
Ryan - The Curmudgeon
Co-Host of On A Roll
Ryan Faricelli is often found speaking on social media, crisis communications, public relations, gaming and all manner of film. He has lived in Los Angeles, Chicago and Chattanooga, and is currently a public relations specialist for a billion dollar healthcare corporation. He attended film school at Columbia College in Chicago, was creator and host of the film-centered radio show and podcast Lights Camera Cleveland, is co-founder of the Cleveland Geekster toy and comic show and wrote the book upon which this podcast is based: "On A Roll: Level Up Your RPG".
Ryan began role-playing with the Marvel Superheroes tabletop game in 1989. In college he was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons, the West End Games’ Star Wars, Last Unicorn Games’ Star Trek and World of Darkness.
In 2001, Ryan played his first LARP, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, in One World By Night. He served as a Tribal Narrator for several years and eventually founded and acted as Head Storyteller for a Vampire: the Masquerade game 2003 and in 2004 became Head Storyteller of one of the largest Werewolf games in the org.
Along with several others, Ryan was one of the founders of The Garou Nation in 2005, and served as Tribal Narrator for various tribes from 2005 until 2011. Ryan also served as the developer and final author of TGN’s entire system of Bylaws and Administration Policies until he left the organization in 2011.
Ryan was the Communications Director for the LARP organization Underground Theater for four years and currently helps run Adventurers Not Wanted (a D&D-style game where players play Level 0 townsfolk). Ryan is currently working on an original tabletop RPG called “The Gun Belt.”
Ryan - The Curmudgeon has hosted 101 Episodes.
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Episode 237: Problem DMs
Episode | November 14th, 2019 | Season 2 | 59 mins 26 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
The Curmudgeon and the Legend have talked a lot about problem players, but this week they have a conversation about what happens when the game runner is the problem. Carie and Ryan do a deep dive into how gamers can address and prevent problem DMs!
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Episode 236: What the Heck is MUSH?
Episode | October 17th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 12 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
This week, the Curmudgeon and the Legend hang out with Sarah to do a deep dive into what the heck MUSHing is. Carie, Sarah and Ryan discuss the hobby, how it works and what makes it the same and different from other kinds of roleplaying games!
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Episode 235: Ten Things That Will Make Your Character Better
Episode | October 11th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 5 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
Continuing the Ten Things lists, this week the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend talk about better characters. Carie, Jason and Ryan assemble a list of the Ten Things That Will Make Your Character Better!
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Episode 234: Ten Things to Make Your Setting Better
Episode | October 3rd, 2019 | Season 2 | 58 mins 21 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
This week, the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend investigate some basic approaches to making the setting where your game takes place even better. Carie, Jason and Ryan gleen their experiences to compile a list of ten simple things anyone running a game can do right now to improve locations in their game and help everyone have more fun!
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Episode 233: Don't Run This, But If You Must...
Episode | September 26th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 6 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, safety, sexual assault, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
There's a lot of talk about offensive topics in games right now, so the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend examine sexual assault, child abuse, pregnancy, miscarriage and abortion in gaming. Carie, Jason and Ryan discuss alternative stories that storytellers can run that can evoke the same kinds of emotional responses from players without creating threatening, unsafe or uncomfortable games!
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Episode 232: That New Consent Checklist
Episode | September 19th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 11 mins
characters, consent, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, safety, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
Monte Cook Games published a Consent Checklist book this week, so the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend gave it a read. Carie, Jason and Ryan discuss what's in the document, as well as their thoughts on it as a tool for gaming! They even look at some of the reactions folks are having to it.
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Episode 231: Trolling the Waters
Episode | September 12th, 2019 | Season 2 | 54 mins 20 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
With the Favorite off for the week, the Curmudgeon and the Legend examine the six gaming topics most likely to cause troll-ignited dumpster fires. Carie, not-Jason and Ryan talk blackface at larp, professional DMing, the Mercer effect and more!
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Episode 230: The Eight Fun Languages
Episode | August 22nd, 2019 | Season 2 | 58 mins 15 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
A group of scholars determined that there are eight types of fun in games. The Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend explore these "fun languages." After learning about them, Carie, Jason and Ryan examine how players and game runners can use them to make their games more fun!
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Episode 229: Help! I'm a new player!
Episode | August 15th, 2019 | Season 2 | 59 mins 44 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
After hearing from a friend who played their first D&D game ever recently, the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend decided to talk about what new players should think about as they join a game. Carie, Jason and Ryan deep dive into the things new players should do to help make their first game even more fun!
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Episode 228: Ten Things To Make Your Game Better
Episode | August 9th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 4 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
This week, the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend investigate some basic approaches to making your game better. Carie, Jason and Ryan gleen their experiences to compile a list of ten simple things anyone running a game can do right now to improve their group and help everyone have more fun!
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Episode 227: Maury Brown on New World Magischola
Episode | August 2nd, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 19 mins
characters, college of wizardry, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, harry potter, larp, magimundi, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
Maury Brown joins the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend this week to talk about the massively successful New World Magischola larp and the new Magimundi Bestiary currently on Kickstarter. Carie, Jason and Ryan talk about bisonatees, changing the world through larping, whimsical cryptids, destination larp organization and how "transmedia" doesn't really mean anything!
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Episode 226: Dice Dice Baby!
Episode | July 25th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 8 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
Why do people love dice? Gamers have to have all the dice they can get, so the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend spend some time with Lucia Versprille of Monstrous Incantations to talk about the little plastic buggers. In the process, Carie, Jason and Ryan learn all about the artisinal crafting and techniques of making your own dice by hand!
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Episode 225: RPG Omnibus
Episode | July 18th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 1 min
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
It's a round robin extravaganza this week, as the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend tackle a ton of topics in rapid succession. Carie, Jason and Ryan plow through the first On A Roll RPG Omnibus!
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Episode 224: Ethics in Gaming
Episode | July 11th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 3 mins
characters, dungeons and dragons, ethics, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
The Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend tackle the difficult but important topic of ethics in gaming this week. Carie, Jason and Ryan try to figure out just what ethics are and how they affect gaming communities, as well as what gamers can do to help improve things!
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Episode 223: Anatomy of a Power Gamer
Episode | July 3rd, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 5 secs
characters, dungeons and dragons, experience points, game design, games, geeks, larp, mush, pathfinder, player, podcast, power gamers, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
Inspired by something said in an interview on last week's show, the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend do a deep dive into power gaming. Carie, Jason and Ryan look at the reasons power gamers exist, how they affect your game and whether or not they are good or bad!
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Episode 222: Live From Goat Larp
Episode | June 27th, 2019 | Season 2 | 1 hr 28 mins
characters, game design, games, geeks, goat larp, larp, mush, pathfinder, podcast, roleplaying, rpg, tabletop, world of darkness, xp
The Favorite shares his experiences from Goat Larp with the Curmudgeon and the Legend. Was it everything you'd expect from a larp for goats!?! Jason also talks with attendees and the creators of Goat Larp recorded live on location in the middle of the field!