It's the first episode of season two! Since it's the beginning of our new season, the Favorite, the Curmudgeon and the Legend talk about endings. Carie, Jason and Ryan explore the reasons and requirements for ending a story and the benefits and drawbacks of doing so!

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Links:

• reelfunstudios - Twitch — Watch the Legend draw on her new Twitch channel!
• The Gun Belt - Home — Learn more about the role-playing game that Ryan is developing, The Gun Belt!

There's a lot of talk about experience points lately, so the Favorite asks the Curmudgeon and the Legend what the point of XP is. Carie, Jason and Ryan discuss the problems and benefits of XP, why we have it and why it's such a contentious topic on our final episode of season one!

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Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Get free stuff AND help keep this podcast alive!

Epik Comic Show happened recently, and the Curmudgeon and the Legend sat down with Marvel comic's writer Donny Cates. Carie and Ryan find out Donny's story and how he became a comic book author, and then get his take on how to tell a great story!

Special Guest: Donny Cates.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Amazon.com: Donny Cates — Find God Country and other great comics written by Donny Cates.
• EPIK COMIC SHOW - Chattanooga, TN Comic Convention — Epik Comic Show is a Chattanooga comic book convention.
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you like the show and want free stuff, consider becoming a patron and help us stay on the air!

Hanging out at PostApocalypticon at Dicehead Games and Comics, the Curmudgeon and the Legend sat down with game designer Jamie Chambers to talk about his new 5th Ed adventure, A Delve in the Cave. Ryan and Carie also talk with Jamie about his early online role with TSR and his experience writing licensed gaming products.

Special Guest: Jamie Chambers.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Fun For Liz — Help Jamie and his family as they tackle Liz's returning cancer. Find his blog about it, as well as a store where you buy things to help support them during this time.
• Signal Fire Studios LLC – Games, Books, T-shirts! — Jamie's website where you can learn more about A Delve in the Cave and his other work!
• Signal Fire Studios on DriveThruRPG.com — Find much of Jamie's work on DriveThruRPG!
• On A Roll Podcast is creating RPG Gaming Podcasts | Patreon — Get free swag and shout outs on the podcast by helping to support On A Roll through Patreon!

While at HLG Con, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite had the opportunity to hang out with Chris Spivey, the multiple Gold Ennie-winning designer of Harlem Unbound. Ryan, Carie and Jason talk with Chris about diversity in gaming and designing a role-playing game that tackles difficult and important topics.

Special Guest: Chris Spivey.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Darker Hue Studios on Patreon — If you like what Chris is doing, consider supporting him by becoming a backer on Patreon!
• Harlem Unbound — Buy your copy of Harlem Unbound here, before they sell out!
• Darker Hue Studios — Chris' game company, Darker Hue Studios, is creating a more inclusive world of geekdom one game at a time!
• Chaosium Inc. — Chaosium publishes Call of Cthulhu and will be publishing Harlem Unbound 2nd Edition, too!

Having played Die Laughing at HLG Con, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite invite indie game designer Craig Campbell back to the show to talk about the game. Ryan, Carie and Jason then spend time with Craig diving into the world of indie game development and the Kickstarter process.

Special Guest: Craig Campbell.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Die Laughing RPG by Craig Campbell — Kickstarter — Support Craig's great game Die Laughing on Kickstarter now!
• DriveThruRPG.com - NerdBurger Games — Capers can be found on DriveThruRPG, as well as Murders and Acquisitions!
• NerdBurger Games — Follow Craig and his blog on the Nerdburger Games website!
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep On A Roll on the air, and earn some free stuff, too!

Driving across the United States to Atlantic City for HLG Con was tiring, so the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite made it their mission to have as much fun there as they could. Ryan, Carie and Jason wrangled Craig Campbell of Nerdburger Games and convinced him to run a session of his latest game, Die Laughing. Here's an actual play recording of the game.

Special Guest: Craig Campbell.

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Links:

• NerdBurger Games — Craig's website for his independent gaming company.
• DriveThruRPG.com - NerdBurger Games — Find Die Laughing, Capers and Murders and Acquisitions at Nerdburger Games' page on DriveThruRPG.

After reading a heated online discussion, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite dive into the ethics and acceptability of running role-playing games, particularly LARPs, for profit. Ryan, Carie and Jason discuss behaviors, expectations and general opinions about this surprisingly controversial topic.

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Links:

• My Unethical Existence: A Letter to Those Who Oppose Larp for Profit in the US — Tara Clapper's article we discuss that's about LARPing for profit.
• These Mean Streets - White Wolf | Storytellers Vault — Drew Steven's Storytellers Vault book "These Mean Streets."
• On A Roll Podcast is creating RPG Gaming Podcasts through Patreon — Want to help support this podcast while getting cool swag for yourself? Consider becoming an On A Roll patron on Patreon!

The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite have a sit down with Matthew Webb about his recent article about the concept of LARP as Nerdball. Ryan, Carie and Jason talk about how competitive play can be abusive and systemic. They also exploring ways we can all work to prevent those problems and build healthy gaming communities.

Special Guest: Matthew Webb.

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Links:

• Let’s Fight - In Defense of Competitive Play, Part 1 - Nordic Larp — Matthew's article about competitive play.
• Nerdball: How a LARP becomes the game no one likes to play — Matthew's article about LARP as Nerdball.
• Jackalope Live Action Studios | a Texas LARP studio — Matthew's LARP company that is running The Night in Question.
• The Night In Question | A Vampire: The Masquerade blockbuster LARP horror event - November 17, 2018 — The highly immersive Vampire: the Masquerade LARP being run by Jackalope Studios focusing on the Sabbat!
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help support this podcast and enable us to keep making great episodes for all of you to enjoy by becoming a patron on Patreon. You also get cool stuff!

Armed with courage and technology, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite take on Facebook Live and hold an "Ask Me Anything"-style show. Ryan, Carie and Jason talk about all of the games in Ryan's gaming room and everything else they get asked by our listeners.

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Links:

• Cleveland Geekster — Cleveland Geekster is the comic book, toy and pop culture show that the Curmudgeon runs. It happens on Sept. 22.
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this show on the air by becoming a patron!
• High Level Games Convention — Join the On A Roll folks at High Level Games Convention in Atlantic City next month!

What sort of things that are NOT the game helps make your game better? This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite discuss snacks, locations, music, props and everything else you can add to your game night to make things great. Ryan, Carie and Jason even explore the differences in these kinds of additions for tabletop games, LARPs and MUSHs.

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Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you like this podcast, consider becoming a patron! You can earn great perks and rewards while helping to keep this show on the air!

Ever wonder what makes a good character great? This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite try to figure out what players can do to develop their good characters into characters that are great. Ryan, Carie and Jason formulate a four piece theory based on Depth, Substance, Usefulness and Awesome. How do your characters rate?

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you like this podcast, please consider sharing it with your friends and becoming a backer on Patreon!
• Lost Colonies Larp — If you live in the DC area, you should play this LARP!
• Masks | Magpie Games — Check out the Masks RPG, which features some great character creation rules that involved all players in crafting a history together.

This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite continue their discussion about problem players. In the second of two parts, Ryan, Carie and Jason break down more types of problem players, what causes them and how to deal with them. They also talk about how to vet players as a means to prevent allowing problem players in to your gaming community in the first place.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Podcasting is a lot of work and has some costs involved. Help Carie, Jason and Ryan keep creating On A Roll by becoming a patron!
• Players – It's More than Just Gaming — We referenced this article on the show! This is written by John about choosing your gaming friends wisely!

What do you do when one of your players is ruining the game for everyone? This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite discuss how to address problem players. In the first of two parts, Ryan, Carie and Jason break down different kinds of problem players, what causes them and how to deal with them.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Did you like this episode? Help keep this podcast on the air by becoming a patron!
• On A Roll: Level Up Your RPG (the book) — This episode is based on a few chapters in Ryan's book, On A Roll: Level Up Your RPG. You can purchase it here if you want.
• Lost Colonies Larp — Joe Hines runs this cool Washington DC-area LARP! If you're in the region, check it out!
• Colorful Tales of Dreadful Dolls Adult Coloring Book by Reel Fun Studios — Kickstarter — This is the Kickstarter for Carie's coloring book.

Just what is player agency and how does it work... or not work? This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite follow the lead of Drew, one of their Patreon backers, and tackle defining Player Agency and then exploring the things that make up this mysterious idea. Ryan, Carie and Jason also talk about whether or not it's even real...

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you like this show, please consider becoming a patron on Patreon to help cover costs and keep us on the air!
• Colorful Tales of Dreadful Dolls Adult Coloring Book by Reel Fun Studios — Kickstarter — Carie's Kickstarter for her new art project, as talked about the last few weeks on the show! Take a gander at this crazy adult coloring book, Colorful Tales of Dreadful Dolls!
• Lost Colonies Larp — Joe Hines run this incredible LARP out of the Washington DC area featuring exploration, mystery, combat and storytelling in the land of Torakand!

Fandoms have become increasingly toxic and broken lately. This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite examine the story of Sherlock Holmes and how even 150 years ago, people were dealing with harassment from fans. Ryan, Carie and Jason also talk about the current problems in fandom, particularly the Star Wars, Critical Role and White Wolf Publishing fandom problems in recent weeks!

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Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Become a patron of On A Roll and help keep us on the air! Every dollar makes a difference!
• The Baker Street Irregulars — The original Sherlock Holmes "fan club" is still around today! Learn more about the Baker Street Irregulars!
• Nuts.com — Be like a Jericho fan! Order peanuts from the same company that Jericho fans did when they saved the show from cancellation!
• Critical Role — Critical Role is the life-play Dungeons & Dragons show in which a character was killed a few weeks ago.
• White Wolf's Facebook page — White Wolf Publishing's official Facebook page is where a lot of the terrible, toxic fan behaviors reared their ugly faces a few weeks ago.
• Lost Colonies Larp — Joe Hines is running a great LARP in the Washington DC area that you should check out if you're in the area!

We all want our character to be in the spotlight from time to time. This week, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite investigate what players can do to help make sure they can get in the plot and story limelight while also helping other players have their moments, too. Ryan, Carie and Jason also examine how storytellers can manage their gaming group to give everyone the time they want and desire in the spotlight!

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Please consider becoming a patron of the show and help us stay on the air producing more great episodes of On A Roll!
• Lost Colonies Larp — This imaginative LARP in the Washington, DC, area explores mystery and excitement in the land of Torakand!

What happens to characters in between games? The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite take a look at the between games antics of characters, players and storytellers as they examine downtime actions, online or email scenes and player requests. Ryan, Carie and Jason work through the challenges and expectations of what happens between games.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this podcast on the air by supporting it through Patreon! You can even get some cool rewards!
• Lost Colonies Larp — Lost Colonies LARP is an immersive live-action roleplaying game in the DC area that looks like it's a ton of fun!

The very first time anyone runs a game can be nerve-wracking. The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite navigate through advice and suggestions to help make running your first game less stressful and more successful. Breaking it down into what a new DM/Storyteller should do before, during and after their first game, Ryan, Carie and Jason do their best to help any novice game runner have a successful experience. They also take a few minutes to address the current controversy surrounding White Wolf's release of Vampire 5th Edition.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast is creating RPG Gaming Podcasts | Patreon — Help keep the On A Roll podcast going and score some great stuff by becoming a patron on Patreon!
• Dungeon Masters & Storytellers — This Facebook group is filled with lots of knowledgeable and experienced Dungeon Masters and Storytellers who will help anyone interested in becoming better at running games!
• World of Darkness — White Wolf's World of Darkness is about to relaunch with Vampre: 5th Edition.

A great story in a roleplaying game is made up of many different scenes The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite get into the nuts and bolts of what makes a scene work. Examining all of the pieces, Ryan, Carie and Jason do a deep dive into the art of constructing a scene that is compelling, exciting, clear and most of all, in service to the overall story.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Please consider helping support this podcast by becoming a patron on Patreon!

One of our Patreon backers is at the Thief level, meaning one of his characters gets roasted this episode! But first, the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite hang out with game designer Josh Heath to talk about his companies, High Level Games and Keep on the Heathlands, as well as learning all about how to create content for the White Wolf Storyteller's Vault. Ryan, Carie and Jason also get the scoop on HLG Con!

Special Guest: Josh Heath.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you love On A Roll and would like to help keep it on the air, please visit our patreon page and consider making a small donation! Every dollar makes a difference, and we could not continue this project without the generous support of our patrons!
• High Level Games Convention — This Atlantic City gaming convention is on Oct. 12 - 14, 2018, and we'll be there with Josh!
• Keep on the Heathlands — Keep On the Heathlands is Josh's site dedicated to role-playing games and supporting the gaming community. In particular, we are focused on supporting, sustaining, and increasing inclusivity and diversity in our various communities.
• Tara M. Clapper - Writer/Editor — Tara Clapper is an RPG editor that Josh Heath recommends in this episode as a great person to work with if you are looking to pay an editor to check your Storyteller's Vault work! Also, she's awesome!
• Storytellers Vault — This is the place to find and create content for White Wolf game lines! Josh has several products here you should check out, including Dark New England Regional Sourcebook, which is ranked #1 Most Popular Storyteller's Vault product currently!

This special episode celebrates the fun had at Free RPG Day! The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite spent the day at Dicehead Comics and Games in Cleveland, Tennessee, where they played a ton of Dungeons & Dragons, got some great free shwag from some wonderful games and got to know a gaggle of local gamers in our community! Join Ryan, Carie and Jason as they get down in the trenches with Chad, Painter, Benito, Ian, Stacy, Marty, Scott and Dakota!

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you enjoy this episode, consider backing the production on Patreon. Even just one dollar each month helps us to pay for equipment and hosting so that we can keep making this show!
• Free RPG Day — The official home page of Free RPG Day, where you can find all the games that were free!
• Dicehead Games and Comics — Dicehead is the awesome local gaming store that let us record in their shop on Free RPG Day! If you live near Cleveland, Tennessee, be sure to stop in and say, "Hi" to Shane, Chad and Mel!
• Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook — The first book you need to begin your adventure!
• Dungeon Crawl Classics from Goodman Games — These classic-style adventures are fun and fancy in a retro kind of way!
• Kids on Bikes — The amazing new game about teenagers battling the mysterious and supernatural! It's all about kids... on bikes!
• Magic the Gathering in D&D: Plane Shift Zendikar — Here's one of the many Magic the Gathering free sourcebooks that Wizards of the Coast has put out for Dungeons & Dragons!
• Overlight — This game looks fantastic! It's the roleplaying game of kaleidoscopic journeys!
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Core Rulebook — If you're looking to play some Pathfinder, this is the core rulebook you'll need!
• Tunnels & Trolls — T&T Japan Adventures was one of the more obscure Free RPG Day samples we got!
• Unknown Armies — Unknown Armies is a mysterious, supernatural and dark setting that rivals the World of Darkness!

This week's episode is tuned to the key of E vil as the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite explore the differences between villains and bad guys. Ryan, Carie and Jason debate the finer points of constructing great antagonists and how these NPCs interact with the story being told.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — If you like what you hear, please consider helping keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon.
• Superman The Movie: Extended Cut & Special Edition — A great example of a bad guy becoming a fleshed out villain discussed on the show this week is Lex Luthor's secretary assistant in Superman: the Movie.
• High Level Games Convention — Come hang out with us in Atlantic City this October at the High Level Games Convention!
• Lost Colonies Larp — The creator of this new LARP listens to the show, and he backs us on Patreon. Check out what they're doing!

Nobody's perfect, not even the Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite. Delving deep into their gaming history, Ryan, Carie and Jason tell the stories of the greatest mistakes they ever made while storytelling for roleplaying games. When it's all over, they're a bit surprised to discover a common theme in their ways...

Support On A Roll

Links:

• The Worst Adventure of All Times — This great blog was written by the creator of 7th Sea, John Wick. He shares his experience running the Tomb of Annihilation, and we talked about this article on the show.
• Lost Colonies Larp — The creator of this new LARP listens to the show, and he backs us on Patreon. Check out what they're doing!
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Like what you hear? Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!
• High Level Games Conference — Jason is doing work for this awesome convention happening in Atlantic City this fall! Consider checking them out and heading there to play some great games!
• River Valley Rage - LARP Troupe — This is the Vampire: The Masquerade LARP in Cleveland, Tennessee, that Carie, Jason and Ryan run.
• 5dollarfilm by Rob Alderman on Apple Podcasts — Shout out to 5 Dollar Film, the movie and taco podcast that has so kindly shared some of their microphone gear to us.

We are all players. Some of us are better players than others, but what qualities make a player "good?" The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite take some time this week to delve into the traits that make a great player. Dividing the conversation into the Internals and Externals, they get into the meat of things we all can do to play better and have more fun.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• 200 Word RPG Challenge — Jason entered the 200 Word RPG Challenge. Take a look at some of the past winners' roleplaying games with complete rules of less than 200 words!
• Lost Colonies Larp — The creator of this new LARP listens to the show, and he backs us on Patreon. Check out what they're doing!
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Like what you hear? Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!

Role-playing game communities, like most communities, have become increasingly aware of issues like safety, inclusion and behavioral problems. This week, The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite tackle the difficult and often uncomfortable topic of toxic players, toxic game runners and toxic environments in the world of tabletop RPGs, LARP and MUSH, and they explore ways we can all help to make our gaming spaces healthier.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Why Your LARP Safety Will Fail: A Hacker's Guide — Jason mentions in this episode this article by Matthew Webb about approaching gaming like a hacker wearing a white hat.
• The Callout : NPR — This episode of Invisibilia talks about the toxicity permeating the modern punk rock scene and how that community is trying to deal with it. Includes some great links with information on how communities might be able to deal with accountability.
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Like what you hear? Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!

Where do ideas come from? The Curmudgeon, the Legend and the Favorite explore the process of creativity and how great ideas are born. Join Ryan, Carie and Jason as they talk about coming up with ideas for plots, characters and settings.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!

Special Guest: Chris Pustelnik.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• Lexicon Tabletop Gaming Convention – The Last Word in Gaming — Lexicon is the amazing gaming convention in Lexington, Kentucky, where Ryan played in Chris' Masks game.
• Masks | Magpie Games — Masks is a tabletop roleplaying game in which you play young superheroes who are growing up in a city several generations into its superheroic age. This is the game that Chris is running at conventions.
• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!
• Corpses and Curios — This is the great new podcast Chris is running featuring a great crew of players doing a live-play of a modern horror game using the GURPS system.

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!

Support On A Roll

Links:

• On A Roll Podcast on Patreon — Help keep this podcast going by supporting our production on Patreon!