Lair Of Secrets

Get in. Do a thing. Get out. Look awesome doing it. That's your typical cyberpunk adventure, and it always involves some sort of security. On this episode, we discuss real-world hacking inspiration, cinematic heist scenarios, and strategies for balancing game difficulty. We dive into the nuances of netrunning, social engineering, and how even the best-laid plans can spiral into chaos. Examples are drawn from the Cyberpunk RED and Cities Without Number role-playing games, with the occasional digression into Dungeons & Dragons, Blades in the Dark, and Scum & Villainy. Quotes "You can plan it out meticulously and think you've got everything covered… but then you get five minutes into it, and everything has gone wrong… something's always gonna go wrong, and that's where the drama happens." - David "There is crazier stuff going on in the real world in, like, cybersecurity right now than you're going to think of in your game, I guarantee it." - Chris Chapter List 0:00 Intro and Cyberpunk Security2:15 Cyberpunk Red Heists and Netrunning Mechanics8:45 Chris Miller’s Real-World Cybersecurity Insights12:10 Cinematic Inspirations for Cyberpunk RPGs15:45 Balancing Player Roles in Heist Missions21:30 Real-World Hacking vs. Fictional Depictions27:15 Strategies for Planning Heists in RPGs35:10 Handling Consequences and Failed Plans39:45 The Art of Improvisation in Cyberpunk Campaigns45:00 Outro Video https://youtu.be/paCzPGt-EPw Show Notes Cyberpunk Resources Broken Loop - Our Cyberpunk RED Actual Play Campaign Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Locked Out: Doors, Locks, & Security Homebrew Rules for Cyberpunk RED Thinking About Cyberpunk Security Planning the Network/Scoping the Heist Two main choices: Scale the network difficulty for your players (story mode), or Don’t, and design for the idea that some things are beyond the capabilities of you team (but they might get lucky) Remember the Defender’s Paradox (Defense must be perfect, but attackers need to succeed only once): The Net Architecture Difficulty section on p210 of the Core Guide help with this For the D&D minded, things of the daemons and such as counterspells and denizens of a dungeon. That’s what this is. Inspiration The examples in the core guide are pretty good Real world threat intelligence guides are a great inspiration: for example – Visual Threat Intelligence: An Illustrated Guide For Threat Researchers Movies, while cheesy, can provide some inspiration – OH GOD NOT SWORDFISH WHY Podcasts – Hacking Humans from Cyberwire, Darknet Diaries, news programs Books - oh so many (history of Space Rogue’s book on L0PHT, Kevin Mitnick, etc) Role-preservation Know your players. What are their roles and what are their skills? What skills is the crew missing? If you are missing a role, what opportunities can you create to give the players options for getting past the challenge. If you lack a TECH, MEDTECH, or NETRUNNER, you’re unlikely to bypass electronics. Creative Thinking Encourage your players to think outside the box. How else can you get into the room or past the door, or through the challenge? Consequences Noise attracts guards … and the more time it takes to get through security, the greater chance the guards will show up. C4 may destroy the thing you came to snag. Not all security is a locked-down barrier It could be a drawing in a conference room It could be a data drive hidden in a crystal necklace at a party Protected by guards, surveillance It could be a person or animal (remember Ein the corgi from Cowboy Bebop) Time Pressure Start a clock! If not using a clock (with increments advancing toward an event) then just advance time … and have consequence for advancing time. What happens on a failed roll? Are they not getting through? They get through but there is a complication The clock ticks up. What happens on a failed gig? Consequences for not securing the thing. The Situations As in Blades in the Dark, think about the type of engagement that the players might execute. Situation 1: Sample Retrieval Break into a secure vault in a biolab. Retrieve a sample. You have 24 hours. (hard target infiltration) Hack your way past the physical security & Infiltrate their network to bypass or control networked security Blast your way in. Talk your way in (but it could be really hard) Examples: Resident Evil, Die Hard, Terminator 2, Fast Five Situation 2: Steal data from a secure terminal Steal data from a secure terminal in a ZetaTech subsidiary. It must be completed in one week’s time. (Soft target infiltration: Open to the public and easily infiltrated) Forge identities to infiltrate the company (steal the ID card, hack the computer to add your record) Go legit: they get themselves hired by the company They break into the building Go in as solos and blast their way through the building Example: Sneakers, Cyberpunk 2077 - Arasaka tower, V and Jackie Situation 3: Corpo Defection A corporate ope

So your Dungeons & Dragons campaign went on hiatus … how do you restart it? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, Ken, Chris, and Josh talk about how to re-engage with a not-quite-dead-yet role-playing game campaign. They dive into how a game can lose momentum, with real-life interruptions causing campaigns to stall or be put on hold. They share personal anecdotes of campaigns like Cyberpunk Red and Secrets of the Saltmarsh that have gone through pauses, offering practical strategies for relaunching them. Techniques include recaps, time skips, flashbacks, and collaborative world-building (in other words ... getting the players to help figure out how to reboot after the hiatus). The discussion covers the importance of keeping both the game master (GM) and players motivated, with special attention given to tools like Obsidian for campaign notes and ways to revive interest through changes in story direction or character development. Chapter List 00:00 What the heck's a hiatus?03:43 Recap and Relaunch07:07 Taking Notes and Recapping08:26 Base Building and Subgames16:42 Using Flashbacks to Provide Context and Hooks19:33 Starting in the Middle of the Action: Grabbing Players' Attention23:41 Choosing the Right Structure for Hiatuses27:02 Preparing for the Next Level: Getting Players Excited YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI2qiFdd5_8 Show Notes Discussion on the nature of RPG hiatuses: intentional vs. unintentional Examples of stalled campaigns Cyberpunk Red Secrets of the Saltmarsh Strategies for restarting a campaign: Recapping the last session Using a time skip to advance the story Flashbacks to fill in gaps Emphasizing downtime or base-building to rekindle player interest Tips for GMs to stay motivated: campaign notes wiki tools like Obsidian and Scabbard The importance of player engagement: encouraging note-taking future character development in-game world-building Use of seasonal or episodic structure for long-running campaigns Featured Image Meta Linux System Reboot History by xmodulo

In the latest expedition through the Lair of Secrets, David Moore, Ken Newquist, and Chris Miller delve into the art of map design, specifically focusing on the peculiarities and challenges of modern and near-future maps in gaming. The discussion kicks off with Ken recounting his creation of the "worst best map ever" for a Mothership one-shot, set in an undersea research station on Europa. The map's illogical design, inspired by cost-cutting corporate efficiency, leads to a hilariously challenging game play experience. The trio explores the importance of verisimilitude in modern maps, contrasting it with the more forgiving nature of fantasy settings. They discuss the balance between realism and game play, emphasizing how a poorly designed map can ironically enhance the fun by creating unexpected challenges. Throughout the episode, they share insights on using real-world inspiration, the value of theater of the mind versus detailed maps, and the importance of considering player expectations when designing game environments. View the worst best map ever in all its terrible/great glory. Quotes "Worst best map ever." "No, there's no vents. What are you talking about? It's the future. There's no vents. There's no ventilation." "Who designed this place? What lame-ass industrial designer put together this underwater station?" "In a horror game, the worst maps make for the best stories." "If you're in the real world, you want to know: where are they storing the garbage? Is there a generator?" "Accessibility in gaming isn't just about ramps—sometimes, it's about maps." Chapter List 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage00:49 The Best Worst Map Ever04:32 Exploring the Map's Flaws08:46 Player Reactions and Enjoyment13:34 This map is horrible, don't change a thing17:29 Designing maps for modern and near-future settings20:01 Incorporating real-world inspiration into map design24:29 Theater of the mind vs. tactical maps27:40 Considering objectives and player interactions33:59 Using zones and index cards for abstract map design40:45 Balancing stock maps and visual aids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3M3pRCCjqc Show Notes Ken's "worst best map ever": Discussion on the design and gameplay challenges of an illogical map for a Mothership scenario. The importance of verisimilitude in modern and near-future maps. Contrast between fantasy map design and modern map design. The balance between realism and gameplay in map design. Discussion on using real-world inspiration for map creation. Theater of the mind vs. detailed maps in gaming. Accessibility considerations in map design. The value of stock maps and reusable designs in gaming. Audience engagement: Inviting listeners to share their thoughts on map design and to suggest ideas for an archive of free maps. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

The edgerunners are at Elysium HQ. All they need to do is descend through three sub-levels of the abandoned corporate headquarters and flip a switch on an old server. But first they have to get past these cybernetic corvids … and the remains of the edgerunner crews that came before them. Get more Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Actual Play @ Lair of Secrets Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Cyberpunk RED Frequently Asked Questions Cyberpunk RED Screamsheets Quotes "I'm the Swiss Army Knife of Destruction at this point." - Atlas "I don't know that I have any light. Well, I have a flamethrower. That's like momentary light." - Omen "Awesome. I'm like a lighthouse." - Angry Bob Chapters 0:00 Intro and Setup10:15 The Mission Briefing18:45 Encounter with the Corvids28:00 Debating Entry Strategies40:35 Discovery of the Grappling Hooks54:15 Descent into the Darkness1:08:30 The Corvids’ Ominous Warning1:21:00 Preparing to Face the Unknown1:35:45 Entering the Ruins of Elysium1:55:20 Conclusion and Wrap-Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG1CEFjsGgI

Chapter 8 of our Broken Loop campaign for Cyberpunk RED ended with a cliffhanger as the edgerunners faced an unexpected … enemy? Friend? Belligerent hivemind hell bent on stripping everyone of their chrome? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, we talk about that actual play session, it's unexpected turns, and how we rolled with the consequences of a well-placed grenade. Get more Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Actual Play @ Lair of Secrets Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Cyberpunk RED Frequently Asked Questions Cyberpunk RED Screamsheets Quotes "Who knew the corporate ruins would be guarded by cybernetic ravens and a cyberpsycho?" "We survived, but only just. Night City isn't for the faint of heart." "We're not getting paid enough for this—becoming our new catchphrase as we dive deeper into the chaos." "The final scene? A burning car, pulped cyborgs, and a cliffhanger that'll haunt your dreams." Chapters https://youtu.be/2LfIYs5zVN4 Show Notes Introduction: David kicks off with a recap of Ken's recent Cyberpunk Red session.Session Recap: Setting: Night City, 2045, irradiated ruins from a past nuclear blast. Mission: The team must flip a switch in a corporate HQ's techno basement. Unexpected Turn: The Nomad's catastrophic drive check flips the car, leading to a chaotic firefight. Key Encounters: Cybernetic ravens, a cyberpsycho, and Glow Boys. Cliffhanger: The session ends with the group facing the ominous corporate HQ. Discussion: The hosts reflect on the game's unexpected outcomes, the challenge of mixing horror elements in Cyberpunk, and the importance of not pulling punches in the genre. Audience Question: An exploration of how to organize a union for dungeon minions. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch Featured Image Meta Crow photo credit: Tom Swinnen (Creative Commons)

After talking and driving their way past the factions controlling access to Night City's radioactive core, the edgerunners are approaching the ruined Elysium corporate headquarters. Their goal is to infiltrate the building's sub-levels and flip a switch. First though, they have to get past the Glow Boys, a cult of radiation Worshiping cyborgs ... and the chrome-enhanced, sentient ravens the cultists are facing off against. Get more Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Actual Play @ Lair of Secrets Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Cyberpunk RED Frequently Asked Questions Cyberpunk RED Screamsheets Quotes "Die, stupid birds, die!" - A chaotic cry in the heat of battle. "We should probably ditch the car somewhere where it won't get stolen." "We're having chicken tonight. Or whatever that is." Chapters 0:00 Intro2:15 Entering the Hot Zone8:30 Encounter with the Glow Boys14:45 The Ravens' Attack21:30 Car Flip and Explosion29:00 The Flames Rise35:30 Taking Down the Glow Boys43:15 The Ravens Retreat50:00 The Haunting Voice from Elysium HQ55:00 Mission Debrief and Outro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RJgh8TAPZI Show Notes n this latest installment of the *Lair of Secrets* Cyberpunk Red campaign, the Edgerunners dive deep into the heart of the dangerous Hot Zone of Night City. Hired to flip a switch deep inside the Elysium HQ, they drive through the decaying ruins of the city, passing by desperate refugees and hostile mercenaries. T he team quickly finds themselves entangled in a chaotic confrontation with glow-painted, cybernetic warriors known as Glow Boys and a horde of cyber-enhanced, raven-like creatures that seem eerily obsessed with collecting "chrome." After a series of tense battles involving faulty driving maneuvers that flip their car, an explosion, and flamethrowers, the team narrowly escapes. However, as the last of their enemies falls, a haunting voice echoes from the depths of Elysium HQ, calling out for fresh meat and chrome, signaling that their challenges are far from over. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

It's convention season, and David talks about Origins, a big-but-cozy game convention in Columbus, Ohio, meeting Shadowdark RPG creator Kelsey Dionne, plans for Gen Con 2024, and gaming with Jon Hook of the Modern Mythos podcast. Meanwhile, Ken geeks out about dynamic lighting in Roll20 (and his hopes for using during the Lair's upcoming Cyberpunk RED Elysium HQ run). Oh, and Ken actually completed a video game - Fire Emblem Engage - and started a new game, Hades (which apparently every other geek on the planet has already played) But why stop there? Ken and David also talk about a bunch of other RPGs including Dragonbane, Eat the Reich, Star Wars d6, the, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit, the Dread RPG, and You’re in Space and Everything’s Fucked. Quotes "I finally completed a game! It feels like finishing a marathon for a 52-year-old gamer." "Origins is like a cozy Gen Con—a perfect mix of games and geek culture without the overwhelming crowds." "Shadowdark RPG is like 5th edition D&D but darker, with no dark vision and a real sense of urgency." Chapters 0:00 Intro1:30 Ken's Gaming Achievement3:45 Origins 2024 Highlights12:30 Jon Hook and Isolated Investigators15:30 Shadowdark RPG and Game Discussions22:15 Dynamic Lighting in RPGs28:00 New Game Purchases and Interests36:10 GenCon and Upcoming Events42:00 Closing Thoughts and Stealth Promo https://youtu.be/MBOKthFGSn8 Show Notes Main Topic: Origins 2024 David went to Origins this year and has come back to our Lair to report on his findings after being away for more than a decade. Met with Jon Hook! Jon ran games with the Lurking Fears group Hung out much of the con. He’s also an enabler of game purchases. Jon Ran one of his Isolated Investigator modules. Tons of fun with one Keeper and one player. Jon was on a panel: "Beyond D&D - How and why are these other games different?" How games like Shadowdark, Dragonbane, and others are different-- and better? Than the world's most popular RPG. It was an interesting panel, lots of audience participation. Even the “GURPS guy” got a word in. Met Kelsey Dionne, creator of the Shadowdark rpg David was able to talk with her for a bit, thanks to Jon being on the same panel with her Played a fair amount of Star Wars d6 games with the Sparks group So what about Origins? It's a cozy GenCon It’s larger than a typical local con but also less dense than Gen Con. You can stop in the middle of an aisle of the vendor hall and not block traffic Was able to talk with people at the booths for extended periods Hotel was close and I was able to relax or nap for a bit, then head back in again Roll for Topic Podcast How do you handle light sources? Gen Con 2024 David's going ... who else is going? Obligatory Banner Fire Emblem Engage Finally finished the latest entry in the Fire Emblem series. Nostalgic take on the series, with characters carried forward from earlier games. The story wasn’t nearly as compelling as Three Houses though, in part because it was super-linear.. Hades As the last geek in America to play Hades, Ken can confirm that yes, it’s good. Picked it up on sale for Nintendo Switch Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novel Writing series is complete David turned in his pages for the end of class, got some good feedback Continuing his efforts to write at least 250 words a day. Not so many it’s discouraging, and he often writes more Recommended if you have the time, money, and want to be serious about publishing what you write Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit It’s on its way. New rules for 2077! Looking forward to quick hacks. Check out our unboxing of the Edgerunners Mission Kit David's Origins game purchases Fallout dice Fallout map set Star Trek 2nd edition quickstart Dread Eat the Reich You’re in Space and Everything’s Fucked Outro Thanks for attending our latest minion and future overlord training. Thanks for coming! If you were sitting near the old death ray, head over to dice.camp and follow us @lairofsecrets. We’ve got all you need for those Hyperion gamma burns. Featured Image Meta Cover art from the Shadowdark RPG.

Chapter 7 of our actual play Cyberpunk RED campaign sees the edgerunners venture into the Hot Zone at the center of Night City as part of their mission to flip a switch in the basement of Elysium HQ. Get Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Actual Play @ Lair of Secrets Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Cyberpunk RED Frequently Asked Questions Cyberpunk RED Screamsheets Chapters 0:00 Intro2:10 Mission Briefing5:30 Gear and Supplies10:45 Entering the Hot Zone15:20 Encounter with Sawbones20:00 Emotional Toll25:15 Avoiding Scavvers30:00 High-Speed Escape35:45 Approaching Old Corp Center40:00 Conclusion https://youtu.be/pDufsOwAS5M Show Notes In the latest chapter of the Lair of Secrets' Cyberpunk Red actual play campaign, the team is tasked with infiltrating a ruined Elysium Aeronautics research facility in Night City's dangerous hot zone. In the previous episode, Priest - APT's fixer - negotiated a substantial increase in their fee to 40,000 EBs. Adequately funded ... they went shopping. The crew acquired various assets, including hand-drawn maps, street guides, and a medallion from a 6th Street Army member, Roof Diver. Delver Dan's shop provided them with Geiger counters, radiation tablets, and neon green lead-lined duct tape. Angry Bob updated his wardrobe to fit the irradiated zone aesthetic. As they navigated through Night City's decaying streets, they encountered various factions and obstacles. The team decided to drive through the Sawbones' territory, a mercenary group providing medical aid in exchange for salvage. They donated medical supplies, earning safe passage. The desolate, eerie atmosphere of the med center and the suffering of its inhabitants deeply affect the crew, especially Atlas, who becomes emotional at the sight. As they proceed, they avoid a potential conflict with a group of Scavvers harassing salvagers. Omen skillfully maneuvers their vehicle through the dangerous terrain, evading gunfire and collapsing buildings. The session concludes with the team poised to enter the Old Corp Center, ready to face whatever dangers await them next. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

In this episode of "Campaigns and Coffee," hosts David, Josh, and Erin dive into convention season, offering tips and sharing personal experiences. The trio discusses their preparation rituals, with Erin highlighting her dedication to the Sparks campaign—a Star Wars role-playing game using the West End Games D6 system. Josh shares his strategy for attending Gen Con with his young child, emphasizing the importance of keeping kids entertained. They also touch on essential convention tips like the 3-2-1 rule (three hours of sleep, two meals, and one shower daily), and reminisce about their convention highlights, including wandering into off-limits areas of Lucas Oil Stadium. Want more GenCon? Check out our coverage of GenCon 2023. Chapters 0:00 Introduction to Convention Season2:10 Erin's Sparks Campaign Prep4:30 Josh’s Gen Con Tips5:31 Managing Conventions with Kids6:50 The Essential 3-2-1 Rule8:20 Backpack Packing Tips12:21 Josh’s Dice Addiction and Rituals14:44 Navigating Lucas Oil Stadium18:06 Final Convention Tips18:36 Essential Minion Inventory https://youtu.be/9sl_k7zm0m8 Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

In the latest episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we delve into our summer reading lists, exploring a mix of thrilling, nostalgic, and intellectually stimulating books. Ken kicks things off with Action Park by Andy Mulvihill, reminiscing about the notorious amusement park of his youth. David follows with a dive into sci-fi novels, including Larry Niven's Ringworld Engineers and Cixin Liu's The Dark Forest. After the reading lists, we've got the obligatory Overlord banter, with Ken's 20-mile hike, David's ongoing writing course, and our upcoming Fallout 2d20 actual play RPG game. Need more books? Check out our previous summer reading lists: Summer Reading List 2023 Summer Reading List 2022 Summer Reading List 2021 Quotes "Action Park was as legendary as it was notorious because the designer's impetus was, 'It's the amusement park where you control the rides.'" Chapters 0:00 Intro2:10 Ken’s First Book: "Action Park"5:35 David’s Sci-Fi Reads: "Ringworld Engineers" and "The Dark Forest"11:48 More Book Picks: "In Our Stars" and "Venice"18:23 Short Stories vs. Novels21:08 Ken’s 20-Mile Hike Adventure28:44 David’s Writing Course Progress30:36 Fallout 4 Gameplay and Mods37:03 Fallout 2d20 TTRPG Excitement38:20 Outro and Community Engagement https://youtu.be/wa2UMca9ALw Show Notes Sci-Fi & Fantasy Summer Reading List 2024 Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park by Andy Mulvihill and Jake Rossen In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth, Book 1) by Jack Campbell Chaos Terminal (The Midsolar Murders, Book 2) by Mur Lafferty Terminus (Threshold, Book 4) by Peter Cline Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven The Dark Forest (The Three Body Problem, Book 2) by Cixin Liu Ibenus (The Valducan, Book 3) by Seth Skorkowsky The Best of Science Fiction 2003 by Karen Haber and Jonathan Strahan Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett The Banter of the Overlords Ken's 20-mile hike Lessons in pain from a long day on the trail. Writing, writing, procrastinating, writing Back to Fallout 4 … with Mods! Planning our upcoming Fallout 2d20 TTRPG actual play game Outro Thanks for attending our latest minion and future overlord training. Thanks for coming! If you were sitting near the old death ray, head over to dice.camp and follow us @lairofsecrets. We’ve got all you need for those Hyperion gamma burns. Featured Image Meta Book cover art for In Our Stars by Jack Campbell.

Our Cyberpunk RED campaign continues with Chapter 6: Anticipating the Glow. Previously, the edgerunners accepted a mission to venture into the irradiated core of Night City, descend into the depths the ruined Elysium HQ headquarters, and flip a switch. Being somewhat cautious mercenaries, they decided to do a little research first before venturing into the still-radioactive ruins. Get Cyberpunk RED: Cyberpunk RED Actual Play @ Lair of Secrets Cyberpunk RED Role-Playing Game Resources Cyberpunk RED Frequently Asked Questions Cyberpunk RED Screamsheets Chapters 0:00 Intro3:00 Bounty Update8:30 Corporate Conspiracy Unveiled14:45 Downtime Adventures28:20 New Mission Briefing35:50 Preparing for the Hot Zone45:00 Negotiating the Fee55:25 Essential Gear and Final Preparations1:10:15 Hot Zone Dangers and Tactics1:20:30 Meeting Delver Dan1:32:45 Closing Remarks https://youtu.be/xcTkELmfAV0 Show Notes The story resumes with the edgerunners facing increased bounties on their heads, with Atlas having a 3,500 EB bounty and other members like APT, Angry Bob, and Omen at 2,000 EB each. The team uncovers that the bounties are backed by the Brain Bank, a startup front for various corporations, and are specifically ordered by Zetatech agent Isabel "Izzy" Cordaro, who seeking revenge against Atlas. During their downtime, the characters pursue various personal endeavors: Omen participates in rocket blade tournaments, Angry Bob reports on race corruption, and Atlas contemplates his violent past while helping at the Holy Angels Church. The group is eventually hired for a new mission by APT's fixer, Priest. That mission? To infiltrate the Elysium Aeronautics research facility and reboot an ancient server in its rad-shielded basement. The group meticulously prepares for the mission, gathering information about the Hot Zone . They learn about the dangers from Falco, a seasoned delver, and the desperation of those living in the radiation-scarred city center from Roof Diver, a member of 6th Street. They decide on essential gear, including iodine tablets, air filters, and possibly radiation suits, while negotiating their fee to reflect the mission's high risks, landing a payday of 40,000 EB. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

In this thrilling episode of Campaigns and Coffee, David and Ken delve into Ken's epic Elemental Apocalypse D&D campaign. The heroes are on a quest to reunite a fallen angel with its lost sun sword amidst a world torn apart by elemental forces. Ken shares his creative process, discussing map-making with Incarnate, integrating skill challenges inspired by Blades in the Dark, and setting up an adventure filled with moral dilemmas and high-stakes encounters, including a confrontation with a shadow black dragon. The episode is a captivating blend of strategy, storytelling, and the adventurous spirit of Greyhawk. 0:00 Intro1:20 Campaign Overview1:45 Hunting a Fallen Angel3:13 Using Incarnate for Maps5:00 Skill Challenges and Gameplay7:25 Upcoming Dragon Encounter10:00 Game Mechanics and Liberation Dice12:30 Q&A: Mind-Controlling Dragons19:00 Moral Dilemmas in Greyhawk20:09 Closing Remarks https://youtu.be/7IStOTYExqc

Mind the crates; we’re still unpacking Season 4 of the podcast! On this episode, Ken talks about playing Monster of the Week mysteries, David flips through his Dreams and Machines rule books, and we delve into our respective reading lists. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:20 Ken’s New Lunchtime Game: Monster of the Week 1:41 David Discusses 'Dreams and Machines' 3:01 Book Discussions and Recommendations 6:43 Strategies for Managing Multiple GMs 8:10 What’s on Their Reading List? 13:06 Alien Novels and Cyberpunk Gaming Insights 19:17 Diving Deep into Cyberpunk 2077 22:29 Insights from Sci-fi Novel Writing Class 27:31 Closing Remarks and Goodbye https://youtu.be/UK-oQul-uJ4 Show Notes Game - Monster of the Week Ken's lunchtime gaming group is racking down horrors in a small New England town Monster of the Week website Game: Dreams and Machines David played several learning games Got the full game and have been reading through it Rules seem pretty solid, I’m not having the same issues with them that I did the Starter Set Unfortunately, some issues with editing/misprints Errata should be coming out soon (or now) according to the Modiphius Discord Game - Dungeons & Dragons Ken's Elemental Apocalypse continues with two apocalypses for the price of one! Alternating game masters and characters as we switch between regions. Makes it easier to tag in another game master when one of us is busy. Dungeons & Dragons website Books: Eric Carter series by Stephen Blackmoore Eric Carter is a necromancer who comes back to his hometown of LA and things go sideways from there. Similar to the Dresden Files in feeling, but has a higher body count Burned through a ton of them, waiting on the next book. Eric Carter series website Book - Alien: The Cold Forge by Allen White A secret corporate space station is experimenting on Xenomorphs in the darkest depths of space, nearby a star could incinerate them in a moment. What could go wrong? Ken's reading this one. Alien: The Cold Forge website Book: The Three Body Problem by Chixin Liu translated by Ken Liu Feels a lot like 1960’s and 70’s sci-fi Interesting concepts and a window into a culture most of us have never really seen It's a heavy read. David's looking for a lighter fare in next next book to compensate. Netflix trailer: The Three Body Problem Video game: Spider-man 2 (PS5) Ken returned to New York City with two Spider-men: Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Despite being the third time slinging around New York City, it doesn’t feel old. Spider-man 2 website Writing class David’s second writing class in sci-fi novel writing. Lots of techniques for brainstorming plot and world-building that David is going to see about adapting to tabletop gaming Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

Our cozy, Saturday morning show continues with a discussion of cyberpunk, but different from our usual cyberpunk. Instead of the dystopian future of R. Talsorian's Cyberpunk RED, hosts David, Ken, and Chris talk about Chris's homegrown, Cleveland-based, cyberpunk campaign which uses the Cities without Number rule set. We explore the challenges of learning different systems within the cyberpunk genre and share techniques for learning a new system and setting. We also discuss the importance of designing sessions to road test new mechanics and balancing rules with fun. Chapters 0:00 Intro: Cyberpunk, But Different 1:40 Meet "Cities Without Number" 4:20 Challenges of learning new RPG systems 7:00 Adapting personal experiences into game settings 10:30 Strategies for engaging with game mechanics 13:00 Community Q&A: Integrating hobbies into a dark persona 17:45 Closing thoughts and outro https://youtu.be/5smOxStFztM Show Notes Introduction to the Episode Main Topic: Exploring new tabletop RPG systems and integrating personal experiences into game settings. Chris's Journey into Cities Without Number Transition from familiar cyberpunk settings to OSR (Old School Revival/Renaissance). Development of "Terminal City," inspired by Cleveland. Utilizing random tables from 'Cities Without Number' to enhance game creativity. Deep Dive into Learning New Systems Discussion on adapting to different rule sets within known genres. Strategies for mastering new systems: Immersive playtesting Collaborative learning with rule-savvy players Integrating personal narratives and local elements into game worlds. Challenges and Solutions in RPG Adaptations Balancing rule complexity with game play fluidity. Leveraging player strengths to complement game play dynamics. Anecdotes from running various systems including Cyberpunk Red and Savage Worlds. Community Engagement Opening the floor to listeners for tips and experiences in adapting to new RPG systems. Addressing listener questions on incorporating side hobbies into a "dark persona" with humor and creativity. Closing Remarks Recap of key insights on adapting to new RPG systems and creating rich, personalized game worlds. Invitation for further discussion and listener engagement in future episodes. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitch

Season 4 kicks off with this episode as we experiment with a new format and geek out about everything from death rays to Dragonbane. We rundown the role-playing games we hope to play this season, review the games we delved into during the hiatus, and geek out about technology in our campaigns. Chapters 0:00 - Intro and Overview of Season 41:28 - Unveiling the New Format3:45 - Tech Talk: Gadgets and Geomorphs10:26 - The Board Game Bonanza Begins17:06 - Deep Dive into Dragonbane22:00 - Exploring Tech Tools for Tabletops27:00 - What's Next: Upcoming Games and Gadgets31:13 - Viewer Interactions and Requests38:04 - Post-Apocalyptic Game Picks43:25 - Wrapping Up and What to Expect Next https://youtu.be/eoPtrnBmPbM Show Notes Welcome to Season 4 Playing with the Format Different kinds of episodes, with content released as a podcast and on YouTube. Main Show (30-40 minutes, the main topic comes first, then the banter) Campaigns and Coffee (20 minutes, random topics) Interviews (20-30 minutes) Shorts (1-5 minutes - Mirror Universe Advice!) Actual Play (2 hours) Demos / Walkthroughs / Unboxing (5-20 minutes) Role-playing Games in Season 4 Continuing with Cyberpunk RED. Where did we leave off again? Dreams and Machines Dragonbane? Mutant Crawl Classics? Mothership? What do you want to see us play? Obligatory Banter Technology Annex Ken’s new iPad Pro He’s using it to map the next Cyberpunk RED adventure The Apple Pen helps with this. So do Traveller GeoMorphs! And ProCreate! And Continuity And Astropad Slate (turns your iPad into a drawing tablet) When not making apps, Ken is reading comics in Marvel Unlimited, in a desperate attempt to get caught up on his X-Men reading And he protected it with a case: ESR for iPad Pro 11 Inch Case David is using Obsidian heavily for game design and the Dreams and Machines' game He's trying to limit the amount of plugins he is using or he won't get anything done Ken’s been using Zettler, but it’s clunkier. The Game Room Seems like we need to upgrade this place. Maybe “The Polyhedral Cathedral”? Dragonbane RPG Ken continues to reconnect with his Swedish roots. Dragonbane is a translation of Drakar och Demoner, Scandinavia’s first and biggest tabletop RPG, originally launched in 1982. Wouldn’t it be cool to get a Swedish gamer on to talk about the original game? David made a character. David picked up a lot of game related things at the end of the year Microscope So You Want to Be a Game Master Mutant Year Zero: Ad Astra Bangarang and the Gutterlands Youtube: Bill Making Stuff Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 David’s been using the new version for Dreams and Machines Outro Thanks for attending our latest minion and future overlord training. Thanks for coming! If you were sitting near the old death ray, head over to dice.camp and follow us @lairofsecrets. We've got all you need for those Hyperion gamma burns.

Fallout - the post-apocalyptic game set in an alternate, atomic-powered reality - kicks off our new Campaigns & Coffee short-format podcast. We talk about the new streaming series on Amazon Prime, the video games that inspired it, and the session zero for our upcoming Fallout RPG campaign. To start things off, we look at how the gore-filled kill shots of Fallout 4 and the deep story lore of the video games manifest in the streaming series. While avoiding spoilers, we get into what we loved about the new series, including its use of gore for shock value and it's enjoyable storytelling. As mutant hounds howled in the background (no doubt drawn by our semi-maniacal laughter), we transition to talking about Modiphius' Fallout role-playing game. Using review copies provided by Modiphius, we look at the game's mechanics, the joy of character creation, and how to balance the grit and humor that defines Fallout game play. We get into the specifics of the Fallout 2d20 system, like the use of S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats, perks, and the dice mechanics that make the Fallout RPG a faithful translation of the video game experience into a tabletop format. Check out our Fallout 2d20 Campaign & RPG Resources Chapters 0:00 - Intro: Diving Into Fallout's Universe 1:10 - Fallout TV Show Review and Impressions 3:38 - Transition to Fallout RPG Gameplay 7:58 - Deep Dive into RPG Mechanics and Character Creation 14:58 - GM Techniques and Gameplay Strategy 19:48 - Insights and Challenges from Session Zero 24:43 - Building a Formidable and Sustainable Empire 29:12 - Outro Listen to the Episode Watch the Episode Watch the Gore and Lore in Fallout - Campaigns & Coffee on YouTube. Show Notes Fallout TV Show Discussion General impressions and impact on desire to engage with the game Comparison of violence and gore levels between the TV show, Fallout 4, and other media How the TV show balances violence with storytelling Transition to Fallout RPG Motivations for playing the RPG based on the TV show depiction Initial reactions and comparisons to video game elements RPG Mechanics Deep Dive Detailed exploration of character creation Discussion on RPG stats and perks Adjusting from video game mechanics to tabletop RPG mechanics Game Mastering Techniques Strategies for introducing combat and maintaining game pacing Use of radroaches as beginner adversaries Character Building and Session Insights Experiences from the group's session zero Challenges faced and lessons learned during character creation and early game play Looking Ahead Introduction of new characters and potential plot developments Overlord Strategy Discussion Considerations for building a formidable and sustainable empire in the game world

Our Cyberpunk RED Recap episode looks at the first season of our actual play campaign. We talk about our favorite moments, how the characters grew, reversals we didn't see coming (or did, and loved anyway) and more. Need to know who’s who? Check out the Cyberpunk RED campaign page. Looking for answers to your Cyberpunk RED questions? Visit our FAQ page. Want ways to pump up the role of your Media character in the game? Learn how to create a screamsheet. How about maps, character generators, plot generators, and more? Visit our Cyberpunk RED Resources page. https://youtu.be/wiE--P4FKzY

Join us for a lookback at our Savage Worlds-powered actual play campaign, Sundered Horizons! In this podcast retrospective, the crew discusses the three episode arc and asks one of the most important questions you can ask in a campaign: should we continue or try something else? Sundered Horizons was our first "Side Passage" adventure - the game we'd play when we couldn't get the full crew together for Cyberpunk RED. Need to know who's who? Check out the Sundered Horizons Campaign Page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RsQqwFLhcY Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch

The edgerunners finished their latest big gig, securing black box tech for the Maker Enclave and surviving an encounter with a Zetatech "negotiation response team". With the run complete, they're looking for some much needed downtime. In Chapter 5 of our Cyberpunk RED actual play podcast, we try out the games downtime rules, which allow players to rest, recover, and earn a few Eurobucks when they're not gunning for trouble. Meanwhile, we introduce the city-wide Rocketblade competition, which the nomad Omen is eager to participate in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMgaQHK_B48 Watch us play! Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for Chapter 5, generated using Adobe’s Firefly software.

Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign continues with Chapter 4: Aftershocks. In our last chapter, the edgerunners cracked open the Titan 1X prototype self-driving tractor trailer and secured the Zetatech blackbox that the Maker Enclave hired them to acquire. As they moved the black box to their vehicle, they caught site of a Zetatech-branded AeroCop air vehicle inbound. The armored attack craft landed, and its leader Isabela "Izzy" Cordero explained they'd tracked the payload here specifically to make the edgerunners a deal: 10,000 EBs upfront to spy on the Maker. The edgerunners rejected the deal, and a firefight broke out. Through grit, luck, and a lot of bullets, the edgerunners made it away. Atlas took a critical wound after being shot, but survived. Many of the Zetatech operatives went down, but Izzy survived ... and swore vengeance. The team is now preparing to meet with Omen's Nomad cousins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgbCSPe5OG8 Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for Chapter 4, generated using Adobe's Firefly software.

At Gen Con 2023 we interviewed Aaron Shanks, director of marketing for Paizo. We discussed Rage of the Elements, their latest Pathfinder 2nd Edition release and as well as their plans for the new Starfinder 2nd Edition. We also delve into Paizo’s approach to world-building, with system-wide events that progress the story in both games and touch on ORC, the new open gaming license spearheaded by the company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asZ1_Uu_iPA Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art from Rage of Fury, a source book for Paizo's Pathfinder 2nd Edition tabletop role-playing game. Credit: Paizo.

Chapter 2 of our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign ended with the edgerunners staring down the guns of a rapidly approaching Zetatech Aerocop. They had just seized the company's black box tractor tech from an experimental, self-driving tractor trailer at the "Iron Oasis" scrapyard outside of Night City. In order to get away with the loot, they'll have to deal with Zetatech ... either with words, or with guns. Much to the edgerunners surprise, the corpos were there to talk. Unfortunately for everyone, Atlas - the group's solo - spoke best with rocket launchers... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS4XZW6rtTw Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for Chapter 3, generated using Adobe's Firefly software.

At Gen Con 2023 we interviewed Tomas Härenstam, one of the co-founders of Free League Publishing. The company won big at the 2023 Ennies game awards, taking home seven Gold Ennies for everything from Best Cartography for the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set to Product of the Year for Vaesen RPG: Mythic Britain & Ireland. We talk about those wins, as well as: Vaesen, the “cozy horror” RPG of the Nordic lore The ALIEN source book Building Better Worlds The One Ring’s Moria: Through the Doors of Durin expansion Bladerunner’s cyberpunk noir We also discuss Dragonbane, the English version of the long-running Swedish role-playing and ask the question … what’s with the ducks fighting monsters? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmUlpo6wd0w Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta One of the famous (notorious?) ducks from Dragonbane. Credit: Free League Publishing.

In this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we’re talking about generative AI as a tool in gaming! We’re looking at how the overhyped tech can assist game masters and players alike. We provide real-game examples of using ChatGPT prompts both during prep and in game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGCQGdfwCeA Main topic: ChatGPT and Generative AI in RPG Prep What do we mean when we talk about AI? Limit to Generative AI (large language models, image generation, etc) How does it work? Kyle Hill explains Generative AI in Gaming Explanation of the role of AI in gaming history, and how generative AI models have changed the game. (This is for video games, however, tools for TTRPGs can be extrapolated) Generative AI systems have been utilized in games like Dwarf Fortress and Deep Rock Galactic for procedural level and environment generation Ubisoft's Ghostwriter AI assists scriptwriters in creating varied and engaging NPC dialogues, freeing their time for other core plot elements​​. Generative AI systems are increasingly used in the gaming industry, including in voice synthesis and text-to-speech, but human creativity and judgment remain crucial in the development process​ Benefits of using Generative AI in RPGs Benefits of Using Generative AI in RPGs Enhancing creativity: AI can generate content that is unexpected, creating a sense of novelty and exploration. Reducing game master workload: AI can automate aspects of game management, such as NPC interactions and world generation. NPC Dialogue Generation Example Prompt: "Generate a dialogue for a suspicious tavern owner when players ask about the local rumors." Plot Development Example Prompt: "The players have just found a mysterious artifact in an ancient temple. What could be the implications or potential story arcs?" World Building Example Prompt: "Describe a bustling market in a futuristic cyberpunk city." NPC Character Creation Example Prompt: "Create a character profile for a rogue elf with a mysterious past." Scenario Planning Example Prompt: "What kind of challenges or obstacles could the players encounter while navigating through a haunted forest?" Campaign Backstory Creation Example Prompt: "Provide a backstory for a campaign set in a world where magic is considered a crime." Creating Unique Items or Spells Example Prompt: "Create a unique magical item for a level 10 wizard." Generating Puzzles or Riddles Example Prompt: "Generate a riddle that the players must solve to unlock a hidden door in a crypt." Rules Clarification Example Prompt: "What are the rules for casting a spell using a bonus action in D&D 5e?" Improvisation Assistance Example Prompt: "The players have taken an unexpected turn and decided to ally with the villain. How could this affect the storyline?" Personalization: AI can adapt the game to individual players' styles and preferences. Accessibility: AI can make RPGs more accessible for those who might not have a human game master or a group to play with. (Solo RPG enhancement) Examples of using ChatGPT in Role-Playing Game Prep Examples of things we have done Chris’s Dresden Game Individual plot paths for players Enhanced search and extrapolation as fodder Riddles and poems Mashups Rules crunching NO MATH David’s steampunk game One shot game Starting with a description of the setting Helped with the title of the setting Created character stats for the player characters Not perfect, but good enough for a one shot Worked with creating character descriptions Used those descriptions to create character portraits in Midjourney Names - overkill for a name generator Descriptions of locations Helped with different plot ideas Ken’s Elemental Apocalypse game Brainstorming fire-themed character ideas for an evil adventuring party. When the players decided to find a safe place to hide/recover after a big combat, Ken used ChatGPT to quickly brainstorm a hidden cave protected by a sentient, knowledge-obsessed waterfall. Ken’s Cyberpunk RED game Create a screamsheet for Cyberpunk RED that includes 5 stories of less than 50 words each. Include the day's lottery numbers and three day forecast for Night City. Challenges with AI and RPGs Challenges and Limitations of Generative AI in RPGs Unpredictability: AI-generated content can sometimes be nonsensical or inappropriate. Lack of understanding and empathy: AI doesn't truly understand human emotions or the context beyond the data it was trained on. Arbitrary (and sometimes transient) limitations. In one thread, ChatGPT said it wasn’t allowed to roll dice. In another, it would not generate 10 insults for tieflings (because it has to respect people regardless of background) … but would happily generate 10 insults for elves. Potential to overtake human roles: Discussion on the fear of AI replacing human game masters. Ethical considerations: Who is responsible when an AI creates inapp

Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign continues with Chapter 2: Iron Oasis! Technical issues with recording this podcast that caused the video to glitch and the audio to get messed up near the end. We're releasing a summary of this episode so future episodes make sense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKb_0fHMTX4 Previously ... on Cyberpunk RED The edgerunners were hired by the Maker Enclave, a group of throwback techheads that aggressively void warranties, to acquire some new black box tech from Zetatech. The corporation's farming subsidiary developed the next iteration of its farm tractors which - of course - have no user serviceable parts and software that can't be modified by the end user. The Makers are looking to crack the software and liberate a few Southern California farms from Zetatech's technological yolk. The edgerunners learned the black box containing the new tractor controller was being shipped to test bed farms in Southern California via Stormhold Transport's new self-driving cargo rig. Rather than try and steal the black box from the Zetatech warehouse, they decided to hit the rig ... with a little help from the extended family of Omen - the crew's Nomad (and an agreement with the Nomads to turn the rig over to them once the edgerunners had the black box). Mission Brief: Iron Oasis With the crew set on hijacking the Stormhold truck, they did additional research into the prototype. They determined it was a Titan 1X, an autonomous vehicle with an onboard AI and self-contained network that controlled its myriad features: Propulsion: Hybrid motive power: electric for the city, CHOOH2-based engine for overland driving. Cargo Bay: A modular bay capable of different configurations depending on the job's needs. Weapons: The Titan's carries two mini air drones for scouting and to repel attackers. Onboard Architecture: The onboard control system is a nine level net architecture. Access to the network's data port is protected by a locked external service node. Research completed, the edgerunners used old satellite maps to identify where they should try and take down the transport. They decided on the "Iron Oasis", a privately owned junkyard located at the junction of a junction of State Route 101 and County Road 13 a 25 south of Night City. Across the road from the Oasis was the Mirage Fuel Stop, a CHOOH2 refuel station. Before traveling they debated specific strategies for dealing with the Titan 1X, settling on two options: Using a "Roadrunner" approach to trick the truck AI into driving down a fake road Setting up some sort of a roadblock to force the truck to stop. They also secured a number of magnetic harpoons so they could attempt to board the truck while it was moving. Atlas, the team Solo who was always looking for a something packing a bigger punch, secured a rocket launcher. "Just in case," he said, admiring the weapon as they walked out of his weapon dealer's shop in Night City. Heading to the Iron Oasis With gear secured, the edgerunners picked up their road car from Omen's extended Nomad family and sped out to the Iron Oasis, intent getting there before the self-driving truck. Once there, they spoke with Remy "Rusty" Navarro, owner of the Oasis, and his right-hand operator, "Lockjaw" Lucy Harper. The edgerunners offered 400 Eurobucks - and an agreement to introduce them to Omen's Nomad family - if the two of them would leave them the keys to the facility for a few hours. They also spoke with Matt Rameriz and his wife Samantha, owners of the Mirage Fuel Stop located opposite the junkyard. For 100 eurobucks, the couple agreed to take that weekend getaway to Night City they always talked about. They locked up the shop, then headed out. The Ambush With the non-combatants dealt with, the edgerunners got to work. They used they strategically placed wrecked vehicles on the road to force the transport rig to slow down ... and to move closer to the junkyard. From that position, the rig would be within range of the massive crane - complete with massive electromagnet - that the facility used to maneuver scrap in and out of the yard. APT hacked the crane's controls and prepared to go fishing for transports. Meanwhile, Omen and Angry Bob - in the Nomad vehicle - prepared to chase the transport rig. Atlas took to the high ground of the fuel station roof, making sure that his assault rifle and rocket launcher were within easy reach. The plan went off beautifully: the rig appeared, thundering down State Route 101, then slowing as it approached the blockade of wrecked cars. As the onboard artificial intelligence tried to navigate the obstacle, APT snagged the machine with the electromagnet and hoisted it partially off the ground. The crew then moved to secure the Stormhold transport, with Omen jumping into the truck's empty cab while APT deftly bypassed the security on the rig's ne

Chris Birch, co-founder of Modiphius Entertainment, joins us to talk about his company's upcoming slate of games including the hopepunk scifi game Dreams and Machines and the Roman Empire-era Cohors Cthulhu (a prequel to their popular Achtung Cthulhu! role-playing game). We also discuss Modiphius' Via Modiphius and other programs to foster and promote upcoming RPG designers. Want to learn more about Dreams and Machines? Check out our unboxing of the new starter set. This Modiphius interview took place at GenCon 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syQpgFGRcb0&t=10s Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for the Dreams and Machines Starter Boxed Set. Credit: Modiphius.

GenCon 2023 - the mega game convention in Indianapolis, Indiana - is the focus of this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast. During the show we rundown our impressions of GenCon (David was there in 2022; Ken hadn't been back since 2014) and talk about all the cool RPGs we bought and played at the convention.Included in our wrap up: Marvel Multiverse RPG, Trail of Cthulhu, Mutant Crawl Classics, Dungeons & Dragons (because, of course), Cyberpunk RED, Pathfinder, Solo RPGs, Star Trek Adventures, Hero System, and dice. So many dice... You can also listen to our GenCon 2023 interviews! S3E22 Gen Con 2023 – Modiphius Interview S3E25 Gen Con 2023 – Free League Interview S3E27 Gen Con 2023 – Paizo Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niDTOofZ-sg&list=PLY5SrwsZEIB_0TPD3bc6uvGPR6Mq5UTHv Main Topic: GenCon 2023 Impressions of GenCon It’s huge. 70,000 attendees. Tickets sold by game (Source: En World) Dungeons & Dragons (all flavors) was huge, with 10K+ tickets sold. But a lot of other games ran as well. The New Stuff We Played Marvel Multiverse RPG Mutant Crawl Classics … and it wasn’t even a funnel! We also lived! Trail of Cthulhu Messed up, time-splintered family dealing with an extradimensional incursion. Dresden’s Irregulars with the Hero System (Infinite Imaginations) The Stuff We Bought Ken Marvel Multiverse RPG Danger Gal Dossier (Cyberpunk RED) Pathfinder: Rage of Elements Star Trek Adventures: Captain’s Log Solo RPG Solo Game Master’s Guide Dice! David Was good this year and only influenced Ken to buy things. Dreams and Machines by Modiphius Marvel Multiverse RPG David gave Ken his Space Hulk game with the Deathwing expansion Have fun in those narrow corridors! The People We Talked To Modiphius (Dreams and Machines, Cohors Cthulhu) Free League (Alien, Dragonbane, The One Ring, Bladerunner) Evil Genius Games (Everyday Heroes - Pacific Rim, Rambo, Kong: Skull Island) Paizo (Pathfinder, Starfinder 2.0, ORC) Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch

When schedules don't align or when real-life intervenes in our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign, we venture down a Side Passage! On this episode, we feature the kick off of a second actual play campaign with David Moore's dimension hopping, steampunk-powered Sundered Horizons: Navigating the Nexus. It's powered by Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE). In the first chapter, "The Most Expensive Adventure", our heroes are drawn together for the gala debut of a device capable of opening portals to distant worlds. Visit our campaign page to learn more about Sundered Horizons and its cast of characters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrS_ksDpb2U Featured Image Meta Cover art for the Savage Worlds Adventure Deck. Credit: Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch

On this episode, we answer the question "what is Savage Worlds"? We review the basics of Savage World's "fast, furious, and fun" rules including character creation, hindrances, and feats. We delve into how to use the core book and the various supplements to build your own campaign world. Overlord Emeritus Chris Miller, who built his own takes on Savage Dresden Files and Savage Amber, joins us for the show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEWp_3vjSpE Main Topic What is Savage Worlds? Game overview Initiative Wild Cards and minions Exploding dice & multiple successes Bennies Edges Hindrances How do you do magic? Powers? What sort of options for different magic systems can we do? How do you run a campaign? Setting Rules Savage World Adventure Edition p. 136 How to get your players to spend bennies? What is a bennie? Settings we’ve played with Savage Amber Savage Dresden Savage Ringworld Savage Weird Pulp Savage Stargate Realms of Cthulhu The Day After Ragnarok Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for the Adventure Edition. Credit: Pinnacle Entertainment Group.

Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign kicks off with Chapter 1: Made to Order. The edgerunners are hired by the Makers Enclave to secure some black box tech from the Zetatech. The target - a sealed box approximately 1' x 1' x 2' - is part of a new line of self-directed farming equipment. It's being held in a Zetatech warehouse in Night City's Heywood Industrial Zone district awaiting shipment by a third party, Stormhold Shipping. The destination is a corporate test bed farm in Southern California, outside of Los Angeles. What do the Makers want with it? Well, the Makers aggressively void warranties, and despise corporations like Zetatech that lock consumers into proprietary solutions. So they want to secure the box, crack it open, discover its secrets ... and then share their hacks with the people cursed with using that tech. Cyberpunk RED Chapter 1 Cast of Characters Amelie Penelope Thibault aka APT (Chris) Bram Van Brogan aka Angry Bob (David) Nohea Kaapana aka Omen (Erin) Shay Ken Baker aka Atlas (Josh) Your game master is Ken Newquist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd9H0I-05-M&t=1s Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art for Chapter 1 prev, generated using Adobe's Firefly software.

Summer is here, and that means reading! On this episode, it's all books, all the time as we talk about our Summer Reading Lists for 2023. Need more inspiration? Check out these posts. Overlord Emeritus Chris Miller runs down his Worthy Comic Books for Summer Reading Ken's full Summer 2023 reading list is up on Nuketown. Need even more books? Revisit our 2021 and 2022 reading lists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3EiMVi3oDc The Summer Reading Lists 2023 David’s Picks Terry Pratchett Small Gods Moving Pictures Jingo Discworld Reading Guide The Gods of HP Lovecraft Collection of short stories by modern authors, without all of the racism in it Legends II Another short story collection David's not sure of the overall theme/world, but understands it’s another shared setting Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Pretty heavy, David's wanted to read it for a while so he is taking this opportunity to put it on the pile Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke The Library Connection David hasn’t lost access to the library and it’s apps, so he expects this list to swell Ken’s Picks Ken launched his 16th annual reading list Dragons of Deceit by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman A return to Dragonlance after more years away then Ken can easily remember. Destina Rosethorn seeks to travel back through time to save her father, who died in the War of the Lance. Star Wars: Lesser Evil (Thrawn Ascendency, Book 3) by Timothy Zahn The final book of the second Thrawn prequel series. Yes, this was on Ken’s list last year. Yes, he didn’t read it. Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty A murder mystery on a sentient space station. Released in October 2022, so it wasn’t on last year’s reading list. The next book in the series, Chaos Terminal, drops in November 2023. Dead Moon (Threshold Universe, Book 3) by Peter Cline LOST meets Lovecraft meets weird science. Began with “14”, in which people living in an apartment building discover something very strange is going on in their basement. Continued with The Fold, which involved visiting another realm … and dealing with the consequences of those visits Implacable (The Lost Fleet: Outlands Book 3) by Jack Campbell Admiral John “Black Jack” Geary has taken his fleet beyond the frontier and is battling the dangerous and cryptic Enigma aliens. If only he wasn’t also fighting Alliance politicians back home, who are concerned he’ll use his immense popularity to seize control of the government Graphic Novels Hellboy: The Bones of Giants Need some new horror graphic novels. Open to suggestions - Ken’s read most of the Hellboy and BPRD books. Atomic Robo? Transmetropolitan? Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch

In this podcast episode, we look at Oracles for role-playing games. Oracles are a kind of random generator popularized by solo RPGs like Ironsworn and the Mythic Game Master Simulator. However the idea of oracles - in which you role some dice to determine a course of action or inspire some aspect of your game - have been around since the hobby's earliest days. We talk about those early inspirations, how you can leverage oracles in your own game, and how to create your own campaign-specific random tables. We're joined on this podcast by Chris Miller, Former Overlord of the Secret Lair, coding guru, and man least likely to be eaten by a grue. Before talking Oracles, we discuss the various video and role-playing games we're playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1CIucTeW1k The Game Room Back to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out. Ken’s still catching up on the last one. Starting Shadows of Doubt Created by British developer Colepowered Games Savage Amber and Savage Dresden Chris created Savage Worlds versions of Amber and the Dresden Files. Not licensed; these are fan creations for your geeky enjoyment Godsend Agenda 3rd edition David got his copy of Godsend Agenda 3rd Edition It's not your typical mythology. Learn more by checking out S2E7 Godsend Agenda Guardians of the Galaxy video game David finished the game ... and enjoyed it quite a lot. The Library Cory Doctorow Novel-o-Rama Chris talks about his recent Doctorow readings. Main Topic: Oracles for Role-Playing Games What is an Oracle? “In Ironsworn, an oracle is anything which generates random results to help determine the outcome of a move, a detail in your world, and NPC action, or a narrative event.” - Ironsworn, p. 165. Dictionary.com: “(especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry, also the agency or medium giving such responses.” In this case, the agent is the dice, and the deity is … well…you decide. Let’s call it Fate. The use of an oracle implies predestination, something is “supposed” to happen. Interesting, then, that consulting an oracle in RPGs is exactly the opposite, a specific decision of “random” chance so that the player need not decide. Oracles in Different Game Types Why use Oracles? Drawing inspiration from randomness Oracles in Solo games Solves for the blank page problem. Gives a channel for creativity to flow into. “Your ship has a critical issue,” causes the creative mind to try to solve the issue, or at least define it. Game specific mechanisms Thousand Year Vampire - using playing cards and dice Be Like a Crow - playing cards Ironsworn - all dice Converted games, MythicRPG, OracleRPG - oracles, tech tools, AI Oracles in Co-op games Oracles in Traditional, Game Master-driven games You cannot plan everything Two ways to use in GM games Spur of the moment in game - implied common usage Supplement planning, even wandering monsters. - This gives the GM’s brain a break, since wandering and random encounters are a staple of some games’ module writing. Specifics Oldest oracle we could find: D&D White Box Monsters and Treasures DMs screens Player-generated Tables! So many! The internet is amazing! Random Generators Random Tools we Have Known Dungeons & Dragons Monster & Treasure Assortment Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide Specifically, the random dungeon generator in the first edition There have been oracles for D&D as long as there has been an internet. See textfiles.com/rpg/ Many online resources Donjon Perchance - create your own oracles Katans and Trenchcoats - old school World of Darkness Creating an Oracle How to create your own oracles and not feel like you are cheating/lazy ChaptGPT is helpful, but terrible at math Understanding the Bell Curve and Probability – a deep rabbit hole indeed Straight numbers lead to very random things More dice can mean more of a theme Oracles that remember Weather Oracles Wilderness Survival Guide. pp. 108-109 Winging it Other Ideas Bluebooking and Oracles Combining oracles from different games Oracle Resources Resources Oracle RPG Solo DM Guide Part 3 – ChatGPT As Assistant AI Dungeon Master Reddit: Some people prefer other tools for solo roleplaying over traditional oracles Augmented Reality: The Holistic City Kit for cyberpunk games Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast we look at using different media in your role-playing game sessions. This includes tools like thematic artwork, background music, in-game fiction, and even props. We also look at the new Sentinels of Earth-Prime digital card game by Handelebra (based on the print game by Greater than Games), venture into the library to check out Warren Ellis' Transmetropolitan comic series, and offer our initial thoughts on the Cyberpunk RED role-playing game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK_1-BrpoFQ The Arcade Sentinels of Earth-Prime (iOS, Android, Steam) By the developers of Sentinels of the Multiverse … but with the heroes of Green Ronin’s Freedom City! Enemies like: Omega, Hades, Meta-Mind (Grue Mothership), Argo: The Ultimate Android Heroes like: Bowman, Captain Thunder, Doctor Metropolis, Daedalus, Lady Liberty, Siren Greater Than Games (original developers) Handelabra (video game developers) The Library Transmetropolitan comic series Darick Robertson and Warren Ellis Libraries are awesome The Game Room Cyberpunk RED Initial Thoughts It’s crunchy. It’s deadly. Range matters. (really). Netrunning works. And it’s fun! (really). Black Chrome on Roll20? Black Chrome Black Chrome+ Monster of the Week Ken's lunchtime gaming group is gearing up for Monster of the Week. A Powered By the Apocalypse game inspired by shows like Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Main Topic: Using different media in your game Music Playlists Used for background music during game and also a way to get into the game during planning a session Elemental Apocalypse - Spotify Heavily inspired by Willow. Music to do heroic things to. Cyberpunk RED - Spotify There’s a lot of The Matrix and Edgerunners in here. Soundboards Used during the game to give a timely thrill to players and evoke the scene Syrinscape Discord’s new soundboard feature Atmospheric Movie and television soundtracks Music that evokes a particular genre Art Pinterest Cyberpunk RED Arcologies Battle maps for Cyberpunk Red Elemental Apocalypse Battlemaps for Elemental Apocalypse Searching for Concept Art Not super detailed, but leave a lot to the imagination Google Image Search Fiction In game newspaper/newsletter The Constant Sentinel (in-universe blog for Mutants & Masterminds) Screamsheets Screamsheet kit from R. Talsorian Lair of Secrets' Screamsheet collection Fantasy paper talking about news of the world Your party’s exploits are also covered Twisting stories you’ve read and heard into your own game plots The World of Kong: A natural history of Skull Island Props Newspaper articles for Call of Cthulhu Weathering your maps for handouts. Cardboard kid puzzles Spray paint so you’ve wiped out picture, then write the map on it, and break the puzzle appear to give them the pieces. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta A collection of elemental-themed illustrations from Ken's Elemental Apocalypse board on Pinterest.

On this episode, we talking about changing gears - changing game systems, changing genres, changing roles, changing groups - as part of our May 2023 RPG Blog Carnival hosting duties. Before venturing into those tiny, switching passages, all different, we talk about Ken's return to backpacking, discuss new streaming series (Lockwood and Co., Picard, and The Last of Us) and venture back to the Game Room. https://youtu.be/13btIC5zz0k The Outdoors Ken's heading back to the Pine Barrens for an introductory backpacking trip (and working on getting back into backpacking shape) Streaming Theatre Lockwood and Co. Teenaged ghost hunters in an alternate world The Problem started 50 years ago Technology has stagnated - no cell phones, still using VCRs and cassette tapes Star Trek: Picard, Season 3 A true send off for the Next Generation crew. The Last Of Us Really, really good zombie show (even if you never played the game). Game Room David ran a game for his younger nephews Pinball FX3 Ken got this pinball simulator for Switch Includes classics (Indiana Jones, Creature from the Black Lagoon) and originals (ALIENS). Great to revisit these old friends. The Cruise Ship Who knew we had one of those? Erin and David went on the JoCo Cruise! David turned a passel of pens New game: Psi*Run Main Topic: Changing Gears We're hosting the RPG Blog Carnival for May 2023! The topic is "Changing Gears" Switching systems Examples: Dungeons & Dragons to Scum and Villainy Scum & Villainy to Cyberpunk RED What helps? Read reviews Read introductory blog posts Actual play videos/podcasts Playtesting the rules Play the game at a convention Switching genres Examples: Fantasy (D&D Greyhawk) to Science Fiction (Star Wars) Traditional Fantasy to Apocalyptic over-the-top Fantasy Science Fantasy to Cyberpunk Preparing Your Players Brainstorm the fiction inspiration (movies, TV, music, books, comic books) Make sure you’ve agreed on what the genre means … and discuss if there’s anything problematic that you want to avoid. Preparing Yourself Read! Watch movies! Find random tables / oracles for inspiration Switching roles Game master to player Switching gaming groups Look for gamers at conventions Look for gamers at your local game shop Game nights at Barnes & Noble Looking for Group on Discord Servers for Your Games Invite gamers out for a beer/soda/etc. to talk philosophy, gaming interests, etc. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Black and white picture of mainly the chain and gears of a bike. Credit: 5 Cent Dollar. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Thumbnail art is from Adobe Firefly, an AI text to image generator.

On this episode of Lair of Secrets, Ken totally doesn't buy a new game he doesn't have time to play, while David fights the good fight against streaming technical difficulties. Our main topic is a look at our favorite card games, including Fluxx, Exploding Kittens, Morels, Race for the Galaxy, and more. Game Room Ironsworn: Starforged Yeah, Ken got it too. He blames David. Getting Started with TaleSpire Building out the maps from Cyberpunk RED Easy Mode. Ken’s documenting as he goes for a post on the Lair. Truly amazing what others have done with the cyberpunk tool kit (we’ll steal some of it). Main Topic: Our Favorite Card Games and Why Fluxx Family friendly card game with a ton of themed sets. Basic set up: Every game starts with a basic rule governing how many cards you can draw and play. Keeper Cards - Represent different objects or concepts (e.g. Sun, Chocolate, Love) Objective Cards - Tell you to win the game (e.g. you could have “Hot Chocolate”, which requires a player to have the “Sun” and “Chocolate” keepers in play at the same time. Rule Cards - Augment or break the basic rule in some way. Change how many cards you draw or play a turn. Set how many Keepers a player Exploding Kittenscan have in front of them. Set a hand limit. Action Cards - Lets you draw additional cards, steal cards from someone else, trade cards, steal keepers, and generally mess with the rules. Sets can be combined for crazy combinations, but will always lead to longer games. Exploding Kittens An elimination-based, mess-with-your friends card game. Basic set up: A number of “exploding kittens” - exact number depends on how many people are playing - are shuffled into a communal deck. Players play a card and draw a card. Other cards include different kinds of kittens; if you get doubles or triples of particular kittens, you can use them to steal cards from someone else. Other action cards let you take a specific card, ask for cards from someone else, or defuse (and then shuffle back into the deck) an exploding kitten. Goal is to be the last person standing. Fun, raucous game. Not great for people who don’t like elimination games. Kids played it at Pax Unplugged. Morels A two-person mushroom gathering card game Basic set-up: There is a forest path which consists of a number of game cards laid out next to each other. Players draw cards, which causes the path to advance. The goal is to collect sets of mushrooms, and then cook them. Bonuses for using butter, cider, and other ingredients in your meals. Always makes us hungry for mushrooms. Race for the Galaxy Build a galactic empire before anyone else. Basic set-up: Game is divided into phases. Which phases happen depend on what kind of cards people play (e.g. develop, colonize, produce/trade, ship). Goal is to build a tableau of 12 cards OR gain the most victory points before everyone else. Tableaus can have themes built around top-level cards (e.g. military themed builds, mining themed builds, terraforming If you enjoy the feel of Mass Effect and space opera in general, you’ll enjoy this game. 6 Nimmt Suggested to David by our former Overlord Johnson Basic set-up Players get a hand of 10 cards, each card has a different point value Each round they must place into one of four columns, each card is placed in the row that ends with the highest number that's below the card's number. If a placement happens to be the sixth card in that row, the owner of that card claims the other five cards, off to the side, and their card becomes the new first card in the row Play continues until all cards in your hand are played Then everyone tallies up their score If no one hits 66 points, then another hand is played. The first person to get to 66 points ends the game and the person with the lowest total score loses. Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch Featured Image Meta Cover art from the Exploding Kittens card game. Credit: Exploding Kittens LLC

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets we venture deep into the Role-Playing Game Vault to uncover a host of games that aren't Dungeons & Dragons. We also talk about the new games we didn't buy, ZineQuest 5, and the launch of the Leon Library Book Club, and The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin. The Neon Library Book Club Announcing The Neon Library, a Cyberpunk book discussion group! Lair of Secrets Discord + Neon Library Book Club https://discord.gg/5DfN2ztDPZ The Library The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin Follow up to the Fifth Season - post apocalyptic setting with a very cool magic mechanic. Much faster read than The Fifth Season. Settled into the 2nd person perspective much more easily, and there are fewer time jumps this time. And the mystery of the Earth and its seasons is being revealed, which has me looking forward to Book 3. The Game Room GoldenEye is out for Switch and Xbox One. Ken didn’t buy it. Yet. Olympus Fluxx is out. David did buy it, but hasn’t played it. Yet The Zine Rack ZineQuest 5 Main Topic: Games other than Dungeons & Dragons We haven’t thrown in our two cents about Wizards of the Coast, the OGL, and Dungeons & Dragons until now because, honestly, it doesn’t really affect us. We don’t just play D&D and we haven’t streamed it. The more we see about it though, the more we would like to help those of you out there for whom D&D is their core game or are looking for something other than DnD. And before we jump in, if you still want to play DnD that’s cool too. It’s a fun game, even if WotC did some pretty bad missteps lately. You aren’t WotC or Hasbro, you are blameless and should enjoy yourselves! If you wantthen playbecausebut bewareHigh action, high-risk gamesSavage WorldsExploding dice mechanic creates unexpected results.Bennies encourage players to take risks. Bad for nuance and subtlety.Collaborative world building with a variety of conflictsFATE (Spirit of the Century, Dresden Files, Fate of Cthulhu)Aspects encourage players and game master to tag the world with descriptors.Lots of dials to make the setting and genre you want.Not great for crunchy, mechanically complex characters.Traditional, fantasy-inspired role-playing with lots of complexityPathfinder, Pathfinder 2E1E is an offshoot of D&D 3rd Edition, and retains its mechanical complexity (with a few streamlining efforts, like combat maneuvers)2E continues the streamlining … but still crunchyComplexity may be too much for players looking for a simpler game. Gonzo fantasy role-playing game inspired by the classics of fantasy literature.Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl ClassicsYou want to roll funky dice.You want to start with 0-level characters, don’t mind a high body count among players, and want magic to be dangerous.May be too brutal for some players.Conflates species with class.Investigation-based, horror-themed game with a straightforward rule setCall of CthulhuYou want to explore the themes of cosmic horror and humanity’s desire to learn things it shouldn’t.You enjoy playing in a variety of modern or near-modern eras (e.g. late 1800s, 1920s, 2000s)Lethal with a high chance of mental incapacitation. No mechanic to ensure the players find all the necessary clues.An investigation game in which players are sure to progress through the mystery.GUMSHOE (Night's Black Agents, The Fall of Delta Green)You want zero chance that the players won’t find the clue that prevents the Great Old One from rising.Prefer traditional mysteries with a chance of failure.Player-centric games focused on world building where the game master adjudicates, but rarely rolls dice.Powered by the Apocalypse (Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Monster of the Week)Players drive the world, build connections amongst themselves, and work with the game master to build out the setting.Character playbooks provide a framework and rules for what each character type can do.Playbooks, with their limited number of moves that players can take, may be off-putting to some gamers.The Game Master’s role requires a major mental shift.Not as crunchy as other systems, but more than FATE.The current hotness, which can either be a plus or minus.You want to play a game without a gamemasterIronsworn, Ironsworn: StarforgedGreat for solo or collaborative play in both fantasy and science fiction genres.There are a lot of moves. We mean a lot of moves.A crew-based, non-linear game that encourages flashbacks and mechanics that incentivize storytelling and risk taking.Forged in the Dark (Blades in the Dark, Scum and Villainy)The games provided a baked in reason for players to be together (e.g. a gang, a crew).Focused on the action, not the hours of planning to get to the action.Not sure how you got here? Do a flashback.Descended from Powered by the ApocalypsePeople who like planning heists/capers/missions may be turned off by these games.The current hotness, which can either be a plus or minus.Stunt-based fantasy adventures.F

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets we talk about pacing your game, including techniques you can use and techniques baked into some of our favorite RPGs. First though, we’re venturing back into the Game Room to catch up on new games and new campaigns. The Game Room Ironsworn: Starforged Evolved from Powered by the Apocalypse games Can be played traditionally, but also has solo and co-op modes Has extras to help you keep track of things in a novel way Tiny Tina’s Wonderland a fun reskin and improvement on the Borderlands franchise (Ken & David) Atari VCS to PC conversion failure It works, but not as well as they say without significant upgrade. New Year, New Campaign Ken's Elemental Apocalypse campaign Answers the question … What If the Temple of Elemental Evil rose … and the heroes couldn’t stop it? Flips the classic Keep on the Borderlands scenario - the heroes are hiding out in the “Caverns of Hope” (as opposed to the Caves of Chaos), while the bad guys control the keep. Inspiration? B/X Blackrazor’s post: The Secret of Keep on the Borderlands, which points out that if you’re in it for the loot … your target should be Kendall Keep The Willow TV series: The next generation rises to deal with an ancient evil .. and kicks ass doing it. Red Dawn: Fight the invaders! Independence Day: The apocalypse happened. Now what? Mechanics PCs start at 3rd level. They’re getting bonus feats (1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th level) and we’re swapping out the Inspiration die for Liberation dice. Liberation dice have the following effects: Re-roll any result Double damage Change a story aspect Ken wants players to take risks - yeah, go ahead, jump off that castle wall while being chased by a dozen elemental goblins. You’ll figure it out on your way down. Main Topic: Pacing Your Game Why should you pace your game? Why does pacing matter? Time-boxed sessions - how to fit the game in the amount of time you have Keeping everyone enthusiastic Reinforcing the game’s themes Types of pacing: Ad Hoc and Organic The Way Games Were Different Levels of Pacing vs. Gamer Skill Cyberpunk RED and pacing - p. 395 Cyberpunk RED uses Beat Charts to script the game and set the pace. Games are broken up into Beats. Each Beat takes about 30 minutes. A typical adventure consists of: Hook Development Cliffhanger Climax Resolution Adventures have only one Hook, Climax, and Resolution. The rest of the adventure is made up of Developments (which move the story along) and Cliffhangers (which provide tension/excitement). Scripting the Game: A Few Good Beats [PDF] Blades in the Dark Clocks help drive tension while providing an indicator to the PCs about how much time/effort they have left. Can be used to track progress toward completing a project, setting off an alarm, or other time-based or resource-based progressions. ALIEN Cinematic vs. Ongoing In their Cinematic scenarios (Chariot of the Gods, Destroyer of Worlds, Heart of Darkness), the action is divided up into Acts. Acts consist of an overall arc, and may conclude with a particular revelation (e.g. character development cards are flipped to reveal how that character deal switch the situation; e.g. Ash’s betrayal in the original Alien). FATE From the Fate Adversary Toolkit “As we talk about adversaries in this book, keep in mind the Fate Fractal: everything is a character (Fate Core, page 270). An adversary is not necessarily a person, monster, or other kind of creature you can punch. Rather, it’s a thing that exists to hinder, challenge, or oppose the players. There are three main types of adversaries: enemies, obstacles, and constraints. Includes a number of spreads showing how to build out adversaries for a FATE campaign, focusing on low-threat challenges that build toward the confrontation with the boss. It’s a conventional storytelling progression, but the focus on obstacles (a bus full of innocents is about to go off a cliff even as the villain is about to get away; a sophisticated AI counter-hacking measure and constraints (e.g. a bomb counting down, a ritual nearing its conclusions) changes things. Everyone should play FATE at least once to change up your view of how the game world can be transformed to engage with the players. Tales from the Loop Something weird happens, something normal happens The Mystery - p. 81 Introducing the Kids – Each Kid gets a scene of her own from Everyday Life, with or without Trouble. Introducing the Mystery – The Kids encounter or discover something that they start to investigate. Solving the Mystery – The Kids visit Locations, discover Clues, and overcome Trouble while at the same time having to manage Everyday Life. This is the core of the Mystery, where most scenes take place. Showdown – The Kids have solved the Mystery, and must now try to stop what’s happening, often in a dramatic scene where everything is at stake. Aftermath – The Mystery has been solved, and even if the Kids are successful, their lives are mostly the same as before. Each Kid gets one s

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets, we take a look at our favorite board games, including Catan, Carcassone, Pandemic, and Space Hulk. We also venture back to the game room to check out the very modern PlayStation 5, the very retro Atari 50 video game museum/collection, and two newer video games: Sexy Brutale and Tick Tock. We also talk #dungeon23, the mega project that's winning 2023. Game Room Ken’s family finally got a PlayStation 5 Currently playing … Cyberpunk 2077, because it was cheap and Ken’s bad at keyboard/mouse inputs in first person shooters. Atari 50 Atari 50 is a virtual museum dedicated to Atari’s various game lines and history. Heavy focus on Atari 2600, but there Lynx and Jaguar are there too. And it has a functional version of Starmaster, a remastered Yar’s Revenge, and a completed version of the legendary vapourware Airworld. Sexy Brutale A groundhog day style murder mystery puzzle game Tick Tock - A tale for two A co-op game that is a little unusual The Kennel Forest, Ken's sixth Seeing Eye puppy, is here. Dungeon Cartography #dungeon23 The challenge is to make one dungeon room a day, one level a month, and at the end of the year you have a megadungeon! We are using the #dungeon23 challenge to map out our Lair We’ll be posting them on lairofsecrets.com We’re bound to get a little lost, so we’ll see how many rooms we actually get to. We’re already behind. Main Topic: Board Games We Love Settlers of Catan The first Eurogame Ken ever played. Great gateway drug to more interesting board games Carcassone Excellent combination of short and long game. Puzzle-like design makes it easy to play with little kids (Ken’s kids “helped” when they were toddlers). Arkham Horror American-style modern board game based on H.P. Lovecraft's works of horror. So … many … fiddly bits. So huge it will threaten your sanity, but that’s part of the fun. Pandemic Awesome collaborative game in which you truly work together to save the world from rampant viruses Hunt-A-Killer mysteries From the website: "Hunt A Killer’s immersive murder mystery games throw you into the center of brutal murders, eerie disappearances, suspicious poisonings, and even supernatural horrors. And it’s up to you to examine the clues, evaluate the suspects, and find the thread that ties the case together." Mystery of the Abbey A modern take the murder-solving mystery game CLUE. Sentinels of the Multiverse A collaborative card game in which each deck represents a hero, a villain, or an environment. Available in a digital version as well. Space Hulk Set in the Warhammer 40K universe. Play as either Space Marines investigating a derelict ship ... or as gene stealers trying to slaughter them. oldie and probably hard to get now, but it was lots of fun Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. We’re also @[email protected] on Mastodon.

The Game Master's Toolbox - a physical tool for organizing your gaming supplies - is the focus of this episode of Radio Active. Before delving into our repurposed Plano boxes though, we explore the St. Louis Science Center and take an extensive detour through the Game Room to talk about the Atari VCS, Portal Companion Edition, gaming at work, and consider the benefits of a gamer journal. We also geek out about the new Willow streaming series on Disney+.

On Episode 8, the holidays of the real world inspire a discussion of bringing holidays and special events to our game worlds. We also talk about geek Christmas trees, Seeing Eye puppies, our continued exploration of cyberpunk, and Netflix's new Wednesday series. The Geek Tree This year, it’s all about Star Wars. The All-Seeing Eye Ken's sixth Seeing Eye puppy is coming. He arrives December 27. We're taking guesses for the name. The Library David really want to read Count Zero, the follow up to Neuromancer and Book 2 in William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy but it’s on hold at the library. The Streaming Theatre Wednesday series on Netflix A fun horror/comedy series that expands the Addams Family. Main topic: Bringing Holidays to RPGs Why? A reason to bring your fantasy community together. Builds out the history (on this day, we remember the heroic sacrifices of X, the founding of y) Gives a way for players to learn about the history of the world without it being a lore dump Provides a dramatic backdrop for the adventure (the heist occurred during the 6th Day of Yuletide) If you are running a West Marches style game, it’s a good excuse to get everyone together and have a good time outside of the game, but with the pretext of the game. World of Greyhawk Holidays Greyhawk’s calendar has four holiday weeks (Brewfest, Growfest, Needfest, Richfest) Various holy days for deities happen throughout the gear Midsummer’s Day, at the mid point of Richfest, is holy to Pelor, a god of sun and healing. The Greyhawk Calendar Book of the Righteous Green Ronin - The Book of the Righteous (5E Hardback) - Green Ronin Online Store It’s not just fantasy… Cyberpunk RED Still have the normal Earth holidays Commemorating days such as the nuclear detonation of Arasaka Tower Marketing events that happen on made-up holidays Secular Holidays The Big Game NASCAR Races Tools we like Campaign Calendar generator Weather Generators + Holidays Greyhawk Forgotten Realms Godchecker An index of 4,000+ deities and spirts Night City weather (PDF) for Cyberpunk RED Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. We’re also @[email protected] on Mastodon. Featured Image Meta Cover art for Green Ronin's Book of Righteousness.

Winter is coming. The holidays are almost here. How do you keep your gaming group going through the long, dark winter (or at least, the holiday break)? In addition to delving into holiday game survival strategies, we talk about David's recent trip and the gaming insights he gained from it, Ken gets lost in TaleSpire for a while, then gets distracted by all the new games he got (Mothership work-in-progress PDFs, CY_BORG in print). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfkGbMgevzk Someplace Else David took a trip Natural disasters as part of your game Never seen hurricanes and their aftermaths as part of a game Virtual Gameroom Ken took a crack at TaleSpire. Myriad yak shaving side-quests as Ken re-learned how to use Windows, downloaded GIMP, figured out how to get TaleSpire to load on the right window. And created a very tiny, but true-to-the-map, rendering. Double the size of the underlying map to account for increased thickness of walls in TaleSpire? The Hall of Distractions Ken got his work-in-progress Mothership PDFs. Player’s Survival Guide Warden’s Operation Manual Gradient Descent (module) Mothership Companion (iOS / Android app) Ken also got his print copy of CY_BORG. It’s layout and design are every bit as bonkers as MORK BORG Ken is trying very hard not to justify reading these some sort of research for Cyberpunk RED. Cyberpunk story in Omni. Main Topic: Keeping Your Gaming Group Going through the Holidays Plan ahead In July, talk about December. Are people available Black Friday? Are people available Christmas week? Are people available on New Year’s Eve? David used to run one shot games on every New Year’s If so … defend that time! Create a plan for including significant others or agree for significant others to do something else. Go asynchronous Instead of gaming, post online. Post Fests to build out the world & campaign setting Plan alternative games Missing a regular or two? Pause the campaign and focus on other games. Invite back old friends who don’t have time for a campaign, but do have time for a one-shot or board game. 'Break out board games, either old favorites (Arkham Horror, Risk 2210) or new games that just showed up under the geek tree. Run a one shot of that game you’ve been dying to play (cough Alien cough) Make it about the group, not the game Have a holiday party. Invite significant others! Breakout the party games! Go to a movie as a group. Have an online game day (video games, board games, whatever). Make the holidays a logical breakpoint For example: New year, new campaign, new dice? New chapter in an existing campaign? New game? You know winter is coming, so prepare for it. Talk about the pace of the campaign throughout the year. Decide what you’re going to do before you get to the holidays. How to restart things if the game did break up Get the group together to hang out, as many of them as you can Have a talk about what people would like to do It’s possible that people want to try something different for a while Do something fun and remind yourself and everyone it’s not about the game itself, it’s about hanging out with your friends Be prepared to have a different group composition, because life does happen Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback!. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta The CY_BORG rulebook under Ken's Christmas tree. Credit: Ken Newquist

As we gear up for our Cyberpunk RED campaign, we take some time to brainstorm ideas for for the game (If only reality didn't keep getting more cyberpunk-ish than cyberpunk). Over in the library, we discuss William Gibson's Count Zero, then venture to the Game Room to talk about Forbidden Lands, CY_BORG, Mothership, and the just announced Edgerunners release for Cyberpunk RED. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn48MlWLG9E Library Count Zero Ken’s reading William Gibson’s second book in The Sprawl Trilogy Never read it, but it continues the feel of Neuromancer (which he just finished) Next up: Mona Lisa Overdrive. Game Room New RPGs Did Ken say he'll stop buying new RPGs until he’s read the ones he has? But how will he support Sweden’s economy if he does that? Forbidden Lands … now in English! A hexcrawl, sandbox fantasy RPG exploring a once-cursed land, still haunted land. Ken got the Swedish version (accidentally) in June as part of a Free League’s sale. English version was back ordered … and arrived in November. CY_BORG The science fiction iteration of MORK BORG. Similar aesthetic, only this time, it’s an apocalyptic cyberpunk book Arrives later in November (already have the PDF … but reading the physical book is more fun. Cyberpunk RED Edgerunners release is coming! Mothership The lightweight horror RPG arrives sometime in Q1 of 2023. For now, Ken's got the WIP versions of two modules: Dead Planet and A Pound of Flesh. Cyberpunk Screamsheets kit and the weird world of cascading style sheets In order to learn the latest in CSS, David worked with Mr. Miller to convert the Screamsheet kit to web form Fan created scream sheets Main Topic: Cyberpunk Brainstorming Matt Colville - handing the players a small list of possible plot arcs they would be interested in Rules for a cyberpunk player Style over substance Attitude is everything Live on the edge Break the rules David’s media character as a possible narrator/documentarian so that he can help plot things with Ken initially Campaign & World Building Ideas Offshore sea stead of Makers trying to forge their own tech in the shadow of resurgent corporations. Corps stealing from Makers? Inspiration Rainbow’s End by Vernor Vinge Unauthorized Bread by Cory Doctorow Brazil Rummage Flotilla - mining plastic from the seas Inspiration the Ocean Cleanup Earth by David Brin Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Waterworld (yes, Waterworld) Run against an underwater corp paradise? Inspiration SeaQuest DSV Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Run against a sub base (to steal a sub to attack the underwater corp paradise) Race to recover crashed spacecraft / space stations AIs as protagonists or antagonists … or the fixer? Are AIs Cyberpunk’s Dragons? Urban legends of a cyberpunk future What horrors made it out of the failing NET? AI trapped in the real world, who just wants to get back to the Net and make the pain stop. Inspiration The Matrix: Reloaded Digital Heists What funds are locked up in broken segments of the Net, just waiting to be recovered? Inspiration IRS Seizes Another Silk Road Hacker’s $3.36 Billion Bitcoin Stash Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback!. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta Cover art for Cyberpunk RED. Credit: R. Talsorian Games

As we build momentum toward our Cyberpunk RED campaign, we take a moment to reflect on the cyberpunk movies, books, games, and other media that inspires our take on the subgenre. We also talk National Novel Writing Month, hockey (yes, hockey), virtual gaming via NVIDIA GeForce Now, and the TaleSpire virtual table top.

The subject of travel and how visiting other parts of the country and the world can improve your game is the main topic for Episode 4 of the Lair of Secrets podcast. Before we delve into that globe-trotting topic, we geek out about AirPods, resurrecting the game room after the pandemic, variant endings for Cyberpunk 2077, revisit David's experiences with the Steamdeck, and contemplate approaching critical mass for a Cyberpunk RED game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8F_HBmGhiQ Show Notes Audiophile Auditorium Why did David wait so long to get AirPods? Game Room After two years holed up in his home office …Ken wants to get back to treating it like the game room. Purposefully trying not to work there unless I’m doing something creative or fun. Easier to do now that Ken's son’s back in high school, his daughter’s at college, and Steven - Ken's seeing eye puppy - is at puppy college. Working elsewhere in the house or - gasp - his actual work office. Maybe get a Gaslands Refueled game together in October? Chamber of Infinite Realities David finished Cyberpunk 2077. Now he's trying out the variant endings The (Pen & Paper) Matrix Approaching critical mass for a Cyberpunk RED game. Ken agrees with David; you should be watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. It is excellent. Violent, brutal, gory and visually overloading, but excellent. Portable Arcade David is playing the Call of Cthulhu game on Steamdeck It’s nice to sit on the couch or in a comfy chair and play It gets him out of his office so he don’t feel like he is trapped there for work and fun Cyberpunk 2077 has been working just fine on it so far Slime Rancher 2 is the next test of the system Star Wars: Andor The prequel to Rogue One keeps the movie’s more desperate tone. Galactic Tabletop Spelljammer and Star Wars gaming update Our short run of Spelljammer has run into some phlogiston trouble and has slowed down David believes he is starting to hit his stride with Star Wars game planning and have a plot arc that would define the campaign Main Topic: Travel and RPGs How travel and other cultures can both help your game and your real life? Traveling to Porto, Portugal for work Exploring the U.S.: Montana, Utah, New Mexico, Alaska Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback!. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. We are lairofsecrets, one word, over there. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta Porto city hall and plaza by night. Credit: David Moore.

On Episode 3 of Season 3, we catch up on a few weeks of geeky pursuits. David discusses not watching to finish Cyberpunk 2077, and then we both rundown the big list of stuff we're watching (or want to watch) on streaming. Ken's planning to return to real world game conventions with MEPACon and discusses what the heck he should run. David's Steamdeck arrives, and he discusses why he got it ... and how it plays. Finally, the Inspiration Goat ventures forth from the Daydreaming with Dragons podcast and inspires us with the idea of using haiku to create RPG character backgrounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hksgnY6AXU&t=14s Show Notes The Matrix of Cybersouls David doesn't want to finish Cyberpunk 2077 The Theatre of Streaming Out now: The Sandman on Netflix Interview with a Vampire on AMC+ Cobra Kai, Season 5 on Netflix Cyberpunk Edgerunners on Netflix Prey (and the rest of the Predator movies) on Hulu The Rings of Power on Prime Next soon The Peripheral on Prime The Samaritan on Prime Convention Hall Contemplating Convention Games @ MEPACon Possibilities: Mothership Savage Worlds Mork Borg Mutant Crawl Classics Ken wants something he can easily run in a 3 hour slot, leaving an hour for miscellaneous rules explanation. Game Hall The Steamdeck is here Podcast Inspiration Character Background Haiku / Judd Karlman (as heard about on the Daydreaming about Dragons podcast). Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. We are lairofsecrets, one word, over there. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

In Episode 2 of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we brainstorm ideas for a rebooted Savage Ringworld campaign, which mashes up high concept science fiction with the Savage Worlds role-playing game. We also delve back into cyberspace with Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk RED, say good-bye to Nintendo 3DS (or at least, its eShop), visit the Rivers of London book series, and figure out how to organize our comic books. Finally ... we're gaming! The Spelljammer Academy campaign's up and running, and David's launched into a Star Wars 5E game. Related Savage Ringworld Posts Savage Ringworld – A Science Fiction Savage Worlds Campaign Savage Ringworld – Building the Savage Worlds Source Book Library https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGExDJez4l4 Show Notes The Matrix of Cybersouls David is being pulled into the story of Cyberpunk 2077 Not sure why it didn’t the first time, but this time David has the added interest of Cyberpunk RED Side note, Talespire came out with their cyberpunk terrain set and I had fun creating the symphony hall from the Tales from the RED book. Will I ever get to use it? Perhaps. The Arcade Good-bye, Nintendo 3DS The Nintendo 3DS has entered its end of days; the Nintendo eShop is shutting down in March 2023. Ken just realized this, and is purchasing last-minute DLC before it goes away. Namely the Fire Emblem - Revelation, which is a new full campaign for the Fire Emblem Birthright/Conquest games. Of course, the 3DS remains playable (and is still far more portable than the Switch) but it’s sad to see it go. The Library David is nearing the end of the current Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich He's currently listening to the October Man - shift to a different main character for this novella and set in Germany. David's just about caught up with the series as it stands Thanks library! Looking forward to book 9 coming out next year The Vault of Near-Infinite Long Boxes Ken’s (slowly) inventorying his comic books. Since high school, he’s kept a longhand record of what he’s collected. This doesn’t scale, isn’t redundant, and is terrible for identifying gaps. Experimenting with using League of Comic Book Geeks. Now he just needs time… The Game Room Spelljammer Academy We’ve played the Spelljammer Academy adventures that are a preview to Spelljammer It’s been lighthearted fun David may make a Seth Skorkowski type video of how I would change it for other people to run Star Wars 5E David played several sessions of Star Wars 5e Fan made game, using 5e as its base David learned about it from Brennan Lee Mulligan’s game of Starstruck on Dropout.tv It’s been fun, the party is really low level right now, so I don’t have a good grasp on how good the system is yet The Loot Locker Weren’t able to participate in Free RPG Day? We’ve got you covered. Twitter retweet/tagging us in tweet. We'll contact you and send you swag on a first-come, first-served basis Main Topic: Savage Ringworld What is Savage Ringworld? It's Larry Niven's ringworld mashed up with the Savage Worlds rules published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group One of Ken's Blackrazor Guild games, currently on hiatus. It's set on a Niven-class ringworld approximately 150 years after a cataclysmic impact of a moon-sized object into the Ring. Gave rise to "Fist of God" mountain, a truly massive landmark that smashed the warped the surrounding terrain. Yeah, we stool that from Niven The campaign follows a group of adventurers who traveled to Fist of God City, a cosmopolitan city built at the base of Fist of God Mountain. Companion posts on Lair of Secrets: Savage Ringworld: Introduction to a Science Fiction Savage Worlds Campaign Savage Ringworld: Building the Savage Worlds Source book Library Other ring worlds you may know: Halo - The Halo Array of ringworlds featured prominently in the video games of the same name. A "sacred ring" also appeared in the streaming Halo series on Paramount+. Orbitals - These ring world-like mega structures appear in the Culture series written by Iain Banks. The Glavis Ringworld - Everyone knows about the Death Star mega structure, but in Season 1 of The Book of Boba Fett we got to see the Glavis Ringworld, a different kind of mega structure built around a small star. How big is it? Halo is big. The Halos encountered in the modern times are 10,000 kilometers in diameter; this size is roughly similar to that of Earth, which is 12,756 km in diameter. While the original twelve Halos had a diameter of 30,000 kilometers, concerns about their structural stability and transport led to the second series of rings being reduced in size. The surface of each ring is 318 kilometers wide, with a depth of 22.3 kilometers to 47 kilometers. The overall circumference of the ring is 31,415 km and the interior surface area is 9,985,200 km2 – roughly the size of Canada. Source: Halopedia: Halo Array. Niven’s ringworld is exponentially bigger. The Ringworld is an artificial ring about o

As summer ends, the podcast turns it attention to Spelljammer, the fantasy-in-space setting for Dungeons & Dragons. Ken and David look Wizards of the Coast's new 3-book release and discuss David's Spelljammer Academy mini-campaign based on WotC's free Roll20 release. They also talk about the resurgence of all things cyberpunk, including the Cyberpunk RED role-playing game and the Tales from the RED anthology of adventures, after David talked with the R. Talsorian crew at GenCon 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9GjU9QBO1g Convention Hall Conventions we're attending David's thoughts on GenCon 2022 GenCon Website Back up to 50,000ish people. David hung out at the Writers Symposium area for most of the time. Inspiring and informative. Had some good gaming with the long running living Star Wars campaign, Sparks. Had a cozy chat with the lead designer, James Hutt, from R. Talsorian Games and some fans of their games. MEPACon MEPACon Website Small convention in eastern Pennsylvania Moving from the Poconos to the SureStay Plus Hotel in Bethlehem, PA in Fall 2022. That means it goes from 45 minutes away to 15. Ken's hoping to go. Game Room New projects, new games Ken’s doing a post a day at Nuketown for RPG A Day 2022. Questions like: What is a great introductory RPG? When were you first introduced to RPGs? What would be your perfect game? Suggestion Sunday: Recommend a game to friends Cyberpunk RED and Tales of the RED mission book David picked it up after talking with James Hutt Having read the first adventure of Tales from the RED, David is very impressed with how little text they have used to make a rich adventure. Really inspiring and reminding David why he enjoyed cyberpunk in the past and Shadowrun in college. He's actually even more impressed with the setting for Cyberpunk RED than Shadowrun, since its alternate history really seems like it could have happened and more heavily leans on the accelerating pace of technology as part of the reason why Cyberpunk is cyberpunk. The Loot Locker Weren’t able to participate in Free RPG Day? We’ve got you covered. Reply to one of our tweets or mention us (@LairOfSecrets) on twitter to be entered into the contest. Main Topic: Spelljammer - Adventures in Space Spelljammer - Adventures in Space Released August 16 Boxed set containing: Astral Adventurer’s Guide, a 64-page hardcover book Boo’s Astral Menagerie, a 64-page hardcover book Light of Xaryxis, a 64-page hardcover adventure A double-sided poster map of the Rock of Bral, an asteroid-city A sturdy, four-panel Dungeon Master’s screen Spelljammer Academy Ken and David, along with some other friends are playing through the mini-module series It’s been a fun set of mini adventures so far, but now that all four are out, it’ll be a much better experience. David may do a Seth Skorkowsky- style RPG review of it, pointing out what he liked, what he didn’t, and what changes he would recommend if you all ran it in the future. Using D&D Beyond and Owlbear Rodeo Spelljams - a WotC playlist for Spelljammer. Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta Cover art for Boo’s Astral Menagerie. Credit: Wizards of the Coast

In the final episode of Season 2, we talk about exploring strange new worlds, meeting new civilizations, and then … blowing them up. We also delve into the game Nobody Saves the World, undertake an ursine caper to steal some honey, geek out about the Obi-wan streaming series, and look back on the season that was. The Brick RoomLEGO Star WarsKen played through the original games with his kids when they were littleExpected a remaster of those games plus some new content from the sequel trilogyWhat we got is a whole new game, filled with classic LEGO fun, lots of Star Wars in-jokes, and oh so much nostalgia for Ken's familyThe Holo DeckStar Trek: Strange New WorldsThe continuing mission of the starship Enterprise … with Captain PikeAll of the optimism you love and want from TrekStar Trek: Picard, Season 2Wait, there’s a Season 2?Oh and there’s Borg?And Q?The ArcadeNobody Saves the WorldFun top down exploration and fighting game with shapeshifting magicMade by the developers of GuacameleeA good couch co-op with David's youngest daughterThe Game RoomHoney HeistSuccessful heisting of black orchid honey from both humans and from a certain red shirt wearing but legally distinct roly poly bearThe Streaming AnnexObi-Wan Disney+ seriesLots of online drama over the focus on Obi Wan with young LeiaIf you really think about A New Hope, Leia knew Obi Wan, but Luke has no clue who he is Main Topic: Season 2 Retrospective 3 most popular episodes?S2E2 Scum and Villainy Campaign Planning, Reading Time, Animal Crossing Redux, Twilight 2000 Boxed SetS2E3 Improving Games by Stealing From OthersS2E7 - Godsend AgendaWhat we enjoyedScum and Villainy actual play!Getting ready for Scum and VillainyS2E2 Scum and Villainy Campaign Planning, Reading Time, Animal Crossing Redux, Twilight 2000 Boxed SetS2E5 WorldbuildingS2E6 Session Zero, The Expanse, Tome of Beasts 3, Astroneer, Collapsing EmpireGame interviews!S2E1 Shotguns & SorceryS2E7 Godsend AgendaFavorite topicsLunchtime GamingWait, Ken started doing this in 2010? Damn…How Gaming Changed During the PandemicGreat to be back on a podcast talking with Overlord Chris Miller.Gaming with KidsGotta catch ‘em all. Pokemon? Nah, Overlords! We talked with Kris Johnson about his experiences gaming with kids.Talking with the Younger GenerationNewly forged in the Audio Foundries… an interview with IsleenStuff to work onAudio challenges here and there, but we’re getting betterThanks, John, for reporting the problems!Videos of our episodes on YouTubeSeason 2 has started to be released there.Looking ahead to Season 3…Spelljammer actual play in the fall?Another one-shot or two?Improv for Gamers, 2nd Edition?Dyson Fall? Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta The promotional poster for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It's summer, so let's grab some books, head to the beach/lake/mountains and read! Main Topic: Summer Reading List The Empire's Ruin (Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1) by Brian Staveley (Ken's pick)Follow up-to Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, in which an Empire tries to survive against conspiracies within and enemies without, as well as an ancient threat returned to dominate the world. This book picks up five years later … and things haven’t gone well for the Empire. The Kettral are all but wiped out and rebellion against the Empire is wide-spread. I wasn’t in the right head space to read this book – which starts off dark and gets darker – in the spring, but I’m back into it now.METAtropolis edited by John Scalzi (David's pick)A strange man comes to an even stranger encampment...a bouncer becomes the linchpin of an unexpected urban movement...a courier on the run has to decide who to trust in a dangerous city...a slacker in a "zero-footprint" town gets a most unusual new job...and a weapons investigator uses his skills to discover a metropolis hidden right in front of his eyes. Welcome to the future of cities. Welcome to METAtropolis.The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, Book 1) by Becky Chambers (Ken's pick)Ken’s giving into friendly peer pressure and reading this book. Just about everyone he knows who enjoys science fiction has read the novels in this series, so he figured he'd better get with the program.January Fifteenth By Rachel Swirsky (David's pick)A book about the possibly positive and negative consequences of universal basic income, told through stories of four people.Star Wars: Lesser Evil (Thrawn Ascendancy, Book 3) by Timothy Zahn (Ken pick)Star Wars books are Ken’s go-to beach read, so it's good that we've got a new Zahn novel out. The Thrawn Ascendancy books are prequels taking place between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, and detail everyone's favorite blue-skinned, red-eyed admiral's rise to power.The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffman (David's pick)Talking about coffee from around the world. It’s become an interest of David and his daughter's.The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, Book 2) by N.K. Jemisin (Ken's pick)Ken had a hard time getting into Book 1 on this series. Jemisin does an incredible job of world building, but the pacing of the first book threw him off. He pushed through, and he’s glad he did. Now Ken's back for more with Book 2, in which we find out what the heck happened to a certain celestial body...A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (David's pick)Reread of the classicWintersmith by Terry Pratchett (David's pick)More Discworld!Horror Graphic Novels (Ken's picks)After wrapping up Hellboy and B.P.R.D., Ken’s looking for new horror graphic novels.Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IVThe Swamp Thing: Becoming by Ram VThe Me You Love In The Dark, by Skottie YoungImmortal Hulk by Al EwingEscape from Yokai Land by Charles Stross (David's pick)The Laundry Files book 12, haven’t read them all, but this seemed like a good place to jump back in.Galaxy the Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod (David's pick)An alien princess, disguised as a human boy going to high school, in hiding from the people who took over her home planet. A story about growing up, finding your true self, and the people who accept you for whom you truly are. Looking for more summer reading inspiration? Check out our Summer 2021 reading list. Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. We are twitch.com/lairofsecrets, one word, over there. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. Featured Image Meta Cover art for four of our summer reading list books. Credit their respective publishers.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets! On this episode, we delve into retro gaming, review David's expanded reading list, talk about building computers, and explore the weird and dark world of MÖRK BORG. Moar Books!David's local library has partnered with a larger library network, so he can get access to more ebooks.Lord of Light by Roger ZelaznyThe Kaiju Preservation Society by John ScalziThud! by Terry PratchettEqual Rites by Terry PratchettCurse of Chalion by Lois McMaster-BujoldThe Computer Assembly BayDavid taught his daughters how to build their own computers from parts.They both asked in the past to have David teach them.It was a great success!It was two months ago and they still work!The Winter GuardBrownsburg winter guard did amazing in the A Guard category, taking 2nd in State and then 2nd in WGI Nationals. The first time they have ever gone to the national event.3D RealmsDavid's 3D printing foray was for the props team. They needed a housing for some electronics for props.The Junior Gaming CorpsDavid Ran a D&D game for Teagan and some of her friends. The plan is for it to be a casual summer game.Picked up D&D Beyond for the game.Multiversal PortalingDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of MadnessThe Infinite ArcadeKen got the Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade on the SwitchKen finished the first level of his Ready Player One Replay at Nuketown. Getting ready for the second level.Ken is bad at Dungeons of DaggorathKen is even worse at Street Fighter II … even when playing Ken.Model SpaceportPaintingLooking forward to painting rockets started in the fallSpray paint doesn’t stick in <40 F tempsExperimenting with no-bleed masking tape.Back to the NovaSkill level 3More difficult than I rememberMÖRK BORG (pronounced "Murk Borg")Ken's Swedish kin created MÖRK BORG.It’s yellow, pink, and awesome.The world is ending. The prophecies of the Two-headed Basilisk were correct. You’re scum at the end of the time? Do you plunder … or do you fight?And there’s a solo game version: Solitary Defilement. Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. We stream this live on Twitch if you want to get your fix of things early and unedited. We are twitch.com/lairofsecrets, one word, over there. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.