GM Intrusions - Your Numenera, The Strange & Cypher System podcast - Starwalker Studios

The adventures continue in episode 08 of The Obsidian Monolith.

It’s the season 2 finale episode! I have some exciting announcements about the future of the show!

In this episode of The Obsidian Monolith, I discuss the second adventure of the campaign and show you how I used it to connect the first and third adventures together.

Ryan Chaddock joins the show today to discuss his various Cypher System supplements. We’ll also talk about creating foci, writing a third party supplement, crowdfunding, and making a living as a creative.

Matt Forbeck joins me on the show today to discuss the Shotguns and Sorcery Kickstarter. I also review the Numenera adventure The Sun Below City on the Edge by Dread Unicorn Games.

John Marvin joins me on the show today to discuss his Numenera adventure The Sun Below - City on the Edge. We also discuss using fiction as inspiration for your game, getting the most out of GM Intrusions and much more.

Today I’ll discuss the benefits of running preludes for your campaign. They’re more than worth the time you’ll invest in them! I also touch on why character balance is much more important than party balance in Cypher System games.

In this episode the PCs continue their search for Aneej, a young woman of Bonespir who has disappeared in the Westwood. Madame Saydle’s Wondrous Soup saves the day, and the PCs finally find themselves in the culova village. Hilarity ensues when Tianma becomes entangled within a culovan hammock.

In this episode of GM Intrusions I’m going to put one of the core tenets of Numenera under the microscope.

The PCs enjoy their new status as heroes of Bonespir. Some hilarity ensues at the festival thrown in their honor, however things take a more serious turn when a man from the village asks the PCs for their help. During the festival, Zain finds his true calling as a public speaker....

This week I give my best sales pitch for the Cypher System and some thoughts on introducing new players, so if you’re wondering whether to buy in, this episode’s for you! I also cover a brand new Strange adversary, the Catastrophe Cloud in A&P.

I have some new additions to the Starwalker Studios YouTube channel to tell you about, and there’s a new free glimmer for Numenera. In Under the Lens I’ll dig into translation in The Strange. Finally Agent Niehl returns with another Strange Encounters.

I have some Cypher System announcements, including the imminent Cypher System Rulebook and The Strange Bestiary. I also have a review of The Strange Player’s Guide, and in A&P I’ll talk about a brand new Strange creature—the Spine Tingler.

This is the final episode of the first adventure. The PCs have a rematch with a slicer beetle and another encounter with the culovas.

In this episode the PCs finally reach the heart of the windmill.

This is the second part of the second session. We join the game in progress as the players divvy up the cyphers they’ve found in the destruction left by their encounter with the Yellow Swarm. The PCs encounter more hazards within the Windmill. It contains another challenging encounter complete with some GM Intrusions.

This is the first part of the second session. At the end of the last session the PCs encountered some steel spiders. We wrap up that encounter and then the PCs face an even greater challenge within the Windmill.

This is the third part of the first session. In this episode the PCs recover from their encounter with the uber-deadly slicer beetles and begin exploring the Windmill.

This is the second part of the first session. In this episode the PCs leave the town of Bonespir and head into the Westwood. They have their first run-in with danger outside the Windmill and barely survive!

Greetings Numenerian and welcome to Session 1 part 1 of The Obsidian Monolith Actual Play podcast. I’m your host, Lex Starwalker. I’ve explained how I’ve created the adventure, now we can see how it survives, or doesn’t survive, first contact with the players.

Today I’ll describe some of the NPCs in Bonespir, and I’ll share the creation of the first adventure in the campaign—The Windmill in the Woods.

In the finale episode of season one I’ll talk a bit about the past and future of the show. I’ll share with you how I ran my first 100% on-the-fly adventure for Numenera. If I can do it, you can too! Finally, I talk about trading damage for effect and Dissicaeli. This episode is dedicated to the listeners and Patrons of GM Intrusions. Thank you for a great year!

Today I’ll talk about the town of Bonespir, a small logging town on the edge of the Westwood in Navarene. This is where the campaign will begin, and will serve as a home base for the PCs.

Today I’ll revisit the discussion on controlling how players spend their xp. I’m not just playing devil’s advocate, I’ve changed my mind. In Under the Lens I’ll dig into the tactics of when to spend effort on speed defense, and when not to.

Scott Bourgeois joins me on the show today to discuss his ENnie award-winning podcast, The Signal. We’ll also talk about Numenera, The Strange and gaming in general.

I’ll talk about when to tell players difficulty numbers, race as a Descriptor, and just how an Artificially Intelligent Nano who Fuses Flesh and Steel would work. Finally in Antagonists and Protagonists, I discuss the Valma.

Today I’ll talk a little bit about a common issue with advancement in the Cypher System. I also review When Worlds Collide, the conversion guide for Numenera and The Strange; Sir Arthour’s Guide to the Numenera; and Into the Violet Vale, the Numenera adventure I ran at Gen Con.

Johnny Sharpe joins me on the show today to discuss his experiences as a player and GM. You’ve seen him run Numenera for the DiceStormers on YouTube.

I share how I prepare and run a Numenera session. I then discuss my goals and plans for the first adventure of The Obsidian Monolith campaign.

I’ll start the episode off by giving some advice on the Cypher System for new players. I’ll also give a bit of advice to GMs when deciding whether or not to allow something not explicitly covered by the rules. In Under the Lens I’ll talk a bit about xp usage in Numenera and The Strange. I’ll also be talking about The Strange corebook in Starwalker Review.

Jim Walls joins me on the show today. We’ll discuss Gen Con a little bit, and Jim tells us what it’s like to talk gamer talk with Monte Cook and Bruce Cordell. We talk a little bit about a particularly gruesome session I ran, and Jim tells us all about his #GetOutandGame initiative. We also discuss getting into games online and how stereotypical antagonists work great as protagonists.

Darcy Ross returns to the show, and we discuss our experiences as GMs of the Cypher System at Gen Con and the amazing showing Numenera made at the ENies this year. I share some interesting teasers about the future of Numenera, including some information on the upcoming World Guide and what we can look forward to after that.

The Obsidian Monolith is a supplemental podcast to GM Intrusions in which I will build a Numenera campaign from scratch.Today I talk about how I decided where to begin the campaign.

I have some listener feedback for you in the Opening Segment, and I’ll give some ideas on running a solo campaign in Under the Lens. I’ll also have some more thoughts on making cypher acquisition more realistic in your game. Finally, in A&P I’ll cover the Quotien.

I’ll talk a bit about my numerous Numenera games, and then I’ll discuss Gen Con and let you know about some Numenera games I’m running that you can still get in on. I’ll also give you a run-down of some of my favorite Cypher System communities online. I’ll talk about pricing cyphers and discuss how creature level in Numenera isn’t as simple as it seems. I’ll also review the Creature Deck for Numenera. I’ve got an update for you on the Yellow Swarm in A&P, and I’ll be covering the Neveri. Finally, Scott Robinson has some inspirations for The Strange.

Today I start laying the foundation for the campaign.

This week I’ll answer some listener questions and discuss my own Cypher System gaming. I have some recommendations for some good published adventures if you’re just starting out, and I’ll also talk a bit about using artifacts and identifying numenera items in Under the Lens. I’ve got a couple Kickstarters to share with you, and Scott Robinson’s Strange Encounters segment returns.

I’ll start off with some updates on the podcast, and then I’ll talk a bit about type backgrounds and balancing encounters. I’ll cover the Yellow Swarm in A&P, and I have an inspiration to help you in your Numenera game.

The Obsidian Monolith is a supplemental podcast to GM Intrusions in which I will build a Numenera campaign from scratch. Today’s topic is preparing for an adventure! I’ll share with you the things I think about when it’s time to create a new campaign.

I’ve got some listener feedback to discuss today as well as a new Strange segment from Scott Robinson. I’ll talk a little about assets & time keeping in Numenera, and in A&P I’ll be talking about the Jurulisk.

I’ll dig into the Cypher System some more and answer some listener questions. I’ll talk about the money system in Numenera and offer what is perhaps my first real criticism of the game. I’m also going to finally review the Numenera Character Options.

Group size, making the most of bad luck, the sun of the Ninth World, language & literacy, touch attacks, ability costs, calculating Edge costs, using abilities tied to a depleted stat pool, swarm rules, Might vs. Speed Defense, breaking down rules text.

Bruce Cordell joins the show to discuss The Strange and its imminent release.

Bruce Cordell joins the show to discuss The Strange and its imminent release.

Bryon Kershaw joins me to discuss his experiences as a player and gamemaster of Numenera.