Start A Quest!

Dice aren’t just about luck—they’re about uncertainty. In this episode of the Start a Quest podcast, we explore why the d20 exists, why the humble d6 still shines, and how weird or custom dice can transform your tabletop RPG.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2B6GleNlrUcAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Chainmail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainmail_(game)2. Psi*Run https://lumpley.itch.io/psirun3. 13th Age https://pelgranepress.com/13th-age/4. Dungeon Crawl Classics https://goodman-games.com/dungeon-crawl-classics-rpg/5. How to play Scattergories https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/play-scattergories/6. Guile’s theme https://youtu.be/Z4G9MU4wvTo?si=szcXqG2TjVq-ynUP&t=267. Mouse Guard https://www.mouseguard.net/rpg8. Robert Worldert Buildert (Mr. Worldwide) @BobWorldBuilder 9. Genesys https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/genesys/10. Fate Core https://evilhat.com/product/fate-core-system/

Are digital tools making your Dungeons & Dragons game better… or worse? We're looking at Foundry VTT, D&D Beyond, and smaller tools for specific TTRPGs, What's the REAL difference between a digital tool and an analog tool?Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3FlPfMzNX60And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Foundry VTT https://foundryvtt.com/2. Slay the Spire: The Board Game (I promise it's good!) https://contentiongames.com/games/slay/3. Alice Is Missing special timer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysOOFIOAy7A&list=RDysOOFIOAy7A&start_radio=14. D&D First Quest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Quest5. D&D Beyond's development roadmap https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2132-d-d-beyonds-2026-development-roadmap6. Bob World Builder's Fire Bolt skit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtAo9uA90Ts7. Mythic Game Master Emulator https://www.wordmillgames.com/page/mythic-gme.html8. Genesys Roleplaying System's dice roller https://dddice.com/genesys-dice-roller9. Shadowdark torch tool https://torchlighttimer.com/10. Cards Against Humanity https://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/11. Snake Oil https://www.snakeoilgame.com/

We break down TTRPG card mechanics through real examples. From Daggerheart and Zombie World to UNO and Index Card RPG. But why do most D&D spell cards miss the point?Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u3OA0dOsYogAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Matt's spell cards https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/173582/d-d-5th-edition-spell-cards2. UNO Draw 4 https://www.unorules.com/http://unorules.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Uno-Action-Cards.jpg3. Rock Paper Wizard https://www.unorules.com/http://unorules.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Uno-Action-Cards.jpg4. Zombie World https://magpiegames.com/collections/zombie-world5. Curse of Strahd https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/cos6. Through the Breach https://www.wyrd-games.net/through-the-breach7. Daggerheart https://www.daggerheart.com/8. Index Card RPG https://www.runehammer.online/index-card-rpg9. Decaying Orbit (Sidney's Game) https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/decaying-orbit/?v=8bcc25c96aa5

Why do most RPG chase scenes feel tedious? Because they focus on speed and distance instead of obstacles. In this episode we break down the difference between a chase and a chase scene, and why every great chase needs a swan.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oD4YYSzkD0cAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Hot Fuzz chase scene https://youtu.be/cKt4YhasfBI?si=u-AF_OGk-zji8K5T&t=4272. Dogs in the Bark TTRPG https://www.olddog.games/Dogs-in-the-Bark3. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4E https://cubicle7games.com/our-games/warhammer-fantasy-roleplay4. Blade Runner TTRPG https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/blade-runner-rpg/5. Alien TTRPG https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/6. Band of Blades https://evilhat.com/product/band-of-blades/

When your D&D character hits 0 hit points, something strange happens. The game takes control away from you. Death saves kick in, and suddenly the most dramatic moment in the story becomes… rolling a D20 and waiting.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XuCdM-PErhcAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Mothership https://www.tuesdayknightgames.com/pages/mothership-rpg2. Ink https://www.snowbrightstudio.com/ink3. Night Witches https://bullypulpitgames.com/products/night-witches4. Treacherous Play https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5255/Treacherous-Play

Is D&D combat ever fair? We break down what “fair combat” actually means, how Dungeon Masters decide what monsters do on their turn, and why contest, challenge, and narrative lead to very different encounters. If you’ve ever wondered how monsters should behave in combat, this episode is for you.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v9aPDlvKVfkAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Kingdom Death https://kingdomdeath.com/2. The Monsters Know What They’re Doing by Keith Ammann https://www.themonstersknow.com/3. StarCraft (there's a wargame now!?) https://starcraft-tmg.com/4. Grimwilds TTRPG by Oddity Press https://linktr.ee/odditypress 5. Kayfabe in wrestling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe6. Gloomhaven https://cephalofair.com/pages/gloomhaven7. Gates of Krtstallia JTTRPG https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gatesofkrystalia-rpg/gates-of-krystalia-lumina-the-card-based-anime-ttjrpg?ref=profile_created&category_id=34

Compared to other TTRPGs, like Blades in the Dark, Shadowdark, or 13th Age, D&D does not have an integrated timer mechanic. Why not? This podcast discusses how it could be implemented.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n6zOtD4c0lcAnd sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Dungeon World https://www.dungeon-world.com/2. 13th Age https://pelgranepress.com/13th-age/3. The beep test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test4. Universal Paperclips https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/5. Blades in the Dark https://bladesinthedark.com/progress-clocks6. Shadowdark https://www.thearcanelibrary.com7. Index Card RPG https://www.runehammer.online/index-card-rpg

Imagine there is only ONE Beholder in your D&D setting, and when it is defeated, you award XP and loot, you place your Monster Manual on the table and invite the player who slew the beast to ritualistically tear the Beholder page out of the book. I think this would be a peak moment.Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zXWIUfgkxSc📧 Join the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.comAvailable in all podcast apps too! ▶ RSS https://media.rss.com/start-a-quest/feed.xml▼▼ SPONSOR▼▼❤️ Arkenforge: http://arkenforge.link/MattyP2This episode's sponsor is Arkenforge, a virtual-tabletop program designed for in-person games. They've just released a HUGE software update, which you can try for free with their 30-day free trial by following this link.▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. The Power of Moments https://heathbrothers.com/books/the-power-of-moments/2. Gloomhaven https://cephalofair.com/pages/gloomhaven3. Dungeon World https://www.dungeon-world.com/4. Mork Borg https://morkborg.com/5. Wreck This Journal https://kerismith.squarespace.com/books6. Ten Candles https://cavalrygames.com/ten-candles-info

Less is more in worldbuilding, because TOO MUCH completely sucks. If you want to make your items, locations and creatures really pop, you need to make them scarce and give them a super cool name.Watch the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7M_d7UXMycAnd sign up to the newsletter https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Wanderhome https://possumcreekgames.com/pages/wanderhome2. Wildsea TTRPG https://www.myth.works/collections/the-wildsea-homepage3. John Harper talking about the line and narrative authority https://mightyatom.blogspot.com/2010/10/apocalypse-world-crossing-line.html?m=1

D&D is weird because when you give the players loot, it feels like you can do it WRONG. Take a look at the Vorpal Sword; if you crit with this thing, you instakill your target. If you've given this to a level 1 party, have you ruined your campaign? Our answer is: no, you're fine!Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/7YjOsZcUSL4And sign up to the newsletter https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. The Vorpal Sword https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/5397-vorpal-sword

Isn't it weird how a D&D player can cast the Goodberry spell and decide for the entire group that foraging and rations will not be a feature of this campaign? Or how about an adventurer with the Lucky feat deciding that failure isn't interesting? These are in-game features designed to address out-of-game player preferences, and they're super weird, and that's what this episode is about.Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/0fyLpRIfJDoAnd sign up to the newsletter https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. Montola's Invisible Rules of Roleplaying (exogenous, endogenous, diegesis) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273946812_The_Invisible_Rules_of_Role-Playing_The_Social_Framework_of_Role-Playing_Process2. The Grasshopper, Bernard Suits (constitutive rules, technique rules, etc) https://books.google.com.au/books/about/The_Grasshopper_Third_Edition.html?id=K3ARAwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y3. TBA, Sidney's paper about coherence in games...4. Blades in the Dark TTRPG https://bladesinthedark.com/

What actually happens when you sit a six-year-old down to play Dungeons & Dragons? In this episode, we pull apart D&D’s wargame DNA, talk about kids’ totally different sense of “fairness” and failure, and ask who the game is really for: the child… or the adult desperate to share their favourite hobby.Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/DA1n1qjQd8oAnd sign up to the newsletter https://www.start-a-quest.com▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼1. The Design of Everyday Things https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Design_of_Everyday_Things2. IIEE https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/IIEE3. Animal Adventures https://steamforged.com/collections/animal-adventures4. Qwirkle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qwirkle5. Sidney's talk about probability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0l2zfEUU1E6. No Thank You Evil https://www.nothankyouevil.com/7.The Power of Moments https://www.amazon.com.au/Power-Moments-Certain-Experiences-Extraordinary/dp/1501147765

SAQ is a fortnightly D&D and TTRPG podcast. Hosted by Matt (bald) and Sidney (they/them), based in Melbourne, Australia.