Happy Jacks RPG Podcast: GM & Player TTRPG Advice

Latest Episodes:

S37E04 | FATE vs Player Agency, GM Horror Stories, & Initiative Thoughts Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

◇ Scott has some questions about FATE, Jason in Kyiv shares a collection of GM horror stories, From the archive 2024: Jemma Storygirl in the discord asks about Initiative and sequenced actions | Hosts: Kimi, Jason, June, & Jay ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:54◇ Announcements - Help us grow the show! Please take a few minutes to subscribe or follow us on your platform of choice, leave a review or thumbs up, and to tell your friends about us. 03:58◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Adam of Gnome Made https://gnomemadegames.itch.io/ 05:43◇ Mailbag 1 - Scott has some questions about FATE 25:45◇ Mailbag 2 - Jason in Kyiv shares a collection of GM horror stories 61:42◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2024: Jemma Storygirl in the discord asks about Initiative and sequenced actions 83:17◇ Episode Closing 88:32◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

S37E03 | Adam from Gnome Made Games, Being a Good Player, Tropes with New Players Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

◇ We chat with Adam from Gnome Made Games, Wes in Indianapolis wants advice on how to be a good player, From the archive 2022: Heath from Maryland wants to know if we’ve witnessed tropes at the table with new players | Hosts: Kimi, Vixie, June, & Adam from Gnome Made Games ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:29◇ Announcements - Help us grow the show! Please take a few minutes to subscribe or follow us on your platform of choice, leave a review or thumbs up, and to tell your friends about us. 04:01◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Adam of Gnome Made https://gnomemadegames.itch.io/ 05:26◇ Adam from Gnome Made Games 32:07◇ Mailbag 2 - Wes in Indianapolis wants advice on how to be a good player 58:05◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2022: Heath from Maryland wants to know if we’ve witnessed tropes at the table with new players 72:29◇ Episode Closing 77:00◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

S37E02 | Can Lines & Veils be Inappropriate?, How Actual Plays Work, Memorable NPCs Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

◇ Ed from Minnesota, Now in Florida asks if Lines and Veils are appropriate for all games, Captain Curt from Alaska asks how planning Actual Plays works, From the archive 2023: A different Kurt who is not from Alaska asks about memorable NPCs | Hosts: Kimi, Pooja, Sam, & Jess Pendley ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:44◇ Announcements - Help us grow the show! Please take a few minutes to subscribe or follow us on your platform of choice, leave a review or thumbs up, and to tell your friends about us. 28:07◇ Mailbag 1 - Ed from Minnesota, Now in Florida asks if Lines and Veils are appropriate for all games 42:41◇ Mailbag 2 - Captain Curt from Alaska asks how planning Actual Plays works 51:23◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2023: A different Kurt who is not from Alaska asks about memorable NPCs 71:21◇ Episode Closing 77:01◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

S37E01 | Railroading Players vs. PCs, Session Zero Playbook, & In-Game Holidays Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

◇ Ayslyn asks about railroading players vs. railroading characters, Eric from New Jersey wants feedback on their Session Zero plan, & From the Archive: Spilmeister Thomas from Denmark talks about in-game holiday ideas | Hosts: Kimi, Riley, & Clara ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:26◇ Announcements - Help us grow the show! Please take a few minutes to subscribe or follow us on your platform of choice, leave a review or thumbs up, and to tell your friends about us. 05:45◇ Mailbag 1 - Ayslyn asks about railroading players vs. railroading characters 32:21◇ Mailbag 2 - Eric from New Jersey wants feedback on their Session Zero plan 64:26◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2023: From the Archive: Spilmeister Thomas from Denmark talks about in-game holiday ideas 81:54◇ Episode Closing 86:44◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E24 | End Season 36 | Encourage Exploring, System Strengths, & Success Story Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

◇ A Guy in Austin asks how to get players to explore, Aggie wants to know what our favorite systems do best, From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature shares a success story | Hosts: Kimi, Riley, Teri & Rob ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:43◇ Announcements - Our next Game Daze will be in March 21st! It’s safe, fun, and free. All games are required to use safety tools. You can join in the fun on the Happy Jacks discord server. happyjacks.org/discord 03:18◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 06:04◇ Mailbag 1 - A Guy in Austin asks how to get players to explore 47:07◇ Mailbag 2 - Aggie wants to know what our favorite systems do best 76:22◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature shares a success story 89:34◇ Episode Closing 92:22◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E23 | Molten Sulfur Press, Game Design Groups, & Too Many Plot Threads Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

◇ We chat with Tristan Zimmerman our Indie designer of the month, Jeff asks about TTRPG designer support groups, From the archive 2021: Forlornhope22 wants to know how many plot threads is too many | Hosts: Kimi, Pooja & Tristan ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:24◇ Announcements - Our next Game Daze will be on March 21st! 03:18◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 06:04◇ Mailbag 1 - We chat with Tristan Zimmerman our Indie designer of the month! 47:07◇ Mailbag 2 - Jeff asks about TTRPG designer support groups 76:22◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2021: Forlornhope22 wants to know how many plot threads is too many 89:34◇ Episode Closing 92:22◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E22 | Live from OrcCon 2026! Feb 22, 2026

Show notes

◇ Live from OrcCon 2026 at the Hilton LAX in Los Angeles! A great panel show with members of our audience and stories from lots of different con games. Since it is a live event, the audio quality is not the same as our normal episodes recorded in our studio.◇ ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E21 | Explaining TTRPGs, GM Strengths, & Note Taking Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

◇ Eric from New Jersey asks how to explain TTRPGs to family, Mike from New York State shares about GM strengths, From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature talks note taking | Hosts: Pooja, Adam, & Artem ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 02:01◇ Announcements - 1) Our next Game Daze will be in March! 2) OrcCon 2026 is coming up Feb 13-16th at the LAX Hilton. We will be doing our live show at 8pm on Saturday night! 05:08◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Tristan Zimmerman (he/him) of Molten Sulfur Press https://moltensulfur.com/ 10:23◇ Mailbag 1 - Eric from New Jersey asks how to explain TTRPGs to family 31:30◇ Mailbag 2 - Mike from New York State shares about GM strengths 52:38◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2022: Weaselcreature talks note taking 78:53◇ Episode Closing 86:42◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E20 | Making Maps, Gaming Group Sponsors, & Con Game Expectations Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

◇ Gurg Murg asks about making game maps, M replies about their gaming group plans, From the archive 2022: Steve from So Cal asks what to expect from convention games | Hosts: Kimi, Clara, Pooja, ,& Vixie ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 01:09◇ Announcements - 1) Our next Game Daze will be in March! 2) OrcCon 2026 is coming up Feb 13-16th at the LAX Hilton. We will be doing our live show at 8pm on Saturday night! 03:31◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 07:43◇ Mailbag 1 - Gurg Murg asks about making game maps 26:14◇ Mailbag 2 - M replies about their gaming group plans 57:08◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2022: Steve from So Cal asks what to expect from convention games 83:03◇ Episode Closing 109:24◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

HJRP S36E19 | Creating Villains, Player Contracts, & Voiding PC Abilities Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

◇ Eric from New Jersey wants to talk about creating villains, Wes from Indianapolis takes player contracts literally, From the archive 2024: Darkknight asks about players voiding other PC’s abilities | Hosts: Kimi, Clara, Pooja, ,& Vixie ◇ 00:33◇ Welcome & Episode Summary 02:09◇ Announcements 04:49◇ Indie Designer of the Month: Carrie Linden (she/they) http://www.snowbrightstudio.com/shop 09:34◇ Mailbag 1 - Eric from New Jersey wants to talk about creating villains 44:55◇ Mailbag 2 - Wes from Indianapolis takes player contracts literally 74:22◇ Mailbag 3 - From the archive 2024: Darkknight asks about players voiding other PC’s abilities 103:14◇ Episode Closing 109:24◇ Music ◇ Email happyjacksrpg@gmail.com or post in our Discord server to send in your own topic or question for the show! ◇ Find us on Youtube ◇Twitch ◇Bluesky ◇Instagram ◇Facebook ◇Discord or find all our podcast feeds on your favorite Podcast platform! happyjacksrpg.carrd.co ◇ Subscribe to our Actual Play Feed! We have a backlog of campaigns in over 20 RPG systems and new games running all the time. ◇ Become a Patreon! All the money goes into maintaining and improving the quality of our shows. patreon.com/happyjacksrpg Ⓒ2026 Happy Jacks RPG Network www.happyjacks.org

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