Gamer's Tavern

The forgotten campaign setting of D&D, as Ross likes to call it. The original creator of Birthright, Richard Baker, joins us to talk about the setting that just might have inspired Game of Thrones. You are a king, lord of your land with the divine right to rule - literally, you have divine energy that fuels your bloodline. This is Ross's favorite campaign setting and, after recording and listening to the episode, Darryl is pretty intrigued as well. So sit back while we tell you all about why you should remember Birthright. Sponsors Drive Thru RPG, your source for digital copies of your favorite games Spirit Store, the year-round costume and decor store Richard Baker Sasquatch Game Studios Atomic Dragon Battleship (Rich’s blog) Accursed Adventure: Banshee of Loch Finnere   What We’ve Been Playing RPG Geek of the Week link to Ross’s week Pathfinder Central Casting Heroes of Legend Champions   Birthright Ed Stark (Ross's interview with him) Colin McComb Birthright Campaign Settin

Babysitter's face is on every trid announcing the 50,000¥ reward for his arrest following his "terrorist actions". Reaver leaves a meet with the team to get a knock at his door. How's Babysitter going to get out of this mess? Who's visiting Reaver after the team's high profile run? Prepare for the shocking twists in this episode at Gamer's Tavern Game Table Episode 6. Gamer's Tavern Game Table is brought to you by HeroLab, the award winning character creation software from Lone Wolf Development. Affiliate Sponsor: Audible, the largest source for audio books. Try free for 30 days, or get 50% off your first three months Gamemaster: Brandon Gensemer Raef: Ross Watson Sol: Jeff Preston Kat9: Reaver Kyle Herring: Malakai Darryl Mott Jr.: Babysitter Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Gamer’s Tavern to use such names, logos, ar

You're interested in role playing games, but not sure where to get started? Ivan Van Norman and Mark Carroll join us to help you find a group, pick a first game, and introduce gaming to your friends. We also give many tips for starting gamers! Our Sponsors Accursed - The dark fantasy Savage Worlds setting where you play the monsters! Drive Thru RPG - Your source for digital copies of your favorite games Ivan Van Norman King of the Nerds Outbreak Undead Saving Throw Outbreak Deep Space Twitter   Mark Carroll D3 Adventures Seventh Sea World’s Largest Dungeon Infinite Dungeon   What We’ve Been Playing FATE Core (Mark) TORG under Savage Worlds (Mark, Ross) Pathfinder (Ross, Ivan) Champions (Ross) Shadowrun 4th Edition (Ross, Darryl) Dark Heresy (Ivan)   Getting Started in Gaming Before we get into the breakdown of the episode, I wanted to give you a quick shopping list. Pathfinder Beginner's Box - The single greatest tool for new players. The box has everything you need right away to no

Crowdfunding is the great equalizer of our time. How can you back projects without getting burned? How do you launch your own project and make sure it's successful? Guests Jamey Stegmaier and Mack Martin join us to discuss crowdfunding and gaming. The tips to make your Kickstarter stand out from the crowd, how to tell the flops from the potential goldmines, and more on this episode of the Gamer's Tavern. Jamey Stegmaier Tuscany Expansion Kickstarter (ENDING SOON!! Back now!!) Stonemaier Games Viticulture Euphoria Mack Martin Nerditry Black Wyrm Publishing Malifaux Through the Breach What We’ve Been Playing Lately Kemet (Jamey) Shadowrun 4th Edition (Ross, Darryl) AD&D 2nd Edition (Darryl’s Friend) TORG using Savage Worlds rules (Ross) Champions (Ross)   Cracked: 5 Crucial Rules of Every Game (Not Found in Any Rulebook)   Crowdfunding Kickstarter Indie Go Go Go Fund Me Ross Watson and Sean Patrick Fannon have a Go Fund Me up right now to relocate to Denver! Patreon Tuscany Expansion

Bum-ba-BAAAAH! Bumbumbumbumbum-ba-BAAAAH! This week, we talk about Super Hero games. Licensed from Marvel, DC, or independent publishers or game systems that created their own universe. What games are out there to sate your Silver Age or Modern Era lust? How do super-hero games differ from normal RPGs? Tune in to find out more. Note: This episode was originally recorded February 25, 2014. We spoke at length during several points about game designer and author Aaron Allston. Two days later on February 27, Aaron collapsed at a convention and passed away. I don't need to say what an influence Mr. Allston was to the gaming community, because we say it many times on this episode. This episode is dedicated to his memory. Sponsors: Spirit Store, your source for costumes for this convention season. Animation Celebration, this July 4th weekend in Galveston, TX Our Guests Steve Kenson Steve Kenson’s website Facebook Page Icons Scott Bennie Facebook Amazon Page Atlas of Earth Prime What We've Been Playing Lately

Welcome to the Sixth World. The team has made their plans, and now it's time to see if they pay off! The group is sneaking into an Ares building under construction to destroy a crane for Big Bob from Big Bob's Autos. Will the protest (that will probably turn into a riot) help them or get in the way? Find out on Gamer's Tavern Game Table Sponsor: Hero Lab, the award winning character management software from Lone Wolf Development Affiliate Sponsor: Animation Celebration, the premier convention for cartoons, anime, gaming, comics, and more in the Dallas/Ft. Word Area THIS WEEKEND! GM: Brandon Gensemer Raef: Ross Watson Sol: Jeff Preston Kat9: Reaver Kyle Herring: Malakai Darryl Mott Jr.: Babysitter   Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Gamer’s Tavern to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materia

What makes a character fun to play? We go over all the tricks to make your PCs more interesting, dynamic, and fun. Award winning author Elizabeth Bear and award winning Writer/Producer/Actress Joanna Gaskell join award willing game designer Ross Watson and...just Darryl Mott Jr. to discuss how to create player characters that not only make the game more fun for you, but also for the other players and gamemaster.   Special Announcement: Ross Watson along with friends of the show Sean Patrick Fannon and Carinn Seabolt have started a Go Fund Me campaign to relocate to Denver, CO! Support them at this link to get some amazing gaming rewards!   Our Sponsors Drive Thru RPG, your source for all your digital gaming needs Animation Celebration. Come join the fun from March 28-30, 2014, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area   Our Guests Joanna Gaskell Standard Action Starlit Citadel Joanna’s website   Elizabeth Bear Elizabeth’s Website Matociquala Tumblr Amazon Author Page The Eternal Sky Trilo

Welcome to the Sixth World, where man meets magic and machine. In this Shadowrun actual play podcast, the team is hired by Big Bob from Big Bob's Auto for a job. What's their master plan for taking on Ares? Find out in this week's Gamer's Tavern Game Table. This episode is sponsored by Hero Lab, the award winning character management software from Lone Wolf Development. Affiliate Sponsor: Drive Thru RPG, your source for digital game downloads. Closing Sponsor: Animation Celebration, a convention of animation, gaming, comics, and science fiction in the Dallas/Fort Worth area March 28-30, 2014 GM: Brandon Gensemer Raef aka Ravenblood Blackwolf Deathblade: Ross Watson Sol: Jeff Preston Reaver: Kat9 Malakai: Kyle Herring Kyle "Babysitter" Rogers: Darryl Mott Jr. Bonus! You can take a look at Babysitter's original character sheet, courtesy of Hero Labs! (The character overwent a ground-up redesign which should debut on Episode 8). Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sound

What does it mean to be human when you can replace your body with cybernetic implants? Does your soul survive if you upload your consciousness into a computer? Cyberpunk and transhumanist games ask these questions. From William Gibson's Neuromancer to Warren Ellis's Transmetropolitan, from Ghost in the Shell to Almost Human, we have always been fascinated by the implications of an increasingly digitized world. Adam Jury and Michael Surbrook join us to discuss the roleplaying games that examine humanity in a near-future dystopia of technology dominated society with noodle stands on every corner. Our sponsors for this episode... Spirit Store, your one stop for all your costume and decor needs year-round. Animation Celebration, from March 28-30, 2014, in the Dallas/Fort Worth area Our Guests Michael Surbrook HERO System Champions BlackWyrm Publishing Surbrook Stuff Ghost, Ghouls, and Golems (No official site yet) Larger Than Life: Adventures in American Folklore   Adam Jury Eclipse Phase Putting his money w

On the trail of Sarah Patagonia, the team is surrounded by members of the Funky Fresh gang, both exits blocked by purple, teal, and shotguns. How is the team going to escape? And once they do, how are they going to deliver the cybered elf to the dapper troll Jenkins? And will she be standing or in a body bag? Find out on this episode of Gamer's Tavern Game Table! Gamer's Tavern Game Table is brought to you by HeroLab, the award winning character management software from Lone Wolf Development. Sponsor: Animation Celebration in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area March 28-30, 2014 Jeff Preston - Sol, the street doc mage Kyle Herring - Malakai, the elf face Kat9 - Reaver, the genetic experiment Darryl Mott Jr. - Babysitter, the bodyguard Brandon Gensemer - The GM Speaking of, Kyle Herring provided us with a quick biography about himself and his character! Your name and personal biography: Kyle Herring a.k.a Vampyrik (game handle). Gamer since I could walk. Fairly new to Shadowrun (about 4 months total play time, mostly 5

We go way off the deep end this episode as we discuss using graphic violence and other mature content in gaming. How do you know where the line is? How do you keep from crossing it? WARNING: This episode is about the topic of Graphic Content. This episode contains descriptions of violence, gore, and torture. If these subjects upset or offend you, please do not listen to this episode of Gamer's Tavern. This episode is for mature audiences only. Our Sponsors Animation Celebration: From March 28-30 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, with guest Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman! Animation Celebration Galveston: From July 4-6 in Galveston, TX, with guest Robert J. Schwalb, designer on Dungeons & Dragons, and Billy West, the voice of Fry from Futurama! Guests Bill Keyes Facebook The Widening Gyre Robert J. Schwalb Facebook Twitter Website Dungeons & Dragons Next What We've Been Playing Darryl and Ross: Shadowrun 4th Edition Rob: Dungeons & Dragons Next Bill and Ross: Champions Tavern Tales Rob: Dungeons &am

It's hard to find someone who knows what she's doing and doesn't want to be found, at least in the sprawl of Seattle. This week, Kyle "Babysitter" Rogers meets up with three other Shadowrunners as they take on a job from the enigmatic troll "Jenkins" to track down a cybered-up missing operative who broke out of a Lone Star holding facility. Where's she hiding? And with no resources, what contacts might she have made to protect herself? And what's she running from in the first place? Gamer's Tavern: Game Table is brought to you by Hero Lab, the award winning character management software from Wolf Lair. Affiliate Sponsors: Drive Thru RPG and Audible Gamemaster: Brandon Gensemer Kyle "Babysitter" Rogers: Darryl Mott Jr. Sol: Jeff Preston Reaver: Kat9 Malakai: Kyle Herring Bonus: While Ross Watson was unavailable for this episode due to a commitment to a convention appearance, he wanted to share the character sheet for his character. So if you listened to Episode 1 and wanted to know exactly how badass the littl

In the first of our series on campaign settings, we talk with author Richard Lee Byers on Faerun and the Forgotten Realms. Join us at the table in the corner as we talk about all the different aspects of the setting and why it's one of the most popular campaign settings ever written. Don't forget to enter our contest, running until March 10!   This Episode of Gamer's Tavern brought to you by: Audible, the #1 source of audio books on the internet Accused, the Dark Fantasy RPG from Melior Via   Our Guest: Richard Lee Byers Amazon Page Forgotten Realms The Reaver: The Sundering Book IV The Vestival at Glenelg (Accursed Novella) Airlock Alpha Livejournal   What We’re Playing Darryl – Shadowrun 4th Ed, Game Table Richard – Carrion Crown, Elder Sign, Hex Hex Ross – Accursed   Tonight's Topic: Forgotten Realms Sean Patrick Fannon’s Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible Volo’s Guides Ed Greenwood Underdark Undermountain Thay The Harpers Nice Job Breaking It, Hero (

It's a simple milk run. Keep two corp kids safe when they do something stupid in the Barrens. What could possibly go wrong?Ross Watson and Darryl Mott Jr. play Raef and Babysitter in the world of Shadowrun, with Gamemaster Brandon Gensemer. For more information about the campaign, check out our website at Gamer's Tavern for backgrounds, character sheets, and in-character blog posts!Gamer's Tavern: Game Table is brought to you by Hero Labs: Award Winning Character Management Software for RPGs.Affiliate Sponsor: Drive Thru RPGs

Are you worried about gaming with your romantic partner? Or maybe you're looking for that special gamer out there for you? Or hae you found The One, but they're not into gaming? This special Valentine's Day edition of Gamer's Tavern addresses all your concerns about real-life relationships and tabletop gaming! Carrinn Seabolt, Bruce Cordell, and Torah Cottrill join us to talk about relationships. Note: We were originally going to have Sean Patrick Fannon on this episode as well, but he was too busy to be on our show this week. I'd be upset, except that he was assisting the absolutely amazing charity Doctors Without Borders, and when one of your guests wants to help cure fucking diseases, you let him slide on bailing last minute on your podcast. Go check them out and, if you're able, please donate to the charity that is saving lives around the world. And don't forget our contest! We're giving away an iPod Shuffle loaded with Gamer's Tavern episodes, plus a crapload of games! Accursed, a dark fantasy Savage Wo

BattleTech. Robotech. Rifts. Mekton. Giant robots beating the crap out of other giant robots. Is that ever not awesome? Jason Marker (Robotech RPG, Warhammer 40K Roleplay, Star Wars: Edge of the Empire) joins us to talk about our favorite giant stompy robot games and how to run them. Sponsors Drive Thru RPG Accursed   Jason Marker Website Detroit Party Marching Band   What We’ve Been Playing Torg Accursed Fallout: New Vegas Star Wars: Edge of the Empire   Giant Robot Games BattleTech Robotech Rifts Jovian Chronicles                        Heavy Gear Solaris VII Gear Krieg Dust Warfare Mecha Alpha Strike Mekton Zeta CthulhuTech Mecha TV Shows Super Robot Wars Robotech Complete Series Carrier (PBS Documentary Series) Gundam 08th MS Team Gundam Wing Patlabor

This week, Ross Watson and Darryl Mott Jr. honor the best in gaming for 2013. From board games to roleplaying games, from accessories to media, we give our picks for what we feel are the best of the year past. We chose our winners based on our own personal, subjective opinions and then give our reasons. Was there a game we left off? Leave us a comment and let us know! Best Board Game Pathfinder Adventure Card Game (Darryl) Best Game Expansion Champions Complete (Ross) Lords of Waterdeep: Scoundrels of Skullport (Darryl) Best Miniature Product BattleTech: Alpha Strike (Ross) Dwarven Forge Game Tiles (Darryl) Best Party Game ROFL! (Darryl) Best Gaming Website Obsidian Portal (Ross) Drive Thru RPG (Darryl) Best RPG Supplement Pathfinder Bestiary 4 (Darryl) Pathfinder Ultimate Campaign (Ross) Best Rules System 13th Age (Ross) Star Wars: Edge of the Empire (Darryl) Best RPG Campaign Setting Shaintar (Ross) Accursed (Darryl) Best Gaming Accessory Product Gygax Magazine (Ross) Pathfinder Bestiary Box 2 (Darryl) Best

How do game designers create the amazing worlds we all play in? How can you use their tricks to add more to your own game? Or do you want to become a professional yourself and publish your own game world? Colin McComb and Darrell Hardy join us to discuss one of the challenges of modern game design, Worldbuilding.   Colin McComb Numenera Birthright Planescape Torment Twitter   Darrell Hardy Darrellhardy.com My Little Pony CCG Karthador Twitter   “Here’s a message for Birthright.net: You’re awesome, thank you.” – Colin McComb

What makes a villain? What separates them from just another antagonists and pushes them into iconic if not mythic status? Chris Avelllone, designer of some of the greatest villains of gaming history whether digital or analog, joins us to discuss what makes a villain and how to use the Big Bad Evil Guy in your game. Note: This was originally scheduled to be Ep. 16 of the podcast but, due to audio issues,the schedule was slightly changed. Our Sponsors: Accursed, a dark fantasy setting for Savage Worlds, and Drive Thru RPG, your best source for digital gaming books Chris Avellone Legend of Grimrock Kickstarter Cards Against Humanity (currently reprinting, do not pay more than $25 for the core set) Zombicide HERO System Accursed TORG Underworld Enemies Dark Champions Knights of the Old Republic 2 Darth Nihilus Darth Sion Spoony's Darth Vader story WARNING: He rambles more than Darryl does, but he's better than I am! Mara Jade Xanatos Gambit WARNING: TVTropes Link!

In our most controversial episode to date, Ross and Darryl discuss the second half of D&D's history, the Wizards of the Coast/Paizo era. And yes, there are arguments a plenty. However, both the host and owner of the Gamer's Tavern manage to discuss the single most contentious point in gaming for an hour and a half without coming to blows. So that just re-iterates our point, which is edition wars are bullshit! But we hope that you enjoy our exploration of the modern history of the father of all roleplaying games on its 40th anniversary, Dungeons & Dragons! Our Sponsor: Accused, the dark fantasy campaign setting from Savage Worlds designed by Ross Watson from Melior Via, available now in PDF and Print from Drive Thru RPG Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition Order of the Stick Open Gaming License System Reference Document (3.5) Book of Nine Swords aka Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic Linear Fighters, Quadratic Wizards Jim Butcher interview Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Interview with Bruce Cordell and Ro