We the disembodied heads of Krypton find the defendants…

We all have them (though most loathe to admit it). What activities or interests do you have that others may find silly or bizarre?

In this episode we address this, in our own way.

Guilty Pleasures – Ep45

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 27:57

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: Guilty Pleasures

Items Mentioned: Superman, Superman 4, Superman 3, Office Space, Darth Plagueis, Science Fiction Book Club, Dark Horse Comics

02:39     TANGENT: All Sith Star Wars Saga Edition Campaign

Items Mentioned: Star Wars The Old Republic MMO, Star Wars Saga Edition

04:57     Back on Topic

05:27     TANGENT: Mark’s Life Sucking Obsession

Item Mentioned: Mass Effect

06:26     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: World of Warcraft, Ruins of Castle Greyhawk, Harry Turtledove, Gen Con, 40 year-old Virgin, Role Models, Dragon Ball Z, Samurai Champloo, Adventure Time, Dungeons & Dragons, Venture Brothers, Metalocalypse, GI Joe, Silverhawks, Gold Rush, Bering Sea Gold, Jersey Shore, Audrey Hepburn, Bruce Campbell, Fallout, Red Dead Redemption

21:41     TANGENT: Skyrim

Item Mentioned: Skyrim

22:06     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Poison, Nickelback, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Yanni, Zamfir, John Tesh, Star Trek The Next Generation, Star Trek TNG CCG, Mazzy Star, Creed, Credence Clearwater Revival, Megadeth, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Foreigner, Journey, Survivor, Lithium, Nerf, Airsoft

27:14     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 3

If you haven't started The Wheel of Time, what are you waiting for?

Back in episode 8 (Inspiration… aka 4 Loko) we touched on a few books or series that we love, but we really didn’t give the medium a fair shake, so we’ve devoted an entire episode to them.

This is an episode loaded with recommendations. Please see the bottom of the show notes for a list (and links) of all authors mentioned.

Books – Ep44

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Greg, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 37:58

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: Books

00:47     TANGENT: Episode 8 Inspirations & 4 Loko

01:09     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Audible, Gen Con

01:34     TANGENT: Audiobooks

01:56     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Stargate, Warhammer 40k

11:51     TANGENT: R A Salvatore and Mark

12:36     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Lord of Illusion, World of Darkness, Victoriana

18:06     TANGENT: Jayson’s Quest for Earthsea

Items Mentioned: sffchronicles.net

19:42     Back to Topic

20:00     TANGENT: Hollywood and the Horse-faced Woman

Items Mentioned: Armageddon, Deep Impact

20:51     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Kate Redding & Michael Kramer, Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowrun, Twilight 2000

37:12     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 5

Authors & Works Mentioned (in order mentioned with link to author’s page if available):

Ludlum, Robert – (Jason Bourne Series)

Hammilton, Peter F (Void Trilogy) – Pandora’s Star

Weber, David

Herbert, Brian & Anderson, Kevin J – Hellhole

McDonald, Sandra – Outback Stars

Martin, George R R – (Song of Ice and Fire) Dance with Dragons

Thorpe, Gav – (Horace Heresy) Deliverance Lost

Reynolds, Anthony – (Word Bearers) Word Bearers Omnibus

Abnett, Dan – Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Gaunt’s Ghosts

Flemming, Ian – (James Bond)

Crispin, Ann C – (Han Solo Trilogy)

Leonard, Elmore – Complete Westerns, 3:10 to Yuma

Willams, Sean (Star Wars) The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance

Carpenter, Leonard – (Conan) Conan and the Crimson Brotherhood

Lee, Bruce – Tao of Jeet Kune Do

Luceno, James – (Star Wars) Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Darth Plagueis

Stover, Matthew – (Star Wars) Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

Salvator, R A – (Star Wars) Vector Prime

Gibson, William – Neuromancer

Weeks, Brent – (Night Angel Trilogy)

Zelazny, Roger – Lord of Light    

Hearn, Lian – (Tales of the Otori) Across the Nightingale Floor

Yamamoto Tsunetomo – Hagakure

Miyamoto Musashi – Book of Five Rings

Parker, Ingrid J – (Sugawara Akitada) The Dragon Scroll

Kadrey, Richard – (Sandman Slim) Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead

Butcher, Jim – (Dresden Files)

Gaiman, Neil – Neverwhere, American Gods

Lovegrove, James – (Pantheon) Age of Odin

Le Guin, Ursula – (Chronicles of Earthsea)

Grahame-Smith, Seth – Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Pratchett, Terry

Adams, Douglas

Tolkien, J R R – The Hobbit, Children of Hurin

Leiber, Fritz – (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser)

Cook, Glen – (The Black Company)

Lyons, Steve – (Warhammer 40,000) Dead Men Walking              

Traviss, Karen – (Star Wars: Republic Commando)/(Gears of War)

Jordan, Robert – (Wheel of Time)

Sanderson, Brandon – (Wheel of Time)

Heinlein, Robert – Stranger in a Strange Land, Starship Troopers

Asimov, Isaac

Clancy, Tom – Rainbow Six

Baldacci, David 

Koontz, Dean – (Odd Thomas) Brother Odd

Ambrose, Stephen – Band of Brothers, Undaunted Courage

Priest, Cherie – (Clockwork Century) Boneshaker, Clementine, Dreadnought

Bellantine, Pip & Morris, Tee – (Ministry of Peculiar Occurences) Phoenix Rising, The Janus Affair 

Stephenson, Neal – Snow Crash

Chuck Palahniuk – Rant

Editor’s Note:

Apologies for the sound quality. One or two of the mics were not configured correctly.

This is what you are texted when you miss one of our games. Missed fortitude save, sorry Jayson.

Anyone who has gamed has had to deal with the gamer who is not there. Be it a family obligation, work, a booty call or even to go to the bathroom, sometimes players will not be able to make it to or have to leave the game.

This is how we handle that very common situation (and in a mostly immature fashion).

Absent Gamers – Ep43

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 27:48

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: Absent Gamers

Item Mentioned: Dungeons and Dragons

03:54     TANGENT: Jayson’s Savage Beating

05:05     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Shadowrun, Bioware

15:24     TANGENT: Out-leveling Leveling

Items Mentioned: Steve Kenson, Mutants and Masterminds, Gen Con

17:48     Back on Topic

18:24     TANGENT: Captain Morgan and Crew

Items Mentioned: Captain Morgan, Dos Equis, 4 Loko

19:26     TANGENT: Hey, That’s Mine!

20:31     Back to Topic

Items Mentioned: Paranoia, Smallville RPG, Leverage RPG, Illuminati CG, Call of Cthulhu

27:04     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 4

No, it hasn't gotten us laid

We posed the question to our listeners and then to ourselves. What has gaming done for you? What is it about gaming that keeps us doing it every week?

What Has Gaming Done? – Ep42

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Greg, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 39:49

00:00     Intro

00:32     Topic: What has gaming done?

00:37     TANGENT: It Has NOT Gotten Us Laid

01:17     Back to Topic

Item Mentioned: Dungeons & Dragons

11:59     TANGENT: Gaming Care Packages

13:09     TANGENT: No Power Needed

Items Mentioned: WEG Star Wars RPG, Werewolf the Apocalypse

13:37     Back to Topic

Items Mentioned: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Legend of the Five Rings, Shadowrun, Mass Effect, Venture Brothers, Canon Fire!, Idiocracy

38:42     TANGENT: Thanks

39:04     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT:  4

I know what Dan's next themed character is going to be...

If you have been gaming for a while, the concept of themed campaigns should not be a new one. Setting parameters for character creation and a focused direction for a campaign can be very rewarding.

In this episode we discuss the themes we have used and plan on using in the future.

Themed Campaigns and Characters – Ep41

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Mark and Shawn

Running Time – 33:13

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: Themed Campaigns and Characters

Items Mentioned: Dungeons and Dragons, Harry Potter, Al Qadim, Hackmaster, Rolemaster, Mutants and Masterminds, True 20, Batman

06:38     TANGENT: The Legend of Butcher Boy

Item Mentioned: Hero System

09:50     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Gen Con, Shadowrun, World of Greyhawk, Call of Cthulhu

20:58     TANGENT: The Origin of the Sea Princes Campaign

21:40     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Conan, Legend of the Five Rings, The Last Samurai, Ken Watanabe, Heroes of Rokugan, Legend of the Burning Sands, Victoriana

27:07     TANGENT: Meeting at a Bar

Item Mentioned: Star Wars

28:00     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Singham, Dr. Who, Ravenloft, Krull, Carl’s Jr.

32:31     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 3

... nope, sorry. Not that New Edition.

Here we go again.

Wizards of the Coast has announced that a 5th edition of D&D is upcoming. Many of us saw the writing on the wall. To some it is a let-down, and others it is about time.

In this episode we tell you where we stand, along with our hopes and expectations.

New Edition – Ep40

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 34:58

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: The Next D&D

Items Mentioned: Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, Open Game License, Forbes Article, New York Times Article, World of Warcraft, Pathfinder, EN World

08:18     TANGENT: Beta Testing

Item Mentioned: D&D Playtest

09:04     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: D&D Experience, GenCon, Paizo, DC Comics

21:21     TANGENT: Stop Making Crap

Items Mentioned: Steve Jobs, Nike

23:54     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Risk, Monopoly

32:32     TANGENT: Dan… the Edition Kiss of Death

Items Mentioned: Mutants and Masterminds, Hero System, Aces & Eights, Hackmaster

34:15     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 3

Steampunk Shadowrun... I'm Sold!

Victoriana is a Victorian era RPG produced by Cubicle 7. Our first experience with the game was at GenCon 2010 and then again at GenCon 2011. Based on that, we decided to have a quick taste of the game (we also recorded our sessions ).

In this episode we talk about that experience and our take on the newest game in our repertoire.

Victoriana Review – Ep39

Cast – Eric, Mark, Dan, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 34:13

00:00     Intro

00:30     Topic: Victoriana Review

Item Mentioned: Victoriana

00:56     TANGENT: Why we did it this way

Items Mentioned: Promethean the Created, Call of Cthulhu, Dark Sun

02:07     TANGENT: Actual Play Experience

Items Mentioned: Wizards of the Coast, Steve Jackson Games

05:32     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Dr. Who RPG, Clockwork and Chivalry, Shadowrun

07:55     TANGENT: Our history of steampunk

Items Mentioned: The Difference Engine, Wild Wild West

09:08     Back on Topic

Item Mentioned: Team America World Police

20:10     TANGENT: Jayson’s Shadowrun wish

20:29     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Sherlock Holmes, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer Fanstasy Roleplay, Guy Ritchie, Gaming Paper, Chessex

32:04     TANGENT: D&D Maxim

Items Mentioned: Maxim Magazine, I Hit it With My Axe

33:18     Back on Topic

33:31     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 5

by Donato Giancola

Like the red-headed stepchild, maps are usually underappreciated and overlooked by gamers. We were apprehensive (at first) about the subject carrying an entire show, but once we dug into it we realized how much maps influence and enhance the gaming experience.

A map can be the difference between a good gaming experience and a great one.

Maps – Ep38

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Mark, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 35:54

00:00     Intro

00:31     Topic

Items Mentioned: Shadowrun, Rand McNally, World of Greyhawk, GURPS, Disc World, Legend of the Five Rings

05:00     TANGENT: Homebrew No More

05:56     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Forgotten Realms, Skyrim, Zork, Batman Arkham City, Lord of the Rings, The Bard’s Tale, Karen Wynn Fonstad, Anna Meyer, Gaming Paper, Flanaess Cartographic Society, Photoshop, Bryce7, Corel Draw, Campaign Cartographer, CanonFire!, Eric Anondson (map downloads)&(deviant art gallery)

19:18     TANGENT: We Love Gaming Paper

19:57     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Battletech, Europa, Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars Gamer Magazine

22:43     TANGENT: OPIP (Other People’s Intellectual Property)

Items Mentioned: Wizards of the Coast, Star Wars RPG

24:50     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Cartographers Guild, Victoriana, Star Trek RPG

31:41     TANGENT: The Blue Dragon Inn

32:57     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Rogue Trader, Gamma World, Twilight 2000 (and 2013)

35:14     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT:  4

Other Cool Mapping Sites:

Dundjinni

Hexographer

World Machine2 

Vue10 

Challenge Accepted!

For the last episode of the year, we decided to make some commitments for the coming year. We’ve had a really good year and want to start 2012 off right.

2012 New Year’s Resolutions and Challenges – Ep37

Cast – Eric, Mike, Dan, Jayson and Shawn

Running Time – 37:14

00:00     Intro

00:24     Topic

Items Mentioned: Aces & Eights, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Lord of the Rings, Conan, Mutants and Masterminds, Captain America: The First Avenger, World of Darkness, The Stanley Hotel, The Shining, Jenga, GenCon, Supernatural

10:59     TANGENT: Gen Con Open Gaming Area

11:23     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Aliens, Predator

15:39     TANGENT: We’re all gonna die

16:23     Back on Topic

Items Mentioned: Warhammer 40k, Malifaux, The Sultan Gaming Table, Star Wars RPG, Call of Cthulhu, Sailor Moon

22:14     SIDETANGENT: New Years Challenges

Items Mentioned: Star Wars The Old Republic, True 20, GURPS, Blood Bowl, Talisman, BANG!, Munchkin, Carcassonne, Settlers of Catan, Stratego, Risk, Civilization, Axis & Allies, Fortress America, Savage Worlds, Doc Savage, Solomon Kane, Atomic Highway, Al Qadim, Legend of the Burning Sands, Legend of the Five Rings, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Twilight 2000, Gamma World, Chill

36:32     Outro

OFFICIAL TANGENT COUNT: 3

The game has just begun.

The Case of Penny Austin concludes.

The group meets the “master” behind Ivan and get a glimpse into the madness that created him.

Actual Play Victoriana – Ep5

Running Time – 49:33

Cast:

Eric – Narrator/Game Master

Mike – Dr. Vijay Safidbahd

Dan – Major Winston Parimore Barrington III, Ret.

Mark – Ford ‘Brick’ Maddison

Jayson – Lt. Reginald Higginbotham

Shawn – Lazlo Tiberius Beckford

Jennifer – Dr. Selina Ashbrooke Cornell

00:00     Last Time

01:07     Intro

01:27     The Game Concludes: The Penny Austin Case Finale

48:47     Outro