Episode 113: PvP Games

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

With Lyal unavailable to record this week, Chris and Wayne talk about something they do almost constantly: intra-party fighting. We discuss player vs. player conflicts, both in games designed to pit the characters against each other and in games where they’re expected to act as a team. We use The Hunger Games (which Chris finally found the time to watch) and The Avengers as our running examples. While we try not to give away any big secrets, there may be a few minor spoilers for these movies in the episode.

Episode 113: PvP Games [ 54:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Episode 112: True Blood

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

With Chris unavailable to record this week, Wayne and Lyal talk about one of their favorite TV shows (and one that Chris refuses to watch), True Blood. Instead of focusing on character archetypes as we’ve done in other TV related episodes, we talk about the lessons we’ve learned from five seasons of True Blood and how you can apply them to your games.

Episode 112: True Blood [ 52:20 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Episode 111: Warriors: Mongolian Horsemen‏

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

Genghis Khan is the name, I’m ahead of my game
Still, drinking from teats, still with hoof beats
Still not loving the Caliphs (Uh hun)
Still rock my kharash in battle and a seige
Still got love for the steeeppes, repping one one one
Still the hooves bang, still arrows twang
Since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

Got a whole Tumen ridin’ at my back, you won’t even see when I’m coming to attack
Cause you think that we be a fleein’, yeah looks like we be retreatin’
But soon you’ll be seein’; that it’s you who is get beaten
You think we all dressed in fur, but I got fine lacquer armor and a bling silk shirt.

Still history won’t be bored,
Still have all the rage we have stored,
Still yo you gonna get served,
Still by the Mongol Horde!
Since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

For our next installment of Warriors, we look at the Mongolian Horsemen. A group who, even 700 years later, still represents the idea of an unstoppable, all conquering juggernaut.

Episode 111: Warriors: Mongolian Horsemen‏ [ 1:18:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Episode 110: Magic: Stage Magic

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

Our third installment of Magic is focuses on real-life magicians; entertainers, illusionists, and escapologists like Harry Houdini, David Copperfield, and Criss Angel. This may appear to be a strange topic for a series that usually assumes that magic is “real”, but hopefully we manage to conjure up some interesting ideas of how to use these consummate performers in your games.

Wayne starts the episode off with another rant against D&D Next. Chris joins in the discussion, but Lyal obviously wishes he could just waggle his fingers, say a few magical words and make the pair of them disappear.

Episode 110: Magic: Stage Magic [ 1:03:08 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Marvel Heroic finished! Nuff said!

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

We were absolutely crushed to learn that Margaret Weis Productions have canceled their Marvel line. The licensing costs were high, as you would imagine, and turned out to be too steep. If you don’t have one of the books in this line, we encourage you to get one.

While we’re sad to see the Marvel flavour go, it was the Cortex Plus Heroic system that really grabbed us. Hopefully, we’ll see a few generic genre books coming out from MWP using the Heroic system. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to their Heroic fantasy rules in the soon to be released Cortex Plus Hacker’s Guide.

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Episode 109: Deus Ex Machina

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

You’d think that the most contrived literary device around would not make for gaming magic, but that doesn’t stop the Idle Red Hands (A.K.A. the thickest guys on the Net) from trying to figure out how to make it work. Do we succeed? Well, at some point, you may wish that a god would come down to give us a hand, and Chris repeatedly tries to slip in examples of Chekov’s gun. (His sleight of hand provided the inspiration for our next episode.) However, by the end, the answer to whether or not a deus ex machina has any place at your gaming table is firmly answered.

Episode 109: Deus Ex Machina [ 52:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Actual Play: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

The United States Government has passed the Superhuman Registration Act. Iron Man heads the movement to register everyone with powers or abilities. Captain America is the rallying figure for the resistance forces opposed to government control. Whose side are you on?

As mentioned in our previous episode, we’re putting up the end of our Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War session as an actual play. Namor (or is that Numenor, or Numinera? Played by Chris) along with Doctor Strange (played by Wayne), join Captain America, Hercules, and the Invisible Woman to face off against Iron Man and a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (played by Lyal as the Watcher).

Please be aware that this episode is largely uncut and unedited, and may contain adult language. Listener discretion is advised.

Actual Play: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War [ 1:10:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Episode 108: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War! Listener mail! Bosozoku! Soft prostitution! (?) This episode has it all.

We review the Civil War event book. We also answer a listener’s email about a game of vampires, secret agents and bosozuku set in Tokyo. During this discussion, Chris explains what “soft” prostitution is, which Lyal believes is still illegal.

 

 

Episode 108: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Civil War [ 1:08:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Actual Play: Monsterhearts

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

So a Ghoul, a Ghost, and a Frankenstein’s monster walk into a high school classroom…

No, seriously. With Lyal unable to record this week due to a lost voice (imagine that), we’re bringing you another Idle Red Hands first: an actual play of Joe McDaldno’s Monsterhearts game, which is being MCed for us by Chris. This is actually our third session of the game, though we recap the previous session’s events to bring both our new player, Alan, and our listeners up to speed on what’s happened in the story so far.

As we have a new player joining us (and a few regular players with short memories), we do go over some of the game’s rules and mechanics. Though not in any coherent way. This recording isn’t meant to teach people how to play Monsterhearts; it’s more of an example of what happens during a session of the game. If you’d like to though, you can download the Player Reference Sheet and MC Reference Sheet to follow along with what’s going on behind the scenes.

Please be aware that this episode is largely uncut and unedited, and contains both adult language and adult situations. Listener discretion is advised.

And as promised, here are our awesome character portraits:

IRH_Monsterhearts_PCs

Images obtained from the Dreamstime stock photography site.

Actual Play: Monsterhearts Session 03 Part 01 [ 56:00 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Episode 107: Rogues: Hackers

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Idle Red Hands

In this installment of Rogues, we discuss hackers and…

****Buy Jordans for cheap at www.wouldyoureallyclickthissite.com.****

****lulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulzlulz****

****I always prided myself on being an outsider… but now… I feel the need to connect with someone.****

****All your base are belong to us.****

Episode 107: Rogues: Hackers [ 1:04:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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