Advertise on podcast: Around the Hearth

What makes a good city in a role-playing game? People, places, factions, rumors? We're going to be talking about that and bringing together your insights. This community discussion ranges widely but includes: tools for building cities, techniques for making cities feel alive, mapping, citybook resources, and more. While we don't follow my outline, you can see my planning doc here.  Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]

As the first installment in a series of episodes on improv tools at the gaming table, Ian & José are joined by Karen Twelves, the author of Improv for Gamers, to discuss how players can make and receive meaningful offers in TTRPGs. Timecodes0:04:37 Pick your Poison0:24:25 What's an Offer?0:31:17 Creating Offers and Listening for Them0:36:53 Formal and Informal Ways to Offer0:46:30 Offers that Endow Others0:51:02 Nuancing Improv's Rules of Thumb0:57:15 Prepping for Spontaneity1:01:09 Ending Scenes1:06:57 The Pressure to Make Something Happen1:13:50 Pearl of Wisdom1:16:10 Outro Karen's Workhttps://karentwelves.com/Improv for Gamers Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] Our info:Email: [email protected]: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex

Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at two related RPG systems. First Godlike, the World War II supers game that leans into realism and consistency. Second Wild Talents, the evolution of the systems from Godlike which can follow that history or be recast into a generic supers RPG. The hosts look at what both games do, their place in the history of gaming, and the influence of related comics media. They wrap that up general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Thanks to Rich Rogers for the edit of this episode. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] 00:00 Intro01:10 The Pitch09:34 Gaming History17:00 Comics & Media History21:44 Thoughts

In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Kieron Gillen and Cat Rambo to talk about recent games, plans for future games, current writing projects, and more. Kieron GillenNewsletter: buttondown.email/KieronGillen/ Comics: bindings.app/shelf/1FLv6kLb Website: [email protected] on BlueSky Cat Rambohttps://www.catrambo.com/Wayward Wormhole Workshop @catrambo.bsky.social on BlueSky Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] 00:00 Introduction​01:52 Kieron Gillen & Mythic Bastionland11:42 Cat Rambo & Villa Encantata (still in design)19:53 Lowell & Rapscallion30:31 Upcoming Publications & Giving Me Life

A collection of favorite tabletop RPGs of 2025 from our community members. It's split into three sections, with host picks in-between. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] SPOILERDominik | Apocalypse KeysRae Nedjadi | HarvestAlexander Marchant | Last Train to BremenHorst | Mystic BastionlandMarc Majcher | Triangle Agency / Ultraviolet GrasslandsMads | Trophy DarkAnders | Sentinel Comics RPGKieron Gillan | Seven Part PactMike Minutillo | The WatchJim Crocker | Band of BladesSean Smith | OD&DTea | Sundered IslesFerret | PrometheanSherri | DIEJesse Ableman | HarvestWill | Mystic BastionlandWyllora | Triangle AgencyCasey | Yazeba's Bed and BreakfastMike Ferdinando | Ultraviolet GrasslandsAlun Rees | GrimwildJex Thomas | ExileNat Knight | Blood FeudGerrit Reninghaus | Pizza BoxLloyd Gyan | DaggerheartMichele | AnamnesisGuy Milner | You Must Leave This Party AloneRich Rogers | SmallvilleLowell | Writers' RoomSina | Apocalypse KeysThomas Manuel | Last Train to Bremen, Impossible Landscapes, HarvestGabe | Mystic BastionlandWill S | Triangle AgencyMichael D | Yazeba's Bed and BreakfastDom | Cats of CthulhuShane | OddfolkAmanda Mullins | NumbskullsDonogh McCarthy | Star Trek Adventures 2nd edCat | Triangle AgencyDavid MK | Stonetop, AWBO, Ex-CapesBez | Chapter Dungeon CrawlerJosé | Girl by Moonlight

In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Michael D. and Alun R. to talk about the ups and downs of "funny" game mechanics, a modern approach to traditional fantasy, and facing down what feels like inescapable doom. They examine light rules for sitcoms, new rules with an old feel, and a game that puts you on the losing side of a war. Please note that we will not be releasing any more episodes in December, but look for our upcoming annual Games of the Year episode dropping at the start of 2026! Going for BrokeGrimwildBand of Blades Panda's Talking GamesViva La QueerBar (English)Viva La QueerBar (Deutsch) Lowell's Dumb Honkai Star Rail Returning Player Code Michaelhttps://kpopandrpgs.itch.io/KPOPandRPGs on social media or @kpopandrpgs or Michael D on Discord. Alunhttps://gallusgames.itch.io/@gallusgames or Alun R on [email protected] on BlueSky Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] 00:00 Introduction01:55 Michael & Going For Broke16:10 Alun & Grimwild29:24 Lowell & Band of Blades49:19 Giving Me Life

Note: we had some audio issues with this recording (apologies)! In our third episode of Roll for Mutation, a look at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs, we bow in abject obeisance Friend Computer and the incomparably perfect TTRPG Paranoia from West End Games and then Mongoose. We consider the different editions and how we live in a phenomenal time which sometimes necessitates updating. But of course it never actually changed, since the Computer tells us that it has always been that way. Hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the extended history of the game and how it desperately raced to keep itself contemporary. We talk about what Paranoia is, where it fits in gaming history, our split experience playing it, and our general thoughts about the game. ReferencesParanoia on WikipediaParanoia on RPG GeekRPGNet Interview with James Wallis, Grant Howitt & Paul DeanThe Toothpaste DisasterDesigners & Dragons Volume 2 The 1980s For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and LARPs inspired by the works of Philip K. Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio 00:00 Introduction: Paranoia00:45 What is it?09:28 Gaming History21:10 The Media Context28:47 Our Thoughts

Content Advisory: character death, ritual sacrifice Ian & José are joined by Wyllora to explore what it means to fail in an RPG, and why we might want to do it on purpose. How do we define "success" in games, and what are the ways we can step outside that limit with agency? Wyllora’s Work: Art - https://www.artstation.com/wylloraGame Design - https://wyllora.itch.io/Triangle Agency Holiday-themed Game Jam! - https://itch.io/jam/time-and-a-half Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] Our info:email: [email protected]: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex

Lets talk widescreen, big idea sci-fi. Games of space fleets, interstellar empires, sometimes aliens-- big ideas and lasers. Games like Star Trek Adventures, Traveller, Fading Suns, Space Wyrm vs Moonicorn, Dune, Coriolis, Scum & Villainy, Ashen Stars, Star Wars, Last Fleet, and the like. Talking Space Opera is another in our series of community discussions. It looks at sci-fi gaming and this tent-pole sub-genre. Our discussion ranges widely but includes: What is Space Opera, Space Combat, Aliens, Space Travel, Making Characters Not Feel Small in a Big Universe, Collaborative Building, and more. Selected Games MentionedOnce More into the Void Cluster Rust Hulks Fellowship Starscape Storm Furies Rebel Few Tachyon Squadron Superbandit Stars Without Number Golgotha Through the Void Uncharted Worlds Recommended Reading: Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected] 

Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History jumps forward significantly in time to just after the d20 boom/bust cycle. Today's focus is Ross Payton's independently produced and Kickstarted Base Raiders. They go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. They then move to general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug. We talk a little about how you might adapt this elsewhere and its place in the history of Fate. If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe. Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world. Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]  00:00 Intro00:58 The Pitch05:11 Gaming History08:12 Comics & Media History12:09 Thoughts  

In our second episode of Roll for Mutation, a look at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs, we tackle Twilight 2000 from GDW, focusing on those original editions but with some discussion of Twilight 2013 and Twilight 2K. Hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the extended history of the game and how it desperately raced to keep itself contemporary. We talk about what Twilight 2000 is, where it fits in gaming history, why there used to be a "Men's Adventure" section in bookstores, and our general thoughts about the game. ReferencesTwilight 2000 on WikipediaTwilight 2000 on RPG Geek Grognardia on Twilight 2000, Merc 2000 RPGNet Review of Twilight 2013 Designers & Dragons Volume 1 The 1970s For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History. Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and larps inspired by the works of Philip K Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/. Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community. You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]  Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio 00:00 Introduction: Twilight 200001:43 What is it?08:34 Gaming History16:46 The Media Context21:44 Our Thoughts 

What's the game you've wanted to get to the table but haven't been able to? What's the campaign premise you've considered but don't know how to make it work? What's the rpg that just couldn't actually function if you tried to run it online? What's the wild concept that you know would crash-out but it amuses you just the same? In this group chat for our Shared Hearth Open Gaming Con, community members talk about the ones that got away and the ones they're fearful of pursuing. We talk about a ton of different games including: Mage, Hearts of Wulin, Slugblaster, Good Society, Legacy: Life Among the Ruins, Scarred Lands, Mountain Home, and many more. A great discussion thread on our Discord inspired this conversation. Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found hereFollow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]

This week we present a bonus episode for both Roll for Origin & Roll for Mutation. Lowell chats with Pedro Barrenechea, lead designer for Rotted Capes 2nd Edition, a post-apocalyptic game of superheroes. They chat early game experiences, how the first edition came about, revising the rules, and more. Rotted Capes 2e Backerkit Sign Up Rotted Capes 1e on DTRPGPedro aka StatMonkey on Bluesky Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]   

For this episode we've cleaned up the audio from an older community seminar on running one-shots. Like several of our other "Talking" episodes, this has Lowell Francis giving a talk, mixed in with questions from the chat and a Q&A at the end. We cover pacing, set up, safety, problem players, structure, and more. You can check out the outline for the talk here. Other Resources: Burn After Running: RPG One-Shots (probably the best resource for this out there)Running One Shots from Age of Ravens One Shot Podcast Network Keith Stetson on Running Itras By as a one-shotFind out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]   

In this episode Host Lowell Francis talks with Becky Annison and Josh Fox of Black Armada games about what they've been playing, herbal witches, the final frontier, their Kickstarter for Ex Tenebris, and much more. The Ex Tenebris Kickstarter Black Armada GamesBlack Armada on itch Josh Bluesky: @armadajosh.bsky.socialBecky Bluesky: @beckyannison.bsky.social Wise WomenRapscallionStar Trek Adventures 2eSecrets of the Silent Witch Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming CommunitySupport us on Patreon!Our actual play podcast can be found here Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpgBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpgMastodon: @[email protected]   00:00 Introduction​01:45 Josh & Ex Tenebris16:25 Becky & Wise Women25:02 Lowell & Star Trek Adventures 2e36:26 Giving Me Life