Lair Of Secrets

Join the cast of our Scum and Villainy campaign as we look back on six episodes of mysteries, pirates, and - of course - ghosts. We talk about the campaign's highs and lows, and delve into our thoughts on the Scum and Villainy game itself. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta Cover art for the Scum and Villainy role-playing game. Credit: Evil Hat.

The "Emerald Heart Job" - the concluding chapter of our Scum and Villainy campaign - finds our heroes going up against the Ghosts and their nefarious plans to use the Emerald Heart artifacts to destroy a gate. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta The Rosette Nebula. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

During "The Rescue Job" the crew is tasked with liberating a prisoner with vital information about the Ghosts ... and their nefarious plans for the artifacts known as "Emerald Hearts". This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta The Helix Nebula. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Su (Univ. of Arizona)

On this episode of Lair of Secrets, our loyal denizens are preparing the deepest level of the dungeon to imprison whomever thought up "Natural Scrolling" for the Mac. Meanwhile, David ventured to the Ohio frontier with his family to watch his youngest win 2nd place in the world in Winter Guard A Class! Feature: Talking with the Younger Generation Tonight we are joined by David's eldest daughter Isleen to talk about her experiences in gaming and contrasting it with what Ken and I grew up with. She is also pushing back the D&D game she had tonight to talk with us for a while (so thanks for joining us, Isleen!) How did you get started in gaming?First real game was Pokeman Platinum; lots of video games since thenNow, at 19, play Dungeons & Dragons on Tuesdays in Discord and Roll20.How do you normally game?Playing on Roll20 for tabletop, with D&D Beyond for character sheets (David and Ken do something similar, but throw Owlbear Rodeo into the mix)What games do you usually play?Mostly D&D aside from the occasional game of the Fluxx card game with family.What is the size of your main gaming group?Primary gaming group - approximately 8 people.Don’t really see each other’s faces; mostly voice.Still get people who hang back, and the dungeon master will try and get them to engage.How many gaming groups do you participate in?Two campaigns, same set of friends.How do you find people to game with?Met people through mutual friends.Why Dungeons & Dragons?Came to it organically.What’s your style of play?Strixhaven campaign (five magical houses)Focuses more on role-playing than combat.People’s impression of D&D?D&D is pretty much normalized these days.There are a lot of podcasts that are streaming D&D (Critical Role, Adventure Zone).Got more and more people into.Advice for how to get started?Google is your friend!How did you learn D&D?Little rusty - so rely on friends or look it up through D&D Beyond or online resources.D&D Beyond lets the DM share their books/rules. 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 Students attending Strixhaven Academy. Credit: Wizards of the Coast.

During The Cargo Job (Chapter 4 of our Scum and Villainy campaign) the crew is tasked with recovering "living cargo" from a smuggler's ship. The goal is to snatch the cargo, which belongs to the ethereal scientists/villains known as the Ghosts, and deliver it to a safe location. The crew's plan involves pretending to be border patrol agents and confiscating the cargo ... but as always, things don't go exactly according to plan... This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta The Ghost Nebula. Credit: Adam Block, Mount Lemmon SkyCenter, University of Arizona @ Wikicommons.

Chapter 3 of our Scum and Villainy campaign sees the crew take on The Racing Job, in which they attempt to smuggle a highly-altered racing ship through the Iota system. Along the way, they have a close encounter with a mysterious comet, realize the importance of check lists, and successfully navigate an asteroid (never tell us the odds). This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard taken by Martin Heigan.

On this episode of Lair of Secrets, we talk about one of the most rewarding (and occasionally challenging) experiences a geek parent can have: playing role-playing games with your kids. Main Topic: Gaming with Kids For this episode's topic, we have another former Overlord of The Secret Lair, Kris Johnson. He’s a middle aged geek dad like ourselves, former podcaster, and all around great dad. Over the years we’ve occasionally heard stories of his game table and his family’s exploits, and we wanted to bring him on board to talk about gaming with family and bringing up children who game. How did you get started gaming with kids? What is the group like? What worked, what didn't? Advice for others getting started? 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 A glowing d20, which belongs to Ken's son, rests atop the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook.

Our Scum and Villainy campaign returns with The Ghostly Job, as the crew is paid by a very peculiar scientist to track a researcher to her laboratory and learn about her research. Little do the crew know that their target is a former member of the Church of the Emerald Heart, which ceased to exist years earlier after being hunted down and destroyed. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta "Bell Labs Holmdel, NJ." by Lawrence Aberle. Wikimedia Commons.

We kick off our Scum and Villainy Actual play with The Nebula Job, in which the crew of the Stardancer is hired to pick up a box floating in the middle of a nebula ... but you know it can't be that easy. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and Villainy game resources on the campaign homepage. Featured Image Meta The Rim Nebula. Credit: Ivan Bok via Wikimedia Commons.

On this occasionally rambling episode of Lair of Secrets, Ken and David are joined by long-time friend and gamer (and former occupant of a certain secret lair), Overlord Chris Miller. We talk about our gaming lives in the Before Times, the rise of virtual gaming, and look at what might come in the post-pandemic era. Main Topic: Gaming Before, During, and After the Pandemic The Before TimesWhat did our gaming life look like before the pandemic?The COVID EraHow did gaming change during the pandemic?Trends in gaming over the last two yearsDiversity through Tasha’s Cauldron of EverythingFate Accessibility ToolkitThe Post Pandemic EraWhat does gaming look like now?What does future gaming look like?ResourcesThe Monsters Know What They Are DoingTasha’s Cauldron of EverythingFate Accessibility Toolkit 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 Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Credit: Wizards of the Coast.

Grab a sandwich and a Mountain Dew and join us for this episode's topic: lunch tie gaming The typical role-playing game session lasts 4-5 hours and happens once a week. Sometimes they're more frequent, sometimes they're a little longer, but a four-hour Friday night hangout is pretty typical. With a lunchtime game, sessions may happen a couple of times a week but only last an hour We delve into what works and doesn't work when running time-crunched games based on Ken's 10+ years of lunchtime gaming. We also talk about Horizon Forbidden West, Mutant Crawl Classics, Resident Alien, electric vehicles, and Dropout TV. Arcade Level 22Ken's playing Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to the most excellent Horizon Zero DawnTakes place 6 months after the original game, and sees Aloy travel to the west cost of a post-apocalyptic AmericaIt’s available for PS4 (with a possible upgrade to PS5).Just as beautiful as the first gameMutant Spawning GroundsKen’s in a gonzo mutant mood thanks to the new softcover Mutant Crawl Classics and Kenzer & Co’s Knights of the Dinner Table. The storyline from the 260s involves one of the characters, Sara, running a “Hackworld” game.Mutant Crawl Classics is nicely bonkers, with all kinds of special charts and funky dice.Theatre of Infinite StreamsA look at NBC's Peacock. Ken came for the Olympics. Stayed for Resident AlienElectric GarageAfter looking at several different electric and hybrid cars, the Teslas David looked at are in a comparable price range.Crystaline Memory ArchiveLetting old things goAfter SerenityThe Game Master ShowThe Tele-ChamberDiscovering some gaming shows on Dropout TV.Along the lines of Critical Role, they are entertaining and I would love to sit at their table, but I also know that your regular game isn’t produced to this extent. (Though some are just as or more fun.)Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey Main Topic: Lunchtime RPGs Overview of the conceptKen started running a lunchtime game called “Gamer Working Group” in 2010. Inspired by Mike Mearls’s (WotC) tweets about his lunchtime D&D 5e game.The group meets once a week for 1 hour, over lunch.1 month of lunchtime gaming = one 4-hour sessionStarted in the real world, moved online with the pandemic.Games played:Savage WorldsNumeneraDragon AgeD&D 5eGURPs LiteCurrently running D&D & GURPSWhat works, what doesn’t.What works:Light-weight games that are easy to learn and fast to play.Simple, focused stories. We get one day a week to advance the story, and the story advances in small chunks.ACTION! You don’t have a lot of time for boxed text or exposition, so get people rolling dice as quickly as possible.What doesn’t work:Complicated stories.Combats that last for hours.Games that are hard to learn or play quicklyTips and tricks for running a lunchtime gameKen’s Nuketown columns:Real-world toolbox for a lunchtime gameLunch-time Gaming RevisitedThings you should do:GMs should always be ready to goDigital map ready, Tokens made, role-books handy.Bookmark your monsters (either physically with heDon’t waste precious time getting ready!Adjust your story beats to match the time you haveWith a regular 4-hour game, the game has a certain cadence (e.g. RP encounter, a combat encounter, a RP encounter, final combat)As a GM and a group, figure out the cadence of the game. Be aware of how much time you have left, so you can fit in role playing combat, BSing, etc.For our GURPS Lunchtime game, we’ve gotten surprisingly good at setting up cliff hangers.Consider using a pregen worldUsing a pre-existing world (e.g. Forgotten Realms) makes it easy to prep ahead of time and improvise on the fly.Do what you can outside of the gameNext session planningTreasure picksLeveling up 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 A few of the games that Ken played as part of the Gamer Working Group, his lunchtime gaming group.

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets, we talk about the concluding season (and book) of The Expanse, geek out about Kobold Press's Tome of Beasts 3 monster compilation, conclude John Scalzi's The Collapsing Empire trilogy, and explore the new xenobiology update for Astroneer. For our main topic, we talk about the session zero for our Scum and Villainy campaign, in which we figure out the setting, tone, characters, and potential inspiration. The Fortress of Mental SolitudeKen dropped his daughter off at college in Vermont, then spent a few days on hisown in the Poconos. Ok, well, Hank (the yellow lab/golden retriever mix) was there too.Worked remotely for a few days, then spent a two-days reading comic books and novels and watching movies.Oh, and Ken built a snowman (Hank helped).The Concluding ExpanseKen finished all of The ExpanseSeason 6 of the streaming series, The Expanse (sadly, it’s the final season)The Expanse - season 6 finale (The final season? What?!) -- DavidLeviathan Falls (Book 9 of the novel series)Ken love mashup of hard SF (realistic spacecraft physics, political drama) with space opera (weird alien tech, reality-bending threats, and extrasolar portals).So it’s time for Ken to restart The Expanse...The Monster PenTome of Beasts III Kickstarter by Kobold Press400 new monsters.Also:16 or more monster minis,four VTT editions for digital playan exclusive engraved 7-dice seta ready-to-play Tome of Beasts III Lairs hardcoverYeah. Ken has a creature feature problem. This is known.AstronavigationAstroneer - Xenobiology updateWho doesn’t love cute alien snails? The Collapsing Library (redux)Back to the Interdependency series by John ScalziDavid finished The Consuming Fire and The Last EmperoxThe Game RoomWe did a session zero-ish of Scum and Villainy! Main Topic: Scum and Villainy, Session Zero Setting: Star Wars universe vs. Scum & Villainy settingWe decided on Scum & Villainy to avoid the weight of canon.Tone: Light-hearted vs. grim dark.We decided on light-hearted.It will likely get silly at some points given when we are going to playPossible inspiration:Guardians of the GalaxyStar Wars: SoloSpider-man: Into the Spider-verseIce Pirates (ok, maybe not Ice Pirates)Ship: Smugglers vs. Freedom Fighters vs. Bounty HuntersWe settled on smugglers.We’re runners, not fighters.CharactersChris - StitchKen - PilotJosh - MechanicKris - MuscleErin - ScoundrelThe CrewWe’re strange … and we like strange things.We have a stolen land rover. And the people we stole it from aren’t happy about it.We’ve also got a med lab.Next stepsa one shot game with pregen characters to get used to the rules and taking narrative control 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 the Scum & Villainy role-playing game. Credit: Evil Hat.

Unfortunately, we had some flooding in the area of the Lair where Ken was recording. So if it sounds like he was underwater for a time, he was! We feel the audio is listenable at least, so we've left it in. As we continue preparing for our Scum and Villainy campaign, we turn our attention to the intricacies of worldbuilding. We talk about how we define world building, getting buy-in from players, and discuss the merits of using a popular, existing universe like Star Wars vs. something more homegrown. We also explore virtual dungeons, catch up on reading, look at Markdown editors, collect infinity stones in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, back the Mothership Kickstarter, and return to map drawing the Caverns of Kazeal. Unreal DungeonDemeo - virtual reality dungeon crawling with your friends! It's a Gloomhaven-lite game, complete with a virtual table and 1980s-style den.Second Life is still a thing. Will it become a VR thing?Pages of ObsidianWe look at the Obsidian note-taking app.It's Markdown editor that includes impressive hyperlink and visualization tools.It's reminiscent of TiddlyWiki, a JavaScript-based note taking tool. The Collapsing LibraryDavid is finished The Collapsing Empire, (Book 1 of John Scalzi's The Interdependency series) and is working his way through The Consuming Fire (Book 2).Scalzi finished writing it in 2016 just before the election. He has a good grasp of parts of human nature and how they would react in a crisis. See the last two years of the pandemic.Next up from Scalzi? Kaiju Preservation Society.Boarding the MothershipKen backed the kickstarter for the Mothership Sci-Fi Horror RPG 1st Edition Boxed SetFrom the Kickstarter promo page: “Welcome to Mothership, the award-winning sci-fi horror tabletop RPG where you and your crew try to survive in the most inhospitable environment in the universe: outer space! You’ll excavate dangerous derelict spacecraft, explore strange unknown worlds, encounter hostile alien life and examine the horrors encroaching upon your every move.”Ken backed it at the $100 level, so he's getting the core rules and a bunch of expansions.15,699 people participated in the Kickstarter, raising $1,405,569It arrives Nov. 2022.Ken may have a creature feature problem (in that he has more creature feature games than he has time to play)Hull Breach on Level 301Ken's also contemplating HULL BREACH Vol. 1, an anthology for MothershipFrom the blurb: “Hull Breach contains dozens of brand new modules, bestiaries, equipment expansions, Warden advice, system-hacks, toolkits, tables and much more from 20 unique authors!”Back to the Danger RoomKen's back to playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order on the Nintendo Switch.Had to start over because he couldn't remember how anything worked.He's enjoying it greatly; it's reminiscent of the old X-Men arcade game - button mashing for the win!The Caverns of KazealKen's working on the final (maybe?) dungeon for his Scales of Truth Dungeons & Dragons campaign.Ended up drawing it by hand, because sometimes, the old ways are the best. Main Topic: Worldbuilding We look at the art of worldbuilding, with a particular emphasis on our upcoming Scum and Villainy campaign.What do we mean by worldbuilding?Worldbuilding happens at many levels (world, region, city, character)What’s the domain of the GM vs. the players? In a Scum and Villainy-style game, is there even a difference?Identify tolerance for worldbuildingAre people along for the ride … or do they want to build the world?Impacts GM prep time (GM establishes groups, NPCs, etc.) vs the players. Make sure the expectations match.How much worldbuilding are people up for?Sweet spot where people bring their own ideas, but the GM contributes as well.Individual worldbuilding vs. group worldbuildingBuilding during the session or building in-between sessionsWorldbuilding from scratch vs worldbuilding in an established settingHow do you worldbuild in an established setting?Primer for the setting to establish the tone and era.One-to-two pager outlining:Era notesRegion notesNotable OrganizationsNotable NPCsScum and Villainy vs. Star WarsThe Scum and Villainy default setting is open - small amount of canon, freedom to modify/build/create.Star Wars creates expectations and limitations. Canon is harder to break. “This is what Star Wars is to me.” The game doesn’t get through canon sometimes.As we get older, are we more tolerant of radical ideas? (what if Vader and Luke rule the galaxy together?)Taking notes is going to be necessary so we all remember what we’ve created, what’s happened, and who’s created what.Worldbuilding in less established settings.More flexibility. Inherently gives people permission to build what they want...... but they have to want to buildRivers don’t need to flow downhill OR make your world fantastic, it doesn’t have to be a simulation of our worldShould it have internal consistency, even if the players don’t kn

Alien gods walk among us. To further their agenda, we've jumped forward in time to praise their machinations ... and promote the new edition of Godsend Agenda, now on Kickstarter. IntroductionsToday we’ve got a guest, coming all the way from Las Vegas, Nevada, Jerry Grayson.He’s a friend and here to talk about his latest Kickstarter project: The new edition of Godsend Agenda, a game of super heroes and the conspiracy of aliens who pose as deities.Campaigns inspired by myth and conspiracy?Lots of possibilities for erasModern eraAtlantisThe Phantom TimeTell us about Godsend Agenda. What is it?Jack Kirby’s Fourth World saga from DC Comics, and his Marvel Comics creation, the Eternals.Lord of Light by Roger ZelaznyDaniel Keys Moran’s The Long Run and The Last DancerWhat was your inspiration for the setting?Being able truly shape the world.Use superpowers to improve the world; characters operate at a saga level as well as at a higher, more meta level with a character that personifies their agenda.Powered by the Omega SystemUses 2d10, with doubles that explode.This lets you have exceptional, superheroic results.Distilled skill system.How did you get into game design?What advice would you give someone getting into game design?Make a lot of bad games.Don’t try to make a game for everyone.Go hard on whatever it is that you’re interested in.Feeds your soul to make a thing, even if it’s a bad thing.Distribution Plans with Kickstarter and CovidFocuses on meat and potatoes - core product, no stretch goals.Get the product done ahead of time, so folks know that there actually is a thingWhere to find Jerry?Godsend Agenda campaign on KickstarterKhepera Publishing@khepera_rpg on TwitterAlso: invoke Jerry's name and he shall appear. Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art for the Godsend Agenda.

Adventure prep for role-playing games is the main topic of this episode of The Lair of Secrets podcast. We discuss the dangers of too much prep vs. too little prep, and seek the Goldilocks prep time in between. After tackling individual adventures, we discuss prepping for a new campaign and tools to help with that. Finally, we apply what we've been discussing to our upcoming Scum and Villainy campaign. But it's not all adventure prep! Also in this episode, Ken turns 50 (thus catching up with David) and David's feeling remarkably relaxed thanks to an enoyable holiday break. Geeky topics we discuss include swinging back into the Spider-verse, playing Red-Dead Redemption and Icarus, watching Matrix: Resurrections, catching up on Star Trek, and debating the merits of hand-drawn maps vs. computer generated ones. "Deck the Caves with Boughs of Chaos"Ken and his family had plans ... and then came Omicron.Spider-verse Portal 2.0With his daughter home from college, Ken's family watched a ton of Spider-man movies in anticipation of Spider-man: No Way HomeThis included Spider-man, Spider-man 2, Amazing Spider-Man, and Amazing Spider-Man 2.Meanwhile, Ken watched Venom: Let There Be Carnage on his own ... which is really dumbBut is it as dumb as Airplane vs. Volcano?The Chamber of Red Dead DoomKen got Red Dead Redemption 2 ... which is basically a western simulator.The Caverns of KazealKen continues to struggle with drawing the Caverns of Kazeal for his Scales of Truth campaign.Do it by hand? Lay out Dungeon Tiles in the real world, then recreate in Roll20? Give up and find a pre-made map (nah, that’s just crazy talk)The Chamber of Holiday CalmDavid had a quiet and peaceful holiday with only one COVID scare.Hostile Environment SimulatorDavid is playing Icarus, a "session-based PvE survival game for up to eight co-op players or solo."The Puzzle LibraryDave's re-sparking his creative and fun side with puzzles and reading.Holochamber ReduxCatching up on Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: ProdigyWait, didn't we turn off the holochamber???David geeks out about The Matrix: Resurrections.Orbital Astro-EnvisionatorJames Webb Space Telescope launched! Main Topic: Role-Playing Game Prep Game preparationStart at the campaign level, or the session level?Thinking about characters and NPCsPreparing for a game sessionLimited preparationOver preparationGoldilocks prep?Ken’s "Three-Page Manifesto for Game Prep"Preparing for a new campaignCampaign background helps make for shorter session prepToolsCampaign BinderPinterestPrepping for Scum and Villainy Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Poster art for Spider-man: No Way Home.

Welcome to the new year ... and a new episode of the Lair of Secrets. The main topic for this episode is "Stealing liberally from other game systems to enhance the ones you’re playing". We look at game mechanics like bennies (Savage Worlds), aspects (Fate), skill challenges (Dungeons & Dragons), plot points (Cortex) and more! Meanwhile, David Moore is almost caught up on the sleep he lost during his escape to and from New York and Ken Newquist is decking the halls and booting up the Christmas tree. Or at least, the Geek Tree. Escape to (and from) New YorkMacy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadeTrip to New York2/3rds of the band and guard almost didn’t make it due to plane troublesWaited for five hours (6am arrival) for the parade. Met some nice New Yorkers and was overall fairly comfortable even though we stood most of the time.Heat packs on our back helped a lot with thisBoth our kids were in the parade, even though Isleen graduated last year. They were supposed to march last year but Covid.We all had a wonderful and memorable timeWe totally were not allowed enough sleepSuper BoosterKen got his COVID vaccine booster shot. Still waiting on super powers.Powering up the Geek Treet’s a long running tradition in the Newquist household, ever since Ken's geek ornaments started overwhelming the family tree and needed to be exiled to their own tree.The Geek Tree is a 9-foot tall slender artificial tree … and last year, Ken officially had too many ornaments to put on it.So … this year he's doing themes for the first time.And that theme is “Star Trek”. The tree has 34 ornaments (mostly starships), with Deep Space Nine as the tree topper.Oldest ornament is the Shuttlecaft Galileo (1992, string powered)Favorite is The City on the Edge of Forever (2004, string powered, sound seems to be failing)Newest is a trio of “Mirror, Mirror” networked ornaments featuring the Enterprise crew reciting lines from the famous (infamous?) episode.Hoping to come up with some “galaxy” and “nebula” Christmas ornaments for the tree (look, ma, glitter!)Also: Paper starships.Learn more about the Geek Tree at Nuketown. Main Topic: Stealing liberally from other game systems to enhance the ones you’re playing Skill challenges in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (taken from D&D 4e, Star Wars: Saga Edition)Bennies as incentives (Savage Worlds, Fate, Cortex)Give players in-game rewards to take risks (let the plot points fall like rain)Flaws as incentivesOk, you’re a marked man with a death wish? Does it actually ever come into play?Narrative control mechanics (Cortex; spend dice to change a scene)Downtime/travel narrative mechanics (Savage Worlds, Blades in the Dark, Scum and Villainy, D&D 5th Edition)Compels from Fate - get your character into trouble in exchange for a Fate point reward to be used later, able to be resisted if the player doesn’t want to be compelled Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 A few of our favorite games to steal from: the Firefly Role-Playing Game, Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, Scum & Villainy, Savage Worlds, Fate Condensed

Welcome to The Lair of Secrets podcast, the podcast about gaming and being a geek by two middle-aged geek dads. Yeah, we said middle-aged ... because "forty-something" wasn't quite accurate anymore. This episode finds Ken Newquist caught in a maze of endless meetings, all alike, while David Moore finds that his week went somewhere ... he's just not sure where. Might have to check some of the caverns down here to see if we can find it. Traversing the Fauna Reality DisjunctionThe Newquist Clan returned to Animal Crossing in force this fall.The latest update includes a coffee shop, gyroids, new mysterious islands, and an upgrade to Harv’s island that actually makes you want to go there (you can buy new store fronts at the island’s co-op, so Lief the plant sales animal and Red the scheming art animal are always available if they’re not on your island.Not earth shattering changes, but it gave us a reason to go back, and in a world of meetings … it’s nice to chill on a deserted island.Twilight of World War 3Ken's Twilight 2000 4th Edition boxed set came. It has funky dice. Look for a blog post.Increased RadioactivityKen posted a new episode of Radio Active over on Nuketown.Back to the top of the worldSkyrim Anniversary edition came out and David has been having fun playing the DLC that he never got before and of course trying not to play a stealth archer and failing.The Evergrowing LibraryDavid is glad he's still finding time to read.Six novels and novellas over the last two months. Spoiler: David still likes Lois McMaster Bujold as an author and he got a few books to inspire the Dyson Fall setting.Penric's Fox (Penric and Desdemona, #5) by Lois McMaster BujoldMasquerade in Lodi (Penric and Desdemona, #9) by Lois McMaster BujoldA Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2) by Becky ChambersEmpress of Forever by Max GladstoneThe Last Crucible (Reclaimed Earth) by J.D. MoyerSandman Slim (Sandman Slim, #1) by Richard Kadrey Main Topic: Kicking off Season 2 We want to focus on a particular game: Scum and Villainy.We’ve invited some friends to play the game with us.We’re going to talk about prepping for the game, and then in early 2022, we’re going to play the game. Why wait? Because the holidays either make for a great stretch of gaming or … the Long Dark Tea-Time of the Gaming SoulPlan on streaming on Twitch, both the preparatory episodes and live streaming sessions.As part of the run-up, we’re going to talk about learning the game and standing up the campaign.We’ll also have some traditional episodes where we just geek out about topics.Introducing Scum and VillainyWhat is the game? Based on Forged in the Dark, descended from Blades in the DarkGame mechanics we’re excited about:In Media Res - The job starts in the middle … because that’s when the plan falls apart (or goes awesome!) Why? That’s what rolls are for…Clock - Great way of tracking progress toward short and long term goals/challenges/threats. We could talk about clocks for a whole episode.Downtime - Lots of games have a concept of downtime (D&D introduced a whole bunch of downtime activities in Xanathar's Guide) but in Forged in the Dark-style games, it's baked into the DNA as a way to recover and improve resources. It compels and rewards downtime, which is exciting. Downtime, when it works well, it helps advance the plot. It shows what the characters do when they aren't out adventuring/saving the world / scheming on a job.Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon does this for the Avenger (what's an Avenger do when he's not being an Avenger)X-Men playing baseballCrew/Ship Advancement - Sometimes you need to jump through hoops to figure out why a crew is together. Scum and Villainy answer that question from the word go with crew/ships. Interested to see how this plays out over time.Challenges to watch for:Time - How long will it take to run a session? Can we do one in 2.5 hours?Experience points - Players get XP for doing things related to their class, indulging their vice, and otherwise role-playing their character in mechanically relevant ways. This is easy to forget about; you need to be proactive as a player and think about how you can use those pieces of your background and ongoing story so you're not retroactively seeing if you earned that XP.Brindlewood Bay did something similar, and it could be challenging to remember.Collaboration on Encounter Difficulties: How challenging a particular environment is - and how hard it will be to accomplish a particular task - is something as a collaborative effort. The examples show back and forth between the players and game master as they describe the scene and fine-tune the story. This could be challenging for folks not used to it.Remembering what you can do and when you can do it. For any given roll you can get three additional dice:+1 gambit (general luck from the ship/crew)+1 devil's bargain (short term boost for longer term complication)+1 assist from

The old After Serenity and The Game Master Show feeds have still hung around since both of those podcasts that I (David) created have pod-faded. Since the content of the Lair of Secrets might be of interest to the audiences of those former podcasts, I am redirecting their feeds to this one. So if you were still subscribed to either of those podcasts and are now getting this one, thank you and welcome to the Lair of Secrets! We hope you will enjoy this podcast as much as you did the others.

Season 2 of The Lair of Secrets kicks off with a bang (and the muttering of a few spells) as David and Ken interview Matt Forbeck and Marty Forbeck about their Shotguns & Sorcery for 5E Kickstarter. The Kickstarter funded within hours of its launch and runs until 10 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Shotguns & Sorcery is a fantasy noir setting featuring a city, a dragon, and lots of zombies. It originated as stories and novels written by Matt Forbeck in which a zombie apocalypse destroys much of the world's population. The survivors gather at a distant mountain ruled by a dragon ... and beg the dragon to save them from the zombies. The dragon is able to fend off the undead long enough for the representatives of the various fantasy races to take refuge in the mountain. Over the centuries that followed, society evolved and advanced, rising to the level of early 20th technology. Shotgun & Sorcery's initial role-playing game incarnation was for Monte Cook Game's Cypher system. The current Kickstarter provides a campaign setting and rules for the 5th Edition of the world's most popular fantasy role-playing game. Topics covered during the podcast include: An overview of the settingComparing and contrasting the Cypher and 5e iterations of the gameRunning a successful kickstarter and dealing with the challenges of fulfillment and shipping during the COVID eraWhat it's like for the father/son team to work together on projects like thisand more! Related Links: Shotguns & Sorcery for 5E Kickstarter.Shotguns & Sorcery: Cypher Edition bundle on Bundle of HoldingShotfuns & Sorcery on DriveThruRPGMatt Forbeck's websiteMatt Forbeck on Twitter Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. You can also find us on Twitch. Featured Image Cover art for the original RPG, done by Jeremy Mohler.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is a video game-completing machine who's probably staying up too late (again). Meanwhile, David Moore is no longer a forty-something geek dad. Summer’s EndKen went to Philmont … but we dedicated a whole episode to that, so he won’t mention it again.For the first time in years … Ken finished his summer reading list … during the summer!Ken finished Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch) AND Fire Emblem Fates Birthright (3DS). Which means Ken is probably playing too much Fire Emblem…Higher EducationOur eldest kids are in college! Whoa.The Autumnal ChamberRead more games, play more gamesI picked up a ton of RPG books over the last year and a bunch of zines.Scum and VillainyAlien: Colonial MarinesMonster of the WeekFate of CthulhuGo to a game conventionRotate a new game into my lunchtime sessions?Work one into my regular gaming group?Start up a new group?Build rockets. So many rockets (started!)Ken just build the Skytracer rocket.Age AccelerationDavid is no longer forty something. Doesn't feel much different, but it does feel weird when he thinks that he has been living on earth for half of a century.More Books in the LibraryDavid also had lots of reading in the summer, not sure if he finished hislist but he is satisfied with the amount he read. Still more he wants to read, including Hugo nominations.The Game RoomGenCon 2021 - very chill and different from the before times con.Life has killed another of David's game. So he will have more time to focus on the Dyson Fall game?Lots of gaming books to dig into as well, with a few more on the way from Kickstarter!eXtreme Dungeon Mastery 2nd Edition - Tracy Hickman - KickstarterLazy DM’s Companion - Sly Flourish - Kickstarter"5 Room Dungeons" at RoleplayingTips.comBastion and Mythic d6 Core Rules at Khepera PublishingEberron Rising from the Last War by Wizards of the CoastExplorer’s Guide to Wildemount by Wizards of the CoastIt’s interesting reading these and following gaming culture. There are a lot of new things out there, very cool stuff, but also a lot of the same things from when David was just starting out that people are re-discovering since they are new to the hobby and think things are new. Which is very cool.The WorkshopDavid is prepping his shop for fall and winter craftingInsulation on the garage door. Not sure it will keep the heat in during the winter, but it has helped keep the heat out in the summer.David's on iteration five of a particular pen that is giving him trouble.The Room of RetrospectionPlaying GamesTales from the Loop (Episode 2)Tales from the Loop RPGKids on Bikes is an RPG tooBrindlewood Bay (Episode 6)Get the Brindlewood Bay game.Army Corps of Engineers: Special Ops (Fate Condensed) (Episode 11)Fate CondensedBrainstorming games!Loved the Army Corps of Engineers special we did. (Episode 11)Special TopicsRPG VaultPaging through the treasures locked away in our DriveThru RPG archives (Episode 13)Game Master HacksLooking at game master toolboxes and thinking about in-game hacks. (Episode 12)Summer reading listA look at Dave and Ken’s summer reading list (Episode 17) Feedback Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about. You can also find us on Twitch. Featured Image Cover art for the Scum and Villainy role-playing game. Credit: Evil Hat.

I’m David Moore and I’ve been sailing in a boat, which is bumpier than a dirigible, and digging heavily into my books pulled from several of the libraries here in the Lair. I’m Ken Newquist and I’m happily buried underneath the many books of my summer reading list. Water-born Dirigibles David is moving forward with ASA sailing trainingASA 101 complete!Erin and David studied and watched three of the newer Deathrace moviesSailing with friends on Lake Erie did not go as planned Library 67 A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky ChambersHas some definite Firefly vibesMuch more about the characters rather than a larger plotWas good, thinking of picking up book twoSavage Legion and Savage Bounty by Matt WallaceRead the first one and immediately wanted to read the second oneFantasy civilization that is gobbling up all of the other countries around it to feed itselfEmergency Skin by N.K. JemisinSci Fi novella - a civilization sends back a scout to Earth to get materials that it cannot get. The scout encounters a surprise from a supposedly dead and dangerous planet.Highly recommended, warning - David's kind of politicsA Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. KingfisherA great young adult fantasy that has a carnivorous sourdough starter The Garage of Doom A vacation with some friends provided a good opportunity to satisfy David's Deathrace/Mad Max gaming with GaslandsThink: Fury Road meets Matchbox cars Underworld Arcade Hades - an addictive roguelike game with a good story Dyson Fall Updates David's working on oracles to help GMs or groups create where they will exploreStuck a bit on how to make the community building fun, interesting, and easy to track Self-Healing Gaming Machines Ken's Switch healed itself while he was a PhilmontNow he's playing far too much Fire Emblem: Three Houses Summer Reading Ken finished 11 of the 14 books on his summer reading listGained two books ...Alien: Bug Hunta collection of short stories involving Colonial Marines dealing various alien (but not Alien) threats. Includes one by Scott Sigler (who wrote Alien: Phalanx)If you like Aliens and Colonial Marines, you’ll like this book.Children of Ruin by Adrian TchaikovskyFollow up to Children of TimeFirst book was so good, I had to add the sequel to my list.Great world building book about first contact, accidental evolution, and overcoming barriers to communication.... but lost oneInhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds. The new Revelation Space novel was set to release July 27, 2021, but is now set to come out on October 12, 2021. The Closet of Outdated Tech Ken bought his daughter a new computer for college, so he gets her old Surface Pro.About 4 years old … but it can run Campaign Cartographer (so Ken can finally use that mapping Humble Bundle he got…)Might have enough heft to let him play a few PC games on Steam. If he can free up some disk space (only 8 GB remains…)

Ken made it to Philmont and back. That's it. Summer's done. Meanwhile, David traveled to a castle in Ohio, moderated a death race on the track in the Lair, and started on his quest to sail the seven seas. Finally Philmont Ken when to Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure camp in Cimmeron, New Mexico. You know, the place Ken's been talking about for the last year and more.What is Philmont?15 day trip (two days getting acclimated in Colorado, 12 days on the trail, 1 day traveling back) In Colorado, went to Pike’s Peak, Garden of the Gods, and whitewater rafting on the Arkansa River (Class 3 and 4 rapids)Then a 69 mile trek in PhilmontBase camp is 6,430 ft. The highest we got was about 10,500Amazing views - you can see for dozens of miles at a clipLegitimately dangerous.The crew got there in “monsoon” season, when it rains almost every afternoon.Lightning almost every day.It’s a desert, so it’s dry.But it’s raining a lot, so everything’s greenLegitimately hardHiking at altitude is difficult when you are a flatlanderDrank so much water.Good thing the crew trained.HighlightsAstronomy at Ring Place.Tomahawk throwing and black powder muskets at MirandaRock Climbing at Chase CowCowball at Chase Cow (it is definitely not volleyball).Sketching is fun.Some RPG ThoughtsThere’s a reason we don’t simulate every mile of an overland trek; it’s boring.Interesting landmarks that dominate the terrainMount Baldy is visible from much of northern Philmont. Everytime you get closer to it, and it gets bigger, it feels like you’re making progress.The Tooth of Time dominates the view at Base Camp. You know you’re at Philmont when you can see the Tooth.Interesting terrainTrails carved by floods.Are the floods a historical feature, or something a little more relevant?Unusual rock formations e.g. Garden of the Gods … what if was created by actual gods.Weather is dangerous.Remember to include it in overland treks (lightning, flash floods, massive hail, etc.)Weather transforms safe terrain into dangerous terrain. Think about that when a group fails a survival check to find a good camp.There are seasons. And some regions may have their own seasons you don’t expectUnexpected enemiesMini bears. Just as hungry as bears, but way bolder. Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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

On this episode of the Lair of secrets, David reports out on his productive stay-cation, while Ken hikes, runs, swims, and bikes his way along the final stretch of the trail to Philmont (and he could really use a nap) Back in the Printerium David's new printer arrived - Prusa i3 - MK3S+He printed a D20 wall medallionDIY stream deck, will we stream our show live in the future?Multipass vaccination card holder Dyson Fall update Community buildingPlaytest group running wellDefinitely more Kipo and the Wonderbeasts than character churning 1st and 2nd edition *Gamma World, it still retains the same exploration fun. Battery-powered Leaves David' s getting a New battery for the Nissan Leaf The Chamber of Turnings Woodworking and pen turningTurned several pens for a friend Natalie, who also did our logo!Turned several seam rippers Trail to Philmont Ken's on the final stretch.The crew went on their last shakedown hike:17 miles over two days on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey.Cold and rainy the whole time.We learned a lot. Like NeutronLad needs better rain gear, my rain gear is too loose, we need waterproof compression sacks for a sleeping bag, I may need a thermal sleeping bag liner, Philmont food will be hard on the stomach, and oh yeah, my boots aren’t nearly broken in enough. Next up:6 a.m. swim times with NeutronLad.Eating bad food now to prepare our stomachs for later. Wilderness First Aid training How to treat someone for an injury when you’re miles from anywhere (or more than a few levels deep in the lair...)Practical skills that you will hopefully will never use.Two 9-hour days that include training and role-playing (but no dice) The Back Nine Ken wants to get back to Disc GolfThrowing discs at metal baskets.He started playing disc golf in 2015 during a massive website redesign project.He stuck with it (though didn’t get much better)Ken's got some great courses nearby - Hackett Park in Easton, South Mountain in Bethlehem, Lake Nockamixon in Bucks CountyOne of the things that fell by the wayside with the pandemic.Hoping to get back to it now that folks are getting vaccinated. The Archive of Games Video Ken's playing Mass Effect Legendary EditionMastered versions of the 3 games.Does not come with any time to play it.Looks great, though it does meander a bit.Took Ken a while to get his Shepherd back. Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Credit: Electronic Arts

The Lair of Secrets get a super-science expansion as David and Ken take a look at the new super-sized edition of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. We also check out the new book You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton!, talk about work-cations, venture once more into the outdoors, and delve too deeply (or not nearly deep enough) with the drawing/journaling game DELVE. Trail to Philmont Running!Camping!Backpacking!Physical Therapy! Puppy S is coming The puppy is a male. His name begins with S. We’ll know more soon! Scientific Barbarian A megazine dedicated to our glorious mutant, high-science, post-apocolyptic futue.Check out the kickstarter page. DELVE DELVE is Anna Blackwell's drawing game of dwarves digging deeply.Because the Lair is never deep enoughKen's foray's into the dungeon:First dungeon … killed by a skeleton king and his minions.Second dungeon … killed by green meanies.Third dungeon ... Ken realized he had to stop playing spade cards on the first level. Now he's on his third level, having defeated two giant worm-things and snuck past a slumbering dragon. Work-cation Remote-er remote work? Baker’s Dozen Mystery in a Box David played the game with his family while on work-cation.Check out the "Baker’s Dozen" Mystery in a Box webpage You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton! Written by Chuck Wendig. Illustrated by Natalie Metzger.Check out You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton on GoodReads. And you thought The Lair of Secrets was big ... David looks at the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks 5e conversion by Goodman Games.Multiple versions of the classic scifi-meets-fantasy module that show it's evolution from tournament game to its current incarnation. Horizon Zero Dawn David ventures into a world where you hunt mechanical animal hybrids and try to unravel the secret of past human mistakes in Horizon Zero Dawn (PC) Dyson Fall Update David's progress on Dyson Fall (Gamma World inspired game)Building mutationsLocal game this weekend Omega Mart Omega Mart commercialsIf Aperture Science ran a supermarket... As the Pen Turns David is turning more pens on his lathe. Dead Phone, New Phone Meet David's new phone, acquired after the unexpected, untimely, and tragic death of his old phone. Meanwhile, in the Printerium... David repaired his 3D printer ... and there's a new one on the way.Printers printing printers. What could go wrong? Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Artwork from the D&D 5th Edition conversion of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Credit: Goodman Games

David and Ken stumble out of Episode 14's time shift to find the temporal demon known as "Daylight Saving Time" playing havoc with reality. In this episode, they talk about the new video game Valheim, catch up on Alan Tudyk's latest sci-fi offering, venture down alternative timelines with Roger Zelazny's Roadmarks, encounter a librarian hive mind on a Savage Ringworld, discuss late-spring exercise options, and check out Apple+'s space race drama For All Mankind. Valheim! David and the crew are playing the heck out of this early access game (which is actually pretty good for an early access game) David's Gaming Life Playing with Owlbear Rodeo, a quick-and-easy virtual tabletop.Dungeon Scrawl, quick-and-easy dungeon generation. Noticing a theme here?Friday gaming and Sunday gaming - both doing well Dyson Fall David gives an update on his Gamma World-esque game, tentatively called Dyson Fall, with Mythic d6 as the base rules.Worked up several powers and have some fiction for the setting written In the Streaming Theatre Critical Role - last two episodes have hooked me (C2E126 & 127) Getting Creative David is trying out Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, which provides inspiration and prompts for being creative every day. Resident Alien No, we're not talking about the colony of Greys who've taken up residence in the 13th level of the Lair.It's a new SyFy TV series, based on a graphic novel of the same name, starring Alan Tudyk.Resident Alien on SyFy Close Encounters of a Highway Nature Student driver and car accidentsPhone dying Doubling back through History David is reading Roger Zelazny’s Roadmarks. Savage Ringworld Ken finished running his first arc in his gaming group's Savage Ringworld campaign for Savage WorldsHe's still getting his head around balanced encounters in Savage Worlds. (partly becuase they're playing higher-powered characters, partly because Savage Worlds doesn't care about balanced encounters) At the Edge of the Map Ken's lunchtime hexcrawl campaign reached the edge of the map.They’re finally heading out to the Caverns of Kazeal. Guess Ken better draw them. Library 64 Saints of Salvation by Peter F. HamiltonFar-future transhuman space opera. Back to the Gym (or something like it) Ken got a bike rack for the Jeep … finally.He and his son re-upped their Y membership.Lots of swimming and biking in Ken's future as he preps for Philmont. Beyond the Moonshot For All Mankind on Apple+ Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 The hexcrawl map for Ken's Scales of Truth campaign. Credit: Ken Newquist

It may be early fall in the current timeline, but in the Lair of Secrets winter's freezing grasp can still be felt. In this episode, Ken and David venture into the digital halls of the RPG Vault to see what hidden treasures can be found in their DriveThruRPG collections. David's adding more books in LIbrary 64 Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirEnjoyable, but not as fun as Gideon the NinthWill be reading the next book in the seriesDamoren by Seth SkorkowskySeth - YouTube gaming adviceFun book of urban fantasy, interested in the next onePenrick and the Shaman by Lois McMaster BujoldSecond novella of Penrick in the world of the Five Gods setting Bullet Journaling New bullet journal - first time doing the milestone of going from one journal to the next and reviewing the last year In the Vandermore Game Room David's gaming woes have seemed to be lesseningGames are going off more regularlyFound a group of old friends who had room in their groupJust ordered Burning Wheel after hearing about it for years The Arcade David is playing State of Decay 2 with friends and venturing into Cyberpunk 2077 The RPG Book Pile Ken may have too many books...Scum and VillainyPublished by Evil HatKen bought it based on David's description - Blades in the Dark … IN SPACE!Tome of Beasts IIPublished by Kobold PressMore monsters for D&D 5e. So many more monsters...Icewind Dale: Rime of the FrostmaidenPublished by Wizards of the CoastHorror meets D&D in the frozen north of the Forgotten Realms.Destroyer of WorldsPublished by Free LeagueBoxed set adventure for Free League’s Alien Role-playing GameFate of CthulhuPublished by Evil HatTime travelers try to prevent the rise of a Great Old One. Once again, Ken has David to thank for wanting to get thisThose Dark PlacesPublished by Osprey RoleplayingIndustrial Science Fiction RoleplayingMonster of the Weekpublished by Evil HatThink Buffy, Supernatural, and other ongoing creature feature serials The Chamber of Fate Our Army Corps of Engineers: Special Operations Group campaign continues.Ken Got to run hisfirst game of Fate.He's still getting his head around world building via Aspects.It’s easy to fall back into simple skill checks (e.g. aid another - that’s a check that creates an Aspect - something that is true in the setting - that players can use). Instead of “make a skill check” in Savage Worlds or “you help them” (no check) in D&D.Mystery writing is hard. Venturing into the RPG Vault In which David and Ken sort through the unknown treasures lurk in their DriveThruRPG collections.Ken’s Vault590 items413 never downloaded172 core rulebooks250 fantasy titles165 science fiction titles117 horror titlesSourcesRelief bundles and Black Lives Matter fundraisers from the summerThe occasional KickstarterInteresting findsArchives of the SkySigils in the DarkCreatures of the Wastelands: A Menagerie of Mutants and MutationsTwilight 2000 (original edition)David’s Vault487 items254 never downloaded80 core rulebooks225 fantasy titles126 science fiction titles37 horror titles43 STL (3d printing) bundlesSourcesRelief and other bundlesKickstarterIndividual purchasesInteresting findsHocus Focus: A Dresden FiascoZine of Wondrous Power (out of print)A Spark in Fate CoreGodsend AgendaShaolin Squirrels: Nuts of FuryNinja Burger: The RPG Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art from a few of the RPGs we looked at during this episode. Copyright their respective publishers.

The Lair of Secrets returns as Ken and David delve into their respective stacks of books, contemplate new video game including Gloomhaven, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and then talk about their favorite game master hacks. Library 64 (or "Ken has more books than time") Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline More video game nostalgia. But not as good as the original (where “good” is a highly subjective term). Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book I: Chaos Rising) by Timothy Zahn Who cares what it’s about. More Thrawn! Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson Fourth book in the epic Stormlight Archives. Prime winter break reading material. The Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky “epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet.” The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton Transhumans battle against aliens intent on “saving us” so we can meet their god at the end of time. The Game Room Fire Emblem: Three Houses More JRPG squad-level tactical combat, this time for the Switch Ken told himself he wouldn’t get it until he completed Fire Emblem: Fates: Birthright.. And then he misplaced his3DS… Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order Ken's a huge Marvel fanboy, and right now he could use a video game that includes all his favorite heroes (including the X-men) Meanwhile ... in yet another Library Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir David is currently reading this. Alex Verus: Forged by Benedict Jacka If Harry Dresden were British and could divine the future Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold Seems to be the last of the Miles Vorkosigan series Penrick’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold Novella - part of a fantasy series The Transporter Room David picked up the trial for CBS All Access for a week Watched the two seasons of Lower Decks, felt like Futurama meets Next Generation Inspired David to watch Discovery and have watched all the way up to the part 1 of the two part-er in season 3. Finished Picard after skipping a few episodes. David definitely enjoyed Discovery and Lower Decks more. Picard just didn’t feel quite like Star Trek to him. . A Haven for Gloom David's been playing the Gloomhaven video game Been playing for a few weeks now with some friends and I am quite enjoying it It doesn’t replace sitting around a table with friends to play the board game, but it does have the advantage of doing all of the fiddly things for you In early access, still a bit buggy and the interface could use some polish Game Master Hacks Check out the Game Master Box of Holding companion post for photos of the boxes in action. Plano Cases for real-world gaming supplies - replaces crumbling IKEA box held together by (badly matched) nuts and bolts. For D&D: Plastic minis repurposed from Heroquest Yellow and white crystals for “inspiration”, plot points, etc. Red and blue gems to represent things. Like “paralyized” or “damaged”. White and yellow gems to represent other things. Pool of d6s and my “Ragnorak” travel dice. Plus a few more sets of dice, because who doesn't need more dice? Index cards for initiative Wet erase markers Extra pencils, tape measures, and other misc. tools Random dungeon dice by Inkwell ideas Room for two or three hardcovers, depending how much I’m bringing with me to a game. For Savage Worlds A smaller case, which holds smaller rulebooks Most of the same things as above (pencils, wet erase markers, etc. Modern themed minis from Star Wars, Reaper, etc. Poker chips for bennies Oversized playing cards for initiatives Power cards, status cards, and adventure deck (thanks Kickstarter!) At the table Index cards for initiative, global status indicators (“remember, everyone is blessed!”) and note passing. Dice Cup of Shame (for those who forgot their dice) GM screen for D&D (but strangely, not Savage Worlds) Laptop for adventure notes and hit point tracking Outro Thanks for listening. If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. You can also visit lairofsecrets.com and leave us some feedback, topic ideas, or your own thoughts on what we’ve talked about.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast, where David's been tinkering in the dirigible hanger trying to get the old girl flying again, and Ken's just beamed back from halfway across the galaxy. He's fine. Mostly. Library 67:Attack Surface by Cory DoctorowDavid's in the middle of this book. Having a hard time connecting with the character. The descriptions of the security precautions and all of the ways that they can be overcome are both interesting and also breaks me out of the book.Attack Surface on GoodReadsPenric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold, started reading it.I love her Miles Vorkosigan novels and saw that she had released this new book. Enjoying it so far. It’s about a boy who is on his way to be betrothed and comes upon an older woman dying. He goes to help her and her demon enters into him when she dies. In this world, those that have demons inside them are sorcerers.Penric's Demon on GoodReadsThe DarkhouseIt’s like a greenhouse, but with no windows and it’s underground, no we don’t grow mushrooms thereDavid doesn't have a lot to actually update this week due to the spores and his allergies to them. He was pretty useless for most of the week. He watched a lot of Netflix and Amazon Prime (Agents of Shield, Wynonna Earp, and others that he doesn't remember).Stepping into the teleportation cube (of course we have one of those):Star Trek: The Lower Decks is a fun take on how non-officers live and love in Star Fleet (and great inspiration for Guy). Features all your favorite Star Trek tropes, comically subverted (e.g. an episode about all of the lower deck crew padding their time estimates, another about the USS Cerritos’ “second contact” missions, the obligatory alien misunderstandings, etc.).Star Trek: Discovery is settling down into a more traditional, episodic format (though retaining serial elements). Love the show’s optimism, even after the ship’s been thrown into the far future and the Federation has been crippled by a mysterious event known as “The Burn”.The Grand KitchenKen Signed up for one of those meal-kit subscriptions. Two meals a week, heavy on the protein.Ken would like to cook more … but finding recipes, getting ingredients, and actually cooking defeated him.Ken and his wife are super busy with the kids, work, and life, with none of us really having the time we want to prepare meals. This may help (and so should the kids…).Brainstorming: Army Corps of EngineersIn which David and Ken brainstorm their upcoming Fate-powered cryptid hunting (or protecting or ... well, we're not quite sure what we're doing) campaign.Based on an idea that John Rogers(Leverage, The Librarians) mentioned on Twitter.Inspiration:Delaware Water Gap - Tocks Island DamCentralia (not Cetrona) mine fireMichigan dam collapseFriday the 13th: The SeriesNuclear bombs for engineering (aka peaceful nuclear explosions)The Immortal HulkFounding of the Army Corp of EngineersProject Blue BookEureka Featured Image Promotional artwork for Star Trek: The Lower Decks. Credit: Paramount.

Episode 10 sees Ken figuring out how to deal with the long, dark, tea time of the soul known as November, while David fends off allergies while contemplating where all the good role-playing game communities went after Google+ folded. Venturing into the Chamber of Infinite Darkness: It’s November. Daylight Saving Time is over. And suddenly, it’s gotten very, very dark: it’s pitch black at 6 a.m., and not much lighter at 5 p.m. Ken's fond that getting out of bed has become its own mental battle; so has running after the sun has set. What’s the solution? Coffee. Podcasts. Sunlamps?Stellar Cartography (no, it’s not staffed by whales … we think)Ken's been playing the heck out of Stellaris, a 4X-style, galactic empire management game. It reminds me of Master of Orion and it devoured a huge chunk of time. Exploring the galaxy is great, but diplomacy is a little lacking and managing dozens of worlds in the end game is boring. But it’s got great stories, awesome visuals, a Mass Effect-eque soundtrack, and DLC that will probably address most of my complaints (once there’s a Steam sale).The Game Room (every good lair should have one): Ken's 5+ year 5th Edition D&D campaign just ended. Now his group in the storming phase of figuring out what to do next. We’ve settled on two games:A Savage Worlds-powered Ringworld campaign. The setup: The characters are natives of a Larry Niven-style ringworld. It was struck by a massive asteroid that punched through one side of the ring, and impacted on the other. Over the last 150 years, various ring systems have been failing; we’re trying to figure out what to do about that. One player wants to include high-concept science fiction ideas into the campaign; how do you actually do that though?Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition dungeon-of-the-week campaign: A 5e campaign leveraging Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything that’s focused on short dungeon crawls and one-shot location encounters. Less focus on story, more on discovery.Pen turning David is eight pens in and really enjoying how he can start and finish one within about an hour if he likes.Nanowrimo David's novel-writing efforts are not going well at allDistractions and prioritization are to blame.Gaming woes update - David is thinking of making this its own segment (not really), did a little gaming with his Sunday group. Brindlewood Bay was just a bit too different for the group to continue with. It really needs everyone to be on their game, and at the time it's played that is just not going to happen reliably. So the group is looking for a new game to play and figuring out who will run it.Terra Oblivion - A pre-apocalyptic game of eco-espionage on a world slowly being killed by humanity’s need to consume. By Michael Fiegel, Kieran Turley, and Jerry Grayson Where do you get your game dev and community connection now that G+ is several years gone?Twitter can keep you in contact with specific people, but conversations there are impossible to hold and impossible to find againSome podcasts - Daydreaming about Dragons, have good insight into playing and running games, but are a very slow conversation if you interact with the hosts.:Ken's answer? He doesn't know - he has found good replacements for the game theory and storytelling discussions held on podcasts like The Round Table or The Game Master’s Show. Or some of the old forums he used to haunt, like Greytalk (a Greyhawk-oriented list serv). We brainstorm a bunch of ideas about where to find good gaming conversations. Have ideas of your own? Tell us! Outro If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art for Larry Niven's Ringworld. Credit: Del Rey

On this episode, David and Ken battle against ghosts, memories, and missing time in an effort to get out another podcast ... and launch our first episode! (yes, time remains a bit wibbly wobbly in the Lair). Pens keep on turning, turning, turning... into the future!David turns his first pen. He needed to make a few jigs to prep the blanks and to assemble the penPreparing for NanowrimoDavid delves into his approach to National Novel Writing MonthSome Star Wars gamingThe pandemic canceled GenCon ... but the Star Wars games must go on. David talks about his online gaming sessions in a galaxy far, far, away.Phineas and Ferb movie: Candace Against the UniverseOur kids grew up on Phineas and Ferb; now they're back in a Disney+ movieZine of Wondrous Power – Daniel Perez Issue 04 #RPGzine Now on KickstarterA Talmudic Bestiary – A collection of creatures from Jewish lore. Compatible with Old-School Essentials.DaVinci Labs: WRK400 Workman Modular Mecha – A technical profile on a utilitarian mecha.What’s the Point of It? – An essay about gaming while the world burns around you, and why I still do itThe Ioun Codex: Addendum – The Iounmancer – A prestige class about mastery of ioun magic. Compatible with Old-School Essentials.The Secret of Brook’s Mine – A small dungeon crawl with an out-of-this-world surprise.Games as Essays – An essay about games primarily expressing ideas rather than rules for play. Side-scrolling bullet stormsR-Type is out for Switch.Ken is really bad at it.Comic Book Bullet JournalingSpeaking of bullets, Ken is using a habit tracker in his bullet journal to track comic reading. Because he keep losing track of where he stopped in the X-Men's Dawn of X series.Reading comic books shouldn't be this hard...Haunting of Bly Manor A Nicely creepy follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House. As with the earlier show, the writers have fun with the timeline, which reinforces the idea that hauntings are as much about lost time as they are about lost souls. Ken's inner 12-year-old, who scared himself silly reading ghost stories, is pleased.David and Ken geek out for a while on ghost stories, which inevitably brings us back to Hellboy.Sword Art OnlineAnime in which a people become trapped in a virtual reality universe.Ready for Launch?We announce the launch of our first episode ... which you've already listened to.(we told you time was still wibbly wobbly in the Lair...) Outro If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art for X-Men #1, part of the Dawn of X storyline. Credit: Marvel

A podcast by two fortysomething geek dads who are even more middle aged than they were during the last podcast. On this episode, we talk about the joys of progressive lenses (see, we told you we were middled aged), the Twilight 2000 Kickstarter, woodworking with lathes, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (and narrated by the most excellent Robin Miles), and even more geekery. Role-playing in a World War III that never wasRole-playing in a World War III that never was - Twilight:2000 Kickstarter. It is probably the first non-D&D RPG Ken ever played.So much middle school nostalgia - the height of the 1980s, Red Dawn had just come out, and Ken was trekking across an imaginary Poland with his friends.The new retro-apocalyptic edition of Twilight: 2000, published by Free League Publishing in partnership with Game Designers' Workshop.The core rules of the game build on the Year Zero Engine (used in award-winning RPGs such as ALIEN, Tales From the Loop, Forbidden Lands and Mutant: Year Zero), but heavily adapted to fit Twilight: 2000 and its focus on gear and gritty realism.Big, beautiful boxed set with maps of Poland and SwedenKen's Very Long WalkKen went on a 24-mile backpacking trip in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaLessons learned?NeutronLad (Ken's son) needs to get the weight right in his pack. NeutronLad needed new boots. Which Ken and NeutronLad didn’t realize until well into the hike.Sock liners work! No blisters!Gear secured!Ordered a new sleeping bag; NEMO Forte 20 Sleeping Bag - Men'sIt’s a $200 bag. We’ll see how it works when I go backpacking again in two weeks.Got a Whisperlite stove, which is fueled by white gas. Looks like a tiny inferno when you light it.Also got a small hand-crank radio that’s solar chargeable and has AM/FM, and NOAA radio. Also, you can use it to recharge a phone!Death, Love, and Kids in Video GamesKen's playing Fire Emblem - Fates - Birthright for the Nintendo 2DSTurn-based JRPG with a battlefield focus.Deep-story built around combat and relationships.As with previous versions, characters with close relationships can have children, who then join your army.Foolishly playing it in traditional hardcore mode, which involves restarting the DS every time someone dies in combat.The Chamber of NostalgiaNintendo 3D All-StarsFeatures Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario GalaxyKen's kids are lost in nostalgia.Sailing into the FutureDavid is diving deeper into sailing, maybe a trawler? Likely not?He really loves the idea of being on the ocean without the smoke or noise of an engine.But trawlers are like the RVs of the ocean. More room and more creature comfortsStarting to see the cautionary tales of sailingWe could invite Bob as a guest some time to talk about sailingInto the WorkshopDavid worked in the workshop more, it’s much easier to work in with the new layoutWorked on some tool holders and things to practice onBuilt a new floor lampDavid got a lathe for his birthday (thanks Erin!)The City We BecameAudiobookN.K. Jemisin - authorRobin Miles - narratorBattle GroundGoodReads page for the bookJim Butcher - authorDaydreaming about Dragons Podcast by Judd Karlman and Inspiration GoatCheck out the podcastA Most Excellent ChairDavid's new chair! - Herman Miller ChairsProgressive LensesThe New Frontier of Middle AgeKen explains how pre-COVID gaming (specifically, looking at his notes and rulebooks during in-person games) drove him to get reading glasses ... and then progressive lenses.We meander through other progressive lense / weakening eyesight related topics including hefty indexes, miniature design, and the impact of how a poorly-considered background color/image for an RPG sourcebook can make it more difficult to read. Outro If you have feedback, we love feedback. You can send it to us at [email protected] or via Twitter @lairofsecrets. 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 Cover art for the new edition of Twilight 2000. Credit: Free League Publishing.

David and Ken once again find themselves ignoring linear time to bring you a show FROM THE FUTURE!!! On this epsiode of Lair of Secrets, they discuss their respective summer reading lists for 2021. Ken's Summer Reading List Ken is going to be spending a lot of time reading away from home, as he finally backpacking in Philmont and heads to Lake Champlain for his family's annual vacation. Watership Downby Richard AdamsAn epic book about rabbits escaping the destruction of their warren and their attempt to find a new home.Boundless (The Lost Fleet: Outlands Book 1)by Jack CampbellCampbell returns to his Lost Fleet universe on June 15. This time around, Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary has to survive the peace he brought about by saving the Alliance. His own government - which spawned a malevolent Artificial Intelligence fleet in the last series - fears Geary. Confronted by evidence of their own misdoings, they dispatch Geary on a dangerous expeditionary mission to the frontier while they "debate" what to do. Ancestral Night (White Space, Book 1) by Elizabeth BearFrom the book blurb: "Halmey Dz and her partner Connla Kurucz are salvage operators, living just on the inside of the law…usually. Theirs is the perilous and marginal existence—with barely enough chance of striking it fantastically big—just once—to keep them coming back for more. They pilot their tiny ship into the scars left by unsuccessful White Transitions, searching for the relics of lost human and alien vessels."The Trumps of Doom (Chronicles of Amber, Book 6)by Roger Zelazny, read by Wil Wheaton ((audio book on Audible)The further adventures of the royal family of Amber, who rule the multiverse from the one true city and the one true reality. This book kicks off a second series of five novels in which we meet Merwyn, the son of Corwin, the protagonist of the first five books. All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1)by Martha WellsFrom the book blurb: "On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid ― a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth."Leviathan Falls (Book 9 of the Expanse)by James S.A. CoreyThe final book in The Expanse series. And Ken would totally have read it this summer … but it’s coming out in November 2021. David's Summer Reading List The Fifth SeasonN.K. Jemmison (audio book on Audible)This is the way the world ends…for the last time.From the book blurb: "It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester."Fuzzy Nationby John Scalzi (audio book on Audible read by Wil Wheaton)From the book cblurb: "In John Scalzi's re-imagining of H. Beam Piper's 1962 sci-fi classic Little Fuzzy, written with the full cooperation of the Piper Estate, Jack Holloway works alone for reasons he doesn't care to talk about. On the distant planet Zarathustra, Jack is content as an independent contractor for ZaraCorp, prospecting and surveying at his own pace. As for his past, that's not up for discussion."The Calculating Starsby Mary Robinette KowalFrom the book blurb: One woman. One mission. One chance to save the world. It’s 1952, and the world as we know it is gone. A meteorite has destroyed Washington DC, triggering extinction-level global warming. To save humanity, the world unites to form the International Aerospace Coalition. Its mission: to colonise first the Moon, then Mars. Elma York, World War Two pilot and mathematician, dreams of becoming an astronaut – but prejudice has kept her grounded. Now nothing – and no man – will stop her from reaching for the stars.The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking)by Katie MackFrom the blurb: "We know the universe had a beginning. With the Big Bang, it expanded from a state of unimaginable density to an all-encompassing cosmic fireball to a simmering fluid of matter and energy, laying down the seeds for everything from black holes to one rocky planet orbiting a star near the edge of a spiral galaxy that happened to develop life as we know it. But what happens to the universe at the end of the story? And what does it mean for us now? Dr. Katie Mack has been contemplating these questions since she was a young student, when her astronomy professor informed her the universe could end at any moment, in an instant. This revelation set her on the path toward theoretical astrophysics. Now, with lively wit and humor, she takes us on a mind-bending tour throu

On this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast ... David Moore has had a strange few weeks and he's not really sure who he is anymore. Meanwhile, Ken Newquist digs into a good, scary graphic novel, tries out some new backpacking gadgets, and investigates a small-town murder mystery. David Messed Up Bullet JournalingRolled over into September without migrating from AugustStill haven’t quite caught up since he was also teaching last week which isn’t the normal day-to-day job.ColonoscopyThe Trials of Online GamingBrindlewood Bay and the trials of online gaming with my other group"I am the Law"David picked up the Judge Dredd 2000 AD Humble BundleCovid ScareTo Sail the Infinite Oceans...David discusses a five-year plan for buying a boat and sailing the world. And you thought backpacking was adventuresome!The Wilds of New JerseyYes, New Jersey has wilderness.Ken spent lots of time in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.Ken went on a 10-mile canoe trip along the Delaware River.5-mile hike on the AT and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail Coming up (but not really, since we recorded this last year: 2.5 days of camping and backpacking, totally 20 miles on the trail.Picked up a new gadget - a water purifier for the trail (filters out bacteria, not viruses; for that you need to treat the water)Hiker Microfilter by KatadynGeek Needs Exercise ... BadlyKen's exercise routine is stalled. Need to get back to it (and sleep better)Ken's Summer Reading List Additions (2020 edition)The big, scary books: Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series and Aliens: Nightmare Asylum and Earth WarFrom the late 1980s and early 1990sDirect sequel to Aliens (before the disappointing Alien3)Features Hicks and Newt about ten years after Aliens.Once Alien3 was released, they were renamed (Newt became Billie while Hicks became Wilks) ….. which was dumb … and they restored their names for these editionsFocuses on the intersections of humanity and the alien, from alien-worshipping cults to military officers obsessed with crafting the perfect army.Unsurprisingly, infection (how to contain the aliens … and how to deal with them when that fails) plays a major part in the series.Main Topic: How do you like to read?Print booksNo school like the old schoolDoesn’t run out of batteriesHas that new book smellHey, why can’t I increase the font size on this thing?Already have so … many … booksVs. E-Reader bookBooks don’t take up any physical spaceGo ahead. Make the font as big as you wantBacklighting makes it easier to read on the trail or camping … or at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep (but you should really just get up anyway)Doesn’t have that new book smell. Doesn’t feel like a book.Vs. AudiobooksRead at the pace of the book. No skipping ahead, no flipping backward, no skimmingMaybe slower. And may take weeks to finish a bookThe Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss? 42 hrs and 55 mins.Digital, so they don’t take up spacePeople may not consider this “reading” Feedback We love feedback! Send it to us at [email protected], connect with us on Twitter, or leave a comment below. Featured Image Cover art for the Aliens: Nightmare Asylum and Earth War. Credit: Dark Horse Comics.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! On this episode, we talk coffee, bullet journaling with the Leuchtturm1917 (for games) and Paperage A5 (for daily use), new backpacks, and the Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion board game. For the main topic, we discuss the relative merits and challenges of playing role-playing games in the real world, vs. the virtual one. Want some more bullet journal inspiration? Check out our "Virtual Bullet Journals" post. Coffee snobberyKen got an Aeropress. Plunger-powered coffee press. Quickly makes strong coffee. Faster clean-up, fewer loose grounds than french press. Super easy, light, and durable; might need to get one for camping and backpacking. Also got an electric kettle. Which seems like cheating. Day Pack of Holding Ken's Osprey Stratos 24 pack came. Took it on a 5-mile shakedown hike last weekend. Worked great! Might not be ideal for conventions … or I just need to carry less books. Big Huge Board Game ... now somewhat Less Huge ... but still Big Ken played Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion with his son. Very approachable game; comes with its own ziploc bags and instructions on how to sort components. First few adventures are tutorials (of which we did one) that spell out how combat, spells, and movement work. Bullet Journal TimeDavid started Bullet Journaling - jumped on the bandwagon, several years late Paperage A5 - for daily/regular bullet journal - enjoying it so far Yellow Leuchtturm1917 for a game bullet journal - inspired by Ken’s use Wine Bullet journaling and gaming Dune Mentat-like statement on the paper band of the cover Terraforming the Garage David is working on garage upgrade to make it more habitable in the winter months. Murder, She Gamed David geeks out about Brindlewood Bay. From the DriveThru RPG blurb: "A roleplaying game about a group of elderly women—members of the local Murder Mavens mystery book club—who frequently find themselves investigating (and solving!) real-life murder mysteries." Playing Role-Playing Games Virtually vs. the Real World How is gaming remotely different than in person? Opportunities to play shift. Makes it easier for some people to join the game. Others (understandably) don’t want Yet Another Online meeting or lack gear/internet connection to make it work. Overall, feels like there’s a small benefit, scheduling-wise What extra considerations do you need when gaming remotely? Battle Map Prep If playing with maps, more time is needed to find and/or make the maps. Stockpiling maps (and pre-loading them into your tabletop) can be helpful. Same goes for tokens. Investing time up front to have player tokens, common NPC tokens, and monster tokens is worthwhile. Mapping sites: https://watabou.itch.io/one-page-dungeon https://donjon.bin.sh/5e/dungeon/ https://dungen.app/dungen/ Visuals Even with theatre-of-the-mind style play, it’s helpful to pull together photos/videos/etc that show off campaign elements and then load them into the virtual tabletop. Pinterest is also good for this. Mechanics Mainstream games are easier to run because virtual table tops do a better job of supporting their mechanics. Theatre of the mind works well too. Even simple mechanics, like Savage Worlds’ initiative card deck, can trip you up. There’s a learning curve with whatever platform you use. Sometimes it feels like a learning ciff that you run smack into (or fall off of) Technology Finding a video conferencing platform everyone likes is hard. A little easier now though. Uneven skill levels and technology among players (e.g. some people have headsets, some don’t). Phones can be a great equalizer here, and avoid the software/driver upgrade cycle of heck. How does virtual play affect personal interactions? Difficult to “read the room” as a GM, especially if no one is using cameras. No side conversations Do you need more breaks? Yes Feedback We love feedback! Send it to us at [email protected], connect with us on Twitter, or leave a comment below. Featured Image A few of Ken's bullet journals. The light blue one is a general RPG bullet journal; the yellow one is for the Scales of Truth campaign, and the royal blue one is a daily bullet journal.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. David is a father, coder, gamer, woodworker, and guy with too many hobbies he likes to pursue. Ken is an IT guy who never seems to have enough time to read comic books, but refuses to stop collecting them. Colorful Forges of WordsDavid finished Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett - very abrupt ending, the novel felt like a series of short stories strung together, not his best work but still enjoyableForging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes by - reading - Superhero/villain story, the main character is a villain in air quotes who is learning to use her powers and being introduced to the social structure behind the scenes at a villain guildReads like a story based on role-playing done in Champions Online or City of Heroes, which is to say it’s pretty good, but won’t be for everyoneInteresting worldbuilding on how new metas come into beingA Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - on deck nextOn the Agenda of GodsDavid's Local game group was partially able to get together this weekend after the long hiatusPlayed a game of the new edition of Godsend Agenda that is being developed by Khepera Publishing with the GM being Jerry Grayson. It’ll be released on the Babies With Knives and Cowboy Dracula YouTube channels at some point.Was a lot of fun, and David was reminded about how long DnD and Pathfinder combats can take.We did several combats and a fair amount of investigation and role-playing in the four-ish hours of gaming. I’ve had DnD and Pathfinder games where it was nearly four hours of combat.Picked up Take 5 / 6 Nimmt and have had fun with the games of it so farOn Miscellaneous Topics of NoteZoe is doing very wellTorn down pretty much everything in the garage woodshop to rearrange it and make improvementsVenturing forth with a new Day Pack of HoldingKen is finally replacing his grungy old day pack with a spiffy new Osprey one.A day pack is a lightweight backpack meant for shorter hikes, overnight backpacking trips, and trips.Also: Game conventions?Ken bought the Osprey Stratos 24 pack24 liter pack.Dual zippered panel access to main compartmentFront panel vertical zip pocket; front panel zip stash pocket; front panel storage pocket; large top panel zip stash pocket; side stretch-mesh pockets; zip hipbelt pocketsIce-tool loop with bungee tie-offIntegrated raincoverInternal hydration reservoir sleeve (hydration reservoir sold separately)By way of comparison, Ken's main backpack is an 85L pack (it’s a lot bigger)To Boldly Go ... and ReadKen bought all the Star Trek Adventures books via Humble BundleSooooo much content.Ken may need to take a day off just to read Star Trek.More D&D with kidsKen's daughter (17) wants him to run a game of D&D for her and her friends.Looks like that new D&D starter set is going to get a lot of use this fall...The Theatre of Infinite StreamsThe Old Guard (movie)Charlize Theron "Andy"… one of a handful of immortal warriors who try to make the world a better place. They find a new immortal … and a conspiracy that wants to harness their immortality.If you liked Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road or Atomic Blonde, you’ll love this.Umbrella Academy, Season 2Based on the comic books of the same name.Children with powers adopted and raised by a stern father (and an intelligent ape).In Season 1, one of them nearly destroyed the world. In Season 2, the apocalypse is still looming large … but it’s a nuclear war in 1963.Baseball!Finally … Ken's Mets are back. Watching games is surreal though.The BoysWhere we go off on a Karl Urban sidetrack of how he makes any movie he is in better Featured Image Artwork from the Star Trek Adventures game by Modiphius.

Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is an IT project manager, comic book enthusiast, and outdoor guy who is getting outdoors a lot more these days. David Moore is a father, coder, gamer, woodworker, and guy with too many hobbies he likes to pursue. Running, Blown Sneakers, and ByclingKen's stuck on Week 4 of his 10K training program. He blew out a sneaker (turns out he's bad at taking off sneakers)Also: training is hard.Thinking about doing more biking to balance out the running. Got a Trek Dual Sport 3 last year and used to bike work. Now … that’s not an option since he's working from home. Ken invents the term “Bycling”, a combination of cycling and bicycling. - DavidGetting ready to do more hiking and backpackingWise Old Humans, Cultured Science Fiction, Worse Worlds Currently working on David Brin’s The Ancient Ones, his first comedy science fiction novel in which humanity is the elder species that serves as advisors to the “demmies”, an overeager species that are always rushing into trouble.Next up? Excession (A Culture Novel Book, Book 5) by Iain M Banks - About an alien artifact that appeared at the edge of the galaxy millennia ago, only to disappear. Now it’s back.The Worst of All Possible Worlds (The Salvagers, Book 3) by Alex White - The concluding novel to the Salvagers series, which mixes space opera with magic.Echoes of Ancient Greece, The Mandibles of the FelineMythic Odysseys of Theros (D&D Campaign Setting and Adventure Book)Based on the Magic: The Gathering world. Inspired by Greek MythologyPart of me wants to run a Clash of the Titans-style fantasy game.Gloomhaven: Jaws of The LionBy Cephalofair Games Expansion / stand-alone game based on Gloomhaven rules.An easier, faster version of the base game. Could be a good introduction to the larger game. Walk, Walk WalkWalking - Still at least twice a day, but the heat has been hard for David to get in more than thatNot today, but did a fair amount of work in the workshop, cleaning and making shop furnitureDresden returns, Shading the ArcanePeace Talks by Jim Butcher - latest novel in the Dresden Files released July 14, 2020.Still reading The Color of Magic by Terry Prachett halfway through, on hold for Peace Talks. It’s decent, but David definitely likes his later work better.Wondrous Memories of Powerful AtlantisUnfortunately, no regular Sunday game for six weeks now, hoping we’ll play this weekDavid played in a session of Atlantis the Second Age by Khepera Publishing (check out the game's downloads)We just received issues 1-3 of the Zine of Wondrous Power by Highmoon Press and friend Daniel PerezZine of Wondrous Power is a gaming zine by Daniel M. Perez dedicated to exploring playing, design, creation, and discussion of roleplaying games. It features short essays, small games, new rules and settings, fiction, and ideas. If it deals with roleplaying games as a hobby and art form, it has a home in the Zine of Wondrous PowersAssorted Geekery (and dogs)Plex home library, rediscovering all of the DVDs I own but haven’t watched in a while.Legend of KorraBrimstoneConan the BarbarianThundarr the BarbarianNew dog! Zoe is two months old Great Pyrenees (with maybe some labrador in there) and will hopefully be a great playmate for Zeke who is now one year old Main Topic: Achieving Consensus at the Game Table Ideas for achieving consensus when looking for a new RPG. Ken’s group is considering alternatives to our short Star Wars game. How do you achieve consensus when picking a new game? Polling? Big forum thread?In-person brainstorming (or, in the COVID world, video conference brain storming) Right now we’re looking at some sort of science fiction game, but the options are all over the place: Homegrown cyberpunk, space opera, near-future, High SF?Star Trek?Urban fantasy (i.e. spellslingers on the streets of New York)Something powered by Savage Worlds? Try a couple of different systems for inspiration? Featured Image Cover art from Peace Talks by Jim Butcher.

WE COME FROM THE FUTURE ... the future of the Lair of Secrets podcast, that is! David and Ken talk about their latest geeky undertakings, including a return to Atomic Robo, WandaVision, X of Swords, the Forbidden Lands RPG, and even more speculative fiction novels before turning to the main topic: Kickstarter's Zinequest 3. Ken finally read Atomic Robo See Episode 3 …. Which was like yesterday for you, and months ago for us. Great stuff. Atomic Robo & the Fightin Scientists of Tesladyne Make Mine WandaVision Ken and his kids love it. He may love it more as an X-Men (and thus, Scarlet Witch) fan. X of Swords Ken finally read Marvel’s massive summer crossover, which harkens back to the Chris Claremont/Alan Davis era of Excalibur. Yeah, you heard that right, X-Nerds! Ken started The Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. He should be done reading it sometime in 2022. 1,232 pages (57 hours, 26 minutes in audiobook form) Space Sweepers - Korean film with an international cast. David's Gaming Army Corps of Engineers: Special Operations Group powered by FATE Condensed Captured a Batsquatch in Washington State When the fearsome batsquatch was finally subdued it was "high as a kite" and "curious about humans" Started and ended a Star Wars d6 game Not all games are for everyone Ran a one-shot Spirit of the Century ALMOST ran the Gamma World hex crawl again Planning for either a D&D or Forbidden Lands game to replace the Star Wars game I know very little about Forbidden Lands, but I have heard it is good, seems very hex-crawl-like Why not a Burning Wheel game? I don’t think it’s right for this group. Books that David is reading The Flowers of Vashnoi - Lois McMaster Bujold The Invisible Library - Cogman Genevieve Zinequest 3 Official Kickstarter Page Zinequest 2021 @ Bone Box Chant – A huge list of all of the active and upcoming zines being published as part of Zinequest 3. Thru-Hiker: A Journaling Game of Long-Distance Hiking – Sounds like the perfect intersection of outdoor and gaming geekery. By Daniel Perez Infinite March – A zine about working as agents to support (or tear down) the Temporal Empire and its eternal rule. Planar Compass Issue 2 – Explore the Astral Sea with this Old School Essentials-compatible zine. Includes new monsters, a “living dungeon”, astral navigation rules, and (of course) pirates. Creature Feature – a ZineQuest 3 monster TTRPG anthology. There’s not much up about this one, but it had me at “Creature Feature”. Hope is Not a Plan - An solo, journaling-style RPG zine about "the existential dread of professional project management". Given that a big chunk of Ken's day job deals with project management, he can relate to the "dread" part. The Vast in the Dark - A zine about "Exploring Ruins in an Infinite World", It features "brutalist alien flavor", no prep world generation, and optional horror rules. The Island of the Excellent: A Hexcrawl Zine Last Orders! 16 Beers and Ciders for Fantasy RPGs. Comments? Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment below. Featured Image Meta Cover art from the Forbidden Lands RPG by Free League. Credit: Free League.

Welcome to the Untitled Podcast. You know what the name is, we don’t … but we’re getting closer. Maybe. On this exercise, we hit the gym (or at least, the sidewalk) with our respective exercise routines, finish up our Tales from the Loop game, talk physical therapy for dogs, get lost in a few endless video games, and start grabbing books off the shelf for our respective reading lists. David's Exercise Update David talks about his exercise routine Delays in editing the Untitled Podcast and Cowboy Dracula But you're in the future, so the shows are already done! Physical therapy is going to the dogs Dog Zeke needs to continue his physical therapy for his muscle atrophy David's Reading List David started a reading list. Since he can’t go to a bookstore and just browse shelves, he needs to be much more mindful of what he wants to read next The Books: Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (First book in the Discworld series) Learn more at Tor's Terry Pratchett Book Club. Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal Check out Kowal's website Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Tor Publishing's website for the book Exiting Tales from the Loop Finished our last session of Tales from the Loop and looking forward to another arc or a new game The official website for Tales from the Loop Settlement creation with Ex Novo David played a little game called Ex Novo to create the settlement in his Gamma World game Started out with a river, plain and pretty boring Soon after had a cave system with metal tunnels with robots, a mountain that had been split in half, and the primary food source was the Hoppers, grasshoppers the size of your hand A faction grew up to brew beers and spirits from the hoppers, another wanted to engineer the site to help with the yearly flooding and to increase the hopper population The brewers collapsed as a faction as a fire in that district killed one of the elders of the village as they fought the fire and after that spirits were no longer allowed to be brewed It went on from there with new factions forming, old factions gaining or losing influence It makes for a great role-playing tool, since now the players have a direct interest in the settlement that we all built, and can reference the history Run, Geek Run Ken's 10K Training Routine continues with Week 4. Also strength training routine (lots of planks, lunges, stretching, rollie, squats, etc.) Getting Lost in Video Games Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Ken made it to the final temple. It only took 22 years... Nintendo's Ocarina of Time website DRAGON QUEST® XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition Massive JRPG for the Switch Includes “flashback” segments with old school 16-bit graphics Took me years to finish DragonQuest IX on the DS/3DS Nintendo's Dragon Quest XI website Ken's Summer Reading List It's summer somewhen, right? The Unicorn Project: A Novel about Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data by Gene Kim The follow-up to The Phoenix Project takes place alongside the earlier book. It's like the Ender's Shadow of the IT workflow/productivity fiction genre (which is so niche it might only contain these two books) Official website for the boo . Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson An indirect follow up to Cryptonomicon A sequel of sorts to Reamde About getting scanned and uploaded into a virtual universe. Stephenson's website for the book Bone Silence by Alistair Reynolds Set in a far-future version of our solar system Major planets have been dismantled and replaced by thousands of orbital habitats. Civilization has risen and fallen multiple times, leaving behind valuable detritus to those willing to risk dangers terrible and strange The publisher's website And the rest... Excession (A Culture Novel Book, Book 5) by Iain M Banks (GoodReads) The Bohr Maker (The Nanotech Succession Book 1) by Linda Nagata (GoodReads) The Dreaming Stars (Axiom, Book 2) by Tim Pratt (GoodReads) The Last Emperox (The Interdependency, Book 3) by John Scalzi (GoodReads) The Wise Man’s Fear (Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 2) by Patrick Rothfuss (GoodReads) 10 books in total, plus a bunch of 1950s Hellboy as well as Abe Sapien standalone graphic novels. Check outthe full list over at Nuketown We talked about Atomic Robo too! Comments? Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment below Featured Image Meta Cover art for the 3DS version of Ocarina of Time. Credit: Nintendo

In the second episode of the still-untitled podcast, we talk about David's RPG mapper project, venture into the challenges of exercising daily, talk about our Tales from the Loop game, and delve into Ken's obsession with the X-Men. We round out the podcast with a conversation about the joy - and challenges - of gaming with kids. Campaign Mapper Campaign Mapper, the boring name for a fun project. Maybe David will name it after the podcast. What was our podcast name again? ? DnD Dads podcast Geek dads talking Dungeons & Dragons and other topics. Learn more and get the podcast at the DnD Dads website. Exercise daily David's exercising. This is a good thing. How the Tales from the Loop game is going We're slinging dice and investigating weird mysteries in the 1980s that never were. Check out the Tales from the Loop website. Catching on Comic Books Ken’s a big X-Men fan. Despite this, he was perpetually 3-4 years behind on reading comic books. Spent the last two years getting caught up in time for the big Dawn of X storyline ... ... only to find he had holes in his collection... ... and then COVID hit. Upside to the delay? Dawn of X titles are showing up on Marvel Unlimited ... and Ken is dangerously close to catching up. Gaming with Kids Ken picked up the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Boxed Set Meant as an easy entry point into D&D. Comes with: Dice. Basic Rules (plus a new 1-on-1 rules variant) Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure Sly Flourish: Running Dragon of Icespire Peak from the D&D Essentials Kit Cards for magic items, initiative, and quests Maps Ken has been gaming with his son and friends for the last few years, at home and on vacation. Gaming with kids is challenging They like it, but attention spans can be a challenge. Thankfully, it’s getting better as they get older. Not quite like it was when we were kids. Their touchpoints are more likely to be video games or movies. Ken hasn't figured out how to transition to my son (or one of the kids) being the DM. Comments? Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment below. Featured Image Cover art for the Dragon of Icespire Peak adventure. Credit: Wizards of the Coast

Welcome to the first episode of the podcast that didn't know it's own name! On this episode, David and Ken introduce themselves before venturing into the irradiated wastes of Gamma World. Running's a good strategy when confronted by hyperintelligent carrotfolk; it's also a good way to stay healthy, as Ken talks about his 10K training program. Finally, we run down the Top 3 New Role-playing Games that we like, including Alien, Tales from the Loop, and The Flux. Gamma World Hex Crawl David talks about discovery hexcrawls and then applying them to the vintage science fiction setting. Wayne's Books: Gamma World 2nd edition (1983-84): 1st ed gets a revision Rolling Boxcars: Gamma World 2e: Wild and Wahoo? More Lair of Secrets posts/podcasts related to the post-apocalyptic setting. Kicking off a 10K training program Ken likes to run, so he's starting a 10K training program. Based on the Runners World 10K Training Plan It's an 8-week program that includes a mix of easy runs, hills, and intervals. Top 3 New RPGs We Like Ken’s Picks Alien by Free League Whether you're running a haunted house in space or a roller coaster thrill ride, Free League has you covered. The game pits players against alien xenomorphs in either "cinematic mode" (like playing a movie, complete with acts, betrayals, and set characters) and "campaign mode" (which is meant for ongoing play with player-generated characters). There are three boxed set adventures for the game as well the Colonial Marines Operations Manual rules expansion. Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius Role-playing in the final frontier in one of fandom's most venerable space opera universes. Uses the 2d20 system (Mutant Chronicles, Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, John Carter of Mars and the Infinity RPG. Tons of rule books that let you play in any Star Trek era. Tales from the Loop by Free League Nostalgic role-playing in the 1980s that never were. Game play alternates between kids investigating a supernatural (or super science) mystery and kids dealing with their home/personal life. David’s Picks Tales from the Loop by Free League See above. The Flux by John Wick Presents A meta game in which experiences from a character in one role playing game can over into subsequent role-playing games. Scum and Villainy by Evil Hat Productions A space opera / space fantasy game based on the Blades in the Dark rule set. Retains the job/heist based focus of Blades in the Dark Think The Mandalorian, Firefly, and other "crews trying to survive on the edge of space"-style shows and movies. Check out our Scum and Villainy Actual Play series. Comments? Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment below. Featured Image Meta Cover art for Gamma World, 2nd Edition. Credit: TSR