Shows
Modifier83. Sig: City of Blades
Jason Pitre is back with more Sig, this time a Forged in the Dark reimagining titled Sig: City of Blades. Here us chat about this new take on Sig, life in the Hellyear 2020, and the online incarnation of Metatopia!
2020-10-2343 minModifier82. Brinkwood (It's a Metaphor)
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants is a Forged in the Dark game about Robin Hood vs Vampires, created by Erik Bernhardt. Come join us as we talk about eating money, making deals with the fae, and fighting for justice.
2020-10-1647 minModifier81. Princess World with Kevin Petker
Princess World, be Kevin Petker, is a PbtA game about cooperative world building, storytelling, problem solving, and being girls who rule. We chat about how the game evolved out of a request from his daughter into this clever, colorful, collaborative adventure.
2020-03-0646 minModifier80. Descent into Midnight
Rich Howard, Richard Kreutz-Landry, and Taylor LaBresh are the design trio behind Descent into Midnight. This aquatic PbtA game about community and emotion defies genre, so we make a bunch of ocean puns and get really heartfelt about stuff.
2020-03-051h 15
Meghan Dornbrock – The One Shot Podcast79. Burnout with Tracy BarnettReturn guest Tracy Barnett is here in friend capacity this week for a heart-to-heart with Meghan about burnout, asking for help, and where they are right now in that journey. TRACY on Twitter on Patreon Another Blank Page Iron Edda on One Shot: Part One | Part Two | Part Three
The post 79. Burnout with Tracy Barnett appeared first on The One Shot Podcast.2019-12-121h 02Modifier79. Burnout with Tracy Barnett
Return guest Tracy Barnett is here in friend capacity this week for a heart-to-heart with Meghan about burnout, asking for help, and where they are right now in that journey.
2019-12-121h 02Modifier78. Into the Heart with Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor
Grant and Chris are back, and things have only gotten weirder. Below the Spire lies the Heart, an ever-changing district of chaos and horror where you really shouldn't be going. You're going anyway? Of course you are. We talk about why that's a terrible, terrible idea. (CW: Body horror)
2019-09-2658 minModifier77. The San Jenaro Co-Op with Dyer Rose
Dyer Rose is a member of the San Jenaro Co-op, a creator-owned group that makes RPGs together. Dyer fills me in on how the structure works, what games they have in production, and what industry issues they're trying to address with their approach.
2019-07-2543 min
Play/TestHSH A.I. Don't Love You Character CreationGuests
Pranks Paul as Kid Zoom the Speed Demon
James D'Amato as Max Damage the Troubleshooter
Mel D'Amato as Astra the A.I.
In Which...
We meet a crew min/maxed for... Basically nothing useful.
Links
AutonomicNever Tell Me the PodsAdventureOne Shot PodcastCampaign PodcastThe Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide
Introbot: Meghan Dornbrock Music: Matt Lee2019-07-0100 min
Modifier76. Quietus with Oli Jeffery
Quietus is a melancholy horror RPG that uses the Blades in the Dark system to tell heart-wrenching narratives in a one-shot. Game designer Oli Jeffery shares how he utilized the system to take full advantage of the genre.
2019-06-1343 min
Modifier75. Afterlife: Wandering Souls with Liz Chaipraditkul
In Afterlife: Wandering Souls you play as a Wanderer collecting memories of your life and discovering who you were when you were alive. Liz Chaipraditkul talks about discovering your character over the course of the game and how the mechanics evolved to support this unique and affecting player experience.
2019-05-2643 min
Modifier74. The Orpheus Protocol with Rob Stith
The Orpheus Protocol is an RPG as well as an actual-play podcast. Creator Rob Stith takes us through the evolution of the game and how running an AP as a living playtest has affected his process.
2019-05-181h 07
Modifier73. CAPERS Noir with Craig Campbell
Craig Campbell of NerdBurger Games is here to talk about CAPERS and CAPERS Noir - a superpowered gangster game and its mysterious supplement - that utilize playing cards to enhance the play experience.
2019-04-0652 min
Modifier72. Going on a Zine Quest with Aaron King
Aaron King chats about what a zine is and what RPG zines offer to the gamespace. We talk about format, function, and selling out with Kickstarter's Zine Quest.
2019-02-2138 min
Modifier71. Doug Geisler Will Help You Beat the Boss
Long-time union organizer Doug Geisler was trained to help people using role-playing, and now his new role-playing game will train you to organize a labor union so you can Beat the Boss! We talk about learning through narrative and failure.
2019-02-2149 min
Modifier70. More Kittens with Cheyenne and Stentor
The Glittercats are BACK with More Kittens! Cheyenne and Stentor take us through all the new new new to be found in this supplement to Laser Kittens - new cards, new playsets, and new kitten games! So much modifying, where do we start?
2019-02-0750 min
Modifier69. Worldbuilding Through Character Creation with Aaron and Jeff
Hosts Aaron Catano-Saez and Jeff Stormer of All My Fantasy Children are here to celebrate their addition to the network and to have a real NICE chat about how they build the world of Fantasy one character at a time.
2019-01-101h 03
Modifier68. Design and Redesign with Jason Morningstar
Jason Morningstar is here to talk about Fiasco In A Box, among many many other things. We chat about redesigning your own work versus redesigning that of someone else, as well as how to know when it might be time to pass the reigns. We talk about game formats, zero-prep RPGs, and social responsibility in game design.
2018-12-2953 min
Modifier67. Aviv & Eran's Crystal Heart (A Savage Worlds Setting)
Aviv & Eran, the team behind webcomic Up to Four Players, are here to talk about their original Savage Worlds setting: Crystal Heart. We talk about their creative process, with game writing and comic drawing acting as supports and influences for the other, and about the emotional range of stories that Crystal Heart with Savage Worlds allows players to tell.
2018-12-0750 min
Modifier66. The Games Collection at SVA Library West
This week we're on location at SVA'S Library West where Instruction & Periodicals Librarian David Pemberton and Circulation Manager Christopher Bussmann share with us what goes into building and maintaining a library's game collection and how games librarianship affects the games and the players.
2018-11-3054 min
The Hard MoveBlow Off SteamMeghan Dornbrock and I explore the shadow-filled world of The Watch and look at how the move Blow Off Steam gives deep meaning to downtime. This move mechanically helps you reduce Weary and gain Camaraderie, two tracks that determine how strung out or connected your character is. Narratively this move helps give guidance and importance to downtime activities that might otherwise go overlooked. For the GM, we talk about how giving control of the story to the players in these moments can pay off big.
You can follow Meghan on Twitter at twitter.com/meglish and...2018-11-2836 min
Modifier65. Turn with Brie Sheldon
Brie Sheldon returns to talk about Turn, their game about shapeshifters in a small town. We look at destructive & deconstructive approaches to PbtA, as well as why the small-town setting is so integral to the play experience.
2018-11-1659 min
Modifier64. Dana & Hamish Cameron are Dinosaur PrincessesDana & Hamish are here to discuss making Dinosaur Princesses an approachable and fun game for players and GMs of all ages and skill levels. From its core of cooperative play to fun coloring-book elements, Dinosaur Princesses is about all kinds of friends supporting each other's creativity.2018-11-1355 min
Modifier63. Mission: Accomplished! with Jeff Stormer
Jeff is back to talk about his own game this time, Mission: Accomplished! It's about super spies, office meetings, and really coming face to face with the arcane horror that is your day job. We talk about comedy in games, designing around secret information, and the impact of having winners and losers in an RPG.
2018-10-1852 min
Modifier62. Taylor LaBresh and the 13 Demon Princes
To get us started in this, the spookiest month, how about a game FULL OF DEMONS? Taylor is here to chat about his Singularity hack, 13 Demon Princes, a hellish dating game full of contestants with unforgettable names and lots of demon blood. Cute!
2018-10-0646 min
Modifier61. Something Is Wrong Here with Kira Magrann
Something Is Wrong Here is a game built to evoke the unsettling experience of watching the works of David Lynch. Kira is here to discuss what building from the inspiration of a specific artist is like, how she mechanizes bleed, and her approach to structuring a one-night game.
2018-09-2739 min
Modifier60. How Games Changed Tim & Kristen Devine
Tim & Kristen, longtime friends of the show, are here to talk all about their games, game hacks, and how designing together affected their relationship. We talk a lot about how they change games, but also how games changed them.
2018-09-2057 min
Modifier59. Roll20's Charactermancer with Nolan T Jones
Nolan drops in again with another exciting development at Roll20 - the Charactermancer! We talk about how this tool changes gameplay for new and old players alike, how licensing comes into play, and what we can expect to see in the future. We also chat about community involvement and whats in our Crunchyroll queues, so get ready!
2018-09-0655 min
One ShotBONUS: One Shot Network GenCon Panel 2018James talks to Jim McClure, Meghan Dornbrock, Daniel Kwan, Amelia Antrim, Steve Discont, Jef Aldrich, Jon Taylor, Aly Grauer, Drew Mierzejewski, about their year on the network!
We also cover the Future of One Shot, Campaign, The Dungeon Dome, and changes to the Network's Patreon.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2018-08-141h 41
Quality ControlBacklog Week — How to play more tabletop RPGsIn honor of Polygon's Backlog Week, we're tackling the topic of tabletop role-playing games. How do you find a group of people to play Dungeons and Dragons with? What are some good options to introduce role-playing to your friends and family? And how do you keep everyone comfortable at the table? To answer those questions, we invited the team from the One Shot Network onto the show to talk about their strategies. Our guests include James D'Amato, Meghan Dornbrock, DC and Daniel Kwan.
One Shot Network
One Shot on Twitch
Mutants in the Night
Star Crossed
Dread
Recommended episodes for O...2018-07-3035 min
Modifier58. Behind the Masc with Brie Sheldon and Tracy BarnettBehind the Masc in a game zine looking to re-envision masculinity through the eyes of non-cisgender masculine creators. Brie Sheldon, the project lead, and Tracy Barnett, one of the contributors, join me to talk about what's in the zine and why it's so important. Behind the Masc is on Kickstarter right now!2018-07-2657 min
Modifier57. Rebuilding Legacy with Jay Iles
Jay Iles joins us this week to talk about Legacy, a Powered by the Apocalypse game that examines all the ways one might create a legacy as their family rebuilds itself in a strange new world. We chat about his LARP inspired design choices as well as the diverse new scenarios other writers brought to Legacy's core premise.
2018-07-1255 min
She's A Super Geek83-Everyone is Prince John: Hate to Love HimToday our co-hosts are joined by Meghan Dornbrock host of Modifier and Ryan Boelter host of Character Creation Cast to finish our play of the competitive RPG Everyone is John by Michael Sullivan. Our twist on the game is that we’re playing Everyone is PRINCE John…2018-06-2600 min
Modifier56. The New Velvet Generation
Rich Ranallo and Scott Leaton are here to talk about the evolution of their game Velvet Generation, an RPG about the rock & roll revolution. We discuss how it's changed over the years and why, and what this revolution looks like in our new modern age.
2018-06-141h 02
I Am HearMeghan Dornbrock - Modifier & Tales from ThedasMeghan Dornbrock, host of the RPG Discussion show Modifier, and GM and host of the yet-launched Actual-Play Dragon Age podcast, Tales from Thedas, talks about accessibility, her experiences in the RPG community with a visual impairment, how important representation of disabled peoples is, her various cool projects, and how we can be a more accessibility-friendly community.2018-06-1200 minShe's A Super Geek82-Everyone is Prince JohnToday our co-hosts are joined by Meghan Dornbrock host of Modifier and Ryan Boelter host of Character Creation Cast to play the competitive RPG Everyone is John by Michael Sullivan. Our twist on the game is that we’re playing Everyone…2018-06-1200 min
Modifier55. Learning from Your Own Games with Aleks Samoylov
The Spiral is an original genre-less game system, built to simplify the RPG experience for any story you might want to tell. Parable of the Pit is a Powered by the Apocalypse game without playbooks that puts the ordinary players in a terrifying dungeon from which they must escape. Aleks Samoylov talks about designing both of them, and what each game has taught them about the other.
2018-05-0355 min
Modifier54. Earworm with Aaron J Amendola
Are you ready to party? That's nice, how about this podcast instead. Aaron J Amendola is here to chat about his party game Earworm, which is all about vocalizing your favorite jams for that karaoke bar experience in the comfort of your own home. We talk about the unique aspects of party games and how Earworm's multiple modes of play increase accessibility, appeal, and cooperation.
2018-04-0548 min
Modifier53. Hack the Planet with Fraser Simons
Fraser is back with another cyberpunk adventure, this time a climate-fiction inspired take on Blades in the Dark. We talk about the vastly different ways players can interact with the lore and how this cli-fi blend looks at old cyberpunk tropes in a new way.
2018-03-271h 04
Modifier52. The Backstory of Tension with Alex Roberts
Alex Roberts joins me for maximum pod-feed confusion, but mainly to talk about her first game, codenamed Tension. Inspired by Dread and romance games like Kagematsu and Hot Guys Making Out, this is a game about the emotional tension in a tricky relationship. We look at the game's evolution, negotiation an safety mechanics, and learn about alien love.
2018-02-221h 00
Writing AlchemyUnfamiliar Heroes 10 – The Renegade Starship Part 3Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 10 Summary
Captured by rebels, our three heroes are fighting back. Malena, Adre, and Mariah have incapacitated the rebel captain and four guards. Now they are taking the fight into the shuttle bay, where they are causing havoc. Join them in the tenth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes as Malena, Adre, and Mariah attempt to escape the rebel ship!
Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary...2018-02-1355 min
Modifier51. Pasion de las Pasiones with Brandon Leon-Gambetta
Roughly translated as "the sexiest RPG on your shelf", Pasion de las Pasiones is the telenovela RPG from Brandon Leon-Gambetta. We talk about: Latinx representation in games, telenovela tropes, statless playbooks, Hugh Jackman, and Pippin the Corgi. (There are tangents.)
2018-01-251h 06Writing AlchemyUnfamiliar Heroes 9 – The Renegade Starship Part 2Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 9 Summary
In the ninth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes Malena, Adre, and Mariah have been captured by rebels. Join them as they meet the rebel captain and implement their desperate escape plan.
Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with...2018-01-2049 min
Modifier50. Going on an Expedition with Todd MedemaExpedition is an RPG system that combines cards and a mobile app (all free, all open-source) to streamline the RPG experience, allowing you to play the way you want to. Built to be modded, Todd shares the strengths and challenges of playing the Expedition way, and may be just the project you were looking for!2018-01-1143 min
Get Hype!Episode 5: Meghan DornbrockMeg gives us a glimpse into the wonderful world of Japanese Idols and some of the intricacies of the super fans that support them.2018-01-0200 minWriting AlchemyUnfamiliar Heroes 8 – The Renegade Starship Part 1Writing Alchemy Unfamiliar Heroes 8 Summary
In the eighth game episode of Unfamiliar Heroes meet the crew of the Raptor as they defend their test shuttle from the renegade starship Sojourner.
Malena the intellectual scientist, Adre the hot-shot engineer, and Mariah the alien doctor are all officers from the Consortium starship the Raptor. These three surprisingly senior officers were all participating in a test flight of Z-crystals, a revolutionary new type of propulsion crystal, when their shuttle was intercepted by the rebel ship Sojourner. Join them for this improvised, tabletop adventure that was created with the Lasers & Feelings role-playing system!
Unfamiliar...2017-12-221h 00
Modifier49. #280rpg
John Harness got 280 characters on twitter before it was the norm, and decided to turn it into a game design challenge. Paul Czege answered the call. We talk about the challenge, what we can learn from small games, and take a look at the amazing contributions.
2017-12-1443 min
Modifier48. The Many Forms of Iron Edda with Tracy Barnett
Iron Edda is a game that exists across several systems and has a second edition in the works, and Tracy Barnett joins us to talk about how it got that way. We discuss what makes something an Iron Edda game, what different systems bring to the fiction, and where it's headed next.
2017-12-0154 minShe's A Super Geek67 – Love and Justice: BLOSSOM BLAST!Episode One of season three of the Blossom Beauties continues! Emily and Senda are joined by Meghan Dornbrock (Modifier), Emily Reinhart (Third Act Publishing + Satanic Panic) and Erika Chappell (SO MANY GAMES) to play Senda’s first game, Love and Justice!…2017-11-2800 minShe's A Super Geek66 – For LOVE AND JUSTICE!Finally it’s here! Emily and Senda are joined by Meghan Dornbrock (Modifier), Emily Reinhart (Third Act Publishing + Satanic Panic) and Erika Chappell (SO MANY GAMES) to play Senda’s first game, Love and Justice! Love and Justice is a magical…2017-11-2100 min
Modifier47. Exploring New Settings with James Mendez Hodes
What goes into bringing an existing game into a brand new setting? How should you approach writing settings that are unfamiliar to you? James Mendez Hodes talks about all that and a bunch of other cool stuff!
2017-11-0341 min
Modifier46. 7th Sea: Khitai with John Wick
7th Sea is a game about being an awesome hero, but there's more than one way to be a hero. John talks about the Western and Eastern hero archetypes, and how they've been working on modifying the existing 7th Sea system to tell new kinds of hero stories.
2017-10-1952 min
Modifier45. Get Acquainted with the Unfamiliar Heroes – Part 2
Fay Onyx, the mastermind behind the Unfamiliar Heroes podcast project, and two of its GMs, Anna Murray and Jordan Green, chat about what it’s like to run an actual play with diverse players and characters at the core. This second part of our conversation focuses on mechanics that aim to recreate or facilitate these diverse experiences, and things to consider when playing a diverse character.
2017-10-071h 16
Modifier44. Numenera 2 with Monte Cook
Monte Cook of Monte Cook Games is here to dig into what Numenera 2: Discovery & Destiny is all about. We look at how Numenera & Cypher System's unique structure allows this new edition to work seamlessly with the one on your shelf right now, and the cool new cyphers coming your way.
Monte Cook & Games
Monte
Numenera 2 on Kickstarter
Monte Cook Games
numenera.com
Related Goodies
Cypher Speak with Darcy & Troy
Bruce's Modifier episode on Cypher System
Troy & Darcy on Modifier using Cypher System in large games
2017-09-2152 min
Modifier43. Get Acquainted with the Unfamiliar Heroes - Part 1
Fay Onyx, the mastermind behind the Unfamiliar Heroes podcast project, and two of its GMs, Anna Murray and Jordan Green, chat about what it's like to run an actual play with diverse players and characters at the core. This first part of our conversation focuses on addressing the needs of players, and considering how accessible your game system itself is.
Heroes
Fay Onyx
Anna Murray
Jordan Green
Mentions
Writing Alchemy
Magic Goes Awry
Lasers and Feelings
2017-09-091h 01
Modifier42. How To Catch Them All with Jonathan Barron's MajiMonsters
Jonathan Barron joins me to discuss the difficulties of converting the monster-catching genre of video games and TV into a tabletop experience. His game MajiMonsters relies on an original system that tracks a player character as well as multiple unique monsters, all complete with their own skills and abilities to confront this dangerous, fantastic world.
MONSTERS
Jonathan on Twitter
MAGIC
MajiMonsters official site
MajiMonsters on DriveThruRPG
MTG Drive To Work podcast
2017-08-241h 09
Modifier41. Enter The Dungeon Dome with James D'Amato!!!
The Dungeon Dome is part Dungeons and Dragons, part professional wrestling franchise, all streamed live online for your viewing pleasure. James is here to talk about how he's building this new type of games entertainment, the stories he's hoping to tell, and his thoughts on the future of RPGs.
DUNGEON MASTER
James on twitter
One Shot Podcast Network
THE DUNGEON DOME
The Dungeon Dome on Kickstarter
The Dungeon Dome on YouTube
2017-07-2758 min
Modifier40. The Spire with Grant Howitt & Chris Taylor
We talk about Grant & Chris' upcoming game The Spire, which is definitely about a Drow resistance but is also about a bunch of other cool, weird, complex things that I won't even be able to do justice here. It's a really fun chat and also: blood witches.
THE RESISTANCE
Grant twitter
Chris twiiter
Rowan, Rook and Decard
Adrian Stone
Hearty Dice Friends
2017-07-131h 03
Modifier39. It's Hannah Shaffer Day!
Break out your baggiest jeans and your tiniest backpack as Hannah Shaffer takes us back to the 90s with her heartwarming one-shot storytelling game about a music store on the brink of disaster - Damn the Man, Save the Music! We talk about the continuing evolution of Questlandia and building a game that's friendly to new players while maintaining a replayable charm.
THE PLUCKY EMPLOYEE
Hannah on Twitter
REVOLUTION RECORDS
Make Big Things
Make Big Things on Twitter
Damn the Man, Save the Music on Kickstarter
2017-06-3041 min
Modifier38. A Youth Misspent with Robert Bohl & Kimberley Lam
Misspent Youth, an RPG about punks and friendship, is getting a reprint as well as several new settings and hacks! Author Robert Bohl and hacker Kimberly Lam are here together to talk about what it's like to tackle a game from both of those angles. Bonus topic: how weird is it to have Wil Wheaton play your game on internet TV?!
YOUTHS
Robert Bohl
Kimberly Lam
Kickstarter launches June 29!
2017-06-151h 00
Modifier37. Pandas Talking Hacks
Senda Linaugh & Phil Vecchione, the eponymous Pandas, are here to chat about hacking the 1-page RPG Lasers & Feelings. We talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with hacking such a small ruleset, as Senda and Phil turn this sci-fi story game to cyberpunk and magical girls!
PANDAS
Senda
Phil
TALKING
Panda's Talking Games
She's A Super Geek
Misdirected Mark
GAMES
Rockerboys & Vending Machines
Encoded Designs
2017-06-0154 min
Modifier36. The Cascade & Fraser Simons' Cyberpunk Book Club
Fraser Simons is here to break down cyberpunk, roleplay with feeling, and tell us all about his upcoming supplement to The Veil, The Cascade. Get a pen ready, you're going to want to read everything on his list.
THE PUNK
Fraser on g+
Fraser on twitter
THE BOOKS
The Cascade Kickstarter
The Cascade quickstart
The Veil
2017-05-191h 07
Modifier35. The White Box: A Game Design Workshop In A Box
Jeremy Holcomb and Jeff Tidball are all about helping you make great games, and now they're developing a kit to help you do it! We talk about what The White Box has in it, what you can do with it, and what's in store for the future.
THE BITS
Jeremy Holcomb
Jeff Tidball
GamesPlaywright
Atlas Games
The White Box on Kickstarter
2017-05-0741 min
Modifier34. The Imposters and 7 Games About Conspiracy
I've crammed three people into the show this week because it's harder for Them to get you when you're in a group, right? Right. Josh T Jordan, Banana Chan and Todd Crapper are all here to talk about The Imposters, an anthology of games about conspiracies, werewolves, psychogeography, intelligence agencies, and aliens on YouTube. I'm...I'm really not sure what else you could want at this point.
THE IMPOSTERS (the people)
Josh T Jordan
Banana Chan
Todd Crapper
THE IMPOSTERS (the game)
The Imposters on Kickstarter
2017-04-2058 min
Modifier33. Axon Punk with Colin & Cameron Kyle
Real-life punks (no, that's a lie, they're actually very polite boys) Colin and Cameron Kyle are here to discuss their cyberpunk hip-hop game Axon Punk! We talk about things like when do you know it's time to stop hacking and start building, how to reach out for help with diversity, and how many cons in a row is too many cons in a row.
NOTABLE PUNX
Axon Punk twitter
Axon Punk website
Sugar Gamers
Eliott Lilly
2017-04-061h 03
Modifier32. 5 Across Erika Chappell's Heart
It finally happened! Erika and I finally got to talk magical girls and record it as an episode!! Her game Five Across the Heart is both a rad game about punk mahous and an excellent study of the evolution of an RPG. Come hang out with us in this episode that is definitely not a ploy by the Negaverse to siphon all your mahou shoujo excitement. WINK.
THE SHOUJO
Erika on twitter
THE MAHOU
Erika's Five Across the Heart (& more!) gamedev thread
2017-03-231h 10
Modifier31. Noir World with John Adamus
This is one of those episodes where we talk about a game and a Kickstarter, yes, but more than that we talk about the process of creation itself. John Adamus, known in part for his tweetstorms of encouragement to creators, gets really deep with how Noir World came to be and how it changed over its 70+ iterations.
THE MAN
John on Twitter
John's Patreon
THE WORLD
Noir World Twitter
Noir World Facebook
2017-03-091h 03
Modifier30. Companion's Tale with Laura Simpson
Or, The One Where We Go Full Dragon Age Fancast. Listen, it's a transformation that's been happening slowly for a while now, I feel like. Maybe it's a new segment? Anyway, COMPANION'S TALE IS KICKSTARTING! Laura and I chat about her excellent new storytelling game at Dreamation 2017, among other tangents (about companions) (that you can kiss).
THE STORYTELLER
Laura on twitter
Sweet Potato Press
Companion's Tale on Kickstarter
2017-02-2346 min
Modifier29. RPGs & Kids with the Walls Family
Carrie and Evie Walls are here to talk shop about running and playing all sorts of RPGs as (and for) younger players. We get into how to choose games, deal with problem players, and tell an engaging story. Also, their dad James is here.
THE WALLS
Living 4 Crits blog
James' G+
James' twitter
Living 4 Crits YouTube
2017-02-0959 min
Modifier28. Myth, Mystery & Crime in Alas for the Awful Sea
Storybrewers Hayley and Veronica are here to tell us all about their new game Alas for the Awful Sea and what drives them to tell grey stories about desperation, hate, fear and folklore in the 19th century UK sailing villages. (Okay I know how that sounded but this episode is real cute you guys.)
THE CHARACTERS
Storybrewers / Hayley on twitter
Veronica on twitter
THE STORY
Alas for the Awful Sea on Kickstarter
Storybrewers website
Storybrewers facebook
2017-01-2636 min
Modifier27. RPGs for Kids with John Harness
John Harness, veteran middle-grade game-runner and force behind the Facebook page "RPGs for Kids" joins us to talk about...running games for kids! We talk about games as education as well as fun, and how to approach running for the younger players in your life.
LINKS
John on Twitter
RPGs for Kids Facebook page
No Thank You Evil
Adventure Maximus
2017-01-1256 min
Modifier26. Modding 13th Age with J Michael Bestul
Heroes, it has been a HECK of a year, and we're going out with a bang. J Michael Bestul gives us some hot tips on how to get the most out of modding 13th Age, which is a pretty rad system to begin with. Plus, a little waxing nostalgic in the intro and not one but TWO hidden kitties! Don't ever say we never gave you nothing.
ICONS
J Michael Bestul on Twitter
J Michael Bestul on G+
J's website
BACKGROUNDS
Quinn Murphy's post on Backgrounds
Wade Rockett's post on...2016-12-291h 05
Modifier25. Building A Better Deck-builder With Dan Enders
We're taking a look at hacking deck-builder card games this week, specifically Crptozoic's Cerberus Engine system, with card-game aficionado / hostage Dan Enders. Dan also wrote micro RPG card game The Bite, so this one is just ALL about cards and feeling bad.
DRAW
Dan on Twitter
Dragon Ball Cerberus hack on Reddit
The Bite
2016-12-151h 09
Modifier24. Supporting Setting with Mechanics in Jason Pitre's Sig
Sig is a multiplanar fantasy setting for Jason Pitre's game Spark, and is a fantastic example of mechanics supporting and reinforcing setting. But, how do you do that thing? Luckily Jason has some experience crafting mechanics that evoke experience and promote setting, so we talk all about it, and his upcoming Sig kickstarter too!
SPARK
Jason's twitter
Jason's G+
Genesis of Legend
SMOKE
One Shot playthrough of Sig Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
SH&R Genre Bacon
2016-12-0147 min
Modifier23. Join the Secret Society with Keith Baker's Illimat
Am I allowed to just issue an open invitation like that? Am I going to get kicked out now? Shoot. Don't tell anyone I told you, okay? Oh good. Since we're cool now, Keith Baker is here to tell us all about Illimat, and what it was like to create a game from a bunch of components that had already been carefully designed.
CAPTAIN OF EYES
Keith's twitter
Keith's website
THE ILLIMAT
Illimat website
Twogether Studios
Find an Illimat Outpost (game cafes that have demo copies!)
One Shot Plays...2016-11-1938 min
Modifier22. Culture Modding with Quinn Wilson
This week we get deep, discussing the role of culture in games and how to approach modifying that part of the fiction. Quinn Wilson, GM of Swallows of the South and noted Guy Fieri enthusiast, leads the way.
THE GOOD GOOD LINKS
Quinn's garbage twitter
Swallows of the South
Flavortown
Quinn Murphy's Drau
2016-11-0300 min
Modifier21. Scaling Games Part 2: GO ...HOME?
Technically you don't HAVE to go home. In fact, stay here for a little while! Jeff Stormer from Party of One, the podcast all about two-player RPGs, is here to talk about playing SMALL games. How do you play or modify games for just two people? Or even ONE person? There's a lot more out there for the small table, and we talk about it.
PARTY PEOPLE
Jeff / Party of One twitter
Party of One Podcast
CROSSOVER
Meghan Plays 39 Dark on Party of One
2016-10-2046 min
Modifier20. Scaling Games Part 1: GO BIG
Multi-DM games. Multi-table games. The Specials. There are many names for these massive convention games, but luckily for us we've got several guests here to help break them down. Geoffrey Peart, Troy Pichelman, and Darcy Ross are all experienced in ways to make your game bigger, whatever the system.
THE SPECIALS
Geoffrey Peart
Troy Pichelman
Darcy Ross
SCALE IT UP
Pathfinder Society Events
Ontario Pathfinder Society
Monte Cook Games Asset Team
2016-10-081h 02
Modifier19. (More) Accessibility With Aser & Megan Tolentino
It's another episode all about accessibility in gaming, this time with blind gamer Aser Tolentino and his wife Megan. Both are extremely talented players and GMs (who you might recognize from The Redacted Files or the Firefly Podcast) and they have a wealth of knowledge to share when it comes to tools and tips for making, running, and playing accessible games.
THE TOLENTINOS
Aser
Megan
The Redacted Files
Firefly Podcast
THE TIDBITS
Voice Dream Reader
Kurzweil 1000
Braille dice on Shapeways
64oz Games (Braille game kits)
jsdice...2016-09-2248 min
Modifier18. A Bguiling Homebrew: Converting 3.5e's Beguiler to Pathfinder
For our first proper homebrew Chris takes us through his process of converting D&D 3.5's Beguiler class over to Pathfinder. We talk about how to approach a conversion, how to get feedback, and what makes a homebrew appealing to players outside your group.
PART ROGUE, PART WIZARD
Chris' Beguiler Conversion
The Beguiler in Golarion
2016-09-0852 min
Modifier17. Let's Visit Mark Richardson's Headspace
This one goes long heroes, but that's because Mark has just as much to say about his shared-conciousness RPG "Headspace" as I have to ask, and he's too polite (Canadian) to tell me to wrap it up already. Jack in, this one goes places!
OPERATORS
Mark Richardson
Green Hat Designs
Headspace RPG
UPGRADES
Headspace on One Shot Part One | Part Two
2016-08-251h 29
Modifier16. Reflections with Jim and Paulomi
I did this to myself. I made jokes. I let guests talk about L5R. Now he's here, in my podcast. Jim McClure and Paulomi Pratap from Third Act Publishing are here to talk about "Reflections", a two-player storytelling RPG about dueling samurai, and the game's journey from where it began as Tobie Abad's "A Single Moment".
SAMURAI
Jim McClure
Paulomi Pratap
Tobie Abad
THE DUEL
Reflections Kickstarter
Reflections at Third Act Publishing
A Single Moment
REFLECTIONS APS
Party of One
The RPG Academy
...2016-08-1158 min
Modifier15. The (Open) Legend of Brian Feister
Open Legend is an "open source RPG" created by Brian Feister with the intent that the system can be used to tell any epic story of your choice. We take a look at how the system is broken down into components and how those can be manipulated to suit your preferred genre.
CHARACTERS
Brian Feister
BOONS
Open Legend RPG (website)
Open Legend RPG (twitter)
Open Legend Community
BANES
Masks AP Livestream video
2016-07-281h 09
Game ClosetCritical Theory 3 – Talking Fanfiction, Transformative Works, & RPGs with Meghan & BrandonHello friends, I’m Taylor, and welcome to another episode of the Riverhouse Games Podcast. We’ve got a super cool episode today with two really rad people. We’re talking with Meghan Dornbrock from the Modifier podcast and Brandon Leon-Gambetta from Stop Hack and Roll podcast about fanfiction, transformative works, and fan created RPGs. We talk a … Continue reading Critical Theory 3 – Talking Fanfiction, Transformative Works, & RPGs with Meghan & Brandon →2016-07-2300 min
Modifier14. Hacking Apocalypse World with Andrew Medeiros
Urban Shadows. The Watch. Andrew Medeiros knows how to hack Apocalypse World, and more importantly, he knows what happened to Janet! Come listen to us chat about why it's so fun to be Powered by the Apocalypse.
PLAYBOOKS
Andrew Medeiros on the web (NorthFireGames)
Andrew Medeiros on Patreon
Andrew Medeiros on G+
2016-07-1450 min
Modifier13. Playing By Post on the GamersPlane
This week, Rohit of GamersPlane shares his experience crafting a dedicated play-by-post space online, and how these games are different and often advantageous to their in-person counterparts. PbP games are a unique experience, and we take a look at how that happens.
SEEKING PLAYERS
GamersPlane.com
GamersPlane on Twitter
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
AcadeCon 2016
"Tabletop Gaming Has A White Male Terrorism Problem" - Emily Garland
"It's not just video games — tabletop gaming has a harassment problem too" - Aja Romano (Vox)
39 Dark - Party of One
2016-06-3056 min
Party of One Podcast29 (Dark) - Mars Colony: 39 Dark With Meghan DornbrockWhen faced with an oppressive regime and a stifling social climate, how does an ordinary citizen make a difference? Two words: PUNK. ROCK. 39 Dark: http://www.tckroleplaying.com/39dark/ Modifier: http://oneshotpodcast.com/category/podcasts/modifier/ Modifier Tumblr: http://modifierpodcast.tumblr.com/ Follow Modifier on Twitter: https://twitter.com/modifierpodcast Follow Meghan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/meglish Theme Song: Mega Ran feat. D&D Sluggers, "Infinite Lives," RandomBeats LLC, www.megaran.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/party-of-one-podcast/donationsAd...2016-06-281h 05
Modifier12. Beautiful Senshi Hearts, Make UP!
This week we're basically a Sailor Moon fan podcast, thanks to the creative team behind Beautiful Senshi Hearts, a magical girl spin on Monster Hearts. Josh Kronegold, Anne Ratchat, and James (JC) Holder talk about their game and the magical girl genre. Special guest Lisa Padol.
FIGHTING EVIL BY MOONLIGHT
Josh (the pink one)
Anne (the blue one)
James (the green one)
Lisa (the cat)
WINNING LOVE BY DAYLIGHT
Beautiful Senshi Hearts
NEVER RUNNING FROM A REAL FIGHT
Stop, Hack, & Roll
2016-06-161h 19
Modifier11. The Dark Eye with Tim Brown
Studio Manager for Ulisses North America and RPG veteran Tim Brown gives us a look at what it takes to bring The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge), one of the most popular German-language RPGs with a 30+ year history, to English audiences. How are German games different from English games, and what makes the new edition of The Dark Eye so special?
UNSER GAST
Timothy Brown
Ulisses Spiele North America
The Dark Eye Kickstarter
2016-06-0239 min
Modifier10. Glenn Given's Blazing Heart
Hearts Blazing is a story-telling card game of melodramatic sci-fi adventure by Games by Play Date. One of the creators, Glenn Given, stopped by to chat about games, storytelling, and smashing the barriers we erect between them. We also talk about the value of creation vs perfection, as well as the Hearts Blazing Kickstarter! (We talked a LOT.)
EVERYTHING IS MADE UP:
Glenn (GamesbyPlayDate) on Twitter
Games By Play Date
Hearts Blazing Kickstarter
THE POINTS DON'T MATTER:
Hearts Blazing One Shot twitch stream
Personality & Play Styles by Bart Stewart
2016-05-1956 min
Modifier9. Noirlandia
Hannah Shaffer and Evan Rowland have hacked their own game! We talk about how Questlandia lead to Noirlandia, what constitutes a noir, and the perils of the banana industry. Warning: there's a lot of giggling in this one.
RUNNING THE BANANA STAND
Evan Rowland
Hannah Shaffer
Noirlandia Kickstarter
Make Big Things
NON-BANANA BUSINESS
Noisy Person Cards Actual Play
Noisy Person Cards Kickstarter
AcadeCon Kickstarter
2016-05-0553 min
Modifier8. Modding the Meta with Anna Kreider
Mods! Magical girls! Misandry! This episode has it all. Anna Kreider shares her experiences pitching very different games about women to con-goers and what she's learned in the process. We discuss her games The Starlit Kingdom, Autonomy, and The Watch.
MAGICAL GIRL
Anna Kreider
Peach Pants Press
Andrew Medeiros
Ben Lehman's Polaris
THE OTHER STUFF
NPC Kickstarter
Paracosm Press
Eric Vulgaris on Twitch
Hades Holiday Party: video | tickets
From Scratch #2 with Meghan
2016-04-2144 minGame ClosetFrom Scratch 2 – Meghan Dornbrock is Shotgunning New Games & We Play Caroline Hobbs’ One Missed CallThis one was so fun y’all! Let’s get into these show notes. First of all, go check out Meghan and her show, Modifier on Twitter. In this episode we talk about how Meghan has been participating in Epidiah Ravachol’s 36in16 games challenge! We also talk about this article about how your mileage may vary with gaming spaces, … Continue reading From Scratch 2 – Meghan Dornbrock is Shotgunning New Games & We Play Caroline Hobbs’ One Missed Call →2016-04-1700 min
Modifier7. Modifier Gets A Lawyer!
We’ve been threatening it for weeks, but we finally did it. Friend of the network and actual lawyer Priyanko “Pranks” Paul breaks down WotC’s OGL and answers your legal questions about using the license. Turns out, it’s way less scary than it looks!
DUE DILIGENCE
Pranks on twitter
Never Tell Me The Pods
Reddit AMA on the OGL
2004 OGL FAQ
WotC’s OGL vs DMG guide and the SRD
copyright.gov
Empire of Imagination
2016-04-071h 02
Modifier#6: The Cypher System with Bruce Cordell
Monte Cook Games, fine purveyors of Numenera and The Strange, is in the middle of a Kickstarter to launch three new settings for their Cypher System. Senior designer and veteran game writer Bruce Cordell breaks down both the system and the Kickstarter, flawlessly alleviating Meghan’s page-count induced panic attack and completing her conversion to Cypher fangirl. Join us, won’t you?
CHARACTER SHEET
Bruce Cordell is a tweeting game writer who has content in an amazing Kickstarter
2016-03-2458 min
ModifierPK Sullivan’s “Heroes Fall”
What's the plural of “apocalypse”? Well, we didn’t figure that out. Sorry. Instead, PK tells us all about the game he’s crafting and the process so far as he aims to break our hearts with a pre-apocalyptic saga from which almost nothing can survive. Also, Star Wars!
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE
PK Sullivan’s
Twitter
Blog
Three Rocketeers
Three Rocketeers on One Shot Part 1 | Part 2
2016-03-101h 10
ModifierLaser Kittens with Cheyenne Wall-Grimes
What’s the difference between a Laser Kitten and a Glitter Cat? Where does a kitten learn to cat? Why do their eyes glow, and what sorts of laser powers do cats even have? Cheyenne Wall-Grimes helps solve those mysteries and more through her new RPG in this purr-fect episode of Meowdifier! Er, Modifier.
WHO WHO WHO:
Cheyenne Wall-Grimes
Glitter Cats Fine Amusements on Twitter, Facebook , & Blog
Laser Kittens Kickstarter
2016-02-2542 min
ModifierMass Effect on the Edge of the Empire
(genuine enthusiasm) Homebrewer Richard shares his journey in creating and playtesting an Edge of the Empire conversion to the Mass Effect universe. (further informational statement) Along with Cat, his wife and a member of the guinea pig game group, Richard shares what worked, what didn't, and how the adventure is going.
OUR INTREPID CREW
Richard's Instagram and tumblr
Cat
SUBMIT OGL QUESTIONS
Modifier's tumblr
2016-02-1156 min
ModifierRoll20 & The Word From The Wizards
Nolan T. Jones and Suzanne Wallace from Roll20 help Meghan parse out the latest news from Wizards of the Coast, and what it means for homebrewing heroes everywhere. We discuss what’s new for Roll20, the differences between your new marketplace options, and muse about what we might see next.
2016-01-2845 min
ModifierAccessibility with Elsa S Henry
Meghan and Elsa chat about gaming with a disability, and the many ways games can be made more accessible and inclusive for all players. We also discuss Elsa’s forthcoming RPG Dead Scare, our mutual love for Hamilton, and a totally unbiased analysis of Netflix’s Daredevil.
2016-01-141h 03