discussing story, system, and what makes RPGs tick…
As game masters and writers, we want to expose how narratives and mechanics influence each other, shaping the outcomes of our games. Sometimes we will include one shot Actual-Plays to demonstrate different systems or methods of play, and have various guests join in the discussion.
Ep 12: Launching Our Sci-Fi Arc
Episode 12 marks our shift into sci-fi as lifelong D&D DM Sean joins James, Scott, and Mark, widening the show’s range. After a brisk round-table on Sean’s background and each host’s approach to house-rules, we contrast favorite mechanics with the D&D baseline before launching an actual-play primer of Free League’s Coriolis, showcasing its dice pool, position-based modifiers, and tension-driven Darkness Points.
Episode 11: Horror RPG Wrap-Up
We wrap up our horror TTRPG spotlight, for now. Jamie, Mark, and Scott explore game mechanics that can help pace scenes and quietly ramp up tension, touching on ritual framing, partial successes, player-facing rolls, and objective-driven rewards.
We also look at two horror games we haven’t covered before—Unknown Armies and Kult—before diving into a brisk (~30-minute) actual play of Don’t Rest Your Head.
Episode 10: Player Spotlight
In Episode 10, Mark, Jamie, and Scott follow up our discussion on story-facing design by zeroing in on player spotlight: who talks when, who takes control of a moment, and how game systems shape pacing and participation. This episode asks a simple but essential question—how do you decide who gets the scene?
Episode 8: Story Structure, Play Concepts, Starting with the 3-Act Model
Our first conversation about how story structure applies to RPGs, beginning with the three-act model and how narrative emerges in games.
Episode 6: Exposition
The crew have a conversation about how to convey information at the table. The GMs responsibility and the roles players have to bring the fiction to the game. This is a big topic but we chat about props, failing forward, NPCs and other tools we employ to bring depth and color to our worlds.
Episode 5: structure, & whispering vault
The gang has a discussion on structure in TTRPGs. How does structure make a good horror game? How does setting inform players what they can and can’t do? Some examples of story structure in World of Darkness, Invisible Sun, and Dogs in the Vineyard. Then the crew plays a short session of Whispering Vault, Mike Nystul’s 1993 story game inspired by the likes of Hellraiser and Nightbreed.
Episode 4: Player Agency
In Episode 4, Jamie and Scott have a lot to say about agency at the table. Who controls what? Who drives the story? Who narrates die outcomes? Traditionally the GM handles a lot of this but we challenge groups to explore situations where you can hand over a lot of that responsibility. And we discuss over a dozen games that change how we think about agency.
Episode 1: Why ‘modern myth’?
In the first episode of Modern Mythology, hosts Scott and James explore how RPGs function as modern myths, blending ancient storytelling structures with collaborative, character-driven gameplay.