AGC News August 8th 2011 (12:40)

With Mags. Transformers brings Hasbro some money. FFG picks up the Star Wars licenses. Intellectual property disputes and plagiarism. Second Edition Game of Thrones board game coming from FFG. More intellectual propery conflicts. Munchkin: The Guild! NG International liquidating. Diamond to distribute Cryptozoic's The Walking Dead Board Game. Futurama Monopoly. Pathfinder Battles! The Battleship movie trailer. Even more IP dispute.


Download 64kbps mp3 (5.82 MB)


Show links
Star Wars: X-Wing (Fantasy Flight Game)
Star Wars: The Card Game (Fantasy Flight Games)
Encounters in Intellectual Property (Mad Brew Labs)
Wilderness of Mirrors (John Wick Presents)
Sword Noir (Sword's Edge Publishing)
Paizo Copyright Flap (Geek Related)
Obsidian Portal
Paizo Publishing Community Use Policy
Paizo Publishing Community Use Packages
A Game of Thrones Board Game (Fantasy Flight Games)
CGF sends cease and desist regarding unlicensed version of Glory To Rome (BoardGameGeek)
Glory To Rome Black Box Edition (Kickstarter)
Dice Age (Kickstarter)
Battleship Trailer (Hollywood Reporter)
BattleLore Copyright Infringement and Unfair Competition Suit (Patent Arcade)

AGC Extra #36: Hellas Actual Play from GenCon 2010 (3:10:27)

An AGC extra-special Extra! To tide you over while we're at GenCon 2011, here's Mags's recording of our GenCon 2010 Hellas: Worlds of Sun and Stone actual play session with gamemaster (and game author) Jerry Grayson.

WARNING: This file is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's....

Okay, well, it's not that big. But it is over three hours of audio, coming in at 174 Mb file size for the MP3 (the WAV file was 961 Mb!). So for that reason, we're hosting the file offsite at Mediafire, for you to download at your leisure. Perhaps you'll enjoy listening to it while driving to GenCon, or while re-grouting your bathroom, or during some other time-intensive activity.

Anyway, enjoy, and see you after GenCon!

AGC 155 August 2nd 2011 (Summer Convention Spectacular!) (1:22:38)

With Mark Kinney, Carol and Mags. From FandomFest 2011! GenCon is coming soon! Gaming at FandomFest (Savage Worlds!). Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition. Blackwyrm debuting books! And the interviews begin! Claude Miles of ConCave and Breakfast Impossible! Jerry Hall from Urban Vikings! John Johnson of Plan 9! Clint Black (Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager) of Pinnacle Entertainment! And, of course, Sean Patrick Fannon of DriveThruRPG, Silvermeet Studios, and Reality Blurs, and Carinn Seabolt of Silvermeet (and a big announcement)!


Download 64kbps mp3 (37.8 MB)


Show links
FandomFest
Concave
Breakfast Impossible
Breakfast Impossible Facebook Page
Urban Vikings
Urban Vikings Facebook Page
Plan 9
Plan 9 Teaser Trailer
Pinnacle Entertainment Group (Savage Worlds)
Pinnacle Forums
Pinnacle Licensees
DriveThruRPG
Silvermeet Studios Facebook Page
Reality Blurs
AGC 92: Sean Announces His Quest
AGC 97: The Quest Result!


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Our Pick For This Episode:Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)

AGC 154 July 31st 2011 (Big Money, No Whammy!) (44:50)

With Mark Kinney, Carol and Mags. Maybe not getting caught up as quickly as we'd like. HyperiCon and the renfaire. DriveThruRPG Codes and Picks. A summary of the ENnies predictions (check for the file of our deliberations linked off the side of the website). Rewarding players. Given or earned? Bennies! Success! Treasure! Plotlines! Freebie skills! Horns of Superiority!(?) Some notes on pronunciation. Been to FandomFest, but still do GenCon. And we're not doing Time Travel next time, either. So there.


Download 64kbps mp3 (20.5 MB)


Show links
Eloy Lasanta's Blog


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Fiasco Companion (Bully Pulpit Games)
Carol: Instant Antagonist: The Creepy Cottontail (Flames Rising Press)
Mags: Limitless SotC Bundle (Evil Hat Productions)
Also: Spirit of the Century/Don't Rest Your Head Bundle (Evil Hat Productions)
Also Also:Spirit/Diaspora Bundle (Evil Hat Productions)


Promos
Weekly Comics Spotlight
On The Edge of Darkness
Nerdbound Podcast

AGC 153 July 19th 2011 (And The Award Goes To...) (1:03:35)

With Carol and Mags. An overview of the Origins Awards results and the Diana Jones Award shortlist (and evidently Carol reviews Green Lantern).


Download 64kbps mp3 (29.1 MB)


Show links
2011 Origins Award Winners (Critical Hits)
Washington Post article on Settlers of Catan
Play by Post
The Diana Jones Award


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Carol: Fear-Maker's Promise Compenium (White Wolf)
Mags: Adamant Entertainment (Modern Dispatch GM Aids)
Also: Changeling Starter Kit (White Wolf)


Promos
Rolling 20s (Episode 1)
BaltiCon Podcast

AGC News July 15th 2011 (22:26)

With Mark, Carol and Mags. Filosophia buys Z-Man Games! Mayfair gets in on the Discworld action! Yu-Gi-Oh North American qualifiers! Field Commander Napoleon. IceDice delays. Evil Hat gets into board and card games. Cookie Fu Clan Fortune Decks. Secret of Monte Cristo and the Action Slide! Uno Roboto. More on Privateer Press. Game Crafter 2.0! The passing of some authors and producers, as well as a gaming tribute to the U.S. Space Shuttle program.


Download 64kbps mp3 (10.2 MB)


Show links
Field Commander Napoleon (Dan Verssen Games)
Cookie Fu Clan Decks
Secret of Monte Cristo (Z-Man Games)
Uno Roboto (Mattel)
The Game Crafter
Space Chess (The Space Store)

Audience Suggested Topics: How We've Done So Far

Back in 2009, we received a lot of audience suggestions for show topics, and have been slowly working our way through the list. I thought it might be a good idea to post what episodes have covered which suggested topics. We haven't saved who sent us specific suggestions over the years, so we do apologize for that!

1) Will the box set ever come back? Successful box sets over the years.

We haven't done a specific show about this, but we have mentioned in the past couple of years that box sets are definitely returning to the market (as evidenced by recent releases from WotC and Pathfinder).

2) I would love to get a "Carol-sized" review of early editions of D&D. I know this might be more into Ben's part, but for those of us that started in the hobby in the later '80s and have none of the books, it would be fun to get a better understanding of where we came from.

Carol didn't do it, but the RPG Buffet recently devoted 2010 to a solid year of Dungeons and Dragons, starting with Mark's copy of the old Red Box and finishing up with 4th edition. Mark posted all of the episodes at YearOfDungeons.blogspot.com. For a look at D&D from the beginning, check out the episode Mags and RPG Buffet Steve did on early editions.

3) I still want to hear about the rest of the myths.

We talked about myths surrounding dice in one of our episodes--I forget which one, now. We haven't heard a whole lot of myths, so if you know of some we haven't covered, send them in!

4) ...as someone who is returning to RPGs after twenty years, I would like a show about the state of the hobby as it is now. What are the major divisions with the hobby (the most recent episode that I listened to was all about retro-clones, for example), who are the major players, what are the major cons, what are the best systems for people who like space opera? or basic fantasy role play? What online or software support is there for players and GMs in the various systems? Hints and tips to people who are returning to the hobby after being away for a long time--websites to check out.

This suggestion actually had about three show topics in one request: review of the hobby in general, best systems suggestions for newbie/returning players, and electronic support. We did do a State of the Hobby episode that actually helped get us nominated for an ENnie. We've also done AGC #129 - There's and App For That and AGCExtra #37 - The EBook Roundtable. We continue to follow up on these topics!


5) Playtesting. How to playtest a game you're developing. How to be an effective playtest group. Stories about playtesting.

We have some pretty limited playtest experience, but that doesn't mean we can't get some game publishers in here to talk about playtesting. We'll look into it!

6) Healthy snack ideas for the game table.

We'll put this one to the RPG Buffet, since they're the ones who do all the cooking. Mags does have a RPG-themed cookbook review that Mark needs to post....

7) Good pick-up games for when your scheduled game falls through.

There's a lot of options, so we will explore this!

8) Experimental GMing: non-traditional ideas and concepts on h ow to run a game. I've seen a lot of creative GMing techniques and some might work for some groups and not others. Some examples might be letting players play NPCs, starting in media res, not letting players keep track of hit points, etc.

We do talk about a lot of "non-traditional" ways that GMs can interact with their players, but we've never devoted a full episode to it. We should change that!

9) Being a better player: A lot of RPG advice revolved around the GM but the players are just as important to the game. Give ideas on how players can incorporate themselves further into the game.

You want AGC #124 - Hate the Player, Not the Game, where we discuss what it takes to be a good player (and not just in the "brings snacks for the GM" sense).

10) Deep mechanics - taking a mechanic from a game that you analyze. Examples would be rollover, roll-under, aspects (from FATE), dicepools, percentile. What are the benefits and flaws of each system. What games can we find them in and where to they really shine or fail?

...and from another listener:

One thing I would like to hear more about is a break down of basic systems. Rather than individual games using various systems, I would like to hear more about FATE, D6, d20, etc. from a more generic standpoint. I would love to hear about systems that I'm unfamiliar with from a strictly mechanic standpoint and not a plot or thematic standpoint.

This is another topic we may need to go outside #1 AGC Plaza to explore--get a game designer or two in to discuss why they chose certain mechanics, what they like about them, etc.

11) Paulo Freire developed a method of instruction he labeled "critical pedagogy". One of the key points of this pedagogical approach is to have students develop critical literacy, also called "critical consciousness", to be able to critically understand their worl. Can RPGs be used as a tool for developing critical literacy, and would anyone want to play such a game? Socially-aware dark future games like Underground and Cyberpunk are obvious choices for a critical RPG, but games from White Wolf could probably hold their own in this capacity as well.

Carol and Carrin Seabolt talked about this topic at some length in AGC #121 - Happy New Year V.

12) A show where you each extol the virtues of your favorite games: Mags for Mage, Carol for Changeling, and Mark for ?

You know, this is probably a topic we won't so, for the simple reason that we tend to go on about our favorite games in every episode anyway!

13) A show where you each explain why a certain system should NOT be played.

We take the position that (barring statistical outliers such as the F.A.T.A.L. RPG) every system has its fans, and who are we to tell them that they can't enjoy their favorite game? So we probably won't do this one.

14) A show where you trace the history of a particular game (like you did with the D&D retro-clones).

This is a good suggestion--we just have to get organized about it! :)

15) A show where you take control and talk about what is near and dear to you, whether it's gaming or something else.

But...but...but gaming is near and dear to us! That's why we do the podcast!

16) A show where you go into some of the gamer jargon that's around nowadays - like 'metagaming', 'GNS gaming", etc.

I could have sworn that we recorded a show about this very topic in the last year or so. Perhaps it's in the hopper? Will check with Mark!

17) Review virtual tabletop softwar for playing RPGs with your friends that are scattered across the country (or ocean!). Such VTT as Fantasy Grounds, iTabletop, Battlegrounds, d20Pro, etc. and use of Skype or other voice0based programs to communicate with. Throw in some tips for how to record your sessions as well.

...and:

Running a Skype game (what to use, what's needed, scheduling tips)

We will get on Carol (AGC's Official Librarian and Electronic Guru) to research some of these.

18) Gaming with family

I think we've touched on this in a few episodes (Carol's a stepmom) and her show The Secret Life of Girl Gamers explored this topic in depth in episode #9, but we've never focused a show on it. We'll see if we can't get some gaming parents into the studio to discuss it!

19) Pirates!

We've talked about doing a pirate episode...we just did a spy one...just have to get organized!

20) Planning for a long game

We're not sure we understand this suggestion. Is this planning for a campaign, or planning for a particularly long single gaming session?

21) You could do a show on games that have a regional connotation that do not take place in California or NYC. For example, the Morrow Project has a large section with the Kentucky Free State.

We're not quite sure, other than listing the RPGs, what we would say about such a topic....

22) Hard-core gamers versus hard-core gamers who are also collectors; people who collect games because they don't get enough time to play; collection references (eBay history, Heroic Worlds by Lawrence Schick, etc.)

We do plan an episode on collection in general, and will be addressing these points.

23) Review of the most popular RPG forums, their benefits and detractions

Mags is a moderator over at RPG.Net, so she may have to bow out of this topic. We can research it!

24) We're all gamers, but we are also split between our various game systems--how to come together. Getting one-system players to try other game systems.

We've touched on this before in various episodes, and Mags has extolled the virtues of one-shot as a possible solution to this problem.

25) Pitching a game to your group. "Nah, I'm not interested in that": How to get the group interested in your game pitch.

This topic may be part of the ongoing Mags The Axe School of Gamemastering series.

26) Gaming controversies

You want AGC #98 - Parental Discretion Is Advised where we cover controversies in gaming. And see also AGC #4 - Gaming Advocacy for a discussion of some controversies and efforts to address them.

27) Geek Social Fallacies

We've talked about these as part of other topics, but in general, the Five Geek Social Fallacies aren't a gaming-specific topic, so we won't be devoting a whole show to them.

28) Getting a game group together; maintain a current game group; adding new members to a current game group.

In AGC #52 - Starting A Gaming Group and Other Things, Mark and Chris Number One discuss starting up a group. In AGC Presents The Mags The Axe School of Gamemastering #3 - Finding Players, we devoted time to round up people to play. Future episodes will address the care and feeding of a gaming group.

29) Hidden gems in the gamer blogosphere

This will probably be addressed when we get together an online resources episode.

30) Giants in the industry (profiling the giants in the game industry: what they've done, where they've worked, future projects)

The thing about giants in the industry? They aren't always available for interviews. :) But we can try!

31) Is the $100 game becoming the standard (FFG Warhammer Fantasy 3rd ed box set) / cost of gaming books over the years (compare the past prices with the present prices, equivalent money over time, etc.).

Game prices affect all of us who love this hobby, and this is a topic that deserves some attention. Will have to research!

32) Introducing people to RPGs

I'm going back through the archives, and I don't see where we've done this as a topic. Let me check with Mark.

33) (from the same listener) Or...Need More GMs - Teaching Player How to GM Games. Growing the base, top ten things every GM should practice.

This is the raison d'etre of the Mags The Axe School of Gamemastering!

In AGC #104 - Crush Your Enemies! Dean Mags presented a lecture on making the jump from player to GM.

In AGC ##109 - Keeping Your Head Above Water, Mags and the gang discussed the fine art of GM improvisation.

In Mags The Axe School of Gamemastering #1 - Organizing Your Notes For A Game, Mags talked about what you might need to have behind the gamemaster screen.

And the three part series about convention gaming (which contains much advice useful for the starting GM) that Mags did in 2009 can be found in these episodes

AGC #99 - Conventions and Bounty Head BeBop
AGC #102 - A Little Spring Cleaning
AGC #103 - 4 Years and Over The Edge


34) The character sheet as a love letter to the GM

We're choosing to interpret this as "how you can use your character sheet to give the GM stories to work with". We'll look at doing this topic.

35) Social Contracts

You want AGC #142 - Taking A Contract Out On Your Players

36) Top Ten Worst and Best Moments in Gaming (industry or play)

We might start doing this as a Year in Review sort of thing.

37) RPG Makeover Segment - pick a game and "fix" it.

Another podcast does the "Pimp My Character" thing, and we didn't want to seem like we were doing anything too close to that...

38) It's Our Story: Collaborative storytelling/storyplaying games/sharing narrative control/shared world and character creation, from around the camp fire to the dinner table.

This is an excellent suggestion, and one we will research!

39) "Failing forward" - John Wick. Discussing player influence over when they fail, and avoiding the Whiff Factor (roling a failure when your character should have succeeded). Plus: in S7S (Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies) earning Training Points for failing. Ways to keep the momentum of a game going forward while complications keep events interesting. Examples: you pick the lock but break a tool, you free the prince but the ogre hears you, you defeat the duke but his niece comes after you in the next campaign.

This is an excellent suggestion, and one we will research!

40) Cookies! Reward systems in RPGs: drama dice, FATE points, and other incentives to do risky, daring, stupid things to obtain goals, advance and entertain your friends.

We just (like, last night) recorded a show about player rewards! Watch for it on the feed!

41) Hey, It's That Guy! Players and NPCs. Generating NPCs. Fleshing them out. Making them matter in games. Who runs or owns them. NPCs as conflict and satisfaction in games.

You want AGC #123 - Non-Playing, with Character.

42) Writing and submitting content (art/story/adventure) to a gaming company.

Mark's the one with experience with this, so we will defer to him

43) Staying Alive: tips for running a long-term campaign.

I think we've done this, but I'm not seeing it in the archives. Let me check with Mark and Carol.

44) Pro and Cons of hacking game systems

We can look at this.

45) Then and Now: what was your first game and what are you playing now?

We can do this, if the listeners don't mind us waxing nostalgic for a bit.

46) (from the same listener) Or, where are they now segment: choose an old game and see where it, the company, and/or the fan base is with the game currently, such as WEG d6 Stars Wars or TORG, TSR Amazing Engine lines, etc.

We can certainly explore researching it!

We appreciate everyone who made suggestions, and we encourage our listeners to keep sending them in. Send any and all feedback to allgamesconsidered@gmail.com

AGC 152 July 12th 2011 (Shaken, Not Stirred... No, Not Like That!) (1:11:55)

With Mark Kinney and Mags. Spies and spy games! A reminiscence of gaming podcast history. Mags' Mage: The Awakening Game. Mags is going to GenCon! There will be a ConGlomeration 2012! FandomFest coming soon! DriveThru Picks! The Microscope pick turns into a mini review. Long promos. Spying! Killer? What makes a spy/espionage story? Spy Games. Not just a modern thing! A few alternate takes. Media selections! A quick mention of The Mutant Epoch. A time travel aside.


Download 64kbps mp3 (32.9 MB)


Show links
HyperiCon
FandomFest
Microscope (Lame Mage Productions)
Killer! (Steve Jackson Games)
Top Secret (Wikipedia)
James Bond 007 (Wikipedia)
Bureau 13 (Tri Tac Games)
Delta Green (Pagan Publishing)
Conspiracy X (Eden Studios)
Spycraft (Crafty Games)
Cold City (Contested Ground Studios)
Blowback (Two Scooters Press)
Over The Edge (Atlas Games)
Mutant Epoch (outland Arts)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Microscope (Lame Mage Productions)
Mags: Ninja Burger Bundle (Aethereal Forge)


Promos
The Last Guardians
This Just In From GenCon! IndieGoGo

AGC Interview 12 (Crowdfunding Spotlight) (52:41)

Mags and Carol talk to Jerry Grayson (Khepera Publishing), Eloy Lasanta (Third Eye Games), David Hill (Machine Age Productoions), and Dave Mattingly (Blackwyrm Publishng) about crowdfunding projects through sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo.


Download 64kbps mp3 (24.1 MB)


Show links
Hellas
Eloy Lasanta
Third Eye Games
Machine Age Productions
Blackwyrm Publishing
Kickstarter
IndieGoGo
Springboard (Through GameSalute)
The Power 19
RPG.net


Promos
The Dunesteef
d6 Generation

AGC News July 2nd 2011 (47:12)

With Carol and Mags. 2011 Spiel de Jahres results! Help the Kids Need To Game project! 25 Billion Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards in existence. Wings of War no longer distributed by Fantasy Flight Games. A Few Acres of Snow. Ninja: Legend of the Scorpion Clan! New D&D board games! Warmachine Battle Box starter set! The Adventurers! 2011 Origins Awards results! Diana Jones Award Shortlist announced! Bill Slaviocsek leaving Wizads of the Coast! Wizards Layoffs. DC Adventures Heroes and Villains Vol I begins pre-orders. A new Iron Kingdoms RPG! HeroClix Online! Nevermet Press seeking fiction submissions! Fugitive, dangers, and Abu Dhabi.


Download 64kbps mp3 (21.6 MB)


Show links
Spiel de Jahres 2011 Winners (Wikipedia)
Kids Need To Game (Geekcentricity)
Star Trek Expeditions (WizKids)
A Few Acres of Snow (Treefrog Games)
Ninja: Legend of the Scorpion Clan (Alderac Entertainment Group)
Dungeon of Dread (wizards of the Coast)
The Legend of Drizzt (Wizards of the Coast)
Warmachine Two Player Battle Box (Privateer Press)
The Adventurers: The Pyramid of Horus (Fantasy Flight Games)
Origin Awards 2011 Winners (ICV2)
Diana Jones Awards
DC Adventures Heroes & Villains Vol I (Green Ronin Publishing)
HeroClix Online (WizKids)
Stories in the Ether, Volume 1 – Open Call For Submissions
Armed, masked role players on a rooftop arrested (The National)

AGC 151 June 23rd 2011 (Roll A Die And Find Out) (56:18)

With Mark Kinney, Carol, and Mags. 6 years of All Games Considered. So where was everyone last episode? DriveThruRPG Picks, leading to our subject: Randomness! Boardgaming. Character creation (with special attention on Traveller). Lifepaths and other means of background generation. A GM's Best Friend? Tables as instructive text. An aside on the old fashioned Wandering Monster tables. A run through Central Casting. A little bit of feedback. Yeah, keeping things caught up, about that...


Download 64kbps mp3 (25.7 MB)


Show links
Blackwyrm Games at IndieAGoGo
Jason Richards Cannot Be Trusted
RPG Buffet Looks At Murphy's World
Central Casting: Heroes Now! (Amazon)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Vornheim: The Complete City Kit (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
Carol: The Dad Player Class (Bards and Sages)
Mags: Complete Characters (Jason Richards Publishing)


Promos
2011 RPG Survey
Knights of the Night

AGC News June 22nd 2011 (26:40)

With Mark and Mags. Former Wizards employee pleads guilty. New Yu-Gi-Oh! logo and mechanics. Looney and Elmore team up for Seven Dragons! Mage Wars! Star Trek Fleet Captains! Devil's Dice! Mayfair Catan licensing! Strasbourg coming to the US! Angry Birds coming to the tabletop. Teaching teenagers about the Electoral College. Topps rumor? Burning Wheel Gold! Cosmic Patrol from Catalyst. The Hellas Action Deck Kickstarter. More about WizKids' Pathfinder Minis and HALO HeroClix! Sorry, you missed Free RPG Day, and I didn't feel like re-editing.


Download 64kbps mp3 (12.2 MB)


Show links
Seven Dragons (Looney Labs)
Mage Wars (ElfinWerks/Arcane Wonders)
Star Trek Fleet Captains (WizKids/NECA)
Devil's Dice (Mongoose Publishing)
Strasbourg German Page (Pegasus Spiele)
G.G.'s Red/Blue Electoral College Game (Teacher's Discovery)
Burning Wheel Gold Announcement
Cosmic Patrol (Catalyst Game Labs)
Hellas Action Deck (Kickstarter)

AGC Review 6 (Dungeon Crawl Classics Adventure Starter and You Geek, They Grok) (20:35)

With Mark Kinney and Mags. Mark talks about Goodman Games' upcoming Free RPG Day (don't forget that's June 18th, 2011!) offering connecting with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, and E's online dating advice ebook, You Geek, They Grok.


Download 64kbps mp3 (9.44 MB)


Show links
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Adventure Starter (Goodman Games)
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Beta Rules (Goodman Games)
You Geek, They Grok (Geeks Dream Girl)


Promos
Into The Dark

AGC News June 13th 2011 (42:25)

With Mark, Carol, and Mags. Hobby gaming doing well in the first quarter according to ICV2. New Origins dates! Epic Con! Hasbro reorganization. 2011 Spier de Jahres Nominees! Mensa Select games for 2011! Fantasy Flight brings A La Carte to the US. Guards! Guards! Two Walking Dead boardgames on the way! Stronghold finally making it over from Poland. Star Trek Deck Building Game from Bandai. Interesting news on 2012 Magic The Gathering: Duel of the Planeswalkers! Munchkin: Axe Cop! Pirate Flux, coming to a bookstore near you! Dungeons and Dragons Lair Assault! Neverwinter Campaign Guide coming soon! Pathfinder gets a beginner box! Games Workshop raising minis prices, and adding restrictions to sales. Pathfinder pre-painted minis! A Privateer Press production pickle... The Bob and Angus Show!


Download 64kbps mp3 (19.4 MB)


Show links
Origins Game Fair
Epic Con Announcement (Cryptozoic Entertainment)
Spiel de Jahres Nominees Announced (GameSalute)
2011 Mensa Select Games
A La Carte (Fantasy Flight Games)
Guards! Guards! (Z-Man Games)
The Walking Dead Board Game (Cryptozoic Entertainment)
Z-Man Games (The Walking Dead: The Board Game)
Stronghold (Valley Games)
Star Trek Deck Building Game (Bandai America)
Munchkin: Axe Cop (Steve Jackson Games)
Pirate Fluxx (Looney Labs)
D&D Lair Assault Announcement (Wizards of the Coast)
Neverwinter Campaign Guide (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder Beginner Box (Paizo Publishing)
Pathfinder Pre-Painted Minis Announcement (WizKids Games)
The Bob and Angus Show (Mayfair Games/Pulp Gamer)

RPG Buffet 17 (Lord of the Rings Role Playing Game) (20:28)

Mags, Louis, and Kae of the RPG Buffet gather over skype to talk about their playing of Decipher's Lord of the Rings RPG.

Since we were playing Lord of the Rings, we decided it was time to eat like hobbits. Any fan of the series will tell you that hobbit fare is simple and rustic, with loads of flavor. So, Kae made a mushroom quiche, Brandon did a homemade cake, Louis did mashed potatoes seasoned with chili powder, Mags made gougeres (French cheese puffs traditionally served at French wine tastings), and John did a lentil stew. Steve supplied assorted Blue Moon beers, because of course hobbits do love their ale!

Hearty Lentil Stew
Ingredients:
2 cups dried lentils
8 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp. crumbled bacon or bacon bits
2 cups diced ham
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped carrot
3 tbsp. snipped parsley
1 tbsp snipped cilantro
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
2 tbsp. wine vinegar

Preparation:
Rinse lentils; place in slow cooker. Add 8 cups water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes and vinegar. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Turn to HIGH and cook 15 minutes longer, until hot.


Gougeres (French cheese puffs)
From the book Saveur Cooks Authentic French by Saveur Magazine
8 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cup flour
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups grated comté or gruyère cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine butter, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; when butter has melted, remove pan from heat. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a thick dough and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1–2 minutes. Return pan to heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Let dough cool to room temperature, then beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated into mixture and dough is smooth after each addition. Dough should be thick, shiny, and smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheese and beat in until well combined.
3. Spoon tablespoon-size mounds of dough on nonstick baking sheets, leaving about 1'' between each. Brush tops with remaining 1/4 cup milk, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Working in batches, bake in lower third of oven until doubled in size and golden, 20–25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Download 64kbps mp3 (9.39 MB)


Show links
Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game (Wikipedia)

AGC 150 May 24th 2011 (Lamentations of Vornheim) (58:50)

With Mark Kinney, and special guests James Raggi, Zak S., Mandy Morbid, Kimberly Kane, and Satine Phoenix. An unremarked but not unremarkable milestone show wherein we discuss the Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role-Playing and Vornheim: The Complete City Kit, with asides in artwork and city adventure, as well as a little bit about I Hit It With My Axe.


Download 64kbps mp3 (26.9 MB)


Show links
Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Role-Playing
Where I Read Lamentations of the Flame Princess (RPG.net Forums)
Vornheim: The Complete City Kit
Playing D&D With Pornstars
Lamentations of the Flame Princess
I Hit It With My Axe Facebook Page
Sex, Food and Comic Books (Satine Phoenix's Blog)


Promos
2011 RPG Podcast Survey
The Tome
3.5 Private Sanctuary

AGC 149 May 19th 2011 (That Is... Totally Allowed!) (1:12:08)

With Mark Kinney, Carol and Mags. A knitting podcast? Fun and drama, and a donation! The podsting delay shows. ConGlom talk, with gig thanks to the Game Knights, Completely Comics, and DriveThruRPG! DriveThruRPG May Codes and our DriveThru Picks! Yes, it's a later posting than I'd thought it would be. Goodman Games' "Crime Pays." Helping out Crimson Castle (as well as others affected by the tornadoes back in April and May). Allowing things in games. Allowing things in the first place and accomodating players. What to do if it goes wrong? More ConGlomeration talk. Mark nabbed a few things, and a discussion of GM screens. Carol's busyness. First convention games. The GMing seminar. Zendo. Il Troubadour. Tales from the Dead Dog Party. Mags as RPG.net Moderator. Mags' Sexual Harassment in Fandom panel.


Download 64kbps mp3 (33.0 MB)


Show links
The Game Knights Podcast
Completely Comics Podcast
Fandom Fest
Tuscaloosa Tornado Video (Vimeo)
Crimson Castle Chess and Games (DriveThruRPG)
Dawn's Craft and Consignment
Dawn's Dice Bags (YouTube)
Ab3 Collector's Set (RPG.net)
ConGlomeration 2011 Sexual Harassment Panel (UStream)
Con Anti Harassment Project
Back-Up Project
Jim C Hines: Reporting Sexual Harassment in SF&F blog post
The Geek Social Fallacies
Miss Manner's Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (Amazon)

The Geek Feminisim Wiki's Timeline of Incidents


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Happy Birthday Robot! (Evil Hat)
Carol: Dresden Files Case File: Night Fears (Evil Hat)
and Mom Player Class (Bards and Sages)
Mags: Wire to Wire (Two Hour Wargames)


Promos
D6 Generation
Solid Symbols

AGC 148 May 7th 2011 (Live at ConGlomeration 2011!!) (42:03)

With Mark, Mags and Carol at ConGlomeration 2011 with Gaming Guest of Honor Andy Chambers, Anthony Gallela, and the Game Knights! We discuss if video games are encroaching on RPGs, or is there room for everyone at the table, be it virtual or the one in your kitchen. But not everyone sees the merging of online and tabletop aspects together to be as good as Chocolate and Peanut Butter! We talk about the retro-resurgence, the trend of growing interest in Euro games and Facebook games, and some speculation about the future of gaming. We also find out that Carol's puppy-dog eyes do NOT work as an investigative journalistic tactic. Then the Game Knights talk about their Actual Play podcast and the resulting webcomic (The characters who were just fine...until they got a GM!)


Download 64kbps mp3 (19.2 MB)


Show links
Bobber Interactive
Crossroads - due out Summer 2011
Deathwatch (Fantasy Flight Games)
Warhammer 40K (Games Workshop)
The GameKnights Podcast


Promos
RPGPodcasts.com
Brilliant Gameologists

AGC News May 5th 2011 (Bonus Sized Origins Awards Edition) (41:27)

With Mark, Carol, and Mags. GenCon Event Registration has opened! Third Eye Games doing (and succeeding) with Part-Time Gods Kickstarter, and David Hill has one for Amaranthine. Updates on DC Heroes and Villains. Infrno's online game convention. Hasbro game sales down. Cryptozoic sponsoring Entrepreneur's Avenue at GenCon! Wizards expanding Wizards Play Network to Magic National Qualifiers. Magic set releasing on Free Comic Book Day, and controversy. Fantasy Flight enters the deckbuilding game arena with Rune Age. Monsterpocalype: Dangerous Monster Zone coming, and going non-collectable! (That and Tim Burton is tapped to direct a Monsterpocalypse movie...) Living Legends updating Villains and Vigilantes. Abney Park's Airship Pirates RPG from Cubicle 7, as well as The One Ring details! Origins Awards nominees, and our picks.


Download 64kbps mp3 (18.9 MB)


Show links
Part-Time Gods Kickstarter
Amaranthine Kickstarter
Warner Bros moving some DC Comics jobs to Hollywood (Reuters)
Infrno
Product Spending And Weak Sales Send Hasbro Profits Down (Forbes)
Rune Age (Fantasy Flight Games)
Monsterpocalypse: Dangerous Monster Zone (Privateer Press)
Living Legends (Monkey House Games)
Abne7 Park Airship Pirates Press Release (Cubicle 7)
The One Ring Press Release (Cubicle 7)
Origins Awards Nominees

RPG Buffet 16 (Houses of the Blooded, DC Adventures, and Scion) (35:39)

Mags, John, Louis, and Kae of the RPG Buffet gathers over skype to discuss the first several games played in 2011. They discuss John Wick's Houses of the Blooded (run by Guest GM Mark), Green Ronin's DC Adventures (run by Special Guest GM Steve), and Scion: God.

JANUARY
A Harlem classic, chicken and waffles has been the breakfast of jazz musicians and others who stayed up late since the '20s. Traditionally, it's a piece of fried chicken served alongside sweet waffles with maple syrup. We're presenting here a recipe for savory waffles, via the food blog Corduroy Orange:

Savory Waffles (from Corduroy Orange)
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2-2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup oil

Combine all dry ingredients and mix to evenly distribute through mix (by shaking in tightly closed container or by sifting together). Beat together egg yolks, milk, and oil. Stir into dry ingredients with a fork until the dry ingredients are moistened but the batter is still lumpy. Beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, but stop beating them before they turn dry and brittle. As they approach stiffness, stop beating every so often and pull the beater out of the whites. If the peaks hold, you’re there: stop. If they still flop over, keep beating a bit longer. Fold the batter into the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula, using a twisting motion with your wrist to bring the contents from the bottom of the bowl up and over to the top. Be careful not to stir the mixture because that will lead to your egg whites deflating, causing a more runny texture to your batter than is ideal. Continue until the batter has uniform consistency. Cook the batter on your waffle iron for about 5-7 minutes, or according to manufacturer’s directions.

FEBRUARY
February presented a plethora of choices when it came to deciding the menu for the month. Should we do soul food for Black History Month (Mags's suggestion)? Or presidential favorites for President's Day? How about aphrodisiac food for Valentine's Day? In the end, though, we were playing DC Adventures, so the final choice was obvious: Build-Your-Own Hero Sandwich Bar!

Ingredients for sandwiches:
* hero or sub rolls
* sliced Swiss cheese
* sliced Cheddar cheese
* sliced tomatoes
* lettuce
* green pepper slices
* thinly sliced purple onion
* sliced salami
* thinly sliced ham
* sliced smoked turkey
* pimiento stuffed olives, sliced
* pickled sliced banana peppers
* cucumber pickle slices
* light olive oil
* mayonnaise
* mustard
* Italian dressing
Arrange the ingredients on plates, let everyone build their own sandwiches. Serve with iced tea and sides such as chips, pasta salad, a green salad, and/or fresh fruit.

MARCH
In March we decided to honor Pi Day with a chicken pot pie for the main course, and Kae made Ambrosia Salad for dessert, because of course ambrosia is food of the (Greek) gods. This recipe came from AllRecipes.com:
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained (optional)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping, coconut, chopped nuts, fruit cocktail, pineapple, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, cherries, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix together well and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.


Download 64kbps mp3 (16.3 MB)


Show links
Houses of the Blooded
DC Adventures (Green Ronin)
Scion (White Wolf)


Promos
The BaltiCon Podcast
Lovecraftiana
Monkeys Took My Jetpack
Doctor Who: Podshock

AGC 147 April 12th 2011 (Humor in Roleplaying Games) (52:35)

With Mags and Carol, Mark was otherwise occupied and so the inmates are running the asylum this episode. Mags and Carol attempt their own April Fool's joke, though still gaming related. DriveThruRPG Picks. Humor in Gaming...if not in that opening! Why and how do we use it, and when is it appropriate? That dramatic epic session remniscent of "Lord of the Rings" may head for a careening crash if the players are punchy or silly and are feeling more "Family Guy Star Wars Trilogy". Examples from past experience and the antics of the RPG Buffet abound. Also, a discussion of games where comedy is the point of it all. ConGlomeration is coming up in a couple of weeks and GMs and Volunteers are welcome! (Those Mags-The-Axe Con Game episodes are 99, 102 & 103) Plus the ConGlom shirt reveal and some previews for Programming!

Correction: Carol talks about Avalon Press releasing "Tales From The Floating Vagabond", the PDF on DriveThruRPG is through Reality Cheque.


Download 64kbps mp3 (24.0 MB)


Show links
ConGlomeration
Monsters and Other Childish Things (Arc Dream Publishing)
Monsters and Other Childish Things on DriveThruRPG (Affiliate Link)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: GODSEND Agenda: ExtraordinAgents (Khepera Publishing)
Carol: Tales From The Floating Vagabond (Reality Cheque)
Mags: Murphy's World (Peregrine)


Promos
The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine
Knights of the Guild Podcast
3.5 Private Sanctuary
RPGPodcasts.com
Giant Gnome Productions presents Star Trek: Outpost
Dragonlance Canticle at DL Nexus

AGC 146 March 24th 2011 (RPG In An Hour with David Hill) (1:21:48)

A little update on what's going on. At GenCon 2010, Mags attended and recorded the RPG In An Hour panel run by David Hill (Maschine Zeit). We present it here with his permission.


Download 64kbps mp3 (37.4 MB)


Show links
Machine Age Productions (Maschine Zeit)


Promos
Devo Spice (Gnome Sane)

Mags-The-Axe School of GMing 3 (Finding Players) (14:07)

Mags, Mark, and Carol talk about finding players.


Download 64kbps mp3 (6.48 MB)


Show links
Searchable Databases
Access Denied
BoardGameGeek Player Finder
Nearby Gamers
Pen And Paper Games has a player registry as part of its forum.
RPG Registry
Spielerz
Steve Jackson Games Player and Store Finder
White Wolf Online As part of a forum account, you can sign up for White Wolf's player finder.
Yog-Sogoth Player Directory

Web Forae
Atomic Think Tank Player Locator A subforum of the Atomic Think Tank for Mutants & Masterminds
DnDResources.ccom Gamers Seeking Gamers Forum
Paranoia Live.Net's Recruitment Station
EN World Gamers Seeking Gamers Forum
Hero Games Player Finder Forum
ICE Gamers Seekimg Gamers Forum
NerdNYC Forums - Serving Geeks in the New York City area
RPG.Net Gamer Gatherings
RPG Library Players Looking For Games
EN World Gamers Seeking Gamers Forum
Hero Games Player Finder Forum
Steve Jackson Gamers Gamer Finder Forum
WotC's RPG Gamer Classifieds

Other Online Resources
Meet-Up.com
ConnCon Gamer Classifieds. A webpage of ads by gamers looking for like, sponsored by ConnCon.
Role-Playing Gamers' Bulletin Board

AGC 145 March 1st 2011 (You're Not Supposed To Know That!) (56:31)

With Mark Kinney and Carol. Mags down with the flu still (but thanks to her for editing this episode). Mark confesses on the burnout issue, and floats the possibility of volunteers. Gaming talk, and The Core of FATE. DriveThruRPG Picks and a code good until March 8th. Metagaming, the good, the bad, and the ugly! Epic Rap Battles of History, and Super Bowl ads with Darth Vader (sort of). Super Bowl talk. Yeah, this is late.


Download 64kbps mp3 (25.8 MB)


Show links
The Core of FATE Core (Evil Hat Productions)
The Core of FATE Core Part II (Evil Hat Productions)


The DriveThruRPG Code for February, FebChatterTwenty11 (Good Through March 8th, 2011) is in effect for the following items:
Weird War II Player's Guide (Pinnacle Entertainment)
Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade (Third Eye Games)
The Echoes of Heaven Bestiary/The Tainted Tears (OGL Version) (Final Redoubt Press)
USHER Dossiers (ICONS) (Vigilance Press)
The Floating Vagabond BarFly Bundle (Reality Cheque)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Monsters! Monsters! (Flying Buffalo)
Carol: Vampire Translation Guide (White Wolf)
Mags: Murphy's Worlds (Peregrine Publishing)


Promos
Movie Meltdown
The d6 Generation
J.C. Hutchins (7th Son)
On The Edge Of Darkness
ConGlomeration

AGC News February 11th 2011 (21:05)

With Mark and Carol. Mags is out with the flu. Revised War of the Ring! Duels of the Planeswalkers hits 500,000 sales. Green Lantern Heroclix! Fog of War Historical games. 51st State! Quarriors (and just what is a dice building game, anyway?)! Mark gets a little confused about The Struggle for Catan. Yahoo's video game blog picked some boardgames. D&D Fortune Cards? Crafty Games seeks Agents for GenCon! Mutants and Masterminds 3rd Edition Hero's Handbook preorders! Dragon Warriors moving to Serpent King Games!


Download 64kbps mp3 (9.67 MB)


Show links
Strike of the Eagle (Academy Games)
51st State (Toyvault)
Quarriors (WizKids)
Mayfair Games (Strike of the Eagle, Struggle For Catan)
Mutants and Masterminds Hero's Handbook (Green Ronin Publishing)
Serpent King Games (Dragon Warriors)

AGC 144 February 8th 2011 (Back In The Saddle Again) (1:12:54)

With Mark Kinney, Carol, and Mags. Burnout, cutting back, and planning for GenCon. Convention talk. DriveThruRPG going Print on Demand! Feedback from a long while back to recent. Mark's apologies to those who didn't hear back directly. Word from Hex Games on the Waxman's Warriors review. Thanks for good news. A rerun with additional feedback. Thoughts on the bookstore closings and e-readers. Lots of response to the RPG Buffet's Fourth Edition D&D Experience. RPG Buffet Franchising? Word on Jump Gate! Facebook commentary! Metagaming? And aside about Autocorrect. Convention gaming? Character death? And what about that Amorphous Blobcast? Speculating on the Star Wars gaming license. Waiting for DC Adventures books. Lots of Green Ronin stuff, actually. Gaming on the IT Crowd. Movie recommendations?


Download 64kbps mp3 (33.3 MB)


Show links
Fear the Con
Kicked in the Dicebags
GaryCon
YoreCon
ConGlomeration
Waxman's Warriors (Hex Games)
Dark Deeds In Freeport (Kobold Quarterly/Open Design)
YottaQuest
Jungle Jim's
Decatur Gamers
Buffet makes role-playing more accessible (Herald-Review.com)
Jump Gate (Funagain.com)
Matt Worden Games (Jump Gate)
Serenity Atlas of the Verse
Damn You Autocorrect! (NSFW!)
Amorphous Blobcast
Critical Threat (YouTube)
Green Ronin (DC Adventures, Mutants and Masterminds, Song of Ice and Fire)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Gatecrashing Hack Pack (Posthuman Studios)
Carol: Dresden Files Case File (Evil Hat Productions)
Mags: Seeds (Expeditious Retreat Press)


Promos
The Great Debate
Knights of the Night
The Gutter Skypes

AGC News January 31st 2011 (35:44)

With Mark, Carol, and Mags. No more D&D Miniatures sets! Cubicle 7 bringing back the Fighting Fantasy RPG! New supplements for Rogue Trader and Warhammer Fantasy in March. Villains and Vigilantes 3.0 in development! Palladium Books getting back in gear! Verification on Goodman's Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (and the open beta). More open beta gaming! Cubicle 7 gets the license for a Primeval RPG. Kaiju catch a train, thanks to Days of Wonder. Catan Dice Game Standard Edition coming! A release date for Star Trek Expeditions, and Lord of the Rings Heroclix! The industry's financial woes (well, for some, anyway). Richard Garfield's King of Tokyo. A Lord of the Rings Living Card Game. McG is directing Ouija. A Book of Vile Darkness movie? Some miscellaneous commentary before we go.


Download 64kbps mp3 (16.3 MB)


Show links
Cubicle 7 (Fighting Fantasy, Primeval)
Fantasy Flight Games (Rogue Trader, Warhammer Fantasy RPG, Lord of the Rings LCG)
=Monkey House Games (Villains and Vigilantes)
Palladium Books (Rifts, Palladium Fantasy Roleplaying)
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (Goodman Games)
Rogue Comet (Lost Empires)
Days of Wonder (Alvin and Dexter)
Catan Dice Game (Mayfair Games)
WizKids (Star Trek Expeditions, Lord of the Rings Heroclix)
King of Tokyo (Iello)

AGC 143 November 30th 2010 (This Big Damn Review Show Has Not Yet Been Rated) (2:04:10)

With Mark Kinney, Carol, and Mags. Getting caught up. DriveThruRPG picks. Mark's fun with Netflix picks. Mark reviews Pirate vs Pirate and 10 Days In The Americas. Pookie talks about Aliens. Mags reviews Perfect Horizon for the HDL system. Mark double-shots Mecha and Iron Tyrants. Carol reviews Monsters And Other Childish Things. Pookie discusses Pandemic and Forbidden Island. Mark talks a bit about Monkeys Took My Jetpack (a podcast, not a game). Mags reviews Waxman's Warriors from Hex Games. Mark double-shots Wu-Xing: The Ninja Crusade and Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition.


Download 64kbps mp3 (56.8 MB)


Show links
Pirate vs Pirate (Out of the Box Publishing)
10 Days In The Americas (Out of the Box Publishing)
Aliens: This Time It's War (Board Game Geek)
Perfect Horizon (TremorWorks)
AGC 75 with HDL Review (March 18 2008)
HDL Quickstart (RPGNow)
HDL Character Generator iPhone App
Iron Tyrants (Spooky Outhouse Productions)
Mecha (Heroic Journey Publishing)
Monsters and Other Childish Things (Arc Dream Publishing)
Z-Man Games (Pandemic)
Forbidden Island (Gamewright)
Waxman's Warriors (Hex Games)
Wu-Xing: The Ninja Crusade (Third Eye Games)
AGC 107 with Apocalypse Prevention Incorporated Review (July 14 2009)
Legend of the Five Rings RPG (Alderac Entertainment Group)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Hellas: Princes of the Universe (Khepera Publishing)
Carol: World of Darkness: Mirrors (White Wolf Game Studio)
Mags: ICONS (Adamant Entertainment)


Promos
ConGlomeration
Monkeys Took My Jetpack

AGC Interview 11 (Gnome Stew and Eureka!) (31:29)

Mags talks to DNAPhil, John Arcadian, and Patrick Benson from Gnome Stew about Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters.


Download 64kbps mp3 (14.4 MB)


Show links
Gnome Stew
Silvervine Games
You Meet In A Tavern.com
Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters (Engine Publishing)

Mags-The-Axe School of GMing 2 (Play Dirty by John Wick) (8:05)

Mags and Mark (especially Mags) review one of the textbooks of the Mags-The-Axe School of Game Mastering, John Wick's Play Dirty.


Download 64kbps mp3 (3.73 MB)


Show links
Play Dirty (John Wick Presents...)

RPG Buffet 15 (Year of D&D Part 9: Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Eberron) (48:42)

Catching up on recordings for several episodes of RPG Buffet, including Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and the last game set in Eberron. Following all of this is the overview of the year's gaming.


RAVENLOFT (August 2011)
Because Strahd, the iconic villain of the Ravenloft setting, is so heavily influenced by Dracula and other East European terrors--and also because Steve is Hungarian by ethnicity--the Buffet decided to feast on Hungarian food that night!

PAPRIKAS CSIRKE
Paprikás csirke, or "paprika chicken," is one Hungary's most famous dishes. Chicken is simmered in a paprika-flavored sauce until tender and sour cream is stirred into the sauce to enrich it. Chicken paprikash, as it is often called, is served with buttered noodles, csipetke or zsemlegomboc. Use genuine, high-quality Hungarian paprika, not the typical supermarket variety. 4 to 6 servings

Oil, butter or lard -- 2 tablespoons
Chicken, cut into serving pieces -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
Onions, thinly sliced -- 2
Hungarian sweet paprika -- 1/4 cup
Flour -- 2 tablespoons
Stock or water -- 1 1/2 cups
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Sour cream -- 1 cup
Lemon juice (optional) -- 1 tablespoon

Method
1. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet. Add the chicken pieces a few at a time and brown on all sides. Remove to a platter.
2. Remove any excess oil leaving about 2 tablespoons and add the onions. Sauté the onions until wilted and just beginning to brown. Stir in the paprika and flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Whisk in the stock or water, breaking up any lumps. Add the browned chicken pieces and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
4. Remove the chicken to a platter and skim any excess fat from the sauce. Stir in the sour cream and lemon juice if using. Adjust seasoning and reheat over low flame. Return the chicken to the sauce and serve hot.


ERDELYI RAKOTT KASPOSZTA
This layered sausage and sauerkraut dish comes from the Transylvania, or Erdély, region of Hungary and Romania. Erdelyi rakott kaposzta is Transylvanian comfort food, rich and warming for a wintertime meal. 4 to 6 servings

Rice -- 1 cup
Stock or water -- 2 cups
Oil -- 2 tablespoons
Paprika -- 2 tablespoons
Onions, minced -- 2
Pork butt or shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes -- 1 pound
Spicy pork sausage (see variations), sliced into rounds -- 1/2 pounds
Stock or water -- 1 1/2 cups
Salt and pepper -- to taste
Sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry -- 2 pounds
Hard-boiled eggs (optional), sliced into rounds -- 3
Sour cream -- 1 cup
Bacon -- 4 pieces
Paprika -- 1 teaspoon

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the rice, 2 cups stock or water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set off to the side, covered.
2. Heat the oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium flame. Add the paprika and stir to just cook through and color the oil, about 30 seconds. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not brown.
3. Add pork, sausage and the 1 1/2 cups of stock or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add more stock or water if necessary to keep the pan from drying out. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Place 1/3 of the rinsed sauerkraut in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the cooked rice over the sauerkraut. Then spread 1/2 of the meat over the rice. Lay egg slices over the pork and sausages. Repeat these layers a second time, finishing with a layer of sauerkraut.
5. Spread the sour cream over the top of the sauerkraut and lay the bacon strips neatly over the sour cream. Sprinkle the top of the dish with paprika for garnish.
6. Place the casserole in oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it is bubbling and browned on top.

Variations
Try to use a Eastern European sausage like kolbász, kielbasa or Polish sausage. If unavailable, just use a spicy Italian sausage. Some recipes substitute cooked sliced potatoes for the rice


Goulash
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 Tb oil
1 ½ pounds lean stewing meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp caraway seeds, crushed with the back of a spoon
pinch of marjoram
salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups beef broth or stock
1 medium green pepper, cored and cut inot 1/2 –inch strips
3 small peeled tomatoes, preferably canned
2 pounds potatoes
cooked noodles (optional)

In Dutch oven or casserole with cover, saute onion in oil till it wilts. Remove and set aside. Pat meat dry and brown it, adding more oil if needed. Set meat aside with the onions. Pour in ½ cup of water and stir up brown bits. Add paprika, marjoram, caraway seeds and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the garlic, then the beef and onions and add enough stock to cover meat by 2 inches. Simmer for an hour, covered, adding more stock as needed to keep meat well covered. Add green pepper and tomatoes and continue simmering. Peel potatoes and cut into ½ - inch dice; keep them in water until ready to use. After meat has been cooking 1 ½ hours, add potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover. Simmer another 25 minutes or until potatoes are done. Taste – may need more salt. Stir in noodles.
Adapted from Susan Derecskey’s The Hungarian Cookbook (NY: HarperPerennial, 1972)


DRAGONLANCE (September 2011)
The Buffet decided to cook out one last time, so Brandon fired up his grill, and Mags made pork chops with an easy lemon-herb marinade. This marinade is also great for chicken. From AllRecipes.com.

Grilled Lemon-Herb Pork Chops (AllRecipes)
Ingredients
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops

Directions
1. In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.


EBERRON (November 2011)

Chocolate Mousse
3-quart porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl
Wire Whisk
4 egg yolks
¼ cup intant sugar (very finely granulated)
¼ cup orange liqueur
Pan of not-quite simmering water
Basin of cold water

Separate eggs and save whites separately (see below). Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is a thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself, forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange liqueur. Set mixing bowl over not-quite simmering water and continue beating 3-4 minutes until foamy and too hot to touch. Then put over basin of cold water and beat another 3-4 minutes, until it’s cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

6 oz semisweet baking chocolate
4 Tb strong coffee
Small saucepan
1 ½ sticks (6 oz) softened unsalted butter

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water (or carefully in microwave). Remove from heat and beat in the butter a little at a time, beat chocolate into egg yolk to make a smooth cream.

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat egg white and salt until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to beat until you get stiff peaks. Stir ¼ of egg mixture into chocolate mixture and fold in the rest.
Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1. (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998)


Chicken and Mushroom Crepes
Crepe batter:
2 cups milk
1 ¼ cups water
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 Tb oil

Add milk and waer to flour gradually, beating with whisk constantly so that the batter is very smooth. Add eggs, salt, and oil. Bet until smooth and set aside to rest for an hour or two.

Heat a large frying pan or crepe pan and grease very slightly. Pour large spoonful of batter into pan and roll around in the pan to cover the bottom. When brown, turn with large spatula and cook a moment on the other side. Place crepes on a large piece of foil and wrap up to keep warm in oven until ready to serve. They can be frozen.

When putting crepes together, put a crepe in the pan, cover with a few tablespoons of filling and cook 2 minutes. Roll up and serve.

Filling:
While chicken, cut up – about three pounds.

Simmer with:
onion stuck all over with cloves
carrot
2 bay leaves
sprig or two of parsley
celery leaves
salt and pepper

After an hour, make sure juices are running clear (rather than pink) from the chicken. Cook longer if necessary, then allow chicken to cool in stock. Drain stock and discard everything but the stock and chicken. Cut the chicken meat into small pieces.

Add:
8-oz mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter.

Make bechamel:
3 Tb butter
3 Tb flour
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
a touch of nutmeg
1 cup cream
3 egg yolks

Melt butter in saucepan, and add flour, stirring with whisk. Add stock, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cream and egg yolks; heat, stirring, until mixture thickens. Don’t let it boil or it will curdle! Add squeeze of lemon juice, chicken and mushrooms. When hot, place in crepes as described. Feeds about 8.
Adapted from Claudia Roden’s Everything Tastes Better Outdoors (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984)


Download 64kbps mp3 (22.3 MB)


Show links
Dungeons and Dragons (Wizards of the Coast)
Ravenloft (Wikipedia)
Dragonlance (Wikipedia)
Eberron (Wikipedia)


Promos
Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine
The Dragonlance Canticle
The BaltiCon Podcast

RPG Buffet 14 (Year of D&D Part 8: Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition) (28:34)

An overview of D&D Fourth Edition, before the specific setting entries come up.

October is always chili night, and as always John has refused to share his chili recipe with the audience. Mags brought White Chicken Chili, and presents the recipe from CDKitchen.com.

Tomatillo Chicken Chili w/White Beans (CDKitchen)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 pound ground chicken
1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 serrano chili
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound tomatillos
2 cans white beans
1 can (4 oz size) mild green chilies
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup chopped cilantro
Optional pumpkin seeds, sour cream, grated jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat large soup pot with vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add ground chicken when hot.

Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic. Remove seeds from Serrano chili and finely mince. Break chicken up with a wooden spoon every couple of minutes. After chicken has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add onion and continue to cook breaking up chicken and stirring every couple of minutes.

Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse to remove sticky coating. When chicken has been cooking with the onions for about 3 minutes, add garlic, Serrano, cumin, coriander, and salt. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Roughly chop tomatillos, or cut into quarters if the tomatillos are small. Add tomatillos to meat. Place a lid on the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crain and rinse white beans. Drain chilies and finely chop. Chop cilantro. After tomatillos have been cooking for 10 minutes, add beans and green chilies along with chicken stock. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 8 minutes until chili has thickened and liquid has reduced slightly.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro if serving immediately. If not serving immediately, save cilantro and serve as a garnish on each bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt if necessary. Top with optional pumpkin seeds, sour cream, or cheese and serve.


Download 64kbps mp3 (13.1 MB)


Show links
Dungeons and Dragons (Wizards of the Coast)

AGC News December 2nd 2010 (26:50)

With Mark, Carol, and Mags. Games Magazine announces it Games of the Year. Wizards announces a new Virtual Tabletop, and drops its Player Rewards program. Willingham V&V reprints coming! Wizard acquires Mid-Ohio-Con. New deck building game coming from AEG. Godzilla: Kaiju World Wars! New Killer Bunnies expansions. A look at the coming fate of bookstores.


Download 64kbps mp3 (12.3 MB)


Show links
Games Magazine Games of the Year (Games Magazine)
Jump Gate (The GameCrafter)
D&D Virtual Table FAQ (Wizards of the Coast)
Virtual Table Overview Videos (Dread Gazebo)
Monkey House Games (Villains and Vigilantes)
Mid-Ohio-Con
Alderac Entertainment Group (Thunderstone, Nightfall)
Godzilla: Kaiju World Wars (Toy Vault)
Killer Bunnies (Playroom Entertainment)
Joseph-Beth Files For Bankruptcy Protection (Lexington Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com)

AGC 142 November 30th 2010 (Taking a Contract Out On Your Players) (37:41)

With Mark and Mags. Carol had more chaos. Everyone's chaos and Mark's creative phase (and he did finish NaNoWriMo). DriveThruRPG Picks. Mark's dating woes, and how they relate to tonight's topic. Social Contracts! What are they and what form do they take? Out of the game itself. Shifting to in game concerns. House rules or no, and GM leeway. Large groups and LARP. Changes to your group. Watch out for gaming the system. Big things you need to cover. Mark's earliest RPG writing credit is now back up on e23. ExtraordinAgents is out, and maybe Mark will run it at ConGlomeration (which is also putting it's scheduling online).


Download 64kbps mp3 (17.2 MB)


Show links
Mortal Coil (Galileo Games)
Mortal Coil on DriveThruRPG (Affiliate Link)
Mark's "Geek Girls" YouTube Video
In Your Face Again (Atlas Games/e23)
The ExtraordinAgents! (Khepera Publishing/Cubicle 7 Store)


AGC's DriveThruRPG Picks for this episode!
Mark: Savage Worlds Fantasy Companion (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)
Mags: FantasyCraft Adventure Companion (Crafty Games)


Promos
ConGlomeration
Zero Fortitude

AGC Feedback November 22nd 2010 (14:38)

Recorded November 16th, 2010, with Mark and Mags. Apologies because things are chaotic and we've fallen behind on feedback. No more voice mail number at the moment. Cincinnati game stores and such. The I.T. Crowd. Dark Deeds In Freeport patronage project. MiniSix. World Fantasy Con. Shave a Sheep in the US! Villain laughs and changing tables. Upcoming shows.


Download 64kbps mp3 (6.73 MB)


Show links
YottaQuest
Dark Deeds In Freeport Announcement (Open Design)
Antipaladin Games (MiniSix)
Shave A Sheep (Lego)


Promos
DriveThruRPG (Affiliate Link)
Stealth Geek Unlimited

AGC News November 19th 2010 (23:45)

With Mark and Mags. New online D&D Character Builder announced. The Forge going into "Winter." Palladium and Trion settle. DriveThruRPG raises $65,000 for Pakistan flood relief. Heroscape is going away! Playing Cards and the Game of Life in the Toy Hall of Fame! Mikki Nicholson wins UK Scrabble championship! Nigerian governor Akpabio defeats world Scrabble champion! Battle Cry returning! Champions Online going Free-To-Play! Wild World Wrestling! Could Hasbro Game Movies cost a Studio Exec his job? Game companies helping an alternative high school teacher.


Download 64kbps mp3 (10.9 MB)


Show links
New D&D Character Builder (Wizards of the Coast Community)
The Winter of the Forge looms near (The Forge)
Palladium Books v. Trion Worlds Inc. Rifts Trademark Case Resolved! (LivingDice)
Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast)
Heroscape Cancellation FAQ (Wizards of the Coast)
Toy Hall of Fame
Battle Cry (Wizards of the Coast)
Wild World Wrestling Thread (Timeout Diversions Forum)
Kayfabe (Errant Knight Games)
Ron Meyer May Be Sunk at Universal: Was a Roster of Board-Game Movies His Final Mistake? (New York Magazine Vulture Blog)
Game Companties Helping Out (RPG.net Forums

ConGlomeration Promos

Hey all,

We now have promos for the local science-fiction et cetera convention, ConGlomeration! We hope to see some of our listeners there, and for the podcasters in our audience, we hope you'll make use of one of these promos!

Promo 1

Promo 2

Thanks!