Natural 20 RPG Podcast

Episode 34 - After the Hiatus

2011-02-24T21:50:00.002+11:00

Episode 34 - After the Hiatus

Now I can't promise that the drought has broken.

I can, however, promise that Liz and I have some ideas, some topics, and we're trying out a new, shorter but unedited format. Which means you will get to hear my hideous laugh in all it's dorky glory.

Today's topic: Understanding your Dramatic Function.

under construction

2011-02-20T22:39:00.002+11:00

Our new home is being built! We can live there, it's just a bit... messy for now.

It's over here: http://www.natural20podcast.com

Change your bookmarks, ladies and gentlemen, coz that's where we're gonna be.

tap-tap

2011-02-07T09:03:00.003+11:00

Is this thing on?

We have been having technical difficulties... And timing issues...

Hopefully these are close to being sorted!

So... What do you wanna talk about?

Alignment?
Characters?
I started playing Dark Dungeon, we could talk about that...
Reviews?
Gender?
Identity?
Another first time interview?
Let me know!

PLUG

2010-08-26T20:35:00.002+10:00

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!

2010-07-22T07:59:00.002+10:00

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

2010-07-20T18:35:00.001+10:00

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!

2010-07-16T22:18:00.000+10:00

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-5a49b0425822dbeb3274098f7e18b3d7}

Episode 32: Emma’s Identity Crisis

2010-07-11T00:29:00.001+10:00

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

(Venn diagram via s2.buzzfeed.com)

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

2010-07-04T19:25:00.006+10:00

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

2010-06-28T07:09:00.003+10:00

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

Episode 30 part 2 - Narayan's Con Report

2010-06-22T18:44:00.003+10:00

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.

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

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

2010-06-20T07:47:00.001+10:00

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.

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

Episode 29 - Beauty and the Geek

2010-06-13T12:45:00.003+10:00

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.

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

Episode 28 - Craig's First Time and DFRPG

2010-06-06T15:29:00.002+10:00

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

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

Poll Results are IN!

2010-06-05T06:55:00.002+10:00

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

2010-05-30T19:56:00.004+10:00

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

2010-05-24T12:59:00.003+10:00

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

2010-05-23T23:27:00.006+10:00

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

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

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

2010-05-16T02:00:00.001+10:00

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!

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

Episode 24 - LOST EPISODE - Gaming with your partner

2010-05-09T16:57:00.004+10:00

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

2010-05-02T01:38:00.011+10:00

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!!!

Got feedback? Let us know!
Email
Twitter
Facebook
... or leave us a comment on this post!

Liz and Emma do CanCon 2010

2010-02-02T21:33:00.003+11:00

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!

2010-01-06T08:38:00.003+11:00

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.)

Episode 22: Resolution

2009-12-31T11:33:00.003+11:00

Episode 22: Resolutions (10.9MB 23:30)

What are your resolutions for gaming in 2010?

Games:
Dirty Secrets
In a Wicked Age
Mountain Witch
Contenders
Annalise

(Music in this episode is Spook by Terence Janssen; and an a capella rendition of Auld Lang Syne by Oli's Mum (which, despite Narayan's conviction, is not a song about the Quentins, for All Mankind).)

Episode 21: Conflicts and Taboos

2009-12-20T10:33:00.005+11:00

Episode 21: Conflicts and Taboos (31:30 14.6MB)

In this episode, we discuss the creation of inter-character conflicts as an aspect of storytelling. The distinction is made between player conflicts and character conflicts, and how one might lead to the other. Oli talks about how the mechanics of In a Wicked Age lend themselves to creating character conflict, and how voluntarily putting your character in a weaker position in conflict may be mechanically rewarded.

We chat about how taboos are used in games like Dogs in the Vineyard, and how the GM and players might use taboos in other games (like Spirit of the Century and Burning Wheel) to add interest to both the setting and to further the storyline. As well as Kender and My Life with Master.

Again, we call out to any listeners who might be interested in being interviewed for Natural 20.
To explain further: The interview will take maybe 5 minutes; there will be 3 questions (which will be emailed to you beforehand); you don't have to use your real name... You just have to have had some table-top roleplaying experience, and a copy of Skype.

Interested? Send an email to to send an email to natural20podcast@gmail.com.

And don't forget to fan us on Facebook!

Episode 20: Responsibility for Creating the Story

2009-12-05T13:51:00.002+11:00

Episode 20: Responsibility for Creating the Story (30min)

In this episode, Oli asks whether there is an alternative to having a person at the table taking on the responsibility for creating the story. Examples are taken from Indy game A Penny for My Thoughts* (about amnesiacs who rely on other players to narrate their actions and words) and more traditional games, to illustrate how even if it is not the same person for the whole game, there is usually still a person who has to take on responsibility for creating and shaping the story.
By way of contrast, Oli suggests that there are some games in which the mechanics take primary responsibility for creating the story, allowing the players to focus on advocating for their character's survival and achieving their goals. We chat about how The Mountain Witch does this - and we disagree about the ways in which In a Wicked Age accomplishes this.
Oli also introduces me to the idea of the Fruitful Void.

We also introduce an upcoming (and as yet unnamed) episode format. If you have skype, and you have five minutes in which to be interrogated, and you want to be a part of it, email us!

(I also suggested that if we get any actual fan maille - or emails with questions, comments, arguments in response to things that we (allegedly) 'got wrong' - then we might put those into a show, too.)

Finally, don't forget to become a fan of the show on our Facebook Page!

<3
Emma

*All apologies -- in the audio, we get the name of this excellent game wrong! *sigh*

Episode 19: Mike, Matt and Andrew's First Time

2009-11-28T13:31:00.000+11:00

Episode 19: Mike, Matt and Andrew's First Time (36:00min)

After a lifetime of relative geekiness, Mike, Matt, and Andrew (a.k.a. Phisch) recently took the next step and started playing Dungeons and Dragons - and then came onto Natural 20 to reveal all about their first time (together.)

Here are some links:
Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition
Stink Child Comics
Squared Circle Comics
Previews of No Dice

Also News!
We now have a Facebook Page for Natural 20 Podcast - become a fan!

Episode 18: Leaving

2009-11-19T21:01:00.002+11:00

Episode 18: Leaving the Game (48:00min)

Why do people leave?
How do they leave - how should they leave?

These questions and more are discussed by Liz, Oli and Emma in Episode 18.

Fan us on Facebook!

2009-11-14T17:41:00.000+11:00

Episode 17: Tom's First Time and Gaming with Kids

2009-10-24T22:11:00.006+11:00

This *was* supposed to be Episode 18, but there was a problem with the previous episode, so I have had to do some shuffling. So!

Episode 17: Tom's First Time and Gaming with Kids (44:30)

There were a few hiccups as we tried our first Skype interview with Tom from Brisbane. We learned that sometimes when you use Skype on your iPhone, it will cut out every 3mins and 09seconds. A lot of the time we managed to pull it together, but there were a few times (you will notice, gentle listener) where we kind of trailed off and came back talking about something slightly different. Then there were the times that I didn't un-pause properly, and you missed out on some hilarious and insightful material.
Such as, how do you really pronouce China Miéville's (author of UnLunDun, The Scar, Perdido Street Station, Iron Council and The City & The City) name correctly (and how does *he* pronounce it)?
Is Sky Cake better than Sky Pie? (¡language warning!)
What are the main problems with being thrown in the deep end of a Vampire LARP - or anything, for that matter?

But, there are still a bunch of exciting words that we recorded for you.

Some of these words include:

D&D 4th Edition
Cardboard Dungeon Tiles
AD&D Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, Dungeon Master's Gude
World of Darkness
Starwars Spoilers
Labyrinth
Teaching your children how to kill Zombies
Building a Time Machine
3:16
And ANURPS Halloween Game Day

Announcement!

2009-09-27T20:44:00.005+10:00

Natural 20 Announcement

Just a brief announcement; we offer excuses as to why we have not recorded since the last episode. (But mostly we are testing out the new software that will hopefully let us record more often!)

Please let us know what you think in the comments or at our email address!

Links

Thanks to

Terence for the music
Mike for the technical consult
Gaving for the hosting
Tenzil Kem for the comments...

watch this space

2009-08-26T21:03:00.002+10:00

Dear lovelies,

We aten't dead.

There will be more.

We promise.

Would we lie to you?

Okay, stop laughing.

In the mean time, why don't you write to us and tell us what you think the next episode should be about?

Hell, why don't you write to us and tell us about your character? You will get bonus points if you send us a (G-rated) character sketch!

natural20podcast@gmail.com

lots of love,
Emma and Liz
xxx

Episode 16 - Oli's First Time

2009-06-23T20:57:00.002+10:00

Episode 16 - Oli's First Time (59 minutes)

Games and Systems mentioned:
(Have a list. Links will come when I have more time.)
GOD - Games on Demand
Dirty Secrets
White Wolf
InSpectres
Mythic
My Life with Master
Best Friends
In A Wicked Age
Burning Empires
Burning Wheel
Fudge
BloodBowl

Sites:
Neatorama
RPG Meetup

Music this episode is from Ghosts I (Track 7), which was released by NIN on a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Attribution Share Alike license. Available from ghosts.nin.com

Feedback, comments, love, etc., as always, welcome at natural20podcast@gmail.com

On its way!

2009-03-21T07:25:00.001+11:00

Liz and I recorded another 'First Time' episode on Thursday night.

Stay (i)Tuned!

Episode 15 - Moral Relativism and Alignment

2009-02-23T21:52:00.003+11:00

Episode 15 - Moral Relativism and Alignment

In this Episode, I wax lyrical about 'Slumdog Millionaire', a movie which has impacted upon my preparation for the monthly Burning Wheel game.

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven't seen this movie, go and see it. Then listen to this episode. In that order. No, really: it's a good movie. You will like it. Probably.

Liz and I go on to chat about tropes in movies and books and comics which let you know the alignment of the protagonist and antagonist. We then discuss the impact of movies and said tropes on the style of games we choose to play. I realise I'm getting old when I confess that I sometimes like games where the bad guys are clearly bad, and there is no difficult decisions about delivering their comeuppance...

Honestly, after making this podcast I thought of a million other things I should have said on the way to work. Stuff about choices and humanity and evil and good. Hopefully you will be inspired to drop us a comment, or an email, or leave some feedback at iTunes.

Episode 14 - Con Review

2009-02-15T21:23:00.000+11:00

Episode 14 - Con Review
(To download: Right mouse-click and choose 'Save Linked File As')

Show notes will be up anon.

Episode 13 - Interviews and Prep. (Luckiest. Episode. Ever.)

2008-11-16T18:51:00.007+11:00

Dear Listeners,

Please find linked Episode 13 - Interviews and Prep (39MB, 42:24min) for your listening pleasure.

In this episode, I interrogate Liz about the workshop - "Improv for Gamers" - that she will be running at 9.30am and 1.30pm on Saturday 22 November as part of Blue Moon Con. Liz and I chat about what we (as gamers and GMs) do when we are preparing to get back into a game after an extended absence (or just in between monthly games). Finally, ArmyDan tells us everything we need to know to register and participate in Blue Moon Con.

I hope you enjoy this episode, which is, as you will see, the luckiest episode ever.

love and hugs,
emmajeans

Links:
Info/Registration for BlueMoonCon
About Improv
Book: Play Unsafe
Improv Olympic
Book: Truth in Comedy
Who grabbed Liz's butt?
Kiwi English Pronunciation = doubleplus schwa
The Copland Building
The Copland Building (googlemap)

Contact Dan!:
email ArmyDan
ArmyDan's RPG Meetup profile
The Con Website

Music credits:
Terence Janssen
Never Alone by Michael Mellender
Yellow Lasers by MC Frontalot

Episode 13 on its way...

2008-11-14T22:26:00.002+11:00

For all you who thought we'd never return, we're back. Or at least we will be soon.
Episode 13 has been recorded, edited, and I have passed it on to Emma's capable hands.

It's a good 'un, I promise. Chock full of useful information (for those in the Canberra area) and new, exciting features like fresh, new music, TWO interviews (albeit, one is with myself) and slightly less rambling than usual!

Listen for the special super bonus commercial break in which we trick our friends into becoming corporate shills for...OURSELVES! Muahahahaha!!

Stay tuned!

Word Cloud

2008-11-11T09:02:00.004+11:00

I made this wordcloud using wordle.
The size of the words indicates the frequency with which it appears on this blog page.
Click on the image to see clearly what we're about!

Episode 12 - Survey Results and Geek Gifts

2008-11-01T20:29:00.007+11:00

Episode 12 - Survey Results and Geek Gifts (60 min 19 sec, 55.3MB)

(This episode is Take 2 of Ep12. We like you too much to ever let you hear Take 1.)

Liz and Emma (finally) return to the webs after an extended absence (in which they endured the joys of retail).

In this episode, the results of the Gamer Group Survey are discussed, and we find out what qualities geeks of both genders look for (and try to avoid) in their gaming group and their GMs.

Inspired by their workplaces taking on a distinctively Yuletide character, Liz and Emma chat about the different types of gifts they like to give and receive on different festive occasions.

Some Links
Unanalysed Survey Results - More people have taken the survey since we analysed the data, so we thought we'd let you check it out. If you would like access to the most current raw data for non-commercial reasons, please email us at natural20podcast@blogspot.com
Jinx
Klear Gear
Think Geek
Military Simulations
Pound o Dice
Blue Moon Con
RPG Meetup

Thanks to Terence for the music...

Episode 11 - Gender, Cons and Aromas

2008-09-21T15:36:00.006+10:00

Episode 11 - Gender, Cons, and Aromas (36 mins)

Liz and Emma catch up on the games they have been playing, the armour favoured by female characters in the D&D 4th Ed books, marriage proposals - you're doing it wrong*, and geek convention aromas. (Not the good kind. Not the smell of freshly opened miniatures and brand new source books... no. The other kind. You know the one we mean.)

Liz started a forum discussion about gender and gaming which stems from this episode. If you want to weigh in with your opinion, please go to http://www.rpgmeetup.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1243. You will need to join the forums, if you're not already a member. If there are some relevant discussions elsewhere on the webs, please leave us a comment with the URL!

Fun Fact! This episode was recorded before Liz went to work and Emma went to a job interview.

Links
Marriage proposal: Critical Fail
Survey: Gaming Group Preferences
Shmames Smurkshmop: the less fragrant alternative to RL shopping
Phase Two Comics - hooray for hosting!
RPGMeetup - Nerds in Canberra
Blue Moon Con Official Site

Thanks to Terence for the Music!

Episode 10 - Better Living through RolePlaying

2008-09-13T23:34:00.000+10:00

Episode 10 - Better Living through Role Playing

There was recently an article on Wired.com that compared Weight Watchers with RPGs. I think it is an entirely valid comparison, and is probably one type of role playing that appeals to more women than men. Liz and I chatted about other ways in which Role Playing can make other boring but necessary parts of life more appealing to other demographics.
Also, I managed to render Liz speechless with derision and disbelief at the revelation that some people sometimes cheat in RPGs...

After the show we had a bit of a chat about how it's great that people can use Role Playing to improve their lives... but we figure it's probably equally as important that we improve our Role Playing experience by actually *having* a life.
What do you think?

LINKS
Hypertext D20 SRD
Chore Wars
Weight Watchers as RPG Article

Gamer Group Preference Survey

2008-09-10T11:25:00.001+10:00

Dear Listeners and other Gamers who wandered onto our blog from the Wide World of Webs,

For an upcoming episode, Liz and I will be talking about what makes up an ideal gaming group. Because I prefer to have *some* information at my disposal (rather than making it up as I go along), I would like to invite you to take our survey about what qualities *you* like in your regular gaming group.

You will not be identifiable from the information you provide, so please tell us what you really think.

The survey also contains some questions about your roleplaying experience and preferences and your demographic background. This includes both age and gender. Here's why.

I was reluctant to include the question of gender, because I hate it when people judge or prejudge based on my chromosomes. However, there is a lot of information and opinion going around the webs about female gamers, and/or the difference between male and female gaming styles and preferences. Similarly, other distinctions have been made between older and younger players, and more and less experienced gamers. I can agree with of the statements people make, based on my own perspective or experience, but other statements seem to be culturally or regionally specific, or in some other way ungeneralisable.
So, the question of age and gender have both been included.

The guts of the survey is a simple list of qualities found in your gaming group. Tick all the qualities you like in your group. If you usually prefer the quality, tick it. If it is rarely or only occasionally something you like, leave the box unticked. If it's 50:50, go with your instinct.

We may decide to use the data as a preliminary survey only, but that depends on the results.
The more information we can gather from gamers all over the world, the more generalisable our data will be.
So please, take the <7 minutes to take the survey, and then email the link to your gamer friends and post it on your blog or lj or facebook.
It will be up until the end of September.

That link again: http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=1045629.

peace,
emmajeans

Episode 9 - Crisis of Faith

2008-08-15T07:53:00.002+10:00

Episode 9: Crisis of Faith (~41 min)

When the game is no longer shiny, when sessions are not always fun, and when other players start to annoy you, why do you keep gaming? Do you keep on gaming? Are there any other options?

Liz asks for help with her crisis of faith, and Emma interrogates her to get to the bottom of the problem.

NB: To my darling Karen. All characters portrayed in this podcast are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

News - ArmyDan's callout for GMs

2008-07-25T19:27:00.003+10:00

This message was posted on RPGMeetup on Saturday 20 July 2008 by ArmyDan.

If you are from Canberra or can be in Canberra on 22 November 08, and are thinking about GMing a convention game, contact ArmyDan through the RPGMeetup forums or by the forum's PM or email facility.

The call out for GMs

Okay, Blue Moon needs GMs who can provide a commitment to running a game on the 22nd of November.

We are looking for 2 sorts of commitment...

First tier GMs -
GMs willing and able to run their game on the first and second session of the day (from about 9am through to about 4pm - two sessions of the same game). Each game is to be around 3 hours long (we are forgiving if you go over or under).

Second tier GMs -
GMs willing and able to run a one off game at the last session of the day (from about 6pm-9pm).

In both cases, GMs are expected to provide pre-generated characters for their game. (Note - In the case of Living Greyhawke, being able to provide characters for those who havent got any). As well as any other materials necessary for the running of the game (Minatures, handouts etc etc)..

The brief for the Blue Moon is "Something New". This could be a new adventure, a new games system, new characters or a new idea or concept for the game. We would like to try something new..

Please reply here, PM me, or send me an email. We would like around 8 GMs (at least intially - 4 first tier, 4 second tier) at this stage, but would gladly accept more as the registrations or expressions of interest are recieved.

Please reply with - Name of the GM, Number of players, Name of system (if any), Short blurb on the game (preferrably with the words "Something New" in the blurb).
Also it would be preferrable if you provide an idea of if the players require system knowledge (and how much), the "mood" of the game (fun, serious, dramatic, high action etc).

I would like to fill the first 8 slots by the end of July, so please reply early.
Ta,

Dan

Episode 8 - What I Did On My Holidays

2008-07-23T19:24:00.004+10:00

Episode 8 -What I Did on My Holidays (~ 42 min)

Liz and Emma introduce a new segment. Whereas in previous episodes we have conducted episode-length interviews about our interviewee's gaming history (i.e. the First Time series of shows), in Episode 8 we have a short chat to Matt about his experiences at Phenomenon Con. This shorter interview segment will henceforth be known as "the Quickie"!
(Why start being highbrow about it now?)

We also discuss the gaming and geekery that both Liz and I immersed ourselves in since we last sat down to record together.

This episode is the first that has been entirely recorded on the new microphone, and at Liz's new house.
Please send us feedback by leaving a comment on this blog or emailing to natural20podcast@gmail.com; or, if you would like to tell the world how much you love us, leave us some feedback on iTunes!

Episode 8 Coming soon! No, really!

2008-07-10T13:53:00.003+10:00

Hello listeners, sorry for the delay.

With new house, new job and new recording equipment, I'm a little slow in getting our latest episode edited.

Peace,
-Liz

Stay tuned!

2008-07-04T08:53:00.005+10:00

Liz and I have been recording, and the next episode will hit the webs in a matter of days!

In the meantime, you could write a review for iTunes, and tell the world what it is you like about our podcast.
Or if you have any feedback, ideas, or suggestions, you could leave us a comment here, or email us at natural20podcast@gmail.com.

Episode 7 - John and Peta's First Time

2008-06-25T10:14:00.001+10:00

Episode 7 - John and Peta's First Time (39:05, 44.8MB)

In this episode, we find out about John's and Peta's first times gaming.
We learn how John independently created roleplaying, and why the Swiss Army Knife approach to gaming is a bad thing.
We find out how Peta prepares for her first time GMing.
We also discuss the impact of John and Peta's relationship upon their gaming experience, and we talk about choosing gender in a game.

Links
Dungeons and Dragons
World of Darkness
Storyteller System
Jack Vance
'Dying Earth'
Dying Earth RPG
Robin D Laws
D&D 3.5
Burning Empires
Burning Wheel
Exalted
Trail of Cthulhu
Ars Magica
Fading Suns
Nephilim
Shock
Dirty Secrets
Vampire: the Masquirade
HoL - Human occupied Landfill
In A Wicked Age
Luke Crane
Redwall
Mouse Guard
Heroquest
Feng Shui

Thanks
Terence Janssen for the music
Phase Two Comics for the hosting
Peta and John for their hospitality

up!

2008-06-20T22:06:00.001+10:00

Well done, typewriter monkeys. Have a banana.

All the episodes are now up on iTunes for your listening pleasure.

enjoy!

update

2008-06-20T20:35:00.005+10:00

Episode 7 is just about ready to go up. This is a good thing seeing as I'm going to Supanova this weekend, and will be too busy having nerdalicious fun to edit.

In other news, the xml is problematic. Teams of monkeys with typewriters have been set to work in the hope that one of them will produce a document that will solve all my xml problems. And maybe global warming.

So, episodes via iTunes are still some time away.
But you can still get them through this blog!

xml

2008-06-18T20:57:00.001+10:00

The new xml is going up now.
All 7 episodes (0-6) should be up on iTunes within the next 24 hours.

Stay tuned!

Episode 6 - Recommendations

2008-06-17T08:04:00.000+10:00

Episode 6 - Recommendations (33:19 min - 38MB)

Elizabeth has described this show as a podcast about roleplaying and roleplaying culture. Today we take a break from talking specifically about gaming and chat about some of the culture: i.e., webcomics, movies, books, sites and music that we like to geek out to. We make recommendations (both for and against) authors, movies and comics; and, as always, get just that little bit off topic.

Here is a list of links to things we talk about in the 'cast. In no particular order.

TV and Movies
D&D cartoon
Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie
Dungeons & Dragons: The Elemental Might
Heart of the Warrior
Underworld
Love Actually
Never-Ending Story
Sarah Silverman Program
Buffy Season 7 Ep 22 ‘Chosen’

Webcomics
Sons Of Kryos
Roll Initiative
Geeks On
I Read Comics
Order Of The Stick
Full Frontal Nerdity
Nodwick
PvP

Websites
Wil Wheaton Blog
Neatorama
Baby Names
Fantasy Namer Widget For Macs:
Burning Wheel Wiki
4th Edition D&D
Indie Forge
D20 System Reference Document
Homestar Runner

Books and Magazines
Tolkein
China Mieville
Neil Gaiman
Gregory Maguire
Anne Rice
Geek Magazine

Music
Jonathan Coulton
MC Chris
MC Frontalot
MC Lars
Tripod - The Messenger
Flight of the Conchords

Episode 5 - ArmyDan's First Time

2008-06-12T05:49:00.006+10:00

Episode 5 - ArmyDan's First Time (32:49 min - ~38MB)

In this Episode, Dan tells Liz and Emma about his first time gaming, his positive and negative influences, and how he first used Fidonet to organise KapCon.

We chat about the Last Action Heroes game he would run at Phenomenon, and find out what the terms 'Mega Roleplaying' and 'bach' mean.

We also discuss the upcoming 'Con with No Name' which Dan is organising for November in Canberra.

iTunes

2008-06-11T08:29:00.003+10:00

It's official! We are now on iTunes.

Just search for Natural 20 Podcast in the iTunes store.
(This morning, we were the second hit with that search criteria, the first being 'Jay Cunnings Weekly Minimix'. Obviously...)

There is one episode up (episode 0), with more to come soon.

Also, (insha'Allah) Episode 5 will be up within 24 hours.

Hooray for everything!
:)
emmajeans

Apologies

2008-06-09T15:22:00.002+10:00

'Scuse my lateness.
There should have been another episode of the 'cast up here by now.

There will be... soon. Very soon.
I promise.

The next episode is a 'first time' chat with (Army)Dan: local GM and all-round nice guy.
Stay tuned!

from Elizabeth

2008-06-01T09:22:00.003+10:00

Dear Listeners,

I will be going away for a while. My homeland, California, calls to me from across the wide Pacific. I shall be visiting the land of my birth for three weeks, abandoning Emma and you, our listeners.
However, never fear! There will be shiny new podcast for your listening pleasure every week while I am away! We've pre-recorded two already and we will record one more before I leave.

Episode 5 will be another "First Time" interview with Dan.

Episode 6 will be a shorter episode

Superstitions at the Gaming Table

2008-05-28T22:21:00.004+10:00

Episode #4 - Superstition Roadtest

In Episode 4 Liz plays Scully to Emma's Mulder as we explore superstition, luck and rituals in roleplaying games.

Recorded in two parts (but as one episode thanks to the magic of editing), Emma describes several common ways roleplaying gamers try to control the fates, and sceptical Liz talks about the nature of superstition.

After a brief musical interlude (we couldn't get Stevie Wonder, so we had to settle for a cheap counterfeit), we return for part two where Liz and Emma discuss the results of their research and examine whether or not we should even try to influence those pesky dice.

And then there's the bit about the rooster and the monkey.

Links
RPG Meetup - A forum for role players, based in Canberra.
Master Chris's satirical explanation of die statistics

Thanks
Terence Jannsen for the music.
Phase Two Comics for the hosting.
Members of the RPG Meetup boards for feedback and ideas!

Research - List of References
Full Frontal Nerdity
When Dice Go Bad
Cursed Dice
Wil Wheaton blog

Episode #3 - Food, Health and Gaming

2008-05-22T22:16:00.009+10:00

Episode #3 - Food, Health and Gaming (33min 14.9MB)

This episode: a topic relevant to this time of year, with everyone starting to suffer from the sniffles and dying from the lurgy, but bravely gaming on!

Emma and Liz talk about their favourite types of gaming foods, and eating habits at the gaming table. (Some of these are even healthful.)

Liz demonstrates some polite ways to be unwell at the gaming table. You heard me: demonstrates.

"Warning": This episode briefly alludes to health and medication topics relating specifically to female gamers' biology.

Also this episode, for those of you playing along at home on iTunes or iPod: artwork!
(The sound levels also appear to be louder, this episode, too.)

Links
Nutrition Data
RPG Meetup

Thanks
Thank Terence Janssen for the music...
Phase Two Comics for hosting the 'cast

Assist us in our research!

2008-05-22T10:44:00.003+10:00

(Copied from a post on RPGmeetup.com)

Cue Stevie Wonder:
"Very superstitious
Writings on the wall
Very superstitious
Ladders 'bout to fall
13 month old baby
Broke a looking glass
7 years of bad luck
Good things in your past..."
(Fade out)

It's the topic of our next podcast, and it's something many can relate to.
However, I don't personally have any particular habits or rituals I adhere to during gaming that are geared toward controlling the outcome of my dice or my success in the game.

Do you have any particular rituals or behaviours your rely on to influence your luck?
What about what you've observed in others?
Do you practice any behaviour that others might deem superstitious, but you believe is actually effective?
Do you practice, but don't actually believe?
Natural 20 Podcast wants to know!

Cue music:
(Fade in)
"When you believe in things
That you dont understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way!"

Upcoming Episodes

2008-05-21T18:35:00.002+10:00

The podcast is about to go weekly!
Our goal is to have a new episode up every week by Thursday.

Coming soon!
Episode 3: Food and Health in Gaming
Emma and I talk about food! And health! Issues that may, at first, seem unrelated to gaming, but have you ever played a game where there wasn't food present? And how many of you attend a game when you're feeling miserable because you've got a cold that just won't go away?

Coming slightly less soon!
Episode 4: Gaming Superstitions
A possibly two part episode about the behaviours and habits roleplaying gamers use in the attempt to control the random outcomes of dice.

Episode 2 - Alex's First Time

2008-05-15T22:19:00.004+10:00

Episode 2 - Alex's First Time (37 mins, 33.6M)

In this episode, Liz and Emma interview Alex about his first role-playing game.
The three talk about the relationship between money spent and geek-cred, and discussions about the pros and cons of metagaming, and character types we find hard to play follow.

Links
RPG Meetup

Thanks
Music by Terence Janssen
Hosting of .mp3s by Phase Two Comics

Second First Time

2008-05-01T11:37:00.000+10:00

After one false start during the school holidays, Liz and I today recorded our second show in the "First Time" series. (Two podcasts makes a series, right?)

We have interviewed Alex, and chatted about metagaming and power gaming, money and status, and characters we feel uncomfortable playing.

Stay tuned!

Episode 1 - Screentime and Spotlight

2008-03-19T05:17:00.002+11:00

Episode 1 - Screentime and Spotlight

Dan interviews three Game Masters with different techniques for dealing with Screentime and Spotlight in their games.

Here are definitions for 'Screentime' and 'Spotlight', as discussed in the podcast itself:

Screentime
Actual game time in which the players interact with the environment of the game. Essentially the game where the players are involved (ie, not the planning stages or the time that the GM is figuring out what to do next)

Spotlight
During the game time, spotlights inidicate the time in which one or more of the players have the centre stage, generally to the exclusion of the others or the game world. This is often identified by character development, background play (ie preludes), or a time where the character is in a differnt location (and often not in communication with) from the other characters. Spotlights can also indicate where a player has taken centre stage in the planning of the story development or where an individual player has taken the lead in a situation (weather or not their character is present).

Dan hosts this episode, while Liz and Emma play AV tech. Guest GMs are Narayan, Terence, and Jaymz. Music is by Terence.

Links
Screentime and Spotlight discussions on the RPG Meetup forums.

Episode 0 - Our First Time

2008-02-19T11:49:00.000+11:00

Liz and Emma talk about their first time (gaming).
Episode 0 (15.1 MB - 13min)

Links:
Rifts
RPG Meetup

Better than two Natural 10s.

1998-06-15T16:34:00.002+10:00

Rolling a 10 can be good. It's usually enough to get you through moderately difficult encounters - picking a lock with thieves' tools; chatting up a whore at the local tavern; hitting a peasant who has no armor.
But a Natural 20? That's when the good stuff happens. Critical successes. And, if you have a kindly GM, you can change the world in which you are playing.
Now, that's what *we're* all about.

In our prime.

1998-05-26T18:22:00.002+10:00

Why this caption?

If you will look closely at the dice arranged so artfully along the spine of our model, you will see that they are all prime numbers. Or are they?
That entirely depends if you count '1' as a prime...