System Mastery

288 - Rats! Oct 24, 2024

So these aren't really furries, but hey, I think this was just called Hairy Ween, right? Like that sounds more like a dick joke anyway. Anyhow, this book is all about playing as vile, disgusting, brilliant little rats trying to retake the world from the foul humans that don't deserve it. It's a mixed bag!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

287 - Mutants in the Now Oct 10, 2024

Blessed Ween everyone! This year we're focusing on animal inside of us all with a Furry Ween! Or a Hairy Ween! I dunno, whatever, we just wanted to read Mutants in the Now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

286 - Orkworld (Crunch) Sep 27, 2024

Oh, oh no. We thought all the worst stuff was going to be in the fluff and descriptive section. We were wrong. If you're a fan of angry Jef and Jon, well, you probably already noticed the 84 minute runtime of the episode and got your hopes up, correctly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

285 - Orkworld (Fluff) Sep 16, 2024

Well, this might be divisive, if we hadn't spent years discussing how we feel about ol' John Wick and his famously terrible advice. But what about his games? Well, let's look at Orkworld, a game about Orcs.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

284 - Time Master Sep 02, 2024

Travel through time at the behest of a futuristic society at the end of time? Sounds familiar! But before you break out the Wyld Stallyns shirt, let me burst your bubble by saying this actually has a weird war game at its weird core.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

283 - Eden Aug 17, 2024

Hi everyone! You'll never guess that now the other one of us has COVID. This stupid planet and country. Anyway, this game is about people learning lessons in a primordial garden from the animals that live there. Cool, right?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

282 - Spectaculars Jul 23, 2024

Part of wallowing in weird old stuff unfortunately is that it's hard to keep abreast of what's going on in the last decade or so of gaming, but Jef still pretty much orders any superhero thing if he sees it on sale, and that's what happened here! This time it paid off even, as Spectaculars turned out to be in a form factor neither of us expected but both of us enjoyed, so let us tell you all about it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

281 - Modern Knights Jul 10, 2024

Pssst, hey buddy, wanna buy a superhero game from 2002 that was pretty clearly written prior to 1999? How? Oh, let us explain. It's Modern Knights! At least we know that much.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

280 - Thirsty Sword Lesbians Jun 29, 2024

Hey who likes lesbians what have swords and powerful yearnings related to the other sword-bearing lesbians they encounter on their wild adventures? You I bet! Let's review this game for the end of Pride Month, because we were in a hurry and this one has a big old gay word right there in the title. Nothing's gayer than swords!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

279 - Iron Kingdoms Jun 12, 2024

This one is close to home, we both sorta like this game, used to play the wargame, and wish it all was still good. But times change. But hey, what do we think of this game now?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

278 - The Skeletons May 29, 2024

Is it too late to call this a theme month? Because it turned out to be a theme month. Cool minimalist projects by designers we like. Weird! The Skeletons is a thoughtful game about playing as skeletons guarding a tomb, by Jason Morningstar.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

277 - For The Queen (feat. Alex Roberts) May 14, 2024

Who says we can't do cool modern design reviews? Or interview the cool working designers of today that make them? Whoever said that, lemme at 'em! Today we're discussing For The Queen, a game we both enjoy enough to also want get Alex Roberts (already our expert dog correspondent if you're in the Patreon) to join us to talk about her awesome game and the new edition of it that will be out the same day as this episode! (that's synergy)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

276 - Muse May 01, 2024

Who would have thought this weird little collaborative storytelling shared narrative exercise game could be so divisive? We discuss Muse, a game that uses cards and tokens and lots of paper to help you and your group tell a story and definitely not make everyone hate each other, at all.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

275 - Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth (Part 2) Apr 17, 2024

Fine, we finished it. This was truly just an awful thing to keep reading through, I think it's been a while since we've both been this angry. Anyway, if you come support us on Patreon to hear the bonus content, we couldn't be assed to make Aria characters. They suck. So we made characters in the game LIFTS instead, which doesn't suck. This is your update on that topic.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

274 - Tower 22 Apr 01, 2024

Yeah yeah, we hit pause on Aria, we just couldn't deal with that noise anymore. Instead, it's time to dive into the ever-generous well of dumb OGL titles, with this bizarre 2002 Fantasy Strike classic, in which the authors really really want you to know about beach lifeguards and how important and cool and... military they are.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

273 - Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth Mar 23, 2024

Show update first, everything's been a bit late because of travel and the deadly scary norovirus, which isn't pretty. Sorry about that. Show news on this episode? The sound a shudder that indicates a man has seen too much, written down, thank you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

272 - City of Heroes Playtest Mar 07, 2024

Gather up, all you various tankers, scrapper, controllers, uhhh... that healer one... I'm just kidding I loved this game. It's City of Heroes, sort of! Insofar as it's a Unisystem take on the popular superhero MMO. Some of one. This is just an old playtest doc. We talk about why and what and all the rest today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

271 - Active Exploits Feb 22, 2024

This was a tough read. Active Exploits is more of a toolkit than a game, but despite basically having every possible tool any kit could ever have, especially for a diceless engine, we still just aren't seeing how the numbers line up. But hey, who knows, right?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

270 - Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game Feb 08, 2024

I think... I think this is all of them? If you count the review of the Multiverse pre-test (we've skimmed the final version, it's pretty close), then yeah, this is the last of the Marvel licensed RPGs we hadn't covered yet. Saga edition, with the card deck and one of the two diceless systems. Is it cool? Will it Marvel? Do we have to start tracking down DC games now?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

269 - Strike! Jan 25, 2024

This one is a little near and dear to us, we've used it to run Blimpleggers content in the past! Strike! is an RPG that sort of combines the very abstracted narrative structure of a FATE style game with the tactical grid combat of a 4e D&D style game, and for the most part, it works. Let's talk about how!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

268 - Crime Scene Police Investigation Jan 12, 2024

Starting the year off the right way, with a shovelware-style OGL game about playing as real cops. Real boring cops.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

267 - Mörk Borg Dec 13, 2023

Whoa, the art and layout in this thing is cool! What about the rest of it? Is it also cool? Can love bloom on the retroclone-style battlefield? Well, let's read it and find out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

266 - Cozy Town Nov 29, 2023

Welcome to a charming little community where the townsfolk are all made up and the real world doesn't matter. It's Cozy Town, a game that we figured could not have a better title to fit the Sweater Weather time here at the show. Make a whole adorable village, populate it and plan their year of events and charming happenings. It's cute, basically. Super cute.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

265 - Monster Care Squad Nov 15, 2023

Oh boy it's time for Sweater Weather! You know, our now two year running thing where we review specifically non or low-combat games, helping folks learn that there's more out there than the traditional "sword goes into orc" model (you'd be amazed at what people on the forefront are putting into orcs these days), and we're starting this year with Monster Care Squad, a neat game about rescuing wounded monsters in a world that's evolved past some of the worst instincts of humankind.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

264 - Monsterhearts Oct 31, 2023

Okay, I do have a few more books with Witch in the title, and yes the urge to do Strike Witches was fairly strong, but we've been wanting a good excuse to talk Monsterhearts for a while anyway and there's a witch skin in there so you know, you get what you get. It's the first edition of one of the biggest PBTA games, in which your high school gets all monster-fied and everyone's out to mess with everyone else!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

263 - Witch: Fated Souls Oct 18, 2023

It's witches aplenty this ween, and that means more than just crooked triangle hats, as we see here in a multicultural witch festival including witchy types from all over the world. The game is a little bit White Wolf and a little bit rock and roll, relatively recent, and we're covering the 1st edition (my understanding is that a second also exists). How powerful are these witches? Let's find out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

262 - Witch Hunt Oct 05, 2023

What's that upon the roof I hear? Could it be the pitter-patter of seasonally appropriate witch feet 'pon my shingles? Why, 'tis! Blessed Ween to each and every! This year, it's Ween 3: Season of the Witch, and yes I know this isn't the third Ween, thank you very much. We're starting our witchy run of RPGs with Witch Hunt, a game about Salem in 1692, so you know it's gonna just be super tasteful, right?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

261 - octaNe Sep 19, 2023

Let's examine a post-apocalyptic game with a penchant for low-budget outre 90s cinema styles, and a fairly simple core mechanic to boot. It's octaNe, and it's pretty interesting, even if I personally never wanna read about Six String Samurai ever again.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

260 - Star Wars Saga Edition Sep 08, 2023

And I said GO!

If you're wondering if we liked this game,

We liked this game,

It's mostly fine,

But it could use some work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

259 - Starfaring Aug 22, 2023

Sold to us as the first ever sci-fi RPG (a claim we have learned is dubious), Starfaring is basically Tunnels & Trolls, but with some Star Trek jokes and moving the racism largely from the spell titles to the art. It's still Ken St. Andre, it's still like maybe half a game, and it's still sort of important just because of the era (1977!)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

258 = Bullwinkle & Rocky Party RPG Aug 08, 2023

Allow us to introducing our game... It's finally here, the box set that sat on my shelf for four years while we waiting for GenCon to be a thing we were willing to do again, and it's still not a live recording, because GenCon was a thing but they forgot to give us a room wired for recordings. What's in this thing? How do you play it? How will our heroes get out of this one? Find out in today's episode of System Mastery OOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRR a different funny title you came up with because I already did that gag in the recorded intro.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

257 - Mythic Roleplaying Jul 28, 2023

Apparently what we have here is often considered to be the first stab at a DM-less RPG system! It's from 2003, and boy is it unusual. How does it handle GM-less play, or many of the other things it's stated to handle (such as being an overlay over your current RPG!)? Well, that's what we're here to find out, isn't it?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

256 - Silvervine Jul 11, 2023

This one is interesting! It seems to be a compilation of two books, but is largely a single game about steampunk furry anime fantasy guys that also have airships and cool guns. The character builds can actually be pretty dang satisfying, but does it make any sense? Let's find out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

255 - Horror Rules Jun 28, 2023

It's rules, for horror. From the DTRPG files, we've read a 2003 horror game with some neat ideas, some snarky stuff, and a slow burning lingering sense that there's a lot of Christianity stuff in here (in retrospect, the fact that it's from Crucifiction Games might have been a big hint).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

254 - Savage Worlds Rifts Jun 13, 2023

And now to take a look at Savage Worlds with a game world overlay. We love Rifts anyway around here, and want to see it in all the formats. What do you think of the model for reviewing sandbox games that sell campaign settings? Should we keep doing it this way in the future?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

253 - Savage Worlds Jun 01, 2023

So we might be a bit off schedule but that's okay, because we spent the time stuck in various airports and cities reading Savage Worlds so we could talk about it with you! A somewhat new game, Savage Worlds is a toolbox system similar to GURPS or the like, except it has an eye towards fast heroic play instead of accurate simulation stuff. Does it hit the mark? Well let's talk about it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

252 - Valley of the Pharaohs May 16, 2023

Well well well, if it isn't a Palladium game. And one of those weird ones where Simbieda didn't write it or pretend to have written it! Valley of the Pharaohs came out in 1983, making it the first ever Palladium game published, and boy does that age show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

251 - Heroic Visions May 04, 2023

Jon's special blend of DrivethruRPG search criteria has kicked us up a truly interesting and unusual blend of superheroes, afrofuturism, strong Christian undertones, and Poser art that is definitely connected to a webcomic.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

250 - GURPS Apr 18, 2023

Well I suppose it was about time. Let's dive into the world of world creation by taking a hard look at GURPS, one of the earliest examples of the "Do anything at all" RPG model, from Steve Jackson Games. If I can post this right. My tech level is pretty low.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

249 - Rifter 9 and One Half Apr 05, 2023

Happy April Fools! Well, sort of. We were busy. We actually were hosting a quiz show thing on April 1st proper. So this early April episode will have to serve.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

248 - Infinite Domains Mar 22, 2023

What is this, some sort of generic universal role playing system? Some sort of master book to rule them all? It's Infinite Domains and it arrived on the scene in 1996 to throw a new hat into the ring of "do anything" RPG systems, starting with a fantasy set of trappings.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

247 - Fractured Kingdom Mar 08, 2023

Set in the far future on the other side of a brutal and deadly war on Earth, Fractured Kingdom is concerned with folks rendered extraordinary by exposure to a world of dreams and power beyond and suffusing our own. It's from 2013, but it drinks like a 2003!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

246 - Dallas The Television RPG Feb 21, 2023

You know you read about this in some message board or listicle article years ago. And you know you've always wondered what the heck it actually is. Well wonder no longer, friends! Answers await you!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

245 - Katanas & Trenchcoats Feb 08, 2023

Night falls on Darkest Vancouver. Will you be ready to draw your coolest anime sword and battle the eternal dancefight against the other forever-walkers like yourself? Today's episode is a comedy game that sort of uses Highlander rules to make fun of White Wolf. It's neat!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

244 - Teenagers From Outer Space Jan 24, 2023

A lightweight anime-inspired comedy game from... 1987? Damn, Mike Pondsmith must have been one of those guys that bought unlabeled anime VHS tapes from trenchcoat weirdos at comic cons when they still had walking room in them. Whatever the case may be, this is a fun, weird read. But a good game? Well let's find out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 243 - Star Wars D20 Jan 10, 2023

No no, not Saga Edition, the other one. This is OGL shovel-ware Star Wars. It's got a real prominent author all right, but these "Just change the names on D&D stuff" versions of OGL content are so hard to fit to anything, let alone something as demanding and iconic as Star Wars. Did they do it? Well, check it out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 242 - Like a Rogue, One-Page Apocalypse Vol 1, Christmas Fallout Dec 28, 2022

To close out our year we've decided to take a little look at a couple of very little games, because we just had a lot of family business going on around this time. We discuss a solo game about surviving a zombie apocalypse in the dead of winter, and another one about being word wizards exploring a lexicon library. Merry festive times to all!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

241 - Kill Puppies For Satan Dec 14, 2022

No more Sweater Weather? Guess it's time for edgy fucked up December. Who wants to be nice to people and solve teddy bear ouchies when you can cram a firecracker in a frog or whatever as a member of Satan's grimiest little volunteer militia.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

240 - Threadbare Nov 29, 2022

If you haven't played as a bear with a clothes hangar for one arm that has to help solve the mystery of where Starscream's left wing went, have you really lived? Threadbare is a PBTA game in the stitchpunk genre (more on that within) all about survival, adaptation, and purpose, and it can be played with absolutely no combat so hey, it's perfect, because Sweater Weather isn't over yet!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

239 - The Play's The Thing Nov 16, 2022

Sweater Weather just will not let up as we take a tour through the non-combative games that are just so hard to find in RPGs. Today we discuss The Play's The Thing, a Shakespeare altering game where you play as actors changing the story as the story goes along. So will the game be twice blest? Or is Hell empty and all the devils are here? Also, just up front, we don't know the first goddamn thing about Shakespeare. Be warned.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

238 – Golden Sky Stories Nov 03, 2022

We couldn’t get enough theme months! Welcome to a brand new thing here at System Mastery, Sweater Weather! Reviewing the games that make you feel as cozy and comfortable as a good bowl of stew and a blazing fireplace. Today, we’re discussing Golden Sky Stories, a game with a nearly microscopic focus on small, simple slice of life interactions, where you play as little animal children with whimsical powers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

237 – Alien Oct 19, 2022

As we draw this festive Ween to a close, we continue the project of a brief examination of newer space horror (Yes, that last game was a heist thing, but c’mon, you were working for the literal Devil, right? That counts!), this time with the most recent offering in the Alien franchise, a comprehensive and enormous RPG with a lot of modern design sensibilities and a commitment to getting every bit of the fairly sprawled franchise some inclusion (except Resurrection, apparently no one likes it).

Announcement Masteries!

The Adventuring Party: theadventuringparty.net

A weekly gaming podcast with an Irish bent (because it is Irish and made in Ireland). Discussions about RPGs, CCGs, and pop culture in general with all the calm and sober tones you’d expect from a pub brawl.

Valhalla Hobby: valhallahobby.com (Use this link! It applies our code!)

5% off all manner of excellent hobby products, shipped direct to your door! Get the coolest and newest hobby stuff from a wide variety of ranges including Crisis Protocol, Malifaux, Star Wars: Legion, and more! They’ve even got our books, which you know, definitely buy those! (must spend $100 for discount, shipping exclusively in the US)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

236 – Stealing Stories for the Devil Oct 04, 2022

The customary three great blessings of Ween to each and every one of you! Okay, so this game isn’t especially scary. By now you should have recognized that we may or may not give a fuck about tradition from one day to the next. In this case, we’ve decided to harness the power of ween to focus on a few newer games for the season. Any chance to dodge another OSR retroclone or D20 shovelware, am I right? Today we discuss Stealing Stories for the Devil, which is a heist game written by Monte Cook, so that’s two new things!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 235 – Ray Winninger’s Underground Sep 20, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/system-mastery-235-ray-winningers-underground.mp3

Hurray, one of those edgy 90s games where people have superpowers but aren’t superheroes! You know, like the other ones? This one at least has an interesting angle of entry by being more about society failing veterans, but is that enough to help it shine beyond it’s fairly timeworn genre? Well, let’s find out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 234 – Apocalypse World Sep 07, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/system-mastery-234-apocalypse-world-2.mp3

Wait, from Psi World to Apocalypse World? Two worlds? One network family? Oh right, I should probably mention that because we both have been down for a bit with the old Covid-19, James stepped in to help record this one, which turned out useful because Jef was just plain too sick all the past couple weeks to even read. But he got better! And he came to join the fun anyway! Just, you know, without reading any of the book at all.

Special thanks to our guest host James D’Amato, check out his fine works at some weird place we never heard one called Oneshotpodcast.com.

Double special thanks to our Announcement Mastery sponsor https://www.twitch.tv/goblincavetv, a great place to watch non-WOTC streamed tabletop actual play content!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 233 – Psi World Aug 25, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/system-mastery-233-psi-world.mp3

Back to the old psionic grind! This game has almost exactly two whole paragraphs of story. Everything else we’ve had to glean from the margins and unusually informative rules. Wanna… I guess be a psychic refugee in the near future of 198X? That’s pretty much what’s going on here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 232 – Leaked 6th Edition Playtest Aug 10, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/system-mastery-232-leaked-6th-ed-dd.mp3

Hell yeah, we got some leaked documents up in here! Shame we gotta do it to them. But such is the rule of law here on the wild internet frontier.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 231 – Kevin & Kell RPG Jul 27, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/system-mastery-231-kevin-kell-rpg.mp3

A rare occasion where the “How the hell did this even happen” question seems fairly obvious (some company wanted a furry game in their line and this was close enough) but hot damn is this ever the weirdest thing we’ve seen in a long, long while. Strap in folks, this episode is extremely long, and not all that much of it is about the rules to the Action! licensed engine it runs on. Kevin & Kell is a weird, weird comic strip, and mainlining the lore of it in a long week without actually reading the strip at all is a weird, weird way to interact with it. Just a friendly warning!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 230 – White Box Jul 12, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/system-mastery-230-white-box.mp3

Let’s GOSR! This here is one a them retro-type clones where the goal was extremely straightforward: The author liked Sword & Sorcery White Box and wanted another edition, so here it is. Wanna play as a Dwarf? That can be up to level 6 as a thief(optional)? Well you an probably buy about three million other games. Or this one!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 229 – Underworld Jun 28, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/system-mastery-229-underworld.mp3

Ever had dreams about the world deep below the world you know? A world where magic and madness swirl, where animals may just speak aloud, a world where the ancient myths of the surface are terrifyingly true? Did you recently read Neverwhere? Okay okay, I kid. This isn’t exactly like Neverwhere. It’s set in New York! A 2000 LARP (dear god thank you for that being the year) or tabletop game of adventure in a fantasy landscape deep beneath the big apple.

Announcement Masteries

Fortified Niche – A podcast about the wargames not made by the juggernauts of the wargame industry. Whether it’s trying and reviewing indie skirmish games like Carnevalle or Zona Alpha, or just commenting on the state of the industry (why so many cheesecake sculpts? Why so little delicious cheesecake?), Fortified Niche covers it all. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fortified-niche/id1591399738

Nerdhaus Games presents Heist: Masterminds –

“Your rivals issued a challenge: Who among you is the biggest name in international thievery? You have to gather a crew, get moving, and make a name for yourself. Without risk, there can be no reward. Keep in mind: “Honor among thieves” is really more of a suggestion. Nerdhaus Games is heading into card games with this crowdfunding campaign, built off what they’ve learned from years of RPG and tabletop development. Come on down and Find Your Story.” Website: nerdhausgames.com Heist: Masterminds Campaign: gamefound.com/projects/nerdhaus-games/heist Nerdhaus RPGs: nerdhausgames.itch.io

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 228 – Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Jun 16, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/system-mastery-228-star-wars-age-of-rebellion.mp3

Well, FFG was sort of driven off this project (it’s a really sad story) so the most recent line of Star Wars games is now in our wheelhouse, I guess. And who better to help us tell the story of the strangely high on narrative AND crunch FFG Star Wars engine that network owner and our good friend James “The Accomplishment” D’Amato, star of screen and pod? No one, that’s who.

Buy James’ book, The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide: Expanded Genres Edition at bit.ly/rpgbackstory2 or wherever fine books are sold.

Oh and the Patreon bonus content is FREE this week (thanks again to James) so go check that out as well!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 227 – Wizards & Gunslingers Jun 01, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/system-mastery-227-wizards-gunslingers.mp3Ooh, it’s one of those cowboys and also a different thing games! You know, like cowboys and ninjas, or cowboys and dinosaurs, or cowboys and the slow crushing onset of modernity… this one is wizards though. It’s mostly percentile, it’s written very strangely, and more details can be yours if the PRICE IS RIGHT (the episode is free).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 226 – Star Munchkin May 18, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/system-mastery-226-star-munchkin.mp3

Uh oh, someone better stop us before we get to level 10. It’s Star Munchkin, the RPG! Did you know there were RPGs of these games? You should have guessed. Munchkin has the same marketing team as KISS. It’s obviously a comedy game, secretly (seriously, it’s amazing how hard they work to hide it) an OGL game, and generally all about space.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 225 – Marvel Multiverse RPG Playtest May 06, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/system-mastery-225-marvel-multiverse-rpg.mp3

Reviewing a playtest? That doesn’t seem right! Well, it certainly isn’t in our usual bag of tricks, but hey, this is a rare situation where someone writing a modern game ASKED for our opinion (sort of, they asked for opinions in general) and we can be constructive and nice! Will we? Maybe! Also this is our THIRD review of a Marvel game (with a fourth on the horizon) and so you’ll just have to forgive us not putting a bunch of Excelsiors and No-Prizes and stuff in the writeup. Except shoot we just did.
Last thing. We didn’t mention one thing during the review that we both wanted to, which is that the game has a rule stating that you never accidentally kill anyone, you can always choose to knock them out instead. This is progressive and laudable, but has the funny side effect of turning all the game’s sermons about how “real Marvel heroes would never use guns” into an even sillier thing to bother with.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 224 – Fiasco Classic Apr 20, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/system-mastery-224-fiasco-classic.mp3

Mea culpa time (Jef version): This is one of those games where I knew exactly what it was and have been recommending it for years for any RP session that needs to be about spiraling into failure… but I’ve never read it til now. So hey, were all my recommendations justified? Let’s find out, shall we?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 223 – Tephra Apr 07, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/system-mastery-223-tephra.mp3

Ooh, a steampunk one! You can tell because of the brown and the gear and the goggles and all. Oh, I guess it also says steampunk on there, in retrospect I suppose that was a dead giveaway. Anyhow Tephra is definitely drifting in the fantasy direction on the old -punk continuum, with neat races and a whole fantastical path to airshippery, plus it’s all D12 based, which is always fun.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 222 – Umlaut: Game of Metal Mar 23, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/system-mastery-222-umlaut.mp3

Uh oh, every once in a while a time comes in which we are commanded to rock, and that time has come again. We’re discussing a game in which every play takes the reins of an entire metal band, and seeks fortune, glory, and thrown up horns from loyal fans. Is this Sabbath? Or is it Winger? Listen along and let’s find out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 221 – Santa’s Soldiers Mar 09, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/system-mastery-221-santas-soldiers.mp3

Happy Christmas in July in March! It’s time for some holiday cheer, because we were looking for a different game but ended up with this one (it’s explained in the show). Suit up as an agent in Santa’s elf army and go forth to do battle with a bunch of holiday monsters. Or at least hear us talk about it!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 220 – The Secret Fire Feb 23, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/system-mastery-220-the-secret-fire.mp3

This is a pretty bog-standard “Recapture the D&D I remember when I was 11” moonshot game, where the lessons learned about what D&D used to be like seem to be that it was awful but we loved it. Does it promise to be all about player empowerment and then immediately strip almost any tools they might have used away from them? You’ll have to listen to find out, but it’d be weird if I asked that question and the answer was no, wouldn’t it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 219 – The Lawnmower Man RPG Feb 09, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/system-mastery-219-the-lawnmower-man-rpg.mp3

How often do we get to do theme weeks? This is great! We have the Lawnmower Man RPG, which is set immediately after the events of the movie, as the Southern Gothic horror gives way to … troop team simulation as described by the company that made Phoenix Command. What? Why? How? Anyway, here’s a whole review for your ears!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 218 – Silver Age Sentinels Jan 25, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/system-mastery-218-silver-age-sentinels.mp3

Oh boy another supers game! You know how we love those! SIlver Age Sentinels is from the Big Eyes, Small Mouth folks, so you better believe it shares the insane customizability, tri-stat system, and more with that anime simulator. But how does it do as a superhero engine? Well, let’s all find out together.

Announcement Mastery

Solo But Not Alone 2
Grab a ton (101!) solo RPGs for yourself for only 10 bucks while supporting a vital cause at the same time. Help people in real need by joining Jasper’s Game Day in their needed efforts preventing suicide. It’s a win win and it can be yours to support or just get games you want at https://itch.io/b/1227/solo-but-not-alone-2. Act fast, this fundraising event will end March 2022!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 217 – Conspiracy X Jan 12, 2022

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/system-mastery-217-conspiracy-x.mp3

What if everything you thought you knew was actually all evidence of a secret conspiracy? Deja Vu? Real psychic powers. Men in Black? Lizard people in black. That’s the premise of Conpiracy X, a late 90s secret agents vs. everything game with a surprisingly complex combat engine. Oh man. Surprisingly complex.

Announcement Mastery

Solo But Not Alone 2
Grab a ton (101!) solo RPGs for yourself for only 10 bucks while supporting a vital cause at the same time. Help people in real need by joining Jasper’s Game Day in their needed efforts preventing suicide. It’s a win win and it can be yours to support or just get games you want at https://itch.io/b/1227/solo-but-not-alone-2. Act fast, this fundraising event will end March 2022!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 216 – Psychosis: Ship of Fools Dec 29, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/system-mastery-216-psychosis-ship-of-fools-1.mp3

Post-Show PS: Turns out there is at least one more of these, Jef’s on-air googling failed to turn up Psychosis: Solitary Confinement. Cool? Cool.

Well, when the name of the mental disorder is right there in the title you know you’re in for something at least a little iffy. Luckily this is so far removed from reality regarding how far everyone is removed from reality that it mostly comes out okay in the wash. It’s a game where you never quite know what’s going on, and the entire story is a spoiler alert. From the decade that brought you Steal My Sunshine, it’s Psychosis: Ship of Fools.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 215 – Blue Rose Dec 15, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/system-mastery-215-blue-rose-2.mp3

Let’s dispense with the obvious question first. This is the OGL version. Now before that gets too depressing, note that this is one of the most modified OGL games we’ve come across, going so far as to do that one thing everyone always says you should do with D&D stats (not get rid of them, the other thing). It’s got some good ideas! But do we like it? Well, let’s find out. You know, again.

Announcement Mastery!

Roar to Heaven is an anime inspired sci-fi AP podcast where the heroes fight an invading angel army with battlesuits powered by music! They’re currently kickstarting to pay their staff and cast, and your support will help! Plus also definitely listen to their cool show. Links to follow:
Show Page: https://www.peachgardengames.com/about-roar-to-heaven
Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/peachgardengames/roar-to-heaven
Itch.io Link for Those With Understandable Kickstarter Concerns: https://peachgardengames.itch.io/blazing-hymn

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 214 – Mystic Forces Nov 30, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/system-mastery-214-mystic-forces.mp3

Heck yeah, one of those weird games so little known I couldn’t GIS the cover and had to take a picture of our copy! Mystic Forces is a 2000 RPG about light vs. darkness featuring some very unique ideas (though Jon has some ideas as to where a lot of them are coming from), and a world that doesn’t have elves, dwarves, or even humans. Are they contained in a probably somewhat too complicated engine? Well yeah, obviously.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 213 – The Book of Vile Darkness (3.x) Nov 17, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/system-mastery-213-the-book-of-vile-darkness.mp3

Just because Ween is over doesn’t mean we can’t stay spooky! Or at least one would hope. This is more evil by way of edge than anything else. Jef sought out a list of historically terrible supplements for us to look at in the future, and this one just kept floating to the top. Evil races, prestige classes, and so, so many terrible spells. Dare you enter this edgelord realm?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 212 – Outbreak: Undead Nov 03, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/11/system-mastery-212-outbreak-undead-1.mp3

Okay so maybe it’s November, and maybe we forgot when October started this year, but that won’t stop us from delivering our yearly load of horror ween stuff! Here’s Outbreak Undead. It’s 460 pages long and is a fairly generic zombie horror survival type thing.

Announcement Mastery

Looking for game and fantasy editing? Or just need a short form RPG or adventure in a variety of genres? Go support ATypicalFaux.com, today’s Announcement Mastery Sponsor. Jordan is a multi-published editor with a proven track record and a desire to work on your RPG (while designing his own!) Website: ATypicalFaux.com Games available at: https://atypicalfaux.itch.io/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 211 – All Flesh Must Be Eaten Oct 20, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/system-mastery-212-all-flesh-must-be-eaten.mp3

Behold our triumph, the ZombieWeen! It’s alive! Well, sort of alive. This ‘Ween around we’ll be focusing on zombie RPGs, investigating games about surviving short infestations and full-blown apocalypses. This time, it’s All Flesh Must Be Eaten, which means it’s also our first time talking about the Unisystem Engine in eight years. Should all flesh must be eaten? Should all zombies be in your head? In your head? Zombie (Ween).

Announcement Mastery

Crimson Gold Agonies!
in the world of 197X, superheroes fight against the two imperial powers; they are champions of the Third World and heralds of an alternative path for democracy and socialism — the Heroes of the Cybernetic International!

Check out this new AP and a whole completed series of additional AP podcasting that rotates games as needed to tell the best story possible with the Crimson Gold Agonies actual Play!

Eventide!
Available today on DrivethruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/359061/Eventide

How and why the world as we know it came to be changed forever has long been forgotten.

It’s been hundreds – maybe even thousands – of years since anyone even spoke of the Cataclysm or the time that came before, and the memories of that world that once was, faded into dust.

To the people inhabiting the world of Eventide, this isn’t a post-cataclysmic world, it’s just the world that is. And the world that always was, as far back as anyone living in it can remember.

– From Frenzy Kitty Games, the studio that brought you KARMA, Something Wicked, and Children of the Fall comes EVENTIDE, a game of apocalyptic survival horror in the wasteland.

This lavishly illustrated book contains everything you need to play, including:

Fast and dynamic rules for roleplaying in the apocalypse
Robust classless character-creation
Optional Tribe Creation rules for group play
Full campaign setting including many detailed settlements and NPCs
Dozens of inspiring adventure seeds
17 Tribes complete with unique beliefs, structures, affiliations, and NPCs
A bestiary containing 35 ruthless and terrifying enemies
Hardcore Mode: rules variants for brave players in search of a brutal challenge.
Lone Wanderer: Solitaire rules for solo adventures in the wastelands
Apocalypse Toolkit: Tools and generators to assist GMs in running their games dynamically

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 210 – Amber Diceless Oct 06, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/system-mastery-210-amber-diceless.mp3

Oh geez, this one is gonna get us some letters. Lemme just warn you in advance if you’re as hot on this property as everyone on the internet seems to be for Moorcock stuff, you might wanna just go check out a Movie Mastery or something. Otherwise, welcome to Amber Diceless, a game that has rules it would probably just be better off without.

Announcement Mastery

Eventide!
Available today on DrivethruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/359061/Eventide

How and why the world as we know it came to be changed forever has long been forgotten.

It’s been hundreds – maybe even thousands – of years since anyone even spoke of the Cataclysm or the time that came before, and the memories of that world that once was, faded into dust.

To the people inhabiting the world of Eventide, this isn’t a post-cataclysmic world, it’s just the world that is. And the world that always was, as far back as anyone living in it can remember.

– From Frenzy Kitty Games, the studio that brought you KARMA, Something Wicked, and Children of the Fall comes EVENTIDE, a game of apocalyptic survival horror in the wasteland.

This lavishly illustrated book contains everything you need to play, including:

Fast and dynamic rules for roleplaying in the apocalypse
Robust classless character-creation
Optional Tribe Creation rules for group play
Full campaign setting including many detailed settlements and NPCs
Dozens of inspiring adventure seeds
17 Tribes complete with unique beliefs, structures, affiliations, and NPCs
A bestiary containing 35 ruthless and terrifying enemies
Hardcore Mode: rules variants for brave players in search of a brutal challenge.
Lone Wanderer: Solitaire rules for solo adventures in the wastelands
Apocalypse Toolkit: Tools and generators to assist GMs in running their games dynamically

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 209 – Supplement Spectacular 3 Sep 22, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/system-mastery-209-supplement-spectacular-3.mp3

Well how about one of these? It’s only the third one in 209 episodes, so I hope they sort of feel special by now! It’s Supplement Spectacular, where we dig through our surprisingly ample library of followup books to games you’d never think would have them, and talk about how those games expand and change. This week, it’s Chill: Voodoo and A.C.E. Supers, so you’re getting a little horror and a little superhero stuff. Together at last!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 208 – Mutant Chronicles Sep 10, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/system-mastery-208-mutant-chronicles-4.mp3

This takes a while, but on the bright side we really find out some new fun and not so fun stuff about the game in the process. Good on ya for being patrons, you’re learning stuff no one else will. Unless they… read the game, I guess? Or just find someone else doing this. We can’t be the only ones.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 207 – Pokemon Jr. Aug 26, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/system-mastery-208-pokemon-jr..mp3

Desperately trying to hit a book deadline, we found ourselves in need of something fairly small, so we finally broke the tiny sheet of glass in front of the smaller RPG we have, the Pokemon Jr. Adventure Game: Pokemon Emergency. 60 pages long and smaller than a checkbook, this is a tiny little thing. But it has a rich history, and there’s a lot to talk about, so as always, we found a way.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 206 – Ork! The Roleplaying Game Aug 11, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/system-mastery-206-ork.mp3

Comedy roleplaying game anyone? Maybe one that’s got a bunch of jokes about how dumb orks are and how they have special blood that keeps them from ever being smart (yikes factor: some yikes). Well grab a big rock and use it to murder a different big rock because Ork am game about mindless violence.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 205 -Delta Force Jul 27, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/system-mastery-205-delta-force.mp3

My friends, in the interest of transparency, I am only just now realized this game has a subtitle! So don’t look for that in the episode, we didn’t notice. It’s Delta Force: America Strikes Back! And it is, among other things, by the same people that made Prime Directive and from around the same time frame, so… well you can take from that whatever you want.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 204 – Engel Jul 14, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/system-mastery-204-engel.mp3

Well hey, surprise OGL! Nothing on the cover, and so when Jon selected this old Sword & Sorcery product to take home and started reading, he was suddenly (after 190 some pages of fluff) shocked to see that 3.x material. So what is this? Well it’s the far future and you play as Latin-speaking angel children who fight giant bugs. OR DO YOU?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 203 – Theatrix Jun 29, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/system-mastery-203-theatrix.mp3

So what we have here is a rarity, in that it is an early (1993-1995) LARP game that is also a universal generic system. So there’s not really a story or core power scale or anything, just pure LARP rules and advice, delivered in a sort of theatrical directorial stype. Oh, and of course it’s not great advice.

Announcement Mastery:

Back to the Rifter, a 174-page book going over the original 1990 Rifts rulebook to give a detailed, mocking, page-by-page review, dipping into other Palladium books where necessary to make sense of things (or where it was funny), and insights gleaned from talking to people in the industry. Also there’s an in-depth criticism of the game’s Nazi apologism. Purchase it in in PDF or print on demand at DriveThru RPG today!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 202 – Providence Jun 15, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/system-mastery-202-providence.mp3

My friends, this is a weird one. The vast majority of this book is difficult to explain rules, and then there’s a chunk of fascinating story hidden away towards the back, a neat story about a caste society of the winged and winged-not trapped in a bubble prison dimension. Check it out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 201 – Terror Network Jun 01, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/system-mastery-201-terror-network.mp3

I think we bought this one on the cover alone (and especially the back cover, which is bullet points and a photo of the Twin Towers mid-fall). I mean, look at that! Look at the endorsement! But can it deliver?

Announcement Mastery!

Today is a great day to launch a KS, and a better day for you to go support one! Go check out Extreme Meatpunks Forever, a hot new RPG written by cool people and produced by cool people too. Fight Nazis on a meat planet while riding your meat mecha! Oh, and here’s a link: Extreme Meatpunks Forever on Kickstarter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 200 – Marvel Superheroes Roleplaying Game May 18, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/system-mastery-200-marvel-superheroes-role-playing-game.mp3

Hey, we made it to 200 episodes! I’m sure that’s some sort of milestone! And while the choice of game to cover this time may feel kind of arbitary, I can assure you it’s very special to us here at the show. You’ll find out why and learn all about TSR’s attempt to encapsulate the Marvel experience way back in the mid-80s on today’s show! Enjoy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 199 – Stuperpowers May 04, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/system-mastery-199-stuperpowers.mp3

Heck yeah, comedy superhero parody game from 1997 coming in hot. You know it’s gonna make us mad, it’s just got to! Anyway, this game is designed to be LARP-ready, dice light, and aggressively, consistently middle of the road. Just painfully. In more ways than one. You’ll see.

Announcement Mastery:

It Came From The Sea Podcast

Host Sarah uses her degree in oceanography and lifelong love of the sea and all things nautical as she drags her friends along on her journey to share this aquatic enthusiasm with the world at large. New episodes of It Came From the Sea drop every other week and bonus episodes are available at all tiers on our patreon. You can find a link to the patreon and all the latest podcast news at twitter.com/FromTheSeaPod.

GMJ: Pro DM

Check out GMJ and their recurring campiagn “Darkest Quest” set in the Quest RPG system on the online DM-player connection service StartPlayingGames. Drop in with a new character or bring a recurring character over and over! Also, custom sessions available on request!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 198 – Hellcats & Hockeysticks Apr 23, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/system-mastery-198-hellcats-hockeysticks-1.mp3

We’ve had a great track record with games set in high schools, right? So obviously one set in a secondary school should be at least as good as Alma Mater or Panty Explosion right? Well, it’s certainly something! Join us as we explored the hallowed halls of a school for delinquent little monsters and their various criminal goings on.

Announcement Mastery:

Sorcerously Advanced is a game of cutting-edge magic. It’s pay-what-you-want at DriveThruRPG. If you like it you can buy a physical copy. Also: If sci-fi games are more your thing, check out our sister game, Sufficiently Advanced. The second edition is also on DriveThruRPG.

http://tiny.cc/sorc or http://suffadv.wikidot.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 197 – Ironclaw Apr 07, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/system-mastery-197-ironclaw.mp3

So many people have requested this that we finally thought we’d throw you all a bone. Ironclaw is an anthro medieval RPG, so you’ll be playing a lot of foxes, bats, foxbats, Batmans, Manbats, and Sons of Kong. Is it fun? Let’s find out!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 196 – InSpectres Mar 24, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/system-mastery-196-inspectres.mp3

Wanna hunt ghosts but not necessarily dedicate your whole life to it? Consider just getting a daytime job hunting ghosts, goblins, nilbogs, and Son of Kong with InSpectres, a game from the early 2000s that’s actually kinda funny for once.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 195 – Lords of Creation Mar 10, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/system-mastery-195-lords-of-creation.mp3

Who wants to take over the multiverse? Okay, great! Let’s start you out as a nobody with nothing and you can grind XP in… I don’t care, let’s say mythological Ancient Greece for a thousand sessions. It’s one of those 80s games! Just like old times. Literally old times.

Announcement Mastery:
Comics, Games, and Things: Comics, Games, and Things is an online hobby store that carries model kits, paints, miniatures games, and rpg books, and a large variety of 3d printable files. Find them online at ComicsGamesAndThings.com
They’re probably doing another giveaway!? Check https://www.comicsgamesandthings.com/giveaways/ and we’ll probably be giving away a 3d printed army for use in Miniatures Agnostic Sci-fi Games. Or the other one. You know the one. That one. One entry per person, no purchase necessary, valid in the US for persons 18 years of age or older. Maybe buy something too? Please?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 194 – Sentinel Comics: The RPG Feb 24, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/system-mastery-194-sentinels-the-roleplaying-game.mp3

From an old hero game to a new one, it’s time to talk about Sentinel Comics: The Roleplaying Game. Sentinels is an expansive setting with a vast cast of characters old and new, but we barely have time to even mention that as we go into detail over the Cortex-reminiscent and innovation ruleset. Maybe we can talk story stuff next time.

Announcement Mastery:
Comics, Games, and Things: Comics, Games, and Things is an online hobby store that carries model kits, paints, miniatures games, and rpg books, and a large variety of 3d printable files. Find them online at ComicsGamesAndThings.com
Special Contest event!!!! Comics, Games, and Things is giving away a copy of the new Sentinels RPG and two copies of the starter pack to a few lucky winners, but time is extremely tight! Visit this website and sign in to enter to win! https://www.comicsgamesandthings.com/giveaways/. Entries will only be accepted through the end of February so act fast! Oh, and US entrants only, for a ton of extremely complicated reasons!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 193 – Skraypers Feb 10, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/system-mastery-193-skraypers.mp3

As go the tides, so come the times we’re both dealing with something and need a nice easy Palladium game. Skraypers is both a Rifts and a Heroes Unlimited setting, so this is like a double supplement spectacular! Heck yeah!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 192 – Shadowrun Anarchy Jan 27, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/system-mastery-192-shadowrun-anarchy-1.mp3

It’s Shadowrun! But… faster? Is that the point here? It’s honestly sort of hard to tell the exact point of this Shadowrun 5e adjacent game, but damn if we aren’t at least going to try and figure out.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 191 – Boot Hill Jan 13, 2021

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/system-mastery-191-boot-hill.mp3

Boot Hill is a colloquial term from the cowboy days for a cemetery. You might think there’s some sort of metaphor their for our opinions pertaining to the game, but really I just wanted to say it before anyone on twitter felt like telling us. Boom, shut down! This is a 1990 cowboy game from TSR. It is exactly that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

System Mastery 190 – Interstitial – Our Hearts Intertwined Dec 30, 2020

https://systemmastery.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/system-mastery-190-interstitial-our-hearts-intertwined.mp3

Have you not gotten your fill of Kingdom Hearts yet? Of course not, no one has. Not until someone bursts Nomura like a pinata and eats all the ideas that come spilling forth will anyone be satiated. But in the meantime, why not check out this game definitely not modeled after it at all (for legal purposes). It’s also our first foray into talking about PBTA (now you know why the episode is almost two hours long)!