PODCAST · leisure
Primæval Fantasy
by Daniel
I'm Daniel, and these are my musings on RPGs, focusing on my own game, "Primæval Fantasy".
Episodes
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#35 - Roots of Railroading
The unique gift that RPGs can give, the thing that no other medium is capable of to its degree, is that the players can dwell in a world of cause & effect, free from any imposed plot or scripts. The habit started, I believe, with most of the old D&D modules. Escaping it is hard, but certainly…
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#34 - Convo w/ James Bacon
"Better with Bacon" had me on his pod to chat about my methods.
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33- Convo w/ Arbiter of Worlds
Was interviewed on AoW about my RPG philosophy/goals/tools.
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32 – Intuitive Simulationism (or “The Game Master & His Emissary”)
The goal is for the players to feel immersed in theSecondary World as real people. The primary tool is by playing in a simulationist fashion, but how do we accomplish that? It’s not by being buried in charts and Wiki pages, butprimarily using our most powerful tool: Informed common sense, the…
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31- The Power of Rules Opacity
Attention & focus guide our outcomes. The conventional RPG methods we inherited have players constantly toggling between the Meta & Make Believe. For those gamers who truly want an immersive Role Playing experience, we must be willing to change that method. Mechanics are vital for the game, but...
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#30 - Beyond Pineapple on Pizza - RPGs, Relativism & Subjectivism
"There's no wrong way to play RPGs," is a common retort against all RPG discourse about methods, mechanics, etc.. I decided to briefly shine some light on these confusions, & the fallaciousness of the undergirding dynamics generating such assertions.
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#29: Free Will in the Context of Being
Continuing from part 1, I delve into the players' task of crafting their characters who are consistent with the Secondary worlds/settings of their games.
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#28: Free Will in RPGs
I peruse the topic of player free will in RPGs.
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#27- Pyrrhic Fudging
I examine the issue of GMs sometimes transcending cause/effect (mechanics or sometimes purely logic) in the game (aka, ‘fudging’). What motivates it? Numerous things, but while I believe their intentions are generally good (“help the players’ enjoyment”), it’s at best a Pyrrhic victory, one which...
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#26- Worlds of Substance
After a conversation on Che Webster's, Role Play Rescue podcast last week, I wanted to share some follow-up thoughts on worlds. One of the vital elements of enjoyment we get from RPGs is the ability for players to explore the Secondary Worlds. This requires GMs to craft rich, detailed worlds, and...
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#25- Awakenings & Evolutions with Crispy
Today I share a conversation with Tablerunner (‘Crispy’) about how his RPG appetites changed through the years into a strong desire for the group to feel immersed into their characters & worlds. Chris then shares the changes he’s made in gaming methods to strengthen that role playing goal. Please...
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#24 - Eudaimonia in Role Playing Games, Part 2: "Arete"
Continuing from part 1, I explain that identifying the Eudaimonia of RPGs is what allows us to begin the actual journey of moving towards that ideal state of the game, but this requires employing the notion of ‘Arete’- excellence. We must employ a host of tools to bring about the changes in our...
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#23: The Eudaimonia of Role Playing Games
I muse about how we can discern the Eudaimonia – optimal flourishing – of our RPGs. What can RPGs do that no other similar activity can do? Is there something unique about the activity? I believe so, and I believe that once we discern it, we can maximize this strength to create fantastic...
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22. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, P2.
22. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, Part 2. -This is part 2 of my interview with Che Webster, the creator of the Roleplay Rescue (RPR) podcast & blog. -In part 2, he discusses the problem of gamers not getting on the same page about what they want (& don't want) in their RPG...
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21. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, P1
21. Interview with Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue, Part 1. -Special introduction by Tesla, my cat! -Today I talk with Che Webster, the creator of the Roleplay Rescue (RPR) podcast & blog. Che talks about many topics, & so I split this interview into 2 parts. -In part 1, he muses on the motivation...
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20. Jordan’s Journey into Game Design Madness
20. Jordan’s Journey into Game Design Madness. Here I have a casual conversation with 2 old friends, Eric & his son, Jordan, who has been gaming since he was in utero. We talk about their gaming preferences, D&D 3.5, & Jordan’s own game-in-development, “Ultra-Real”.
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19. PC Fear, Fury, & Willpower
Another fun group-conversation with John & Nate, and another old friend, Eric. (Bonus-amounts of banter!) Our main topic: PC Fear, fury, and self-control. My desire in RPGs is to escape a miniature wargaming mindset, to encourage the feeling that the characters are people, not 2-D caricatures. In...
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18. Realism in RPGs
Episode 18. A short essay about the role of realism in RPGs, focusing on the clarification of terms, the belief-generating power of realism, and the dangers of "detailism". All Tolkien quotes are from, "On Fairy Stories".
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17. Hooking Up & Breaking Up with Gamers
17. Hooking Up, Breaking Up with Gamers This was a tangent from another conversation, which I decided to edit into a stand-alone episode. We discuss the problems with gamers in our groups who have conflicting appetites & expectations, the importance of doing what you can to get on the same page...
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16. Magic in Primæval Fantasy, P2 - [Convo with Drew]
Continuing our conversation about magic in Primæval Fantasy, discussing the tools we've used through the years to keep casters in harmony with the kind of Fantasy setting we want. "Less is more!"
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15. Magic in Primæval Fantasy, P1 - [Convo with Drew]
Part I: My friend & co-magic-system designer, Drew, talk about our decades of work on this magic system, discussing the task of allowing players to possess magic while preserving the kind of Fantasy world we want, where magic remains special, mysterious, & restrained. Part II to follow.
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14. Cause & Effect with PCs - [w/ RPG friends P2]
This is part 2 with my friends John & Nate on RPG styles. Here we delve specifically into the nuances of difference with Cause/Effect on the PCs as opposed to all others in the world. 1) What do we allow the PCs to do (more than NPCs) just because they are PCs. 2) To what degree do we “protect”…
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13. RPG Preferences & Styles [w/ RPG friends, P1]
Here I am chatting with RPG friends, Nate and John, about gaming preferences & styles. Here is part one. Part 2 to follow soon.
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12. RPG Convo with Menion, P1
Episode 12: Menion (https://twitter.com/OldShabbyGamer) & I decided to have a casual convo about RPG stuff, and to split it between our podcasts. Here is part one. Part 2 will appear on his site: https://anchor.fm/menion
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11. Making Magic . . . Magical
Episode 11 - Meandering Musings: Making Magic Magical - Changing methods & mechanics for all supernatural elements in our Fantasy RPGs can strengthen the feeling of awe, wonder and fear.
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10. Mystery, the Mirth of Role Playing
Meandering Musings: Here I discuss the power of the "Unity of Perspective" between the players & their characters, and how severely restricting information from the players deepens the mystery they want. This even includes extending the Fog of War into some game mechanics, especially the...
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9. "Save vs. Akrasia" - PC Willpower.
Episode 9 - My first "Meandering Musing" episode. Here I walk-talk about PC willpower, vigilance, & courage.
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8. The Impact of RPG Mechanics
Ep 8 -- Part Three of the "Getting on the Same Page" series. Here I discuss how which RPG system (mechanics) you use steers the feeling of your game in one direction or another. As with each part of this series, I encourage gamers to ask, "What experiences do we really want?" and then to pursue...
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7. Subcontracting a Player to be your Baddie
Remembering my experience running the antagonist in someone's campaign. Loads of fun, & it shines light on your GMing style. Maybe you're not as neutral as you thought you were.
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6. Transforming your RPG 'Chimera'.
6. Part Two of "Getting on the Same Page" series. Here I discuss the "RPG Chimera" - The blend of tabletop miniature wargaming and Make Believe, and I muse about what exact mixtures different people actually want. We are not confined to use either a 50/50 hybrid split, nor to stick with whichever...
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5. Primæval Fantasy -- My Quest for a Mystical Fantasy Otherworld.
My quest is to create the strongest iteration of a deeply premodern, mystical otherworld, and eschew (what i call) the modernic Fantasy subgenres.
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4: Choosing from Time's Tapestry
Here I ruminate on the quasi-historical options we have as backdrops for our Fantasy settings. Many seem to default to (some variation on) the High-Late Middle Ages, but we have many earlier stages we can use as well, and these can bring specific advantages for Fantasy campaigns.
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3. Fantasy: What Exactly Do You Want?
Part One of 'Getting on the Same Page' with your groups (and yourself). This explores the most important element of Fantasy RPGing: What precise Fantasy Subgenre do you want when you play? Take the time to find it, & then discuss it with your groups.
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2. Cause & Effect GMing
I explore incorporating legitimate Cause & Effecting GMing into campaigns.
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1. What are (Fantasy) Role Playing Games?
A short description of RPGs for those who are brand new to them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Primæval Fantasy have?
Primæval Fantasy currently has 35 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Primæval Fantasy about?
I'm Daniel, and these are my musings on RPGs, focusing on my own game, "Primæval Fantasy".
How often does Primæval Fantasy release new episodes?
Primæval Fantasy has 35 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Primæval Fantasy?
You can listen to Primæval Fantasy on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Primæval Fantasy?
Primæval Fantasy is created and hosted by Daniel.
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