Get your Idle Red Hands fix here. The first taste is free and so is the second taste. Hold on, all tastes are free. We would make really bad drug dealers.
In this episode, we look at addiction. Since we live in a country with extremely harsh drug laws (and darn glad of it, officer), we don’t have a lot of advice for the method role players out there. Instead, we discuss different types of addiction and how to include them in your game.
“So, Pureheart, we meet again. I always knew it would come down to us: you, the epitome of good, and me, the embodiment of evil. But am I evil? Is it evil to protect what is precious to you? Growing up in the ghettos of the East, I learned many things, and one of those things was that if you play the game of…”
“I got a 16 for initiative. I charge.”
“Hey! I’m monologuing here!”
In this episode, we run down the questions that every gamemaster should consider when making their villains. You’ve been warned, players.
Kristos sits in for his first non-board game episode. You’ve been warned, listeners.
Idle Fashion Weekly
Turn Excalibur to ExFABulur in 7 easy steps
How to tell if they love you for you or for your power ring
HOT summer magic items that will make you the envy of your party
Plus: Choosing the right +3 sword for your face shape
In this episode, we look at how to make your equipment the stuff of legends. We also give a few underrated items some much needed attention.
It’s only our second Creature Feature and we’re already pushing the premise to include occupations. We discuss criminal organizations and how to include them in your games.
Oddly, we don’t mention Scarface at all. While this means we don’t mine this rich source of ideas, you’re spared listening to our versions of “Say hello to my little friend.” Chris does do The Godfather 3 quote. Yeah, that one.
To law enforcement: This episode is not an endorsement of crime or an attempt to glamourize it.
To criminal organizations: We’re obviously not talking about you. Are we cool?
There are three things you don’t bring up at the Idle Red Hands dinner table: religion, politics, and the definition of a sandbox game. (Actually, you could probably bring up the first two.)
In this episode, we compare sandbox games to ball of twine games, and the analogies and metaphors fly. (Hey! Another metaphor.) I think we even manage to work in a snowclone. We talk about what these types of games are (and, boy, does that get heated, metaphorically speaking) and the pitfalls (metaphor) to avoid.
In our debut Creature Feature, we shine the moonlight on werewolves. We discuss werewolf legends and movies and how to run werewolf antagonists and protagonists. We also talk about The Werewolf of Washington a lot. Never heard of it? There’s a reason for that.
Lyal forgot his notes at home, so “skin-walkers” become “skin-changers” and “The Beast of Gevaudan” becomes “The Beast of B-something”. Chris’s research seems to have consisted of after school specials on safe sex. Wayne is allegedly from the “ghetto”, which explains why Lyal and Chris lose it when he tells his wrapping tube story.
Despite this, we come up with a pretty decent setting to play werewolves in. Can you handle the Werepocalypse?
Special offer! Download Part 1 for free and get Part 2 for the low, low price of nothing. Offer expires in 2056.
In this installment of Campaign Confessions, we look at the World of Darkness system and the Vampire: The Requiem setting and system. We also explain how we track blood/glamour, health, and damage in Vampire and Changeling. (There’s some dispute over who gets credit for that.)
Yujiro guest hosts.
No guest stars this episode; we stick with the Holy Trinity of Lyal, Chris and Wayne. (Did you see what we did there?)
Rather than focus on specific faiths, myths and rituals in this episode, we look at how religion, in general, would impact your game setting. This includes the tendency to tie faith to power and the idea that “science is the new religion”. We also discuss whether it’s fair to spring setting and rule surprises on players.
We hope to revisit this topic in the future because it’s so big.
Although we talk about religion, we manage to not offend any world faiths. Chris does cost us our creationist listeners, however.
You’d think that a bunch of guys who spend their weekends playing games would have nothing to say about seduction. Well, you’d be wrong. You’d think that a bunch of (mostly) heterosexual guys coming on to each across a table would get awkward. Well, you’d be right.
In this episode, we discuss how to incorporate romance and seduction into your games.
“Interesting” was apparently Lyal’s word of the day. He has since bought a thesaurus.
Everything you always wanted to know about pen-and-paper role-playing games but were afraid (or couldn’t be bothered) to ask.
The Idle Red Hands are blessed with some great friends who, despite having no clue about RPGs, listen to our podcast. One recommended that we record an episode that explains some of the basic concepts to help him follow along, so we did. This is for him and all those who have ever wondered why some people choose to spend their Saturday nights rolling dice.
If you’re an experienced gamer, have a listen to see if you agree with our descriptions, definitions, and recommendations.
To start a lifetime of adventure, download these free rules for GURPS 4th Edition from the good people at Steve Jackson Games (or visit your local army recruiting center).
Special note: We debut our new microphone this episode.
