In which Jim and I listen to a voicemail, list some more sci-fi RPG’s, and talk about campaigns that span multiple generations of PC’s. Then we explore the genre of organized crime (mafia, mob, syndicate, etc.) stories, listing typical tropes, example movies, and some RPG systems / supplements that would help you add this to your campaign.
Listener Challenge: Tell us about a campaign you played in (or ran) that featured organized crime. Especially if the PC’s were members of the crime organization. You can email me at “steve (at) pftdcast (dot) com“, or Jim at “jim (at) pftdcast (dot) com“, leave us a voicemail message at 617-302-PFTD, or add a comment on our forum.
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In which Jim and I respond to a long voicemail with a discussion of sandbox campaigns & science fiction games. Jim describes Kane & Lynch II and we wrap up with a little disagreement about The Expendable’s.
Listener Challenge: What are some other, great, science fiction RPG’s? Especially, any that would fall into the “Hard Sci-Fi” category.
Special Announcement: Fear the Con IV dates have been announced. Jim and I are both planning to be there (barring unforeseen circumstances).
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In which Jim and I discuss our very first voicemail’s, how to look at criticism we are all likely to get, and then the matter of the two Crichton’s. How this can allow for a multi-threaded plot and a case where romantic tension is both resolved and continued, simultaneously. Finally we do some brainstorming for how to keep a story going, even when the initial quest or motivation gets resolved. Oh, and we put a call out for similar experiences.
Have you ever had a character resolve their initial source of tension / motivation only to find other, worthy sources and continue to adventure? Or, have you experienced a character that resolved their initial source of tension / motivation and this knocked the legs out from under the campaign and ended it prematurely?
Let us know! Either voicemail (617-302-PFTD), email, or on the forum!
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In which Jim and I briefly discuss the new movie Salt, starring Angelina Jolie. Then female action hero tropes and how Salt measures up. Finally we discuss RPG campaigns that focus on Empire Building, how they can be played, why you may want to, and some of Jim’s very positive experiences with them.
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In which Jim and I discuss Inception, define catharsis, seek it in our gaming, and explore gaming within a dream. We also challenge GM’s and game designers to recognize character death as a valid choice for players, and describe a couple of campaign ideas that allow the ‘multiple levels of reality’ setting exposed by Inception, Dreamscape, eXistenZ, and others.
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In which Jim and I discuss even more forum feedback on planning protagonists, and vampire games, and heists. Then we discuss how to actually play a heist game or story arch, giving examples of how the pieces work and how they can be integrated into nearly any genre.
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In which Jim and I announce our new voicemail line (617-302-PFTD), cover forum-feedback on previous episodes, and then dive into the topic of Vampires! We try to start at the beginning, skipping about a bit, and end up with some recommendations for how to adapt this most adaptable of mythos’ to your own RPG campaigns. Yes, we discuss sparkly vampires, and I even forward a tentative theory on why they sparkle. Who knows, maybe after you hear it – all of your vampires will begin to take on a certain glint. 
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In which Jim and I are futile in our search for a “planner” type hero – not anti-hero or reformed crook. We then discuss “The Last Airbender” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and draw a great deal of inspiration from the anime series for RPG styles and campaigns. Finally, we ask for help in finding an RPG adaptation or at least a great system for making one.
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In which Jim and I discuss Lazy Hero’s who spoil the plans of Planners and Lucky Fools who pass through an interesting milieu of quirky characters. We explore ways in which RPG’s are trying to explore the inner life of PC’s and finally how moral consequences can be created in a campaign, where appropriate.
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In which Jim and I discuss the Bechdel Test, how it relates to female roles in Westerns, and how both of those topics relate to RPG’s. Then we discuss a couple of really good Westerns, some lessons that can be learned from them and added to your own settings / campaigns. We discuss variations of the Western, like Sci-Fi Westerns and even the Post Apocalypse Western.
“If you want a woman in an old western town, there are only three occupations open to her, hooking, schoolmarming, and anyone called Ma.”
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Uncategorized | admin | 
30 Aug 2010 12:53 am | 
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