DMs After Dark

[Preview] Legends of Akeroth: Songs of a Lost Age by Crossed Paths Press

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:22:35 -0400

Greetings from Erwick!

This is a special preview one-shot of Legends of Akeroth: Songs of a Lost Age by Crossed Paths Press, designers of other great games such as Brambletrek, Drakonym, the Covens of Midnight, and more!

If you like 90s JRPG video games, this system emulates it in really interesting ways that we hope you like! check out the link above for the Backerkit, which is still live when this episode drops!

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

If you enjoy our streams, podcasts (plural! have you checked out the Rene Plays Games podcast?), or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

To Serve Her Wintry Hunger [Winter/Valentine's One-Shot]

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:16:42 -0400

A special blizzard / Valentines one shot of To Serve Her Wintry Hunger by Cavalry Games where we all play winter spirits stalking a human through a snowstorm.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 7 - The Finale

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 02:45:00 -0400

The end is here, The team finds answers.

We hope you enjoyed our series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 6 - So. Many. Frogs.

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 04:01:00 -0400

The group explores the research facility and discovers more secrets. Lincoln splits off for a contest of his own.

We hope you enjoy episode two of our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

----more----

Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 5 - Do Frogs Have Bellybuttons?

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:01:00 -0400

The contestants explore a new location on island two. They make some new friends and also run afoul of another group. Huck and Reagan are able to confirm some suspicions.

We hope you enjoy episode two of our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Christmas Is Coming | DMs After Dark Holiday One-Shot

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:01:00 -0400

Happy Holidays!

DO YOU HAVE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT IN YOU?

Welcome back to another DMs After Dark holiday one-shot! This year we decided to do a sequel to a previous holiday special - the Thursday time loop cheesy holiday movie set in a strange little bean tree town that we have appropriately named Beantree! This year, a group is traveling to avoid holiday get-togethers in a one-shot of Grant Howitt's Christmas Is Coming, a folk horror RPG, which, honestly tracks for how our holiday one-shots tend to go...

In all seriousness, though, we at the DMs After Dark/Rene Plays Games family of nerds sincerely wish all of you a safe, happy holiday season and the best 2026 full of peace, prosperity, and most of all... games.

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord!

I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)

Where to Follow Rene Plays Games:

MECH | One Last Quest

email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

Auld Lang Syne Rock (Royalty Free Music)

Sleigh Bells Sound Effect by GowlerMusic -- https://freesound.org/s/265458/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Rot by Monument Studios

Chase by Monument Studios

Metallic and Ceramic Tones by Monument Studios

Anxious Atmos by Monument Studios

Music by Juan Carlos from Pixabay

Downlifter B by Monument Studios

Laugh Textured by Monument Studios

Deathmatch Island | Episode 4 - One of Us

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 20:16:16 -0400

The group makes their way to the second island. Along the way they make a startling discovery about themselves.

We hope you enjoy episode two of our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

----more----

Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 3 - The Scramble

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 04:01:00 -0400

The competitors time on the first island draws to a close. The Battle Royale begins! Will the team survive?

We hope you enjoy episode two of our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

----more----

Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 2 - Capture the Flag

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 04:01:00 -0400

The contestants bury Bateman and explore the island further, meeting other contestants and challenges on the way. Some breaking and entering leads to a revelation as to who's running the game.

We hope you enjoy episode two of our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

----more----

Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Deathmatch Island | Episode 1 - Arrival

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 04:01:00 -0300

Ah, we see you're awake now. Welcome... to Deathmatch Island.

This is the first episode in our new series of Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee of Old Dog Games and Evil Hat Productions.

This time Jess is taking the GM seat to run our crew of amnesiac contestants through a season of punishing, televised competition on Deathmatch Island, where they will face a series of challenges on islands ultimately leading to either victory and glory... or death. Inspired by competition shows like Survivor, fictional series like Squid Game, Running Man, and battle royale media like Hunger Games, Deathmatch Island is a game about survival, ruthless will to win, and, eventually, PvP - that's right, player versus player!

In episode 1, we meet a crew of competitors as they wake up on a small boat heading to the island and watch their first challenges unfold...

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

The Witch Is Dead [Spooky Month One-Shot]

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 04:01:00 -0300

It's spooky month 2025, and that means bonus episodes! They can be Halloween-y, generally spooky, or related to common tropes of the season, but this year it's kicking off with a one-shot of The Witch Is Dead by the incomparable Grant Howitt!

The Witch Is Dead is a one-page RPG by the master of the one-pager about a kind and good witch who is brutally and unfairly MURDERED by a witch-hunter! Luckily, you are the cute woodland animals this wonderful witch taught some spells, and she told you to avenge her death and bring her killer's eyes to her body within one week so she may be resurrected. Will our chaotic crew be able to pull it off?!

Go get Grant's excellent games, support his Patreon, and if you're feeling really creative, he's currently hosting the One Hundred One Page Games Jam over on itch, where you can combine two of his absurd one-page RPGs into one game and submit it for folks to play! So do it!

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Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode (in order of appearance):

DMs After Dark Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

RuneQuest Episode 21 | Company of the Dragon - The Fall of Whitewall

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:01:00 -0300

The Climatic Battle of Whitewall begins. The Company fights a rearguard battle as they struggle to open a escape route out of the doomed fortress.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Red Room by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 20 | Company of the Dragon - The Whitewall Heroquest

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:50:07 -0300

The company heroquests through myth, walking in Heorts footsteps to find their way into besieged Whitewall.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Forsaken by Vindsvept

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 19 | Company of the Dragon - The Changeling

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:01:00 -0300

CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS EPISODE: This episode contains themes of physical abuse towards women and children, as well as alchoholism.

The Company leaves the troll lands. Shavashak goes quiet. A strange dream leads the company to a small hamlet with a terrible secret.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Somber Encounter by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 18 | Company of the Dragon - The Prodigy

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:35:21 -0300

The Company embarks on a dangerous journey following Rue and Bryn's wedding. They make a powerful ally.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 17 | Company of the Dragon - The Storm End's Wedding

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 09:47:40 -0300

The Company moves the rest of the displaced Harraborn into Storm's End. Bryn and Rue get married.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Nightfall by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 16 | Company of the Dragon - Blood & Wood

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:18:01 -0300

The company visits with family they haven't seen in a while. They enter into the woods and confront the elves, finding that Chief Tarkand has not told them the whole story about the conflict.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Join the DMs After Dark Discord! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 15 | Company of the Dragon - Answering the Call

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 21:53:57 -0300

The Company regroups after their raid on the Beryl Phalanx. Questions are raised about Cur's actions during the raid. The Company sets out for the village of Spawn to answer their call for help.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Our Discord is now public! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Nightfall by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 14 | Company of the Dragon - Lighting the Hearthfires

Sat, 10 May 2025 09:09:29 -0300

The Company appeases the spirits of Storm's End and moves in. Scouts uncover an opportunity for a daring raid.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Our Discord is now public! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 13 | Company of the Dragon - Storm's End

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:58:34 -0300

The Company tracks the Bandits into the mountains. They are not prepared for what they find.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Our Discord is now public! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 12 | Company of the Dragon - A New Home

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 04:01:00 -0300

In the aftermath of the Battle of Gavren's Bridge the company rehomes the Gavrens' Cross refugees and leaves the area before Lunars can catch up to them. The emotions of battle lead to startling announcements. The Company begins to look for a permanent place to call their own.

Learn more about Runequest here.

Our Discord is now public! Come hang out and chat games, nerd stuff, and more!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 11 | Company of the Dragon - The Battle of Gavren Bridge

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 04:01:00 -0300

The Company acts fast on information they receive from the Lunar captives. Gavreena has her revenge. New Allies fight together in the darkness.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 10 | Company of the Dragon - Dreams of the Bone Witch

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 04:01:00 -0400

Lunars are hunting the Company. Aurisa has a disturbing spirit world encounter with Iada of Kostaddi. The Company finally gets word into Whitewall.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Solstice A by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 9 | Company of the Dragon - The Trolls

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 04:01:00 -0400

The Company fortifies their encampment in the Troll Woods. Lunar Scouts are looking for them. Rue, Des, Aurisa, and Bryn attempt to make contact with the woods inhabitants.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Ambience of Sorrow

RuneQuest Episode 8 | Company of the Dragon - The Demon and the River Goddess

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 04:02:00 -0400

The Company frees Gavreena from her lunar chains, but puts the hamlet of Gavren'scross in danger. They race against time to save the people and come face to face with Lunar Witch terrorizing the area.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 7 | Company of the Dragon - Reconnaissance

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 04:01:00 -0400

The company gathers information about Lunar forces around Whitewall and plans their next move.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Gathering by Monument Studios

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

[Bonus] RuneQuest One-Shot | Kymrese and the Hare

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:58:16 -0400

Knowing his training was cut short, Kymrese ventures to find shamans to learn from. In his journey, he finds a young boy who needs assistance and visits a place he knows all too well...

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Satyr by Vindsvept

Their Roots Go Deep by Vindsvept

RuneQuest Episode 6 | Company of the Dragon - Vamastal Greyskin

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 04:01:00 -0400

The Company visits an ex Sambari Chief in the hopes of getting some allies, then decides on their course of action against the Lunars.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

If you enjoy our streams, podcasts (like the Rene Plays Games podcast!), or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Cello Atmos & The Inspirational Seeker by Monument Studios

RuneQuest Episode 5 | Company of the Dragon - The Lizard Kicks Inn

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 04:01:00 -0400

Sea Season 1621 is here. The Company leaves their winter camp and begins planning their next moves. The situation at Whitewall is looking bleak.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

[Music] by Monument Studios

RuneQuest Episode 4 | Company of the Dragon - The Sacred Time Wedding

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 04:01:00 -0400

Sacred time is here and the Company is safely encamped with family. They celebrate the year wedding of Descara and Esrala. Dark omens paint a grim future.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Nightfall by Monument Studios

[Bonus] Dawn of the Orcs Kickstarter Preview!

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 13:29:31 -0400

Christian & Troy preview the upcoming Dawn of the Orcs from Lyme & Plasmophage, coming to Kickstarter on November 19th! Click the link to be notified when it goes to launch and back it to have a great worldbuilding game to potentially serve as your session zero or history of the world session for your games!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Dark Heart Celli by Monument Studios

RuneQuest Episode 3 | Company of the Dragon - Defenders of Apple Lane

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:25:04 -0400

The weather finally clears. The company sets out against the Tusked Riders that have been plaguing Apple Lane.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Beginning by Monument Studios

Spooky? One-Shot | Our Woodland Gods

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 04:01:00 -0300

It's time for KENT to take the hot-seat and GM his first DMs After Dark game. We play Our Woodland Gods, in which anthropomorphic creatures try to find a new god after theirs leaves out of boredom.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Spooky One-Shot | Don't Walk In Winter Wood

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The first of our Spooky Month one shots is a tale of New England folk horror playing the excellent Don't Walk in Winter Wood. Hope you Enjoy!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

RuneQuest Episode 2 | Company of the Dragon - Ashborn's Stead

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The Company runs into foul weather and takes refuge with a new Ally. Old flames are reignited and new questions asked as the company looks to it's future.

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vindsvept - Windswept Realms, Volumes 1 - 3

RuneQuest Episode 1 | Company of the Dragon - The Nymie Raid

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The Company strikes the Lunar Slave Plantation on the night of the Red Goddess's most holy day. Can they escape without being caught?

Learn more about Runequest here.

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art by Katrin Dirim available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

New Lands by Monument Studios

Action 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios

Cinematic Atmos 1 Hour by Monument Studios

1 Hour Drama Mix by Monument Studios

Vaesen | Episode 10 - I Will Love You When You Are A Hurricane

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The Finale of our Vaesen Mythic Britain sessions for now. The group survives the house in Hempstead and makes some fateful decisions.

Mouthful of Forevers Poem by Clementin Von Radics

Learn more about Vaesen!

For the month of August we are collaborating with Monument Studios for their upcoming Kickstarter crowdfunding their Fantasy+ collection of INCREDIBLE TTRPG music, ambience, sound effects, and more. Click the link to sign up for the pre-launch and be notified when the Kickstarter goes live so you can add incredible music and impactful backdrops to your games!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Dark 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios

1 Hour Background Orchestra Mix B by Monument Studios

1 Hour Drama Mix by Monument Studios

Vaesen | Episode 9 - Such Beautiful Edges

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:02:00 -0300

Things escalate quickly as the group confronts Kitty Danville. The revelations are shocking, leaving some characters facing life altering decisions.

Learn more about Vaesen!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Piano 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios

1 Hour Drama Mix by Monument Studios

1 Hour Realm Mix B by Monument Studios

Dark 1 Hour Mix by Monument Studios

Perspective Checks | Monument Studios - Music for TTRPGs & the Fantasy+ Kickstarter

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:25:12 -0300

Hey After Dark Army! Recently Rene sat down and talked with the brothers Noah & Tyler from Monument Studios about their upcoming Kickstarter campaign for Fantasy+, an app with TONS of professional quality music, ambience, sound effects, and more for use in tabletop games!

This is an upload from the Rene Plays Games feed, our first DMs After Dark Network offspring, and we hope you enjoy it and check out both his feed for more great TTRPG content and the Fantasy+ Kickstarter when it goes live August 20th!

----more----

Welcome to another episode of Perspective Checks where I sit down with friends and folks from the TTRPG world and discuss a topic of their choice!

This month's episode concerns the power of music, ambience, and sound in TTRPG play, and I'm joined by brothers Noah & Tyler that make up Monument Studios, which is launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for their upcoming Fantasy+ app full of music, ambience, and sound effects for fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and more.

We talk about their history with music, how their journey led them to doing ambience and tailoring things towards the TTRPG hobby space, and more.

The Kickstarter launches on August 20th, but you can click here to sign up for the pre-launch and get notified when it goes live. There will be tons of audio assets in every tier, as well as bonus maps from Domille's Wondrous Works, VTT assets, and stretch goals to get Discord plug-ins and more.

Where to Follow Rene Plays Games:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | Threads | DMs After Dark

email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com

Music in the Episode:

Tavern Fiddle by Monument Studios

Heroic Orchestra Mix B by Monument Studios

Vaesen | Episode 8 - The House in Hempstead Heath

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The beginning of the final arc of Amber's Vaesen campaign! The investigators take time to upgrade their headquarters and prepare for the final mystery.

Learn more about Vaesen!

Stay tuned for the month of August as we are going to be collaborating with Monument Studios for their upcoming Kickstarter crowdfunding their Fantasy+ collection of INCREDIBLE TTRPG music, ambience, sound effects, and more. Click the link to sign up for the pre-launch and be notified when the Kickstarter goes live so you can add incredible music and impactful backdrops to your games!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Our First Q&A Stream!

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:01:00 -0300

As Amber is away for another writing conference because she's awesome and professional, the DMs decided to do something we've never done before - hold a Q&A stream! We asked for folks to submit questions through email, social media, or just wait and ask live on Twitch and we'd respond with our answers.

Can you believe the DMs After Dark feed is about to turn 3?! That's just plain old crazy, so this was very overdue, and we had a great time chatting with people on stream, and hope that you reach out with any questions you may have for the next one, because we'll definitely be doing this again sometime.

Please reach out with questions for us about our series, the process of streaming, editing, audio, scheduling, whatever! Let's chat games and nerd out :)

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Super High Wizards Built This Castle

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 04:01:00 -0300

What's that? You wanted MORE RIDICULOUS ONE-SHOTS?!

We got you, fam. As Rene & Sara discussed in her Perspective Checks interview on the RenePlaysGames Podcast, silly one-shots are the leg day of RPGs, and you just can't skip 'em!

This week's one-shot is Super High Wizards Built This Castle by Elijah Mills, and it's just a table-rolling chaotic romp through crazy land where the players take on the roles of mundane handyfolk going to a castle prone to absolute shenanigans because, you know, high wizards...

Enjoy and tell us about your favorite or recent one-shot wild times!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

GOOD SOUP One-Shot

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 04:01:00 -0300

It's whacky one-shot time again here on the DMs After Dark feed, and we're going in on a wholesome woodland critter cookin' game called GOOD SOUP from Goosepoop Games. It's a GM-less game of exploring an area and collecting ingredients to heal an animal in need that wandered into the Lost Forest. Highly recommend, it's the best kind of collaborative silliness.

If you want to listen to Rene interview the creator of the game, check out the Rene Plays Games feed to listen to the Perspective Checks episode!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 7 - Rescue of the Selkies

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The finale. The society members go to great lengths to rescue the selkie children.

Learn more about Vaesen!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 6 - The Mudlarks

Fri, 24 May 2024 04:01:00 -0300

The Society members delve into the mystery of the Mudlarks. What they find is shocking.

Learn more about Vaesen!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 5 - An Interlude

Wed, 08 May 2024 13:11:00 -0300

The society members regroup in London. After healing up, they attend a showing of Rosalie's art. A night out at the Ten Bells Pubs afterwards leads to a startling discovery and cry for help.

Learn more about Vaesen!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

This Game Takes Place Entirely In A Mega Mart Parking Lot!

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 04:01:00 -0300

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Vaesen mystery for a special silly one shot of This Game Takes Place Entirely In A Mega Mart Parking Lot! by Starshine Scribbles.

Sometimes we pivot and have to play a goofy game for whatever reason, and oooooh is this game all kinds of funny.

We hope you like, and we'll be back to Vaesen on May 3rd!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

For the Dungeon! One-Shot?

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 04:48:00 -0300

Back on our silly stuff, Troy runs the crew and some returning friends of the stream Chris & Eileen through Jordan Palmer's For The Dungeon! This is a great game where the players take on the roles of the minions of a dungeon forced to work for the evil boss and deal with pesky heroic adventurers!

In case you haven't heard, our Redbubble has incredible RuneQuest art available as shirts, stickers, pillows, and more, so check out all our new DMs After Dark merch!!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 4 - Old Mog Arrives

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:01:00 -0300

Things come to a dramatic head in Brancombe. The investigation concludes.

Learn more about Vaesen!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 3 - Winter Follows Her

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:01:00 -0300

Riley continues to search for the missing girl. Rosalie and Nora learn the true name of Old Meg and more about her history.

Learn more about Vaesen!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Modified Rolls | Liz Greene - Geek Therapy

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 04:12:00 -0300

Hello everyone and welcome to a very special interview episode with Liz Greene, LMHC MFT TGM/DM GT, a licensed Geek Therapist who uses games and popular media in her sessions! Rene & Troy sit down and discuss games as a community, using characters as buffers to experiences, practicing social skills, and putting consequences into perspective, and more.

Please check out these amazing resources and tell us about experiences at the table you've had that have helped you in hard times!

You can find Liz at Serenity Coaching & Counseling, Psychology Today, and find other geek therapists in your area at Geek Therapeutics.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 2 - Old Meg's Holt

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 04:43:00 -0400

The society members begin their investigations in Brancombe and things heat up almost immediately, leading to a cliffhanger ending.

Learn more about Vaesen!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

DMs After Dark Theme by Dan Pomfret (@danfrombothbands)

Vaesen | Episode 1 - Brancombe

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 04:01:00 -0400

The Members of the Apollonian Society arrive at Brancombe to begin investigating the death of Daisy Thomas and the strange events surrounding it.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Thunderbird by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4527-thunderbird
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Perspective Checks | Troy - Why We Play Certain Character Types & Tropes

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 03:34:00 -0400

Troy joins Rene to talk about something appropriately self-reflective - Why Players Have a "Type" and the usefulness of Tropes in RPGs. Troy has always been an incredibly hard worker, pushing his body and mind to their limits, and has recently gone back to school for more Psychology, so this kind of deep thinking about why we play what we play is something that he is clearly passionate about.

Hopefully you enjoy what you hear, and hopefully it makes you think about your own type or style. Comment or email with what you think your "Type" of PC is, we'd love to hear from you!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Rene Plays Games Theme Song written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Vaesen | Session 0 - The Apollonian Society, London

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 04:01:00 -0400

A new series begins as Amber introduces the DMs to the world of Vaesen's Mythic Britain & Ireland setting by Free League Publishing. Enter a world of Nordic horror, paranormal investigations, and terrifying mysteries.

The players introduce their characters, who will be members of the Apollonian Society of London, and soon be faced with investigating occult mysteries with the use of their sight...

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Thunderbird by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4527-thunderbird
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

[Bonus] One Last Quest - A Free One-Page RPG Preview!

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 04:02:00 -0400

Surprise! With a new year, a new podcast feed, and a new series starting up, we figured why not keep with the new things happening and drop a preview of Rene's new game One Last Quest, a one page RPG that allows you to bring back some of your favorite PCs of campaigns past and play them in their elderly retired years. However, a loose thread or problem arises that forces them to put down the shuffleboard and dust off the old heroics one more time.

It's a hack 'n' mash of the popular rules lite RPG Lasers & Feelings by the incredible John Harper (Blades in the Dark, Agon) with a sprinkling of some All Outta Bubblegum by Michael Sullivan & Jeffrey Grant.

Hopefully you enjoy and you give it a shot with your group, reliving some of your favorite characters from over the years.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Elliot Kings, Riggs - Paper Walls (with Mykyl) [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/PaperWalls Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/PaperWallsAT/youtube

Arcando - In My Head (feat. Britt Lari) [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/InMyHead

RuneQuest Episode 22 | Six Seasons In Sartar - Every End A Beginning

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 04:01:00 -0400

The clan disperses in the wake of the Battle of Red Rock. Landless and wanted, they take the first steps toward forging a new identity.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

One-Player One-Shot | Alone Against The Static

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 04:01:00 -0400

Christian kicks off the 2024 non-stream episodes with a run-through of Chaosium's solo adventure for Call of Cthulhu - Alone Against the Static! Reminiscent of 1990s horror movies, he plays Alex, one half of a married couple trying to rekindle their relationship in a cabin out in the pine forests and Black Hills of the Dakotas...

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Barren Wastes from TabletopAudio.com

Blighted Forest from TabletopAudio.com

Ghosts of Appalachia from TabletopAudio.com

Graveyard from Tabletop Audio.com

Through the Woods from TabletopAudio.com

Car Radio Static Sound Effect from zapsplat.com

RuneQuest Episode 21 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Fall of the Harraborn

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 04:01:00 -0400

Sacred Time has ended. Plans have been made. The Harraborn prepare for what they know is coming...

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Rene Plays Games - A 2nd DMs After Dark Podcast

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 03:50:00 -0400

Hey all, the holidays are a crazy time and I (Rene) have been diligently working on editing lots of new stuff for you all, both on this main feed and my brand new DMs off-shoot podcast called Rene Plays Games!

We'll still be releasing a podcast every Friday on this feed, but if you can't get enough of our nerdy RPG content, give my new feed a follow, like, rating, etc., and you'll have more Playing With Myself solo RPG actual play series, short campaigns with friends new and old, a new take on the old Modified Rolls style (now called Perspective Checks), and more!

It'll be releasing episodes every Tuesday so you'll have great DMs content multiple times a week!

Subscribe on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | or search your podcatcher of choice, it's probably on there! (If not, let me know, I'll work to remedy that!)

Game on, and happy new year from the DMs After Dark!

Holiday Movie Time Loop One-Shot | Thursday

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 04:27:00 -0400

Happy Holidays to you crazy folks out there in podcastland!

Welcome to another annual DMs After Dark Holiday One-Shot, always good for some seasonal shenanigans! This year we're playing Thursday by Eli Seitz, a Russian Doll inspired time loop game in the Belonging Outside Belonging family of RPGs. Despite this very clear source material, we decided to use it to play a Hallmark Holiday Time Loop one-shot, where the PCs are members of a rural town caught in a repeating day leading up to Christmas, where only true love will break the loop (or something appropriately cheesy like that). If there's one thing you take from this episode, it's to find your bean tree.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Christmas Magic by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11889-christmas-magic
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Christmas Tape Lo Fi by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7133-christmas-tape-lo-fi
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

1d6 | 1d4 - A Look Back At 2023

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 04:57:00 -0400

It's back and it's just as chaotic as ever, Sara's 1d6 | 1d4 talk show starts to bring our 2023 to a close with a quick chat with the most guests that have ever been on our bonus series before! We talk about the things we loved about this absolutely crazy year we had and Sara quizzes us on how much we know about what we even did this year!

It goes without saying, but none of this would be possible without you all out there listening (even you, 1 person in Wyoming), and it means the world to us that you spend some time each week listening to our nerdy asses play roleplaying games. We hope we've inspired you in your games, shown you some you might not have known about, or just entertained you during some downtime. Never hesitate to reach out to us via email, on social media, or anything, we love hearing from you, what we do that you like, what we could do better, what you want to hear more or less of, you name it. You're all the best. Thank you!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Happy Happy Game Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3856-happy-happy-game-show
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Cat Meow Sound Effect from Pixabay

RuneQuest Episode 20 | Six Seasons In Sartar - Sacred Time

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 04:49:00 -0400

Sacred Time comes to the vale on ill winds. Feelings are confessed to. Plans are made. The Year ends with the Harraborn knowing their lives are about to change forever.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | The Final Exam

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 04:38:00 -0400

Angelica and Elias pit the magical skills and knowledge they've accumulated over their four years at Blackroot Academy against one another in a final exam that will name one of the two the top mage. Ambitions are put into perspective, memories affect magic, and win or lose, they must choose new paths.

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RuneQuest Episode 19 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Starbrow Part 2

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0400

The truth of the Breath of The Dragon is revealed. The Starbrow's presence in the Vale is detected. The Clan enters Sacred Time with an uncertain future.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | The Final Year

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:59:00 -0400

Angelica and Elias return for their final year at Blackroot Academy before one of them will be crowned top student. Their last year culminates in truths being uncovered, early rumors proving true, and forgiveness forbidden to one of our young mages.

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RuneQuest Episode 18 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Starbrow

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:51:00 -0400

Storm Season Rages through the vale, and with it comes dark tidings. A secret visitor needs help.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | Year Three

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 02:16:00 -0300

Angelica and Elias return to Blackroot Academy for their 3rd year, and their legacies are already being cemented among the halls. From the glories and consequences of their past deeds, finding their names in book of the King's Court, and new opportunities presenting themselves, they are only growing more powerful as they head into their 4th and final year...

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Halloween One-Shot | Return to Pine Island

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 02:06:00 -0300

For Halloween 2023, the DMs return to our original summer camp horror game, this time led by Christian. Our characters are counselors at an *awful* re-education camp which is presently staffed by a skeleton crew following a horrible event which appears to have awakened something on the grounds that was best left undisturbed...

Content Warnings: Mention of suicide, drowning, burning, pretty much child abuse, sharting, awful baking advice (then good baking advice), and weird scripture quoting

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Headless Horseman by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6740-headless-horseman
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Atmospheres #6: Lost by Brian Holtz Music
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7243-atmospheres-6-lost
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://brianholtzmusic.com

One-Player One-Shot | Carved By The Garden

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 01:01:00 -0300

Welcome to another episode of One-Player One-Shot with Christian playing our second Cassi Mothwin game in a row, this time with the folk horror Carved By The Garden!

Christian begins what might have been a multi-episode Playing With Myself series but quickly realizes that the cards are not, in fact, in his favor. Listen to hear what happens with Michael as he ventures forth into the woods of northern New York!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Rival - Falling (with CRVN) [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/RCFallingWatch: http://youtu.be/

RuneQuest Episode 17 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The White Lady

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 02:22:00 -0300

Darkness Season continues. It's time for Aurisa to heed the calling of her family and enter into the cult of the White Lady.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | Year Two

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 01:35:00 -0300

Our magical rivals, Angelica and Elias, move onto Year 2 at Blackroot Academy and continue down their paths to power. Angelica becomes a target due to her potential, while Elias continues to play with magic he doesn't fully comprehend the cost of. A secret society reaches out. Allies lost. Allies made?

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RuneQuest Episode 16 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Taking

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 01:35:00 -0300

Winter descends on the Vale and brings with it dark, claustrophobic days and nights.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | Year One

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 01:47:00 -0300

Angelica and Elias reminisce on their first year at Blackroot Academy - the moment that made them rivals, the setbacks they faced early in their arcane academics, and friends (and foes) made along the way both faculty and fellow students.

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RuneQuest Episode 15 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Horned Man

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 01:32:00 -0300

Troy is back as Kymrese after his heart surgery, and his character undergoes a magical journey in his initiation.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

It Takes Two To [Tangled Blessings] | Character Creation

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 01:58:00 -0300

Jess & Kent sit down to make their characters and start a new two-player series exploring Blackroot Academy in Cassi Mothwin's dark-academia flavored RPG Tangled Blessings. Based on the tarot-style resolution in Samantha Leigh's Anamnesis (see Rene's solo playthrough here), this game can be played solo or as two players pitted against one another as rivals at the highly selective magic school.

Meet Angelica & Elias, two new mages about to begin an intertwined adventure where only one will be declared the strongest at the end of their fourth year. Who will it be, and what history will come back to factor into their final competition?

Also, thank you and shout out to friend of the DMs K. Parr, who not only provided the tarot card deck Jess & Kent are using for the game, but recorded the introductory letter from the headmaster as well!

Learn more about Tangled Blessings on Cassi's itch.io!.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Celtic Ambiance & Frost by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RuneQuest Episode 14 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Defending Storm

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 01:05:00 -0300

Dark Season blows it's winter winds into the vale. It is time for Bryn to enter fully into the cult of Vinga.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru II Finale

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 22:20:03 -0300

We find our people. We face off against the robot god. We bring this story to an end. Or do we?

Learn more about (AND GET YOURSELF SOME) Miru I & Miru II on Hinokodo's itch.io page!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Static Abyss, The Mountains, The Grasslands, The Desert, The Swamp, Follow the Sun, Chromatic Endings, and Dialing Into A Dream

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

RuneQuest Episode 13 | Six Seasons in Sartar - Hunting the Bear

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 01:08:00 -0300

The Vale begins preparations for possible retaliation. For Descara, it's time to enter fully into the mysteries of Odayla.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru II - Episode 3

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 01:16:00 -0300

The journey continues through golf courses, junk emporiums, space stations, churches, and plenty of bear-themed abominations!

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Interlude & The Desert

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

Threat by Radion Nechaev
https://filmmusic.io/song/9824-threat
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Final Battle of the Dark Wizards by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3752-final-battle-of-the-dark-wizards
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Static Motion by Kevin MacLeod
https://filmmusic.io/song/4414-static-motion
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Corruption by Kevin MacLeod
https://filmmusic.io/song/3555-corruption
Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

[BONUS] Honor + Intriguing Options Kickstarter Promotion Stream

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:57:00 -0300

Bonus episode time! Friend of the DMs, Basic Action Games' Chris Rutkowsky, creator of the Honor + Intrigue system we had so much fun with reached out to us to run a special one shot showing off all the new options and rules expansions in the Intriguing Options series, and we were happy to play some more H+I! Chris steps in as our first ever guest GM (and another Chris joins as a new first time guest!) to run us through a sword and space blasting scenario to show off all the cool new bells & whistles to the great Honor + Intrigue system.

The Intriguing Options just successfully funded via Kickstarter (see the Tome of Intriguing Options page), which may or may not have late backer access, but definitely check it out! Learn more about Honor + Intrigue and all of its products here.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Space Exploration by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10077-space-exploration
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Space Travel To Distant Stars by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7246-space-travel-to-distant-stars
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 12 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Mark of the Dragon

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:39:00 -0300

The Vale deals with the fallout of Gordangar's decisions. The characters begin to understand what they found in the ancient temple.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru II - Episode 2

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 23:59:00 -0300

The character continues searching for the people of his missing village and finds a village of androids, a cool DeeJay android, a not so cool Mask Lady, a weird cowboy, and a very cool raccoon.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Credits & The Desert

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

Echoes of Time by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3699-echoes-of-time
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Floating Cities by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3765-floating-cities
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Magic Forest by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4012-magic-forest
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 11 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Deer People Pt. II

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 01:12:00 -0300

The Harraborn youths are sent on a secret mission to warn the Third Wind of the Lunar scouts. Along the way they discover a long hidden secret.

If you want to look really cool, consider buying your very own DMsAfterDark T-shirt!

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru II - Episode 1

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 23:05:22 -0300

The robot God returns, and I flee into a new region in search of my lost village, and for my life.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Mountains & The Swamp

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

Echoes of Time by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3699-echoes-of-time
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Floating Cities by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3765-floating-cities
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Thunderbird by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4527-thunderbird
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 10 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Deer People

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:49:00 -0300

Earth Season comes to the Vale. The Clan celebrates the harvest, but it's interrupted but unwelcome visitors.

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru Finale

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 02:36:00 -0300

Having escaped by the skin of his teeth, our protagonist has fled the Robot God and made distance between himself and his quarry to recover and prepare for another assault. He descends into an old, collapsed subway tunnel now known as The Cave of Shinda and emerges with a renewed will, heading back south to confront the God for the last time. Along the way he further limits the god's power by cutting off a power supply and meets it on the steps of a federal building for another go...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Credits; The Forest; The Grasslands; The Desert; & Follow the Sun

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru Episode 3

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 01:27:00 -0300

Feeling confident in their abilities, the dissociated PC trains in the forest village near the radio tower, eager to get strong enough to face the robot god and finish his revenge quest. However, as the old adage goes: "Be careful what you wish for." A chance encounter with the god results in a rude awakening, which has left our hero reeling and second guessing their chances...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Forest, The Desert, and The Mountains

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru Episode 2

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 02:33:00 -0300

After a harrowing first few weeks wandering the wilderness in a horrible future, searching for a robot god to kill to avenge his fallen brother, Rene picks up the Miru I campaign as he confronts the very Buster T-7 that killed his brother. This session goes about as opposite as the first as you can imagine. Things are getting real.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Break Time & Dialing Into A Dream

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

RuneQuest Episode 9 | Six Seasons In Sartar - A Time To Kill Pt. II

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 01:36:00 -0300

The group helps get some wanted folks out of the Vale and to safety, but there are other forces watching and following. The last few episodes have been adapted from Ludovic Chabant's A Short Detour adventure, which you can find out more about here.

And you can learn more about the wonderful system of Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Miru Episode 1

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 01:36:00 -0300

Rene is back with another solo RPG series with Miru: An Analog Adventure Game by Hinokodo! This game is a deadly survival hexcrawl which pits the player in the shoes of a dissociated main character on a mission to get revenge for his slain brother against the Robot god which has ruined the world. It's a really great game full of difficult resource management, fast deadly combat, and timed events that keep it moving quickly and crazily! Check it out!

This series will not be as family friendly, sorry! I'll make sure the next one is!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Credits, The Swamp, Artificial Pulse, and Follow the Sun

by Love & Wine Media and Hinokodo, Published by Mimic Publishing Collective

Available at https://hinokodo.itch.io/static-abyss

RuneQuest Episode 8 | Six Seasons In Sartar - A Time To Kill

Fri, 26 May 2023 01:03:00 -0300

The Harraborn celebrate the birth of a new child. Strangers with a secret arrive at the vale seeking hospitality.

Learn more about Runequest here.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

1d6 | 1d4 - 1d100 Episodes?!

Fri, 19 May 2023 01:46:00 -0300

Can you believe we've put out 100 podcast episodes?! Neither can we! Between our actual play streams, our Modified Rolls, and all the shenanigans in between, we've reached a milestone that surprised us, so we decided to give it the respect it deserves and...

Wait, a 1d6 | 1d4 episode?! What in the Sara's wild imagination is going on right now?

Sara is joined by Christian, Jess, and Rene as we put a new twist on the classic 1d6 | 1d4 formula, each rolling a d100 and discussing the episodes that come back. We reminisce, we talk a little about the future, and we generally just get weird. Enjoy!

In all seriousness, we can't believe we've done 100 episodes and we thank everyone who's ever listened from the bottom of our nerdy hearts. You're all amazing and we hope to keep entertaining you for as long as we put our games on the internet. You're the best.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Maze & Trinist - Would You Ever [Arcade Release]

Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds

Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/wouldyouever

Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/wouldyoueverAT/youtube

Startup by Alex-Productions
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9439-startup-
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 7 | Six Seasons In Sartar - A Time To Be Born

Thu, 11 May 2023 20:22:00 -0300

Life assumes a new normal for Rue following his Telmori initiation. Descara gains a mentor. A new life enters the clan.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (Alt-Ginger Edition) - Troy’s Mind Crawler

Fri, 05 May 2023 01:18:00 -0300

Hello everyone and welcome to the mind of Troy, as he plays the solo RPG Mind Crawler by Symphoneers in an alternate ginger DM version of Playing With Myself (On The Internet). Mind Crawler is a single-player RPG about progressing through a surreal internalized dungeon and overcoming material representations of abstract personal issues, and the subject matter can certainly get very personal and very powerful, so tread lightly within the dungeons of your own mind.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Fog from the album Adeliane; Composed by François Rousselot. Lyrics : Benjamin Torval
Performed by Clarisse May and the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra.

One Thin Hope & Crow's Mantle from the album Dearg; Composed by Jure Peternel, arranged by François Rousselot.

Les saisons passent, Earrach Feis, Différents Chemins, & La Revelation from the album Of Men & Obscurities; Composed and arranged by Delphine Bois. Production : Benjamin Torval

Music from Esteren can be found here

RuneQuest Episode 6 | Six Seasons In Sartar - To Hunt the Sun

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:22:00 -0300

As Ruen attempts to leave the village for their safety and his own reasons, Descara, Bryn, Aurisa, and Kymrese remind him that he's not alone. The young adults journey into the woods in search of something Rue needs to be comfortable in his own skin.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Promotional Stream - Mall Kids!

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 02:03:00 -0300

Remember the days of your preteens or teenage years where going to the mall was the coolest, you and your friends would hang out with the little bit of money you had and just wander the same four hallways being delinquents?

Well now, you can play a game that relives those adventures in absolutely wild scenarios! Check out Mall Kids 2023 by Matthew Gravelyn on Kickstarter through 4/21 (so act fast)! But don't worry if you miss it, you can get all the rules for the way we played it from Matthew's Itch.io page along with his other excellent games!

In this silly one-shot stream, we play Superpowered teens who work at the mall in Super Mall Kids, one of the new settings and rules expansions to Mall Kids. Join us as we uncover a kidnapping conspiracy with mall cops and deal with Black Friday shoppers in a session that gets pretty weird.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Elliot Kings, Riggs - Paper Walls (with Mykyl) [NCS Release]

Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/PaperWalls

Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/PaperWallsAT/youtube

Shopping Mall by Claus Appel

Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4699-shopping-mall

License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 5 | Six Seasons In Sartar - In Sheep’s Clothing

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 01:05:00 -0300

Kymrese practices his Second Sight. Rue struggles with his worst fear. Descara buries a friend. Aurisa's prayers for guidance are answered. The crew confronts the kidnapper.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

One-Player One-Shot | Anamnesis

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 22:39:00 -0300

You may be influenced by your past, but those events do not define you or determine where you go from here.

Anamnesis is an amazing journaling solo-player game by Samantha Leigh where you play a character who wakes up with memory loss. It uses a deck of tarot cards and splits the game up into 5 Acts with prompts to jog the memories of your character. Check it out!

You're probably not supposed to play yourself, you're probably supposed to experience this from a fictional character's perspective, but Rene's an idiot and apparently wanted to have a long-overdue letting go of some of his past, so he did it in a game. Typical Rene.

This game contains a bunch of music from my bands throughout the years. I hope you enjoy the little snippets, but if you just skip through them, I totally get that, too.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

All music in the episode is from Rene's old bands, which you can find on BandCamp at Animal Empire and Cassela (he would have included Sleep City but I think that's still technically owned by someone else, but it's on streaming services).

Radio Static Sound Effect from Pixabay

RuneQuest Episode 4 | Six Seasons in Sartar - Blood of the Lamb

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 02:01:00 -0300

After successfully fending off cattle raiders from the nearby Sambari Tribe, our young heroes return to their tribe for their rewards, but not all is fine in the Vale. Another missing child, Rue has bad dreams, and the others deal with troubles brewing in all directions.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Ghost Club One-Shot

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 03:36:00 -0300

Continuing the off-week actual play content, Rene sat down with his wife Lynn to record a 2 player GMless session of Ghost Club by Andrew Dowell. Taking the role of teenage ghost hunters in Twin Falls, the players explore haunted locations and collect clues needed to summon, confront, and banish the ghosts of their home town. Designed for younger players, it was a really fun time, even though we definitely forgot some rules and bent some others.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Outlandr - World on Fire [Arcade Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/worldonfire

RuneQuest Episode 3 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Season of the Wolf

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:04:48 -0300

Now adults in the eyes of the Clan, our heroes come together for a bit of exploration through the Vale and take part in a tradition as old as the clans themselves.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Finale Part 2

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 01:16:00 -0300

The crew confront the smugglers in the plateau, the first glyph on Marco's map, and finally find some, but not all, answers. This part of the story ends.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Adventure Beyond by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/8690-adventure-beyond
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Adventure by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6092-adventure
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Final Battle of the Dark Wizards by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3752-final-battle-of-the-dark-wizards
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Finale Part 1

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 01:13:00 -0300

It's the finale, we're approaching the end of our time in the Roomlands and Colostle by Nich Angell, but there's plenty to do, so let's get to it...

Marco, Berger, and Alis venture into the Crackway in the wall of the oceanic room and find more Bastions, but this time, they aren't hostile or serving a trapped ancient Rook. They meet Null, a Bastion who can guide them through the Crackways using the ancient monoliths. Following Null, the crew find another of the glyphs on Marco's familial map above a stairway leading out into a Tundroom and brave the harsh elements, an Ice Rook, a tribal Rooknaught crew, and finally approach one of these mysterious sites...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Final Battle of the Dark Wizards by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3752-final-battle-of-the-dark-wizards
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest Episode 2 | Six Seasons In Sartar - The Path of Heort

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 01:09:00 -0400

Live and in Heortling, welcome to the second initiation episode of our series running Andrew Montgomery's Six Seasons in Sartar campaign for Chaosium's RuneQuest roleplaying game. This time, it's the boys' turn to go through the rite of passage to manhood.

Glorantha is a world of myths, gods, and legends come to life. A Bronze Age world of heroes and great villains, triumphs and failures on a cosmic scale. The initiation for the males of the Clan explores these myths, the history of their people, their gods, their stories come to life. Follow Descara, Kymrese, Ruen, and Venaran as they, along with other tribe initiates Daersten and Affal, as they come to terms with their place in the Clan, confront themselves as they were, and see the path before them to who they could be.

With the initiations done, the Vale is open to the PCs, and this campaign is about to jump off into full swing. Please join us for more great RuneQuest live every other Friday!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 9

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 00:04:00 -0400

First things first, check out the Solo But Not Alone 3 on Itch.io! It's an incredible collection of solo-oriented indie RPGs and is raising money for the Jasper's Game Day charity for suicide prevention and awareness. Great games and a great cause!

In the penultimate episode of my time in Colostle, Marco, Berger, and Alis are the new owners of a legendary Astrolithic Rook, a pilot-able flying stronghold for our protagonists. However, atop the Battlements with cultists and nomads alike staring down a hole in a roof descending to an oceanic room far below, work remains to be done. I hope you enjoy the last few episodes as we wrap up this series, but don't worry, I'm not done with Playing With Myself (On The Internet) just yet.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

RuneQuest Episode 1 | Six Seasons in Sartar - The Riddle

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 01:09:00 -0400

Greetings in Heortling and welcome to the very first episode of our series running Andrew Montgomery's Six Seasons in Sartar campaign for Chaosium's RuneQuest roleplaying game.

Glorantha is a world of myths, gods, and legends come to life. A Bronze Age world of heroes and great villains, triumphs and failures on a cosmic scale.

In our introductory episode, meet the cast of young characters from the Haraborn Tribe of the Colymar Clan in Sartar as they approach their rites of initiation into adulthood. This episode revolves around Aurisa the Pale, a young woman inflicted with an inherited spiritual disease destined to become a healer.

Content Warnings: Animal sacrifice, personal prompts involving sexual identity, death, sickness, spiders, female body horror, menstruation, and probably more.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 8

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 02:10:00 -0400

We're well above the Roomlands now, up past the terrifying gargoyle-filled Rafters and onto the mythical Battlements in Rene's solo play-through of Colostle by Nich Angell! Please go check it out, it's an incredibly accessible and easy to learn game with great art and all you need is a deck of cards!

The cult that shattered the skylight in the Rafters is finally heading to the legendary Battlements beyond the highest reaches of the Roomlands, beyond the Rafters, where it is said all Hunters go when they die. What awaits Marco, Berger, and Alis as they step foot in this new world confined to tales and sagas, where none have gone and returned from?

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Final Battle of the Dark Wizards by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3752-final-battle-of-the-dark-wizards
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

RuneQuest | Six Seasons in Sartar Session 0

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 21:24:30 -0400

For our first long-form campaign, Christian introduces the group to Chaosium's RuneQuest as we create our characters for the Bronze Age fantasy world of Glorantha. Meet the PCs, learn a little about this incredibly well fleshed out world full of myth and lore that dates back to the 1970s.

We are so excited to play a longer game, and we hope you'll enjoy our playthrough of Andrew Montgomery's Six Seasons in Sartar campaign.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Fishblade One-Shot

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 20:35:35 -0400

We unashamedly did it. We played the meme game making fun of indie game recommendations during the OGL debacle...

No description necessary, but many apologies maybe?

Shout to Dave Marr (@DaveMarrrrrr) on Twitter for the rules we used & Francita (@byfrancita) for the awesome Fishblade art we used on the stream.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

JOXION - LA VIBE [Arcade Release]

Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds

Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/LAVIBE

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 7

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 11:08:00 -0400

Welcome back to the Roomlands & Rene's solo play-through of Colostle by Nich Angell! Please go check it out, it's an incredibly accessible and easy to learn game with great art and all you need is a deck of cards!

After coming so close to the strange glyph-marked plateau only to be snatched by a gargoyle and pulled up into the Rafters high above the Roomlands, our protagonists are left searching for a way back down, or maybe a way farther up onto the legendary Battlements. As the glass of a skylight shatters and causes a commotion in the jungles of the Rafters, our heroes find themselves among a strange group who have been working toward this moment for a long time...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Crossroads Carnival Finale - Old Roots Run Deep

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 07:24:57 -0400

Christmas day comes to Silence, Oklahoma, and those who shall be rewarded reap what they have sown.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence against children (non sexual), violence against others, themes of misogyny, body horror, mental illness, us/them and outsiders, and Judaeo-Christian horror

Find out more about Crossroads Carnival and get it here!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

"The Circus" composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"

Link : https://youtu.be/YO8Ng6odHvs

CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence against children (non sexual), violence against others, themes of misogyny, body horror, mental illness, us/them and outsiders, and Judaeo-Christian horror

Find out more about Crossroads Carnival and get it here!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

"The Circus" composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"

Link : https://youtu.be/YO8Ng6odHvs

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 6

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 03:59:00 -0400

We rejoin Marco, Berger, and Alis following a decisive victory against a massive flying Rook, completing their first Hunter's Guild quest! Unfortunately, their plans to proceed to the mysterious plateau in the canyonlands bearing the glyph depicted on Marco's familial map go a little sideways (or skyward?), leading to a whole new area of the Roomlands to be explored! Not to mention, a little weird conspiracy theorizing going on!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Crossroads Carnival Episode 3 - Among the Tall, Tall Pines

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 13:05:06 -0400

The small town of Silence, Oklahoma continues getting more and more mysterious as the holidays approach...

CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence against children (non sexual), violence against others, themes of misogyny, body horror, mental illness, us/them and outsiders, and Judaeo-Christian horror

Find out more about Crossroads Carnival and get it here!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

"The Circus" composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"

Link : https://youtu.be/YO8Ng6odHvs

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 5

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 03:00:00 -0400

We rejoin Marco, Berger, and Alis on their approach to confront their first Hunter's Guild quest! A flying Rook roosting in a tower... on an island... in the middle of a lake... perched atop a plateau! Talk about a crazy site for a fight! Will our protagonists be able to stick to the plan of getting inside the massive Rook and shut it down from the inside, or will they be tossed off the edge of the cliffs to an early ending?

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 4

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 03:02:00 -0400

We rejoin Marco, Berger, and Alis as they've alerted some bandits hiding out in the giant skull of a fallen Rook in the harsh canyonlands outside of Rust Grove. Our heroes are outnumbered and you may be surprised at who manages to carry the fight, but it doesn't come without Wounds and consequences. As they near the site of their quest from the local Hunter's Guild, they meet an antagonistic NPC who comes with a warning, and the plot thickens before the looming battle...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 3

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 02:04:00 -0400

We rejoin Marco, Berger, and Alis as they emerge from the Crackways between Rooms and build the first city of the game! Marco does some trading to upgrade Berger, Alis accepts a quest from the local Hunter's Guild, and Marco makes friends with a powerful member of the Guild who provides him with more information about his Calling - the familial map and key!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Crossroads Carnival Episode 2 - Penance in Silence, Oklahoma

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 02:02:00 -0400

Step up, come on in, one ticket to the big top here, kid! Sights you've never seen, visions you'll never forget, we've got the most exotic acts you can imagine! Welcome to the Crossroads Carnival.

Episode 2 of our Crossroads Carnival series sees a slightly smaller cast dealing with the locals in Silence, Oklahoma, where the carnival has set up its tents and wagons. The characters meet some folks who are struggling like most during the Depression, but some who are certainly suffering a little bit more...

CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence against children (non sexual), violence against others, themes of misogyny, body horror, mental illness, us/them and outsiders, and Judaeo-Christian horror

Find out more about Crossroads Carnival and get it here!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

"The Circus" composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"

Link : https://youtu.be/YO8Ng6odHvs

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 2

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 02:37:00 -0400

Rene's back at it again with the new solo roleplaying series and episode 2 of the super cute and fun exploration game Colostle by Nich Angell! Please go check it out, it's an incredibly accessible and easy to learn game with great art and all you need is a deck of cards!

We pick up where the last episode left off, with Marco and his Ice Rookling companion (now named Berger!) taken prisoner by strange Rooks inside of a massive cavern in the Crackways - dangerous alternative routes between Rooms of the Colostle. New friends, new information, new rooms? Plenty awaits Marco and Berger as they continue to explore!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Crossroads Carnival Episode 1 - Welcome to the Circus, Kid

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 01:05:00 -0400

Step up, come on in, one ticket to the big top here, kid! Sights you've never seen, visions you'll never forget, we've got the most exotic acts you can imagine! Welcome to the Crossroads Carnival.

Hello all and welcome to the first episode of our last series of 2022. Amber's back to back after her marathon Dread session to bring you a story of sideshow circus acts in 1930s dustbowl Depression America. They're not quite normal, not quite human, and all just looking for something outside the everyday awful. Join us as we explore these twisted characters for what's sure to be an amazing horror series!

CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence against children (non sexual), violence against others, themes of misogyny, body horror, mental illness, us/them and outsiders, and Judaeo-Christian horror

Find out more about Crossroads Carnival and get it here!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

"The Circus" composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek"

Link : https://youtu.be/YO8Ng6odHvs

Playing With Myself (On The Internet) | Colostle Episode 1

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 01:31:00 -0400

What's this? This isn't a Modified Rolls RPG discussion podcast? This isn't even a chaos baby from the mind of Sara! What are we doing here?

Welcome to the very first episode of Playing With Myself (On The Internet), a solo roleplaying actual play series that we're going to be doing from time to time and maybe more, who knows?! Rene sits down to play the one-player, card-based roleplaying game Colostle by Nich Angell. Please go check it out and support Nich, I'm super excited to be exploring this world and hopefully doing it justice!

In an impossibly large world that all fits inside the rooms of a massive castle (a Colostle, if you will), people of the Roomlands settle in cities and create wondrous magical items from the husks of Rooks, gigantic hulking battlements and towers made of stone and magic. In this series, follow Rene's character Marco Key as they befriend a small ice rookling and set off to explore some of the Roomlands and uncover secrets on a mysterious family map.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Dread One-Shot

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 02:01:00 -0400

Welcome to our very first fully in-person stream! Amber runs the DMs and two special guests through a scenario for the tense horror RPG Dread. One *generic wooden block* tower, six players, endless tension!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Mysterioso March by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4106-mysterioso-march
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

1d6 | 1d4 - RPG Hot Takes

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 02:23:00 -0300

Alright, we all know Rene's got some bad RPG opinions, but now you get to hear ALL of our hot takes!

In this episode of 1d6 | 1d4, what is supposed to be a short little podcast, we each get 3 minutes to spout our spiciest RPG hot takes - the opinions we have about our beloved hobby that would probably be considered somewhere on a scale from unpopular to downright blasphemous.

If you have any hot takes, email them to us at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com, or if you take particular umbrage at any of our takes, let us hear it in an email and we'll definitely shout you out in a future episode!

If after listening to all the offensive points of view in this episode, you still enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! It takes you all of 30 seconds and it gets our podcast out there for more people to notice and discuss our favorite things with us!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs. Keep an eye out for a Discord channel hopefully coming soon, too!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Zack Merci X Arcana - Into The Wild [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/ZAIntoTheWild
Watch: http://youtu.be/BZKwsPIhVO8

The Ward One-Shot

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 01:41:00 -0300

To honor those who bravely launch themselves into terrifying and urgent medical situations for October as First Responders Month... we play goofballs in a hospital on Halloween!

DM Troy runs Christian, Jess, and Sara through a one-shot of Magpie Games The Ward, a Powered by the Apocalypse medical drama RPG reminiscent of ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, and other health care related series. Join our specialist, resident, and intern as they deal with a chaotic night of Halloween healthcare!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Background music provided by Fesliyan Studios

www.fesliyanstudios.com

Modified Rolls - Rules Lite RPGs with Special Guest Ben Bailey of Meta Mage Studios!

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 02:14:00 -0300

Don't wanna read a whole 300 page rulebook to run a game your friends can't schedule time to play? Well we've got good news for you, there are a LOT of games out there to pick up and get playing fast. No complicated rules mechanics, no overarching stories, rules lite games tend to focus on a theme or desired experience and tailor everything to fit that kind of story. But making a cohesive game in that little space isn't as easy as it sounds. We discuss what a minimalist RPG needs to still work, when they work best, and share our favorite examples.

In this episode, the DMs sit down with Ben Bailey from Meta Mage Studios to talk Rules Lite RPGs. Ben designed the game we played on stream most recently, The Midnight Codex, which is launching on Kickstarter on Halloween.

If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Beave - Talk [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: https://ncs.io/Talk
Watch: https://youtu.be/uZi8_rnqgHg

The Midnight Codex | World Premiere Kickstarter Preview Stream!

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 01:03:00 -0300

Everyone knows the world is full of magic. It's dangerous stuff. The vampires, werewolves, fey folk, they're all a part of every day life, but the people who mess around with magic? They bring about the Omens. They bring nothing but trouble.

In the very first stream of The Midnight Codex EVER, we play four poor souls who wake up one morning with little memories of the night before, but a book on our person. A codex that gives us magic. Watch to see what unravels as we play Episode 1 (of 12!) of The Midnight Codex.

Keep an eye out for The Midnight Codex from Meta Mage Studios coming to Kickstarter October 31, 2022! It's a really cool concept of monthly installments to move forward a larger metaplot as you and your fellow Codex-wielding magic crew do what you can to stop the end of the world!

Art, including our very first fan art (hop on our social medias to see and chat with us about all things RPGs) for the Midnight Codex was done by Jayce at Rude Graffix. Join the Rude Graffix Discord server at https://discord.gg/TNgZ8Hgqqs

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Jim Yosef & Shiah Maisel - Unforgivable [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/Unforgivable

Modified Rolls - Metacurrencies with Special Guest Chris Rutkowsky of Basic Action Games!

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 01:20:00 -0300

Metacurrency (noun) - A player resource in a game that allows the player to apply an advantageous effect within the fiction without actually interacting with the game at a character level.

Not exactly Merriam-Webster, but hey, you get the idea. Metacurrencies are popular in many RPGs as a way to incentivize players to engage in the game as its meant to be played, reward players for playing the game as intended, and share authorial control of the world or be used as "get out of jail (read: death) free" tokens.

In this episode of Modified Rolls, we have Chris Rutkowsky of Basic Action Games (BASH), author of Honor + Intrigue, our recent series, on to talk about his experiences making games, as well as discuss metacurrency in RPGs.

You can find all of Chris' games on the Basic Action Games DriveThruRPG page.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Funky Walk - Sound from ZapSplat.com

Honor + Intrigue | Finale - Secrets of the Island

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0300

The crew make their way onto the mysterious island led by Grandma Mari and her successor, Lana. While they've lost the French ships, they're still trailed by one English ship carrying Mallory, the "cartographer" from the Spanish villa.

Will the island bestow its miracles upon the crew of the Lady Saskatoon or take everything from them for some other purpose?

If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Sailing Through The Wide Sea by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6243-sailing-through-the-wide-sea
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - (Half) The DMs Went to Gen Con!

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 02:01:00 -0300

What's more magical than an incredibly crowded nerdy convention in ... Indianapolis? We can't think of anything either! In this episode of Modified Rolls, half of the DMs After Dark crew (Amber, Jess, and Troy) sit down with two guests Alex and Kent to discuss their 2022 Gen Con experience! While Gen Con is a big one, there is some great advice for conventions in general, especially any you'll need to travel to!

Thank you to Alex & Kent for jumping in to discuss their experiences as well! Check out Alex's Twitch channel for his D&D and tabletop game content at https://www.twitch.tv/l8nitelex/

We're hoping that the DMs After Dark crew can start attending more cons together and spreading the word. What your favorite convention you've attended? Have you discovered any underappreciated gems? Share your stories with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or email us at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com!

Music in the episode:

Thorne - Call On Me [Arcade Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/CallOnMe

Honor + Intrigue | Episode 3: Île des Voilettes

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 01:43:00 -0300

The crew of the Lady Saskatoon find themselves sailing blindly into a thick fog and mist with no land in sight. The stars have betrayed them and are unfamiliar to all aboard. The old woman, Mari, shows no fear, but is beginning to show remorse. Tailed by an English ship with an old enemy and a fleet of French ships with something valuable of the strange old woman's, the promises of this island might be more trouble than they're worth.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - Balance in RPGs

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 01:29:00 -0300

Ever feel like you're in a fight that there's no chance you can win? Maybe it's the dice betraying you or maybe it was a hint that you weren't supposed to pick that fight (yet or maybe ever). Balance in RPGs is an expectation that both players and GM need to communicate clearly during a session or campaign. Sometimes imbalanced encounters function as "gates" to areas you shouldn't explore yet, other times they're purposefully overwhelming but provide alternate win conditions or survival is the victory itself. Some games have designed "balance" in bestiaries, stat blocks, or just vague power levels, while others are entirely narrative and the concept of balance is part of the conversation.

Key takeaway from this episode: Games don't need to be balanced, but obstacles do need to be appropriately communicated so the goal is clear to the players.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Endless Space by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9772-endless-space
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod

Rock Guitar Intro 13 by TaigaSoundProd
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9744-rock-guitar-intro-13
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod

The March Of The Final Battle by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8117-the-march-of-the-final-battle
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Honor + Intrigue | Episode 2: A Lark In Hand Is Worth Two In The Barrel

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 01:09:00 -0300

Captain Red's come down with something after the escape from the villa, while the rest of the crew aboard the Lady Saskatoon race toward the mysterious island, led by a more mysterious old woman. As the Lady sails her way to the treasure and destination, secrets are uncovered, stowaways found, and treachery may yet be afoot.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - DM PCs

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 02:22:00 -0300

Have you ever played in an RPG campaign where the DM makes a character to be a member of the party? Were they mostly in the background or did they happen to always be the strongest, best, or have the best treasure? There are definitely wrong ways to do DM PCs, but we're here to talk about the ways to make them work for your game.

In this episode, we dive into a hot topic and come out the other side with maybe a surprising take! Amber's ready to brawl it out, and Rene has a change of heart.

Do: Remember that DM PCs are fully fleshed out and experiencing the story alongside the players, let them have moments, but don't steal the spotlight; make them generally less competent and more of a support role than a main character; use them as "knives," emotional attachments and backstory tie-ins to keep your players invested in the bigger story.

Don't: Have them conveniently find the answers or move the plot forward just because you, as DM, have information the players don't; outshine the PCs; be the central figure the whole campaign revolves around (Gary Stu / Mary Sue).

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Victory by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4924-victory
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Fantasy Chamber Adventure by Rafael Krux
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5424-fantasy-chamber-adventure
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/

Honor + Intrigue | Episode 1: Slow Dueling in a Burning Villa

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:26:00 -0300

Out there in the vast expanse of ocean lie countless islands full of opportunity, treasures unclaimed, and mysteries waiting for fortunate, or maybe unfortunate, souls to come bring back into daylight...

100 years ago a French ship went missing - its crew and cargo assumed to be lost to time... until now. Recently, a survivor has been spending the gold long thought gone with that ship, and rumors are swirling about an island with more gold than you can spend in a lifetime left for the taking. The French and Spanish are already looking for clues, and our rowdy crew of pirates are being hired by the British to beat them to it.

Can they retrieve the mysterious map from a bustling Spanish villa? Will the pasts of our pirates (and penitent man of the cloth) come back to haunt them? What awaits our crew on this strange island?

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

I Have the High Ground One-Shot

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 08:12:51 -0300

Before it even starts, before a sword is swung, a blaster pulled, or punch thrown, the dramatic dance of words, taunts and snide remarks sets up that tension, the stakes, the honor on the line...

Welcome to our 2 player one-shot of Jess Levin (Jess from Online)'s wonderful new game I Have the High Ground, a wonderful collaborative game about banter, posturing, and capes in the moments that lead up to a confrontation.

Christian & Rene reprise their roles from the very first series we ever streamed, Dragomir and Jaoved from Troy's Shadows of Esteren series. First, it was a blast to revisit these characters and the world of Esteren. Second, this game is so good at staying simple in its mechanics and out of its own way to just keep the drama high, help you come up with fun banter between rounds and interactions. And third, it's concise with us playing in less than an hour and a half, two players is so accessible for people without big gaming groups, and even if you do have a big table, you can EASILY use this game as a little bonus mini-game to ramp up tension and roleplay in a pivotal scene (in fact, Rene already has a plan to use this in his homebrew game)!

Please, please, don't sleep on this one and go check it out, it's a BLAST!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Behind The Sword by Alexander Nakarada
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4755-behind-the-sword
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

Honor + Intrigue Character Creation

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 02:06:00 -0300

Yo ho! Ahoy! Arrgh ya landlubbers! Other vaguely piratey things to say!

Welcome to the Session 0 and Character Creation portion of our new series for Honor + Intrigue, a swashbuckling adventure RPG by Chris Rutkowsky, published by Basic Action Games. Jess will be running us through her first series and we have a lot of fun exploring this game system and building some pretty cool characters, if we do say so ourselves.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

1d6 | 1d4 - The DMies 1 Minute Preview Edition

Fri, 29 Jul 2022 02:43:00 -0300

You know what time it is! Chaos time courtesy of Sara's brain child 1d6 | 1d4!

For the first time we only have 1 minute each to talk about our topic, and this week's topic is...

Our first ever hopefully annual award show - The DMies! We're going full Hollywood and making a big ol' spectacle of ourselves to pat each other on the back, laugh about dumb stuff we've said on the internet, and occasionally actually compliment one another on awesome moments from our first year in streaming.

The DMies will be live sometime in late September, because (I think) that's when the awards season is, but I don't actually know.

Anyway, if you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Queen Of Hearts (remake) by Mikael Hellman
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6902-queen-of-hearts-remake
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://filmmusic.io/artists/mikael-hellman

Pine Island One-Shot

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 02:10:00 -0300

Well hello there campers! Welcome to Camp Pine Island, a wonderful little tract of wilderness you'll be exploring all summer long! Nothing at all is haunted, dangerous, or creepy at all, and the summer's going to be just peachy... right?

Thank you for checking out another installment of our one-shot shenanigans, this time with Rene running the DMs through he and Christian's original game Pine Island, a summer camp horror game using Caltrop Core, a d4 system by Lex Kim Bobrow and designed as part of DriveThruRPG's Pocket Quest game jam!

Join Christian, Sara, and Troy as they create campers to experience a pretty awful first night at summer camp!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Modified Rolls - Resolution Mechanics

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 02:53:00 -0300

Roll dice. Flip cards. Spend tokens. Pull the wooden block.

This episode of Modified Rolls breaks down the different types of resolution mechanics in roleplaying games and why they're important for providing a certain kind of experience. From the mathematics of probability underlying the success/failure ratio of games to the tactile aspect of cards (just ask Amber & Christian how they feel about cards), different mechanics just feel different and might be more or less appropriate for the game you're trying to play.

Disclaimer: Rene & Christian argued a little but it was all in good spirit and constructive criticism, we're still nerdy buds who make and play games together.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Energetic Upbeat by WinnieTheMoog
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6033-energetic-upbeat
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod

Short Order Apocalypse Advanced One-Shot

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 01:02:00 -0300

Welcome to Hjem, we've got all things to make your house a Hjem... *sigh*...

In this one-shot between our Invisible Sun and upcoming Honor + Intrigue series, Sara runs us through Short Order Apocalypse Advanced by SaintBaileys on itch.io The game itself is available as Pay What You Want on Itch (https://saintbaileys.itch.io/), and is also featured in the Tiny Tome collection of short rules-light RPGs.

Christian, Jess, and Rene play as employees of a certain northern European based furniture store who have had enough of the retail grind and make a deal with a new employee, a one Lucy Fheir, to bring about the end of the world. The game is fast, funny, and super easy to jump right into.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: SFRNG, Madzi, Just Isac & Custody - No Way Back
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/NoWayBack

Modified Rolls - Mining Media for Your RPGs

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 02:24:00 -0300

I don't know about all of you out there in RPG podcast-land, but I'm a pretty typical millennial, binging TV series on streaming platforms and dealing with piles of books to-be-read that somehow just keep growing despite my best efforts. Well, what if I told you literally everything you ingest makes great building blocks for your RPGs?! Your in luck, because all you gotta do is a little bit of work and all your favorite things you wanna talk to your friends about but they haven't seen or read is gold for your games!

Take Home Points: Re-skin & re-flavor - don't copy your favorite characters, locations, or villains without changing them to be appropriate for your game; practice capturing the feel of your favorite media with words, since you likely won't have visuals that portray that like on screen; imitate accents!

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Startup by Alex-Productions
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/9439-startup-
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

[Bonus] Invisible Sun Review

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 04:00:00 -0300

Greetings one more (but maybe not the last) time from the Actuality. Christian sits down with Rene and Sara to talk a little bit about his process prepping for and running Invisible Sun. We talk about the game from a design perspective, Christian's thought process for the concept of the Hollow Men and Elpada, and rates the game.

We hope to do more of these in the future following our series of games, and are working on a rating system to let you know our thoughts on the games we pick and play moving forward!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Invisible Sun Finale - The Citadel of the Bornless One

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 02:24:00 -0300

It started with dreams. Dreams of Shadow. Dreams of each of our characters' goals and desires. It, too, ends in dreams. The Deeps of Sleep hold the headquarters of the Hollow Men and the Bornless One plots to erase the very concept the young girl Elpada represents.

Bridget shows her true self. Darcian has a theory. Henri guides the crew through strange new planes. Istanbull guards his friends. Frey has a score to settle.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Modified Rolls - Playing Evil Characters

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 02:00:00 -0300

So you wanna be the bad guy, huh? Well, not THE bad guy, but A bad guy. Maybe THE bad guy, I mean, who are we to tell you how your story's going to go? Before you do that, though, champ, let's discuss a few things about playing evil PCs in a tabletop game.

In this episode, the DMs discuss how to get the most out of playing evil characters in games that are traditionally team-based and heroic. There are plenty of great ways to play an evil character in an otherwise ensemble cast of good guys, but there are a lot of pitfalls when playing evil PCs that can rub your fellow players or adventuring party the wrong way and derail your story.

Have you ever played an evil character? How'd it go? Did they achieve their goals or self-sabotage in a blaze of unglory?

Take Home Points: Work with your GM, whether you're the only evil PC or in a group of evil adventurers, all evil characters should have hidden plans which you can you coordinate with your GM to get more out of the game. Don't be Stupid Evil - even if you're not the plotter, angry or self-destructive evil characters should still have a sense of self-preservation (until they achieve their goals, anyway). And don't use "ItS wHaT mY cHaRaCtEr WoUlD dO!" as an excuse to be a jerk to your fellow players.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Evil March by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3724-evil-march
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Song: High Octane
Music by Bensound.com

Invisible Sun | Episode 3 - Fallen Angels & Fading Hairlines

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 03:03:00 -0300

Even upon waking from the Shadow and returning to the Actuality, there are dreams and there are nightmares...

The crew have strange dreams. Fray brings the group to a dangerous location. Henri almost makes a deal. Bridget tests the limits of her circles. Istanbull sees through and makes a wall. Darcian shows they can hold their own.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

1d6 | 1d4 - But What If We Ran Longer Games...

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 03:06:00 -0300

Hello and welcome to the 2nd episode of 1d6 | 1d4, Sara's "chaos baby" of a podcast where 1d6 of the DMs sit down and talk about a topic for 1d4 minutes at a time.

This week, Sara is joined by Christian and Rene to ask the question: "What if we ran games longer than 3-4 sessions?"

Find out what games we want to run long-term and let us know if you think we should explore that in the future!

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Happy Happy Game Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3856-happy-happy-game-show
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Invisible Sun | Episode 2 - The Girl in the Box

Fri, 27 May 2022 04:03:00 -0300

Welcome back to the Actuality, our fellow vislae. So... that lecture didn't go as planned with the whole exploding snakes and dissolving vislae thing, but our PCs did manage to rescue the strange golden-eyed child Elpada from the strange terrorists. Where will they go and what will they learn?

Bridget & Darcian summon for help. Henri bonds with Elpada. Istanbull observes more than he lets on. Fray sees old friends in the shadows.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Modified Rolls - Villains

Fri, 20 May 2022 03:03:00 -0300

Muahahaha! You've come this far only to fall into our evil villain monologue! Now you must listen to us as we explain all of the things that weren't communicated throughout the campaign so you understand what it is you're actually defeating!

... Or... maybe your DM gave this episode a listen and realized that they need to sprinkle in details throughout that make the PCs feel like they actually understand the villain, their motive, their means, their goals, flaws, and fears. Maybe this villain is, in a way, relatable, or you can sympathize on a certain level, but can't condone their actions in their quest to accomplish their mission.

What's the best villain you've encountered in an RPG? What are some of your favorite villains in movies, books, shows, etc.?

Take-Home Points: Don't hide all the details behind the screen, give your villain time to interact with the PCs (preferably in places they can't openly be attacked) or indirectly through their minions. Describe how their minions serve the big villain, are they terrified or fiercely loyal through admiration, those tell of two very different leaders! And, as always, make them mean something to your PCs directly.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Villainous Treachery - Distressed by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4587-villainous-treachery---distressed
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Invisible Sun | Episode 1 - Lectures in Legacy

Fri, 13 May 2022 05:00:00 -0300

Greetings from the Actuality... Our story begins around the city of Satyrine, where our PCs are all pulled like matter into a black hole to the Vance campus for a lecture from an eccentric researcher. For a variety of reasons (including the promise of good food, which, unfortunately, appears to have been a lie), the characters find themselves at the center of a mysterious attempted kidnapping.

Will they help? Can they help? And what will they learn? The answer to all of these is "barely any."

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Modified Rolls - How to Write, Prep, and Run Homebrew Campaigns

Fri, 06 May 2022 03:38:00 -0300

What a wonderful [insert the name of your made up fantasy word weekday analogue for Friday]! In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs talk about their experiences, advice, and ideas on all things homebrew campaigns. Whether it's an original story in an established universe (have you listened to our Modified Rolls about running games with Canon?) or an entirely original world of your (and hopefully your players') imagination, there are some things that will help homebrew games run smoothly.

While it can seem daunting, running a homebrew game can be one of the most freeing experiences behind the screen. It's mostly getting comfortable with reacting to your players' interests, working in avenues and obstacles to achieving their character's goals, and making sure there are compelling ups and downs. Give them a place to connect to, give their characters meaningful arcs, and give them a villain to talk about for the rest of their gaming days.

Take-Home Points: Collaboration is key - it's not your story, it's the players'. Let them influence the world, use their interests, connections, backstories, all of it. If not explicitly in their backstory, what kind of things do their classes/character roles want to do? What kind of story do they want to tell? Don't overprep - think 1 to 2 sessions ahead and have big picture concepts beyond that, but don't bog yourself down in the details until you need them.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Song: Arcando - In My Head (feat. Britt Lari) [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/InMyHead

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Troy

Mon, 02 May 2022 00:51:00 -0300

In our penultimate Meet the DMs, we meet the 2nd half of the Bot, the 2nd half of the gingers within DMs After Dark, and everyone's favorite corn-shuckin Iowan Troy!

Troy regales us with his history of roleplaying which goes back to him in 2nd grade making up stories with a D&D 3.5e PHB! He talks about the power of RPGs, his love and involvement with Studio Agate's Shadows of Esteren, which was the first game we ever played on stream, and how it's shaped his life.

We also promise, he's a great dad despite having to lock his kid out for the interview.

If you've got any questions for Jess' interview or in general for the rest of our crew, reach out to us on our social media, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are fun and active, or you can email us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Next Stream: Invisible Sun Episode 1, DM'd by Christian

Next Podcast Drop: Modified Rolls - How to Write, Prep, and Run Homebrew Games

Next (and final) Meet the DMs: Jess

Music in this Episode:

Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com

SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia
Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg

Invisible Sun | Session 0 & Character Creation

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 01:02:00 -0300

Welcome back from the Shadow, our fellow Vislae, take a stroll and reacquaint yourself with ... the Actuality.

In this session zero for Monte Cook's Invisible Sun, Christian does his best to herd the cats that are the other DMs as we navigate the complex terminology and incredibly surreal world of Invisible Sun. The DMs sit at computers in the Shadow (our Earth world simulation) to create a crew of vislae (beings of magic) back in the Actuality (the waking real world everyone we know is totally running from in a dream), and we make a few important narrative decisions for Christian to use in our upcoming series.

For all its complicated jargon and disorganized pdfs, Invisible Sun just oozes flavor and incredible worldbuilding, and the Monte Cook classic "You're a(n) [adjective] [noun] who [verbs]" really shines when you can ignore the rules of our shared reality and get really, really weird.

We aren't the most organized we've ever been in a session, we do a fair amount of ranting, but we hope you enjoy the first bits of your time in the Actuality with us...

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden
Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Amber

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 00:05:00 -0300

In this installment of our interview series, Meet the DMs, we learn all about one half of our librarians and one half of what we affectionately call the Bot (along with her brother Troy), Amber. Rene interviews her about her history with RPGs, how she's turned her love of the hobby into part of her career, and all of the amazing things she believes games can do. She's by far the most professional of the DMs After Dark, and we really owe the entire endeavor to her efforts at our local library, which brought us together as a group.

Please do Amber a favor and head out to your local library, see if they've got any games programs or would be interested in starting one (especially if you'll help out)! Keep your eyes and ears peeled for later this year when the 4th annual West Warwi-Con happens, maybe you can get in a game with one of us!

If you've got any questions for her or the rest of our crew, reach out to us on our social media, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are fun and active, or you can email us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Next Stream: Invisible Sun Episode 1, DM'd by Christian

Next Podcast Drop: Invisible Sun Session 0

Next Meet the DMs: Probably Troy? Other 1/2 of the Bot.

Music in this Episode:

Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com

SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia
Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg

Modified Rolls - How to Prep & Run Published Adventures (Modules, APs, Campaigns, etc.)

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 01:05:00 -0300

We're back with another episode of Modified Rolls, continuing our little run of "How to Prep & Run [Blank]." Last episode talked about the wonderful world of one-shots, the stress-free experimentation station of RPGs. This time, we're going bigger - the published stuff. That's right, you bought a big written adventure and you're going to run your friends through an epic tale and all the good stuff is right there in that book, right?

... Hopefully! But we're here to help make sure you'll take the extra steps, ignore the unnecessary ones, and be skipping in tandem with your players along a beautiful road to glory.

Take-Home Points: The book is just a series of prompts with some of the prep done for you, but don't be afraid to change as much as you want to tailor it to your players' PCs to make the story even better (after all, it's their story, not the book's). Even if you'll never run the whole thing, steal the cool stuff for other games you run!. And, lastly, find the one YOU want to tell, not just the one that looks cool. It'll feel a lot less like prep and stress if you're into the story and you let that come first.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Sneaky Adventure by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4383-sneaky-adventure
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Song: DigEx - Fall In Love [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/FallInLove

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Sara

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 01:01:00 -0300

Good morning, afternoon, and/or evening, and welcome back to another deep dive into the DMs as we continue our Meet the DMs series with an interview of Sara by Christian.

Sara regales her journey in RPGs starting from the amazing 1st Edition D&D game with her grandfather and family, her long and storied history with Pathfinder's Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path, one-shots and her work with the library, and how she fell into and found her GM style through the years.

If you want to see Sara's skills behind the screen, check out our amazing Good Society series, available on this feed as a podcast or up on our YouTube!

If you like these interviews, reach out to us on our social medias or emailing us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com to suggest questions for future interviews!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in this Episode:

Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com

SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia
Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg

Good Society Episode 3 (Finale) - Letters, Ledgers, and Forbidden Pleasures

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 01:17:00 -0300

Thank you for joining us for the final installment of Good Society, the Jane Austen RPG from Storybrewers Roleplaying. In this dramatic finale, horses will race, hearts will break, and fortunes will be on the line.

And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Music in the Episode:

Music: Regency Baroque by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

There is Romance by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4520-there-is-romance
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Christian

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 04:11:00 -0300

Welcome back to Meet the DMs, our interview style series where we sit down with one another and ask the hard-hitting questions, get real deep and introspective and... or just talk about what we love about RPGs and what led us to this wild endeavor we call DMs After Dark!

In this episode, Jess interviews Christian, the elder among the DMs, and he regales us with tales from the beforetimes of RPGs. Joking aside, he shares his humble origins (RIP the 1e Thief), love of comics (leading to Mutants & Masterminds), and his experiences running, playing, and writing for Call of Cthulhu. We learn more about his RPG collection and even his favorite curse word!

Christian is also running our next series, which will be Monte Cook's Invisible Sun. Stay tuned for more of the bizarre psychedelic reality-shaping setting!

If you like these interviews, reach out to us on our social medias or emailing us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com to suggest questions for future interviews!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in this Episode:

Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com

SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia
Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg

State of the DMs 2022

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 04:08:00 -0300

Hello all you listeners of what we've been referring to as the After Dark Army (let us know if you like the term or not), join us for a little look behind the screen of our first 9 months of streaming and podcasting. Christian, Jess, and Rene briefly discuss what we've learned so far, how we're doing our best to improve quality of our episodes both from a roleplaying game experience for you to watch and listen, but also all the technical stuff that goes into livestreaming, audio and video editing, and creating fun, engaging, interactive posts on our social media apps.

We have been loving every bit of playing games and hope that you are enjoying our efforts to put them out there on the interwebs, we would love for you to reach out to us, comment, like, subscribe, donate Jeff Bezos' money to our Twitch streams, tell your friends if you think they might enjoy us, honestly anything you do means the world to us. We're not looking to make money off of this, but we do discuss the potential of a Patreon or monetization of our gaming, which would only go toward improving the quality of our streams, podcast episodes, and equipment. If you think we should consider this, we need to reach more people and get the support to move on those ideas.

Anyway, enjoy the little glimpse into our daydreaming about bigger things, but otherwise just stay tuned for more great games and our silly shenanigans.

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Rene

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 04:04:00 -0300

Hello everyone, a quick little bonus episode for you to kick off this week, something we've been wanting to do since much, much earlier in our existence - an interview-style little blurb where we discuss our journeys as DMs/GMs and all things gaming.

In this first episode Troy sits down with Rene and asks him about what got him into the hobby (and who, because that just happened to be Troy) and what's taken him to where he is, why does he hate 5e so much, and a few little personal details sprinkled in there.

If you like, please consider reaching out to us on our social medias or emailing us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com to suggest questions for future interviews!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in this Episode:

Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com

SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia
Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg

Our God Is Dead One-Shot

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 01:04:00 -0300

Come, all ye faithful, to the annual festival of the turning, a time of goodbyes and new beginnings, when our goddess The Hourglass is sure to renew all in our lives and nothing at all is wrong or anything... Seriously, we've been talking, she's good... She, uh, told me to enjoy the pope corn and pay the tithes and ... bless ... uh oh.

Welcome to another one-shot, this time playing Jordan Palmer & Murder Publishing's Our God Is Dead, a hilarious rules-light game with a built-in 3 act structure sure to go horribly, horribly wrong. We play clerics, priests, otherwise faithfuls of a god who has suddenly gone unresponsive, but we've got to keep the people fooled by putting on the annual ritual like nothing's wrong.

Enjoy, please consider picking up the game, which is also available in the TTRPGs For Trans Rights in Texas Bundle over on itch.io, which is so incredibly worth the $5. Great games, great cause, no reason not to pick it up. There's only a few days left as of this episode going live, so get on it!

The DMs After Dark will actually, seriously, we promise, return to wholesomeness with the finale of Good Society Friday April 8th on our Twitch or catch up over on our YouTube channel.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in this Episode:

Ghost Dance by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3802-ghost-dance
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Song: Dirty Palm - Freakshow (feat. LexBlaze) [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/Freakshow
Watch: http://youtu.be/2jwj9wVx3mg

Modified Rolls - How To Prep & Run One-Shots

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 03:25:00 -0300

On this week's Modified Rolls, the DMs After Dark go over one of their favorite things to do: run one-shots. The less-stressful one-night-stands of RPGs are a great way to dip your toes into the DM's seat, offer up an alternative style game amidst a long-term campaign, or just goof on being ridiculous characters in a no-consequences zone. From running published one-shots from the indie RPG community, writing your own one-shots based on your own ideas, or winging it with one-page or rules-light RPGs you get from bundles that you're buying every other week or so at this point (not pointing any fingers but it's Rene and Christian, they need an intervention), one-shots are a great way to have a laugh, explore new systems or settings within your favorite systems, you name it.

Take a break, give your GM a break, experiment, run a one-shot (but be safe, wrap it up... the story, you know what we mean).

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Neon Laser Horizon by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7015-neon-laser-horizon
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Grid by Over Efficient

Link: https://pixabay.com/music/synthwave-the-grid-8245/

One-Page One-Shot - Grandma Club

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 01:02:00 -0300

Welcome to Pineapple Falls - a nice, relaxing retirement community in sunny Florida, where absolutely nothing ever gets weird or flipped upside down (if you know what we mean). At least, not under the reign of Homeowner's Association President Carol, who's turned this place from its rowdy past to a respectable retreat for senior citizens. However, Carol's recent decisions are rubbing some of the grandmas the wrong way, and you know how those Floridians get when they're worked up - they make some wild headlines.

In this little one-shot we play Third Country Press' one-page RPG Grandma Club, which is supposed to be a relatively innocent game of grandmother's doing what they must to make sure their village wins the best little village award. Unfortunately, the DMs put the After Dark into this one-shot and it go full on "Florida Man." Enjoy our messed up minds as we take on Grandma Club.

Content Warning: Marv's many nieces & nephews, drugging old folks with sexytime medication (again), and I'm sure much, much more.

The DMs After Dark will return to wholesomeness with the finale of Good Society Friday March 25th on our Twitch or catch up over on our YouTube channel.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in this Episode:

Song: Dirty Palm - Freakshow (feat. LexBlaze) [NCS Release]
Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds
Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/Freakshow
Watch: http://youtu.be/2jwj9wVx3mg

Modified Rolls - Play. More. Games. (Please)

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 03:11:00 -0400

On this week's Modified Rolls, the DMs After Dark finally talk about what is, essentially, our mission statement as a gaming group putting things on the interwebz - Why you should PLAY. MORE. GAMES. And by that we mean play different RPG systems. Every new game you play offers an opportunity to experience a new kind of story, to learn other methods of storytelling, understand different resolution mechanics, play characters you can't normally play because of genre-defined roles, you name it! We firmly believe that roleplaying games are way more than just games, they are places to experiment with your worldview, attempt to understand other points of views, experiment with morality and do mental gymnastics to more thoroughly explore ideas and ideals.

So go play some damn games. What games made you realize there's more to games than power fantasy?

Games Mentioned in this Episode: D&D; Pathfinder; Call of Cthulhu, Mutants & Masterminds, Dungeon World, Titansgrave: Ashes of Valkana, Fantasy AGE, Modern AGE, The Expanse RPG, Paranoia, Fiasco, Mistborn Adventure Game, Masks: A New Generation, Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG, Three Raccoons in a Trench Coat, probably a lot more.

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Good Society Episode 2 - Everything’s Coming Up Paul

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 01:14:00 -0400

Good day and salutations, my fine fellow members of Good Society, and welcome to the visitation episode before the grand finale. In this episode, the DMs pay visits (make calls in the parlance of the era) to one another and scheme, sleaze, and schmooze their way deeper into drama as the Harvest Festival ramps up to a climactic finish.

Unfortunately, it will be a month before we finish the story, as Sara is a professional and has a conference to attend. Good Society will conclude on March 25th live on our Twitch and be uploaded to our YouTube and podcast feeds shortly thereafter. Fret not, however! We will be playing a surprise one-shot that (at the moment, no spoilers) may involve some grandmas getting their groove back. Join us next Friday, March 11th for a septuagenarian social extravaganza!

You can find out more about Good Society and other Storybrewers games on their website.

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the Episode:

Sonata 17 by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4392-sonata-17
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

1d6 | 1d4 (New Show!) - Favorite PCs So Far!

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 01:01:00 -0400

Welcome to a new mini-show idea from the mind of our own DM Sara, a short little podcast where [[1d6]] members of the DMs After Dark crew talk about a chosen topic for [[1d4]] minutes each. These episodes will be brief little informal discussions mostly just us chatting about random things in our experiences as fledgling streamers, podcasters, and long-time gamers. Hopefully, if we're any good at what we do, there may be some nuggets of wisdom in there, too!

This first episode of 1d6 | 1d4 was recorded with Sara, Christian, Jess, and Rene, and we discussed some of our favorite characters we've played so far on stream! If you've listened to our actual play episodes or caught them live on Twitch or later on our YouTube, you may be able to guess who chose which of their PCs!

If you like what we're doing, please consider rating us on Apple Podcasts to boost our reach and please don't hesitate to reach out to us on our social medias or email us with ideas for games you want to see us play, topics you'd like us to discuss on Modified Rolls, or even just ways we can improve quality for your enjoyment!

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams every other Friday on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the Episode:

Happy Happy Game Show by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3856-happy-happy-game-show
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Good Society Episode 1 - Frivolity & Foolery

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 01:08:00 -0400

Sirs, Madams, and all other gentlefolk, we are please to have you joining us for another episode of the Jane Austen RPG Good Society. We here at the DMs After Dark are loving the system, the story that is coming together under the expert guidance of our Storyteller Sara, and hope that you'll enjoy listening as the people of our small English village come together to celebrate the harvest. Romance, drama, tension, and a circus are all sure to grab you by your lapels and lace for a wild ride. We are honored to be your very humble servants.

You can find out more about Good Society and other Storybrewers games on their website. I know that Rene plans to run their recently funded Fight With Spirit! sports anime RPG in the future!

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the Episode:

Sonata 17 by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4392-sonata-17
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Modified Rolls - How To Be A Better Player Than Any Of Us

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:22:00 -0400

In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs discuss what makes a good player in an RPG group despite none of us really being qualified if you've listened to any of our Twitch streams. But, as we are all DMs, we do know what we like in players at our tables, so we attempt to offer up some advice to people looking to get into roleplaying games, newer or inexperienced players, or even veterans who may not have thought of what our crazy brains cook up when we start rambling. Key take-away points include leaning into your flaws, biting the hook your DM desperately wants you to follow, and just being a good person and friend to your group. Crazy concepts, really.

As for us DMs, we affectionately split ourselves into Chaos Crew and Team Wholesome, let us know which DMs fit into which group!

Games Mentioned in this Episode: Electric Bastionland

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Newer Wave by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7016-newer-wave
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Good Society | Session 0 & Character Creation

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:56:23 -0400

Good day, sirs and madams, and welcome to the first session of Good Society, the Jane Austen RPG that Sara's been gushing about since, well, since she first encountered it.

We are super excited to dive into the world of Regency-Era England and play through this undoubtedly romantic, dramatic, and (the DMs After Dark guarantee) raucous series of all things proper.

In this episode we go through the very collaborative process of character creation for Good Society, which involves making NPCs tied to your characters that will be played by the other players! Very cool indeed.

You can find out more about Good Society and other Storybrewers games on their website. I know that Rene plans to run their recently funded Fight With Spirit! sports anime RPG in the future!

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the Episode:

Sonata 17 by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4392-sonata-17
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Modified Rolls - Romance in RPGs

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 02:00:00 -0400

Our second Modified Rolls episode of 2022 leading up to (yes, really this time) our Good Society series to start off the year with class and juicy drama is all about Romance! No matter what game you're playing, what genre you enjoy, or what you're into, most games will brush up against some PC / NPC or even PC / PC romantic tension. How do you do this at the table without making it awkward? How do you do it so it's rewarding but not gratuitous or pointless? These are the things we discuss in our episode today.

Have you ever had a romantic storyline for your characters in an RPG? How did it go? Did your DM do anything to make it a valuable part of the story or just let it be a bit of background for your character? Let us know!

Content Warning: Cheesy Pick-Up Lines, Something About Making Wood Grow?, Porn in the Corn

Please rate us on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Eternal Hope by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3716-eternal-hope
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Style Funk by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4428-style-funk
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Rac-CON Save Crew - 3 Raccoons In A Trench Coat One-Shot

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Hello and sorry for the delay on the podcast, we hired out some freelancers to edit the episode and they sent the following excuse via handwritten message on a discarded fast food burger wrapper:

"Peeplz, we ragert to anform u dat 3 raccoonz in tranchcote be late in getting posted today on pudcast for u laufs. Is due to peeplz beeing bzy and totlly not becaz we is 3 racoonz in Tranchcote. We iz a people, Promiz."

We will not be going through their agency again.

Change of plans! As winter brings colds and some other not-to-be-mentioned disease, some of the DMs After Dark crew fell victim to sickness and we were forced to postpone our first session in our Good Society series, but fear not, for we have one-shots galore for your entertainment!

The DMs went into their hard drives and pulled out of the glorious trash the wonderful rules-lite RPG Three Raccoons in a Trench Coat by Z Gosck at Octopus Apocalypse games (pay what you want and get it here)! It's everything you're already thinking it is and every bit as fun and ridiculous. Just hit play and enjoy the chaos!

Special thanks to our guest Eileen who was brave enough to join in on these shenanigans despite being asked to join our Good Society game (which she hopefully still will if we didn't scare her off)!

Content Warnings: Baculum (Baculi?), Wanton use of erection medication on humans and small mammals

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the Episode:

Spy Glass by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4410-spy-glass
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Amazing Plan by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3358-amazing-plan
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Bonus - 2022 Resolutions & Random Thoughts

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 02:22:00 -0400

For our first stream of 2022, we decided to hop on and just chat about the first few months of DMs After Dark as a group, turning our hobby into a stream, and, technically, celebrating our one-year anniversary of gaming together in one way or another.

We briefly discuss our goals for 2022, as well as talk about our favorite moments thus far, games we're looking forward to running soon, and ways we can embarrass ourselves for your continued support.

Just a simple bonus episode before we dive into our next games.

Clarification - Multiple times in this talk we mention Good Society coming up as our next game, but sickness is spreading among us DMs, and we're going to be putting it off until our GM Sara and others feel better. If you'd like to watch us play a goofy one-shot the night this episode airs, please tune into our Twitch and watch us have a blast playing something silly!

As always, come hang out and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.

Music in the episode:

Auld Lang Syne (Rock Version) by Belvedere Sound

Modified Rolls - Gender in RPGs

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 03:15:00 -0400

In the first Modified Rolls episode of 2022, we talk about gender as it's represented in RPGs! This is NOT a deep dive into the mistakes that have been made over the decades, but rather a discussion about strides that have been made in RPG game design lately and our opinions on why we like playing genders not our own.

When you make characters, do you prefer playing the gender you identify as, another gender, or change it up regularly? Let us know!

Content Warning: Rene after a few Margaritas, Shattering the Patriarchy, Balls & Boobies.

Please follow us and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

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Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Tango de Manzana by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4460-tango-de-manzana
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

‘Twas Christmas One-Shot

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 03:09:00 -0400

Happy Holidays and to a happy new year!

Jess's first time running a game for the DMs is our 2021 holiday one-shot and our last stream of the year. The game is 'Twas - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas and our player DMs assume the roles of toys tasked with saving Christmas from something threatening to take over Santa's operation! Will the toys be able to stop this powerful figure? Will they get consent before roasting chestnuts in a nutcracker's mouth? Listen and find out!

What's your favorite take on a Christmas or holiday-themed game / session / experience? Reach out to us and share your stories!

Content Warning: Famous Actor Sequin Blankets, Canadian Accents, Nuts in Mouths

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

The Snow Queen by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4511-the-snow-queen
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We Wish you a Merry Christmas by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4612-we-wish-you-a-merry-christmas
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Modified Rolls - Running Games For Younger Players

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Hello and happy holidays to all of you out in podcast land! The DMs are back with a short one this week discussing how to approach running games when your players are a bit younger than your average group. We discuss session length, different dice systems, learning moments, reinforcing good behavior, and, as always, give recommendations for good RPGs aimed at younger players.

Have you ever played with younger players? What's your best advice, story, or lesson learned?

Please follow us and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Avatar Legends: Session 2 - The Fight for the Earthen Fire Refinery

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Avatar Aang and friends have come together to end the Hundred Year War and stop Fire Lord Ozai's campaign to impose Fire Nation rule on the Four Nations. With the Air Nomads effectively wiped out, Avatar Aang and crew decide to build a new place in the world where all are welcome to cooperate and work toward a future where everyone comes together for a greater cause. They choose the coastal village of Cranefish Town on the western shores of the Earth Kingdom to eventually become what will be known as Republic City.

In the third and final episode of our Avatar: Legends mini-series, the group heads to the Earthen Fire Refinery to stop the Badgermole Mafia from taking over from the secret tunnels. Once there, they realize they're too late. Can our heroes find a way to stop Don Moshan and save the refinery? Or will they make more dick jokes and take over the mafia?

Content Warning: Ai's Girthquake, Blinds

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Temple of the Manes by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4468-temple-of-the-manes
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The DMs After Dark Holiday RPG Buying Guide

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 02:19:00 -0400

Just in time for that wonderful time of year where you're worrying about what to get who and what you're going to do with the gifts you'll undoubtedly never use, we've got some recommendations for games that may be what you're looking to play in 2022!

Christian, Rene, and Sara gush over their favorite games within multiple genres, available and upcoming, to get you hyped up for some new tabletop roleplaying games to line your shelves.

Tell us some games you're looking forward to playing or games you'd like to watch us play!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Holiday Weasel by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5517-holiday-weasel
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Avatar: Legends - Session 1: Corruption in Cranefish Town

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 01:01:00 -0400

Air. Water. Earth. Fire.

In the second episode of our Avatar: Legends mini-series, the group figures out what to do next after being brought together in a shared knowledge of corruption in Cranefish Town. The Badgermole Mafia has set up smuggling tunnels under the burgeoning city and is working with at least one city official to do their dirty work unpunished. Can our heroes find a way to prevent the city from falling into the wrong hands? Or will they make dick jokes and drink cabbage spiced lattes? Probably the latter...

Content Warning: Ai's Small Weiner, Exotic Animal Hybrid Trade, Cocaine?!

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Temple of the Manes by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4468-temple-of-the-manes
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Modified Rolls - Running Games With Canon

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 02:22:00 -0400

In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs discuss their ideas and approaches to running games in popular fictional worlds with established lore. From Disney, Pokemon, Avatar, and Conan to middle age book series and, technically, even Dungeons & Dragons itself, the DMs break down ways to make sure your games don't feel like second rate stories in beloved worlds.

Have you ever played or run a game in an established universe? How was your experience and how far from the source material did you stray? Let us know!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com

Music in the episode:

Vivacity by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Nowhere Land by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4148-nowhere-land
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Avatar: Legends - Session 0 & Character Creation

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 21:14:36 -0400

Air. Water. Earth. Fire.

In our first episode of our short Avatar: Legends series, Rene runs the DMs through Character Creation and we work together to come up with some ideas about what kind of story we want to tell in the world of Avatar. A crew comes together, though not all for the same reasons, and discovers a menacing secret threatening the very foundation of Republic City. Will they be able to bring balance to the city, or will they wind up on the wrong side of some dangerous people?

Content Warning: Mafia stereotyping, Swamp Ass, A War in Ba Sing Se?

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Temple of the Manes by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4468-temple-of-the-manes
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Kids on Bikes Halloween-ish One-Shot

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0300

The last in our October spooky horror & (not-so-horrific) Halloween one-shot series here at DMs After Dark sees the DMs playing Renegade Game Studios' Kids on Bikes, a nostalgic tabletop RPG where the players assume the roles of kids, teens, and adults in small towns experiencing strange happenings. Reminiscent of 80s movies like The Goonies, the 90s' Hocus Pocus, and, more recently, series like Stranger Things, Kids on Bikes really does a lot to nail the genre in a rules-light, fun game.

This session takes place in the fictional New England town of Monadnock, New Hampshire, and pulls together teens (and an awkward little brother) from different circles together to stop a long-forgotten ritual rekindled when the mayor reads off rediscovered, very old town documents.

Content Warning: Violence to children, kidnapping, bullying, evil plants?, human sacrifice, and lots (and lots) of dick jokes.

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Newer Wave by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7016-newer-wave
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Neon Laser Horizon by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7015-neon-laser-horizon
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Bluebeard‘s Breakdown Bonus

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:05:00 -0300

The DMs (& Deb!) discuss their experience playing Bluebeard's Bride and cope with the incredible tone and terror set upon them by Amber! I don't think any of the players slept much after this episode, and it's a testament to how well written and designed this game is. Hopefully you enjoy our suffering and can take something away for your own game of Bluebeard's! Stay disloyal, DMs.

Please consider following us to catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

And give us a like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Music in the episode:

Come Play with Me by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3526-come-play-with-me
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Bluebeard‘s Bride One-Shot

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:02:00 -0300

Continuing our horror-themed October one-shot series, DM Amber runs the group through the feminine horror game Bluebeard's Bride by Whitney “Strix” Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, and Sarah Richardson published by Magpie Games. The group (and our first special guest appearance from friend of the show Deb) play the various aspects of one person - Bluebeard's Bride, a simple woman newly wed to the mysterious, powerful man. Join us as we explore his manor and uncover secrets about Bluebeard and the bride herself.

Content Warning - This episode is very open about many themes and subjects that can be considered upsetting or difficult including violence, potential violence to children, domestic abuse, mutilation, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, mental illness, sexual assault, rape, miscarriage, abortion, animal abuse, and body horror. Please be safe and listen at your own discretion.

Please consider following us to catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube.

And give us a like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Music in the episode:

Unease by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4562-unease
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Piece for Disaffected Piano Two by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4215-piece-for-disaffected-piano-two
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Industrial Music Box by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3910-industrial-music-box
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Modified Rolls - How to Run Mystery

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 00:01:00 -0300

In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs discuss how to make those tricky mysteries that pop up in games work! We talk about how mysteries can be implemented into whatever genre you like to run, how to avoid leading your characters on a set of rails, flexing your improv muscles, and, as always, share our favorite games for running mystery series. Sara even pitches an amazing idea for a new game!

Have you had any experiences solving epic mysteries in your roleplaying games? Tell us about it and how your characters cracked open the case.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Mysterioso March by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4106-mysterioso-march
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Mothership - DM Debrief

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:03:00 -0300

In this quick little bonus episode, Christian gives us a behind-the-screen look at how he approached his scenario for our Mothership one-shot. He discusses his take on the system, his inspirations, and hopefully gives advice you can use if you want to run Mothership in the future!

Find out more about Mothership and their upcoming Kickstarter here.

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3805-ghost-story
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Mothership One-Shot

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:02:00 -0300

The first in our October spooky horror & Halloween themed one-shots, Christian runs us through a scenario of Tuesday Knight Games' space horror survival RPG Mothership. Follow the crew as they investigate an unresponsive research vessel out in the reaches of space and visit a solar system orbiting a red giant that may have once held life...

Find out more about Mothership and their upcoming Kickstarter here.

As always, follow us and catch our live streams at https://twitch.tv/DMsAfterDark or catch up on our YouTube

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Ghost Story by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3805-ghost-story
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Shadows of Esteren - Bonus Crew Review

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:01:00 -0300

A quick (and, admittedly overdue) chat about our experience with our first ever DMs After Dark series with Shadows of Esteren! The DMs talk about what they liked about the system, how the game captures the setting and themes of the world of Esteren, and look forward to more in the future.

Shadows of Esteren is a Celtic horror RPG published by Studio Agate, learn more and try it for yourself, let us know how it goes!

Join us every other Friday on Twitch where we'll be playing through our collection of RPGs in short series or one-shots.

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Music in the episode:

Melwan from Adeliane; Composed by François Rousselot. Lyrics : Benjamin Torval
Performed by Clarisse May and the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra.; Available at https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/adeliane

Modified Rolls - How to Run Horror Games

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0300

In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs discuss how to approach running horror games at the table. We talk about how using language is key in the horror genre, how to strike fear into the hearts of your players, and the mechanics that make horror games work so well. Amber, Christian, and for the first time, Troy all weigh in with their experience, while Jess, Sara, and Rene frantically take notes and learn. Rene, specifically, exhibits his innocent cluelessness about everything horror.

Do you have a favorite horror RPG? Tell us about it and share your stories with us in the comments and on our social media!

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Music in the episode:

Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Shadows of Esteren - Session 2: Into the Chasm

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:45:07 -0300

The third and final episode in our Shadows of Esteren Twitch actual play series involves our Esteren adventurers descending into the caverns beneath Carmine Chasm, a blood red, moss-covered crevasse from where nothing good ever comes. The injured expedition guide for the missing crew provides more moral quandaries for the group, and things are never what they seem. Will our heroes find the missing crew? Will they live to make it out of the Chasm? Join us and find out!

Shadows of Esteren is a Celtic horror RPG published by Studio Agate, learn more and try it for yourself, let us know how it goes!

Join us every other Friday on Twitch where we'll be playing through our collection of RPGs in short series or one-shots.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Fog from Adeliane; Composed by François Rousselot. Lyrics : Benjamin Torval
Performed by Clarisse May and the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra.; Available at https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/adeliane

Shadows of Esteren - Session 1: The Magience Job

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0300

The second episode in our Shadows of Esteren Twitch actual play series sees the group of adventurers coming together to investigate a missing expedition crew sent off by the College of Magience to investigate the blood red canyon that is The Carmine Chasm. What will our crew find in this mysterious location, and will any of them live to tell the tale?

Shadows of Esteren is a Celtic horror RPG published by Studio Agate, learn more and try it for yourself, let us know how it goes!

Join us every other Friday on Twitch where we'll be playing through our collection of RPGs in short series or one-shots.

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

One Thin Hope from Dearg; Composed by Jure Peternel, arranged by François Rousselot; Performed by the Budpapest Symphonic Orhestra; Available at https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/dearg

Mourning from Dearg; Composed by Jure Peternel, arranged by François Rousselot; Performed by the Budpapest Symphonic Orhestra; Available at https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/dearg

Modified Rolls - Character Death

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:20:00 -0300

In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs discuss what to do when a player character meets their demise. We share stories from our tables, examples of how different games approach character death, and offer alternative consequences that may be (and often are) more interesting and narratively rewarding for the game.

Have any stories about epic PC deaths, sad stories about character loss, or similar? Message us on social media and let's chat about it!

Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Music in the episode:

Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Shadows of Esteren - Character Creation

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 09:00:00 -0300

In the first episode of our Shadows of Esteren actual play streaming series, we go through a Session 0 and create our characters together. If you're curious about Shadows of Esteren as a system, we go in depth about the world, lore, and roles within the game as we create the party we'll be taking through Troy's adventure!

Music Used:

Mòr Forsair from Of Men and Obscurities; Composed and arranged by Delphine Bois. Production : Benjamin Torval; Available at: https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/of-men-and-obscurities

Down the River from Adeliane; Composed by François Rousselot. Lyrics : Benjamin Torval; Performed by Clarisse May and the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra. Available at: https://esteren.bandcamp.com/album/adeliane

Modified Rolls - How To Run A Session 0

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 13:55:40 -0300

Welcome to the first episode of our brand new podcast series we're calling Modified Rolls, where the DMs discuss common design elements throughout tabletop roleplaying games. We compare and contrast how different game systems approach these topics, give advice on how and when to use certain tools, and share our experiences using them in our own games.

Our first episode is about how we approach a Session 0 to set up a satisfying campaign for our players. We define what a Session 0 is, give advice for GMs and players as they go into their own session 0s, share our favorite games' approaches to session 0s, and highlight safety tools to make sure everyone at the table is going to have a great time.

Now get out there and have a Session 0, tell us how it goes!

Music in the episode:

Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license