Cyberpunk RED Chapter 6: Anticipating the Glow (S4E3)
Jul 19, 2024
Our Cyberpunk RED campaign continues with Chapter 6: Anticipating the Glow. Previously, the edgerunners accepted a mission to venture into the irradiated core of Night City, descend into the depths the ruined Elysium HQ headquarters, and flip a switch.
Being somewhat cautious mercenaries, they decided to do a little research first before venturing into the still-radioactive ruins.
0:00 Intro 3:00 Bounty Update 8:30 Corporate Conspiracy Unveiled 14:45 Downtime Adventures 28:20 New Mission Briefing 35:50 Preparing for the Hot Zone 45:00 Negotiating the Fee 55:25 Essential Gear and Final Preparations 1:10:15 Hot Zone Dangers and Tactics 1:20:30 Meeting Delver Dan 1:32:45 Closing Remarks
Show Notes
The story resumes with the edgerunners facing increased bounties on their heads, with Atlas having a 3,500 EB bounty and other members like APT, Angry Bob, and Omen at 2,000 EB each. The team uncovers that the bounties are backed by the Brain Bank, a startup front for various corporations, and are specifically ordered by Zetatech agent Isabel “Izzy” Cordaro, who seeking revenge against Atlas.
During their downtime, the characters pursue various personal endeavors: Omen participates in rocket blade tournaments, Angry Bob reports on race corruption, and Atlas contemplates his violent past while helping at the Holy Angels Church. The group is eventually hired for a new mission by APT’s fixer, Priest. That mission? To infiltrate the Elysium Aeronautics research facility and reboot an ancient server in its rad-shielded basement.
The group meticulously prepares for the mission, gathering information about the Hot Zone . They learn about the dangers from Falco, a seasoned delver, and the desperation of those living in the radiation-scarred city center from Roof Diver, a member of 6th Street. They decide on essential gear, including iodine tablets, air filters, and possibly radiation suits, while negotiating their fee to reflect the mission’s high risks, landing a payday of 40,000 EB.
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Overland Exploration in D&D – Campaigns and Coffee
Jul 12, 2024
In this thrilling episode of Campaigns and Coffee, David and Ken delve into Ken’s epic Elemental Apocalypse D&D campaign. The heroes are on a quest to reunite a fallen angel with its lost sun sword amidst a world torn apart by elemental forces. Ken shares his creative process, discussing map-making with Incarnate, integrating skill challenges inspired by Blades in the Dark, and setting up an adventure filled with moral dilemmas and high-stakes encounters, including a confrontation with a shadow black dragon. The episode is a captivating blend of strategy, storytelling, and the adventurous spirit of Greyhawk.
0:00 Intro 1:20 Campaign Overview 1:45 Hunting a Fallen Angel 3:13 Using Incarnate for Maps 5:00 Skill Challenges and Gameplay 7:25 Upcoming Dragon Encounter 10:00 Game Mechanics and Liberation Dice 12:30 Q&A: Mind-Controlling Dragons 19:00 Moral Dilemmas in Greyhawk 20:09 Closing Remarks
Mind the crates; we’re still unpacking Season 4 of the podcast! On this episode, Ken talks about playing Monster of the Week mysteries, David flips through his Dreams and Machines rule books, and we delve into our respective reading lists.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:20 Ken’s New Lunchtime Game: Monster of the Week
1:41 David Discusses ‘Dreams and Machines’
3:01 Book Discussions and Recommendations
6:43 Strategies for Managing Multiple GMs
8:10 What’s on Their Reading List?
13:06 Alien Novels and Cyberpunk Gaming Insights
19:17 Diving Deep into Cyberpunk 2077
22:29 Insights from Sci-fi Novel Writing Class
27:31 Closing Remarks and Goodbye
Show Notes
Game – Monster of the Week
Ken’s lunchtime gaming group is racking down horrors in a small New England town
A secret corporate space station is experimenting on Xenomorphs in the darkest depths of space, nearby a star could incinerate them in a moment. What could go wrong? Ken’s reading this one.
Cyberpunk, But Different – Campaigns & Coffee
Jun 28, 2024
Our cozy, Saturday morning show continues with a discussion of cyberpunk, but different from our usual cyberpunk. Instead of the dystopian future of R. Talsorian’s Cyberpunk RED, hosts David, Ken, and Chris talk about Chris’s homegrown, Cleveland-based, cyberpunk campaign which uses the Cities without Number rule set.
We explore the challenges of learning different systems within the cyberpunk genre and share techniques for learning a new system and setting. We also discuss the importance of designing sessions to road test new mechanics and balancing rules with fun.
Chapters
0:00 Intro: Cyberpunk, But Different
1:40 Meet “Cities Without Number”
4:20 Challenges of learning new RPG systems
7:00 Adapting personal experiences into game settings
10:30 Strategies for engaging with game mechanics
13:00 Community Q&A: Integrating hobbies into a dark persona
17:45 Closing thoughts and outro
Show Notes
Introduction to the Episode
Main Topic: Exploring new tabletop RPG systems and integrating personal experiences into game settings.
Chris’s Journey into Cities Without Number
Transition from familiar cyberpunk settings to OSR (Old School Revival/Renaissance).
Development of “Terminal City,” inspired by Cleveland.
Utilizing random tables from ‘Cities Without Number’ to enhance game creativity.
Deep Dive into Learning New Systems
Discussion on adapting to different rule sets within known genres.
Strategies for mastering new systems:
Immersive playtesting
Collaborative learning with rule-savvy players
Integrating personal narratives and local elements into game worlds.
Challenges and Solutions in RPG Adaptations
Balancing rule complexity with game play fluidity.
Leveraging player strengths to complement game play dynamics.
Anecdotes from running various systems including Cyberpunk Red and Savage Worlds.
Community Engagement
Opening the floor to listeners for tips and experiences in adapting to new RPG systems.
Addressing listener questions on incorporating side hobbies into a “dark persona” with humor and creativity.
Closing Remarks
Recap of key insights on adapting to new RPG systems and creating rich, personalized game worlds.
Invitation for further discussion and listener engagement in future episodes.
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Season 4 kicks off with this episode as we experiment with a new format and geek out about everything from death rays to Dragonbane. We rundown the role-playing games we hope to play this season, review the games we delved into during the hiatus, and geek out about technology in our campaigns.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro and Overview of Season 4 1:28 – Unveiling the New Format 3:45 – Tech Talk: Gadgets and Geomorphs 10:26 – The Board Game Bonanza Begins 17:06 – Deep Dive into Dragonbane 22:00 – Exploring Tech Tools for Tabletops 27:00 – What’s Next: Upcoming Games and Gadgets 31:13 – Viewer Interactions and Requests 38:04 – Post-Apocalyptic Game Picks 43:25 – Wrapping Up and What to Expect Next
Show Notes
Welcome to Season 4
Playing with the Format
Different kinds of episodes, with content released as a podcast and on YouTube.
Main Show (30-40 minutes, the main topic comes first, then the banter)
David’s been using the new version for Dreams and Machines
Outro
Thanks for attending our latest minion and future overlord training. Thanks for coming! If you were sitting near the old death ray, head over to dice.camp and follow us @lairofsecrets. We’ve got all you need for those Hyperion gamma burns.
To start things off, we look at how the gore-filled kill shots of Fallout 4 and the deep story lore of the video games manifest in the streaming series. While avoiding spoilers, we get into what we loved about the new series, including its use of gore for shock value and it’s enjoyable storytelling. As mutant hounds howled in the background (no doubt drawn by our semi-maniacal laughter), we transition to talking about Modiphius’ Fallout role-playing game.
Using review copies provided by Modiphius, we look at the game’s mechanics, the joy of character creation, and how to balance the grit and humor that defines Fallout game play. We get into the specifics of the Fallout 2d20 system, like the use of S.P.E.C.I.A.L stats, perks, and the dice mechanics that make the Fallout RPG a faithful translation of the video game experience into a tabletop format.
Chapters
0:00 – Intro: Diving Into Fallout’s Universe
1:10 – Fallout TV Show Review and Impressions
3:38 – Transition to Fallout RPG Gameplay
7:58 – Deep Dive into RPG Mechanics and Character Creation
14:58 – GM Techniques and Gameplay Strategy
19:48 – Insights and Challenges from Session Zero
24:43 – Building a Formidable and Sustainable Empire
29:12 – Outro
Show Notes
Fallout TV Show Discussion
General impressions and impact on desire to engage with the game
Comparison of violence and gore levels between the TV show, Fallout 4, and other media
How the TV show balances violence with storytelling
Transition to Fallout RPG
Motivations for playing the RPG based on the TV show depiction
Initial reactions and comparisons to video game elements
RPG Mechanics Deep Dive
Detailed exploration of character creation
Discussion on RPG stats and perks
Adjusting from video game mechanics to tabletop RPG mechanics
Game Mastering Techniques
Strategies for introducing combat and maintaining game pacing
Use of radroaches as beginner adversaries
Character Building and Session Insights
Experiences from the group’s session zero
Challenges faced and lessons learned during character creation and early game play
Looking Ahead
Introduction of new characters and potential plot developments
Overlord Strategy Discussion
Considerations for building a formidable and sustainable empire in the game world
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Our Cyberpunk RED Recap episode looks at the first season of our actual play campaign. We talk about our favorite moments, how the characters grew, reversals we didn’t see coming (or did, and loved anyway) and more.
S3E31 Sundered Horizons – Season Look Back
Nov 27, 2023
Join us for a lookback at our Savage Worlds-powered actual play campaign, Sundered Horizons! In this podcast retrospective, the crew discusses the three episode arc and asks one of the most important questions you can ask in a campaign: should we continue or try something else?
Sundered Horizons was our first “Side Passage” adventure – the game we’d play when we couldn’t get the full crew together for Cyberpunk RED.
S3E30 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 5: Downtime and the Living is Easy
Nov 06, 2023
The edgerunners finished their latest big gig, securing black box tech for the Maker Enclave and surviving an encounter with a Zetatech “negotiation response team”. With the run complete, they’re looking for some much needed downtime.
In Chapter 5 of our Cyberpunk RED actual play podcast, we try out the games downtime rules, which allow players to rest, recover, and earn a few Eurobucks when they’re not gunning for trouble. Meanwhile, we introduce the city-wide Rocketblade competition, which the nomad Omen is eager to participate in.
Watch us play!
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S3E28 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 4: Aftershocks
Oct 23, 2023
Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign continues with Chapter 4: Aftershocks. In our last chapter, the edgerunners cracked open the Titan 1X prototype self-driving tractor trailer and secured the Zetatech blackbox that the Maker Enclave hired them to acquire. As they moved the black box to their vehicle, they caught site of a Zetatech-branded AeroCop air vehicle inbound. The armored attack craft landed, and its leader Isabela “Izzy” Cordero explained they’d tracked the payload here specifically to make the edgerunners a deal: 10,000 EBs upfront to spy on the Maker.
The edgerunners rejected the deal, and a firefight broke out.
Through grit, luck, and a lot of bullets, the edgerunners made it away. Atlas took a critical wound after being shot, but survived. Many of the Zetatech operatives went down, but Izzy survived … and swore vengeance.
The team is now preparing to meet with Omen’s Nomad cousins.
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At Gen Con 2023 we interviewed Aaron Shanks, director of marketing for Paizo. We discussed Rage of the Elements, their latest Pathfinder 2nd Edition release and as well as their plans for the new Starfinder 2nd Edition. We also delve into Paizo’s approach to world-building, with system-wide events that progress the story in both games […]
S3E26 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 3: An Offer
Oct 09, 2023
Chapter 2 of our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign ended with the edgerunners staring down the guns of a rapidly approaching Zetatech Aerocop. They had just seized the company’s black box tractor tech from an experimental, self-driving tractor trailer at the “Iron Oasis” scrapyard outside of Night City. In order to get away with the […]
S3E25 Gen Con 2023 – Free League Interview
Oct 02, 2023
At Gen Con 2023 we interviewed Tomas Härenstam, one of the co-founders of Free League Publishing. The company won big at the 2023 Ennies game awards, taking home seven Gold Ennies for everything from Best Cartography for the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set to Product of the Year for Vaesen RPG: Mythic Britain & Ireland. […]
S3E24 Using ChatGPT and Generative AI in RPG Prep
Sep 25, 2023
In this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we’re talking about generative AI as a tool in gaming! We’re looking at how the overhyped tech can assist game masters and players alike. We provide real-game examples of using ChatGPT prompts both during prep and in game. Main topic: ChatGPT and Generative AI in RPG […]
S3E23 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 2: Iron Oasis
Sep 18, 2023
Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign continues with Chapter 2: Iron Oasis! Technical issues with recording this podcast that caused the video to glitch and the audio to get messed up near the end. We’re releasing a summary of this episode so future episodes make sense. Previously … on Cyberpunk RED The edgerunners were hired […]
S3E22 Gen Con 2023 – Modiphius Interview
Sep 11, 2023
Chris Birch, co-founder of Modiphius Entertainment, joins us to talk about his company’s upcoming slate of games including the hopepunk scifi game Dreams and Machines and the Roman Empire-era Cohors Cthulhu (a prequel to their popular Achtung Cthulhu! role-playing game). We also discuss Modiphius’ Via Modiphius and other programs to foster and promote upcoming RPG […]
GenCon 2023 – the mega game convention in Indianapolis, Indiana – is the focus of this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast. During the show we rundown our impressions of GenCon (David was there in 2022; Ken hadn’t been back since 2014) and talk about all the cool RPGs we bought and played at […]
S3E20 Savage Worlds Actual Play, Chapter 1 – “The Most Expensive Adventure”
Aug 21, 2023
When schedules don’t align or when real-life intervenes in our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign, we venture down a Side Passage! On this episode, we feature the kick off of a second actual play campaign with David Moore’s dimension hopping, steampunk-powered Sundered Horizons: Navigating the Nexus. It’s powered by Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE). In […]
On this episode, we answer the question “what is Savage Worlds“? We review the basics of Savage World’s “fast, furious, and fun” rules including character creation, hindrances, and feats. We delve into how to use the core book and the various supplements to build your own campaign world. Overlord Emeritus Chris Miller, who built his […]
S3E18 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 1: Made to Order
Jul 24, 2023
Our Cyberpunk RED actual play campaign kicks off with Chapter 1: Made to Order. The edgerunners are hired by the Makers Enclave to secure some black box tech from the Zetatech. The target – a sealed box approximately 1′ x 1′ x 2′ – is part of a new line of self-directed farming equipment. It’s […]
Summer is here, and that means reading! On this episode, it’s all books, all the time as we talk about our Summer Reading Lists for 2023. Need more inspiration? Check out these posts. The Summer Reading Lists 2023 David’s Picks Ken’s Picks Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us […]
In this podcast episode, we look at Oracles for role-playing games. Oracles are a kind of random generator popularized by solo RPGs like Ironsworn and the Mythic Game Master Simulator. However the idea of oracles – in which you role some dice to determine a course of action or inspire some aspect of your game […]
S3E15 Using Music, Art, and Props in Your Game
Jun 19, 2023
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast we look at using different media in your role-playing game sessions. This includes tools like thematic artwork, background music, in-game fiction, and even props. We also look at the new Sentinels of Earth-Prime digital card game by Handelebra (based on the print game by Greater than […]
On this episode, we talking about changing gears – changing game systems, changing genres, changing roles, changing groups – as part of our May 2023 RPG Blog Carnival hosting duties. Before venturing into those tiny, switching passages, all different, we talk about Ken’s return to backpacking, discuss new streaming series (Lockwood and Co., Picard, and […]
On this episode of Lair of Secrets, Ken totally doesn’t buy a new game he doesn’t have time to play, while David fights the good fight against streaming technical difficulties. Our main topic is a look at our favorite card games, including Fluxx, Exploding Kittens, Morels, Race for the Galaxy, and more. Game Room Main […]
S3E12 Games other than Dungeons & Dragons
May 08, 2023
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets we venture deep into the Role-Playing Game Vault to uncover a host of games that aren’t Dungeons & Dragons. We also talk about the new games we didn’t buy, ZineQuest 5, and the launch of the Leon Library Book Club, and The Obelisk Gate by N. K. […]
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets we talk about pacing your game, including techniques you can use and techniques baked into some of our favorite RPGs. First though, we’re venturing back into the Game Room to catch up on new games and new campaigns. The Game Room Main Topic: Pacing Your Game Feedback […]
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets, we take a look at our favorite board games, including Catan, Carcassone, Pandemic, and Space Hulk. We also venture back to the game room to check out the very modern PlayStation 5, the very retro Atari 50 video game museum/collection, and two newer video games: Sexy Brutale […]
The Game Master's Toolbox - a physical tool for organizing your gaming supplies - is the focus of this episode of Radio Active. Before delving into our repurposed Plano boxes though, we explore the St. Louis Science Center and take an extensive detour through the Game Room to talk about the Atari VCS, Portal Companion Edition, gaming at work, and consider the benefits of a gamer journal. We also geek out about the new Willow streaming series on Disney+.
On Episode 8, the holidays of the real world inspire a discussion of bringing holidays and special events to our game worlds. We also talk about geek Christmas trees, Seeing Eye puppies, our continued exploration of cyberpunk, and Netflix’s new Wednesday series. The Geek Tree The All-Seeing Eye The Library The Streaming Theatre Main topic: […]
S3E7 Keeping Your Gaming Group Going through the Holidays
Dec 19, 2022
Winter is coming. The holidays are almost here. How do you keep your gaming group going through the long, dark winter (or at least, the holiday break)? In addition to delving into holiday game survival strategies, we talk about David’s recent trip and the gaming insights he gained from it, Ken gets lost in TaleSpire […]
As we gear up for our Cyberpunk RED campaign, we take some time to brainstorm ideas for for the game (If only reality didn’t keep getting more cyberpunk-ish than cyberpunk). Over in the library, we discuss William Gibson’s Count Zero, then venture to the Game Room to talk about Forbidden Lands, CY_BORG, Mothership, and the just announced […]
As we build momentum toward our Cyberpunk RED campaign, we take a moment to reflect on the cyberpunk movies, books, games, and other media that inspires our take on the subgenre. We also talk National Novel Writing Month, hockey (yes, hockey), virtual gaming via NVIDIA GeForce Now, and the TaleSpire virtual table top.
S3E4 Travel and RPGs, Game Room Reclamation, Steamdeck Redux, Andor, Cyberpunk RED Critical Mass
Nov 09, 2022
The subject of travel and how visiting other parts of the country and the world can improve your game is the main topic for Episode 4 of the Lair of Secrets podcast. Before we delve into that globe-trotting topic, we geek out about AirPods, resurrecting the game room after the pandemic, variant endings for Cyberpunk […]
S3E3 Cyberpunk Laments, Streaming Catch Up, Back to Conventions, Steam Deck, Character Background Haiku
Oct 24, 2022
On Episode 3 of Season 3, we catch up on a few weeks of geeky pursuits. David discusses not watching to finish Cyberpunk 2077, and then we both rundown the big list of stuff we’re watching (or want to watch) on streaming. Ken’s planning to return to real world game conventions with MEPACon and discusses […]
In Episode 2 of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we brainstorm ideas for a rebooted Savage Ringworld campaign, which mashes up high concept science fiction with the Savage Worlds role-playing game. We also delve back into cyberspace with Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk RED, say good-bye to Nintendo 3DS (or at least, its eShop), visit the Rivers of London book […]
S3E1 Spelljammer, GenCon, Cyberpunk RED
Sep 19, 2022
As summer ends, the podcast turns it attention to Spelljammer, the fantasy-in-space setting for Dungeons & Dragons. Ken and David look Wizards of the Coast’s new 3-book release and discuss David’s Spelljammer Academy mini-campaign based on WotC’s free Roll20 release. They also talk about the resurgence of all things cyberpunk, including the Cyberpunk RED role-playing […]
S2E21 Season 2 Retrospective, Star Trek, Honey Heist, Obi-Wan
Aug 29, 2022
In the final episode of Season 2, we talk about exploring strange new worlds, meeting new civilizations, and then … blowing them up. We also delve into the game Nobody Saves the World, undertake an ursine caper to steal some honey, geek out about the Obi-wan streaming series, and look back on the season that […]
It’s summer, so let’s grab some books, head to the beach/lake/mountains and read! Main Topic: Summer Reading List The Empire’s Ruin (Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1) by Brian Staveley (Ken’s pick) Follow up-to Staveley’s Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, in which an Empire tries to survive against conspiracies within and enemies without, as […]
S2E19 Retro Gaming, Moar Books!, Building Computers, Mork Borg
Aug 15, 2022
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets! On this episode, we delve into retro gaming, review David’s expanded reading list, talk about building computers, and explore the weird and dark world of MÖRK BORG. Moar Books! David’s local library has partnered with a larger library network, so he can get access to more ebooks. Lord of […]
Join the cast of our Scum and Villainy campaign as we look back on six episodes of mysteries, pirates, and – of course – ghosts. We talk about the campaign’s highs and lows, and delve into our thoughts on the Scum and Villainy game itself. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual […]
S2E17 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 6
Jul 19, 2022
The “Emerald Heart Job” – the concluding chapter of our Scum and Villainy campaign – finds our heroes going up against the Ghosts and their nefarious plans to use the Emerald Heart artifacts to destroy a gate. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the […]
S2E16 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 5
Jun 14, 2022
During “The Rescue Job” the crew is tasked with liberating a prisoner with vital information about the Ghosts … and their nefarious plans for the artifacts known as “Emerald Hearts”. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. Learn about the characters, view the chapter list, and check out Scum and […]
S2E15 Talking with the Younger Generation
Jun 07, 2022
On this episode of Lair of Secrets, our loyal denizens are preparing the deepest level of the dungeon to imprison whomever thought up “Natural Scrolling” for the Mac. Meanwhile, David ventured to the Ohio frontier with his family to watch his youngest win 2nd place in the world in Winter Guard A Class! Feature: Talking with […]
S2E14 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 4
May 24, 2022
During The Cargo Job (Chapter 4 of our Scum and Villainy campaign) the crew is tasked with recovering “living cargo” from a smuggler’s ship. The goal is to snatch the cargo, which belongs to the ethereal scientists/villains known as the Ghosts, and deliver it to a safe location. The crew’s plan involves pretending to be […]
S2E13 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 3
May 18, 2022
Chapter 3 of our Scum and Villainy campaign sees the crew take on The Racing Job, in which they attempt to smuggle a highly-altered racing ship through the Iota system. Along the way, they have a close encounter with a mysterious comet, realize the importance of check lists, and successfully navigate an asteroid (never tell […]
On this episode of Lair of Secrets, we talk about one of the most rewarding (and occasionally challenging) experiences a geek parent can have: playing role-playing games with your kids. Main Topic: Gaming with Kids For this episode’s topic, e have another former Overlord of The Secret Lair, Kris Johnson. He’s a middle aged geek […]
S2E11 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 2
May 03, 2022
Our Scum and Villainy campaign returns with The Ghostly Job, as the crew is paid by a very peculiar scientist to track a researcher to her laboratory and learn about her research. Little do the crew know that their target is a former member of the Church of the Emerald Heart, which ceased to exist […]
S2E10 Scum and Villainy Actual Play, Chapter 1
Apr 26, 2022
We kick off our Scum and Villainy Actual play with The Nebula Job, in which the crew of the Stardancer is hired to pick up a box floating in the middle of a nebula … but you know it can’t be that easy. This episode is part of our Scum and Villainy actual play campaign. […]
S2E9 How Gaming Changed During the Pandemic
Apr 12, 2022
On this occasionally rambling episode of Lair of Secrets, Ken and David are joined by long-time friend and gamer (and former occupant of a certain secret lair), Overlord Chris Miller. We talk about our gaming lives in the Before Times, the rise of virtual gaming, and look at what might come in the post-pandemic era. […]
S2E8 Lunchtime Gaming, Forbidden West, Mutant Crawl Classics, Resident Alien, Electric Cars, Dropout TV
Mar 23, 2022
Grab a sandwich and a Mountain Dew and join us for this episode’s topic: lunch tie gaming The typical role-playing game session lasts 4-5 hours and happens once a week. Sometimes they’re more frequent, sometimes they’re a little longer, but a four-hour Friday night hangout is pretty typical. With a lunchtime game, sessions may happen […]
S2E6 Session Zero, The Expanse, Tome of Beasts 3, Astroneer, Collapsing Empire
Mar 08, 2022
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets, we talk about the concluding season (and book) of The Expanse, geek out about Kobold Press’s Tome of Beasts 3 monster compilation, conclude John Scalzi’s The Collapsing Empire trilogy, and explore the new xenobiology update for Astroneer. For our main topic, we talk about the session zero […]
Unfortunately, we had some flooding in the area of the Lair where Ken was recording. So if it sounds like he was underwater for a time, he was! We feel the audio is listenable at least, so we’ve left it in. As we continue preparing for our Scum and Villainy campaign, we turn our attention […]
Alien gods walk among us. To further their agenda, we’ve jumped forward in time to praise their machinations … and promote the new edition of Godsend Agenda, now on Kickstarter. Introductions Today we’ve got a guest, coming all the way from Las Vegas, Nevada, Jerry Grayson. He’s a friend and here to talk about his […]
S2E4 Role-Playing Adventure Prep – fixed audio
Feb 01, 2022
Adventure prep for role-playing games is the main topic of this episode of The Lair of Secrets podcast. We discuss the dangers of too much prep vs. too little prep, and seek the Goldilocks prep time in between. After tackling individual adventures, we discuss prepping for a new campaign and tools to help with that. Finally, we […]
S2E3 Improving Games by Stealing From Others
Jan 11, 2022
Welcome to the new year … and a new episode of the Lair of Secrets. The main topic for this episode is “Stealing liberally from other game systems to enhance the ones you’re playing”. We look at game mechanics like bennies (Savage Worlds), aspects (Fate), skill challenges (Dungeons & Dragons), plot points (Cortex) and more! […]
S2E2 Scum and Villainy Campaign Planning, Reading Time, Animal Crossing Redux, Twilight 2000 Boxed Set – audio fix
Nov 22, 2021
Welcome to The Lair of Secrets podcast, the podcast about gaming and being a geek by two middle-aged geek dads. Yeah, we said middle-aged … because “forty-something” wasn’t quite accurate anymore. This episode finds Ken Newquist caught in a maze of endless meetings, all alike, while David Moore finds that his week went somewhere … […]
The old After Serenity and The Game Master Show feeds have still hung around since both of those podcasts that I (David) created have pod-faded. Since the content of the Lair of Secrets might be of interest to the audiences of those former podcasts, I am redirecting their feeds to this one. So if you […]
Season 2 of The Lair of Secrets kicks off with a bang (and the muttering of a few spells) as David and Ken interview Matt Forbeck and Marty Forbeck about their Shotguns & Sorcery for 5E Kickstarter. The Kickstarter funded within hours of its launch and runs until 10 p.m. EST, Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Shotguns & Sorcery is a […]
S1E21 Fire Emblem Completions, RPGs, GenCon, RPG Ideas, Season 1 Retrospective
Oct 18, 2021
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is a video game-completing machine who’s probably staying up too late (again). Meanwhile, David Moore is no longer a forty-something geek dad. Summer’s End Ken went to Philmont … but we dedicated a […]
I’m David Moore and I’ve been sailing in a boat, which is bumpier than a dirigible, and digging heavily into my books pulled from several of the libraries here in the Lair. I’m Ken Newquist and I’m happily buried underneath the many books of my summer reading list. Water-born Dirigibles David is moving forward with ASA […]
Ken made it to Philmont and back. That’s it. Summer’s done. Meanwhile, David traveled to a castle in Ohio, moderated a death race on the track in the Lair, and started on his quest to sail the seven seas. Finally Philmont Ken when to Philmont Scout Ranch, a high adventure camp in Cimmeron, New Mexico. […]
S1E18 Dyson Fall, 3D Printing, Wilderness First Aid, Disc Golf, Mass Effect Returns
Sep 27, 2021
On this episode of the Lair of secrets, David reports out on his productive stay-cation, while Ken hikes, runs, swims, and bikes his way along the final stretch of the trail to Philmont (and he could really use a nap) Back in the Printerium David’s new printer arrived – Prusa i3 – MK3S+ He printed a […]
S1E16 Super Science, Dwarven Delves, Magic Skeletons, Work-cation, Horizon Zero Dawn
Sep 20, 2021
The Lair of Secrets get a super-science expansion as David and Ken take a look at the new super-sized edition of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. We also check out the new book You Can Do Anything Magic Skeleton!, talk about work-cations, venture once more into the outdoors, and delve too deeply (or not nearly […]
David and Ken stumble out of Episode 14’s time shift to find the temporal demon known as “Daylight Saving Time” playing havoc with reality. In this episode, they talk about the new video game Valheim, catch up on Alan Tudyk’s latest sci-fi offering, venture down alternative timelines with Roger Zelazny’s Roadmarks, encounter a librarian hive mind […]
It may be early fall in the current timeline, but in the Lair of Secrets winter’s freezing grasp can still be felt. In this episode, Ken and David venture into the digital halls of the RPG Vault to see what hidden treasures can be found in their DriveThruRPG collections. David’s adding more books in LIbrary […]
S1E12 So Many Books, So Much Trek, So Many Game Master Hacks
Sep 02, 2021
The Lair of Secrets returns as Ken and David delve into their respective stacks of books, contemplate new video game including Gloomhaven, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and then talk about their favorite game master hacks. Library 64 (or “Ken has more books than time”) The Game Room […]
S1E11 Attack Surface, Penric’s Demon, Star Trek, Dinner Subscriptions, Cryptid Campaign Brainstorming
Aug 09, 2021
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast, where David’s been tinkering in the dirigible hanger trying to get the old girl flying again, and Ken’s just beamed back from halfway across the galaxy. He’s fine. Mostly. Library 67: Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow David’s in the middle of this book. Having a hard time connecting with […]
Episode 10 sees Ken figuring out how to deal with the long, dark, tea time of the soul known as November, while David fends off allergies while contemplating where all the good role-playing game communities went after Google+ folded. Venturing into the Chamber of Infinite Darkness: It’s November. Daylight Saving Time is over. And suddenly, […]
S1E9 Memory Malfunctions, NaNoWriMo, Wondrous Zines, Middle School Hauntings, Comic Book Quandaries, Ready for Launch?
Jun 30, 2021
On this episode, David and Ken battle against ghosts, memories, and missing time in an effort to get out another podcast … and launch our first episode! (yes, time remains a bit wibbly wobbly in the Lair). Pens keep on turning, turning, turning… into the future! David turns his first pen. He needed to make […]
S1E8 Even More Middle Aged, Twilight 2000, Hiking, Fire Emblem, Sailing, Wood Turning, The City We Became, Progressive Lenses
Jun 21, 2021
A podcast by two fortysomething geek dads who are even more middle aged than they were during the last podcast. On this episode, we talk about the joys of progressive lenses (see, we told you we were middled aged), the Twilight 2000 Kickstarter, woodworking with lathes, The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (and narrated […]
S1E17 Summer Reading 2021 – Corrected
Jun 16, 2021
David and Ken once again find themselves ignoring linear time to bring you a show FROM THE FUTURE!!! On this epsiode of Lair of Secrets, they discuss their respective summer reading lists for 2021. Ken’s Summer Reading List Ken is going to be spending a lot of time reading away from home, as he finally […]
S1E7 (corrected) Online Gaming Redux, Wild New Jersey, Aliens Graphic Novels, Books (aka The Format Wars)
May 11, 2021
On this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast … David Moore has had a strange few weeks and he’s not really sure who he is anymore. Meanwhile, Ken Newquist digs into a good, scary graphic novel, tries out some new backpacking gadgets, and investigates a small-town murder mystery. David Messed Up Bullet Journaling Rolled […]
SE1E6 Virtual vs. Real World Gaming, Bullet Journaling, Jaws of the Lion, Brindlewood Bay
Apr 29, 2021
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! On this episode, we talk coffee, bullet journaling with the Leuchtturm1917 (for games) and Paperage A5 (for daily use), new backpacks, and the Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion board game. For the main topic, we discuss the relative merits and challenges of playing role-playing games in the real […]
S1E5 Day Pack of Holding, Star Trek, Godsend Agenda, Forging Hephaestus, Old Guard, Baseball
Apr 24, 2021
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. David is a father, coder, gamer, woodworker, and guy with too many hobbies he likes to pursue. Ken is an IT guy who never seems to have enough time to read comic books, but refuses […]
Welcome to the Lair of Secrets podcast! The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two forty-something geek dads. Ken Newquist is an IT project manager, comic book enthusiast, and outdoor guy who is getting outdoors a lot more these days. David Moore is a father, coder, gamer, woodworker, and guy with too many […]
S1E14 Unmoored in Time, WandaVision, Forbidden Lands, Zinequest 3
Feb 19, 2021
WE COME FROM THE FUTURE … the future of the Lair of Secrets podcast, that is! David and Ken talk about their latest geeky undertakings, including a return to Atomic Robo, WandaVision, X of Swords, the Forbidden Lands RPG, and even more speculative fiction novels before turning to the main topic: Kickstarter’s Zinequest 3. Ken […]
S1E3 Geek Exercise, Ex Novo, DragonQuest, Ocarina of Time, and Oh So Many Books!
Feb 08, 2021
Welcome to the Untitled Podcast. You know what the name is, we don’t … but we’re getting closer. Maybe. On this exercise, we hit the gym (or at least, the sidewalk) with our respective exercise routines, finish up our Tales from the Loop game, talk physical therapy for dogs, get lost in a few […]
S1E2 – Exercise, Tales from the Loop, Comic Books, and Gaming with Kids
Jan 25, 2021
In the second episode of the still-untitled podcast, we talk about David’s RPG mapper project, venture into the challenges of exercising daily, talk about our Tales from the Loop game, and delve into Ken’s obsession with the X-Men. We round out the podcast with a conversation about the joy – and challenges – of gaming with […]
S1E1 – Gamma World, 10Ks, Top 3 New RPGs
Jan 11, 2021
Welcome to the first episode of the podcast that didn’t know it’s own name! On this episode, David and Ken introduce themselves before venturing into the irradiated wastes of Gamma World. Running’s a good strategy when confronted by hyperintelligent carrotfolk; it’s also a good way to stay healthy, as Ken talks about his 10K training […]