Out of Character

You need two action chips and a Queen of Hearts to kill the orc. This week, the crew take their adventurers and investigators into the land of meeples and cardboard.  Do board game elements improve or hinder role-playing games?  We approach the topic from several angles--the power of tactile learning tools, the power to control outcomes, and the effects on suspension of disbelief. We'll be going on a brief hiatus after this episode.  We'll be back in a couple weeks to wrap up season two with our very first live episode of Out of Character!  Join us, along with game designer John Wick, on our Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/pulpgamer) channel on August 21st at 7PM Pacific.  See you there!

Sometimes, the real world refuses to step aside for your make-believe one.  Gerri's babysitter cancelled and she can't make the game.  Jonathan's new job has an erratic schedule, and he can't guarantee his weekends will always be free.  Erin's on the run from the cops again.  And next week you won't have time to prep the adventure. What can you do to accommodate scheduling issues?  The Crew offer their solutions--from whole campaigns designed around irregular schedules to patches for your existing game. Whatever you do, though, make sure to clear your schedule for our live episode on August 21!  Join us on our Livestream channel (http://www.livestream.com/pulpgamer) at 7PM Pacific.  We'll be fielding your questions live on the air, along with special guest John Wick (http://johnwickpresents.com/).  Don't miss it!

Ever since the audio days, the Crew's tried to smooth the way for new players.  One of Don's favorite suggestions is to have an experienced player mentor the new recruit, in addition to the GM.  This week, we delve into this concept:  How can you be a good mentor? In addition, we're thrilled to announce the upcoming live episode of Out of Character!  Join us on Livestream (http://www.livestream.com/pulpgamer) on August 21, 2012, where we'll answer your gaming questions live on the air!  We'll also be joined by game designer John Wick (http://johnwickpresents.com/)!

Viewer Brendan's players seem to have stumbled into a tricky situation, and he's come to the Pulp Gamer Crew for help! [My players] have taken captive a man in control of a horde of aliens who have been devastating a ship. The aliens are way too powerful to fight as a group but because the man needs to be brought in alive...The only thing stopping the aliens from tearing the group apart is that the group can take the leader out with one shot before his aliens would attack. We're at a stand off, the villain has no motive to keep them alive if they released them and doesn't want to be taken to the authorities and so will not let them take him off the ship without a fight. We put our best GMs to the task this week, and also consult a certain figure of the industry who might have some advice of his own... Has your game gone off the rails?  Tell us about it!  We might just feature your quandary in a future episode.  

We loved the topic so much, we had to come back to it:  How do you make a good character background? We love colorful character histories, but sometimes they get so involved that they interfere with the actual game.  One character can't pursue the plotline, because they're too preoccupied with rescuing their sister.  Another refuses to be hooked because the macguffin isn't something he'd go after.  And a third is too busy angsting and "being a lone wolf" to do much of anything with anyone!  How do you create an interesting background that supports the GM's plot, instead of hobbling it? Would you like to be on the show?  We're looking for guests to bring fresh topics and fresh insights to the show.  If you can provide your own travel expenses, we can provide you with a chair, a camera, and a Jason to argue with.  Contact us today (http://www.pulpgamer.com/contact.php)!

Can you Stump the Chumps?  Last week, Scott rose to listener Chad's linguistic challenge (http://www.pulpgamer.com/outofcharacter/135567/ooc-216-stump-the-chumps-creole-cookin/).  This week, Chad sets his sights on our resident geography nerd, Don. Given a hard-edged space exploration scenario, what are some interesting ways that the first stages human development might change or put pressure on a pristine environment? Does environmental geography identify stages that might help in crafting a timeline? Anything surprising or counter-intuitive? And while we're on the subject of alien colonies, we explore a few other challenges your players might face as space colonists--including a distant chain of command and dealing with native species or native sentients. We want to hear your questions!  Leave them in the comments below, or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/PulpGamer), Twitter (https://twitter.com/PulpGamer), or Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/pulpgamer), and we'll do our best to answer them in a future episode!

You've clamored for its return.  Can you Stump the Chumps? An old favorite from the audio days, we put our various fields of expertise on the line to answer your gaming questions.  And if we can't answer it, we'll find someone who can! Listener Chad takes the first swing:  Hey, Language Guy (Scott)! You gave a good answer previously about how to invent a whole new language. What about guidelines for creating a patois or pidgin? How might English syntax change in an isolated or uneducated community? And separately, got any good rules of thumb for inventing a few words of credible slang for a sci-fi (or any) setting to add color. We want to hear your questions!  Leave them in the comments below, or on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/PulpGamer), Twitter (https://twitter.com/PulpGamer), or Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/pulpgamer), and we'll do our best to answer them in a future episode!

You've found an amazing new game, with innovative mechanics, a rich setting, a thrilling concept, something that grabs you by the shirt and demands you try it out.  Great!  The only problem is, your group's been playing the same dungeon crawler since the dawn of time.  Why can't we just play that? This week, the Jason and the Crew share their tips for getting your group excited to try something new.  Whether through old familiar hooks or the promise of shiny new toys, we'll help you finally start that expedition into uncharted gaming territory.

Dave shows up to the table with the new elf fighter he just rolled.  Her name is Sandra.  She says hi. Playing across gender has been a controversial topic in the gaming community for most of its history, and comes with all manner of connotations and cultural baggage.  Why are cross-gender characters an issue?  How do you portray one in a realistic and respectful manner?  What are the inherent dangers and pitfalls?  Why is a cross-gender PC different from a GM playing a cross-gendered NPC, and is online roleplay somehow different? This week, the Crew tries to sort through these tangled questions.

Sometimes, you don't have the time to pull the machinery of a universe out of your own head.  Conveniently, they have adventures waiting on the book shelf at your friendly local game store, ready for consumption with minimal preparation. And straight out of the box,  they're also as flavorless as a cup of ramen, full of plot decisions you wouldn't have made and character decisions your players will never make.  This week, the Crew shows you how to rebuild a published scenario and make it something more than generic box text and a few encounters. We also give a shout-out to the Canon Puncture (http://www.canonpuncture.com/) podcast this week.  Check them out!

What makes a roleplaying game a success, both on your table and in the greater games market?  And what keeps other games from greatness?  The Pulp Gamer Crew tackles this elementary question. We also welcome back Jonathan Strootman, better known as orc storyteller Grok Bloodface.  Check out his work with us at Tales of an Orc (http://www.talesofanorc.com), or find Grok on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GrokBloodface) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/GrokBloodface).

You know that player.  The one who sits in at the far end of the table, plays around on their phone, and occasionally throws the (sometimes wrong) dice when prompted.  They never remember the rules, they aren't involved in any subplots, and they just bob along after the rest of the party.  But when you ask them why they aren't engaged with the game, they respond, "Are you kidding?  I'm having a blast!" As casual gaming become more and more a part of our culture, many GMs face the challenge of creating a game that can appease both their casual and hardcore players.  This week, Jason and the crew discuss their own experiences with casuals and the solutions they've found. We'd also like to welcome Jonathan Strootman to the crew!  Jonathan is the man behind Grok Bloodface's intimidating scowl.  Go check out his work at the Tales of an Orc kickstarter page (http://www.talesofanorc.com)!

It was cute the first time she slew the princess and saved the dragon.  You all laughed when he decided to kiss the villain right on the face.  But the antics are getting out of hand, you haven't seen the plot in a month, and you'd really like to work for a king once in a while without Captain Fruitloops attempting an impromptu assassination or showing up to the banquet naked. How do you manage "the crazy character" in your group?  How can they become problematic?  How can you channel their shenanigans into a net positive?  And at what point do you have to issue an ultimatum? We'd like to thank Stephanie Pegg of Flying Monkeys for this week's question.  Be sure to check out their game, Super Sparkle Action Princess GX! (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/91557/Super-Sparkle-Action-Princess-GX!)

We switch up a few seats and finish our discussion on character backgrounds.  This week:  How much physical description is a good idea, or is it necessary at all?   How do you build personal goals for your characters, and how do you keep them aligned with the main plotline?    What do you do with NPCs related to the player characters?  And more!

A character begins with a simple question.  Not "What did you roll for Dex?" or "How many points did you put in Interpretive Dance?"  Rather, "Who are you?  Where have you been?  What did you see?"  How do you craft a background that is engaging and full of plot hooks without creating a boring brick of useless and unnecessary details?  We couldn't squeeze all our thoughts into one episode (or all the crew members behind the desk), so we're making this one a two-part series! We also give a shout-out to John Wick's Wicked Fantasy (http://johnwickpresents.com/wicked-fantasy/) project for Pathfinder (http://paizo.com/pathfinder).  Check it out!