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Today I discuss the legacy of HP Lovecraft in tabletop roleplaying, and ruminate over whether or not “Call of Cthulhu” is at risk of being toppled by Critical Role’s “Candela Obscura”. Intro (0:49) – Found something awesome on Amazon last month worth talking about. Briefly. Tabletop Roleplaying (8:54) – So, let’s discuss the Great Old... Read More “That Which Is Not Dead… – Loot Mechanics #329” » The post That Which Is Not Dead… – Loot Mechanics #329 first appeared on Scormey Fails.

Last week I talked about some of my favorite retro video games. This week, I expose some of my most despised retro games… for “Educational Purposes Only”, of course. Intro (0:49) – Okay, I bit the bullet and backed something on Kickstarter, just this once… Video Games (15:38) – Many retro video games are awesome…...Read More “Old & Busted – Loot Mechanics #328” »

June is a weird month for us, as Scormey is busy most of the month, and scheduling forced a bit of a change to the show for the next few weeks. But Scormey is talking about retro games this time, so… Intro (0:49) – “LotR: Gollum” fails horribly. No one is surprised. Video Games (12:08)...Read More “Old & Weird – Loot Mechanics #327” »

Scormey’s better half suggested today’s main topic: Disaster scenarios involving our TTRPG collections! Intro (0:49) – Scormey is getting pumped for the upcoming Oregon Renaissance Faire! Tabletop Roleplaying (6:08) – We discuss some disaster scenarios involving Tabletop Roleplaying Wrap (34:14) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0...Read More “Disaster! – Loot Mechanics #326” »

For good or ill, AI-powered tabletop roleplaying appears to be here to stay. Let’s discuss. Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing? Tabletop Roleplaying (6:55) – Wherein Scormey and Beoulus discuss AI TTRPG tools. Wrap (39:42) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

D&D may still be the biggest fish in the TTRPG pond, but they are bleeding, and an unlikely shark has begun to circle. Intro (0:49) – Scormey and Beoulus discuss “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” Tabletop Roleplaying (12:20) – “Knave 2nd Edition” is showing how OSR TTRPGs are on the rise, while D&D...Read More “Cuts like a Knave – Loot Mechanics #324” »

Let’s compare and contrast licensed TTRPGs against those using their own, unique worlds. Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing lately? Tabletop Roleplaying (9:04) – Licensed TTRPGs such as “Rivers of London” have always been a part of the hobby, but how do they stack up against games set in unique worlds? Wrap (36:33)...Read More “Licensed or Unique? – Loot Mechanics #323” »

WotC pulls a WotC, again. At this point, is anyone really surprised anymore? Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing of late? Collectible Card Games (7:37) – Wizards of the Coast proves they are who we thought they were… again. Wrap (34:34) – The only real question is, which one will they play for...Read More “They are who we thought they were – Loot Mechanics #322” »

We haven’t done one of these in years! Breaking down one of our favorite TTRPGs, specifically “Warhammer”! Intro (0:49) – Scormey is camping for his anniversary with His Lovely Bride™, and Beoulus is not. Tabletop Games (5:55) – Breaking down our thoughts on “Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay“ Wrap (33:33) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod...Read More “Deconstructing Warhammer – Loot Mechanics #321” »

Beoulus and Scormey kill yet another week with their sad advice for GMs everywhere! Intro (0:49) – A bit about what we’ve been playing lately! “Skyrim” and “Valheim”, respectively. Tabletop Roleplaying (8:58) – More advice for Facebook GameMasters! Wrap (36:56) – Final thoughts. “Alchemists Tower” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0...Read More “Not more GM advice! – Loot Mechanics #320” »

A bitter divorce, old games gaining new tricks, and a little slice of Hell on Earth. Intro (0:49) – Well, there goes China…. Video Games (8:40) – The first six “Final Fantasy” games getting remastered, with some rather interesting changes. Wrap (22:20) – Looking at a new game Scormey received lately, being “Hell Night“. “Alchemists...Read More “Pixel Perfect – Loot Mechanics #319” »

Waxing poetic about old-school CCGs, and casting a bit of suspicion towards overly-hyped TTRPGs. Intro (0:49) – Scormey’s been playing retro games a lot lately, and Beoulus has been playing “Tavern Keeper”. CCGs (3:47) – Collectible Card Games. Are there any you are nostalgic for, and would like to see rebooted? We have some thoughts...Read More “Flop! – Loot Mechanics #318” »

“Diablo IV” gets dumbed-down, more playtest material for “Black Flag”, and 4Chan gets a Reality Check. Yay. Intro (0:49) – Beoulus hated “Diablo III” for being too easy. He’s not going to like what Blizzard has done with “Diablo IV”, then… Tabletop Roleplaying (10:11) – Playtest 2 packet for Project Black Flag has dropped, covering...Read More “The Bad, the Good, and the Trollish – Loot Mechanics #317” »

As much as we love tabletop roleplaying games, there are just some that simply… suck. Let’s talk about them today! Intro (0:49) – Our week, in brief. Tabletop Games (5:32) – Which TTRPGs do we refuse to play, and why? (Inspired by this Reddit post) Wrap (41:06) – Minor update on Scormey’s saga regarding the...Read More “Just Say No – Loot Mechanics #316” »

Corporate shenanigans and chicken sandwiches, on today’s episode! Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing lately? Scormey has been ruining “Fluxfall Horizon“, while Beoulus has been… working? Video Games (6:03) – Workers at indie studio Dynasty Loop haven’t been paid in months. This is why the game industry desperately needs unions! Wrap (33:16) –...Read More “Unions Now! – Loot Mechanics #315” »

There are plenty of TTRPGs based on literary works, but today we talk about some literary characters and settings that are perhaps being overlooked unfairly. Intro (0:49) – Scormey has a beef with Twitter, and Beoulus has been doing… something TTRPG (10:08) – Talking about kinda-sorta obscure characters and settings from literature that would make...Read More “(Not So) Obscure – Loot Mechanics #314” »

Dark Suns, Black Flags, and Harry Potter fans never fail to disappoint, on today’s show. Intro (0:49) – WotC confirms why “Dark Sun” setting has not been revived for 5E TTRPG (10:21) – Kobold Press’ have released their first playtest packet for “Project Black Flag”. We discuss. Wrap (30:28) – “Hogwarts Legacy” earns nearly a...Read More “Raising the Black Flag – Loot Mechanics #313” »

Scormey is glad people are stepping aside from D&D to other games, but just slipping over to Pathfinder 2E is – while still acceptable – not even really worth the bother in many ways. Intro (0:49) – Scormey wants to talk about “Cities Without Number“, now up on Kickstarter. Tabletop Roleplaying (10:15) – Sliding over...Read More “Pathfinder is great, but not that great – Loot Mechanics #312” »

Shipping woes, and the inevitable controversy around “Hogwarts Legacy”, all come home to roost. Intro (0:49) – What have we been up to lately? Video Games (4:50) – You can play “Hogwarts Legacy” if you like, but expect some blowback… Wrap (32:52) – Funagain gets out of the game distribution business. Thank Gawd! “Alchemists Tower”...Read More “Justice?- Loot Mechanics #311” »

Let’s talk about the value of continuing to play MMORPGs in today’s gaming market, and other nonsense. Intro (0:49) – Scormey has been enjoying some of the smaller games on his Switch, and Beoulus has been playing the usual suspects. Video Games (11:43) – What is the point of still playing MMORPGs in this day...Read More “Leveling up our gaming experience – Loot Mechanics #310” »