GNOMECAST #162 – Hex Crawls
http://misdirectedmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GC_162_Hex-Crawls_final.mp3 Welcome to the...
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On Dice And Distributions
Matt discusses why dice are not only not fair, but don’t even roll their own unique distribution fairly.
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Moonlight on Roseville Beach Review
Moonlight on Roseville Beach is a roleplaying game about a very specific time and a very specific place, but that specificity makes it extremely relevant to the modern world, and the time in which it has been published. The game is set in a resort town with a primarily LGBTQIA+ population, in a...
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GNOME License 1.0a
The terms of the Game Notion Open Mention Edition License Version 1.0a are as follows: GAME NOTION OPEN MENTION EDITION License Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Gnome Stew, and is Copyright 2023 Gnome Stew. All Rights Reserved. This text is to be released to the public via...
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The Power of Conceptualization
I am a person who thinks a lot about game prep. At first, it started from a productivity angle, looking to be able to keep gaming as my “free time” was dwindling from a family, career, etc. Later, I thought more about game prep as a form of creative expression, or at least the prep for one’s...
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Gnomecast 161 – Introducing New Players
http://misdirectedmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GC161_Introducing_New_Players_final.mp3...
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World Building at the Library
In the days of yore (e.g.: prior to my introduction to the Internet in 1994), I’d spend countless hours at the library doing world research for RPGs and game design and generally educating myself. Sure, there were some “crossover years” where I tried to do research on the...
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Uncharted Journeys Review
Before I ever had a chance run a game of Dungeons & Dragons, after acquiring my sister’s copy of the 1981 Basic Set, I received my very own copy of the 1983 version of the D&D Expert Set. The Expert Set is what introduces wilderness travel as a key aspect of the D&D experience, and...
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Campaign Prep With ChatGPT
Matt shows some examples of how ChatGPT can be used as prep tools for your game.
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GNOMECAST #160 – One Bad Player to Make a Change
Today we have myself, Ang, along with Jared and JT. Today we’re going to talk about how one bad player can make you change how you GM, in both good and bad ways.
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Setting expectations before a game – GM Tips & Tricks
This past week I managed to try out a game I’ve been looking forward to play for a long time: Mork Borg. It was a one-shot with a group of 5 friends, only one of which having played with me before (and only once). Mork Borg, for those who don’t know, is very different from your usual...
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Demigods Review
If you follow my reviews, it’s probably fairly evident that I like modern urban fantasy, especially when it comes to the monster-hunting aspect of the genre. There is another aspect of modern urban fantasy that often seizes my imagination, as well, and that’s stories about how gods and demigods...
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GNOMECAST #159 – Playing for an Audience
Today we have Ang along with Phil & Senda. Today their going to talk about playing for an audience. With Panda’s. No. Wait. They’re the Panda’s. Just listen. It’ll make sense quickly.
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B2 Tips To The Players – Revisited
B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, Part Two I’m not going to summarize the history and purpose of the venerable module know as “The Keep on the Borderlands” again. You can check out my previous article on this topic for that information. Instead, I’m going to dive into the...
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Problems not Solutions
Let me share with you some of the best GMing advice I have ever received. I learned it from the game Dogs in the Vineyard, by Vincent Baker. The advice, which was advice on how to run Dogs goes something like this, to paraphrase… Your job as the GM is to set up problems, but never to solve them....
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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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