Build Better Cities – Campaigns and Coffee
Dec 20, 2024
Building immersive cities for RPGs takes center stage on this episode, with inspiration from real-world examples like San Antonio’s Alamo and Chicago’s reversed river.
We dive into tools and techniques for making cities that evolve, feel lived in, and resonate as characters within campaigns. From quirky city rivalries to handling disasters, this episode offers creative advice for dungeon masters and storytellers.
Chapters
0:00 Intro 2:10 Real-World Inspiration: San Antonio and the Alamo 6:30 Geography and Natural Features in City Design 10:45 Tools for RPG City-Building (The Quiet Year, Ex Novo) 15:00 How Cities Evolve Over Time 20:00 City Rivalries and Personality 24:30 Integrating Disasters and Landmarks into City History 30:00 Cities in Post-Apocalyptic Settings 33:20 Q&A: The Rogue-Polymorphed-Toad Dilemma 34:30 Outro
I Hate Blade Ward – Greyhawk ’76 (Ep. 5)
Dec 17, 2024
Ken rants about the new and improved Blade Ward cantrip. in Dungeons & Dragons 2024.
Chapters
0:00 Intro – Welcome to Greyhawk ’76 0:15 Why I Hate Blade Ward 1:10 Blade Ward: 2014 vs. 2024 2:00 The Action Economy Problem 2:30 Final Thoughts & Playtesting 3:00 Outro – Like & Subscribe
Welcome to Greyhawk ’76. I’m Ken Newquist and I hate blade ward.
Quick backstory: Had our first Greyhawk ’76 session, in which the adventurers got recruited to recover a lost Fairheights family treasure from an abandoned mine.
Our human battlemaster / wizard initiate LOVES blade ward.
And rightly so – it’s a cheap, spammable buff that builds on his already impressive AC.
What changed?
What it did:
Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks
Lasted until the end of the next turn
What it does now
Whenever a creature makes an attack roll against you before the spell ends, the attacker subtracts 1d4 from the attack roll.
Requires concentration
Lasts for 1 minute.
My concern:
Impacts the action economy.
We’ve added another die role for EVERY attack on this character. More dice being rolled means more time waiting for die rolls. And more math.
Increased cognitive load on the Dungeon Master
I’ve got a lot of things to remember. This is one more thing.
Combined with fighter’s 18 Armor Class (from Scale Mail), this increases the character’s tank-iness at low levels.
Seems over powered for a cantrip (no, I did not do the math)
Where we go from here?
Obviously I’m joking that I hate Blade Ward.
I have some concerns, but we can mitigate them by:
The player rolling the dice
The player keeping track of the spell
We already have similar book keeping for things like bless so it’s not THAT much more.
But it IS one more thing.
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Our First D&D 2024 Adventure – Greyhawk ’76 (Ep. 4)
Dec 16, 2024
Ken talks about lessons learned during his first Dungeons & Dragons 2024 adventure, “The Lost Coins of Cousin Ernest”, including:
Blade Ward
Rules guide in the 2024 Player’s Handbook
The Thief
Hand-drawn maps in Roll20
Weapon Mastery
Chapters
0:00 Intro 0:35 Setting the Scene: The Treasure Mine 1:50 Rival Factions: Fairheights vs. Witherwinns 3:10 Water Weird Ambush 4:20 Rogue Abilities Shine 5:15 Hand-Drawn Maps and Retro Vibes 6:30 Lessons Learned: Rules and Mechanics 7:45 Blade Ward: Overpowered or Balanced? 8:30 Teasing the Next Session 9:10 Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts
We had our first Greyhawk ’76 session, in which the adventurers got recruited to recover a lost family treasure from an abandoned mine.
I played on the High Ery / Erybend family rivalry subplot from the DMG:
Fairheights vs. Witherwinns (their client is James Fairheight, and he found deciphered a map to the family treasure).
Started the action IN the mine, with the adventurers and their client having just discovered the treasured.
See the “Ignite Your Next D&D Campaign” episode of Campaigns and Coffee
Setup is an old mine.
The first level has a main shaft and lots of side passages.
Mine tunnel collapses created a jumbled, partly flooded cave lake on the second level.
The treasure, gleaming in light from a ventilation shaft over head, was located in the center of the lake.
The bludgeoned corpses of a previous crew were on the island, having just reached the treasure.
The treasure was protected by a water weird (inspired by a re-read of the Dungeon of Dread “Endless Quests” book)
The cavern was multi-teared, with a walkable rim surrounding it, and multiple entrances.
At intervals, additional crews would show up to challenge the party, because James couldn’t stop humble bragging about his find.
Goals:
Give each character a chance to try out class abilities in a multi-level environment.
Inject role-playing opportunities to help define character personalities and priorities.
Lean into the DMG as a campaign source book.
The Adventure
It went well.
Water weird attacked “Predator”-style, leveraging disengage and its’ innate invisibility in the water maneuver around the cavern and threaten heroes.
The arrival of the Witherwinn faction delivered additional drama, as some players chose to intimidate through force, while the Trickster cleric charmed other Witherwinns to his side … and used “calm emotions” to keep them disinterested.
Set up the next confrontation: The Burrow Brothers, a murderous band of halfling cutthroats and their ogre allies.
Lessons Learned
I’ve got a bunch, some of which will be covered in upcoming episodes.
The Rules Guide in the Player’s Handbook is pretty great.
Death Saving Throws: Work the same as they ever did (the save is a straight d20 roll, which happens at the start of your turn).
Finding Traps is a Wisdom (Perception) – it counts as finding a hidden object. Check the Compendium
The Rogue’s Thief gets a Climb speed. Handy when moving down the crumbling walls of a collapsed cave.
The Rogue’s Thief also gets to substitute Dexterity for Strength when Jumping
Hand drawn maps work well in Roll20
Weapons Mastery represents weapon-specific features that certain characters (rogues, fighters) can use take special actions (like “Nick” or “Vex”. More on that next time.
Blade Ward is a powerful cantrip. I hate it. Ok, I don’t like it. Ok, I’ll wait to pass judgement, but right now, I’m not a big fan.
Feedback
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Build a Greyhawk Library – Greyhawk ’76 (Ep. 3)
Dec 16, 2024
On this episode of Greyhawk ’76, Ken talks about the essential books for running a World of Greyhawk campaign, including the new Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024), the World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) and the Expedition to the The Ruins of Greyhawk (2007).
Chapters
0:00 Introduction 1:00 Greyhawk ‘76 Campaign Kickoff 2:30 Reviewing the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide 4:00 Updated Maps: Hits and Misses 6:00 Exploring Greyhawk Lore: Classic Sourcebooks 8:00 The Twin Cataclysms and Canon Debates 10:00 Iuz, the Great Kingdom, and Major Conflicts 12:00 Adventure Hooks and Iconic Locations 14:00 Wrapping Up: Greyhawk Library Essentials
High-level overview of the Free City of Greyhawk and the larger campaign setting.
Loosely based on the 1980 Greyhawk Folio.
It’s nice to see Greyhawk featured so prominently, but there are a ton of continuity, country, and NPC changes that don’t make a ton of sense (except in the context of 1) updating Greyhawk for modern sensibilities 2) fitting all the things into Greyhawk … which doesn’t really need all the things fit into it.
Like … why is Otto (long standing member of the Circle of Eight) now a … dwarf?
Sets up the primary conflicts as … Elemental Evil (they were defeated, but yeah, some cultists are still out there), the demigod Iuz (gathering his forces in the north; classic villain), and dragons … umm, yeah, dragons aren’t world-shatteringly important in Greyhawk. The Scarlet Brotherhood and/or the dying Great Kingdom are better Big Bads.
BUT … it wouldn’t be Greyhawk if we weren’t arguing about canon … hell, it feels like coming home to be reading people passionately and thoughtfully arguing about how the latest release disrespects with their favorite setting (I’m looking at you, From the Ashes).
I’ll link to some of that commentary in the show notes.
Fold-out map of the Flanaess, with the City of Greyhawk on the other side.
This book provided the foundation for the old Living Greyhawk campaign.
It takes place in CY 591, which is nearly two decades after our ’76 campaign, but it’s still a great reference (particularly for areas not covered extensively in earlier releases)
In the second episode of Greyhawk ’76, Ken talks about the player characters the campaign is using to test drive the Dungeons & Dragons 2024 rules.
Campaign Guidelines for Character Creation
Since the purpose of the campaign is to test drive the D&D 2024 rules, we decided to start at 3rd level rather than 1st. That gives everyone a few more options to play with, and lets them pick a subclass (which is where things often get interest for players, since more advanced capabilities kick in with the subclasses).
Here are our guidelines:
Everyone begins at 3rd level
Everyone uses the Standard point buy for attributes
Use the “starting at higher level” rules on page 43 of the D&D Player’s Handbook
They get normal starting gear plus one Common magical item
Characters who will die (what, Ken kill low-level 5e characters? Impossible!) will be built using the same rules, with the “starting level” tweaked as necessary.
The Characters of Greyhawk ’76
Ramnulf Heathertoes
Male Halfling Thief
Subclass: Rogue
Background Origin Feat: Magic Initiate (Mage)
Species Origin Feat: N/A
Reed Goodbarrel
Male Halfling Cleric
Subclass: Trickster Domain
Background Origin Feat: Tough
Species Origin Feat: N/A
Tiberius
Male Human Fighter
Subclass: Battlemaster
Background origin feat: Tough
Species Origin feat: Magic Initiate (Wizard)
Raqsam
* Male Dragonborn Wizard
Subclass: Illusionist
Subspecies: White Dragon
Background Origin Feat: Alert
Species Origin Feat: N/A
Evaluating the Party
It’s a well rounded party.
There’s a good mix of classes (with a surprising number of halflings), which should help us achieve our playtest goals.
It nicely balances hard-hitting martial characters (the rogue, the fighter), magical support (the wizard, the cleric), and healing (the cleric again).
The chosen classes also help us playtest specific parts of D&D 2024 rules, like mastery, tweaked spells and cantrips, and the less combat-oriented skills (finding and disarming traps, interacting with NPCs, offensive and defensive spells, and the ever-fun battle master maneuvers.
Feedback
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Test Driving the New D&D – Greyhawk ’76 (Ep. 1)
Dec 13, 2024
Welcome to Greyhawk ’76, a test drive campaign for Dungeons & Dragons 2024! (aka D&D 5.5).
This episode introduces the test drive, what it hopes to accomplish, and explains where the campaign gets its name from (hint: it takes place in the Common Year 576).
Chapter List
0:00 Intro to Greyhawk ’76 0:45 The Legacy of Greyhawk 1:45 Blackrazor Guild’s Storied Past 3:15 New Campaign Setup and Testing D&D 2024 Rules 4:00 Closing Thoughts
Introduction: Ken introduces Greyhawk ’76, a podcast exploring D&D 2024 rules within the classic Greyhawk setting.
Greyhawk Overview: A brief history of Greyhawk as D&D’s second campaign setting, emphasizing its balanced factions and lower-magic tone.
Blackrazor Guild Legacy: A retrospective of the group’s adventures in Greyhawk, spanning nearly three decades and multiple campaigns.
New Campaign Setup: Details on the new campaign with third-level characters based near the Free City of Greyhawk, designed to test the 2024 rules.
Focus on Testing: Ken explains the goal of evaluating the changes in D&D 2024, comparing them to 5E, and planning to incorporate lessons into ongoing campaigns.
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We explore our favorite game conventions, from the chill vibes of CinCityCon to the dynamic events of Gamehole Con, to the cozy fun of MEPACon. We also look ahead to Philadelphia Area Game Expo, a new-ish convention happening in January 2025.
After the convention stories, we dive into our RPG experiments, including David’s mechanical torchlight for ShadowDark, the crunchy mechanics and destroyable hexcrawl map of Forbidden Lands, and Dragonbane as the sweet spot of complex vs. simple game rules.
Chapter List
0:00 Intro 0:36 Convention Recap: CinCityCon and Gamehole Con 3:12 Super Nintendo Escape Room Highlight 5:45 Upcoming Events: MEPACON and Philly Area Game Expo 7:10 Exploring ShadowDark’s Torch Timer Mechanic 10:29 Forbidden Lands: Hex Crawls and Crunchy Dice Mechanics 14:12 Open Table Games and RPG Planning 16:45 RPG Innovations: ShadowDark vs. Dragonbane 19:30 Wrapping Up: Balancing Gaming with Life 30:02 Outro and Lair Warnings
Dice-pool based fantasy RPG built around a hex crawl.
Bunch of d6s, a d8, a d10, and a d12.
These represent base dice (from attributes), skill dice (from skills), gear dice (from your stuff).
1s are called banes. They represent damage, exhaustion, fear, or degraded gear (but only hurt you if you push your luck). When you fail, you fail forward.
6s are successes; multiple 6s trigger special effects.
Great art, great setting, but is the dice mechanic too crunchy for beginners?
Thinking of playing a solo game with this as a way to try out the rules and relax.
David ran ShadowDark in person and used Foundry VTT
Ignite Your Next D&D Campaign – Campaigns & Coffee
Nov 29, 2024
In this episode, we brainstorm ways to launch your campaign without resorting to “they meet in a bar”. Providing fodder and inspiration is Greyhawk ’76, Ken’s upcoming D&D 2024 test drive campaign, and David’s just launched open table ShadowDark campaign.
We talk about how to engage players through immediate conflict, emphasizing choice, and balancing proactive vs. reactive player behaviors.
Chapter List
0:00 Intro 0:26 Ken’s Greyhawk Campaign Concept 1:51 Greyhawk Nostalgia and Resources 4:27 70s Aesthetics Meet D&D 5:48 ShadowDark’s Torchlight Mechanics 11:38 Kicking Off Campaigns with Conflict 16:11 Engaging Passive Players 19:57 Crafting a Dark Empire 22:34 Outro and Call for Feedback
Video
Show Notes
Introduction: The hiatus of Elemental Apocalypse and excitement for D&D 2024.
Greyhawk Revisited: Ken’s “Greyhawk 76” campaign idea with a 70s aesthetic, playlists, and retro maps.
ShadowDark Adventures: David’s exploration of ShadowDark mechanics and its old-school D&D feel.
Engaging Players:
Starting campaigns with immediate conflict (e.g., being chased).
Emphasizing consequential choices to encourage player buy-in.
Balancing proactive and reactive player behaviors.
Hero’s Journey: Using inciting incidents to create origin stories for party cohesion.
Avoiding Passivity: Techniques to engage reluctant players or inspire action when adventurers resist the call.
Overlord Advice: Brainstorming ideas for building a sustainable, formidable dark empire.
Feedback
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We look at The Electric State RPG, a role-playing game game featuring a slow motion apocalypse, haunting artwork, and a cyberspace plague so intoxicating that people died playing it … simply because they forgot to eat.
We start with Simon Stålenhag’s original art/fiction book, which depicts a young woman’s journey across the wrecked remains of the United States. We then walk through the role-playing game, discussing its setup, mechanics, and how it translates art book into a different kind of apocalyptic game.
Finally, we get confused about the upcoming 2025 The Electric State movie. Directed by the Russo Brothers, it shares the visual aesthetic of the book and the game, but the setting itself has gone from somber death dream to … action comedy?
0:00 Intro 2:15 Introducing The Electric State 3:40 Exploring Themes of The Electric State: A Slow-Motion Apocalypse 6:10 Comparisons to The Last of Us and the Visual Narrative 7:55 The Netflix Adaptation: Apocalypse Meets Comedy? 10:05 Year Zero Engine and Its Role in The Electric State RPG 14:50 David’s Thoughts on MechWarrior 5: Tactical Mech Combat 16:50 Ken’s Adventures in Baldur’s Gate 3: An Epic Battle with a Door 19:25 Starforged, Solo Campaigns, and Using Obsidian for RPG Journaling 26:05 Winter Break Gaming Plans and Balancing Nostalgia 28:20 Revisiting KAOS on Netflix: Greek Myths and Modern Horrors 30:40 Planning for Starforged and Co-op Gameplay 35:00 Outro: Cloaking Device and Final Remarks
Ken beat Hades. Insomuch as anyone can beat Hades. The game REALLY keeps going after it is “finished”.
David completed his gaming coffee table project.
The Electric State
The Electric State book and RPG are set in an alternate 1997, where a slow-motion apocalypse combined with a virtual reality addiction, is wiping out civilization.
The Electric State art/fiction book
An example spread from The Electric State artbook by Simon Stålenhag.
Released in 2018, The Electric State is a hybrid art book/fiction book. It’s a story of a slow motion apocalypse, and tells the story of a young woman and her robot traveling through a ruined American landscape in an alternate 1997. The world’s been wrecked by a plague of virtual reality, which almost everyone succumbed to.
LikeStålenhag’s Tales from the Loop, the book is a combination of art and written fiction. Unlike Tales from the Loop, there’s little wistfulness or sense of nostalgia in The Electric State. It’s about the end of the world … and it’s a somber read.
It’s been categorized as a graphic novel, but it’s more of a novella wrapped in beautiful artwork. Most pages feature a short narrative, usually connected to the illustration on the accompanying pages.
The Electric State RPG
An example spread from The Electric State role-playing game.
Emphasis on survival, exploration, and narrative-driven journeys in a crumbling, dystopian America.
Ideal for players in the right headspace, as the setting is emotionally heavy and reflective.
Narrative Depth:
Rich background story involving Neuronics technology developed in the 1960s for remote-controlled warfare.
Escalation to civil war and the fracturing of the United States into multiple factions (e.g., Pacifica, Texas).
Rural areas devolve into lawlessness, while urban centers struggle to maintain order.
Role-Playing Experience:
Players focus on the journey, survival, and uncovering the mysteries of the collapsing world.
The tone and setting demand thoughtful storytelling, akin to Call of Cthulhu but more grounded and relatable.
The Electric State Movie
A still from the upcoming The Electric State movie by the Russo Brothers. Credit: Netflix.
The Electric State movie is coming in March 2025. It’s directed by the Russo Brothers (The Winter Soldier, Infinity War, Endgame) and stars Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Devyn Dalton.
It’s described as an action comedy … and we have no idea how that reconciles with the depressing tone of the original art book:
Campaign prep is something every dungeon master a needs to do … even if “prep” is something you throw together five minutes for the session starts.
On this episode, we talk about our individual game prep strategies, from structured approaches like Chris’s multi-phase plan to Ken’s adrenaline-fueled last-minute inspiration. Josh and Erin share insights into managing unpredictable player behavior and ensuring character growth.
To end the episode, we offer advice on how to childproof your evil lair.
Quotes
“I process, I think, I make notes. Honestly, that second section is my favorite part.” – Chris
“The first group I ever DM’d for were probably some of the most creative people that I’ve ever known, and that was a bad thing because they went off on a whole bunch of different tangents that I did not see coming at all.” – Josh
“The first thing I want to do is figure out how I’m going to make characters change.” – Erin
“I have to have deadlines or else it won’t work. My best ideas come the night before or the day of the game.” – Ken
Chapters
0:00 Intro 0:30 Chris’s Three-Phase Prep Method 3:00 Josh’s Chaotic First GM Experience 5:45 Adapting to Player Choices 7:45 Erin’s Character-Driven Prep 10:15 Ken’s Last-Minute Inspiration 12:45 The Role of Music in Game Prep 14:30 Tools for Note-Taking and Mapping 17:15 One-Shots vs Long Campaign Prep 21:45 Final Thoughts on Prep Approaches 24:00 How to Childproof an Evil Fortress 26:02 Outro
Video
Show Notes
Chris’s Three-Phase Prep: Reading the material, brainstorming for character hooks, and finalizing maps/tools.
Josh’s Experience: Adjusting to unpredictable players and focusing on world-building to adapt.
Erin’s Approach: Preparing for character growth and change, particularly in convention games.
Ken’s Method: Last-minute inspiration, enhanced by musical playlists and physical notes.
Digital Tools: Discussion of tools like Obsidian and Remarkable tablets for note-taking.
Final Thoughts: The group compares one-shot vs long campaign prep.
Outro: Discussion about childproofing an evil lair.
Get in. Do a thing. Get out. Look awesome doing it. That’s your typical cyberpunk adventure, and it always involves some sort of security. On this episode, we discuss real-world hacking inspiration, cinematic heist scenarios, and strategies for balancing game difficulty. We dive into the nuances of netrunning, social engineering, and how even the best-laid […]
So your Dungeons & Dragons campaign went on hiatus … how do you restart it? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, Ken, Chris, and Josh talk about how to re-engage with a not-quite-dead-yet role-playing game campaign. They dive into how a game can lose momentum, with real-life interruptions causing campaigns to stall or be […]
In the latest expedition through the Lair of Secrets, David Moore, Ken Newquist, and Chris Miller delve into the art of map design, specifically focusing on the peculiarities and challenges of modern and near-future maps in gaming. The discussion kicks off with Ken recounting his creation of the “worst best map ever” for a Mothership […]
Cyberpunk RED Chapter 9: Flip the Switch (S4E8)
Aug 30, 2024
The edgerunners are at Elysium HQ. All they need to do is descend through three sub-levels of the abandoned corporate headquarters and flip a switch on an old server. But first they have to get past these cybernetic corvids … and the remains of the edgerunner crews that came before them. Quotes Chapters 0:00 Intro […]
Cyberpunk Red takes a MURDEROUS Turn – Campaigns & Coffee
Aug 23, 2024
Chapter 8 of our Broken Loop campaign for Cyberpunk RED ended with a cliffhanger as the edgerunners faced an unexpected … enemy? Friend? Belligerent hivemind hell bent on stripping everyone of their chrome? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, we talk about that actual play session, it’s unexpected turns, and how we rolled with […]
Cyberpunk RED Chapter 8: Fresh Meat and Chrome (S4E7)
Aug 16, 2024
After talking and driving their way past the factions controlling access to Night City’s radioactive core, the edgerunners are approaching the ruined Elysium corporate headquarters. Their goal is to infiltrate the building’s sub-levels and flip a switch. First though, they have to get past the Glow Boys, a cult of radiation Worshiping cyborgs … and […]
Into the Shadows: Origins, Shadowdark, & Hades (S4E6)
Aug 09, 2024
It’s convention season, and David talks about Origins, a big-but-cozy game convention in Columbus, Ohio, meeting Shadowdark RPG creator Kelsey Dionne, plans for Gen Con 2024, and gaming with Jon Hook of the Modern Mythos podcast. Meanwhile, Ken geeks out about dynamic lighting in Roll20 (and his hopes for using during the Lair’s upcoming Cyberpunk […]
Cyberpunk RED Chapter 7: Into the Hot Zone (S4E5)
Aug 02, 2024
Chapter 7 of our actual play Cyberpunk RED campaign sees the edgerunners venture into the Hot Zone at the center of Night City as part of their mission to flip a switch in the basement of Elysium HQ. Get Cyberpunk RED: Chapters 0:00 Intro2:10 Mission Briefing5:30 Gear and Supplies10:45 Entering the Hot Zone15:20 Encounter with […]
Gen Con Tips for Newcomers – Campaigns and Coffee
Jul 29, 2024
In this episode of “Campaigns and Coffee,” hosts David, Josh, and Erin dive into convention season, offering tips and sharing personal experiences. The trio discusses their preparation rituals, with Erin highlighting her dedication to the Sparks campaign—a Star Wars role-playing game using the West End Games D6 system. Josh shares his strategy for attending Gen […]
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Summer Reading List 2024 (S4E4)
Jul 26, 2024
In the latest episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we delve into our summer reading lists, exploring a mix of thrilling, nostalgic, and intellectually stimulating books. Ken kicks things off with Action Park by Andy Mulvihill, reminiscing about the notorious amusement park of his youth. David follows with a dive into sci-fi novels, including […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 Show Notes Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with […]
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 […]
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 – […]
Gore and Lore in Fallout – Campaigns & Coffee
May 20, 2024
Fallout – the post-apocalyptic game set in an alternate, atomic-powered reality – kicks off our new Campaigns & Coffee short-format podcast. We talk about the new streaming series on Amazon Prime, the video games that inspired it, and the session zero for our upcoming Fallout RPG campaign. To start things off, we look at how […]
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 – […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, we 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 […]
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