting your games listed! * (2:18) Chris Hussey’s Savage Worlds setting book, The Wolverines Take the Highway to the Danger Zone. * (9:21) Why Laura GMed, and how she felt about the prospect of running a game. * (14:30) Where she got her early help. The Blind GM. * (18:06) How Laura structured her game prep. Getting help from an advocate. Keeping game notes in a topical structure. * (26:51) Writing the pre-generated player-characters. * (33:49) Executing the first few seconds of the game. * (37:31) The first curve-ball the party threw. * (42:53) Adding a sanity mechanic to D&D. * (47:11) How Laura felt the game went. * (50:31) Giving Laura a letter grade. * (55:31) Don’t take your first game too seriously, but be prepared to improve. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Laura, Wayne

* (0:31) Fear the Con’s Kickstarter and Con Planner site. * (1:45) We’d appreciate it if you gave us a review on whatever site or app you use to consume the show! * (4:13) Wayne brings some sample characters for us to interpret on the fly, inspired by his experience with pre-generated characters in a one-shot game. * (9:48) The D&D sheet Dan was reading from. Paring down the sheet to a small number of interesting and actionable items. * (19:09) Expelling and improvising quite a bit more. * (25:31) Reading what isn’t on the sheet. * (30:11) Playing off of each other’s characters. * (38:22) Applying similar ideas to a minimalist sheet. The SoG sheet Dan was reading from. * (44:14) Wayne pulling identity from the average. * (48:16) Being mindful of the other players when looking at the obvious links. * (52:01) Starting from the weaknesses instead of strengths. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:24) Knowing why you’re changing the game, and by extension, whether it’s worth doing. * (6:50) Describing damage. Hit points versus wounds versus shock. * (15:57) Remaking characters in another system, mid-game. * (31:23) Finding an existing system that fits what you’re looking for. * (34:55) RPGs as a spectator sport. Or not. * (40:45) More on the Venn diagram project clock. * (43:14) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter. * (44:44) Congratulating Gamers Table on their successful fundraising. * (47:04) Gaming with Gage and Jon Brazer, because Chad can’t stop plugging stuff. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter, with added rewards for people that can’t attend. * (3:38) Wayne does something cool, tells Dan about it, gives Dan a poster from it, and then forgets all of it. * (9:38) Hijacking versus homebrewing. “Have to” versus “want to.” * (12:21) Deciding what attributes are important to a story and, by extension, what needs to be reflected in the system. * (17:50) What’s simulated in the game as opposed to simulated in the meta-game. * (22:58) The boon of the number of games available. * (33:54) Getting back to simulating what matters. You can download Chad’s free games here. * (42:31) Don’t homebrew just because something small isn’t working. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) Fear the Con’s Kickstarter! * (6:12) An encounter in the Actual Play that felt inorganic to the flow of the main plot. * (14:25) Being aware of what knits your campaign together. * (19:42) Making a side plot compelling from the outset, even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first. * (29:29) Noting what players care about in the meta-game. * (33:09) Going for the quiet players instead of the loud ones. Getting the right type of buy-in. * (40:02) Evaluating whether a side plot works, with or without tying it back to the main plot. * (43:55) Creating buyer’s remorse. * (48:54) Fear the Boot’s Patreon. Hosts: Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) Fear the Con 2020’s Kickstarter is live! * (4:50) When the party is split, it can make it easier to talk to an NPC. * (8:21) A split party creating a game of telephone. * (13:02) Giving characters their own chance to shine. * (21:55) Team-building and RP in the party’s reunion. * (23:12) The countdown to problems when the party separates. * (29:54) Two approaches for how the GM can resolve the separate actions. * (42:10) Having to remember multiple bookmarks if the game gets paused. * (43:08) How a split party can help the GM get an idea to stick. * (44:29) Avoiding factions in the split. * (47:34) Player-character separation as an inevitability, not a desired outcome. * (50:34) The role of the players in a divided group. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:32) The Kickstarter for Gamers Table’s Season of the Glitch. * (1:16) Fear the Con 2020 on June 18th – 20th, with the Kickstarter coming very soon. You can follow our progress in the Facebook group. The episode where we talked about Pat killing us all. * (5:35) Merging two questions from Facebook to talk about how we build settings with an eye for stories that can be told there. * (7:39) The motivation behind creating the world in the first place. * (24:07) As aside on automats and courtesy. * (29:36) What interests you is likely what you’re already developing. * (33:24) Looking at what the players can and/or care to consume. * (41:21) Where and when you start building the game plot, based on group interests. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:33) Fear the Con 2020 on June 18th – 20th! The Kickstarter is coming very soon. In the meantime, you can follow our progress in the Facebook group. * (2:09) Explaining who Brad is. * (2:59) The Kickstarter for Gamers Table’s Season of the Glitch. * (6:05) Laura decides to run a Halloween game for more experienced players. * (10:47) Intentionally and accidentally difficult players. * (14:21) Ask for help and get people invested in your success. * (17:53) Picking the right system and setting. * (21:38) Why asking for feedback may not be the best idea. * (26:45) Prioritizing the building blocks of the game. * (33:59) Accepting you’re not in control of everything, and notes aren’t always the answer. * (38:16) Advice for the players. Hosts: Brad, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:54) All that matters is the d-o-g. * (3:18) Answering part of Dustin’s question, and why it’s not getting a full answer just yet. * (5:13) Illustrations from No Man’s Sky, Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect, and Freelancer. * (13:24) Slowing things down in the game versus the meta-game. * (19:04) Getting what you’ve earned. * (25:16) The slow flow of information in other forms of storytelling. * (32:54) Communicating a plausible, in-story reason for withholding information. * (39:54) Players that are desperate for information or overstuffed with it. * (44:56) NPCs in a guiding role. Extending the Three Clue Rule. * (54:40) Gating discoveries. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan

* (0:23) Chad talks a whole lot about not talking. Also, cattywampus. * (4:32) Wayne is playing Dragon Quest Builders 2. * (7:39) Chad is playing Assassin’s Creed Origins. * (16:31) Dale is playing Medieval II: Total War. * (23:39) Dan is playing No Man’s Sky. * (30:14) Dan is reading War Before Civilization. * (33:30) Wayne is reading They Called Us Enemy. * (35:36) Chad is reading Hardluck Ironclad. * (48:05) Dale is reading Becoming Superman. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Jonathan Belina asks about rules for dice. * (4:45) Cocked dice. Not rolling off the floor. * (8:31) Dice must be legible and visible. * (9:36) Don’t “play” with the dice. * (12:42) Dice bowling. * (18:48) Testing your rolls. * (20:41) Tenser’s Floating Disk at work…? * (28:18) An unexpected break in Chad’s Blades in the Dark game. * (36:02) Juxtaposing Chad’s situation against the break in Dan’s Skies of Glass game. * (41:22) Recovering with the onus on the players. * (47:23) Recovering with the onus on the Game Master. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Dan’s voice. A look back at older episodes. * (2:54) The double-standard of how social skills are handled versus any other check. * (8:00) When players cheat around their dump stats. * (12:47) The plausibility of counterfactuals. * (32:04) Having no awareness of the game you’re in. * (37:42) Holding me responsible for the things you didn’t tell me. * (41:28) Revisiting other topics. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:30) Introducing Dale of Jon Brazer Enterprises. * (7:11) The story of Jon Brazer, the character. * (9:07) How the degree of crunch changes your options for creating material. The OGL and similar licenses. * (24:26) Half of your money?! * (33:09) Revisiting the relationship between crunch (or the lack thereof) and what that lets you create. * (43:37) The positive role of more stuff. * (49:40) Getting started with Traveler. Hosts: Chad, Dale, Dan, Wayne

* (0:32) Dan is having throat issues. * (1:01) A huge “thank you” to Zylo for doing so much for Fear the Con-Line! * (2:18) Wayne created a template to help with game pitches. You can find a blank version here. * (5:26) A sample for D&D 5th Edition. * (8:24) Every game starts somewhere. * (11:03) Structuring without restricting. A sample for Dresden Files. * (19:42) Pitches in-person versus on-paper. * (29:16) Adapting the pitch based on feedback. * (36:10) Adding miscellaneous notes. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne

* (0:28) This studio is hot. * (2:55) The conundrum of character suicide. How Frankenstein's monster was actually made. * (16:10) Not being a victim of your own creations. * (31:28) Explaining the idea of a swan song and how it manifests in an RPG. * (39:17) Deconstructing a swan song that occurred in one of our games. * (40:56) Extra camera time. * (47:30) Letting a character arc run its full course. Death of a Salesman. * (51:59) Swan songs as a consensus of every contributor to the story. * (56:18) Recognizing the moments when they happen unplanned. Letting the character continue, anyway. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

Excuse the intro. I’ve lost my voice, so that was the best I could do. * (0:28) We are living in the future. We’re at the threshold of hell. * (12:39) An after-action report on bringing in a pair of new players. Planning versus problem-solving. * (32:52) Constant pressure squeezing out roleplaying. * (37:02) Failing to give the players a break. * (41:37) Shifting between modes of gaming and degrees of tension. * (56:45) Fear the Conline. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Charlie goes on a rampage. A tangent on Cluster-B personality disorders. * (6:51) Incorporating new people into the social context of your group. * (11:16) Revising our advice on how to meet someone. * (13:36) Using the pregame questionnaire as a loose guide. Dale’s publishing website. * (19:28) Observing and adjusting during session zero. * (22:07) Considering their worldview. * (25:41) The value of compromise and outside influence. * (29:14) Isolating the first part of the game. * (33:46) Balancing the spotlight. * (46:38) Why Blades in the Dark? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Play and life skills in higher animals. * (3:25) Vote for Reading Radio in the Columbus Podcast Awards. They’re listed in both the art categoryand podcast of the year. * (6:28) Introducing new concepts to established roleplayers. * (9:43) Limited material for character creation and game play. * (21:32) Making characters together. * (25:07) An example from Star Trek and Solaris VII. * (34:40) Knowing the rules. Unintentionally setting a precedent. * (48:04) Asking players to stick to what the GM knows. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:42) Dan’s phone betrays him. Spoilers and thpoilerth. * (14:10) Chopin makes you a superior person. * (14:52) Premises that are meant for one character but invite storytelling for many characters. * (18:17) Wayne tries one-to-many, and it doesn’t quite work out. * (22:15) Distilling a premise down to what really matters. * (27:03) The chosen one. * (33:39) Subdivide the premise so it works for multiple characters. * (40:08) A world big enough to ignore an individual. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (1:07) The glory and horror of self-insert. * (3:37) Dan does Shadowrun. * (16:45) Wayne does D&D. * (26:43) Chad does Star Wars. Sort of. * (40:31) Julia does Narnia. * (48:17) Dan does Battletech. * (56:42) A bit of gaming advice. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne

* (0:31) Brodeur and the broken finger. * (2:57) Fear the Conline is set for June 21st and 22nd. You can sign up for games here and ask questions on Discord here. * (6:55) Explaining what B-plots are. * (10:00) How B-plots spread the spotlight, build investment, and strengthen the game. * (15:00) Building the marketplace of ideas. * (19:41) Don't punish the players for shopping. * (25:15) Likening an RPG to a Ken Burns documentary. Unpacking an individual's story. * (30:51) Encouraging a B-plot. * (39:04) Connecting the A-plot and B-plot. * (51:48) B-plots humanizing the parties in the A-plot. * (54:04) The B-plot as free content or wasted effort. Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Chad, Dan

* (0:30) The distinction between GM exposition and NPC voice. * (7:12) Confusion borne from seeing the same person say everything. * (11:14) Distinguishing the source and type of information. * (12:51) All parties being flexible. * (15:57) The nuance of truthful—but misleading—communication. * (25:20) When the player disbelieves. * (33:07) Earning the right to deceive. * (53:13) Summarizing the gaming advice. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Dan's chewing monster. * (0:51) Making a lot of money on motion sickness medications. * (11:11) Creating a world where order remains in spite of the players being agents of chaos. Dan's magic trick. * (20:01) An example of competing freedoms. * (27:33) Counterfactuals as a tool in RPGs. * (35:22) Soft concepts versus hard fact. * (38:04) The finite reach of the player characters. * (41:29) Describing motivation in simple, flexible terms. * (44:23) Giving NPCs Maslow's hierarchy of needs. * (54:24) Fear the Boot's actual play site. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) A possible online convention in place of this year’s Fear the Con. You can place your vote and find out more on Discord. * (1:04) Cell phone jammers. * (4:13) Accept creative solutions. * (12:36) Control the table. * (20:53) Don't confuse delay with plot. * (23:02) Don't always make the players roll. * (27:22) Get me back in the action. * (36:24) Love the PCs more than your NPCs. * (42:11) My backstory should matter. * (47:24) Your obsession is not the group's problem. * (52:51) Be invested in each other's characters. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:54) A possible online convention in place of this year's Fear the Con. You can place your vote and find out more on Discord. * (5:07) An episode of Gamers Table inspires a topic (special thanks to Gaming with Gage). * (15:17) Whether to keep an NPC or remove them. * (20:35) Keeping the NPC in the periphery * (26:53) Leveraging an NPC's ties to other characters. * (34:10) Camp followers. * (37:34) The right way to dispose of an NPC. * (41:21) Tying an NPC to the plot. * (47:19) When adopting NPCs goes wrong. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Secretary Chad brings a glorious gift. * (3:50) Give a backstory the GM can use. * (5:47) Be open to the GM's input on your character. * (12:06) Learn something about the rules. * (17:18) Bring something to the table. * (22:30) Put away your electronics and don't make me repeat myself. * (27:44) Try to engage. * (39:20) Humor me. * (42:10) Don't be a speed bump. * (49:31) Be creative. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:29) Wayne learns object permanence. * (2:14) A player gets voted off the island. * (9:12) Not invested in the game or not invested in the group? * (12:16) Picking the kicker. * (22:40) Evaluating how the person responds to getting kicked. * (35:29) Along came an X-card. * (58:07) Final judgment. Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) The Itty Bitty Writing Space Kickstarter. * (3:47) A topic from Wendell on our Discord server. * (4:49) Playing to genre, themes, and moods. * (12:59) Hijacking the experience everyone signed up for. * (18:54) The distinction between assenting to a social contract and losing agency. The Richard Pryor game. * (23:26) Why one person may be playing out of sync. * (31:06) When the contract turns into a railroad. * (32:56) The limited recourse available when someone breaks the contract. * (42:10) Freedom within limits. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:22) Catching up with how Chad's campaign ended. * (1:43) The steps taken to set the mood. * (11:08) Pacing of the game. * (15:36) Resolving the prophecies. * (19:37) How the players helped the Game Master. * (24:32) The things that went wrong. What Dan called "anticlimax" is more accurately "dénouement." * (31:33) A brick-wall ending. * (40:38) What went right. Hosts: Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Let's hear it for Devastator! * (1:23) An update on Fear the Con. * (3:30) Game scheduling falls apart one session before the finale. * (12:35) Recovering the game by bringing immediate intensity. * (17:12) Shaping the real-world environment to set a mood. * (22:46) Playing side content. * (36:43) Controlling the recap. * (47:27) The players' role in helping. * (1:02:47) Fear the Boot and Gamers Table Destiny 2 clan. Hosts: Caleb, Chad, Dan, Wayne

* (0:28) Finally all the way home! * (0:48) The Actual Play actor's studio. * (3:33) Dan's PCs are becoming more like NPCs. * (11:34) Not giving up your own enjoyment. Misreading the situation. * (17:27) Being a codependent player. * (21:09) Strategies for helping the GM with your PC. Reading the GM. * (30:39) Not dominating the game. * (39:43) Playing NPCs as PCs. The appeal of Fat Tony. * (47:29) Do bad PCs make good NPCs? Hosts: Chad, Dan, Julia, Wayne