Start A Quest! | Podcast in RSS.com

Start A Quest!

di Matthew Perkins & Sidney Icarus

Stagione 1

Quantum ogres? Meet the quantum SECRET

In this episode, we have a genuine argument about whether Dumbledore is actually gay. Because if a character's secret isn't revealed, was it ever true? Or is it a kind of quantum secret? But I promise this is still about TTRPGs. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YvDIP_YankY And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Dogs in the Vineyard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_the_Vineyard 2. Playing to life https://www.nordiclarp.org/2018/02/21/play-lift-not-just-lose/ 3. Alien TTRPG https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/ 4. Dumbledore is gay announcement https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/jk-rowling-says-dumbledore-is-gay-idUSN20520040/

Missed a session? Your GM should send you a love letter

What do you do when a player misses a session? We talk session zero, love letters from Apocalypse World, and how Blades in the Dark solves RPG scheduling by rethinking the adventuring party. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5h4ChTl0gN4 And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Love Letters PbtA https://community.openlegendrpg.com/t/gm-tech-love-letters-informing-absent-players/1921 2. Old School Essentials https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Main_Page 3. Blades in the Dark https://bladesinthedark.com/greetings-scoundrel 4. Band of Blades https://evilhat.com/product/band-of-blades/ 5. Stonetop https://plusoneexp.com/collections/stonetop

Rory's Story Cubes are better than any random table

Rory Story Cubes are more than random tables — they’re RPG tools for asking better questions, building character backstory, and creating shared fiction in session zero. This episode is about better GM prep, better DM tools, and how fiction-first prompts can make your D&D and TTRPG games stronger. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gjbxeRG_7oY And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Rory Story Cubes https://www.storycubes.com/en/ 2. Blades in the Dark https://bladesinthedark.com/greetings-scoundrel 3. John Harper’s article about The Line https://mightyatom.blogspot.com/2010/10/apocalypse-world-crossing-line.html?m=1 4. Dixit https://www.libellud.com/en/our-games/dixit/ 5. The digital tools episode https://youtu.be/3FlPfMzNX60 6. Monster of the Week https://evilhat.com/product/monster-of-the-week/ 7. Mothership https://www.tuesdayknightgames.com/pages/mothership-rpg 8. Tim Denee's blog post about low gear and high gear mechanics https://blog.olddog.games/posts/gears-of-system-gears-of-lore 9. Decaying Orbit https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/decaying-orbit/?v=8bcc25c96aa5

Leveling up is great, but it can be BETTER.

What does levelling up actually mean in D&D? Let’s talk XP, classes, fictional weight, Skyrim crabs, Warhammer careers, and how to make character progression feel better at the table. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6NcsGTfbyic And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Monte Cook / Ivory Tower Game Design https://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=13812.0 2. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay https://writeups.letsyouandhimfight.com/night10194/warhammer-fantasy-roleplay-1st-edition/ 3. Apocalypse World http://apocalypse-world.com/ 4. Blades in the Dark https://bladesinthedark.com 5. Through the Breach https://www.wyrd-games.net/through-the-breach 6. Malifaux https://www.wyrd-games.net/malifaux-fourth-edition 7. Zombie World https://magpiegames.com/collections/zombie-world

Why was the D20 invented?

Dice aren’t just about luck—they’re about uncertainty. In this episode of the Start a Quest podcast, we explore why the d20 exists, why the humble d6 still shines, and how weird or custom dice can transform your tabletop RPG. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2B6GleNlrUc And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Chainmail https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chainmail_(game) 2. Psi*Run https://lumpley.itch.io/psirun 3. 13th Age https://pelgranepress.com/13th-age/ 4. Dungeon Crawl Classics https://goodman-games.com/dungeon-crawl-classics-rpg/ 5. How to play Scattergories https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/play-scattergories/ 6. Guile’s theme https://youtu.be/Z4G9MU4wvTo?si=szcXqG2TjVq-ynUP&t=26 7. Mouse Guard https://www.mouseguard.net/rpg 8. Robert Worldert Buildert (Mr. Worldwide) @BobWorldBuilder 9. Genesys https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/genesys/ 10. Fate Core https://evilhat.com/product/fate-core-system/

Some game's tools STOP you from actually playing.

Are digital tools making your Dungeons & Dragons game better… or worse? We're looking at Foundry VTT, D&D Beyond, and smaller tools for specific TTRPGs, What's the REAL difference between a digital tool and an analog tool? Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3FlPfMzNX60 And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Foundry VTT https://foundryvtt.com/ 2. Slay the Spire: The Board Game (I promise it's good!) https://contentiongames.com/games/slay/ 3. Alice Is Missing special timer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysOOFIOAy7A&list=RDysOOFIOAy7A&start_radio=1 4. D&D First Quest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Quest 5. D&D Beyond's development roadmap https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/2132-d-d-beyonds-2026-development-roadmap 6. Bob World Builder's Fire Bolt skit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtAo9uA90Ts 7. Mythic Game Master Emulator https://www.wordmillgames.com/page/mythic-gme.html 8. Genesys Roleplaying System's dice roller https://dddice.com/genesys-dice-roller 9. Shadowdark torch tool https://torchlighttimer.com/ 10. Cards Against Humanity https://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/ 11. Snake Oil https://www.snakeoilgame.com/

D&D spell cards should be more like UNO

We break down TTRPG card mechanics through real examples. From Daggerheart and Zombie World to UNO and Index Card RPG. But why do most D&D spell cards miss the point? Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u3OA0dOsYog And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Matt's spell cards https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/173582/d-d-5th-edition-spell-cards 2. UNO Draw 4 https://www.unorules.com/http://unorules.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Uno-Action-Cards.jpg 3. Rock Paper Wizard https://www.unorules.com/http://unorules.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Uno-Action-Cards.jpg 4. Zombie World https://magpiegames.com/collections/zombie-world 5. Curse of Strahd https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/cos 6. Through the Breach https://www.wyrd-games.net/through-the-breach 7. Daggerheart https://www.daggerheart.com/ 8. Index Card RPG https://www.runehammer.online/index-card-rpg 9. Decaying Orbit (Sidney's Game) https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/decaying-orbit/?v=8bcc25c96aa5

Which RPG has the BEST chase rules?

Why do most RPG chase scenes feel tedious? Because they focus on speed and distance instead of obstacles. In this episode we break down the difference between a chase and a chase scene, and why every great chase needs a swan. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oD4YYSzkD0c And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Hot Fuzz chase scene https://youtu.be/cKt4YhasfBI?si=u-AF_OGk-zji8K5T&t=427 2. Dogs in the Bark TTRPG https://www.olddog.games/Dogs-in-the-Bark 3. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4E https://cubicle7games.com/our-games/warhammer-fantasy-roleplay 4. Blade Runner TTRPG https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/blade-runner-rpg/ 5. Alien TTRPG https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/ 6. Band of Blades https://evilhat.com/product/band-of-blades/

Fair combat does not exist in D&D

Is D&D combat ever fair? We break down what “fair combat” actually means, how Dungeon Masters decide what monsters do on their turn, and why contest, challenge, and narrative lead to very different encounters. If you’ve ever wondered how monsters should behave in combat, this episode is for you. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v9aPDlvKVfk And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Kingdom Death https://kingdomdeath.com/ 2. The Monsters Know What They’re Doing by Keith Ammann https://www.themonstersknow.com/ 3. StarCraft (there's a wargame now!?) https://starcraft-tmg.com/ 4. Grimwilds TTRPG by Oddity Press https://linktr.ee/odditypress 5. Kayfabe in wrestling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayfabe 6. Gloomhaven https://cephalofair.com/pages/gloomhaven 7. Gates of Krtstallia JTTRPG https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gatesofkrystalia-rpg/gates-of-krystalia-lumina-the-card-based-anime-ttjrpg?ref=profile_created&category_id=34

Why doesn't D&D have a timer?

Compared to other TTRPGs, like Blades in the Dark, Shadowdark, or 13th Age, D&D does not have an integrated timer mechanic. Why not? This podcast discusses how it could be implemented. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n6zOtD4c0lc And sign up for the newsletter: https://www.start-a-quest.com ▼▼ SOURCES MENTIONED ▼▼ 1. Dungeon World https://www.dungeon-world.com/ 2. 13th Age https://pelgranepress.com/13th-age/ 3. The beep test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test 4. Universal Paperclips https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/ 5. Blades in the Dark https://bladesinthedark.com/progress-clocks 6. Shadowdark https://www.thearcanelibrary.com 7. Index Card RPG https://www.runehammer.online/index-card-rpg

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