What Would The Smart Party Do?

Episode 165 - D&D in the 70s (a.k.a. A Gateway To Wider Experiences) This time Gaz & Baz are reunited to talk about playing D&D back in the day. Joined by D&D designer and Good Friend of the Show, Jonathan Tweet, plus legendary DM Hollis Monroe, the guys talk through early experiences before Greyhawk existed and you had to make your own worlds of wondrous adventure. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 164 - Escape Rooms with Rafael Chandler Another Stunt Baz in the shape of Mat from Steamforged Games, a returning special guest in the splendid form of Good Friend of the Show, Rafael Chandler; what more could you ask for? Rafael has a successful Escape Room business and is (at time of recording) launching a Kickstarter for a 100+ puzzle escape room in a box which becomes a roleplaying game. The guys chat about puzzles in your games, how to come up with them, what makes them interesting and much more in this episode. You can jump on in on the Gateways & Griffons Kickstarter here, and find out much more on Rafael's excellent works via his website. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you'r

Episode 163 - New Gaming Tech (a.k.a. Is Verisimilitude a Word?) There's a foreword this time from Baz to let you know what's going on in his life, thoughts are with him right now. The episode was recorded before his recent sad news, and after the into message regular Stunt Baz and author of the Burn After Running blog joins Gaz to talk about new gaming tech. What developments have their been in RPG techniques and how can they be leveraged for use in any game, including more traditional ones? Level up your RPG sessions with these top tips. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 162 - Zombies with Dirk the Dice (a.k.a. Goldeneye Caused It) The Unknown Stunt Baz, Dirk the Dice off of The Grognard Files podcast joins Gaz this time to talk about zombies in popular media and in particular, games. From their origins to the hugely popular K-Zombie films and TV, how do we get more shambly bois in our games? You can chat to Dirk on the Twitters here. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 161 - Justin Alexander Interview (a.k.a. Was Dragonlance Railroady?) Armed with "Stunt Baz" Guy Milner off of the Burn After Running blog, this time Gaz interviews RPG producer and designer at Atlas Games, Justin Alexander. The chat covers the excellent RPG resource The Alexandrian, as well as what's hot at Atlas Games and some great game design discussion. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 160 - Blade Runner (a.k.a. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) One of the most universally recognised IPs in geekdom, Blade Runner is a staple of the lad's early film experiences. Now Free League are bringing the films (and other media) to life with a new RPG set in futuristic LA. Designer Tomas Härenstam guests to explain more about this highly anticipated game! If you want to hop on board with the exciting Blade Runner Kickstarter click the link! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 159 - Superheroes (a.k.a. Not All Heroes Wear Capes) With great podcasting, comes great responsibility to listen. Or something. This time the lads go through some Supers RPGs. What are they about? Do they match the genre? Are they any good? All this and more awaits. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 158 - Dark Souls (a.k.a. You Wake Up By A Bonfire) So it is, ash seeketh embers… this time the lads are joined by Mat Hart and Rich August from Steamforged Games to talk about the Dark Souls RPG, and go deep diving into game design theory. You can find out more on Dark Souls and other Steamforged goodies at the Steamforged website. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 156 - Campaigns a.k.a. One Scenario After Another What makes a good campaign? This time the lads explore what's out there in published campaign land and seek to determine what sort of campaigns there are, what makes them good and throw out some top tips and recommendations. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 156 - Runequest a.k.a. Your Glorantha May Vary The starter set is out for the latest edition of an old classic, Runequest. As Baz plunders this resource and gives his thoughts, Gaz expands in this knowledge with a tour through previous editions and the lads try to answer the core question of any game - what's cool about it? If you want to hear more about Runequest, Baz's side project going through the starter set is here: Runequest Year Zero If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 155 - Review of 2021 a.k.a. Recording at the fag-end New year, new you and new podcast. The lads go over the year that was, 2021, with all its trials, tribulations and great gaming moments. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 154 - Subsystems a.k.a. Cut Down Like Ep1 of Squid Game The lads chat through chases, Dramatic Tasks, the funnel, spell duels, grappling and all other manner of subsystems and extra bits. Core mechanics are all very well and good, but how do you do mass battle? Find out in this episode! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we are open to development opportunities! :)

Bonus Episode - Writing RPG Scenarios for Publication The lads went down to London Village for Dragonmeet and presented in their usual seminar slot. This time they were joined by special guests Paul Fricker (Call of Cthulhu, Rivers of London) and Mat Hart (Steamforged Games) to talk in a wide-ranging presentation on writing your own content for RPGs and getting it out there. Topics included what to write, how to get started, writing for companies or yourself, Kickstarter and more. Enjoy! You can grab yourself some Epic Encounters and other goodness on the Steamforged Website! Get yourselves a top Call of Cthulhu scenario at Drivethru. You can also get The Bone Alchemist referenced in the seminar and King of Dungeons in the same place too! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesm

Episode 153 - Shane Hensley Interview a.k.a Shaken Not Stirred The lads were delighted to have one of their gaming heroes on this time, founder of Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Shane Hensley. He's created the best-selling, award-winning Deadlands, Hell on Earth, Weird Wars, and later Savage Worlds and many of its settings. He's also written for God's Own Game Earthdawn, TORG, and many other things, plus worked on computer games such as City of Villains. Chat covers everything from his classic games to getting assaulted by an orc! You can grab yourself some Savage Worlds goodness on the Pinnacle Website! Get yourselves answers and chat about Savage Worlds and other games on the Pinnacle Forums. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on

Episode 152 - Jason Cordova Interview a.k.a Shouting Into The Void Jason Cordova joins the lads to chat about his own podcasting experience on Fear of a Black Dragon, hot indie rpgs like The Between and Brindlewood Bay, game design, streaming and much more! Follow Jason on Twitter. You can find out more about the Gauntlet and cool techniques and games on his website. Get your earballs around the excellent Fear of a Black Dragon here! Get yourselves a copy of The Between on Drivethru You can get Brindelwood Bay actual plays and more on his YouTube. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 151 - Into The Odd Remastered a.k.a You Were The First Good friend of the show Chris McDowall has remastered his well-renowned and critically-acclaimed Into the Odd in a new edition, teaming up with more good friends of the show, Free League! The lads go through design choices, graphics, how to write a game and much more in this busy episode! You can find out more about all Chris' stuff at his website. Jump on the Kickstarter here! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 150 - Meguey & Vincent Baker Interview a.k.a The Secret Is, They're Just Subsystems For the 150th episode, the boys needed something special, and what better way to celebrate than chatting to two of the industry's best and nicest game designers, Vincent and Meg Baker. Between them, authors of Apocalypse World, Dogs in the Vineyard, Psi*Run, Murderous Ghosts and more! A proper after-hours con type discussion occurs getting into the weeds of game design and how to be a better roleplayer. You can find out more about the Baker's games at Lumpley Games. Of particular note is their new game Under Hollow Hills, which you can get the playbooks and basic moves for on their site. Get lots of detail on Apocalypse World here! If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty

Episode 149 - Advancement a.k.a The Other Sin is 1XP Thanks to a Listener's Letter, this episode is all about advancement. Of course a lot of the chat is about XP and mechanically improving your character, but the lads also think about what else advancing a character could mean. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 148 - Nostalgia a.k.a The More You Look At It, The More It Looks Back At You Remember those Hovis adverts from back in the day? No? How about Cyborg Commando? The lads ponder on lost youth and the eternal question of not only can you go back, but should you? Numerous old games get a mention and the guys go through reboots and reskins and lots of other topics in a wide-ranging chat. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)

Episode 147 - Investigation RPGs a.k.a The Problem That Doesn't Exist Have you passed your Spot Hidden check? Then you will note that Baz is on holidays, so Gaz is joined by the effable Stunt Baz, Guy Milner off of the Burn After Running blog to talk about investigative RPGs. What are the common pitfalls? What makes a good investigation? Which are the key games out there on the market? All this and more awaits keen-eyed investigators in this episode! Visit the Burn After Running blog for a plethora of articles and resources on GMing. If you dig actual plays and reviews of played modules, check out the new YouTube channel. Get in touch, the lads love to hear from you!Twitters: twitter.com/the_smart_partyEmail: thesmartparty@hotmail.comKo-Fi: ko-fi.com/thesmartpartyPatreons: patreon.com/thesmartparty We always welcome lovely reviews on iTunes or elsewhere too. If you're less keen, give us a shout, we'd are open to development opportunities! :)