Biggus Geekus

Shownotes to follow

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Episode 158 Streamed Live Tuesday September 26, 2023
Main Topic: Big Geek Con 1- Post Shenanigans Report
People to thank
Workers/helpers:
A special nod goes to Randy’s wife & K. Scott
Appreciation to Joe Hardin and His wife, L. Neumann, Martenson, Greg T., Larry E., and Fladey ( for donations to raffle) as well as David Guyll (donations for raffle- extreme number of miniatures).
The GMs:
Fladey, Larry N., Larry E., Martenson, Kelley, Tim, and Benny S., Darth Thiek (Commander -style tourney), Halcyon, J. Demo, Nathan Lindy, and Geoff S.
Special Kudos:
Ben R. playing with Bennie.
Bennie gave away his prize to a friend
Far travelers: Darth Thiek, Fladey and guest, Abub.
Nathan Lindy: ran Horde Wars like a boss!
Business end
Set up
Advertising
Setting up GMs and sessions
How did we do?
# of Attendees
Friday: 34
Saturday: 47
Games played by BG and favorite things
Randy - games played: Modern War by young 13 year old (his own homebrew), Cheating Death- by Tim Scott : TPK and a mighty screw up on my part, and 13th age by Larry E.- enjoyable ,but more guffaws by moi. (very tired)
Randy’s Favorites: Loved my theme of not reading the dice right, loved my kids’ game(great ideas and cool thing), watching Horde Wars tables fill up non-stop, & inspired by my running of my module(very first session), and meeting the various dudes from the chat on this show.
Joe - games played: Rifts Coalition Wars, Extreme Xcrawl, Horde Wars, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Palladium Fantasy, and 13th Age
Joe’s Favorites: Meeting folks from the live stream, you guys ROCK! Getting some gaming in after a long break.
Food: hot dogs, pulled pork, chips, cookies, soda, water, candy bars.
Good/Bad/Ugly
Suggestion Box:
Sound buffering
Credit card payment option on site
Stagger early games
Late start Friday/end Sunday
AC/Fans needed
Place merchandise closer to entrance
Advertise at local games stores
People buying weekend pass should get two “raffle” tickets (or more incentive)
If possible buy stuff to raffle
Game sign up online if possible
Tabletop events and dates set earlier
45 minute registration pre-game
Floating GM each slot
Encourage folks to show up ten minutes before games
More variety of diet pop
Add a space on sign-in sheet for email and to text notifications
Kids play place
How about Big Geek Con 2?
Shameless Plug Time:
If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show. We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.
Cash Support
PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus
Streamlabs:https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip
Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus
On the Web:
Website:www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com
Email: [email protected]
Big Geek Emporium: https://biggeekemporium.com/

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Episode 157 Streamed Live Tuesday September 19, 2023

Main Topic: Handling PC Death (a revisit)

1. Should it be on the table at all?

2. How much does it suck to have your PC to die mid-session?

3. Types of Death? Fair (Player poor choices or fairly rolled combat deaths). VS Unfair (GM Fiat/unfair targeting of a PC/1 save or die)

4. Classic D&D solution: Raise Dead/Resurrection

5. Basket full of PCs (old school Dark Sun)

6. How is Death handled in Games outside of the fantasy genre?

7. How has your opinion on PC death changed/evolved/stayed the same since EP7?

8. Death Mechanics You’ve seen in a game?

Squishing Gaming Myths - Roll Players vs Role-Players

Is there a divide?

Does it matter?

Why or why not?

Can the two gamers mix?

Random Geek-itude Report from Big Geek Land

Big Geek Con: September 22-23, 2023, at the Four Points Hotel in Saginaw, MI.

This coming weekend is THE weekend!

Tickets sold day of show: $40 whether you come Friday(22nd) or Saturday(23rd).

Shameless Plug Time:

If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show. We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.

Cash Support

PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus

Streamlabs:https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus

On the Web:

Website:www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

Big Geek Emporium: https://biggeekemporium.com/

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/support

Episode 156 Streamed Live Tuesday September 12, 2023

Mental Illness as badge of Honor

https://dotesports.com/dnd/news/first-canonically-autistic-dnd-character-arrives-in-the-book-of-many-things

Main Topic: Planescape Reimagined

The Great Wheel Cosmology:https://srd.dndtools.org/srd/environment/planesDescriptionsAndCosmology.html

Randy’s Big IDEA: The prime (Prime Plane) is prime real estate throughout the Multiverse and all the other planes want it. Why? It is the only plane that is not dedicated to a single idea or alignment. It has desirable resource (its residents) and it is not primarily dedicated to a single idea or alignment.

Sigil: City of Doors is run by a Great Council of Dominant representatives of non-deity level leaders from the planes of the multiverse They are in a constant political dance called the Kreigstanz in an attempt to outmaneuver each other. This keeps them from mounting a full assault on the prime material plane. Of course, many of these powerful individuals will do a little ‘invading” secretly or sometimes not so secretly from time to time.

Lady of Pain: head of the table- a powerful entity who can keep out powerful immortal creatures due to the nature of the City of Doors. She has a seemingly endless horde of warriors called Dabus who do not speak, but only act. They might be constructs or a race of mute beings, no one knows for sure because as they die their bodies dissipate into nothing or meld into the streets of Sigil.

The Factions: these could be human/PC race led organizations that attempt to win favors from the Great Council, the Lady of Pain, or perhaps to just keep an eye on the dealings of these planar entities who would wish to dominate the Prime Material Plane.

The PORTALS: These exist as the only way to access Sigil and only the Lady and Dabus have control to their access at least officially.

Joe’s Big IDEA:
Skip Sigil and keep the focus on the PCs’ homeworld as much as possible.

- PCs’ home world has occasional invaders from the wider multiverse, maybe other prime worlds

- Invasion forces vary in strength

- Forces are after a valuable resource (make one up lazy!)

- May be a single force, maybe multiple

- May be independent forces, maybe coordinated

- Can easily be used to springboard a campaign

- Can be used as a one shot “Stop The Invaders” adventure

-- get to ground zero

-- battle to penetrate a stronghold

-- find and eliminate the leader/close portal (not necessarily connected)
Squishing Gaming Myths: D&D is NOT a GOOD TTRPG.

It is just the most popular.

It doesn’t represent magic well.

Levels are dumb and skills are where it’s at.

It is just an adventure game, no roleplaying support.

It doesn’t work past level 6/10/12

It is too complicated.

Report from Big Geek Land

Big Geek Con: September 22-23, 2023, at the Four Points Hotel in Saginaw, MI. “Do Not try that at a Small Con!” We got some good help working on the non-gaming stuff.

Tickets sold day of show: $40 whether you come Friday(22nd) or Saturday(23rd).

Shameless Plug Time:

If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show. We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.

Cash Support

PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus

Streamlabs:https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus

On the Web:

Website:www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com

Email:[email protected]

Big Geek Emporium:https://biggeekemporium.com/

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/support

Shownotes to follow

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Notes to follow

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Episode 153 Streamed Live Tuesday August 22, 2023

Shout out the Geeapaloozapodcast

Two of our Cabin Con buddies have started a Twitch podcast on general gaming: https://www.twitch.tv/geekapaloozapodcast

Main Topic: Gaming Facts or Fiction?

Old DnD Research:https://www.dndresearch.com/blog/2020-survey-result-update-1-demographic-of-ttrpg-players#/

RAW vs RAI vs Homebrew Rules: Is it a big deal at most tables?

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?398993-On-RAW-RAI-amp-RAF

Gamer Funk: are gamers are a smelly bunch? Banned!: https://www.theregister.com/2019/04/05/stnky_gamers_banned/

Con Crud:If you go to a convention will you likely come home with the plague? https://publichealthinsider.com/2018/08/31/gaming-cosplay-and-con-crud-oh-my/

Gamers have low social skills: Can gamers interact socially outside of the table? https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1199&context=honorscollege_theses

Gamers are smart: Does the average gamer have an IQ that is above average? Video gamers article: https://technave.com/gadget/Study-suggests-that-PC-gamers-have-highest-average-IQ-22139.html

TTRPGs have been and is still a boy’s club: Are there any women in the house? Video games: https://techpenny.com/roleplaying-gamer-demographics-trends/

TTRPGs: https://blog.gitnux.com/tabletop-gaming-statistics/

D&D Weirdness: Leveling Up

Old school: Gain XP then gain level after you train..
New school: Gain XP then gain level & mid-adventure or in-between encounters

Level Caps on non-humans- too weird. But having a level cap on Mortals seems reasonable

Everything increases at the same time

Defeating opponents/gaining treasure to get stronger.

Training – Use a mentor who advises and occasionally offers insight, and adventure seeds.
Level caps: Make them setting/table specific
How to get exp: add in goals based exp (some examples in different versions)
Everything increases: have to redesign the game on some level to make this change

Random Geek-itude: Report from Big Geek Land

“Cry Havoc, and remember, you just ‘Try That at a Small Con!” ( Thanks Venger!)

1 Month away folks!

Suggestions: Kids 13 and under free with an adult (max two kids per adult) and adult must accompany the child during the whole time.

Tickets sold day of show: $40 whether you come Friday(22nd) or Saturday(23rd).

Tragedy at Taigon’s Falls at BGE:
https://biggeekemporium.com/product/tragedy-at-taigons-falls/

Big Geek Con Discord thread for games:

https://discord.com/channels/758861997697138759/1142771211298938890

Shameless Plug Time:

If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show, We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.

Cash Support

PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus

Streamlabs:https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus

On the Web:

Website:www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

Big Geek Emporium:https://biggeekemporium.com/

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/support

Episode 152 Streamed Live Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Special Guests DM Blackwall and DM Nate

Horde Wars Basic is available on BGE

Campaign Analysis: So, you all meet in a bar.

1. Should Pcs be generated together (“session zero”) or individually/separately?

2. Should the Pcs know each other?

3. Many ways to start a campaign (the first adventure):

1. In a tavern with a mysterious stranger.

2. Hired as Caravan guards.

3. In media res.

4. Mission Impossible- your mission if you choose to accept it. No reason. Module or homebrew…just begin.

5. Fullsandbox: players choose their starting place and see if the PCs meet up, maybe via some sort of event?

1. Jazzingup these beginnings:

1. Mysterious meeting with hermit sage outside the city.

2. PCs are mercenaries on a merchant ship defending against Pirates.

3. PCs are the only survivors of a battle on a hilltop.

4. PCs begin at the entrance of … (insert module or adventure)

5. PCs are lead to an alchemist who turns out dead ...

D&D Weirdness: Randomness

Why are we in the RPG sphere so attached to randomness?
The need for some element of failure/success
The random elementbrings excitement.

Removes arbitrary choices.
Combining success/failure with severity of effect:
Rolling a hit then getting 1 damage on a random roll, for instance?
Lean into randomness to improve the experience:

Make the success roll pivotal so it influences the effect, like the way crits work.

Dice Superstitions

Unlucky/lucky dice and players.

Don’t touch another gamer’s dice.

Put new dice through rituals to make them roll well

Must have dice of one-color set.

Roll with specific dice every time.

Random Geek-itude

Big Geek Con: September 22-23, 2023, at the Four Points Hotel in Saginaw, MI

Big Geek Adventures: Tragedy at Taigon’s Falls is done and will be posted on BGE soon!

Horde Wars Basic: https://biggeekemporium.com/product/horde-wars-basic/

Find Horde Wars at Grand Con: https://www.grand-con.com/exhibitors-2023

Shameless Plug Time:

If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show. We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.

Cash Support

PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus

Streamlabs:https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus

On the Web:

Website:www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com

Email:[email protected]

Big Geek Emporium:https://biggeekemporium.com/

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/support

Notes to follow

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Deities of Your Campaign

Episode 150 Streamed Live Tuesday August 1, 2023

Main Topic: Deities in Your Campaign

1. Pantheons or Monotheistic settings.

2. Using the real world mythologies in your game.

3. Creating your own.

4. Using a game’s settings deities as written.

5. No deities

6. To what extent should they take front stage in a campaign?

7. Can you call down the gods?

8. What are the eternal consequences of deities in a campaign?

DnD Weirdness: Adventuring Part 2 - The Campaign World’s Adaptation to adventuring

Adventuring Companies
Traditional organizations sending out adventurers

Folk referring to “adventurers” and understanding it as a thing

Adventurers become the pioneers/colonizers and/or troubleshooters

150th episode Giveaway

Give away one ticket to BG Con 1 on September 22-23,2023.

Random Geek-itude: Report from Big Geek Land

Big Geek Con: September 22-23, 2023, at the Four Points Hotel in Saginaw, MI. – be there or be square!

Shameless Plug Time:

If you would like to support our show, please like, subscribe, and share us where you are listening or viewing the show, also: We are on all the socials, video and podcast places as well.

Cash Support

PayPal: https://paypal.me/biggusgeekus

Streamlabs: https://streamlabs.com/biggusgeekus1/tip

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/biggusgeekus

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BiggusGeekus

On the Web: 

Website: www.biggusgeekuspodcast.com

Email:[email protected]

Big Geek Emporium:https://biggeekemporium.com/

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biggusgeekus/support