The Encounter Table Podcast

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Do you ever struggle to make fun and engaging encounters in your tabletop role playing games? Come join the Encounter Table where each week three friends discuss how to make great encounters, game design, and leave you with a fun encounter you could put on your table. Whether you play Dungeons and Dragons, Genesys, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, Powered by the Apocalypse or any other RPG come join us as we figure out how to make our games better!

Tabletop RPG Encounters


    • Apr 19, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 22 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Encounter Table Podcast

    Episode 22: Playing Online

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2023


    In this Episode Ryan, Ralf, and Kade discuss some of the ways playing tabletop RPGs online can make your game better!If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Cocoon Transit by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 21: Session 0

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023


    In this Episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about the importance of Session 0 and then do a session 0 for a game they will play! Also Ralf reveals his true identity as a robot, or he may have left an air purifier on near his microphone, you be the judge!The games we mention in this episode are Genesys, Kids on Bikes, Powered by The Apocalypse, Fiasco, Monster Hearts, and Ryuutama. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Road Fellow by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 20: Playing New Systems Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023


    In this Episode Ryan, Ralf, and Kade continue their discussion on why you should play new systems!The games we mention in this episode are , Scum and Villainy, and Clean-Up Crew. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The songs in our boxed text section are Jespen and Dangerous Swing by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 19: Playing New Systems Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2023


    In this Episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade discuss the barriers (and more importantly how to overcome them) of getting a new system to the table and start pitching different systems.The games we mention in this episode are 7th Seas, Gensys, Savage Worlds, Wretched and Alone SRD, Mouse Guard and Call of Cthulu. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.

    Episode 18: Locations

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2023


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf, and Kade talk about how to use location to inform and improve your encounters.The game we mention in this episode is Barbarians of Lemuria. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The tracks for our boxed text section are Pelliu and Plain Grey by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 17: The Encounter Prompts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2023


    The important thing we mention today is the Solo but not Alone Bundle 3 which you can get now!

    Episode 16: Holiday Special Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023


    In this episode Ralf and Ryan make different encounter PC's may encounter during The Feast of Spirit in the town of Remembrance.The dice used in this episode are from WuDeRPG. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.

    Episode 15: Holiday Special

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022


    In this holiday special Ryan, Ralf, and Kade come up with a holiday for the town of remembrance (the town we created in Episode 12: Making a Location Feel Alive). Then we create an encounter for this holiday!The games we mention in this episode are Savage Worlds and Shadowrun. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Capering by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 14: Make it Weird

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf, and Kade talk about how to inject the weird into your game. Unfortunately there is no boxed text or mid-roll this episode as the editor was quite sick, look forward to that next week.If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.

    Episode 13: How to Get Inspired

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to use inspiration to help run better games and make better encounters!The games we mention in this episode are Gensys, Quixotic SRD and Savage Worlds . If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Circle DR Valga by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 12: Making a Location Feel Alive

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade discuss how to make a locations feel like real place and how to use encounters to do that.The game we mention in this episode are Gensys. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.

    Episode 11: Spooky Encounters

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade come up with a variety of spooky encounters you can put into your table top role playing game game! The games we mention in this episode are Kids on Bikes, Shiver , and Call of Cthulu.. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.

    Episode 10: Horror in RPGs

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf, Kade and special guest Charlie from Parable Games talk about their new game shiver and how to put more horror into your RPG.The games we mention in this episode are Blades in the Dark, Gensys, and Shiver If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Roadside Bunker by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 9: Know Your Players

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how knowing what your players want out of a role-playing game and what interests they have outside of it can improve your encounter designThe book we mention in this episode is The Monsters Know What They are doing. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Turning to You by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 8: Mechanics Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In the second half of this two part episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to be inspired by and use mechanics from other games in order to run better encounters and better games.The games we mention in this episode are Numenera, Powered by The Apocalypse, Savage Worlds and The Dark Eye. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Gilly Wash by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 7: Mechanics Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In the first part of this two part episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to be inspired by and use mechanics from other games in order to run better encounters and better games.The games we mention in this episode are Blades in the Dark, Powered by The Apocalypse, Scum and Villainy, Barbarians of Lemuria, Don't Rest Your Head, Dune, The Lumen SRD, Slayers, Clean Up Crew, WuDeRPG, The Wretched, Wretched and Alone SRD and Dread . If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Um Pepino by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 6: Choices with Impact

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to think about the choices you provide players in encounters that have impact on the game.The games and books we mention in this episode are Genesys, 7th Seas, and The Monsters Know What they are Doing. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Service Road 237 by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 5: Tension

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In this episode Ralf, Kade and Ryan talk about how to use tension to make encounters feel more important and how to push your story forward. The games we mention in this episode are Blades in the Dark, Dread, and Call of Cthulu. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Shields Up by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 4: Stakes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to use stakes, or the consequences of failing, to make your encounters more interesting.The games we mention in this episode are Blades in the Dark, Powered by The Apocalypse, Gensys, Scum and Villainy, and Shadowrun. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page www.patreon.com/the_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Flashing Runner by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 3: Modes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In this episode Ryan, Ralf and Kade talk about how to use the different modes of play to make your encounters more interesting.The games we mention in this episode are Shadowrun, Gensys, Pathfinder, and Barbarians of Lemuria, If you want to support our podcast you can buy games through our affiliate link or head to our patreon page at www.patreon.com/The_Encounter_Table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music in this episode for the boxed text was Our Only Lark by Blue dot Sessions. You can find their music at Sessions.Blue.

    Episode 2: Goals

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


    In this episode Kade, Ralf, and Ryan discuss Goals. Talking about the different ways you can adjust the goals of the PCs, NPCs, and Enemies to create more interesting encounters. If you want to support our podcast you can buy games through our affiliate link or head to our patreon page at www.patreaon.com/The_encounter_table. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast, leave a five star rating and review, or tell your friends about us.The music for our boxed text section is Darkened Treeline by Blue dot Sessions.

    Episode 1: What makes Encounters Interesting?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2022 44:29


    In this episode Kade, Ralf, and Ryan discuss six elements you can use to make an encountering interesting: Goals, Mode, Stakes, Tension, Choices, and Mechanics. The games we mention in this episode are Blades in the Dark, 7th Seas, and Feng Shui. If you want to support our podcast you can buy those games through the affiliate links or head to our patreon page. If you'd like to support us in a non-monetary way you can subscribe to our podcast and leave a five star rating and review.The music for our boxed text section is Trod Along by Blue dot Sessions.

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