DMs After Dark

Modified Rolls - Playing Evil Characters

So you wanna be the bad guy, huh?  Well, not THE bad guy, but A bad guy.  Maybe THE bad guy, I mean, who are we to tell you how your story's going to go?  Before you do that, though, champ, let's discuss a few things about playing evil PCs in a tabletop game.
In this episode, the DMs discuss how to get the most out of playing evil characters in games that are traditionally team-based and heroic.  There are plenty of great ways to play an evil character in an otherwise ensemble cast of good guys, but there are a lot of pitfalls when playing evil PCs that can rub your fellow players or adventuring party the wrong way and derail your story.
 
Have you ever played an evil character? How'd it go? Did they achieve their goals or self-sabotage in a blaze of unglory?
 
Take Home Points:  Work with your GM, whether you're the only evil PC or in a group of evil adventurers, all evil characters should have hidden plans which you can you coordinate with your GM to get more out of the game.  Don't be Stupid Evil - even if you're not the plotter, angry or self-destructive evil characters should still have a sense of self-preservation (until they achieve their goals, anyway).  And don't use "ItS wHaT mY cHaRaCtEr WoUlD dO!" as an excuse to be a jerk to your fellow players.
 
Please rate us 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:
Evil March by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3724-evil-marchLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Song: High OctaneMusic by Bensound.com

Invisible Sun | Episode 3 - Fallen Angels & Fading Hairlines

Even upon waking from the Shadow and returning to the Actuality, there are dreams and there are nightmares...
 
The crew have strange dreams.  Fray brings the group to a dangerous location.  Henri almost makes a deal.  Bridget tests the limits of her circles.  Istanbull sees through and makes a wall.  Darcian shows they can hold their own.
 
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:
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

1d6 | 1d4 - But What If We Ran Longer Games...

Hello and welcome to the 2nd episode of 1d6 | 1d4, Sara's "chaos baby" of a podcast where 1d6 of the DMs sit down and talk about a topic for 1d4 minutes at a time.
 
This week, Sara is joined by Christian and Rene to ask the question: "What if we ran games longer than 3-4 sessions?"
 
Find out what games we want to run long-term and let us know if you think we should explore that in the future!
 
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:
Happy Happy Game Show by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3856-happy-happy-game-showLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Invisible Sun | Episode 2 - The Girl in the Box

Welcome back to the Actuality, our fellow vislae.  So... that lecture didn't go as planned with the whole exploding snakes and dissolving vislae thing, but our PCs did manage to rescue the strange golden-eyed child Elpada from the strange terrorists.  Where will they go and what will they learn?
 
Bridget & Darcian summon for help. Henri bonds with Elpada.  Istanbull observes more than he lets on.  Fray sees old friends in the shadows.
 
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:
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Modified Rolls - Villains

Muahahaha! You've come this far only to fall into our evil villain monologue! Now you must listen to us as we explain all of the things that weren't communicated throughout the campaign so you understand what it is you're actually defeating!
 
... Or... maybe your DM gave this episode a listen and realized that they need to sprinkle in details throughout that make the PCs feel like they actually understand the villain, their motive, their means, their goals, flaws, and fears.  Maybe this villain is, in a way, relatable, or you can sympathize on a certain level, but can't condone their actions in their quest to accomplish their mission.
 
What's the best villain you've encountered in an RPG? What are some of your favorite villains in movies, books, shows, etc.?
 
Take-Home Points: Don't hide all the details behind the screen, give your villain time to interact with the PCs (preferably in places they can't openly be attacked) or indirectly through their minions.  Describe how their minions serve the big villain, are they terrified or fiercely loyal through admiration, those tell of two very different leaders! And, as always, make them mean something to your PCs directly.
 
Please rate us 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:
Villainous Treachery - Distressed by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4587-villainous-treachery---distressedLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGardenWatch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Invisible Sun | Episode 1 - Lectures in Legacy

Greetings from the Actuality... Our story begins around the city of Satyrine, where our PCs are all pulled like matter into a black hole to the Vance campus for a lecture from an eccentric researcher.  For a variety of reasons (including the promise of good food, which, unfortunately, appears to have been a lie), the characters find themselves at the center of a mysterious attempted kidnapping.
 
Will they help? Can they help? And what will they learn?  The answer to all of these is "barely any."
 
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:
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

Modified Rolls - How to Write, Prep, and Run Homebrew Campaigns

What a wonderful [insert the name of your made up fantasy word weekday analogue for Friday]!  In this episode of Modified Rolls, the DMs talk about their experiences, advice, and ideas on all things homebrew campaigns.  Whether it's an original story in an established universe (have you listened to our Modified Rolls about running games with Canon?) or an entirely original world of your (and hopefully your players') imagination, there are some things that will help homebrew games run smoothly.
 
While it can seem daunting, running a homebrew game can be one of the most freeing experiences behind the screen.  It's mostly getting comfortable with reacting to your players' interests, working in avenues and obstacles to achieving their character's goals, and making sure there are compelling ups and downs.  Give them a place to connect to, give their characters meaningful arcs, and give them a villain to talk about for the rest of their gaming days.
 
Take-Home Points: Collaboration is key - it's not your story, it's the players'.  Let them influence the world, use their interests, connections, backstories, all of it.  If not explicitly in their backstory, what kind of things do their classes/character roles want to do? What kind of story do they want to tell? Don't overprep - think 1 to 2 sessions ahead and have big picture concepts beyond that, but don't bog yourself down in the details until you need them.
 
Please rate us 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:
Song: Arcando - In My Head (feat. Britt Lari) [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/InMyHead

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Troy

In our penultimate Meet the DMs, we meet the 2nd half of the Bot, the 2nd half of the gingers within DMs After Dark, and everyone's favorite corn-shuckin Iowan Troy!
Troy regales us with his history of roleplaying which goes back to him in 2nd grade making up stories with a D&D 3.5e PHB!  He talks about the power of RPGs, his love and involvement with Studio Agate's Shadows of Esteren, which was the first game we ever played on stream, and how it's shaped his life.
We also promise, he's a great dad despite having to lock his kid out for the interview.
 
 
If you've got any questions for Jess' interview or in general for the rest of our crew, reach out to us on our social media, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are fun and active, or you can email us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com 
 
Next Stream: Invisible Sun Episode 1, DM'd by Christian
Next Podcast Drop: Modified Rolls - How to Write, Prep, and Run Homebrew Games
Next (and final) Meet the DMs: Jess
 
Music in this Episode:
Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com 
SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg 

Invisible Sun | Session 0 & Character Creation

Welcome back from the Shadow, our fellow Vislae, take a stroll and reacquaint yourself with ... the Actuality. 
 
In this session zero for Monte Cook's Invisible Sun, Christian does his best to herd the cats that are the other DMs as we navigate the complex terminology and incredibly surreal world of Invisible Sun.  The DMs sit at computers in the Shadow (our Earth world simulation) to create a crew of vislae (beings of magic) back in the Actuality (the waking real world everyone we know is totally running from in a dream), and we make a few important narrative decisions for Christian to use in our upcoming series.
 
For all its complicated jargon and disorganized pdfs, Invisible Sun just oozes flavor and incredible worldbuilding, and the Monte Cook classic "You're a(n) [adjective] [noun] who [verbs]" really shines when you can ignore the rules of our shared reality and get really, really weird.
 
We aren't the most organized we've ever been in a session, we do a fair amount of ranting, but we hope you enjoy the first bits of your time in the Actuality with us...
 
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:
Song: Lochlainn - The Garden [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://NCS.io/TheGarden Watch: http://youtu.be/tZYlqiGgKQ4

(Bonus!) Meet the DMs - Amber

In this installment of our interview series, Meet the DMs, we learn all about one half of our librarians and one half of what we affectionately call the Bot (along with her brother Troy), Amber.  Rene interviews her about her history with RPGs, how she's turned her love of the hobby into part of her career, and all of the amazing things she believes games can do.  She's by far the most professional of the DMs After Dark, and we really owe the entire endeavor to her efforts at our local library, which brought us together as a group.
 
Please do Amber a favor and head out to your local library, see if they've got any games programs or would be interested in starting one (especially if you'll help out)!  Keep your eyes and ears peeled for later this year when the 4th annual West Warwi-Con happens, maybe you can get in a game with one of us!
 
If you've got any questions for her or the rest of our crew, reach out to us on our social media, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are fun and active, or you can email us directly at DMsAfterDark@gmail.com 
 
Next Stream: Invisible Sun Episode 1, DM'd by Christian
Next Podcast Drop: Invisible Sun Session 0
Next Meet the DMs: Probably Troy? Other 1/2 of the Bot.
 
Music in this Episode:
Current Affairs from www.Zapsplat.com 
SirensCeol - Nostalgia [NCS Release]Music provided by NoCopyrightSoundsFree Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/nostalgia Watch: http://youtu.be/geW8xN7grpg