DMs After Dark

The Ward One-Shot

To honor those who bravely launch themselves into terrifying and urgent medical situations for October as First Responders Month... we play goofballs in a hospital on Halloween!
 
DM Troy runs Christian, Jess, and Sara through a one-shot of Magpie Games The Ward, a Powered by the Apocalypse medical drama RPG reminiscent of ER, Grey's Anatomy, House, and other health care related series.  Join our specialist, resident, and intern as they deal with a chaotic night of Halloween healthcare!
 
If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.  
And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.
 
Music in the Episode:
Background music provided by Fesliyan Studios
www.fesliyanstudios.com

Modified Rolls - Rules Lite RPGs with Special Guest Ben Bailey of Meta Mage Studios!

Don't wanna read a whole 300 page rulebook to run a game your friends can't schedule time to play?  Well we've got good news for you, there are a LOT of games out there to pick up and get playing fast.  No complicated rules mechanics, no overarching stories, rules lite games tend to focus on a theme or desired experience and tailor everything to fit that kind of story.  But making a cohesive game in that little space isn't as easy as it sounds.  We discuss what a minimalist RPG needs to still work, when they work best, and share our favorite examples.
 
In this episode, the DMs sit down with Ben Bailey from Meta Mage Studios to talk Rules Lite RPGs.  Ben designed the game we played on stream most recently, The Midnight Codex, which is launching on Kickstarter on Halloween.
 
If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.
Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com
 
Music in the episode:
Beave - Talk [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: https://ncs.io/TalkWatch: https://youtu.be/uZi8_rnqgHg

The Midnight Codex | World Premiere Kickstarter Preview Stream!

Everyone knows the world is full of magic. It's dangerous stuff. The vampires, werewolves, fey folk, they're all a part of every day life, but the people who mess around with magic? They bring about the Omens. They bring nothing but trouble. 
 
In the very first stream of The Midnight Codex EVER, we play four poor souls who wake up one morning with little memories of the night before, but a book on our person. A codex that gives us magic. Watch to see what unravels as we play Episode 1 (of 12!) of The Midnight Codex. 
 
Keep an eye out for The Midnight Codex from Meta Mage Studios coming to Kickstarter October 31, 2022!   It's a really cool concept of monthly installments to move forward a larger metaplot as you and your fellow Codex-wielding magic crew do what you can to stop the end of the world!
 
Art, including our very first fan art (hop on our social medias to see and chat with us about all things RPGs) for the Midnight Codex was done by Jayce at Rude Graffix. Join the Rude Graffix Discord server at https://discord.gg/TNgZ8Hgqqs
 
If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.  
And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.
 
Music in the Episode:
Jim Yosef & Shiah Maisel - Unforgivable [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/Unforgivable

Modified Rolls - Metacurrencies with Special Guest Chris Rutkowsky of Basic Action Games!

Metacurrency (noun) - A player resource in a game that allows the player to apply an advantageous effect within the fiction without actually interacting with the game at a character level.
 
Not exactly Merriam-Webster, but hey, you get the idea.  Metacurrencies are popular in many RPGs as a way to incentivize players to engage in the game as its meant to be played, reward players for playing the game as intended, and share authorial control of the world or be used as "get out of jail (read: death) free" tokens.
 
In this episode of Modified Rolls, we have Chris Rutkowsky of Basic Action Games (BASH), author of Honor + Intrigue, our recent series, on to talk about his experiences making games, as well as discuss metacurrency in RPGs.
 
You can find all of Chris' games on the Basic Action Games DriveThruRPG page.
 
If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.
Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com
 
Music in the episode:
Funky Walk - Sound from ZapSplat.com

Honor + Intrigue | Finale - Secrets of the Island

The crew make their way onto the mysterious island led by Grandma Mari and her successor, Lana.  While they've lost the French ships, they're still trailed by one English ship carrying Mallory, the "cartographer" from the Spanish villa. 
 
Will the island bestow its miracles upon the crew of the Lady Saskatoon or take everything from them for some other purpose?
 
If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.  
And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.
 
Music in the Episode:
Sailing Through The Wide Sea by MusicLFilesFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6243-sailing-through-the-wide-seaLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles
The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - (Half) The DMs Went to Gen Con!

What's more magical than an incredibly crowded nerdy convention in ... Indianapolis? We can't think of anything either! In this episode of Modified Rolls, half of the DMs After Dark crew (Amber, Jess, and Troy) sit down with two guests Alex and Kent to discuss their 2022 Gen Con experience!  While Gen Con is a big one, there is some great advice for conventions in general, especially any you'll need to travel to!
 
Thank you to Alex & Kent for jumping in to discuss their experiences as well! Check out Alex's Twitch channel for his D&D and tabletop game content at https://www.twitch.tv/l8nitelex/
 
We're hoping that the DMs After Dark crew can start attending more cons together and spreading the word.  What your favorite convention you've attended?  Have you discovered any underappreciated gems? Share your stories with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or email us at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com!
 
If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.
 
Music in the episode:
Thorne - Call On Me [Arcade Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/CallOnMe

Honor + Intrigue | Episode 3: Île des Voilettes

The crew of the Lady Saskatoon find themselves sailing blindly into a thick fog and mist with no land in sight.  The stars have betrayed them and are unfamiliar to all aboard.  The old woman, Mari, shows no fear, but is beginning to show remorse.  Tailed by an English ship with an old enemy and a fleet of French ships with something valuable of the strange old woman's, the promises of this island might be more trouble than they're worth.
 
If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.  
And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.
 
Music in the Episode:
Sailing Through The Wide Sea by MusicLFilesFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6243-sailing-through-the-wide-seaLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles
The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - Balance in RPGs

Ever feel like you're in a fight that there's no chance you can win? Maybe it's the dice betraying you or maybe it was a hint that you weren't supposed to pick that fight (yet or maybe ever).  Balance in RPGs is an expectation that both players and GM need to communicate clearly during a session or campaign.  Sometimes imbalanced encounters function as "gates" to areas you shouldn't explore yet, other times they're purposefully overwhelming but provide alternate win conditions or survival is the victory itself.  Some games have designed "balance" in bestiaries, stat blocks, or just vague power levels, while others are entirely narrative and the concept of balance is part of the conversation. 
 
Key takeaway from this episode: Games don't need to be balanced, but obstacles do need to be appropriately communicated so the goal is clear to the players.
 
If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.
Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com
 
Music in the episode:
Endless Space by WinnieTheMoogFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9772-endless-space License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod
Rock Guitar Intro 13 by TaigaSoundProdFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9744-rock-guitar-intro-13 License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://linktr.ee/taigasoundprod
The March Of The Final Battle by MusicLFilesFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8117-the-march-of-the-final-battle License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Honor + Intrigue | Episode 2: A Lark In Hand Is Worth Two In The Barrel

Captain Red's come down with something after the escape from the villa, while the rest of the crew aboard the Lady Saskatoon race toward the mysterious island, led by a more mysterious old woman.  As the Lady sails her way to the treasure and destination, secrets are uncovered, stowaways found, and treachery may yet be afoot.
 
If you enjoy our streams, podcasts, or just our general nerdiness, please consider giving us a rating on your podcast app of choice! Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can comment & chat with us about all things RPGs.  
And, as always, come hang out and catch our live streams on our Twitch or catch up on our YouTube.
 
Music in the Episode:
Sailing Through The Wide Sea by MusicLFilesFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6243-sailing-through-the-wide-seaLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles
The Wellerman by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Modified Rolls - DM PCs

Have you ever played in an RPG campaign where the DM makes a character to be a member of the party?  Were they mostly in the background or did they happen to always be the strongest, best, or have the best treasure?  There are definitely wrong ways to do DM PCs, but we're here to talk about the ways to make them work for your game.
 
In this episode, we dive into a hot topic and come out the other side with maybe a surprising take!  Amber's ready to brawl it out, and Rene has a change of heart.
 
Do:  Remember that DM PCs are fully fleshed out and experiencing the story alongside the players, let them have moments, but don't steal the spotlight; make them generally less competent and more of a support role than a main character; use them as "knives," emotional attachments and backstory tie-ins to keep your players invested in the bigger story.
Don't: Have them conveniently find the answers or move the plot forward just because you, as DM, have information the players don't; outshine the PCs; be the central figure the whole campaign revolves around (Gary Stu / Mary Sue).
 
If you like what we're doing here, please consider giving us a rate on your podcast app of choice and catch our live streams alternating Friday nights over on Twitch or catch up on our games over on our YouTube.
Like, follow, and subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Feel free to email us with questions, comments, or just to tell us how awful our ideas are at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com
 
Music in the episode:
Victory by Alexander NakaradaFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4924-victoryLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/
Fantasy Chamber Adventure by Rafael KruxFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5424-fantasy-chamber-adventureLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/