Show overview
Happy Jacks RPG Advice Show has been publishing since 2010, and across the 16 years since has built a catalogue of 388 episodes. That works out to roughly 520 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 1h 5m and 1h 30m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Leisure show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 5 days ago, with 16 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2018, with 52 episodes published. Published by Happy Jacks RPG Network.
From the publisher
A weekly tabletop RPG advice show that combines friendship, humor, and unbridled enthusiasm to bring you a show that is inclusive, informative, and funny. If you’re looking for an RPG podcast with diverse opinions and a friends-hanging-out vibe, look no further — you’re home.
Latest Episodes
View all 388 episodesS37E06 | Pets in Campaigns, Pax East, Electronics at the Table
S37E05 | PBTA Prep, FATE, & A Gaming Story
S37E04 | FATE vs Player Agency, GM Horror Stories, & Initiative Thoughts
S37E03 | Adam from Gnome Made Games, Being a Good Player, Tropes with New Players
S37E02 | Can Lines & Veils be Inappropriate?, How Actual Plays Work, Memorable NPCs
S37E01 | Railroading Players vs. PCs, Session Zero Playbook, & In-Game Holidays
◇ Ayslyn asks about railroading players vs. railroading characters, Eric from New Jersey wants feedback on their Session Zero plan, & From the Archive: Spilmeister Thomas from Denmark talks about in-game holiday ideas | Hosts: Kimi, Riley, & Clara ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:26◇ Announcements – Help us grow the show! Please take a few minutes to subscribe or follow us on your platform of choice, leave a review or thumbs up, and to tell your friends about us. 05:45◇ Mailbag 1 – Ayslyn asks about railroading players vs. railroading characters 32:21◇ Mailbag 2 – Eric from New Jersey wants feedback on their Session Zero plan 64:26◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2023: From the Archive: Spilmeister Thomas from Denmark talks about in-game holiday ideas 81:54◇ Episode Closing 86:44◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E24 | End Season 36 | Encourage Exploring, System Strengths, & Success Story
◇ A Guy in Austin asks how to get players to explore, Aggie wants to know what our favorite systems do best, From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature shares a success story | Hosts: Kimi, Riley, Teri & Rob ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:43◇ Announcements – Our next Game Daze will be in March 21st! It’s safe, fun, and free. All games are required to use safety tools. You can join in the fun on the Happy Jacks discord server. happyjacks.org/discord 03:18◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 06:04◇ Mailbag 1 – A Guy in Austin asks how to get players to explore 47:07◇ Mailbag 2 – Aggie wants to know what our favorite systems do best 76:22◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature shares a success story 89:34◇ Episode Closing 92:22◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E23 | Molten Sulfur Press, Game Design Groups, & Too Many Plot Threads
◇ We chat with Tristan Zimmerman our Indie designer of the month, Jeff asks about TTRPG designer support groups, From the archive 2021: Forlornhope22 wants to know how many plot threads is too many | Hosts: Kimi, Pooja & Tristan ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:24◇ Announcements – Our next Game Daze will be on March 21st! 03:18◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 06:04◇ Mailbag 1 – We chat with Tristan Zimmerman our Indie designer of the month! 47:07◇ Mailbag 2 – Jeff asks about TTRPG designer support groups 76:22◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2021: Forlornhope22 wants to know how many plot threads is too many 89:34◇ Episode Closing 92:22◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E22 | Live from OrcCon 2026!
◇ Live from OrcCon 2026 at the Hilton LAX in Los Angeles! A great panel show with members of our audience and stories from lots of different con games. Since it is a live event, the audio quality is not the same as our normal episodes recorded in our studio.◇ ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E21 | Explaining TTRPGs, GM Strengths, & Note Taking
◇ Eric from New Jersey asks how to explain TTRPGs to family, Mike from New York State shares about GM strengths, From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature talks note taking | Hosts: Pooja, Adam, & Artem ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 02:01◇ Announcements – 1) Our next Game Daze will be in March! 2) OrcCon 2026 is coming up Feb 13-16th at the LAX Hilton. We will be doing our live show at 8pm on Saturday night! 05:08◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 10:23◇ Mailbag 1 – Eric from New Jersey asks how to explain TTRPGs to family 31:30◇ Mailbag 2 – Mike from New York State shares about GM strengths 52:38◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature talks note taking 78:53◇ Episode Closing 86:42◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E20 | Making Maps, Gaming Group Sponsors, & Con Game Expectations
◇ Gurg Murg asks about making game maps, M replies about their gaming group plans, From the archive 2022: Steve from So Cal asks what to expect from convention games | Hosts: Kimi, Clara, Pooja, ,& Vixie ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:09◇ Announcements – 1) Our next Game Daze will be in March! 2) OrcCon 2026 is coming up Feb 13-16th at the LAX Hilton. We will be doing our live show at 8pm on Saturday night! 03:31◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 07:43◇ Mailbag 1 – Gurg Murg asks about making game maps 26:14◇ Mailbag 2 – M replies about their gaming group plans 57:08◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2022: Steve from So Cal asks what to expect from convention games 83:03◇ Episode Closing 109:24◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E19 | Creating Villains, Player Contracts, & Voiding PC Abilities
◇ Eric from New Jersey wants to talk about creating villains, Wes from Indianapolis takes player contracts literally, From the archive 2024: Darkknight asks about players voiding other PC’s abilities | Hosts: Kimi, Clara, Pooja, ,& Vixie ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 02:09◇ Announcements 04:49◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 09:34◇ Mailbag 1 – Eric from New Jersey wants to talk about creating villains 44:55◇ Mailbag 2 – Wes from Indianapolis takes player contracts literally 74:22◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2024: Darkknight asks about players voiding other PC’s abilities 103:14◇ Episode Closing 109:24◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E18 | Gaming Resolutions, Prep for Mysteries, Day Jobs in Games
◇ Vyrrk from DC wants to hear gaming reflections and resolutions, Spattz from Earth talks mystery game prep, From the archive 2021: GM Radio Rob asks about keeping games with day jobs interesting | Hosts: Kimi, Jay, & Rose ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:58◇ Announcements 05:07◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 07:52◇ Mailbag 1 – Vyrrk from DC wants to hear gaming reflections and resolutions 22:39◇ Mailbag 2 – Spattz from Earth talks mystery game prep 44:44◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2021: GM Radio Rob asks about keeping games with day jobs interesting 58:41◇ Episode Closing 63:04◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E17 | Character Sheets, NPC Control Reply, Forcing Game Prep
◇ Charger347 asks about character sheet improvements, Steffi from Scotland replies to our discussion on NPC crowd control, From the archive 2022: The_Gekko_State in Canada wants to know how to get excited about game prep… aka actually do it. | Hosts: Kimi, Dave, Pooja, & Adam ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:40◇ Announcements 03:33◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 05:17◇ Mailbag 1 – Charger347 asks about character sheet improvements 21:54◇ Mailbag 2 – Steffi from Scotland replies to our discussion on NPC crowd control 57:05◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2022: The_Gekko_State in Canada wants to know how to get excited about game prep… aka actually do it. 81:56◇ Episode Closing 87:56◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Twitter ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E16 | Politics at the Table, Safety at Con Games, & Realistic Physical Combat
◇ Thomas from Denmark asks about politics at the gaming table, Out of Print GM from Yorkshire asks about safety in convention games, From the archive 2012: Veremond gets in the weeds about wrestling and physical abilities in games | Hosts: Kimi, Jay, & Riley ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:16◇ Announcements 04:44◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Jess Pendley https://www.undergroundoracle.com 07:26◇ Mailbag 1 – Thomas from Denmark asks about politics at the gaming table 28:18◇ Mailbag 2 – Out of Print GM from Yorkshire asks about safety in convention games 44:31◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2012: Veremond gets in the weeds about wrestling and physical abilities in games 55:32◇ Episode Closing 60:14◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Networkwww.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E15 | Prep vs Campaign Length, Is Prep Death?, Combat & XP Issues
◇ Gurg Murg asks how Gm prep changes depending on campaign length, Carlos Salazar on the Discord asks “is prep death?”, From the archive 2021: Shawn from just outside Washington, DC has some combat and XP questions! | Hosts: Kimi, Pooja, Adam, & Courtney ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:34◇ Announcements 05:05◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Jess Pendley https://www.undergroundoracle.com 08:09◇ Mailbag 1 – Gurg Murg asks how Gm prep changes depending on campaign length 25:02◇ Mailbag 2 – Carlos Salazar on the Discord asks “is prep death?” 69:15◇ Mailbag 3 – From the archive 2021: Shawn from just outside Washington, DC has some combat and XP questions! 84:36◇ Episode Closing 89:06◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Networkwww.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E14 | GM Tricks, Math Rocks, & Dealing with a Dominant Player
◇ Thomas from Denmark asks what our go-to GM tricks are, Charger347 wants to talk about math rocks, & From the archive 2022: K Ryan is struggling with a loud and dominant player messing up his gaming group | Hosts: Kimi, Adam, & CADave ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:54◇ Announcements 02:55◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Jess Pendley https://www.undergroundoracle.com 05:53◇ Mailbag 1 30:35◇ Mailbag 2 41:51◇ Mailbag 3: From the Archive 64:10◇ Episode Closing 73:28◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2025 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E13 | Scheduling Games, Generic Systems, & Successful Horror Story?
◇ Alverant asks about scheduling games, Gurg Murg asks about generic ttrpg systems, Mike from New York State has a horror story with a successful ending (thanks safety tools!) | Hosts: Riley, Rose, & Vixie ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:50◇ Announcements 02:25◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Jess Pendley https://www.undergroundoracle.com 04:23◇ Mailbag 1 28:18◇ Mailbag 2 48:16◇ Mailbag 3 92:56◇ Episode Closing 98:48◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2025 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E12 | First System Impressions, Extroverts Supporting Introverts, & IPs Made for Play
◇ Ed from Mn, now in Fl. asks about how a first experience forms a lasting opinion of a system, Clara asks how extroverted players can support introverted players, & From the Archive 2022: Weaselcreature asks about playing in RPG IPs like Traveller’s setting and Eberron vs. pop culture IPs like Marvel and Star Wars | Hosts: Kimi, Bill & Adam ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:26◇ Announcements 03:14◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Ross Payton https://www.patreon.com/RPPR 06:12◇ Mailbag 1 36:18◇ Mailbag 2 60:02◇ Mailbag 3 – From the Archive 80:48◇ Episode Closing 86:52◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2025 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org
HJRP S36E11 | What are Storygames?, Safety Tools Failure, & Learning Hard Systems
◇ Steffi from Scotland asks what we consider a “storygame”, Arrya from New Jersey shares a safety tools story, & Eric from New Jersey asks how we learn difficult systems | Hosts: Kimi, Rose, & Clara ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 03:22◇ Announcements 05:17◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Ross Payton https://www.patreon.com/RPPR 08:18◇ Mailbag 1 47:32◇ Mailbag 2 62:42◇ Mailbag 3 – From the Archive 87:58◇ Episode Closing 91:14◇ Music ◇ Email [email protected] or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇ Twitch ◇ Twitter ◇ Instagram ◇ Facebook ◇ Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2025 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org