High Shelf Gaming Podcast

Werewolf: The Apocalypse Retaliation // an RPG in a Box Our good friend Simon is the lead narrative designer for this new Tabletop RPG in a box, designed to work without a Game master, it tells a grim story of a werewolf sept who loses their home to The Defiler. What follows is a challenging adventure where the players, a sept of Garou, decide how to take back what was taken as Garou. This sports a unique approach to spirits, allies, and even lone wolf mechanics that ensure this game will have plenty of replay ability. Flyos Games Links: Website // Retaliation Site // Kickstarter Simon / Wandering_DM links: Twitch // Twitter // YouTube Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

PAX Unplugged High Shelf Gaming has another convention survival guide for you! The unique gaming experience at PAX is a joy and Philadelphia has a lot to offer. We cover housing, gaming, the dealer hall, food and Philly specific entertainment options and even a bit of the history you can take in while visiting. We also have a few warnings in here to help with safety. PAX Link: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/ Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Hunters of The Occult a Monster Hunting TTRPG Van Helsing inspired TTRPG where players make seasoned monster hunters with signature weapons that grow with the character throughout the campaign. The career progression influences the themes each player character brings to the game. One of the things we love hearing about is how games come together and how collaboration between writers and artist completely shapes the direction and themes of the game. Links for the game and company: The Kickstarter Storeywood Games Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Gen Con for the first time w/ Taylor Taylor joins Dave and Rich to talk all about her plans for Gen Con 2022, and we cover all the best pre-convention planning ideas. We had a lot of plans and desires this year for Gen Con Catch Taylor on HSC and many other live streaming channels and of course on twitter Taylor (twitter) Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

AGON // Evil Hat John Harper and Sean Nittner join us from Evil Hat Productions to talk to us all about AGON, the thinking behind some of the truly unique game mechanics that sets AGON apart from other games. AGON brings unique dice mechanics, story mechanics, and downtime rules supported by some remarkable assets on Roll20. The story behind why Roll20 became their platform of choice for Evil Hat games is a great look at how production companies make partnership decisions for their players to. Evil Hat Website Twitter Roll20 AGON John Harper Twitter Sean Nittner Twitter One More Multiverse VTT Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Latin American RPG Market Hugo has unlocked the secrets of selling tabletop roleplaying games in Mexico and throughout Latin America and he joins us to share the lessons his publishing company, The Death Die Club, learned along the way. We've wanted to bring Hugo back forever and he's been on quite the journey in finding the path to profits in Latin America as a game publisher. We also take a minute to talk about the online gaming conventions in Mexico, Cafe game days Fernando and Hugo worked out with Cafe owners, and just how they promote gaming throughout the region. Death Die Club links: Website - https://thedeathdieclub.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Thedeathdieclub/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheDeathDieClu1 Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

7th Sea City of Five Sails David Lapp and Rob Croy from Pine Box Entertainment are very close to releasing a new card game into the world based in the rich world of the 7th Sea tabletop RPG! We get a sneak peak into some unique mechanics and story points. One thing you'll find is that David and Rob are gamers with a capital G. They play so many games and reference many inspirations. Bless these two as they try to explain the game and components to Rich and Dave, it's a blast! New Website & Playtest on Tabletop Simulator - End of June Pre-release Tournament (Lore impacting) - Gen Con 2022 Kick Starter launches - September 2022 Pine Box Entertainment City of Kings Game Production Blog Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Gen Con 2022 Dave and Rich are goin to GEN CON 2022 along with tons of shelfies to run events and have a great time this year. We chat about what we're doing different this year and what we're looking forward to. We've learned a lot in going to other conventions since 'all this' began. The way Gen Con does it is just special compared to other shows. https://www.gencon.com/ Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Episode Notes Jason Cordova (@jasoncordova6 ) of Gauntlet Publishing (@GauntletRPG) fame (distributors of Trophy, and makers of The Between) are giving Brindelwood Bay (@BrindlewoodBay) a new life as a kickstarter project. Brindelwood Bay itself is a fantastic blend of Golden Girls and Cthulhu investigation using all the tropes of Murder She Wrote and other detective shows of its time. We've been playing it for years in it's earlier form on our twitch channel. Jason joins HSG to talk about the journey this game has taken to be ready for kickstarter and how he came to the novel approach to the core mechanic of Brindelwood Bay, the Mystery system. This game has brought us so much fun it's worth a look for any group looking for something completely different. The Gauntlet Online Resource library For those looking to see an example of play check out the HSC Actual Play series Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollective Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcollective Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/HighShelfCLTV/shop Teepublic - https://www.teepublic.com/user/highshelfcollective

Dave and Rich emerge from an ancient podcast slumber - we talk about the last couple years, what happened to us as people and as a podcast show. It feels good to be back if you'll have us! Listen on: iTunes//Google//Spotify//Stitcher HSC Links: Twitter - https://twitter.com/HighShelfCLTV Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/highshelfcltv/ Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/highshelfcollec... Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/highshelfcol... Website - https://www.highshelfcollective.com TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@highshelfCLTV Redbubble - https://www.redbubble.com/people/High... Teepublic - http://tee.pub/lic/kC7c_kIbrRI

Dave and Rich along with the rest of the HSG community had a lot of fun at the first-ever Gen Con online. We go through some of the obvious differences with Gen Con being fully virtual and talk about some of the surprising aspects. Well, surprising to us. For instance, most of the players in our games were 1st time Gen Con attendees, they expected to be in contact with the GMs weeks in advance and seemed to want to keep playing games with us after the convention. Which... is so bazaar when you think about how normal conventions go.  Virtual conventions seem to be an excellent place to find new people for your discord as HSG and several of our community members ran games in HSG's discord and pulled players to their own discords.  merchandise Link!Listen on:iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher  Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad:Facebook @High Shelf Gaming PodcastTwitter @highshelfgamingTwitch /highshelfgamingDiscord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rich and David are joined by Kratrina to talk all about player character death in tabletop RPGs. It can be fun, it can be devastating, and there are a few tips we've learned along the way to navigate those deep waters.Kratrina has been on the show in the past covering several topics and she plays in many of our streamed Actual Plays merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

WE ARE BACK!Gen Con Online is fast approaching at the end of July 2020 and there's a lot of learning we all have to do. Effectively this is a First-Year online convention. To help us navigate these waters we brought on two folks from Gen Con. Derek is the Sr. Event and Program Manager at Gen Con and Dominic is the Event Coordinator for Gen Con. They join us during the run-up to Gen Con Online to help us all understand what the convention will be like this year and talk about what we can all do to get the most out of it.A few more helpful links when considering Gen Con Online:Links for hosts: https://www.gencon.com/host/bestpractices https://www.gencon.com/host/thirdpartyplatforms https://www.gencon.com/host/new https://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm YouTube and Twitch https://www.youtube.com/user/GenConVideo https://www.twitch.tv/gencontv merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

High Shelf Gaming has always been a remote gaming community. We have sprinkled information over the years about the tools we use for board games and roleplaying games but this episode puts it all into one place for your convenience during Covid-19 or novel coronavirus. This is unpresidented time. If you are sheltering in place or practicing social distancing - Thank you! you are a part of a global movement to help everyone in your community. Never has all of humanity done something like this on such a scale. Bravo.   Organization tools:DiscordCalandyWhenisgood.net Video ChatDiscordFacebook MessengerWhatsappGoogle HangoutsWebEx (free for up to 100 participants)Zoom Boardgames over the webTabletopiaTabletop Simulator Roleplaying game Virtual TablesTabletop SimulatorAstralRoll20Fantasy GroundsD&D BeyondDriveThurRPGExtrasPlay by Post guideBASILISK STATION - A Traveller Blog (Example Play by Post game) Cyberpunk 2020/Red fans (Discord Server)DMs Guild.com for solo adventuresTunnels and TrollsLegend Keeper merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN  

High Shelf Gaming brings on Zac and David to talk about their new Kickstarter 'Knights of the Shadow Realm' which is a gigantic D&D module bringing characters from 1st to 20th level with a big story all along the way. David ran this game for his friend group and is turning the adventure into this module for you and your friends to play. It comes with the main quest and a living world of interwoven plot-hooks that change as the world progresses around the player characters.We also take a moment to talk about Zac's D&D supplement which includes a TON of material for oceanic games, monsters, subraces, and lore all available for the GM wanting to take on the high seas. merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

We are so fortunate Randall Porter reached out asking to come on and dive deep into Gen Con's history. The stories he shares are mind-boggling. From remote-controlled robots poaching customers from other booths to folks sleeping in parking lots in early Gen Con days. We get a strong sense of how Gen Con worked under TSR, WOTC, and now as an independent entity. We even get a bit of a glimpse into the rift between Gen Con, Origins, and how they mended fences.Randy is an excellent guest and brought a wealth of information to the show.   merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Scott has been a fixture in the high shelf gaming community for over a year now, and he runs the RPG Zone at Pax South! This year we had the opportunity to partner with him to get some signage up, boost the RPG turnout at Pax South and provide a ton of giveaways from R. Talsorian Games, and Hot Springs Island! RPGs at Pax South grew a ton this year and are poised to go even bigger in 2021. We are so excited to be invited on this ride and hear some great insights on how PAX South differs from other PAX conventions.Also, there was a San Antonio Spurs (basketball) game going on... merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Getting all the way back to our roots in RPG gaming with games that launch as zines (small magazines from people self-publishing) Rich and I welcome Patch on to the show who is making Terranary RPG and releasing it on Kickstarter as part of Zine Quest 2! This RPG sounds so interesting to us. It uses a dice system I don’t think either of us has heard about, or even anything similar.  This compact setting sounds like it packs plenty of conflict and drama between three heavily populated worlds in a shared solar system amidst a political truce provided through a 4th solar system-wide government. Patch is cramming a lot in 48 pages, and we are looking forward to reading it all. Kickstarter link     merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN    

Riley from Pactless Patrons is a seasoned PAX conventions attendee and volunteer. They have attended 15 PAXi over the years but have never been to any other conventions. Rich and Dave field questions and dish out advice to let Riley know what they're in for. We cover a lot of topics comparing the two styles of conventions: the scope of Gen Con, the Enforcers at Pax vs Gen Con Staff, and how subtle differences create very different experiences. We also get into Gen Con's event pricing and how the assumptions Gen Con makes are very different than the assumptions PAX makes. Riley is an excellent guest and a real pleasure to engage with and they share so much knowledge about PAX. I think we all learned a lot from each other. We hope to have them back on after Gen Con to get their thoughts and impressions.Riley [they/them] is on twitter: @RileyGryc   merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN  

We had the pleasure to bring on Bruce Voge from North Star Games to talk about their latest board game, Oceans which is expected to hit stores March 23rd, 2020! Oceans is a thematic update to their popular game, Evolution, and Evolution: Climate which we reviewed not too long ago. It's important to understand that Oceans is not an expansion but a standalone game which uses some of the same concepts, in a new context and has some very important changes to the rules which make for a game with more 'come from behind' possibilities than were readily available in Evolution. This episode is a different format than we normally use. Rich and I start things off then hand it over to the interview which plays uninterrupted. We always love your feedback, let us know if this format is pleasant to listen to. To catch up with Bruce and his podcast find him at these placesPersonal Twitter: @brucecothinksPodcast: @partygamecast merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

PAX Unplugged is a unique player in the tabletop convention scene, the way it works and assumptions it makes about attendees are different than the other conventions out there we break down those differences and what makes PAX special. David was able to attend with some friends of the show, get interviews with game designers and play lots of board games.Games reviewed:Oceans by North Star GamesCities and Skylines by KosmosPeriodic, Cytosis by Genius Games We attended an excellent panel: Guiding Queer Narratives in TTRPGs And provide insights into some D&D Facebook groups: All Things D&D turns out to be an excellent group to join.   merchandise Link! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rich and David review the new location for Board Game Geek Con, in Downtown Dallas and 8 boardgames rich got to play at the show. Having left the DFW airport, BGG Con has followed in the footsteps of some incredible DFW based cons such as A-Kon and Anime-Fest which now see much larger attendance numbers. But with that growth came some growing pains. Rich sites a few of them along with the benefit of being closer to better food options and the rest of what Dallas has to offer.We cover several games!Masmorra Dungeons of ArcadiaFirst MartiansHomeworld by Looney LabsSpynet by Z-man Games & Richard GarfieldShobuCretaceous Rails (proto-alley)LucidityToo Many Bones We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Luke the Goon from the Dark Future podcast joins us to talk about his second gaming passion, OSR RPGs! or Old School Revival Role-Playing Games. Luke brings a ton of experience with these games and some great input on what games to will get you started. Come on and dive into the nostalgic reboots of D&D.Mentioned in this episode:basicfantasy.org Black Hack RPG [free] White Box - Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game TenkarsTavern.com Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea   You can find Luke and his Dark Future here:TwitterYouTubeBlogPodcastCyberpunk Discord (which we founded together along with JonJonthewise)   We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

HSG returns to Gen Con Food and Drink in and around the convention center. We add more tips and advice from our first attempt in 2017, and make sure to talk about places that are still open! 2017's guide was great but it mentions a few places that have since closed down. Rich and David walk you through the most likely places to find food, and some tips on what you can do to get better food options with a tiny bit of effort. One point we don't say enough in the episode is stay hydrated. Gen Con's wonderful air conditioning and all the walking is going to dry you out. We recommend getting a little flat-pack water bladder just to keep your head cleared while you play in the world's best games and tournaments. As always we love feedback and more food suggestions. be sure to leave comments on Facebook or twitter, wherever the discussion is.Lastly - we are running a giveaway! contest winners will get a bundle of goods!We will be accepting submissions from December 23rd, 2019 through January 10th, 2020. Contest details: To enter simply go to Facebook or Twitter and tell your friends and followers about your favorite HSG episode! Maybe tell them a bit about why you like that episode. Tag us so we see it. 1 entry per human. After January 10th we will gather all the submissions and roll a die to figure out who our two winners will be! #1 - You will get a copy of the Cyberpunk Red Jump Start Kit! (US winners get a physical copy, international sorry but we hope the .PDFs will suffice) + Beta access to Legend Keeper a tool that helps you track your imaginary world, RPG campaign, or write your next fantasy or sci-fi novel. It effectively combines Google Maps with Wikipedia just for your projects. + something special from Rich (details in the episode). #2 - You will also get beta access to Legend Keeper + something special from Rich (details in the episode) Huge thank you goes to R. Talsorian Games for their continuous boosting of our show on social media and sponsoring this episode. We are all pumped for what 2020 will mean for RTG. Also, we want to thank Legend Keeper for kicking off an ongoing sponsorship of HSG staring now with 2 give away licenses! We'll be giving away more of these in the future, we're so excited for this relationship and the success of LK. We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

We can hardly believe we've made 100 MP3 files in just over 2 years. High Shelf Gaming has been a fantastic passion project during this time so we wanted to celebrate for a bit during the holidays. There are giveaways inside this episode! Two lucky winners will get a bundle of awesome! We will be accepting submissions from December 23rd, 2019 (today) through January 10th, 2020. Contest details: To enter simply go to Facebook or Twitter and tell your friends and followers about your favorite HSG episode! Maybe tell them a bit about why you like that episode. Tag us so we see it. 1 entry per human. After January 10th we will gather all the submissions and roll a die to figure out who our two winners will be! #1 - You will get a copy of the Cyberpunk Red Jump Start Kit! (US winners get a physical copy, international sorry but we hope the .PDFs will suffice) + Beta access to Legend Keeper a tool that helps you track your imaginary world, RPG campaign, or write your next fantasy or sci-fi novel. It effectively combines Google Maps with Wikipedia just for your projects. + something special from Rich (details in the episode).#2 - You will also get beta access to Legend Keeper + something special from Rich (details in the episode)Huge thank you goes to R. Talsorian Games for their continuous boosting of our show on social media and sponsoring this episode. We are all pumped for what 2020 will mean for RTG.Also, we want to thank Legend Keeper for kicking off an ongoing sponsorship of HSG staring now with 2 give away licenses! We'll be giving away more of these in the future, we're so excited for this relationship and the success of LK.  We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

HSG takes on Gen Con Event Registration to add more tips and advice from our first attempt in 2017. Rich and David break down strategies for groups of gamers who can pool their effort and are comfortable paying each other back for events registered. We cover solo attendees and some good suggestions there and give some insights into how Event Organizers are measured by Gen Con. Also, we talk about the things you can do without registering, there are tons of ways to enjoy Gen Con without booking every second of your time.Not mentioned in this episode, which we should have, try not to over-book your Gen Con. Leave time in there for food, socializing, walking the dealer hall. If you have back to back events all convention long you will be exhausted by the end of it. We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Running events at Gen Con is one of the most rewarding things we do every year. Last year, we went bigger than ever and plan to grow again in 2020. This episode shares the lessons High Shelf Gaming has learned over the years to help individuals and groups of event organizers have a successful con!  Rich and David have been running events at Gen Con and other conventions for years, so this is a blending of not only Gen Con-specific knowledge but also general convention gaming prep. We also sneak in some pro tips for players too, so if you attend Gen Con or one of the larger conventions there are some kernels of wisdom here for you. High Shelf Gaming will run events at Gen Con. If you want to join us as a GM or play in our games, be sure to join the HSG Facebook group and Discord where we organize all those efforts. We have many independent contributors and folks from other podcasts and channels who team up to make for an awesome group of games. This all helps us pool our efforts to earn badges and hotel reimbursement from Gen Con, which is a big deal! We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

The Gen Con Survival Guide series that launched HSG has aged a bit and changes have hit Gen Con and Indy. Meaning, we need to remake this series and update it with current tips and suggestions.  In this episode, David and Rich talk all about housing for Gen Con. We cover the housing portal and how it behaves leading up to the con when rooms will suddenly become available. HSG discusses how to stack the odds in your favor as well as contingency plans with places like Airbnb, VRBO, and some…err creative solutions for when the portal doesn’t go well.Episode Correction: We talk about changing and canceling rooms in the housing portal. Changing rooms is free, canceling entirely is where you get hit with a $50 fee.Helpful links:Gen Con housing and travelFans of Gen Con Facebook group (EXCELLENT RESOURCE)Gen Con Housing Portal auto-checker (Github link, programmer-friendly resource) We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes Google Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

It's that time of year again, when we think of others and imagine the best gift for them to receive during the holidays. Rich and David go all over books, games, and gaming accessories for those in your life you'd like to bring some gamer joy to.  Got a friend with a new kid? got just the thing! another friend that seems to have everything they need for their RPGs? bet they don't have what we suggest in here. This was fun to record and timely to release.  Game Rundown:Exploding KittensTicket To rideEvolutionUnlock - escape room in a boxPandemicPower GridTrainsRoll for the GalaxyKing of Tokyo Settlers of CatanPirates Cove (Catan) X-Com Board GameRising SunAgricolaScythePandemic LegacyGloomhaven   We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Our series on RPG storytelling concepts and tools continues with us diving into the murky topics of theme and structure. These tend to be tools for authors and filmmakers, but tabletop role-playing games have them too! They tend to be emergent only becoming clear after a few sessions, and not so much prescribed like they are in traditional media. Being aware of your theme can be very powerful for players and dungeon masters alike, staying true to the theme keeps a game alive, knowing how to build on or play with the theme can amplify a good game into greatness.Story structure reminds us that all storytelling follows a structure but then we provide methods that each of us uses to create games. Rich talks about creating modules, Rob talks about creating short campaigns through a chapter approach and David talks about creating an epic campaign arch, which also contributes to world-building.This episode was fantastic to record. We have merchandise now! Listen on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Mordheim is one of those games that is easily overlooked by the core audience of the Games Workshop fanbase but immediately appeals to folks that like to sprinkle in a little bit of role play with their board game. Diana from Femsplaind Podcast and Femnpc joins us to talk all about this print and play skirmish game. Such a fun conversation about the game, and how to hack it for roleplaying and just greatness all around. Diana also runs gaming for a convention: COGS up in the tri-state area and she's always doing projects on twitter and elsewhere. Definitely someone worth following.   We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Our favorite board-game guest, Shara, returns! This time we’re talking about a game older than some of our listeners, but still incredible and worth a few hundred playthroughs - Settlers of Catan! It has many editions and expansions. We talk about the original three expansions: Traders & Barbarians, Cities and Knights, and Seafarers of Catan. There are still national and international tournaments for this fantastic game, which should speak to its greatness in the board gaming scene. Lastly, we cover a bit about Star Trek Catan and our hot take on A Game of Thrones Catan for good measure. Sadly, the bit about a Settlers of Catan movie got cut. Here's the IMDB link if you want more info, but it looks like a dead project.  We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

David and Rich are joined by Braden, creator of LegendKeeper, a world-building and campaign tracking tool. It's a unique approach to blending maps, points of interest and auto-linking wiki articles is an excellent way to build out a world for an RPG or novel. It really sings when you use it to quickly recall any information during a game. We use it here to track HSG hosted games and, even though it is in beta, the feature set is growing rapidly and is already quite useful.  You can find Legendkeeper in these places: Patreon - go here to get your account, costs $5 one time. Website Twitter @legendkeeperapp Discord Subreddit     We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rob from The Table is Yours podcast returns in our continuing series on RPG storytelling. This week we tackle the dreaded MetaGaming! Scourge of all RPGs? Well... it's not so simple. Many GMs and gamers hate when a player character acts on information and knowledge their character couldn't possibly possess. But, we permit many other forms of MetaGaming and MetaKnowledge, such as rewarding good roleplay at the table! We dissect this topic from multiple angles and include tools and frameworks to use MetaKnowledge and MetaGaming in ways that aid the game. Hint: character success is often not the right way to use MetaKnowledge!We'd love your feedback on this episode be sure to join the discussion with one of the many links below. We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Our friend Elise returns to talk about a favorite board game, Evolution: Climate by North Star Games! Elise was on HSG:11 Women in Gaming episode many moons ago when she actually recommended Evolution to us. This game is cute, educational, competitive, and with the Climate rules, it really shines as a game. Elise also teaches Rich some colorful ways to describe cats. You can see Elise's nerd comics on Insta @the_minstrel_cycle We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

David has wanted to talk about this tabletop roleplaying game since day one of HSG. Finally, our friend Mike from Gen Con is free to revel in a shared love for White Wolf Entertainment, the World of Darkness, and Vampire: The Masquerade. Yes, David was once a little goth kid trying to figure things out. The products from White Wolf shaped his early role-playing experiences and shaped him into the kind of game master, dungeon master, and storyteller he is today. Mike similarly was brought up with White Wolf products and shares his passion for the franchise, and what it means to him to get to play this game.We run through the Vampire editions, talk a bit about 5th edition Vampire, and the hunger dice mechanics. Mostly, we focus on the original Masquerade product, White Wolf's history and how it was run through the wringer at CCP Games. Its time at CCP set White Wolf up to struggle after its sale to Paradox Interactive, and how the creation of new White Wolf RPG content really falls to Modiphious. We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Logan Bonner from Paizo joins us to talk about the game, the book, the journey, and the lessons learned in the creation of Pathfinder Second Edition! We are so fortunate to have him on the show. Logan really let us look at how this project came together, dive into some of the thought processes behind 2nd Edition pathfinder, how it compares to other tabletop RPGs, and to first edition. Rich and Dave have enjoyed getting to beta test PF2e in past episodes but this really takes the cake. Pathfinder Second Edition continues the theme of high fantasy, high action roleplaying they're known for, but with some seismic shifts to how the game delivers that style of play to players. Paizo has often focused on player choices and character customization, but in our reading of PF2e they've gone the extra step to make a system that is fundamentally customizable for the game master. Everywhere we looked we found rulesets we liked that could be easily transformed or dropped without breaking the rest of the game. Logan helps us navigate some of those waters.  Great, enjoyable, and informative episode for folks who aren't already fully versed on all things Pathfinder and Paizo. We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rob, from The Table is Yours Podcast, returns to kick-off a new series of episodes we're very excited about. We'll be breaking down the components of storytelling in tabletop role-playing games. This episode starts broadly so we can dive into details later, but we focus on the nature of the conflict, the role of obstacles vs. conflicts, the role of rivals and enemies, and the nature of defeating an obstacle and winning a conflict. We provide some tips for GMs to help sow conflict into their worlds, with plenty of room to fill in details later. We also provide some thoughts on player responsibility at the table and how in an RPG everyone has a role to play. Everyone is a storyteller (managing the world or characters) and the audience. This feedback loop results is a fun game with an interesting and engaging collection of stories to share with one another. Above all, we emphasize the importance of being mindful about the choices DMs and players make to improve games for everyone.   This episode is a bit more in the vein of theory and topics than usual. Let us know what you think and what other topics in this series you'd like to hear about!   We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Mark joins us from the Shelfie community to talk about a truly unique gaming experience at Gen Con, Megagames! These are 50-70 person games that took place at Lucas Oil Stadium, on the field. They are asymmetric games. Lots of players are doing different things and their actions influence the game for other groups and individuals in the most engaging and fascinating way we've ever heard. Mark clearly loved it as he played and helped run several games this year. Impressive, given this was his first time at Gen Con and his first time playing a megagame. These tend to be longer games, at four hours or more, and run in the tens of dollars to play. But, to hear Mark tell it, they're also dynamic and interesting. Apparently, megagames are huge in Europe as well, so lots of opportunities to play these games. Another great episode from our community! If any other Shelfie ever wants to come on the show do what Mark just did. Find us on social media and tell us about and an awesome game you played!     We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

We are so excited to get to talk about Cyberpunk Red, the new tabletop RPG from R. Talsorian Games! well... it's more of a starter kit but still, plenty to work with. JonJontheWise joins us from the Cyberpunk youtube and podcast community, he has a huge wealth of information about the old and new rules. Mostly this episode is David and JonJon geeking out with Rich hanging on for dear life! We go over system updates, lore updates, our thoughts around the game license and what we're hoping to see in the future along with the huge wave of projects we have attached to this effort. A blurb about HSG's upcoming Cyberpunk Red campaign is available here. It did not make the final cut of the episode.Here are JonJon's bonafides:Youtube channel | Twitch | Twitter | Podcast and he does a show with his wife "The Wise and Sassy podcast"   We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN  

Gen Con 2019 is, hands down, the best Gen Con we've ever been to. Amy and Steve join us to talk about the highs and lows of the year's best four days in gaming. We ran events, made and handed out a 'zine, just a crazy fun time on Amy's secret plan to make sure HSG wanted for nothing all convention long. From a party bus to getting to play Cyberpunk Red and Super Robo Rally to a memorial service fro Noodles and Company to the wonderful times we had with the High Shelf Gaming community...This year was insanely fun. Huge thank you to everyone in the High shelf Gaming community who ran games and made the convention better for everyone. Thanks to Scott, Pattrick, Mike, Heather, Hugo, Fernando, and even Rich for running games and giving back to the community in such a selfless way. So freaking cool!This episode is longer and covers fewer games than past wrap-ups, but this was too much to keep to ourselves. Hope you enjoy the retelling of our times at Gen Con 2019. We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Some BIG News in the True Dungeon community. Token Nerfs, RFID chips going into specific high-value tokens, along with many other tidbits that Larry brings us. The first half of this episode is full of news and updates. The last half is a recap of the True Dungeon runs and True Raid event Rich and Larry attended. There are spoilers in the second half of this episode but we call it out, so if you want a completely fresh experience going into Gen Con 2019 you'll have heads up for when to stop listening. Great episode, always love having Larry on.   We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rich has traveled to the land of origin, and many a game were played. Some old, some new. Great times were had by all. Seriously though Origins 2019 sounded like a well-run con this year, with smoother registration and many of the game organizers stepping up their game big time. We tried to get a report on Pathfinder 2E but a police action put Rich on edge. He couldn't really comment on the game while he was distracted. Also, our shirts have been updated. If you ordered in the first couple days and aren't happy with the lettering on the '15th level druid paladin' shirt, you can exchange it with Teespring to get a better print. It's a limited window, so do it right away. We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Megan from Nord Games joins us to talk about some great topics. We cover not only their excellent DM and player tools but so many more things. Megan really embodies the latest wave of D&D players. She has an excellent take on the role Nord Games plays in the gaming scene and how the business of these supplements came together. Behind the scenes, it seems like many game makers lend each other help and look out for one another. Megan provides a peek behind the curtain if you will. And, bonus, this is a super fun episode all around.Nord Games Twitter Facebook / Instagram Discord   P.S. Megan turned us onto Quests & Chaos who make frequent use of their products on Twitch streams!   We have merchandise now! Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN  

The original Shelfie and all-around rockstar HSG community member, Brent, joins Rich and me to talk all about his first convention experience - KublaCon! I swear he's ruined for all other cons. He met and played games with probably half of all board game designers. Brent had an excellent time at KublaCon. So much so, he made a fan page on Facebook: Fans of KublaCon after hearing our episode about the similarly titled 'Fans of Gen Con' (HSG:53)#shelfiesStay on to the end to hear about hotdogs. We have merchandise now!   Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Our friend Barry joins us to talk about a favorite game of ours, Acquire. This market simulation game can get pretty ruthless, and that's just what Barry and I love about it. We talk about tile placement, shares strategy, and the invisible stages of the game and how to spot them. Mostly though, we talk about how much fun we have teaching people to play in the hopes we get more people to play the game with us.   If you love Acquire, let us know!   Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

Rob from The Table is Yours is back this week to talk about Gloomhaven the Legacy Adventure board game!   This game is crazy interesting. The world is so well developed, it's easy to fall in love from that alone. The gameplay itself is well thought out. You'll need a game or two to get acclimated, as there's a specific way each character needs to be played. It can feel a bit stiff in terms of playstyle flexibility. Overall, a great game to play between RPGs, or when the DM needs a break, or if you like a fantasy dungeon crawl legacy game.   Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

This is part 3 of our series on 3D printers. We bring a friend of David's to the show, Ryan, who has a great deal more experience with 3D printers. He has heavily modified printers and has a nice approach to building your own in a way that's not so overwhelming. Ryan has a lot of knowledge to share, so we paired it down to the big highlights.A few great resources he shared with us: https://3dprinterwiki.info/ simplify3D troubleshooting guide - visual dictionary 3dprinting subreddit Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN Likely our last episode for a bit. If you have more questions or ideas on this space share them with us! We'll gladly revisit if there's more interest.  

After escaping the scene at Grindhouse the group lays low for several weeks at SnitchRich's family hideaway. This is the last session of our game and serves as an epilogue. This episode is the last half of session 4 completing our little experiment.   Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN

After escaping the scene at Grindhouse the group lays low for several weeks at SnitchRich's family hideaway. This is the last session of our game and serves as an epilogue. This episode is the first half of session 4.   Listen now on: iTunes GooglePlay Spotify Stitcher    Other places you can connect with the HSG Squad: Facebook @High Shelf Gaming Podcast Twitter @highshelfgaming Friday Night Twitch /highshelfgaming Discord Chat https://discord.gg/tMPCXgN