Episode 128: (Re)Introductions

Well, hello again. Meet the Idle Red Hands for the second time. Even after two years, their stories on how they got started in gaming remain the same. From the drug-infested, Magic-playing ghettos of Philly to the cheese-eating, cheese-wearing wasteland of Wisconsin to the nuclear-fearing, sparkly-scarf-loving ground zero of West Germany, these three gamers found and fell in love with the hobby.

Listen for the answers to these questions:

Is Heroquest is an RPG?
Who was the “inspiration” for the Punisher?
How many stolen D&D products has Chris bought?

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Episode 127: Literature Lessons: Edgar Allen Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, – See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15638#sthash.Xu6x4ORe.dpuf

Once upon a weeknight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
 Over what Feat to choose for this RPG character I adore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a yapping,
As of some one rudely sapping, sapping energy galore.
“Tis Idle Red Hands,” I muttered, “flapping gums, those frightful bores –
Only this and nothing … (snore).”

Happy Halloween! For the last episode in our Month of Horror, we look at the American Gothic writer, Edgar Allen Poe.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door— “‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” – See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15638#sthash.Xu6x4ORe.dpuf
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door— “‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” – See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15638#sthash.Xu6x4ORe.dpuf
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Episode 124: Conventions & Innovations

With Wayne back from Strategicon‘s Gateway 2013 and Lyal fresh off of reading books on the history of role-playing games, we decide to combine these for this episode’s topic. We look at the innovations that role-playing games brought to gaming and how these can be found in today’s convention games. Since we’re talk about conventions, we cover an eighties cartoon, zombies, neck beards, teenage girls (Wait. What?) and One Direction (Which convention did Wayne go to?).

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Episode 123: Cosmic Heroes

“In blackest day, in darkest night, may the force be with you.”
-Idle Red Hands

Go big or go home. This week we tackle a galactic sized topic with “Cosmic Heroes”. Marvel’s Nova Corps, D.C.’s Green Lantern Corps, the Jedi and other heroes – in spaaaaaaaace.

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Episode 122: Inspirations #1

In this first installment of a new series, we look at things that have given us at least one game idea. The three inspirations for this episode are Princess Mononoke, Saga of the Swamp Thing and Cloverfield.

We had considered opening these show notes with the lyrics to Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration”, but we were worried that the song would get stuck in your head. ARGH! Too late!

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Episode 121: Locales: Myanmar

“Old cows like young grass.”
– Myanmar proverb

The proverb really has nothing to do with our episode, but, darn, Myanmar, you speak the truth.

In this installment of Locales, we discuss Myanmar the Golden Land. In true Idle Red Hands fashion, we don’t just Google it; we put a man on the ground. Lyal comes back from Myanmar to augment Chris’s and Wayne’s exhaustive research. Oh, Lyal gets all coy because his wife was in the room. Yes, he was talking about the sex industry. It really couldn’t be any clearer.

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Episode 120: Warriors: Apache

“It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.”
– Apache proverb

The warpath
When lightning strikes, bows and war clubs gleamin’
No sunshine, no Geronimo dreamin’
The cavalry roamin’ on the loose, you got juice
Up for abuse, when Chiricahua is induced
So suck along, rock on, the brain waves

What you clocking, I’d be tomahawking, you get maimed
The games you play, look up and say you want to change
And rearrange, the strange, you never go the way
Don’t look back, forget that, you need that
Just sit back, look at the show, and see that

In this installment of warriors, we look at the Apache. Are we just thunder in the mouth?

 

 

 

 

 

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.

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Episode 119: Endings

“You know, the only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most important part of the story.”
—Mort, Secret Window

So, why leave it up to your players? Kidding.

In this Waynelss episode, Chris and Lyal discuss the different types of endings you can have in your game. This episode seems better than usual for some reason. We can’t figure it out, though.

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Episode 117: RPG Rookies: Pathfinder

Today’s a training day, new player. Show you around; give you a taste of the business. I got 4 games pending people’s schedules, 3 active campaigns, another 25 in my notes that I can’t think of a decent act two for. I GM five players. That’s five different personalities. Five sets of problems. You can be number six if you act now. But I ain’t holding no hands, okay? I ain’t baby-sitting. You got today and today only to show me who and what you’re made of. You don’t like Scottish accents, get the frak away from my table. Go get you a nice, wimpy desk game, chasing Mario’s kart or something, you hear me?

In our second installment of RPG Rookies, we go over the things players and gamemasters need to discuss when starting up a new game, using our upcoming Pathfinder game as an example.

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Episode 116: Magic: Rune Magic

Know how to cut them, know how to read them,
Know how to stain them, know how to prove them,
Know how to evoke them, know how to score them,
Know how to send them; know how to spend them
— Havamal

Our fourth installment of Magic deals with runes, the power associated with them, and how you can bring this often underused form of magic into your games. Although we mostly define runes as the letters used to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet, we do mention a few other forms of magical writing systems.

Wayne brings up D&D Next again, but (surprisingly) doesn’t rant about it. Meanwhile Chris does rant, just not about anything game related, and Lyal provides tips on how to enjoy Dungeons & Dragons 3: Book of Vile Darkness.

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