This is it, folks: the last episode of Saving the Game.   In this one, we explain why we're shutting down the podcast, answer our remaining Patreon questions, thank people who helped us along the way, and reminisce a bit. We wanted closure for all of our listeners - and ourselves - and hopefully this episode provides it.

This is it, folks: the last episode of Saving the Game. In this one, we explain why we're shutting down the podcast, answer our remaining Patreon questions, thank people who helped us along the way, and reminisce a bit. We wanted closure for all of our listeners - and ourselves - and hopefully this episode provides it.

Episode 192 - Go Now In Peace (Podcast Finale)

An Important Note: This is the second-to-last episode of Saving the Game. Our last episode will release in two weeks and will be a "goodbye" episode. More details in the episode itself and a full-breakdown in the next one.   This is the second part of the Prep/Improv two-parter we brainstormed during a Patreon question. We start out with the news above and a breakdown of how Christmas went, and then get to our Patreon question for this week, which comes to us from Richard Lorenz who asks: "Which Bible verse/passage/teaching have you seen misused or mangled the most?"   As you might expect, we have a bit of a field day with that one, but also move on relatively quickly because we have an interesting topic: GM improv! We stress a lot that improv is a learned skill rather than an inborn talent and discuss some various ways to develop that skill. We also devote some time (as you'd expect) to specific techniques and maintaining the proper mindset.   Mentioned in this episode: International Dialects of English Archive, Solo Improv Practice, From Rewatch With Love, Melina Pendulum, HBomberGuy, The Artisan Geek   Scripture: Exodus 4:10-12, Proverbs 3:6, James 1:5 

An Important Note: This is the second-to-last episode of Saving the Game. Our last episode will release in two weeks and will be a "goodbye" episode. More details in the episode itself and a full-breakdown in the next one. This is the second part of the Prep/Improv two-parter we brainstormed during a Patreon question. We start out with the news above and a breakdown of how Christmas went, and then get to our Patreon question for this week, which comes to us from Richard Lorenz who asks: "Which Bible verse/passage/teaching have you seen misused or mangled the most?" As you might expect, we have a bit of a field day with that one, but also move on relatively quickly because we have an interesting topic: GM improv! We stress a lot that improv is a learned skill rather than an inborn talent and discuss some various ways to develop that skill. We also devote some time (as you'd expect) to specific techniques and maintaining the proper mindset. Mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.dialectsarchive.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Dialects of English Archive</a>, <a href="https://improvcincinnati.com/blog/solo-improv-practice" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Solo Improv Practice</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV_qemO0oathZWE6xVp94GSevMTcrurPt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From Rewatch With Love</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MelinaPendulum" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Melina Pendulum</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/hbomberguy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HBomberGuy</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCamkpihJtPvMuH49D6FejEw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Artisan Geek</a> Scripture: Exodus 4:10-12, Proverbs 3:6, James 1:5

Episode 191 - GM Improv

This week we have another installment in Grant's reading of the sermons of the Reverend Bob Lawrence. If you haven't heard the previous entries, this one, like the others, is an imagined slice of life from someone adjacent to the Christmas story. Rev. Lawrence was quite the storyteller, and there is a reason these sermons have become a tradition for us.   Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9, Luke 2:21-35

This week we have another installment in Grant's reading of the sermons of the Reverend Bob Lawrence. If you haven't heard the previous entries, this one, like the others, is an imagined slice of life from someone adjacent to the Christmas story. Rev. Lawrence was quite the storyteller, and there is a reason <a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/bob-lawrence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these sermons</a> have become a tradition for us. Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9, Luke 2:21-35

Bonus Episode 23 - The Eighth Day of Christmas

This episode marks the first of the two episodes we came up with based on a Patreon Question back in episode 189 - we're talking about GM Prep.   We check in as usual and then - perhaps ironically, perhaps appropriately for an episode that we came up with while answering another Patreon question - we are completely blindsided by the question from Aaron Arnold who asks "Have you seen Silence by Martin Scorcese or Mother! and how did you feel about how they explore the faith?" SPOILER: This quickly becomes a game of "how do we answer a question about media that none of us have seen?" We do get some interesting discussion out of that, if maybe not quite what Aaron was hoping for, and then move on to our scripture and main topic.   That main topic is kind of a general analysis and breakdown of our respective GMing styles, plus a collection of advice we've built up over the course of our gaming careers. We have different approaches to GM prep, although we all agree that it probably shouldn't be anywhere near as daunting as some folks think. We also spend a fair bit of time throughout the discussion ruminating on how running games via virtual tabletops and in-person groups differ.   Resources: /r/battlemaps, Token Stamp, Episode 144: Hacking Published Adventures   Scripture: Proverbs 16:9, Luke 14:28-30, James 4:13-15

This episode marks the first of the two episodes we came up with based on a Patreon Question back in episode 189 - we're talking about GM Prep. We check in as usual and then - perhaps ironically, perhaps appropriately for an episode that we came up with while answering another Patreon question - we are completely blindsided by the question from Aaron Arnold who asks "Have you seen Silence by Martin Scorcese or Mother! and how did you feel about how they explore the faith?" SPOILER: This quickly becomes a game of "how do we answer a question about media that none of us have seen?" We do get some interesting discussion out of that, if maybe not quite what Aaron was hoping for, and then move on to our scripture and main topic. That main topic is kind of a general analysis and breakdown of our respective GMing styles, plus a collection of advice we've built up over the course of our gaming careers. We have different approaches to GM prep, although we all agree that it probably shouldn't be anywhere near as daunting as some folks think. We also spend a fair bit of time throughout the discussion ruminating on how running games via virtual tabletops and in-person groups differ. Resources: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/battlemaps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">/r/battlemaps</a>, <a href="http://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Token Stamp</a>, <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-144-hacking-published-adventures/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 144: Hacking Published Adventures</a> Scripture: Proverbs 16:9, Luke 14:28-30, James 4:13-15

Episode 190: GM Prep

It's a thing that often happens in games but seldom gets much detailed thought put into it: the PCs decide to go off and find something mundane to do like shopping or fishing.   We start the episode off with the usual check-in and then move on to our Patreon question where Alex Huggett asks: "How many games do you have on the go? How often do you play?" As you might expect, we're fairly active roleplayers, so there's a fair bit to say there. After reading our scripture, we dive into the main topic, and as it turns out, all three of us approached it from a completely different perspective. Grant and Jenny focused more on the reasons why players would want to do such a thing in the first place and its utility from a narrative perspective, while Peter was more about practical advice for making it interesting. All in all, it added up to a fun and in-depth discussion.   Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:18, Matthew 25:34-40, Hebrews 2:10-17

It's a thing that often happens in games but seldom gets much detailed thought put into it: the PCs decide to go off and find something mundane to do like shopping or fishing. We start the episode off with the usual check-in and then move on to our Patreon question where Alex Huggett asks: "How many games do you have on the go? How often do you play?" As you might expect, we're fairly active roleplayers, so there's a fair bit to say there. After reading our scripture, we dive into the main topic, and as it turns out, all three of us approached it from a completely different perspective. Grant and Jenny focused more on the reasons why players would want to do such a thing in the first place and its utility from a narrative perspective, while Peter was more about practical advice for making it interesting. All in all, it added up to a fun and in-depth discussion. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:18, Matthew 25:34-40, Hebrews 2:10-17

Episode 189 - Breaking for the Mundane

We're back with our 4th-quarter episode selected by our Patreon backers and it's definitely kind of an "old-school" episode by our standards where we take a specifically-biblical theme and unpack and discuss it. This time, we're ruminating on the topic of Eden and all of the themes of paradise, fall, and "first-ness" that come with it.   The episode starts with a quick acknowledgement that 2020 remains stressful at this current juncture, but move pretty quickly into a great Patreon question from Tom Stephens who asks "What is the strangest/weirdest/most difficult game mechanic you've ever had to deal with in game?" Given all of our varied game histories, that generates some fun and interesting discussion to warm us up for our scripture and then our main topic of Eden which went to some very interesting places. We discuss the Biblical Eden and some tropes and themes that tie back to it, but also "Eden Worlds" as seen in sci-fi and some other fun digressions.   Mentioned in this episode: Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, by Gertrude Landa, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars books (and a podcast to go with them), the SCP Foundation Wiki,   Scripture: Genesis 2: 8-9, Isaiah 51:3, Ezekiel 28:13-15, Revelation 22:1-5

We're back with our 4th-quarter episode selected by our Patreon backers and it's definitely kind of an "old-school" episode by our standards where we take a specifically-biblical theme and unpack and discuss it. This time, we're ruminating on the topic of Eden and all of the themes of paradise, fall, and "first-ness" that come with it. The episode starts with a quick acknowledgement that 2020 remains stressful at this current juncture, but move pretty quickly into a great Patreon question from Tom Stephens who asks "What is the strangest/weirdest/most difficult game mechanic you've ever had to deal with in game?" Given all of our varied game histories, that generates some fun and interesting discussion to warm us up for our scripture and then our main topic of Eden which went to some very interesting places. We discuss the Biblical Eden and some tropes and themes that tie back to it, but also "Eden Worlds" as seen in sci-fi and some other fun digressions. Mentioned in this episode: <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26711/26711-h/26711-h.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, by Gertrude Landa</a>, <a href="https://www.kimstanleyrobinson.info/content/marooned-mars-achievement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars books</a> (and a <a href="https://anchor.fm/marooned-on-mars-with-matt-and-hilary/episodes/A-Nebula-Award-for-a-Double----the-Kim-Stanley-Robinson-Interview-e4g72d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast to go with them</a>), the <a href="http://www.scpwiki.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SCP Foundation Wiki</a>, Scripture: Genesis 2: 8-9, Isaiah 51:3, Ezekiel 28:13-15, Revelation 22:1-5

Episode 188 - Eden

This week's episode is something a little bit different: we did an online panel on spooky elements at the tail end of SAFe 2020, sort of a sum-up of our "spooky fall" series with some general advice. It turned out well enough that we have decided to pull the audio and provide that as our episode this week. This will be a bit less-produced than you're used to with us, but should still be plenty listenable.  If you'd rather watch the video instead, that can be found here: https://youtu.be/R54vwpRo39A

This week's episode is something a little bit different: we did an online panel on spooky elements at the tail end of SAFe 2020, sort of a sum-up of our "spooky fall" series with some general advice. It turned out well enough that we have decided to pull the audio and provide that as our episode this week. This will be a bit less-produced than you're used to with us, but should still be plenty listenable. If you'd rather watch the video instead, that can be found here: <a href="https://youtu.be/R54vwpRo39A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/R54vwpRo39A</a>

Bonus Episode 22 - Incorporating Spooky Elements

As October continues, so does our "Spooky Fall" lineup of horror and horror-adjacent topics. This time, we're talking about "creepy crawlies" - the vermin and pests from snakes to spiders to locusts that can cause problems far bigger than their apparent size.   We start off as usual with a host check-in, but we really haven't had much going on lately. Well, except for Jenny, who had a very topic-appropriate nuisance to contend with. Our Patreon topic this week comes from Mike F who puts us on the horns (or perhaps in the fangs?) of a dilemma by asking "Would you rather spend two weeks in quarantine with a goblin raised by wolves, a wolf raised by goblins, or two children under three?"   Once we've sorted that out, it's time to talk about rodents, and bugs, and snakes, and arachnids, and all the other various and sundry small things that can cause big problems and be used to signify various spooky things in our games and story telling. But sometimes these things we think of as gross aren't quite so unequivocally bad. Rats can sniff out landmines, and peacock spiders can be straight-up adorable. There's also a lot of interesting science and culture around insects out there. Massive ant wars and the unnerving world of parasitic wasps, just to name two examples. And of course, there's plenty of potential story uses as well.   Scripture: Exodus 10:13-15, Psalm 78:45-46, Revelation 9:7-11   Other links: Animal trials, Japanese entomology culture

As October continues, so does our "Spooky Fall" lineup of horror and horror-adjacent topics. This time, we're talking about "creepy crawlies" - the vermin and pests from snakes to spiders to locusts that can cause problems far bigger than their apparent size. We start off as usual with a host check-in, but we really haven't had much going on lately. Well, except for Jenny, who had a very topic-appropriate nuisance to contend with. Our Patreon topic this week comes from Mike F who puts us on the horns (or perhaps in the fangs?) of a dilemma by asking "Would you rather spend two weeks in quarantine with a goblin raised by wolves, a wolf raised by goblins, or two children under three?" Once we've sorted that out, it's time to talk about rodents, and bugs, and snakes, and arachnids, and all the other various and sundry small things that can cause big problems and be used to signify various spooky things in our games and story telling. But sometimes these things we think of as gross aren't quite so unequivocally bad. Rats can <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/25/916892377/hero-rat-wins-a-top-animal-award-for-sniffing-out-landmines" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sniff out landmines</a>, and peacock spiders can be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYFQQB9vqPw&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">straight-up adorable</a>. There's also a lot of interesting science and culture around insects out there. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_e0CA_nhaE&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Massive ant wars</a> and the <a href="https://www.insidescience.org/news/move-over-beetles-new-champions-diversity-are-parasitic-wasps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unnerving world of parasitic wasps</a>, just to name two examples. And of course, there's plenty of potential story uses as well. Scripture: Exodus 10:13-15, Psalm 78:45-46, Revelation 9:7-11 Other links: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43286/43286-h/43286-h.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Animal trials</a>, <a href="https://aeon.co/essays/japanese-culture-conquered-the-human-fear-of-creepy-crawlies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Japanese entomology culture</a>

Episode 187 - Creepy Crawlies

Spooky fall continues with creative collaboration episode!   We start with a check-in and some news - we can now be found on the Pray.com app and Faithcasts.com, should either of those strike your fancy. We all had fairly decent weeks leading up to recording, and kick off with a discussion that rapidly leads into "what have you been reading?"   Our Patreon Question this week comes from Aaron Arnold, who asks "What's your view on how today's culture affects the way you game with strangers? If at all." That question, as you might imagine, sparks a nice, meaty discussion.   From there, we read our scripture and launch into a rare creative collaboration with all three hosts - this time putting our heads together to build a haunted house. But not just any haunted house. A haunted mcmansion smart house. Yeah, we went for it. Buckle up folks, our imaginations were firing on all cylinders this time!   Scripture: Leviticus 26:27-35, Isaiah 13: 19-22, John 1:5, John 8:12   Mentioned in this episode: Fortnight Frights, McMansion Hell

Spooky fall continues with creative collaboration episode! We start with a check-in and some news - we can now be found on the <a href="https://www.pray.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pray.com</a> app and <a href="https://faithcasts.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Faithcasts.com</a>, should either of those strike your fancy. We all had fairly decent weeks leading up to recording, and kick off with a discussion that rapidly leads into "what have you been reading?" Our Patreon Question this week comes from Aaron Arnold, who asks "What's your view on how today's culture affects the way you game with strangers? If at all." That question, as you might imagine, sparks a nice, meaty discussion. From there, we read our scripture and launch into a rare creative collaboration with all three hosts - this time putting our heads together to build a haunted house. But not just any haunted house. A haunted mcmansion smart house. Yeah, we went for it. Buckle up folks, our imaginations were firing on all cylinders this time! Scripture: Leviticus 26:27-35, Isaiah 13: 19-22, John 1:5, John 8:12 Mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.theartisangeek.com/fortnightfrights" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fortnight Frights</a>, <a href="http://McMansionHell.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">McMansion Hell</a>

Episode 186 - Brainstorming a Haunted House

We've decided that a fun way to carve some enjoyment out of this uncooperative year is to do a general spooky topics roundup and so we've got another one for you this week.   We start off with some exciting news: Jenny has done a fashion walk and Peter is on the general design team for En Publishing's Level Up project. We start off with our impressions of the idea of WotC's new D&amp;D-themed Magic: the Gathering set (coming early next year) and then get into our individual news. We also basically decide on the mics to do a "spoopy fall," so look forward to more monster and horror themed episodes in the near-term.   From there we read our rather minimal scripture (werewolves are not at ALL Biblical) and then launch into our topic. Werewolves may not have any scriptural basis, but boy howdy is there a boatload of mythology, folklore, and popular fiction about them. This one ran almost as long as our alignment wrap-up and probably could have gone longer.   Scripture: Genesis 49:27, John 10:11-16   Supplemental media: While it wasn't mentioned in the episode, if you're looking for a good piece of werewolf media both Jenny and Peter can vouch for, take a look at Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves. It's currently free(!) on Steam, but wasn't always, and was worth paying for back when it was for sale for actual money. The game hits a lot of the same themes we talk about in this episode.

We've decided that a fun way to carve some enjoyment out of this uncooperative year is to do a general spooky topics roundup and so we've got another one for you this week. We start off with some exciting news: Jenny has done <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJZneT9LH6M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a fashion walk</a> and Peter is on the general design team for En Publishing's <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/level-up-advanced-5th-edition-is-coming.673880/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Level Up project</a>. We start off with our impressions of the idea of WotC's new D&amp;D-themed Magic: the Gathering set (coming early next year) and then get into our individual news. We also basically decide on the mics to do a "spoopy fall," so look forward to more monster and horror themed episodes in the near-term. From there we read our rather minimal scripture (werewolves are not at ALL Biblical) and then launch into our topic. Werewolves may not have any scriptural basis, but boy howdy is there a boatload of mythology, folklore, and popular fiction about them. This one ran almost as long as our alignment wrap-up and probably could have gone longer. Scripture: Genesis 49:27, John 10:11-16 Supplemental media: While it wasn't mentioned in the episode, if you're looking for a good piece of werewolf media both Jenny and Peter can vouch for, take a look at <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/227220/SangFroid__Tales_of_Werewolves/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves</a>. It's currently free(!) on Steam, but wasn't always, and was worth paying for back when it was for sale for actual money. The game hits a lot of the same themes we talk about in this episode.

Episode 185 - Werewolves

A Christian podcast about tabletop roleplaying games, collaborative storytelling in RPGs, and other interesting topics

A great dive into Christ at around the gaming table from knowledgeable and great hosts.

A fresh and Deep Look on Table Top RPGs

It is refressing to get this perspective.  keep it up.

Faith and table top RPGs

Saving the Game

Two major announcements: This is the first episode in our new "Science of Storytelling" series; and Save Against Fear, a remarkable gaming convention and fundraiser for sexually traumatized kids, is the weekend of October 11th-13th. You're going to be hearing much more about Save Against Fear in the future! In this episode, Grant, Peter, and Branden (but mostly Branden) explain the continuous plot structure used in almost all movie scripts. (See our full show notes for a copy of that outline!) Then, Branden walks us through creating an actual plot for a game using the outline he laid out in the first half of the episode. Scripture for this episode: Psalms 19:14, Philippians 4:8 ----more---- The full outline we used in this episode: Opening Image The Set-up/Theme Stated The Catalyst Changes the world irrevocably; no going back  The Debate Sometimes the refusal of the call; provide choices and alternative actions  Break into 2 B Story In movies, usually romantic; in a game, perhaps one per PC  Fun and Games The promise of the premise  Mid point Either a “false defeat” or a “false victory”  Bad guys close in All is lost Either “false victory” or “false defeat” (The opposite of what ever the midpoint was, but it should be related to the midpoint twist) The ‘whiff of death’  Dark Night of the Soul Break into 3 B-story should pay off here to provide hope  Finale Final Image

Two major announcements: This is the first episode in our new "Science of Storytelling" series; and <a href="http://www.saveagainstfear.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Save Against Fear</a>, a remarkable gaming convention and fundraiser for sexually traumatized kids, is the weekend of October 11th-13th. You're going to be hearing much more about Save Against Fear in the future! In this episode, Grant, Peter, and Branden (but mostly Branden) explain the continuous plot structure used in almost all movie scripts. (See our full show notes for a copy of that outline!) Then, Branden walks us through creating an actual plot for a game using the outline he laid out in the first half of the episode. Scripture for this episode: <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms%2019:14&amp;version=NRSV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalms 19:14</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204:8&amp;version=NRSV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philippians 4:8</a> ----more---- The full outline we used in this episode: <ul><li>Opening Image</li> <li>The Set-up/Theme Stated</li> <li>The Catalyst</li> <ul><li>Changes the world irrevocably; no going back</li> </ul> <li>The Debate</li> <ul><li>Sometimes the refusal of the call; provide choices and alternative actions</li> </ul> <li>Break into 2</li> <li>B Story</li> <ul><li>In movies, usually romantic; in a game, perhaps one per PC</li> </ul> <li>Fun and Games</li> <ul><li>The promise of the premise</li> </ul> <li>Mid point</li> <ul><li>Either a “false defeat” or a “false victory”</li> </ul> <li>Bad guys close in</li> <li>All is lost</li> <ul><li>Either “false victory” or “false defeat” (The opposite of what ever the midpoint was, but it should be related to the midpoint twist)</li> <li>The ‘whiff of death’</li> </ul> <li>Dark Night of the Soul</li> <li>Break into 3</li> <ul><li>B-story should pay off here to provide hope</li> </ul> <li>Finale</li> <li>Final Image</li></ul>

Episode 23 - Narrative Structure (Science of Storytelling, Part 1)

With the holidays over, we're back to our normal episode format, and in this one we wrap up the first batch of 3 from our alignment series with Lawful Evil.   We start off with a brief holiday check-in and run down some interesting gifts we received and gave. (Guess which one of us unironically gave someone a rock for Christmas!)   The Patreon question this episode comes from Chris Bissel who asks a three-part food-related question: "What do you like to put on hot dogs? What is the weirdest thing you've had on a hot dog? Where is the best hot dog you've ever tasted?"   After answering that and also digressing mightily as is our custom, we settle into our main topic: lawful evil. Lawful Evil is one of the most useful and versatile alignments for villains, and we talk about a lot of them, including Deathsronke, Bane and Lex Luthor from DC, and Thanos, Dr. Doom, and Magneto from Marvel. We didn't have a lot of disagreement this time, but it's a veritable flood of information.   Scripture:  Judges 6:1-6, Matthew 27:1-8, 1 John 4:13-18

With the holidays over, we're back to our normal episode format, and in this one we wrap up the first batch of 3 from our alignment series with Lawful Evil. We start off with a brief holiday check-in and run down some interesting gifts we received and gave. (Guess which one of us unironically gave someone a rock for Christmas!) The Patreon question this episode comes from Chris Bissel who asks a three-part food-related question: "What do you like to put on hot dogs? What is the weirdest thing you've had on a hot dog? Where is the best hot dog you've ever tasted?" After answering that and also digressing mightily as is our custom, we settle into our main topic: lawful evil. Lawful Evil is one of the most useful and versatile alignments for villains, and we talk about a lot of them, including Deathsronke, Bane and Lex Luthor from DC, and Thanos, Dr. Doom, and Magneto from Marvel. We didn't have a lot of disagreement this time, but it's a veritable flood of information. Scripture: Judges 6:1-6, Matthew 27:1-8, 1 John 4:13-18

STG 168 - Lawful Evil (Alignments 3)

Kyle Stainbrook

Continuing our previous episode, Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the Min/Max Podcast join us to finish our discussion on  moral accountability for our in-character choices. Just how much accountability do we have for the things our characters do in our games? How do we handle bleed, and how do we handle it when our own characters engage matters we aren’t fully comfortable with? If you missed Part One of this conversation, you can find it here. Enjoy! Relevant links: STG 111, “Larp and the Psychology of Play (with Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman)”; Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman’s articles on bleed and playing nasty characters; and STG 17, “Lines and Veils”. Scripture: Psalm 7:14-16, Matthew 5:21, Matthew 13:13, Mark 7:14-23

Continuing our previous episode, Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the <a href="http://minmaxpod.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Min/Max Podcast</a> join us to finish our discussion on  moral accountability for our in-character choices. Just how much accountability do we have for the things our characters do in our games? How do we handle bleed, and how do we handle it when our own characters engage matters we aren’t fully comfortable with? If you missed Part One of this conversation, <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-134-moral-accountability-part-1-with-allen-mowers-ashley-mowers-and-kyle-stainbrook/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">you can find it here</a>. Enjoy! Relevant links: <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-111-larp-and-the-psychology-of-play-with-dr-sarah-lynne-bowman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 111, “Larp and the Psychology of Play (with Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman)”</a>; Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman’s articles on <a href="https://nordiclarp.org/2015/03/02/bleed-the-spillover-between-player-and-character/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bleed</a> and <a href="https://nordiclarp.org/2018/01/31/playing-nasty-characters/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">playing nasty characters</a>; and <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-17-lines-and-veils/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 17, “Lines and Veils”</a>. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+7%3A14-16&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 7:14-16</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A21&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 5:21</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13%3A13&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 13:13</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A14-23&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 7:14-23</a>

STG 135 - Moral Accountability, Part 2 (with Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook)

We reach maximum hosting with not one, not two, but three guests this week! Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the much-loved Min/Max Podcast join us to discuss moral accountability for our in-character choices. After we manage to get through an introduction, we all briefly talk about what we've been playing. Grant plugs our new "oh my gosh what if story" t-shirt, Peter and Jenny plug appearances on City on a Hill Gaming and Bard and Bible, and then we all answer a question from Patreon supporter Richard Lorenz about which fictional character we'd each want to run a game for us. After reading Scripture, we then dive into this complex issue together: Just how much accountability do we have for the things our characters do in our games? How do we handle bleed, and how do we handle it when our own characters engage matters we aren't fully comfortable with? We'll wrap up this conversation in Part Two next time, so stay tuned! Relevant links: STG 111, "Larp and the Psychology of Play (with Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman)"; Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman's articles on bleed and playing nasty characters; and STG 17, "Lines and Veils". Scripture: Psalm 7:14-16, Matthew 5:21, Matthew 13:13, Mark 7:14-23

We reach maximum hosting with not one, not two, but three guests this week! Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the much-loved <a href="http://minmaxpod.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Min/Max Podcast</a> join us to discuss moral accountability for our in-character choices. After we manage to get through an introduction, we all briefly talk about what we've been playing. Grant plugs <a href="https://www.zazzle.com/oh_my_gosh_what_if_story_dark_t_shirt-235845573338919169" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our new "oh my gosh what if story" t-shirt</a>, Peter and Jenny plug appearances on <a href="http://www.cityonahillgaming.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City on a Hill Gaming</a> and <a href="http://www.innroadsministries.com/wordpress/tale-28-an-epic-of-loss-and-grief/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bard and Bible</a>, and then we all answer a question from <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> supporter Richard Lorenz about which fictional character we'd each want to run a game for us. After reading Scripture, we then dive into this complex issue together: Just how much accountability do we have for the things our characters do in our games? How do we handle bleed, and how do we handle it when our own characters engage matters we aren't fully comfortable with? We'll wrap up this conversation in Part Two next time, so stay tuned! Relevant links: <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-111-larp-and-the-psychology-of-play-with-dr-sarah-lynne-bowman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 111, "Larp and the Psychology of Play (with Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman)"</a>; Dr. Sarah Lynne-Bowman's articles on <a href="https://nordiclarp.org/2015/03/02/bleed-the-spillover-between-player-and-character/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bleed</a> and <a href="https://nordiclarp.org/2018/01/31/playing-nasty-characters/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">playing nasty characters</a>; and <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-17-lines-and-veils/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 17, "Lines and Veils"</a>. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+7%3A14-16&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 7:14-16</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A21&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 5:21</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13%3A13&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 13:13</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A14-23&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark 7:14-23</a>

Episode 134 - Moral Accountability, Part 1 (with Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook)

Peter and Jenny have two special guests this week: Jacob Toman and Michael Mendis from Gospel &amp; Gaming! Gospel &amp; Gaming is, in their own words, "a ministry dedicated to sharing the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ with gamers all over the world." Jacob and Michael did a great job representing them, explaining their mission in online gaming communities and tabletop gaming communities alike. We also addressed a question from Patreon backer Jim Nanban, who asked us about the coolest piece of RPG paraphernalia we each own. (As promised, there's a picture of Peter's dice bag right here in the show notes.) We also briefly plug our Discord channel, which is continuing to grow as a community. Then everyone settles in to talk about evangelism and how Gospel &amp; Gaming approaches it—even to the point where Michael and Jacob turn the interview around and start asking the hosts questions! A couple of quick notes about this episode: First, Grant was very sick and missed out on a pair of awesome guests. (He's better now.) Second, Peter's audio sounds very bad this episode; there was a hardware problem writing his track to disk that wasn't apparent during the discussion. And third, as hard as Grant tried we simply could not edit Blarey the Podcast Train out of this episode. That means that this is Blarey's first official podcast appearance. Enjoy! Also mentioned in this episode were three books Jacob highly recommended as primers for Gospel &amp; Gaming's mission: Michael Green's Evangelism in the Early Church; Jerram Barr's The Heart of Evangelism; and Jane McGonigal's Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Scripture: Psalm 105:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Romans 10:11-15

Peter and Jenny have two special guests this week: Jacob Toman and Michael Mendis from <a href="http://gospelandgaming.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gospel &amp; Gaming</a>! Gospel &amp; Gaming is, in their own words, "a ministry dedicated to sharing the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ with gamers all over the world." Jacob and Michael did a great job representing them, explaining their mission in online gaming communities and tabletop gaming communities alike. We also addressed a question from Patreon backer Jim Nanban, who asked us about the coolest piece of RPG paraphernalia we each own. (As promised, there's a picture of Peter's dice bag right here in the show notes.) We also briefly plug <a href="https://discord.gg/FDKuqg6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our Discord channel</a>, which is continuing to grow as a community. Then everyone settles in to talk about evangelism and how Gospel &amp; Gaming approaches it—even to the point where Michael and Jacob turn the interview around and start asking the hosts questions! A couple of quick notes about this episode: First, Grant was very sick and missed out on a pair of awesome guests. (He's better now.) Second, Peter's audio sounds very bad this episode; there was a hardware problem writing his track to disk that wasn't apparent during the discussion. And third, as hard as <a href="http://www.mixer.com/stggrant" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grant tried</a> we simply could not edit Blarey the Podcast Train out of this episode. That means that this is Blarey's first official podcast appearance. Enjoy! Also mentioned in this episode were three books Jacob highly recommended as primers for Gospel &amp; Gaming's mission: Michael Green's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FSJA8E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Evangelism in the Early Church</a>; Jerram Barr's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028BUXIS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Heart of Evangelism</a>; and Jane McGonigal's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Broken-Games-Better-Change/dp/0143120611" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World</a>. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+105%3A1-4&amp;version=ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 105:1-4</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13%3A10-13&amp;version=ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 13:10-13</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+10%3A11-15&amp;version=ESV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romans 10:11-15</a>

Episode 119 - Gaming Evangelism (with Gospel and Gaming)

Peter and Jenny have the mics to themselves this episode, and they're talking about one of the funniest and most imaginative books of the Bible: Jonah! First, though, we take a moment to mention the unfortunate and early passing of Rachel Held Evans, a Christian writer and thinker we're all quite fond of taken from us too soon. We also have to put a call out for more questions from our Patreon supporters! And speaking of Patreon, our Patreon question this week comes from Shawn Stauffer, who asks "If you had to spend a year as any one of the characters you've made for an RPG, in their world, which would you choose and why?"   That answered and our Scripture read (including the entirety of Jonah 4, which might be the first time we've ever read an entire chapter of Scripture on this podcast) we dive into Jonah—pun intended. It's a work unlike any other in the Bible: A parodic work featuring a prophet doing his best to disobey God and being frustrated when God succeeds! It's also a work enjoining mercy and compassion over reveling in the punishment of others. Plus it's got a prophet people actually listen to; and ... did you know there's a big fish in this one?   Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3; Jonah 4:1-11; Titus 3:3-8

Peter and Jenny have the mics to themselves this episode, and they're talking about one of the funniest and most imaginative books of the Bible: Jonah! First, though, we take a moment to mention<a href="https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/health-updates" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the unfortunate and early passing of Rachel Held Evans</a>, a Christian writer and thinker we're all quite fond of taken from us too soon. We also have to put a call out for more questions from our Patreon supporters! And speaking of Patreon, <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our Patreon question</a> this week comes from Shawn Stauffer, who asks "If you had to spend a year as any one of the characters you've made for an RPG, in their world, which would you choose and why?" That answered and our Scripture read (including the entirety of Jonah 4, which might be the first time we've ever read an entire chapter of Scripture on this podcast) we dive into Jonah—pun intended. It's a work unlike any other in the Bible: A parodic work featuring a prophet doing his best to disobey God and being frustrated when God succeeds! It's also a work enjoining mercy and compassion over reveling in the punishment of others. Plus it's got a prophet people actually listen to; and ... did you know there's a big fish in this one? Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3; Jonah 4:1-11; Titus 3:3-8

STG 152 - Biblical Figures: Jonah

Kris Newton

Gaming podcaster extraordinaire Kris Newton returns to discuss handling destiny in our games! Kris hosts two of our favorite podcasts: The Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast (neé Gameable Disney and Gameable Pixar) and the much-more-NSFW MegaDumbCast. He's been on several times before, just as we've all been on various episodes of Gameable, and we're delighted to have him back again. After catching up for a bit and hearing what Kris has been playing lately, we answer a spot-on Patreon question from Shawn Stauffer, who asks us to put together an adventuring party consisting entirely of Disney characters. That done, and our Scripture for this episode read, we go deep into the idea of "destiny" in traditional storytelling and in tabletop gaming. What are some different approaches for including it in our games? How can we maintain player autonomy and input while getting full value from this powerful and familiar story element? What purpose does a destiny serve in our stories or as a metagame tool? And how do we mechanically define a destiny, if we do so at all? Also mentioned in this episode: Steve Jackson Games's In Nomine RPG; the Machine of Death anthology; the Protean City Comics podcast; and Magpie Games's Masks RPG. Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:19-22, Isaiah 46:10, Jeremiah 1:4-5, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Gaming podcaster extraordinaire Kris Newton returns to discuss handling destiny in our games! Kris hosts two of our favorite podcasts: <a href="http://gameabledisneypodcast.tumblr.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast</a> (neé Gameable Disney and Gameable Pixar) and the much-more-NSFW <a href="http://megadumbcast.podbean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MegaDumbCast</a>. He's been on <a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/kris-newton/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">several times before</a>, just as we've all been on various episodes of Gameable, and we're delighted to have him back again. After catching up for a bit and hearing what Kris has been playing lately, we answer a spot-on Patreon question from Shawn Stauffer, who asks us to put together an adventuring party consisting entirely of Disney characters. That done, and our Scripture for this episode read, we go deep into the idea of "destiny" in traditional storytelling and in tabletop gaming. What are some different approaches for including it in our games? How can we maintain player autonomy and input while getting full value from this powerful and familiar story element? What purpose does a destiny serve in our stories or as a metagame tool? And how do we mechanically define a destiny, if we do so at all? Also mentioned in this episode: Steve Jackson Games's <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/in-nomine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In Nomine</a> RPG; the <a href="http://machineofdeath.net/about/books" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Machine of Death</a> anthology; the <a href="http://proteancity.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Protean City Comics</a> podcast; and <a href="http://www.magpiegames.com/masks/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magpie Games's Masks RPG</a>. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+31%3A19-22&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 31:19-22</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+46%3A10&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isaiah 46:10</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+1%3A4-5&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeremiah 1:4-5</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A9-10&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:9-10</a>

Episode 136 - Destiny (with Kris Newton)

It's time for our Patreon-selected topic for the quarter, and this one's so big it'll take up two episodes! Our topic this week is angels, and with so much material to work with we just had to break this topic up. This episode has relatively little pure gaming content, because we had to push all of that off until next week! First, though, we talk about recording another session with City on a Hill Gaming, and Peter's side quest episode, as well as a brief note about Grant's upcoming Vampire game.   Our Patreon question this week comes from Kenning, who asks, "What is your favorite movie to talk about? Not necessarily a good movie, but an interesting one to talk about?"   After quite a lot of Scripture to read—turns out there's plenty of verses about angels!—we tackle our main topic: Angels and angelology! What even are angels? What's their purpose? What do we know about them, and from what sources? How do they appear in popular culture? And why do we care about the opinions of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite on the matter?   Mentioned in this episode: Gustav Davidson’s A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels, Gill's Exposition of the Bible, STG 110, "Spiritual Warfare (with Rev. Derek White)", Min/Max Podcast #83, "Devastation: By Kobold"   Scripture: Genesis 3:23-24, 2 Kings 6:17, Isaiah 6:1-4, Ezekiel 1:4-21, Daniel 10:5-14, Luke 2:8-14, Colossians 1:16

It's time for our Patreon-selected topic for the quarter, and this one's so big it'll take up two episodes! Our topic this week is angels, and with so much material to work with we just had to break this topic up. This episode has relatively little pure gaming content, because we had to push all of that off until next week! First, though, we talk about r<a href="http://www.cityonahillgaming.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ecording another session with City on a Hill Gaming</a>, and <a href="http://www.cityonahillgaming.com/2019/02/25/side-quest-5-picking-pieces/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter's side quest episode</a>, as well as a brief note about Grant's upcoming Vampire game. Our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question this week comes from Kenning, who asks, "What is your favorite movie to talk about? Not necessarily a good movie, but an interesting one to talk about?" After quite a lot of Scripture to read—turns out there's plenty of verses about angels!—we tackle our main topic: Angels and angelology! What even are angels? What's their purpose? What do we know about them, and from what sources? How do they appear in popular culture? And why do we care about the opinions of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite on the matter? Mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/108387.A_Dictionary_of_Angels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gustav Davidson’s </a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/108387.A_Dictionary_of_Angels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels</a>, <a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/colossians-1-16.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gill's Exposition of the Bible</a>, <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-110-spiritual-warfare-with-rev-derek-white/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 110, "Spiritual Warfare (with Rev. Derek White)"</a>, <a href="http://www.allenhmowers.com/minmaxpod/2019/2/6/83-devastation-by-kobold" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Min/Max Podcast #83, "Devastation: By Kobold"</a> Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A23-24&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis 3:23-24</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+6%3A17&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 Kings 6:17</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+6%3A+1-4&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isaiah 6:1-4</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+1%3A4-21&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ezekiel 1:4-21</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+10%3A5-14&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel 10:5-14</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A8-14&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luke 2:8-14</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A16&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colossians 1:16</a>

STG 147 - Angels and Angelology

With Jenny traveling for the holidays, we're back to Grant and Peter on the mics for an episode! We cover our Christmas stories and Grant's Christmas stream of the Link to the Past Holiday Randomizer, and remind our listeners about the very exciting upcoming Actual Play series we're doing courtesy of City on a Hill Gaming.   Our Patreon question this week comes from Kevin VonFeldt, who asks us about the Kickstarters we wish we'd backed, but didn't. This is also a good excuse to prompt our ever-generous Patreon supporters to send in questions like these!   Our main topic this episode is how to hack published adventure material into your game. For what was supposed to be a quick-and-easy Christmas topic, we had a ton to say about this! We briefly cover the pros and cons of adventures themselves, then start tearing down pieces of modules to explain why you might want to borrow those pieces, and how to adjust them for your own game. From maps to encounters to entire plot lines, we tackle everything you can think of—and wrap up with an idea about running entire modules in your own campaign in ways that don't detract from your own homebrew settings.   Scripture: Proverbs 22:29, Colossians 3:23-24

With Jenny traveling for the holidays, we're back to Grant and Peter on the mics for an episode! We cover our Christmas stories and Grant's Christmas stream of <a href="https://alttpr.com/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Link to the Past Holiday Randomizer</a>, and remind our listeners about the very exciting upcoming Actual Play series we're doing courtesy of <a href="http://cityonahillgaming.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City on a Hill Gaming</a>. Our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question this week comes from Kevin VonFeldt, who asks us about the Kickstarters we wish we'd backed, but didn't. This is also a good excuse to prompt our ever-generous Patreon supporters to send in questions like these! Our main topic this episode is how to hack published adventure material into your game. For what was supposed to be a quick-and-easy Christmas topic, we had a ton to say about this! We briefly cover the pros and cons of adventures themselves, then start tearing down pieces of modules to explain why you might want to borrow those pieces, and how to adjust them for your own game. From maps to encounters to entire plot lines, we tackle everything you can think of—and wrap up with an idea about running entire modules in your own campaign in ways that don't detract from your own homebrew settings. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+22%3A29&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Proverbs 22:29</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A23-24&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colossians 3:23-24</a>

STG 144 - Hacking Published Adventures

After several episodes with either more or less than the three main hosts, Grant, Peter, and Jenny finally get to sit down together and talk about monsters just in time for Halloween! First, though, there's a bit of catching up to do, and a delightful question from Patreon supporter Richard Lorenz who asks a simple, seasonally-appropriate question: "Favorite holiday?" Once our Scripture's read, we dive into monsters, and specifically monsters as representations of the monstrous and of the diseased. We touch on what few monsters appear in Scripture, and then run through a number of classic monsters and terrific archetypes to discuss them. We also talk a bit about monsters as representations of the 'other.' Enjoy! Also mentioned in this episode: "Action Oriented Monsters" by Matthew Colville; E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman series; and Kei-Con. Scripture: Job 41:1-10, 1 Samuel 28:8-13, 1 Corinthians 10:17-22

After several episodes with either more or less than the three main hosts, Grant, Peter, and Jenny finally get to sit down together and talk about monsters just in time for Halloween! First, though, there's a bit of catching up to do, and a delightful question from Patreon supporter Richard Lorenz who asks a simple, seasonally-appropriate question: "Favorite holiday?" Once our Scripture's read, we dive into monsters, and specifically monsters as representations of the monstrous and of the diseased. We touch on what few monsters appear in Scripture, and then run through a number of classic monsters and terrific archetypes to discuss them. We also talk a bit about monsters as representations of the 'other.' Enjoy! Also mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://youtu.be/y_zl8WWaSyI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Action Oriented Monsters" by Matthew Colville</a>; <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49225-lensman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">E. E. "Doc" Smith's </a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49225-lensman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lensman</a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/49225-lensman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> series</a>; and <a href="https://kei-con.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kei-Con</a>. Scripture: Job 41:1-10, 1 Samuel 28:8-13, 1 Corinthians 10:17-22

STG 164 - Monsters

Derek White

Rev. Derek "The GeekPreacher" White joins us once again, and this time it's even more special than usual. This episode is a sort of test case for a new thing we might be doing with Derek more regularly—having Derek on to talk about specific theological topics from a geek perspective! First, though we've got a Patreon question to answer from Doug Hagler, who asks us what our individual D&amp;D alignments are, and some Scripture we've picked out for the topic.   Then we let Derek take the lead as we discuss the unlikely sorts of heroes we see in both Scripture and in pop culture, from Moses and David to Frodo and Hawkeye. Accidental heroes, broken heroes, screwed-up heroes—we've got them all, and we're happy to talk about them!   Also mentioned in this episode: Unsong; the Critical Core Kickstarter from Game to Grow; and STG 115, "RPGs in Social Skills Therapy (with Adam Davis and Adam Johns)".   Scripture: Exodus 4:10-17, Isaiah 6:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:2-11

<a href="http://thegeekpreacher.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rev. Derek "The GeekPreacher" White</a> joins us <a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/geekpreacher/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">once again</a>, and this time it's even more special than usual. This episode is a sort of test case for a new thing we might be doing with Derek more regularly—having Derek on to talk about specific theological topics from a geek perspective! First, though we've got a <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question to answer from Doug Hagler, who asks us what our individual D&amp;D alignments are, and some Scripture we've picked out for the topic. Then we let Derek take the lead as we discuss the unlikely sorts of heroes we see in both Scripture and in pop culture, from Moses and David to Frodo and Hawkeye. Accidental heroes, broken heroes, screwed-up heroes—we've got them all, and we're happy to talk about them! Also mentioned in this episode: <a href="http://unsongbook.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Unsong</a>; <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gametogrow/critical-core" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Critical Core Kickstarter from Game to Grow</a>; and <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-115-rpgs-in-social-skills-therapy-with-adam-davis-and-adam-johns/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STG 115, "RPGs in Social Skills Therapy (with Adam Davis and Adam Johns)"</a>. Scripture: Exodus 4:10-17, Isaiah 6:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:2-11

STG 149 - Unlikely Heroes (with Rev. Derek White)

We're tackling a difficult and complex topic in this episode: How to roleplay characters with mental illnesses with sensitivity and grace. First, though, we've got a bit of other business to talk about, starting with our forthcoming appearances on City on a Hill Gaming (including Jenny's very cool special episode, Side Quest #4 - The Crimson In Your Veins.) Grant's also very happy to talk about his officially-started Eberron game, which went great! We also take a minute to remind everyone about our YouTube channel, which is finally updating with new episodes like this one and old episodes as we can.   Our Patreon question is from Raymond Dickson, who asks: How do you like to deal with a planned hiatus in a game (summer, scheduled surgery, travel, etc.)—not just going ahead with someone missing from the game, but putting the whole thing on hold for a bit? Unfortunately, our advice to Raymond is ... not optimistic. But we do our best!   After an enthusiastic Scripture reading, we get right into this one, starting off with a lot of caveats and notes. We then break this down into three general (and largely artificial) categories, talking about persistent and ongoing mental illnesses; temporary, acute insanities; and artificial "madnesses" brought on by the sort of external causes we encounter in genre fiction. We talk a lot about the use of these at the table, but also do our best—within our limited abilities as non-experts—to give what advice we can about helping others deal with these issues at the table and in life, too.   Mentioned in this episode: Our previous episodes on mental health with mental health experts; "spoon theory"; and Sea Lions.   Scripture: Isaiah 1:17; Matthew 25:41-43; James 5:14; 1 John 3:17-18

We're tackling a difficult and complex topic in this episode: How to roleplay characters with mental illnesses with sensitivity and grace. First, though, we've got a bit of other business to talk about, starting with our forthcoming appearances on <a href="http://www.cityonahillgaming.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City on a Hill Gaming</a> (including Jenny's very cool special episode, <a href="http://www.cityonahillgaming.com/2019/01/28/side-quest-4-the-crimson-in-your-veins/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Side Quest #4 - The Crimson In Your Veins</a>.) Grant's also very happy to talk about his officially-started Eberron game, which went great! We also take a minute to remind everyone about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8_4uEzysfYXCHGxoDXLQug" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a>, which is finally updating with new episodes like this one and old episodes as we can. Our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question is from Raymond Dickson, who asks: How do you like to deal with a planned hiatus in a game (summer, scheduled surgery, travel, etc.)—not just going ahead with someone missing from the game, but putting the whole thing on hold for a bit? Unfortunately, our advice to Raymond is ... not optimistic. But we do our best! After an enthusiastic Scripture reading, we get right into this one, starting off with a lot of caveats and notes. We then break this down into three general (and largely artificial) categories, talking about persistent and ongoing mental illnesses; temporary, acute insanities; and artificial "madnesses" brought on by the sort of external causes we encounter in genre fiction. We talk a lot about the use of these at the table, but also do our best—within our limited abilities as non-experts—to give what advice we can about helping others deal with these issues at the table and in life, too. Mentioned in this episode: <a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/mental-health/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Our previous episodes on mental health with mental health experts</a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"spoon theory"</a>; and <a href="http://wondermark.com/1k62/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sea Lions</a>. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+1%3A17&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isaiah 1:17</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A41-43&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 25:41-43</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+5%3A14&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James 5:14</a>; <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+3%3A17-18&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 John 3:17-18</a>

STG 145 - Roleplaying Mental Illnesses

We've been promising it for a while and here it is, the first episode in our series on alignment. We last talked about alignments as a topic waaaaaayyyy back in episode 2 of the podcast (if you listen, we're so sorry about the audio quality), and we figured it was high time we updated things and also let Jenny weigh in!   We start of with a shoutout to a couple of podcasts we've been enjoying; Grant has been listening to Pontifacts and Peter has been listening to Stats Will Roll. Our friends over at MegaDumbCast have also recently released an episode on autism representation in games (and how not to do it) that is worth a listen. In gaming news, Grant is porting his Vampire game over to a PbtA variant called Powered by Dark and his Sharn game has started up again. Peter's new D&amp;D game continues to go strong, and he mentions a great thing one of his players is doing that he loves. We also briefly mention some behind-the-scenes change we're making. Our Patreon question this episode comes from Joseph Linardon who asks us " If you could make a 1 page RPG, what would it be? What would be the main dice you use (if not a D20)?"  From there, we get into our main topic and argue about alignment like proper nerds for the rest of the episode, complete with fictional examples (some of which may actually be Neutral Good) and a lengthy amount of discussions about what Lawful Good is not. It gets a little heated in points, but we had fun and it was a good (and somewhat cathartic) discussion.  Also mentioned in this episode:  https://www.amykathleenryan.com/books.php  Scripture:  Psalm 119:12-16, Proverbs 24:30-32, Matthew 22:34-40

We've been promising it for a while and here it is, the first episode in our series on alignment. We last talked about alignments as a topic waaaaaayyyy back in <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-02-alignment/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 2</a> of the podcast (if you listen, we're so sorry about the audio quality), and we figured it was high time we updated things and also let Jenny weigh in! We start of with a shoutout to a couple of podcasts we've been enjoying; Grant has been listening to <a href="https://pontifacts.podbean.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pontifacts</a> and Peter has been listening to <a href="https://anchor.fm/stats-will-roll" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stats Will Roll</a>. Our friends over at MegaDumbCast have also recently released an <a href="https://megadumbcast.podbean.com/e/bts-bonus-episode-1-autism-in-beyond-the-supernatural-ft-steve-dee/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode on autism representation in games (and how </a><a href="https://megadumbcast.podbean.com/e/bts-bonus-episode-1-autism-in-beyond-the-supernatural-ft-steve-dee/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">not</a><a href="https://megadumbcast.podbean.com/e/bts-bonus-episode-1-autism-in-beyond-the-supernatural-ft-steve-dee/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> to do it)</a> that is worth a listen. In gaming news, Grant is porting his Vampire game over to a PbtA variant called <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/powered-by-dark-19652185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Powered by Dark</a> and his Sharn game has started up again. Peter's new D&amp;D game continues to go strong, and he mentions a great thing one of his players is doing that he loves. We also briefly mention some <a href="http://stgcast.org/big-changes-but-you-may-not-notice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">behind-the-scenes change we're making</a>. Our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question this episode comes from Joseph Linardon who asks us " If you could make a 1 page RPG, what would it be? What would be the main dice you use (if not a D20)?" From there, we get into our main topic and argue about alignment like proper nerds for the rest of the episode, complete with fictional examples (some of which may actually be Neutral Good) and a lengthy amount of discussions about what Lawful Good is not. It gets a little heated in points, but we had fun and it was a good (and somewhat cathartic) discussion. Also mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.amykathleenryan.com/books.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.amykathleenryan.com/books.php</a> Scripture: Psalm 119:12-16, Proverbs 24:30-32, Matthew 22:34-40

Episode 166 - Lawful Good (Alignments 1)

We're back with our angriest, most rant-filled episode yet! Well, not really—but there's a lot of passion in this episode, because we're talking about GMing traditions the gaming community still seems to support despite being destructive, uncomfortable, and simply wrong. First, though, we've got a question from Patreon backer Paige Lowe about how blatantly one should steal from other media when planning a game. After that, we tackle our Scripture as usual before diving into six common behaviors we still see: Adversarial GMing; monopolizing narrative control; turning exceptional successes into failures; misunderstanding metagaming; harming characters to punish players; and creating in-game penalties for missed gaming sessions. Also: Grant was recently on the Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast (who are of course long-time friends of ours) to analyze an amazing and difficult cartoon from his childhood—Exo Squad. It's very long, because that's what happens when our podcasts combine! Here's Part 1, an introduction to the show and a breakdown of episodes and characters; and here's Part 2, an analysis of thematic elements and considerations for gaming in this setting. Enjoy! Scripture: Leviticus 19:14-15, Ephesians 4:22-25, 2 Timothy 2:22-26

We're back with our angriest, most rant-filled episode yet! Well, not really—but there's a lot of passion in this episode, because we're talking about GMing traditions the gaming community still seems to support despite being destructive, uncomfortable, and simply wrong. First, though, we've got a question from Patreon backer Paige Lowe about how blatantly one should steal from other media when planning a game. After that, we tackle our Scripture as usual before diving into six common behaviors we still see: Adversarial GMing; monopolizing narrative control; turning exceptional successes into failures; <a href="http://theangrygm.com/dear-gms-metagaming-is-your-fault/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">misunderstanding metagaming</a>; harming characters to punish players; and creating in-game penalties for missed gaming sessions. Also: Grant was recently on the <a href="http://gameabledisneypodcast.tumblr.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast</a> (who are of course <a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/gameable-disney/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">long-time friends of ours</a>) to analyze an amazing and difficult cartoon from his childhood—Exo Squad. It's very long, because that's what happens when our podcasts combine! Here's <a href="https://gameabledisneypodcast.tumblr.com/post/166882805754/episode-33-exosquad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 1, an introduction to the show and a breakdown of episodes and characters</a>; and here's <a href="https://gameabledisneypodcast.tumblr.com/post/167385839704/episode-34-exosquad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 2, an analysis of thematic elements and considerations for gaming in this setting</a>. Enjoy! Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+19%3A14-15&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leviticus 19:14-15</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A22-25&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ephesians 4:22-25</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+2%3A22-26&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 Timothy 2:22-26</a>

Episode 120 - Six Clickbaity GMing Traditions We Need To Stop

Professor, researcher, leading thinker in the psychology of RPGS both tabletop and LARP, and contributor to the first college textbook on RPGs Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman joins us for a second time (we first spoke to Sarah back in episode 111) to discuss more of the psychology around RPGs.   The episode starts with a quick discussion of the new game Peter is going to be starting up in October with some StG listeners, and an excellent and thoughtful question about playing characters of the opposite sex from John and Ginny Swann.  From there, we move into our scripture and a discussion of the player archetypes that Sarah codified in her book The Functions of Role-Playing Games. These are a useful tool descriptive tool to discuss who we are in games on a more psychological level and complement more traditional player types (like tactician and actor) nicely. With that groundwork laid, the conversation turns to a discussion of the phenomenon of bleed (psychological transference from player to character or vice versa) in gaming and how that's tied up with safety techniques. As you'd expect, we touched on the free (and excellent) Consent in Gaming document recently published by Monte Cook games, but also used an experience of Peter's from a few years back to illustrate why safety techniques are a good idea. We also spent a bit of time talking about how gaming can go past mere safety and into growth, another topic that Dr. Bowman is passionate about.   Scripture:  Proverbs 4:5-6 , Galatians 6:2, Philippians 2:1-4, 3 John 1-6

Professor, researcher, leading thinker in the psychology of RPGS both tabletop and LARP, and contributor to the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Role-Playing-Game-Studies-Transmedia-Foundations/Deterding-Zagal/p/book/9781138638907" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first college textbook on RPGs</a> <a href="http://www.sarahlynnebowman.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman</a> joins us for a second time (we first spoke to Sarah back in <a href="http://stgcast.org/episode-111-larp-and-the-psychology-of-play-with-dr-sarah-lynne-bowman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 111</a>) to discuss more of the psychology around RPGs. The episode starts with a quick discussion of the <a href="http://stgcast.org/filling-the-gaps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new game Peter is going to be starting up in October</a> with some StG listeners, and an excellent and thoughtful question about playing characters of the opposite sex from John and Ginny Swann. From there, we move into our scripture and a discussion of the player archetypes that Sarah codified in her book <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-functions-of-role-playing-games/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Functions of Role-Playing Games</a>. These are a useful tool descriptive tool to discuss who we are in games on a more psychological level and complement more traditional player types (like tactician and actor) nicely. With that groundwork laid, the conversation turns to a discussion of the phenomenon of bleed (psychological transference from player to character or vice versa) in gaming and how that's tied up with safety techniques. As you'd expect, we touched on the free (and excellent) <a href="https://www.montecookgames.com/consent-in-gaming/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Consent in Gaming</a> document recently published by Monte Cook games, but also used <a href="http://stgcast.org/going-on-tilt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an experience of Peter's from a few years back</a> to illustrate why safety techniques are a good idea. We also spent a bit of time talking about how gaming can go past mere safety and into growth, <a href="https://nordiclarp.org/2019/08/20/the-butterfly-effect-manifesto/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">another topic that Dr. Bowman is passionate about</a>. Scripture: Proverbs 4:5-6 , Galatians 6:2, Philippians 2:1-4, 3 John 1-6

STG 162 - Safety and Bleed with Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman

Krissi Woodward

Krissi Woodward joins us again this episode to help Grant and Jenny speak a little less, since they're both pretty sick in this episode, and to talk about character backstories with everyone! Krissi's been on a few previous episodes can be found on Twitter as @d20mom. We catch up a bit and talk about our upcoming streaming schedule over on Twitch, and then answer a question about fictional characters we'd want to GM for from Patreon supporter Richard Lorenz. Then after our Scripture readings, we dive into character backstories: What makes a good background, common pitfalls, some general advice, and the methods we each use for coming up with backstories for our characters. Scripture: Genesis 37: 19-26, Isaiah 43: 18-19, Acts 9:1-6, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

<a href="http://stgcast.org/tag/krissi-woodward/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Krissi Woodward</a> joins us again this episode to help Grant and Jenny speak a little less, since they're both pretty sick in this episode, and to talk about character backstories with everyone! Krissi's been on a few previous episodes can be found <a href="https://www.twitter.com/d20mom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on Twitter as @d20mom</a>. We catch up a bit and talk about <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/stgcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our upcoming streaming schedule over on Twitch</a>, and then answer a question about fictional characters we'd want to GM for from Patreon supporter Richard Lorenz. Then after our Scripture readings, we dive into character backstories: What makes a good background, common pitfalls, some general advice, and the methods we each use for coming up with backstories for our characters. Scripture: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+37%3A+19-26&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis 37: 19-26</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43%3A+18-19&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isaiah 43: 18-19</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9%3A1-6&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acts 9:1-6</a>, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A16-17&amp;version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:16-17</a>

Episode 139 - Character Backstories (with Krissi Woodward)

This is the corrected version of 167. The first version ran the main episode audio into the outro due to an editing mistake on my part. My apologies. -Peter  We're back with episode 2 of our alignments series, this time talking about Lawful Neutral.   We start off with the story of some adorable kittens in Grant's home, check in about Thanksgiving, and then get into some gaming chat. Peter's game is going well and starting to get active on a big picture level, Grant's vampire game has made the move to Powered by the Dark, and the "hosts and friends" gaming group will be doing a published adventure for the first time ever! Grant has picked up Princes of the Apocalypse and will be running it for us.   Our Patreon question comes from Aaron Arnold (who is one of Peter's players, despite his uncertainty about last names in the episode!) who asks " Have you roleplayed in a game that wasn't D&amp;D? I ask because I played a cyberpunk noir game and I enjoyed the RP I got to create in it." We had a lot to say by way of answering that question; all of us have been regular game convention attendees at various points in our lives and it prompted some reminiscence and few recommendations.   With that discussion concluded, we move into scripture and then onto our main topic: Lawful Neutral, or, as Grant so aptly put it: the obstacle alignment. We're a bit less ranty than last time, but it's still a productive discussion.   Scripture:  Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Mark 2: 23-28, John 8: 1-11

This is the corrected version of 167. The first version ran the main episode audio into the outro due to an editing mistake on my part. My apologies. -Peter We're back with episode 2 of our alignments series, this time talking about Lawful Neutral. We start off with the story of some adorable kittens in Grant's home, check in about Thanksgiving, and then get into some gaming chat. Peter's game is going well and starting to get active on a big picture level, Grant's vampire game has made the move to <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/powered-by-dark-19652185" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Powered by the Dark</a>, and the "hosts and friends" gaming group will be doing a published adventure for the first time ever! Grant has picked up <a href="https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/princes-apocalypse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Princes of the Apocalypse</a> and will be running it for us. Our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon </a>question comes from Aaron Arnold (who is one of Peter's players, despite his uncertainty about last names in the episode!) who asks " Have you roleplayed in a game that wasn't D&amp;D? I ask because I played a cyberpunk noir game and I enjoyed the RP I got to create in it." We had a lot to say by way of answering that question; all of us have been regular game convention attendees at various points in our lives and it prompted some reminiscence and few recommendations. With that discussion concluded, we move into scripture and then onto our main topic: Lawful Neutral, or, as Grant so aptly put it: the obstacle alignment. We're a bit less ranty than last time, but it's still a productive discussion. Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Mark 2: 23-28, John 8: 1-11

STG 167 - Lawful Neutral (Alignments 2)

We're nearing the end of our Ten Commandments series! This episode tackles lying—or as the Ten Commandments are commonly translated, "bearing false witness." First, though, Peter talks a bit about his entry in the World Anvil worldbuilding contest; we discuss Krissi's Innocents game and how it wrapped up, as well as Vampire and the various other games we have in the works; Grant's attempt to stream game design; and the extremely lovely GRIS.   Aaron Arnold asks an extremely difficult Patreon question this week: What was the hardest lesson to learn as a Christian? So you also get to hear us puzzle through that!   After our Scripture, we discuss the Ninth Commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Unlike many of these other commandments episodes, in this one we had a very easy time talking about the theology of speaking truths rather than lies, but a much harder time getting into the detailed uses of lies in roleplaying games—simply because it's such a big topic. We touch on the differences between lies and creativity; lies of malice and cowardice (and we get to use a different C. S. Lewis quote in this one!); several forms false witness takes that are harder to recognize than outright lies; prooftexting; logical fallacies; and much more. Enjoy!   Mentioned in this episode: J. Ellsworth Kalas's The Ten Commandments from the Back Side; Wondermark #1062, "The Terrible Sea Lion"; YourLogicalFallacyIs.com   Scripture: Exodus 20:16, Genesis 3:1-5, Matthew 7:1-5, Colossians 3:8-10

We're nearing the end of our Ten Commandments series! This episode tackles lying—or as the Ten Commandments are commonly translated, "bearing false witness." First, though, Peter talks a bit about <a href="https://www.worldanvil.com/w/plavithen-timespike" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his entry in the World Anvil worldbuilding contest</a>; we discuss Krissi's <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/55727/World-of-Darkness-Innocents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Innocents</a> game and how it wrapped up, as well as Vampire and the various other games we have in the works; Grant's attempt to stream game design; and the extremely lovely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvECQlxrhbw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GRIS</a>. Aaron Arnold asks an extremely difficult <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question this week: What was the hardest lesson to learn as a Christian? So you also get to hear us puzzle through that! After our Scripture, we discuss the Ninth Commandment, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Unlike many of these other commandments episodes, in this one we had a very easy time talking about the theology of speaking truths rather than lies, but a much harder time getting into the detailed uses of lies in roleplaying games—simply because it's such a big topic. We touch on the differences between lies and creativity; lies of malice and cowardice (and we get to use a different C. S. Lewis quote in this one!); several forms false witness takes that are harder to recognize than outright lies; prooftexting; logical fallacies; and much more. Enjoy! Mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Ten-Commandments-Back-Side-Stories/dp/0687005248" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">J. Ellsworth Kalas's </a><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Ten-Commandments-Back-Side-Stories/dp/0687005248" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Ten Commandments from the Back Side</a>; <a href="https://wondermark.com/1k62/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wondermark #1062, "The Terrible Sea Lion"</a>; <a href="https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YourLogicalFallacyIs.com</a> Scripture: Exodus 20:16, Genesis 3:1-5, Matthew 7:1-5, Colossians 3:8-10

Episode 157 - Bearing False Witness (The Ten Commandments, Part 9)

It's our one hundred fiftieth episode, and we are excited! We've got a lot of people to thank, of course, and spend a couple minutes at the top of the show doing that. We've also got a touch of podcast business, and a mention of a recent episode of the Marengo Holy Happy Hour radio show that Peter appeared on to talk about gaming and Saving the Game. Finally, Grant has a specific shoutout to give to his friends Patrick and Tyler for helping with his Vampire game questions. (If you want a chance to play in their incredible games, by the way, check out The Gauntlet!) Oh, and there's an airhorn.   Our incredibly timely Patreon question comes from Kenning, who asks "What is your favorite episode of this podcast so far?"   After our Scripture readings, we start in on our topic proper: Why we love games! Our answers are mostly about stories and experiences, but also systems, community, self-exploration, and more. Naturally, we want to hear yours as well!   Also mentioned in this episode: The Miskatonic University board game; Epidiah Ravachol, A Scoundrel in the Deep, and Worlds Without Master; One Shot's actual play of A Scoundrel in the Deep; LoadingReadyRun; and Adam Koebel.   Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, John 13:35, Acts 2:46-47, Hebrews 10:23-25

It's our one hundred fiftieth episode, and we are excited! We've got a lot of people to thank, of course, and spend a couple minutes at the top of the show doing that. We've also got a touch of podcast business, and a mention of <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/user/4954584/holy-happy-hour-4-1-19-special-guest-pet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a recent episode of the Marengo Holy Happy Hour radio show that Peter appeared on</a> to talk about gaming and Saving the Game. Finally, Grant has a specific shoutout to give to his friends <a href="https://twitter.com/phoebus444" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patrick</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ty_lom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tyler</a> for helping with his Vampire game questions. (If you want a chance to play in their incredible games, by the way, check out <a href="https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gauntlet</a>!) Oh, and there's an airhorn. Our incredibly timely <a href="http://www.patreon.com/savingthegame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon</a> question comes from Kenning, who asks "What is your favorite episode of this podcast so far?" After our Scripture readings, we start in on our topic proper: Why we love games! Our answers are mostly about stories and experiences, but also systems, community, self-exploration, and more. Naturally, we want to hear yours as well! Also mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/448333182/miskatonic-university-the-restricted-collection-bo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Miskatonic University board game</a>; <a href="https://twitter.com/Epidiah" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Epidiah Ravachol</a>, <a href="http://ascoundrelinthedeep.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scoundrel in the Deep</a>, and <a href="https://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Worlds Without Master</a>; <a href="http://oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/175-a-scoundrel-in-the-deep/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One Shot's actual play of </a><a href="http://oneshotpodcast.com/one-shot/175-a-scoundrel-in-the-deep/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scoundrel in the Deep</a>; <a href="http://www.loadingreadyrun.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LoadingReadyRun</a>; and <a href="https://twitter.com/skinnyghost" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adam Koebel</a>. Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, John 13:35, Acts 2:46-47, Hebrews 10:23-25

STG 150 - Why We Love Games

We've got an unusual bonus episode this time around—one that in many ways recalls our old New Years' resolutions episodes! We're implementing an objectives and key results system behind-the-scenes here at Saving the Game, in order to grow the podcast and make sure we're doing everything we can to improve the quality of our show. Since Grant's also implementing it at work, it seemed like a good topic of conversation all on its own—a system any organization (from enterprises to families) can use to set measurable objectives.   As such, we go over the basics of the OKR system, then follow it up with a description of the objectives we've set and the key results measuring our progress on those objectives—everything from increasing listenership to improving our YouTube channel. We also talk about our appearance on the forthcoming episodes of City on a Hill Gaming, and "Session Zero" of Grant's private-investigators-in-Sharn Eberron D&amp;D game. We hope you find this edifying. We certainly did!   The book mentioned in the episode is John Doerr's Measure What Matters.

We've got an unusual bonus episode this time around—one that in many ways recalls our old New Years' resolutions episodes! We're implementing an objectives and key results system behind-the-scenes here at Saving the Game, in order to grow the podcast and make sure we're doing everything we can to improve the quality of our show. Since Grant's also implementing it at work, it seemed like a good topic of conversation all on its own—a system any organization (from enterprises to families) can use to set measurable objectives. As such, we go over the basics of the OKR system, then follow it up with a description of the objectives we've set and the key results measuring our progress on those objectives—everything from increasing listenership to improving <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SavingTheGamePodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a>. We also talk about our appearance on the forthcoming episodes of <a href="http://cityonahillgaming.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City on a Hill Gaming</a>, and "Session Zero" of Grant's private-investigators-in-Sharn Eberron D&amp;D game. We hope you find this edifying. We certainly did! The book mentioned in the episode is John Doerr's <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Measure-What-Matters-Google-Foundation/dp/0525536221" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Measure What Matters</a>.

Bonus Episode 18 - Objectives and Key Results

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Self Improvement, Growth & Development

The best podcast episodes on non-current politics. Covering topics such as universal basic income, democracy, poverty & justice and more. For anyone interested in learning more about politics that affect that world, not just now, but in the longer term. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!