Panda's Talking Games

Show us how you make a good plot! Phil and Senda sit down with an email about nerves setting up a new plot, and dive in on some advice to hopefully help.

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Things are getting a little wild around here — so it’s back to a chit chat for us! If you’re new here, that means we drop our normal show format of answering listener questions to have a quick chat …

Show us how you do a one on one session zero for a campaign! No really! We haven’t done one before! Senda was in Buffalo, so we did one in person — here’s our debrief.

If you are interested in v…

Show us how you approach a one on one GM-ful game! Well, really, let us chat since we weren’t sure we were going to get to record this week at all (Senda’s been down with an awful cold all week). So…

Show us how you set up family dynamics in your game! Phil and Senda talk family dynamics and specific safety conversations you might want to have when setting up PCs who are all related. Also: you m…

Show us how you design non combat conflict for your campaign! Phil and Senda talk non combat conflict. A quick heads up: there will NOT be an episode on Monday, 11/8. We’ll return to our regularly s…

Show us how you manage changes in your campaign and game tone! Senda and Phil talk managing big changes and how they can effect your tone, and taking time to stop and talk to the table to keep thing…

Things got away from us this week — so we’re back with a chit chat! Phil and Senda talk what’s giving them life in gaming, and what’s giving them life outside of gaming (more briefly). Spoilers: Sen…

Show us how you pick a game to run when nothing feels quite right! Also, where do you want to grab dinner…? Phil and Senda tackle these two topics in tandem using hunger as a metaphor for wanting to…

Show us how you stay engaged with a solo RPG! Senda and Phil talk solo RPGs, excitement, engagement, and identifying ways to keep the interest going.

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Show us how (or if) you debrief your campaigns! Phil and Senda talk campaign debriefs and ways to approach them.

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Show us how you handle pacing as a player! Phil and Senda sit down to chat about the companion topic to 250, the one that people don’t address very much — that everyone contributes to pacing! So how…

Show us how you pace your story as a GM — in one shots and campaigns! That’s right, for our 250th episode we revisit our classic format of one shots vs. campaigns to talk about pacing from the GM’s …

Show us how you manage genre hopping all in one game! Phil and Senda sit down to talk about the specific needs of games that hop genres and which ones would make it the easiest to pull off.

Bamb…

Show us your favorite GMless story game! Phil and Senda talk GMless, collaborative story games — some of our favorites, why and when they’re great, and tips on how to approach playing them.

Bamb…

Show us how you determine if your game is bumming you out instead of pumping you up! Phil and Senda talk some of the reasons your game might not feel fun anymore and some ideas for managing those pr…

Show us how you use NPC relationships — without stressing them! Phil and Senda talk through some ideas about embedding NPCs without making them pressure points for the PCs.

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Show us how you “decrunchify” a mechanics heavy game — ie how to shift the balance to encourage more role play in conjunction with the heavier mechanics.

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Show us your favorite zero prep games to run! Phil and Senda talk games that are written to be low prep, and how to make a game that you like work as a no prep game by (spoilers) prepping it.

Ba…

Show us how you manage your notes, as a player or as a GM! Phil and Senda talk about note taking, when we take notes, and how and with what, as well as what we think are some of the most effective m…