Around the Hearth features discussion on a wide range of topics relevant to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) featuring members of the Open Hearth Gaming Community. We talk games, gameplay, design, and the games being played at the Open Hearth Gaming Calendar. Our online games are free and open to all! If you'd like to join the fun, visit openhearthgaming.com for more information.
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Fathom Information Design Podcasts
Fathom's podcast, Especially Big Data, explores the many topics data can document, while also shedding light on its many limitations. Fathom works with clients to explain complex data through interactive tools and software for mobile devices, the web, and large format installations.
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Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 2 Villains & Vigilantes
41:40
41:40
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In this second episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Villains & Vigilantes, the superhero rpg that broke the genre open. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we foun…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 10: Night Witches, Fathom, Impossible Landscapes
50:29
50:29
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In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at some really interesting and intense games. Host Mike Minutillo is joined community members Gwen Marshall and Ethan Harvey. Night Witches: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/146173/night-witches Fathom: https://sulcata.itch.io/fathom Impossible Landscapes: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product…
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Talking World Building, Collaboration & Beyond
58:48
58:48
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A recording of a talk by Lowell Francis about handling world building and collaborative elements. This session was part of Shared Hearth, the Open Hearth Gaming Community free ttrpg weekend. In this talk/discussion we hit on Reasons for a shared approach How existing games handle this Online tools and techniques Managing collaborative building ...a…
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Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 1 Superhero 2044
36:47
36:47
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In this first episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Superhero 2044, arguably the first supers role-playing game. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird …
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A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 3 - Setting & Following Character Goals
1:07:05
1:07:05
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Ian & José are joined by Marc Majcher to discuss how we develop & pursue both in- and out-of-character aspirations. What makes a goal, and how can having one drive play? Along the way we talk about how closely we identify with our PC’s, and peer briefly into using techniques from improv theatre to improve our gaming. Timecodes: 0:01:30 Pick Your Po…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 9: Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, Star Wars Microscope
54:17
54:17
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In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at two really interesting projects. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined community members Amanda Mullins (iamatrex) and Chrys Sellers (Hectic Electron). We talk Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, and a hack of Microscope for a Star Wars writers' room. LINKS Sprigs and Kindling Amanda's website The…
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Talking Supers: Running, Playing, Hacking Superhero TTRPGs
1:29:01
1:29:01
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Part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, Gauntlet Podcast, Open Hearth Podcast) talk all things superhero rpgs: challenges, combat, world-building, villainy, solo gaming, and beyond. We’re joined by a group of community members for this dis…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 8: Take the Universe, Triangle Agency, Apocalypse Keys
1:00:00
1:00:00
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In this podcast, community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Andrea Rick (https://plotbunnygames.itch.io/) is joined today by Agatha (https://mightyyshrimp.itch.io/) and Wyllora (https://wyllora.itch.io/). Games Discussed Take the Universe Triangle Agency Apocalypse Keys Andrea…
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A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 2 - Negotiating Scenes
1:18:55
1:18:55
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Ian and José chat with Agatha Cheng about how we develop narrative arcs for our PCs and the art of calling scenes to illustrate those arcs. Along the way, we indulge in bad boy tropes and the joys of PC/PC fandom. Agatha’s Work: Game Design + Consultancy: https://agathacheng.carrd.co/ Asians Represent! Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Com…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 7: Protect the Child, Yazeba's, Blades '68
54:42
54:42
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In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Rae Nedjadi (https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/) is joined today by Mint (https://mint-rabbit.itch.io/) and Casey. Games Discussed Protect the Child Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast Blades '68 (in Playtest) Also Mentioned There's…
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Talking Hacks: PbtA & Forged in the Dark
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1:34:02
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Another in our series of Open Hearth Community talks, this time discussing hacking Powered by the Apocalypse and Forged in the Dark: approaches, challenges, best practices. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Anders, Puckett, Bryan L, Brushman, Amaze, Ethan, Dom, and Cinna. Selected Games Mentioned Adventures on Dungeon Planet Ars Magica Blades in the…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 6: Urban Shadows, The David Web, Wanderhome
36:11
36:11
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In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Fumi is joined today by Jesse (jesseabe) and Mads (madelancholy, https://www.youtube.com/@Madelancholy). Games Discussed Urban Shadows Second Edition The David Web Wanderhome Some Other Games Mentioned Teeth Apocalypse…
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A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 1 - Character Creation
56:57
56:57
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Ian and José welcome their first guest, Gwen Marshall, to talk about how players navigate the character creation process. We discuss our personal approaches to the process, reveal our recurring character “types”, and wonder how characters continue to evolve after Session Zero. Link to Gwen’s work: https://drgwenmarshall.carrd.co/ Contact Ian & José…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 5: Playtesting, Solo Gaming, DIE
55:56
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Welcome to our fifth episode! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Sherri and Anders. Final Girl Thousand Year Old Vampire DIE Anders Gabrielsson https://undeshga.itch.io/ Lowell Francis https://youtube.com/@low…
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In this inaugural episode, hosts Ian and José introduce the new podcast’s focus on the player perspective in TTRPGs: As players, how do we optimize our own fun, as well as that of our peers? How do we learn to recognize, appreciate, and develop our own individual play styles? How do we embrace our own agency within games and deploy it to support th…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 4: Wilderfeast, Bump in the Dark, Sunken Hearts
54:44
54:44
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Welcome to our fourth episode! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Dom and Donogh. Wilderfeast Bump in the Dark Sunken Hearts AP Playlist Rain World Free from the Shadow Character Keeper Free from the Shadow Pl…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 3: Girls of Genziana Hotel, Lovecraftesque, Sword Opera
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57:32
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Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined this episode by community members Jex Thomas and Mike Minutillo to talk about their recent gaming experiences and in-depth discussions about a game they each enjoy. Jex's Links: Bump in the Dark The Last Caravan Urban Shadows 2E The Haunting of Cliff Cove The Girls of Genziana Hotel Last Pine Press on Itch: h…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 2: Mythic Bastionland, Red Markets, Kingdom
57:02
57:02
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Hey! We made it to Episode 2! In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Horst and Will H. Horst's Mythic Bastionland Links: https://newschoolrevolution.com/how-i-do-play-by-post/ https://weirdwonder.bearblog.dev/myth…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 1: UVG, Tomb Raider, Community Radio
55:43
55:43
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Hey! It's the first episode of our long-promised podcast. In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined today by Marc Majcher and Jim Crocker. Marc Majcher: https://majcher.itch.io/ Jim Crocker: https://jimlikesgames.itch.io/ (yo…
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A collection of favorite tabletop rpgs of 2024 from our community members. It’s split into three sections, with host picks in-between. To learn more about Open Hearth Gaming Community, check out openhearthgaming.com. Podcast feed: https://aroundthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/ AP Podcast: https://playingatthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/ YouTube: htt…
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(00:00) - Introduction (07:05) - Using our Playabl Calendar App (19:30) - After Posting Your Session (35:05) - Running Session Zero/One (58:14) - General Topics Talk Outline: https://bit.ly/3UDCye3 This is a talk/seminar about game facilitation, particularly in our Open Hearth Gaming Community. In this single session, I will be walking through the …
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Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward Podcast) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, the Gauntlet Podcast) talk NPCs: creating, presenting & working with them. We discuss these ideas with a small GM group-- getting their ideas and suggestions. Links mentioned in episode: Behind the Names Markov Name Generator Speech Patterns for NPCs…
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Open Hearth Gaming's recorded gaming sessions are now available in an audio-only podcast format. For more information, check out Playing at the Hearth at https://playingatthehearth.openhearthgaming.com/. For more information about Open Hearth Gaming, including how to sign up for games, please visit https://openhearthgaming.com/. Thanks, everyone, a…
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Learning Legacy: Life Among the Ruins
1:45:55
1:45:55
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This is a talk by Lowell Francis about Legacy: Life Among the Ruins, a PbtA game of post-apocalyptic families and factions. Lowell (@edige23 on most social media) walks through the facets of the game giving advice and insight, with feedback and questions from the seminar participants. Talk Outline Example Character Keeper Sample Map Legacy: System …
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Talking Hard Moves, Costs & Consequences
1:18:39
1:18:39
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A community event talking about GMing and playing hard moves, managing costs, and balancing consequences for PbtA, Forged in the Dark, and other storygames.By Open Hearth Gaming Community
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An Introduction to Designing with Cortex Prime
1:12:21
1:12:21
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This is a talk Anders did for the Open Hearth gaming community. It contains a brief overview of the history of the Cortex system, an introduction to the mechanics, a look at example characters from some different Cortex Plus games, a look at the different traits available in Cortex Prime, and some discussion on things to think about when making a C…
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A community event talking about the basics of FitD, challenges for play, best practices, interesting mechanics, and new games. Begins with a 30 minute overview, followed by a longer group discussion of folks' experience with and advice for playing Forged in the Dark Games. This is the actual, unedited audio from the discussion. You can see an event…
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Members of the Open Hearth Gaming Community submit their favorite games and gaming experiences of 2023 in our year-end special episode. Website: https://openhearthgaming.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/openhearthgaming Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@openhearthrpg Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/open-hearth-rpg/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Open…
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Data is all around us—even in places you might not think to look. We talk to an archivist for the New York Philharmonic and a Columbia researcher to learn about how digitized records are helping shape our understanding of culture and class in the 20th century.By Fathom Information Design
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The Panama Papers leak was one of the biggest in journalism history. Reporters from around the world spent more than a year combing through 11.5 million documents, including PDFs, images, and emails. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the tools and techniques used by the Panama Papers team and the ways they can be applied to fields outside of jo…
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In the spirit of upcoming Women’s Equality Day, we looked into the many factors affecting ladies’ participation in tech fields—most of which are not captured in the numbers. We spoke with p5.js creator, Lauren McCarthy, Harvey Mudd College president, Maria Klawe, and many others to learn about the subtle, nearly invisible gestures and structures th…
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In this episode, we’ll explore the great lengths people travel to collect a single data point. Between the door-to-door surveys of the U.S. Census, to the mountain treks for community health workers, and then to NASA’s satellites hovering more than 600 km above the earth– we’ll learn just how far data collectors go, and the many issues they deal wi…
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We recently completed a project for National Geographic titled Space Monkeys & Tiger Wine: A Look at Global Animal Trade, which looks at the quantity, purpose, and primary locations of trade for more than 27 million animals worldwide. In our pilot episode, we dive into the implications and ethics of documentation, and explore whether your daily dos…
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