PLUG

So we're getting a plug from Synapse RPG.

So I shall return the favour: Synapse is up for public beta.

Go.
Read.
Play.
Review.
Talk...

Enjoy!

Oops!

Thanks to Chris.King for letting me know that we have got some broken links...

I'll try and get those fixed up ASAP.

Other changes that are on their way include moving this site over to www.natural20podcast.com... but that will depend on how quickly I'm able to get things done, and whether I make my Will save to resist being distracted by... ooooooh shiny!

Episode 33 - Playing a Jerk

Episode 33 - Playing a Jerk

Can you play a jerk without ruining other people's fun?

In 'Body Corporate', which we played at Phenomenon 2010, I, Emma, played a jerk.
It's true.

Liz played my wife. While we were in the game, I pretty much ruined her fun. Unintentionally, mind you. Honest!

Using this experience, plus a few hypotheticals from other games - D&D for instance - and improvisational theatre, we discuss ways that you can *play* a jerk without *being* a jerk.

Podcast Alley!

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-5a49b0425822dbeb3274098f7e18b3d7}

Episode 32: Emma’s Identity Crisis

Episode 32: Emma’s Identity Crisis (32:35, 15.2MB)


(Venn diagram via s2.buzzfeed.com)

In our discussion, we equated:

• Obsession with extreme enthusiasm
  
• Intelligence with deep knowledge - particularly stats and numerical data (which is why people can be car geeks or sports geeks, if they know all the players stats or car specs).
  
• Social ineptitude with Fandom, and an alternate aesthetic sense.

We also concluded that nerddom and geekdom specifically relates to Technology, as well as pursuits that could be considered ludic or childish (or at least, not directly related to the adult concerns of earning money, raising a family, etc.). We also thought that nerds and geeks are innovative rather than following social conventions; and Emma suggested that the scale of how nerdy/geeky you are is directly related to your degree of creativity or participation in your area of nerdliness/geekiness.
What do you think?

Some links:
Girl Geek Dinners Worldwide
Canberra Girl Geek Dinner

Experimental drug to make female foetuses girly (but not dykes) Article Bioethics Forum Commentary
Experiment to test nerve response in little girls

Article about attracting women to the subculture.
The Convention Conundrum
Supanova 2010 costumes
Supanova 2010 Power Girl

Episode 31 - Inappropriate Backstories -WARNING

WARNING Some of the discussion in this podcast centres around sex and sexual assault.

Episode 31 - Inappropriate Backstories (23.18min 11.2MB)

Some statistics about sexual assault on men and women in Australia, remembering that it is difficult to get precise numbers, because so many assaults are unreported. The numbers are (way too) high, so a lot of the jokes that get made unthinkingly at gaming tables, might actually not be a joke to someone you're playing *with*.
SECASA
Australian Institute of Criminology

Rape as Backstory links:
TV Tropes
A Softer World
With some added information from Girl Wonder


Finally, one version of the (fan made) AD&D Book of Carnal Knowledge. Including a rule I did not remember. (With rules like this in their literature, I would say the rule is a self-fulfilling prophecy!)

Late Episode

Sorry! There will be an episode this week: just not right now.

Episode 30 part 2 - Narayan's Con Report

Episode 30 part 2 - Narayan's Con Report (14:11, 6.8MB)

For the second half of the Phenomenon con report, Narayan kindly allowed me to interview him.

Narayan tells us about some of the difficulties he had with the sessions, and describes his reservations at the description of some of the sessions as 'role-playing games'.

His highlights included The Cabinet of Doctor Makundi, and Mike and Sandra's freeform, 'This Party Tonight'.

Other con reviews are up on the RPGMeetup forum - but there are spoilers, which you may want to watch out for if you're thinking of playing in Pheno Reloaded.


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Episode 30 (part 1) - Liz's Con Report

Episode 30 (part 1) - Liz's Con Report

Instead of making this one great long episode, I have divided it into two. Mostly because I am driving interstate to Supanova this weekend!

In this episode...
Liz chats about her experiences at Phenomenon 2010, in particular her con highlights, including Team Dragon and This Party Tonight; and how Fish made Liz's con experience so fun.

(As Fish mentions on his webpage, a Pheno Reloaded con is in the planning stages for five weeks' time!)

Part 2 will be Narayan's con report.


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Episode 29 - Beauty and the Geek

Episode 29 - Beauty and the Geek (26:49 16MB)


“Reality may not be real.”

Short and Sweet Festival
RPGMeetup – Canberra roleplayers
James

patent – geekgirl
emoticon – smiley face copyright
Ugg boot history - trademark dispute


False Dichotomy
Beauty and the Geek
RPGMeetup.com


Your Reality may vary.


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Episode 28 - Craig's First Time and DFRPG

Episode 28 - Craig's First Time and Dresden Files RPG review (23 min, 10.7MB)

Dresden Files RPG review summary:
Highly Recommended for: experienced GMs who are fans of the books.
Recommended for; less experienced GMs who are fans of the books.
Not Recommended for: GMs who don’t know anything about the books; first-time GMs (learn to run the Fudge system using SotC first!) .

Links
Shadowrun 2nd Ed
D&D 2nd Ed
Dresden Files RPG
@FredHicks (Twitter)
Evil Hat
Fudge System
Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies
Penny for My Thoughts
Spirit of the Century
Dresden Files books
Movers and Shakers of Victorian England
Skullduggery preorder
Phenomenon (Canberra convention)
Supanova



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Poll Results are IN!

Poll 1: Should Liz get a Tramp Stamp?
Survey says NO! (7 no, 4 yes)

Poll 2: Are you a tabletop gamer with dyslexia?
Yes: 1
Maybe/Probably: 1
No: 6

(I'l put the old polls at the bottom of the page; and new ones at the top. Any suggestions for polls, let us know!)

Episode 27 - Tropes

Episode 27 - Tropes (22:13 10.7MB)

Playing to and against tropes; what works for you?

TV Tropes
Beautiful All Along
That touch of mink
Diet coke ad
(Diet coke ad article)
Lazzi
Bones
The Big Bang Theory
Neighbours Lesbian Kisses
The OC Lesbian Kiss

RPGPodcasts.com

Because I meant to - and I didn't already - I am going to write a very quick blog post about RPGPodcasts.com.

IF you like games;
AND you like hearing people talk about them;
THEN you should go to RPGPodcasts.com

(BUT don't stop coming here, too!)

Episode 26 - Preparation

Episode 26 - Preparation (20min 14sec - 14.5MB)

No babies were harmed in the recording of today's podcast.

Phenomenon
Tryptich
Dread
Memorial Day Long Weekend
Jenga
Allan Quartermaine
Last King of Scotland
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Mummy
The Scorpion King
Stargate

WARNING: NSFW Oglaf

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Episode 25 - It's funny coz it's true

Episode 25 - It's funny coz it's true. (9.4MB 19:30)

InSpectres

The Funny Ones
Ghostbusters - Peter Venkman (Bill Murray)
Men in Black - Agent J (Will Smith)

Other Funny Ones
Chandler Bing (Friends)
Vila Restal (Blake's 7)
Barney Stinson – HIMYM
Xander Harris – Buffy

RL Events
Phenomenon - Canberra
ANU RPS Games day- Canberra
Supanova - Sydney (and Perth)
Any other events that are coming up? Tell us and we'll (probably) give them a shout out!


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Episode 24 - LOST EPISODE - Gaming with your partner

Episode 24 - LOST EPISODE - Gaming with your partner

Gaming with your partner – Have you? Could you? Should you?

(WARNING: Girls, when on their own, without boys around, talk about bodily fluids.)

Settlers of Catan
Dominion
Carcassone
Triple J - Hottest 100
Skaven
Warhammer
Can Con
Magic: The Gathering
Nohgri – Jawa Star Wars Character

Episode 23 - Introducing the family

Episode 23 - Introducing the family (28:20, 34MB)

In this episode, Liz and Emma discuss introducing family members to the hobby; looking at gateway games, and asking the all important question: Why would you even want to?

Links to Products and/or Services
InSpectres
Western City RPG
Best Friends
Spaghetti Western - Primus
Dominion
Monopoly
Scrabble (Proper Nouns)
Munchkin
Gazebo (story)
Munchkin (verb)
Magic the Gathering
Arkham Horror
Hero Quest (board game)
Phantasy Star
Chrononauts
Fluxx
Monty Python Fluxx
Killer Bunnies
Lunch Money
Zombies!!!

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Liz and Emma do CanCon 2010

Liz and Emma do CanCon 2010

Possibly NSFW (depending on your work, and your idea about what constitutes "explicit" language).

Liz and I visited CanCon 2010.
We saw lots of nerds (and geeks and gamers), CCGs, tabletop war games - fantasy, historical, and alt-historical, board games, and, of course, role-players.

This episode contains a number of short interviews with random people who were gaming and working at the con. The sound quality is a little patchy in places (sorry), and Emma talks like she's getting paid per word.

Enjoy!

(Pics to come!)
(You heard me.)

No Dice!

In some sort of awesome cross promotion thing, I want to let everyone know that Mike (whom we interviewed in Episode 19) has his new RPG-inspired thrice-weekly webcomic "No Dice" up at www.nodicecomic.com.


Check it out!

(No, I mean it. Do it now.)

(Have you done it yet?)

(Why not?)

(That's not a reason. It's not even a good excuse. Just... do it already.)

(Done it? Did you see the Natural 20 image there?)

(Good work, well done. Have a cookie.)