Category Archives: Storyteller Conclave

Narrative flow

March 25, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, Guy Sclanders, MagpieGames, miniatures, Monomyth, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, Scott Rehm, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:08 — 27.5MB)

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As storytellers we are presented with the task of designing a story that others will be helping write, where randomness and fate will come into play and alter the flow. The question is, how do you carve it up into sessions and episodes that your players can enjoy, and what do you put into each session to make it feel like a story? This week Sara and Rob will examine what it takes to make your game feel like each session fits a greater narrative flow.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Please join us on Discord, to submit questions for the show, chat with Rob, Sara, and other Storytellers, and read over the detailed show-notes for more information and links to stuff we may not have been able to detail during the show! Discord : https://t.co/7H8p1lGYqG

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

Hunted by the Plot

March 18, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, chase, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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Typically, the Player Characters drive the plots of our Tabletop RPGs forward. And they should! The story is ABOUT them and their adventures, after all! The world should react to them and their choices accordingly. However, this isn’t always the case… Sometimes, the “hunters” become the “hunted,” and – for better or worse – the characters are put in a position to react to the plot happening TO them rather than BECAUSE OF them. Perhaps they’ve angered a powerful foe who now hunts them? Perhaps they’ve recovered a powerful item that the villain seeks to keep it from them? Or, perhaps even, our Player Characters are NOT the “good guys” in the story, and are sought by the law for their crimes! This week, Sara and Rob discuss how to handle a Reactive style of storytelling, and how it differs in narrative flow from the typical Proactive style of play.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

System Spotlight: Legend of the 5 Rings

March 11, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, FantasyFlightGames, FFGames, gamemaster, Legend of the 5 Rings, LOT5R, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:44 — 30.5MB)

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Legend of the 5 Rings by @FFGames has a long and storied past in the #TTRPG world. Starting in 1995 with both RPG and card game, it brings us to the world of Rokugan, a fantasy analogue to feudal Japan. Join Rob & Sara as we explore this complex game in another System Spotlight.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

Episode Eulogy music:
Long Road Ahead by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3996-long-road-ahead
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Dark Fantasy

March 4, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, DarkFantasy, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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Storytelling is a tool as old as society itself, and has been used to convey all fashions of emotions, ideas, and lessons. For as long as we have been using stories to uplift, though, we have also told darker tales – of caution, of horror, and of triumph over primeval darkness. What is it that draws us to stories of Dark Fantasy? Do we see validation of our darker aspects in the stories? Do we crave a deeper malevolence to triumph over to make that victory more meaningful? Is it just plain fun to tell spoopy stories? This week, Sara & Rob delve into the genre of Dark Fantasy, to see what makes it tick, and to explore the options we have available to us in the TTRPG world!

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

Micromanagement of Resources

February 25, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, Micromanagement, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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Fantasy stories often ignore the small details. Does the archer run out of arrows? Does the fighter have to repair his armor after the 30th fight? And how big is the bag of ammo the twin submachine gun toting Troll is carrying? But the drama can come when the small things matter. Perhaps having one more arrow, or a few less holes, or being forced to use those guns as blunt objects of destruction. Micromanagement has its rewards and drawbacks. This week Sara and Rob discuss the finer details of managing the little things.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

“Give them a Nuke,” a Discussion on Power and Consequences

February 18, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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A shiny red button of ultimate destruction seems like a terrible idea, but is it? In this episode of StC, Sara and Rob explore what it means to give your players a single use item, something ultimately powerful but only once, and what it can mean for your story.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

System Spotlight : Robotech

February 11, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, miniatures, Palladium, PoweredbytheApocalypse, Robotech, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, Strange Machine Games, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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Giant Robots, a cloned alien race, ancient powerful masters of the universe, and a young pop star? Yes, all of this is part of a fantastic world of Robotech. This week Rob and Sara will be dusting off the epic space opera that is Robotech and discussing Palladium’s take, as well as where it has moved on to.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

What We Can Learn from Video Games

February 4, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, MagpieGames, miniatures, openworld, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:42 — 27.8MB)

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Many video games share the title of RPG with their tabletop / pen & paper counterparts. However, video games and TTRPGs differ in significant ways. What can we learn from our digital cousins, though? This week, Sara & Rob discuss the various lessons we can learn from video game RPGs to enrich our TTRPG experiences!

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

Episodic Storytelling

January 28, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, Episodic, gamemaster, LadyBlackbird, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:34 — 27.7MB)

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Creating a new story can be daunting, but even more so when you add in all the things you “think” you need. A deep rich world, a cast of NPCs, and a deep meaningful plot that connects with each player on every adventure. But the truth is most of that is just flavor. Episodic storytelling gives you the ease of moving into an adventure with a fresh step each time without mucking in the deeper plots that novels and movies seem to make standard. This episode, Sara and Rob explore the joy, art, and challenges in creating episodic adventures.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com

Storytelling 101: Things I wish I knew when I started

January 21, 2021Storyteller Conclave7thsea, dice, dnd5e, dungeonmaster, Dungeonsanddragons, DungeonWorld, gamemaster, GM101, MagpieGames, miniatures, PoweredbytheApocalypse, randomencounters, roleplaying, roleplayinggame, rpgs, shadowrun, storyteller, tabletop, tabletopgaming, ttrpg, UrbanShadows, whitewolf, worldofdarknessstoryteller-conclave

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:41 — 27.8MB)

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When we start out gaming our minds are filled with ideas, plans, and worry. Do I have the right books, dice, maps? Is the group going to show up? And do we have enough soda? But rarely to we take the time later to recall what it was we really needed to know. In this episode, Sara and Rob return to their roots and recall really what was necessary to start a game.

Listen to us live, every Wednesday night at 7pm EST, at http://www.mixlr.com/storyteller-conclave.

Find us on Twitter (@st_conclave) – Instagram (st_conclave)

Support the show by joining our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/StorytellerConclave

Or find our older episodes at Https://Storytellerconclave.com