Carnagecast

In episode 60 of Carnagecast, Tyler flies solo: no co-host, no guest! News of Carnage 2015 is soon to come. This past weekend the Green Mountain Gamers held their Winter Weirdness game day in Barre, Vermont. Games were played, money was raised for the Vermont Center for Independent Living and fun was had. Tyler talks […]

In episode 59 of Carnagecast, it’s that slow time between Christmas and New Year’s when we are all sluggish with egg nog. Ray and Tyler discuss two of the most common modes of role-playing games: the long form campaign and the short form one-shot. Each mode has its relative strengths and weaknesses, so we discuss […]

In episode 58 of Carnagecast, we talk about A Fistful of Carnage, the game convention Carnage held at Killington, Vermont last month. Yes, it’s been a month. We’ve recovered and are back, ready to talk about the fun we had and games in general in the coming year. Highlights of the weekend include, but are […]

Ray flies solo this episode as he talks with Andrew Valkauskas, the designer behind Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok, about his new card game Gulveig, the future of the Fate of the Norns line, crowdfunding and more. Gulveig is a quick, casual card game, featuring dynamic trick-taking and bluffing, with Viking clans gaining and losing […]

Late breaking news! The Game With No Name no-ship math trade is now live on Boardgamegeek. Follow the link for details. The new edition of Dungeons & Dragons descends on A Fistful of Carnage this November, giving convention-goers not only a chance to sample the latest version of the hobby’s most well-known game, but the […]

A Fistful of Carnage’s convention book is available for download! Go register for games today! Ray and Tyler talk about the convention book and web addendum. To err is human, so as mistakes turn up in the convention book, we update the addendum accordingly, plus it includes new games that didn’t make the deadline for […]

It’s all card talk on Carnagecast this week. Ray’s looking forward to the 2014 Commander decks for Magic: the Gathering, and the imminent Khans of Tarkir block. Tyler’s got his eye on The Sleeper Below for Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, and the just-announced For the Greater Good expansion beyond that. Ray explains what he […]

It’s barely one month to go until A Fistful of Carnage in Killington! Carnage staffer Ray joins the conversation on the precipice of the release of A Fistful of Carnage’s convention book. We talk about some of what’s on offer this year at Carnage, particularly in our own areas of expertise, offer some advice on […]

In episode 52 of Carnagecast, Robert Dijkman Dulkes and Matt Golec, friends of Carnage, Upper Valley residents, creators of Penny Press and co-winners of Tabletop Deathmatch’s design competition visit to talk about their game, the journey from design to publication, their experiences with the Deathmatch web series and raising funds to make the realization of […]

In episode 51 of Carnagecast, Alex Clay of the Green Mountain Gamers joins us to talk about the group’s upcoming game day, the MEGA Meltdown in Fairlee, Vermont on April 12th, 2014. The Meltdown, like Green Mountain Gamers’ other events, is a day of open gaming, this one running from 9am to midnight at the […]

In episode 50 of Carnagecast, we kick off with breaking news about Carnage on the Mountain 2014! Then, in our regularly scheduled episode, John joins us to talk about Paizo’s Pathfinder role-playing game. Branching out from the d20 era of Dungeons & Dragons, made possible by the open game license, Pathfinder carried on that style […]

In episode 49 of Carnagecast, we welcome Vermont game designers Brian Leet and Kevin Worden to the show. Brian and Kevin are long-time friends who partnered up to design New Haven, a strategy game that uses the theme of the 17th century North American colony of New Haven to follow the two story arcs of […]

In episode 48 of Carnagecast, Dave Cheng of the Schenectady Wargamers Association gives the scoop on Council of 5 Nations XXXVI, held October 11-13, 2013 in Schenectady, New York. This year, the Council convention space and event listings have expanded by over 50%, so there’s to play and more room in which to do so […]

In episode 47 of Carnagecast, Rod gives the mini skinny for Carnage on the Mountain. Offerings break out into the fantasy genre, with wizards, lasers and stompy robots, and the historical variety, where player marshal forces to see whether they can turn the tide of history, or keep the waves of anachronism at bay. This […]

In episode 46 of Carnagecast, Dan, Hunter and Toby return to the show to discuss Carrion Crown, but only just a little. It’s Carnagecast‘s first GMs’ round table conversation, where we share experiences running games, why we take on all that extra effort in comparison to playing someone else’s game, struggling with the conflict of […]

In episode 45 of Carnagecast, board game field marshal Rod Sheldon returns to talk about what we’ve been up to this summer. Triple Play’s hosting a lot organized board game play lately. There’s a Twilight Struggle league and a series of board game challenge tourneys, in which contestants play a variety of games and accrue points […]

In episode 44 of Carnagecast, Joe makes his return appearance to the show to talk about the finer points of running role-playing games within the parameters of a tabletop gaming convention. The constraints and advantages of fitting a role-playing adventure within the schedule of a gaming convention create a unique landscape for a GM and […]

In episode 43 of Carnagecast, Gaylord joins us to talk role-playing games. His personal history with the form goes back to watching his stepson play with college friends in the dining room, including a notable encounter with the lich Adolf Hitler. From there, he went on to Vampire: The Masquerade, Call of Cthulhu and more. […]

In episode 42 of Carnagecast, after a teaching session at the Green Mountain Gamers’ spring game day, Rod and Sarah discuss Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar, a worker placement game which draws inspiration for its mechanics from none other than the titular Mayan calendar, particularly interlocking wheels that move pieces around the board. In addition to […]

In episode 41 of Carnagecast, Rod and Tyler discuss the boom of crowdfunding, the process whereby individuals contribute money to the creation of an item or event in exchange for backer rewards, and the tabletop game hobby. Before the meat of the conversation, they talk Carnage on the Mountain, the way to reserve rooms at […]

In episode 40 of Carnagecast, James Carpio, games editor of Gygax magazine, joins us to talk about the launch of the periodical, the process of assembling a magazine’s worth of content and finding the balance in the old and new schools of role-playing. He also shares some of his trip this past March to Gary […]

In episode 39 of Carnagecast, Dan, Hunter and Toby return to discuss the third chapter of the Carrion Crown adventure path, Broken Moon. Our heroes ventured into the Shudderwood of Ustalav, wherein Victor the unflappable coach driver made his debut, resolute against the strains of ethereal music. At an exclusive hunting lodge and in the […]

In episode thirty-eight of Carnagecast, Sarah brings tidings from Unity Games, a one day board game extravaganza held annually in Massachusetts. Highlights of the day include teaching Power Grid: The First Sparks, learning Hansa Teutonica and Stone Age, plus the chance to meet up with Carnage friends outside the Carnage convention itself. We also talk […]

In episode thirty-seven of Carnagecast, Dan, Hunter and Toby return to the show to discuss their further adventures in the Pathfinder adventure path, Carrion Crown, following on from their first excursion in The Haunting of Harrowstone. From the sleepy village of Ravengro, the heroes stride further to the relative metropolis of Lepidstadt, embroiling themselves in […]

In episode 36 of Carnagecast, we emerge from hiatus just in time to still be able to wish everyone a happy new year. Pillar of the Carnage board Rod Sheldon is with us to talk about the highlights of this past Carnage Noir, the gaming we’ve gotten in over the holidays and plans for 2013: […]

In episode thirty-five of Carnagecast, Jeff Durochia and Brennan Martin tell us about the charity gaming event Extra Life and the 24 gaming marathon they’re hosting at Quarterstaff Games in Burlington, Vermont to raise money for the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, Fletcher Allen Health Care. This October, Quarterstaff opens its doors from 8:00am Saturday […]

In episode 34 of Carnagecast, cartoonist Paul Gadzikowski joins us to talk about his early brushes with tabletop role-playing, cartooning, his on-going series Arthur, King of Time and Space, the changing ways in which we create and consume stories, plus his long-standing interest in the Arthurian mythology and how its characters have been interpreted over […]

In episode thirty-three of Carnagecast, Dave Cheng of the Schenectady Wargamers Association brings news of Council of 5 Nations XXXV, coming up this October 5-7 at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York. Historical miniatures are a showcase of gaming and craft at Council. Among other miniatures is a stellar Starfleet Battles tournament that outdraws Origins […]

In extrasode 8 of Carnagecast, Andrew Valkauskas joins us to share his role-playing game Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok, now celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a third edition on Kickstarter. In Fate of the Norns: Ragnarok, players delve into the grim fantasy of a world without the sun or moon, when Fimbulwinter lays heavy on […]

In episode 32 of Carnagecast, Dr. Nik joins us, fresh from his travels to GenCon 2012. Nik tells us about Iron GM, an event which turns gamemastering into a competitive sport, and his experiences competing on the regional level — having become an Iron Contender at TotalCon — and the national at GenCon. Iron GM […]

In episode 31 of Carnagecast, Dan, Hunter, Toby and Tyler talk about their experiences playing the Pathfinder role-playing module The Haunting of Harrowstone, first part of the overarching Carrion Crown adventure path. Filled with horror tropes, from the Gothic to the Hammeresque, Carrion Crown kicks off a tour of the Pathfinder campaign world’s Transylvania analogue, […]

In episode 30 of Carnagecast, the gang discusses Lords of Waterdeep, an Euro-style board game from Wizards of the Coast based on the perennially favorite world of the Forgotten Realms for Dungeons & Dragons. Rod runs down how the game works, then the conversation breaks out into how this game may appeal to different groups […]

In extrasode 7 of Carnagecast, Sarah and Tyler spend some of the drive home discussing this year’s Summer Game ‘n Grill, hosted by Green Mountain Gamers in Middlebury, Vermont. It turns out Tyler spent most of his day locked in some sort of cooperative effort or another, while Sarah stretched her gaming muscle — also […]

In episode 29 of Carnagecast, we bring news of Carnage Noir. The convention’s coming up the first weekend of November in Fairlee, Vermont. Game submissions are rolling in, but the deadline looms at the end of July for submissions to be included in the convention book. Rod brings news of CCGs and board games, including special […]

In episode 28 of Carnagecast, Ben T. Matchstick, Dungeon Master at large, comes on the show to tell us about founding a tradition of gaming in the local public library, and bringing the tabletop hobby to the next generation. At Montpelier, Vermont’s Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Ben brought comic books and tabletop games into the mix. In […]

In episode 27 of Carnagecast, we talk with Neil Carr of Geek Industrial Complex, based in Barre, Vermont. Neil’s raising funds via Kickstarter for his first role-playing publication, Companions of the Firmament, which brings flying characters, mount options and expanded aerial rules to the Pathfinder role-playing system. Neil tells us about his goals for Companions […]

In episode 26 of Carnagecast, James Carpio of Chapter 13 Press returns to tell us about his latest endeavor, Tales from the Fallen Empire, a sword and sorcery campaign setting for Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics role-playing game. James tells about the world of Leviathan, formed from the carcass of a primordial dragon, and the […]

In episode 25 of Carnagecast, we switch up the format. Mark Edwards comes on the show to talk about the role-playing game of swashbuckling fantasy 7th Sea and the living campaign he runs in the game’s world of Theah, Heroes of Altamira. 7th Sea combines the tropes of swashbuckling adventure movies and European history’s greatest […]

In episode 24 of Carnagecast, we catch up to David Cheng, then still basking in the hubbub of Carnage in Wonderland. David recaps his weekend spent participating in DipCon 2011, then tells us about the Schenectady Wargamers Association and their many events through the year, especially Council of 5 Nations, held every October in Schenectady, […]

In episode 23 of Carnagecast, the Dan, a Dan, Hunter, Jake, Toby and Tyler wrap up their game of Betrayal at House on the Hill. Missy realizes deep in her gut that Madame Zostra has betrayed them all — and then stumbles upon a revolver and dynamite with which to resolve the problem. As the […]

In extrasode 6 of Carnagecast, Andre Kruppa of Huzzah! comes on the show to tell us about the convention set for just next week in Portland, Maine. Put on the Maine Historical Wargamer’s Association, Huzzah! caters to the historical and wargaming aspects of the tabletop hobby. Links Huzzah! Lobster pot helmet Boston Trained Bands Maine […]

In extrasode 5 of Carnagecast, Munk, Rachel, Sarah and Tyler drive home in the driving rain from Spring Meltdown in Lyndonville, one of the Green Mountain Gamers’ game days held around Vermont. How do you pass the time during a two hour ride from Lyndonville to Burlington? Talk about what you did during the day, […]

In episode 22, Interview with the Gamer prowls the lonesome back roads of New England to find Brad Younie, president of Carnivore Games. Brad tells us about the games he ran at Carnage in Wonderland and goes a bit more into The Unexplained, his role-playing game of paranormal phenomena investigators. He even lets slip the […]

In episode 21 of Carnagecast, the players assemble to take on the new edition of Betrayal at House on the Hill, published by Wizards of the Coast’s Avalon Hill imprint, as discussed in episode 14‘s Autopsy of a Game. Toby recommends not blinking in the statuary corridor. The Dan realizes he’s really playing Short Round. […]

In extrasode 4 of Carnagecast, Sarah and Tyler talk about their PAX East 2012 experiences while heading north to Vermont. They talk about what they did and didn’t get to do, the games they played, the scale of PAX East and the thrill of that much energy and buzz filling a convention center. It turns […]

In extrasode three of Carnagecast, Sarah and Tyler are on the road to PAX East 2012. Driving down Interstate 89 from Vermont to Boston the night before the convention, they talk about what they’re looking forward to check out this weekend. Aside from wanting to scope out the tabletop gaming area and pick-up play opportunities, […]

In episode 20 of Carnagecast, Interview with the Gamer travels west across Lake Champlain to talk with Chuck Henry of the Nonchalant Gnome Gaming Society in Plattsburgh, New York. Chuck tells us about founding the Nonchalant Gnome gaming society, some of the methods and techniques to making a public gaming group welcoming to newcomers, growing […]

In episode 19 of Carnagecast, we conclude the Battlestar Galactica actual play series featuring the Battle-all-stars with the not entirely shocking revelation that ended part 3. It only gets tenser from there. After the game, the players chat a bit about how the game went and the variants in play, such as 2 Cylons for […]

In episode 18 of Carnagecast, Bethany Creaser of Border Board Games and Green Mountain Gamers tells the story of how she and her husband first came to Carnage and then talks about hosting game days and nights in Vermont for Interview with the Gamer. To learn about Conspiracy X 2.0, Autopsy of a Game turns […]

In episode 17 of Carnagecast, “the real game” of Battlestar Galactica begins, as Carlo puts it. The sleeper phase doles out another set of loyalty cards to the not terribly hard-pressed Battle-all-stars. Now the mere prospect of Baltar employing his Cylon detector provokes strong reactions from all around. The end of this installment’s a corker, […]