What Would The Smart Party Do?

How much should players contribute to the ttrpg experience? How much are they allowed too? The lads discuss getting more out of your gaming sessions.

Live From the Spring Kraken 2024 in Germany, Gaz joined forces with game designer Robin D Laws and fellow Unconventional GM Guy Milner to give a seminar on running adventures games for ttrpgs. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠⁠.

How do you put more character in your #ttrpg character? You don't have to go full method actor, here are some simple and actionable ideas to get you started. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠.

Episode 186 – What Games Workshop Can Teach Us There's a lot of crossover between geeky hobbies, and with the lads both working for the big Games Workshop back in the day, what can skirmish games teach us about RPGs? If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs YouTube channel⁠.

Episode 185 – Cities (aka Fantasy Tripadvisor) After wandering the wilderness and diving down dungeons, plucky adventurers wish to go to an enthralling city. Maybe your entire campaign is based around one location. The lads explore various cities from ttrgps and the merits and flaws thereof! If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 184 – Hot War, Cold City (with Jon Hodgson and Malcolm Craig) Joining the ‘cast this time, Jon Hodgson of Handiwork Games and RPG author and academic Malcolm Craig. The Cold War period and monster hunting in Berlin come to the fore as the lads dive into Hot War and Cold City among other great games from the Handiwork studio! You can find out more about Malcolm Craig here. And here are some links for Handiwork Games:Hot War & Cold CityFiveEvilMaskwitchesBeowulf If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 183 – Unacceptable! (a.k.a. It's Not You It's Us) There are a plethora of gaming events to go to these days and you meet all kinds of people and playstyles. Often this is a cause for celebration, a way to pick up new ideas and techniques. Sometimes though, it's suboptimal. There are still some people who haven't got the memo about gaming with others, and this time the lads aim to set things straight.

Episode 182 – How To GM with Justin Alexander The lads are delighted to have returning Good Friend of the Show, RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. He's got a new book coming out, available in all good purveyors of such things, So You Want To Be A Game Master. Join for great insights, some not seen or heard before on the Alexandrian (or maybe anywhere!) and to get a unique precis of what is in this fine work. Visit Justin's excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as check out what's hot at Atlas Games. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel.

Episode 181 – Gaming in Ukraine with Tasha from idearoll Fresh from The Kraken gaming retreat, the lads have met old friends and made new ones. Chief among those is Tasha from the idearoll youtube channel, who joins them this week to talk about gaming events, the scene in Ukraine and challenges of the current environment. A great episode full of enthusiasm and community spirit! You can find the idearoll channel below (in Ukrainian), which also has several other links for supporting the team's efforts. idearoll on YouTube. Get yourself a copy of the Vaesen Spirits and Monsters of Mythic Ukraine on Drivethru here. Charitable links:Defence And DeminingMedical AidRebuild UkraineCome Back AliveHospitallers If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less.

Episode 180 – Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb Returning special guest Rob Schwalb, creator of Shadow of the Demonlord, Punk Apocalyptica, D&D designer and more, returns to the show to tell us all about his design process and work on his new Kickstarter, Shadow of the Weird Wizard. The Kickstarter project page is here: Shadow of the Weird Wizard. If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less.

Episode 179 – Pendragon 6e with David Larkins Returning special guest David Larkins, Line Editor for the King Arthur Pendragon RPG joins the lads to talk about the new edition, it's starter set and get back to basics on what Pendragon is all about for new players and old hands alike! If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 178 – Starforged With Shawn Tomkin Returning special guest Shawn Tomkin, designer of Ironsworn and of particular interest this time, Starforged. It's an excellent Sci Fi RPG and well worth digging into, which is exactly what the lads do this time! If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 177 – Wilderness Travel Fancy a trip to the Isle of Dread!? This episode the lads take a look at traveling in the wilderness, how to make it interesting and what tips and trips can improve the journey. If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours!

Episode 176 – Dungeons Not Dragons Whether you're from the old school days of white-lined maps on blue backgrounds, or newly arrived at the idea of maps, scouring the internet for your Roll20 backgrounds, dungeons have a long and storied history in RPGs. Join the lads as they look back over the years at dungeons, what makes them good and how they can be used better. If you dig actual plays then check out the new ⁠Unconventional GMs⁠ for games played in about two hours

If you're a fan of the show, you'll know we love AGON, powered by the Paragon system. This time the lads are delighted to be joined by Sean Nittner, the co-author and independent game designer Tim Denee, who's done some great stuff with the game. Come on in for a deep dive on the game design process, what makes these sets of games great and how to squeeze more gaming juice from your sessions! Evil Hat have a ton of great games you can peruse for your delectation on their website.You can see more of Tim's great work on his website, Old Dog GamesIf you're in the US, or plan on travelling there for a convention, find out about Big Bad Con here. If you dig actual plays then check out the new Unconventional GMs for games played in about two hours!

Episode 174 – Beyond Dread Portals (a.k.a. Climinal) This time the boys are joined by Good Friend of the Show and returning guest Dr Mitch and Newt from D101 Games to talk about their new project Beyond Dread Portals. A game for those wanting to move slightly away from what D&D has to offer, but with some familiarity so the leap of faith isn't too scary!

Episode 185 - Cities (aka Fantasy Tripadvisor) After wandering the wilderness and diving down dungeons, plucky adventurers wish to go to an enthralling city. Maybe your entire campaign is based around one location. The lads explore various cities from ttrgps and the merits and flaws thereof! If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 184 - Hot War, Cold City (with Jon Hodgson and Malcolm Craig) Joining the 'cast this time, Jon Hodgson of Handiwork Games and RPG author and academic Malcolm Craig. The Cold War period and monster hunting in Berlin come to the fore as the lads dive into Hot War and Cold City among other great games from the Handiwork studio! You can find out more about Malcolm Craig here. And here are some links for Handiwork Games: Hot War & Cold City FiveEvil Maskwitches Beowulf If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 183 - Unacceptable! (a.k.a. It's Not You It's Us) There are a plethora of gaming events to go to these days and you meet all kinds of people and playstyles. Often this is a cause for celebration, a way to pick up new ideas and techniques. Sometimes though, it's suboptimal. There are still some people who haven't got the memo about gaming with others, and this time the lads aim to set things straight. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 182 - How To GM with Justin Alexander The lads are delighted to have returning Good Friend of the Show, RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. He's got a new book coming out, available in all good purveyors of such things, So You Want To Be A Game Master. Join for great insights, some not seen or heard before on the Alexandrian (or maybe anywhere!) and to get a unique precis of what is in this fine work. Visit Justin's excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as check out what's hot at Atlas Games. If you dig actual plays played with vim and vigour, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 181 - Gaming in Ukraine with Tasha from idearoll Fresh from The Kraken gaming retreat, the lads have met old friends and made new ones. Chief among those is Tasha from the idearoll youtube channel, who joins them this week to talk about gaming events, the scene in Ukraine and challenges of the current environment. A great episode full of enthusiasm and community spirit! You can find the idearoll channel below (in Ukrainian), which also has several other links for supporting the team's efforts. idearoll on YouTube. Get yourself a copy of the Vaesen Spirits and Monsters of Mythic Ukraine on Drivethru here. Charitable links: Defence And Demining Medical Aid Rebuild Ukraine Come Back Alive Hospitallers If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 180 - Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb Returning special guest Rob Schwalb, creator of Shadow of the Demonlord, Punk Apocalyptica, D&D designer and more, returns to the show to tell us all about his design process and work on his new Kickstarter, Shadow of the Weird Wizard. You can jump on in for the Kickstarter project here, or just pick up the free quickstart to see if it's your sort of thing! Shadow of the Weird Wizard. If you dig actual plays, check out the new Unconventional GMs YouTube channel. Lots of great games played with vim and vigour in two hours or less. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 179 - Pendragon 6e with David Larkins Returning special guest David Larkins, Line Editor for the King Arthur Pendragon RPG joins the lads to talk about the new edition, it's starter set and get back to basics on what Pendragon is all about for new players and old hands alike! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 178 - Starforged With Shawn Tomkin Returning special guest Shawn Tomkin, designer of Ironsworn and of particular interest this time, Starforged. It's an excellent Sci Fi RPG and well worth digging into, which is exactly what the lads do this time! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 177 - Wilderness Travel Fancy a trip to the Isle of Dread!? This episode the lads take a look at traveling in the wilderness, how to make it interesting and what tips and trips can improve the journey. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 176 - Dungeons Not Dragons Whether you're from the old school days of white-lined maps on blue backgrounds, or newly arrived at the idea of maps, scouring the internet for your Roll20 backgrounds, dungeons have a long and storied history in RPGs. Join the lads as they look back over the years at dungeons, what makes them good and how they can be used better. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 175 - Paragon System with Sean Nittner and Tim Denee If you're a fan of the show, you'll know we love AGON, powered by the Paragon system. This time the lads are delighted to be joined by Sean Nittner, the co-author and independent game designer Tim Denee, who's done some great stuff with the game. Come on in for a deep dive on the game design process, what makes these sets of games great and how to squeeze more gaming juice from your sessions! Evil Hat have a ton of great games you can peruse for your delectation on their website. You can see more of Tim's great work on his website, Old Dog Games If you're in the US, or plan on travelling there for a convention, find out about Big Bad Con here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 174 - Beyond Dread Portals (a.k.a. Climinal) This time the boys are joined by Good Friend of the Show and returning guest Dr Mitch and Newt from D101 Games to talk about their new project Beyond Dread Portals. A game for those wanting to move slightly away from what D&D has to offer, but with some familiarity so the leap of faith isn't too scary! The Beyond Dread Portals Kickstarter page https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/645319106/beyond-dread-portals D101 Games website https://d101games.com More about OpenQuest https://openquestrpg.com Crypts and Things https://d101games.com/product/crypts-and-things-remastered/ Reboot the Future https://d101games.com/product/crypts-and-things-remastered/ If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 173 - Third Floor Wars (a.k.a. Third Party Podcaster) A third podcaster, Craig Shipman from Third Floor Wars joins the lads this time to talk about some of our collective GM experiences at running three different games. From Blades in the Dark to Savage Worlds by way of Call of Cthulhu, this mighty triumvirate of gaming tells you what's hot and what's not, with tips, tricks and experiences of running these popular RPGs. To listen to John Harper's series on running Blades and more, head on over to his Youtube channel. The the glorious media empire of Third Floor Wars and more of Craig's great content visit the website here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 172 - OGL OMG (a.k.a. Version Wars) There has been no end of social media frenzy about Hasbro / Wizards of the Coast and their attempt to introduce a new Open Gaming Licence. What is? Why are they doing? What's everyone upset about? Does it impact your game at the kitchen table? Find out, all this and more, with special guest Mat from Steamforged Games. If you are interested in the legal aspects of all this check out Legal Eagle. The latest on the open D&D playtest and OGL 1.2 is on the WotC website. For Games Workshop reminiscing, Baz talked about Goonhammer. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 171 - 2022 Retrospective (a.k.a. A Polite Golf Clap) A look back on the past year, what's been good for gaming, what can we look forward to and more. A genial fireside chat with your amiable hosts. If you are interested in solo play for Ironsworn as mentioned check out this channel. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 170 - Star Wars (a.k.a. Live Long And Prosper) A chance to reminisce among other things, the lads chatter about bringing Star Wars into your gaming life and what's good about that. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 169 - Mechanics Drive Play (a.k.a. Long Chambery Things) Following on from emergent play in the last episode, the lads go through a cornucopia of games and systems to talk about mechanics which drive different styles of play. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 168 - Emergent Play (a.k.a. Play To Find Out) From thick books of lore to many-paged character backgrounds, how do you get cool stuff to the table? Do you even bother with all that and play to find out instead? The lads chat about how to get more juiciness from your gaming sessions. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 167 - One D&D (a.k.a. There Can Be Only One) The guys are keen for a deep dive into the latest D&Dizzle news, fresh playtest documents, talk of a new approach, a lengthy train in the run up to the most recent evolution of the world's largest RPG, "One D&D". If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 166 - Radiant Citadel with Ajit George (a.k.a. A New Hope) The guys are joined by lovely human and creator and project lead of Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel, Ajit George. Discover how the project came about, what to expect from the latest D&D offering, how it's different from what's gone before and much more! You can find Ajit on Twitter, or check out his website for more of his great work. Want more lore? As mentioned in the episode, Journeys Through Radiant Citadel is a DMsGuild project which provides expanded content from many of the writers. To hear more about his non-profit work, check out Daughters of Destiny on Netflix - you can see a trailer on YouTube If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 165 - D&D in the 70s (a.k.a. A Gateway To Wider Experiences) This time Gaz & Baz are reunited to talk about playing D&D back in the day. Joined by D&D designer and Good Friend of the Show, Jonathan Tweet, plus legendary DM Hollis Monroe, the guys talk through early experiences before Greyhawk existed and you had to make your own worlds of wondrous adventure. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 164 - Escape Rooms with Rafael Chandler Another Stunt Baz in the shape of Mat from Steamforged Games, a returning special guest in the splendid form of Good Friend of the Show, Rafael Chandler; what more could you ask for? Rafael has a successful Escape Room business and is (at time of recording) launching a Kickstarter for a 100+ puzzle escape room in a box which becomes a roleplaying game. The guys chat about puzzles in your games, how to come up with them, what makes them interesting and much more in this episode. You can jump on in on the Gateways & Griffons Kickstarter here, and find out much more on Rafael's excellent works via his website. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 163 - New Gaming Tech (a.k.a. Is Verisimilitude a Word?) There's a foreword this time from Baz to let you know what's going on in his life, thoughts are with him right now. The episode was recorded before his recent sad news, and after the into message regular Stunt Baz and author of the Burn After Running blog joins Gaz to talk about new gaming tech. What developments have their been in RPG techniques and how can they be leveraged for use in any game, including more traditional ones? Level up your RPG sessions with these top tips. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 162 - Zombies with Dirk the Dice (a.k.a. Goldeneye Caused It) The Unknown Stunt Baz, Dirk the Dice off of The Grognard Files podcast joins Gaz this time to talk about zombies in popular media and in particular, games. From their origins to the hugely popular K-Zombie films and TV, how do we get more shambly bois in our games? You can chat to Dirk on the Twitters here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 161 - Justin Alexander Interview (a.k.a. Was Dragonlance Railroady?) Armed with "Stunt Baz" Guy Milner off of the Burn After Running blog, this time Gaz interviews RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. The chat covers the excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as well as what's hot at Atlas Games and some great game design discussion. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 160 - Blade Runner (a.k.a. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) One of the most universally recognised IPs in geekdom, Blade Runner is a staple of the lad's early film experiences. Now Free League are bringing the films (and other media) to life with a new RPG set in futuristic LA. Designer Tomas Härenstam guests to explain more about this highly anticipated game! If you want to hop on board with the exciting Blade Runner Kickstarter click the link! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 159 - Superheroes (a.k.a. Not All Heroes Wear Capes) With great podcasting, comes great responsibility to listen. Or something. This time the lads go through some Supers RPGs. What are they about? Do they match the genre? Are they any good? All this and more awaits. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 158 - Dark Souls (a.k.a. You Wake Up By A Bonfire) So it is, ash seeketh embers… this time the lads are joined by Mat Hart and Rich August from Steamforged Games to talk about the Dark Souls RPG, and go deep diving into game design theory. You can find out more on Dark Souls and other Steamforged goodies at the Steamforged website. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 156 - Campaigns a.k.a. One Scenario After Another What makes a good campaign? This time the lads explore what's out there in published campaign land and seek to determine what sort of campaigns there are, what makes them good and throw out some top tips and recommendations. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 156 - Runequest a.k.a. Your Glorantha May Vary The starter set is out for the latest edition of an old classic, Runequest. As Baz plunders this resource and gives his thoughts, Gaz expands in this knowledge with a tour through previous editions and the lads try to answer the core question of any game - what's cool about it? If you want to hear more about Runequest, Baz's side project going through the starter set is here: Runequest Year Zero If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 155 - Review of 2021 a.k.a. Recording at the fag-end New year, new you and new podcast. The lads go over the year that was, 2021, with all its trials, tribulations and great gaming moments. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 153 - Subsystems a.k.a. Cut Down Like Ep1 of Squid Game The lads chat through chases, Dramatic Tasks, the funnel, spell duels, grappling and all other manner of subsystems and extra bits. COre mechanics are all very well and good, but how do you do mass battle? Find out in this episode! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Bonus Episode - Writing RPG Scenarios for Publication The lads went down to London Village for Dragonmeet and presented in their usual seminar slot. This time they were joined by special guests Paul Fricker (Call of Cthulhu, Rivers of London) and Mat Hart (Steamforged Games) to talk in a wide-ranging presentation on writing your own content for RPGs and getting it out there. Topics included what to write, how to get started, writing for companies or yourself, Kickstarter and more. Enjoy! You can grab yourself some Epic Encounters and other goodness on the Steamforged Website! Get yourselves a top Call of Cthulhu scenario at Drivethru. You can also get The Bone Alchemist referenced in the seminar and King of Dungeons in the same place too! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 153 - Shane Hensley Interview a.k.a Shaken Not Stirred The lads were delighted to have one of their gaming heroes on this time, founder of Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Shane Hensley. He's created the best-selling, award-winning Deadlands, Hell on Earth, Weird Wars, and later Savage Worlds and many of its settings. He's also written for God's Own Game Earthdawn, TORG, and many other things, plus worked on computer games such as City of Villains. Chat covers everything from his classic games to getting assaulted by an orc! You can grab yourself some Savage Worlds goodness on the Pinnacle Website! Get yourselves answers and chat about Savage Worlds and other games on the Pinnacle Forums. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 152 - Jason Cordova Interview a.k.a Shouting Into The Void Jason Cordova joins the lads to chat about his own podcasting experience on Fear of a Black Dragon, hot indie rpgs like The Between and Brindlewood Bay, game design, streaming and much more! Follow Jason on Twitter. You can find out more about the Gauntlet and cool techniques and games on his website. Get your earballs around the excellent Fear of a Black Dragon here! Get yourselves a copy of The Between on Drivethru You can get Brindelwood Bay actual plays and more on his YouTube. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)