Gnome Stew

This past weekend, my gaming group did not reach quorum, and I was staring down another blown session. There has been a string of them with this group, and we have struggled to get games going. I was itching to run something. Rather than canceling the session, I told the remaining players we could...

Gnomecast 211 – Continuity Concerns

by Poddy Gnomington | Apr 23, 2025 | Gnomecast

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CG_211_Continuityconcerns.mp3 Join Ang along with Chris and Phil as they talk about managing continuity for you and your players in your campaigns. Does it matter? How much attention do you need to give it? What if you’re running an Actual...

My experience with Dialect (Why you should try it!)

by Tomas Gimenez Rioja | Apr 18, 2025 | Reviews

All images were taken from the Dialect game, store, and KS page I was invited over to a friend’s house with some other friends. There, I knew two of my regular players, and two other folks with little to no experience in TTRPGs, were going to be spending the afternoon with me. Looking to...

Why I Play RPGs

by J.T. Evans | Apr 16, 2025 | General

Friends I’ve known some of my group for over 2 decades! The main reason I play tabletop role playing games is for the friends I have at the table. I’ve been gaming with the members of my current group for between 7 and 25 years, depending on which member I’m accounting for....

Challenging the Tropes: The Paladin

by Josh Storey | Apr 11, 2025 | Game Mastering

In the D&D cultural zeitgeist, the paladin is often characterized as a stick-in-the-mud or worse, a narq, but there’s so much more to this trope beyond the memes. So let’s take a closer look and figure out how to use the fantasy of a stalwart champion to create absorbing character arcs.

Gnomecast 210 – System Screen Burn

by Poddy Gnomington | Apr 9, 2025 | Gnomecast

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GC_210_System_Screen_Burn_final.mp3 Join Ang along with Josh and JT as they talk about how to navigate having multiple game systems embedded in your brain. Notice? Perception? Awareness? Which does this system use!? LINKS: Han Cluster Crowd Funding...

The State of Stewart

by Angela Murray | Apr 1, 2025 | General

In a turn of unfortunate news, Stewart Grytman has decided to step down from writing for Gnome Stew. We are sad to miss out on all the articles he could have provided. We wish Stewart the best of luck. We’re sure his future will be delicious. Comic PDF available HERE Artwork by...

Meet a Gnew Gnome: Stewart Grytmann

by Angela Murray | Mar 31, 2025 | General

Ang Here at The Stew, we have a turnover rate that would make any corporate grindhouse proud. To that end, we have to keep the ground chuck flowing, which of course brings us to our newest gnome. Why don’t you tell us about yourself Chuck? It’s Stewart actually. Anyway, as they say, I was...

Getting The Band Back Together

by Phil Vecchione | Mar 28, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

In November, I paused my Mutants in the Now game because my campaign’s content clashed with the rising political climate, and I was not in a place where I thought I could run the game and maintain my self-care. Time has passed, and having done some work on myself to better protect and manage...

Gnomecast 209 – AI and RPGs

by Poddy Gnomington | Mar 26, 2025 | Gnomecast

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CG_209_AIandYou_final.mp3 Join Ang and special guest, Charles Cohen, as they talk about emerging AI technology and its place in the RPG space. Links: Your D&D Party is Too Big...

Adventure Design: Node-Based Design

by J.T. Evans | Mar 19, 2025 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

This is the final article in my adventure design series. Over a year ago, I put out a call on social media for ideas that people wanted me to include in the series. I guess my list of ideas (the previous 11 articles) was comprehensive enough because I only received one idea from Michael Morton,...

Gnomecast 208 – Tracy Sizemore and The Han Cluster

by Poddy Gnomington | Mar 12, 2025 | Gnomecast

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CG_208_The-Han-Cluster-with-Tracy-Sizemore_Final.mp3 Join Jared and Tracy Sizemore as they discuss her Savage Worlds setting The Han Cluster, an optimistic sci-fi roleplaying game. Links: Han Cluster Website Backerkit for Han...

Prep Your Published Adventure

by Phil Vecchione | Feb 28, 2025 | Game Mastering, GMing Advice

I generally don’t use published material for my games; I have always enjoyed running my material. From time to time and depending on the game, I find that the published material can either be better than what I think I can create (in the case of Dungeon Crawl Classics) or I don’t have a good feel...

Gnomecast 207 – With Great Power

by Poddy Gnomington | Feb 26, 2025 | Gnomecast

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GC_207_With_Great_Power_Final_V02.mp3 Join Ang along with Jared and guest Andy Jaksetic as they talk about the immense responsibility of running Super Hero RPGs to the best of your abilities! From street level to cosmic, they talk about all the...

Adventure Design: Clues, Rumors, and Connective Tissue

by J.T. Evans | Feb 24, 2025 | Game Making, Game Mastering, GMing Advice

To get your PCs to move from one scene to the next logical scene, you need a series of connective tissues. These can come in the form of clues, rumors, lies, truths, and red herrings. Each one of these serves their own purpose and come from a variety of sources. Some of these will come from...

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It Came From The Stew Pot

Hey you. Yeah, you. Do you know about Gnomecast 21? Why isn’t it in the archives? What are they hiding? If you value your safety… don’t go searching for Gnomecast 21…

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