This is it, folks: the last episode of Saving the Game. In this one, we explain why we're shutting down the podcast, answer our remaining Patreon questions, thank people who helped us along the w...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-192-go-now-in-peace-podcast-finale/
An Important Note: This is the second-to-last episode of Saving the Game. Our last episode will release in two weeks and will be a "goodbye" episode. More details in the episode itself and a full...
This week we have another installment in Grant's reading of the sermons of the Reverend Bob Lawrence. If you haven't heard the previous entries, this one, like the others, is an imagined slice of...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-23-the-eighth-day-of-christmas/
This episode marks the first of the two episodes we came up with based on a Patreon Question back in episode 189 - we're talking about GM Prep. We check in as usual and then - perhaps ironically,...
It's a thing that often happens in games but seldom gets much detailed thought put into it: the PCs decide to go off and find something mundane to do like shopping or fishing. We start the epis...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-189-breaking-for-the-mundane/
We're back with our 4th-quarter episode selected by our Patreon backers and it's definitely kind of an "old-school" episode by our standards where we take a specifically-biblical theme and unpack...
This week's episode is something a little bit different: we did an online panel on spooky elements at the tail end of SAFe 2020, sort of a sum-up of our "spooky fall" series with some general adv...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-22-incorporating-spooky-elements/
As October continues, so does our "Spooky Fall" lineup of horror and horror-adjacent topics. This time, we're talking about "creepy crawlies" - the vermin and pests from snakes to spiders to locu...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-187-creepy-crawlies/
Spooky fall continues with creative collaboration episode! We start with a check-in and some news - we can now be found on the Pray.com app and Faithcasts.com , should either of those strike y...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-186-brainstorming-a-haunted-house/
We've decided that a fun way to carve some enjoyment out of this uncooperative year is to do a general spooky topics roundup and so we've got another one for you this week. We start o...
If you like our longer episodes, you're in for a treat with this one. We had a lot to say this time, and the fact that we recorded this one in two different sections due to some connection i...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-184-alignment-wrap-up-with-douglas-underhill/
Though we've done an episode on undeath in general, we figured that ghosts deserved an episode of their own, since they occupy a somewhat unique role in fiction. We start the episode off with a...
With Grant out due to illness and a host of technical issues (that have thankfully since been mostly resolved) besetting us, we opted for a bonus episode this week. This episode is specifically f...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-21-jenny-and-peter-brainstorm-some-more/
This week's episode is the second-quarter Patreon topic (a little late). We've referenced cosmic horror a number of times throughout our run, but never in this kind of depth. As is usual, we sp...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-182-cosmic-horror/
Not feeling well and not being able to get to the internet robbed us of Jenny this week. However, despite that lack, this was a great episode because we had an awesome guest host! Paranoia writer...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-181-real-world-faith-in-games-with-wj-macguffin/
Well folks, this is it - the last of the 3x3 grid of alignments, and arguably the worst of the worst. Note: Spoilers for the City on a Hill, Season 2 Finale from 9:12-11:35 We start off wi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-180-chaotic-evil-alignments-9/
A quick note: our two-week lead time can sometimes mean that a lot happens between when we record an episode and when we release it. On may 25th, four officers of the Minneapolis, MN police ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-179-chaoric-neutral-with-krissi-woodward/
In this episode we're joined by none other than Elizabeth Garn of Christ and Pop Culture . (Elizabeth has written some great articles about faith and gaming and she should be on your rada...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-178-chaoric-good-with-elizabeth-garn/
This week we have more unstructured, conversational episode for you. Grant and Peter realized back in episode 173 that we'd like to talk about when players know what the GM is planning, but as we...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-177-keeping-players-in-the-loop/
Grant, Peter and Jenny are joined by Jason Brick, veteran freelance writer in the TTRPG industry (and several others besides!). We kick off with a little chatter and swiftly move into our Patreon...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-176-freelancing-with-jason-brick/
The hosts are all here for this one, and we kick off with a discussion of our games, which are generally going quite well, and a bit about the homeschooling of Grant's kids during the pandemic lo...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-175-neutral-evil/
We're back to our usual release schedule and episode progression this week for True Neutral. The discussion kicks off with the obligatory nod to COVID-19 (wash your hands! ) and a nod back to o...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-174-true-neutral-alignments-5/
As promised, this is our "emergency bonus episode" about remote gaming. It's edited much more roughly than normal but as we say in the episode, turnaround was our top priority for this one. In th...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-20-online-gaming/
With Jenny out due to travel, Grant and Peter return temporarily to the days when it was just the two of them on the podcast and do something they haven't done on air before, or at least for quit...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-173-grant-and-peter-brainstorm/
With Grant and Jenny back from their respective ordeals, it's time to continue our alignment series! We start off with a quick catch-up session (thanks again Ashley and Derek for filling i...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-172-neutral-good-alignments-4/
This week's episode is a little different in multiple ways. With Grant out with illness and Jenny out with bureaucracy, Peter is joined by Ashley Mowers from Min/Max and Derek White from The Dun...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-171-vanquishing-evil-with-ashley-mowers-and-derek-white/
In this episode, we welcome back Kimi from Golden Lasso Games to talk about pre-game tools. We last spoke to Kimi in our mammoth two-parter on fitness back in episode 103 part 1 and part 2...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-170-pre-game-tools-with-kimi-balcomb/
With the first batch of three from our ongoing alignments series concluded, we're back to normal topics for at least a few episodes. And this week, we have one that was selected - in a landslide ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-169-old-age-and-retirement/
With the holidays over, we're back to our normal episode format, and in this one we wrap up the first batch of 3 from our alignment series with Lawful Evil. We start off with a brief holiday ch...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-168-lawful-evil-alignments-3/
In keeping with tradition—sort of—Grant presents a very special Christmas bonus episode: A reading of a unique sermon given on Christmas Day, 1986, by Rev. Bob Lawrence of Fourth Presbyteria...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-bonus-19-a-room-with-a-view-by-rev-bob-lawrence/
This is the corrected version of 167. The first version ran the main episode audio into the outro due to an editing mistake on my part. My apologies. -Peter We're back with episode 2 of our ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-167-lawful-neutral-alignments-2/
We've been promising it for a while and here it is, the first episode in our series on alignment. We last talked about alignments as a topic waaaaaayyyy back in episode 2 of the podcast (if you ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-166-lawful-good-alignments-1/
#Every33! Mike Perna of Innroads Ministries , Game Store Prophets , and Bard and Bible joins us as he does every 33 episodes to talk about something he's been itching to talk on the mics about f...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-165-unlikely-heroes-with-mike-perna/
After several episodes with either more or less than the three main hosts, Grant, Peter, and Jenny finally get to sit down together and talk about monsters just in time for Halloween! First, thou...
With Grant out again for chaotic work-related reasons, Jenny and Peter are collaborating again—this time on setting material for Peter's new D&D game! First, though, we answer a Patreon questi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-163-collaboration-part-two-electric-boogaloo/
Professor, researcher, leading thinker in the psychology of RPGS both tabletop and LARP, and contributor to the first college textbook on RPGs Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman joins us for a second ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/safety-and-bleed-with-dr-sarah-lynne-bowman/
Creative professional and storyteller Daniel Kwan joins us on this episode to talk about gaming in historical settings! Daniel is a former museum historian, a game designer at Dundas West Games ,...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-161-historical-games-with-daniel-kwan/
Our Ten Commandments series finally wraps up this episode, and we end it on a high note! (Yes, even despite the episode going up a day late.) We've got a bit of a preview of an upcoming dis...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-160-the-tenth-commandment-the-ten-commandments-part-10/
Grant's out on vacation in lovely Myrtle Beach, SC this week, so Jenny and Peter tackle a special project—working together to create a unique setting centerpiece for a game Jenny will be runni...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-159-we-built-this-city-on-rock-and-wool/
Guest—and possible honorary host—Krissi Woodward joins us this episode to break down her first time running a tabletop roleplaying game! Krissi ran a very successful arc of World of Darkness...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-158-breaking-down-a-gms-first-game-with-krissi-woodward/
We're nearing the end of our Ten Commandments series! This episode tackles lying—or as the Ten Commandments are commonly translated, "bearing false witness." First, though, Peter talks a bit ab...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-157-bearing-false-witness-the-ten-commandments-part-9/
This week's topic is a sort of follow-up to our latest episode in our Ten Commandments series , except it's also entirely City On A Hill Gaming 's fault, we promise! We're talking about how to ma...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-156-treasure-without-theft/
Bryan and Mike from the Geek at Arms podcast join us this week to talk about the unwritten rules at our gaming tables (and elsewhere in our lives!) Geek at Arms is an excellent, thoughtful podca...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-155-unwritten-rules-with-geek-at-arms/
Oh, hey, guess who's back! That's right—Grant rejoins Peter and Jenny back on the mics. (And thank you, seriously, for everyone who reached out or who prayed for me. It's really appreciated. �...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-154-theft-the-ten-commandments-part-eight/
Jenny and Peter welcome Kyle Rudge of Geekdom House and Mythos & Ink back onto the mics, this time to talk about publishing! We've a bit of news first—Grant's out for a bit due to some healt...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-153-publishing-with-kyle-rudge/
Peter and Jenny have the mics to themselves this episode, and they're talking about one of the funniest and most imaginative books of the Bible: Jonah! First, though, we take a moment to mention ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-152-biblical-figures-jonah/
Ryan Felton, GM and producer of City On A Hill Gaming , joins Grant, Jenny, and Peter to discuss creating actual play content! We've mentioned City On A Hill plenty lately, since Ryan was kind en...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-151-actual-play-with-ryan-felton/
It's our one hundred fiftieth episode, and we are excited! We've got a lot of people to thank, of course, and spend a couple minutes at the top of the show doing that. We've also got a touch of p...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-150-why-we-love-games/
Rev. Derek "The GeekPreacher" White joins us once again , and this time it's even more special than usual. This episode is a sort of test case for a new thing we might be doing with Derek more r...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-149-unlikely-heroes-with-rev-derek-white/
We're back with the second half of our unofficial two-parter on angels! (And yes, you can catch up with our first half here .) This time around, we're discussing how to make angels interesting in...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-148-angels-in-our-games/
It's time for our Patreon-selected topic for the quarter, and this one's so big it'll take up two episodes! Our topic this week is angels, and with so much material to work with we just had to br...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-147-angels-and-angelology/
Well, it was inevitable, folks: When we committed to doing a series on The Ten Commandments , we knew we'd eventually have to talk about adultery. Fair warning: This episode does talk about sex. ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-146-adultery-the-ten-commandments-part-six/
We're tackling a difficult and complex topic in this episode: How to roleplay characters with mental illnesses with sensitivity and grace. First, though, we've got a bit of other business to talk...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-145-roleplaying-mental-illnesses/
We've got an unusual bonus episode this time around—one that in many ways recalls our old New Years' resolutions episodes! We're implementing an objectives and key results system behind-the-...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-18-objectives-and-key-results/
With Jenny traveling for the holidays, we're back to Grant and Peter on the mics for an episode! We cover our Christmas stories and Grant's Christmas stream of the Link to the Past Holiday Random...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-144-hacking-published-adventures/
Author and game designer Greg Stolze joins us once again, this time to talk about systematically creating good gaming sessions! We had Greg on once before, talking about personal horror and Unkn...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-143-good-gaming-sessions-with-greg-stolze/
Jenny and Peter oversee the promotion of our ongoing series on gamifying Biblical figures with one of the most difficult yet: Samson! Though his story is found in the Book of Judges , Samson is ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-142-biblical-figures-samson/
Yep, it's a bonus episode all right—sillier and far less structured! In this episode: The end of Grant's colony game; Peter's continuing game; Grant's upcoming Eberron game and #EberronFacts (a...
Our Ten Commandments series returns with a discussion of the Sixth Commandment: "You shall not murder." First, though, Jenny's got a lot of Overlight to talk about! We got to sit down and play ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-141-the-sixth-commandment-the-ten-commandments-part-6/
It's a special Halloween episode, this time on undeath! Well, okay, it's at least a Halloween episode, and that counts for something. We start things off with a quick update on our Twitch stream...
Krissi Woodward joins us again this episode to help Grant and Jenny speak a little less, since they're both pretty sick in this episode, and to talk about character backstories with everyone! Kr...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-139-character-backstories-with-krissi-woodward/
Jenny's off exploring France this week, so Peter and Grant sat down together for another bonus episode in our Biblical Figures series! This time, we're talking about Matthew—apostle, Gospel a...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-16-biblical-figures-matthew/
After more than a year, we're finally back to our series on the Ten Commandments ! We're picking up where we left off with the Fifth Commandment, which tells us to "honor thy father and mother"�...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-138-the-fifth-commandment-the-ten-commandments-part-5/
Zach Lorton of Back Burner Games joins us this episode to talk about playing music at the gaming table! Zach's a DJ, game designer, and friend of the show, so he's basically the perfect person t...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-137-music-at-the-gaming-table-with-zach-lorton/
Gaming podcaster extraordinaire Kris Newton returns to discuss handling destiny in our games! Kris hosts two of our favorite podcasts: The Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast (neé Gameable Disney...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-136-destiny-with-kris-newton/
Continuing our previous episode, Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the Min/Max Podcast join us to finish our discussion on moral accountability for our in-character choic...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-135-moral-accountability-part-2-with/
We reach maximum hosting with not one, not two, but three guests this week! Allen Mowers, Ashley Mowers, and Kyle Stainbrook from the much-loved Min/Max Podcast join us to discuss moral accou...
We're back with another con report! Jenny, Peter, and friend of the show Tyler "Churcher" Denning join us to recap Fear the Con 2018 , held June 22-23 in Brentwood, MO. Game rundown: Slot 1 (Je...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-15-con-report-fear-the-con-2018/
It's a perfectly normal episode, without guests or con recaps or anything - what even is this? It's an episode about getting your feet wet as a GM, that's what! After our usual banter, including...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-133-getting-started-as-a-gm/
It's time for another bonus episode, `cause we've got a convention to recap and gaming news to catch up on! Jenny went to Ottowa Comic Con 2018 this May, and she's got a lot of stories to tell! ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-14-ottowa-comic-con-and-other-things/
As foretold, once every thirty-three episodes Mike Perna of Innroads Ministries , Game Store Prophets , and Bard and Bible joins us—this time, to talk about board games! Mike takes a moment t...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-132-board-games-with-mike-perna/
This week, we've got not one, but two special guests on the mics with us! Daniel Silver and Father David Subu join us to introduce us to Doxacon Prime 2018 ! Doxacon is a convention about Christ...
Author, actor, programmer, and preacher Stephen Weese joins us for a fascinating discussion on subculture ministry! Stephen's book God Loves the Freaks: A Guide to Subculture Ministry was one ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-130-outreach-with-stephen-weese/
Gamer and pastor Tim Decker of Christ Community Etc in Owosso, MI joins us to talk about playing support characters in our roleplaying games, in response to the eternal complaints of players who...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-129-support-characters/
We're back with a surprisingly focused episode on sainthood thanks to Jenny's hard work and research! We've only a little bit of off-topic material to discuss: A quick word about the list of ques...
Due to illness, it's another short bonus episode this week; but Jenny and Peter are talking about Gideon, so it can't be all bad! Gideon's a fascinating figure from Judges 6-8 , who (like so many...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-13-biblical-figures-2-gideon/
We're back with a discussion of Christian allegory and allusion! This episode, we're mostly focusing on how this applies to settings, and especially Peter's ongoing series of setting design blog ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-127-christian-allegory-and-allusion/
This episode, we manage the unthinkable and actually get our quarterly Patreon -selected topic in before the last possible episode! It's a whole new world, folks. We open up the show by talking...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-126-resurrection-magic/
This week, we're talking about positive metagaming! First, we catch up a bit and recap what games we've played recently (including Peter's terrifying encounter with a flock of seagulls and Jenny...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-125-positive-metagaming/
We're back with a follow-up to our previous episode on mass combat ! This time around, we're talking about actually roleplaying in a mass combat scenario, and treating war and conflict as a sett...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-124-roleplaying-in-mass-combat/
(Fixed audio.) This episode's conversation about mass combat—a topic selected by our Patreon supporters —turned out to be so big, we're following this one up with another episode on a related...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-123-making-mass-combat-interesting/
It's an emergency bonus episode due to illness and holiday stress, but an interesting topic: Joseph as a gameable figure! (Listen to find out which Joseph, naturally.)
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-12-biblical-figures-joseph/
As promised in Episode 120 , we’re tackling “battered group syndrome” in this episode and the next! Yes, it’s a two-parter, because we had so much to say on this topic we couldn’t keep ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-122-battered-group-syndrome-part-2/
As promised in Episode 120, we're tackling "battered group syndrome" in this episode and the next! Yes, it's a two-parter, because we had so much to say on this topic we couldn't keep the convers...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-121-battered-group-syndrome-part-1/
We're back with our angriest, most rant-filled episode yet! Well, not really—but there's a lot of passion in this episode, because we're talking about GMing traditions the gaming community stil...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-120-six-clickbaity-gming-traditions-we-need-to-stop/
Jenny and her mother Shannon (of STG 10 fame!) deliver an after-action report on Save Against Fear 2017 , held Oct. 13-15 in Harrisburg, PA! Everyone had a great time, and the con was exceptiona...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-11-save-against-fear-2017-con-report/
Peter and Jenny have two special guests this week: Jacob Toman and Michael Mendis from Gospel & Gaming ! Gospel & Gaming is, in their own words, "a ministry dedicated to sharing the love and Gosp...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-119-gaming-evangelism-with-gospel-and-gaming/
We're back with an episode topic selected by our Patreon supporters: That old adage, "the ends justify the means"—in other words, consequentialism! First, a few announcements: Grant now regula...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-118-ends-and-means/
Booter, con organizer, and friend Adam Gottfried joins us to talk about planning Fear the Con and other conventions! First, Adam has an announcement (the first piece of news ever broken on Savin...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-117-con-planning-with-adam-gottfried/
We're delighted to welcome Jack Berkenstock Jr. of The Bodhana Group back onto the mics this week! Jack previously joined us on STG 25 , when he introduced us to the idea of roleplaying games as...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-116-therapeutic-gaming-revisited-with-jack-berkenstock/
Adam Davis and Adam Johns from Wheelhouse Workshop join us to discuss how and why they use Dungeons & Dragons in social skills therapy! Their Seattle-based organization has been doing this for...
We're joined this week by Matthew Surber , who's both the Program Director at the West River Center in Maryland and a game designer affiliated with Defy Danger Adventures . We actually found Ma...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-114-gaming-and-counseling-with-matthew-surber/
Our Ten Commandments series returns with the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." Before we get to that, however, we have a bit of business to go over and a bit of catchi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-113-the-fourth-commandment/
It's a special bonus episode this week, as Jenny and Peter recap their Fear the Con experiences! Peter also recently wrote about his very emotional slot 6 game , and if you haven't read that yet,...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-10-fear-the-con-x-review/
Grant, Peter, and Jenny discuss playing characters who are much better—or much worse—at things than you yourself are! This topic was selected by our Patreon backers, whom we're very grateful ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-112-playing-above-and-below-your-ability/
Psychology researcher, professor, and LARPer Dr. Sarah Lynne Bowman joins us for a fascinating discussion of LARP and the psychology of play and roleplaying! Sarah had an enormous amount of info...
The Rev. Derek White, longtime friend of the show and known to the Internet as "The Geekpreacher", joins us once again to discuss spiritual warfare! After introducing Derek (and letting him plu...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-110-spiritual-warfare-with-rev-derek-white/
We continue our discussion with Krissi Woodward about clothing and visual character descriptions! We pick back up with discussions of cultural and vocational costume, and move on to the effects ...
Krissi Woodward—Grant's wife and costume designer—joins us once again to discuss visual character descriptions in our game, and especially clothing! We have a couple of announcements related...
Grant, Peter, and Jenny return to discuss the Third Commandment ! There's quite a lot of banter and catching up to do first, of course, and we banter about illness, the forthcoming Amonkhet set ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-108-the-third-commandment-ten-commandments-part-3/
This episode, we tackle a surprisingly complicated topic: Relics and holy items! Grant's out sick, what with his entire house having been struck by plagues of all sorts, so Jenny and Peter have t...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-107-relics-and-holy-items/
After over two years as a two-person show, Saving the Game is proud to announce our new permanent host Jenny Dickson! This is her first episode, and she'll be joining us going forward. The epis...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-106-limiting-evil/
Grant and Peter are back to talk about exploration as a major feature in RPGs! First, a bit of sad news from Peter; then, we spend a bit of time talking about Grant's Fellowship game, and how str...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-105-exploration/
In this episode, Grant and Peter discuss naming characters and renaming characters! We kick things off with a conversation about the games Grant's playing right now—Pugmire , Fellowship , and ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-104-naming-and-renaming/
We’ve got THREE guests crowding around the mics this week to continue with part two of a special episode on personal fitness! Kimi (cosplayer, tabletop gaming podcaster, weightlifter, gym owne...
We've got THREE guests crowding around the mics this week for part one of a special episode on personal fitness! Kimi (cosplayer, tabletop gaming podcaster, weightlifter, gym owner, and former p...
Happy New Year! Grant and Peter are back to talk about ... dice?! After a couple of minor announcements and housekeeping notes, we list off some of the games we'd really like to try to play in 20...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-102-adapting-to-the-dice/
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Grant and Peter sit down to tackle a topic selected by our voting Patreon supporters: Playing supernatural creatures! First, though, we spend quite a lot of ti...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-101-playing-supernatural-creatures/
Grant presents a very special Christmas bonus episode: A reading of a unique sermon given on Christmas Day, 1983, by Rev. Bob Lawrence of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. Music: ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-9-the-centurion-by-rev-bob-lawrence/
We've finally reached the hundred-episode milestone! Our heartfelt thanks to all our listeners, past hosts and guest hosts, and Patreon backers; you've all helped make this podcast special. We lo...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-100-history-and-historical-mystery/
Mike Perna of Innroads Ministries joins us at the appointed hour, to give our listeners some real, practical advice on running small gaming events for your church or community! First, though, we...
Grant and Peter continue our ongoing Ten Commandments series with a look at the Second Commandment! First, though, Grant has a fair bit to say about InSpectres and Pugmire, and some lessons he's...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-98-the-second-commandment/
We're back to talk about religious villains in your game! First, Grant discusses a successful Pugmire one-shot and his upcoming InSpectres game. Then, Grant and Peter put out a call for your s...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-97-religious-villains/
Grant and Peter kick off a new, more theologically-oriented series this week! We'll be looking at each of the Ten Commandments , and so of course we're starting with the First Commandment. First,...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-96-the-first-commandment-the-ten-commandments-part-1/
It's a relatively light episode for news, so Grant and Peter have more time for the Patreon question and the main topic. It turns out they need it. Hospitality is a big, old-school StG topic and ...
Grant and Peter are back with a whole host of things to talk about! We start with a bit about the Pugmire campaign Grant just started playing in. Then we answer a surprisingly tricky question fr...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-94-epic-monsters/
Grant and Peter handle the first of two topic voted on by Patreon backers: Anti-Heroes. After tackling another great Patreon backer question, the hosts dive in, and as it turns out, this is a mor...
Grant's back from Electric City Comic-Con 2016 , and it was fantastic! We recap the show, including some specific people and organizations Grant wanted to specifically call out (check the full n...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/stg-92-generalists-vs-specialists/
(Part Two.) Kris and Katrina Ehrnman-Newton, hosts of the inimitable Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast (and its previous Gameable Pixar and Disney iterations), join us for an episode so monstrou...
(Part One.) Kris and Katrina Ehrnman-Newton, hosts of the inimitable Gameable Saturday Morning Podcast (and its previous Gameable Pixar and Disney iterations), join us for an episode so monstrou...
After answering a short, fun, and humorous Patreon backer question, Grant and Peter dig into one of the most fascinating, important, and gameable events in all of church history: the First Counci...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-90-the-first-council-of-nicaea-historical-heresies-5/
Grant and Peter Tackle an interesting Patreon supporter question about sandbox games and then move in to the very meaty and historically-important topic of Arianianism, a Christological heresy na...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-89-arianism-historical-heresies-4/
Rev. Chris Ode joins Peter and Grant in a very personal episode this week! Chris is a Lutheran pastor, and an actor and religious consultant for Zombie Orpheus Entertainment . We cover a lot of ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-88-dark-dungeons-and-lingering-pain-with-rev-chris-ode/
Grant and Peter take a few moments to catch up on-air, and then discuss two exciting upcoming projects, Game to Grow and our upcoming Patreon campaign, before discussing a surprisingly meaty topi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-87-healing-and-injury/
Grant and Peter discuss Peter's new job, Grant's new hobby, and the impact those sorts of life changes and callings can change the inner lives of your characters, how they can be reflected (or no...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-86-callings-and-changes/
Former Methodist minister and current Wizards of the Coast writer James Wyatt joins us to talk about designing pantheons for fantasy settings! James is a long-time D&D writer with a multitude o...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-85-designing-fantasy-pantheons-with-james-wyatt/
Grant and Peter discuss the root causes of some common GM problems such as over- or under- prepping, de-protagonizing, and issues with detail and offer their advice on how to address them. Scri...
Author and game designer Greg Stolze joins Grant and Peter to talk about Unknown Armies 3rd Edition , its Kickstarter , some of his other work, and personal-scale horror stories! We spend a lot...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-83-personal-horror-with-greg-stolze/
Not much in the way of news this week, so Grant and Peter get almost straight into the topic: diaspora, the scattering of a people from a common homeland and their desire to return. We discuss wh...
Grant's second child is here and everybody is doing well! Grant and Peter discuss some recent news, including Gamerati's taking over of RPGpodcasts.com (a very good thing) and the upcoming Tave...
Grant and Peter break down the various advantages and challenges of using mechanical morality systems in your game and also dig into the reasons why such systems exist in the first place. In addi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-80-mechanical-morality-systems/
Grant and Peter get together to discuss a topic that we often take for granted in our gaming experience: how our characters advance in gaming and what that says about our games. There's some comp...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-79-character-advancement/
Grant and Peter read and respond to listener emails this week! We got some very interesting emails: One from Brady, asking about Habitica , a series on bible stories, and our unfulfilled promises...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-78-listener-mailbag-1/
Grant and Peter tackle a pervasive problem afflicting gamers everywhere: A collective inability to handle surrendering PCs and NPCs properly. It's a topic we've had on our to-do list since we sta...
Grant and Peter are back with a STG New Year's tradition: A review of their resolutions for the upcoming year, broken down into "personal", "gaming", and "faith". Plus, Grant drops some informat...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-8-2016-new-years-resolutions/
Grant and Peter are back at it with part three of our Historical Heresies series. This time, we introduce a major competitor to Christianity in the Western Roman Empire, and a particularly intere...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-76-manichaeism-historical-heresies-part-3/
It's a shorter episode this week, due to recording right after Thanksgiving and Grant (and the rest of his household) being very sick. Still, that doesn't stop us from plugging our Bodhana Group...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-75-group-management/
Rev. Derek White, a.k.a. "The Geekpreacher ", joins Grant and Peter once again! Derek joined us previously on Episode 38, "Christians on the Convention Scene" , and he's back with us to discuss a...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-74-the-myth-of-redemptive-violence-with-rev-derek-white/
Grant and Peter reprise Episode 60's "Gaming Curriculum" topic, with another set of suggested media! These are things we think you should read, watch, play, or experience away from the gaming t...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-73-our-gaming-curriculum-part-2/
Our holiday fundraiser for The Bodhana Group has officially begun ! Grant and a recuperating Peter kick off this episode with a plug for that, before diving into the complex structure and philos...
Grant and Peter take a large tangent in our discussion about heresies in the early Church, and turn it into its own episode on creeds! We discuss the uses of creeds in the early Church (and in o...
Grant and Peter kick off a new Historical Heresies series, analyzing heresies from the early Church! Without much additional news, we dive right into our Scripture and topic, starting with Ad...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-70-adoptionism-and-ebionism-historical-heresies-part-1/
It's a short episode this week—Grant was fighting a very unpleasant cold—but that didn't stop Grant and Peter from discussing holy ground! First, reminders about The MacGuffin Factory and ou...
Kyle Rudge of Geekdom House joins Grant and Peter to talk about a host of small, interesting, and interrelated topics! Geekdom House has a Kickstarter wrapping up for their lovely "Area of Effe...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-68-breaking-down-boundaries-with-kyle-rudge/
Kris and Katrina, hosts of the Gameable Pixar Podcast (formerly the Gameable Disney Podcast) join Grant and Peter in a special crossover episode on breaking established setting canon! Gameable P...
Grant and Peter take a break to talk about collectible card games! We talk about our experiences with games both paper and pixelated: War of Omens , Hearthstone , Magic: The Gathering , Doomtown ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-7-collectible-card-games/
Mike Perna of Innroads Ministries and Game Store Prophets joins us to talk about a complex problem in both faith communities and geek communities: Gatekeeping. Mike's joined us before for Epis...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-66-gatekeeping-with-mike-perna/
Grant and Peter are back to talk about non-human player characters—the weirder, the better! After a quick reminder to rate and review us on iTunes or Stitcher, we get on with our main topic. ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-65-non-human-characters/
Grant and Peter are back, with Fear the Con 8 behind us and new gaming horizons ahead! Grant's had some major changes in his local gaming group, which prompt some discussion, but soon enough it'...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-64-matching-system-and-story/
Grant and Peter sat down together—in the same room for the first time in the history of Saving the Game—and recorded a short bonus episode together at Fear the Con 8 in St. Louis, MO! We ta...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-6-fear-the-con-8/
Reverend Jason D. Wood, a full-time pastor and gamer, joins Grant and Peter to help introduce roleplaying games to the curious! Jason writes for The Mad Adventurers Society as The Mad Cleric ,...
Grant and Peter are back, and talking about creatures great and small! Inspired by M. J. Young's 2004 Faith and Gaming article "Animals " (written for the Christian Gamers' Guild ), Grant and Pet...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-62-animals-1432002133/
Derek Knutsen, co-host of THE ESTABLiSHED FACTS and the mind behind Palegain Press , joins us to talk about charitable activity happening at Fear the Con 8 and some tips on running convention ga...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-61-fear-the-charity-and-con-games-with-derek-knutsen/
Well, it's official: We're going to Fear the Con 8 , and Fear the Con 8 is officially happening , so meet us there! That news aside, though, we've got a full episode for you: Grant and Peter revi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-60-our-gaming-curriculum/
Grant and Peter are back to talk about making interesting conspiracies for your players to expose—or participate in! First, we plug the ongoing Fear the Con 8 Kickstarter —if you want to see ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-59-conspiracies/
Katrina from The Gameable Disney Podcast joins Grant and Peter for an in-depth discussion of prophecy in our games! You can find Katrina and Kris on Tumblr , Twitter , and iTunes , and can email...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-58-prophecy-with-katrina-ehrnman/
Game designer, podcaster, and sometime pastor Josh T. Jordan joins Grant and Peter to talk about those less-than-epic games, and why they still matter! Josh is the main host of Tell Me Another �...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-57-playing-for-small-stakes-with-josh-t-jordan/
This episode, Grant and Peter talk about making real-world locations you're not familiar with into interesting, gameable locations! First, though, we have a lot of well-deserved plugs to get thro...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-56-making-locations-gameable/
Grant and Peter return to talk about laying the groundwork for character development before the game starts! We lead off with a reminder about Sojourn 2 (and the forthcoming Sojourn 3) , and a r...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-55-groundwork-for-character-development/
It's our annual New Year's Resolutions bonus episode! Our fundraiser has wrapped up (at $360 raised for The Bodhana Group , well beyond our $150 goal), and Sojourn Volume 2 is still out, with V...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-5-2015-new-years-resolutions/
It's a short episode this week—Grant, Peter, and Branden recorded it just before Christmas—but we make the most of our time! First up, we plug Sojourn Volume 2 (remember, Peter's published i...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-54-holiday-gaming/
Our Virtues & Vices series concludes with a look at humility! Peter's published again in Sojourn Volume 2 and our fundraiser for The Bodhana Group is nearly wrapped up, and well past its goal!...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-53-humility-virtues-vices-part-14-1419998344/
It's only Grant and Peter this episode, as we head into the final pair in our Virtues & Vices series ! First, we talk about our ongoing (and quickly wrapping up) fundraiser for The Bodhana Group ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-52-pride-virtues-vices-part-13/
Devon Kelley from the Shark Bone Podcast joins Grant, Peter and Branden in a discussion of one of Devon's favorite RPG topics: Non-violent conflict resolution! Devon plugs a game of his own—Th...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-51-non-violent-conflict-resolution-with-devon-kelley/
It's Part Two of the special LIVE recording we did with listener questions to celebrate fifty episodes of STG! Thanks again to everyone who participated, and thanks to everyone who's kept us goin...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-50-live-making-interesting-characters-part-2/
For our 50th episode, we wanted to do something a little special: A live episode recorded via Hangouts On-Air, with listener questions and responses! It turned out amazingly well, and we're excit...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-50-live-making-interesting-characters-part-1/
Award-winning author and game designer Kenneth Hite joins Grant, Peter and Branden for a discussion of horror games and stories, just in time for Halloween! Check out Ken's own podcast, Ken And ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-49-horror-games-with-kenneth-hite/
Peter and Branden are back to talk about trustworthiness! First, a reminder about our upcoming LIVE recording of Episode 50 , and an account of Save Against Fear 2014 from Branden. Then, we get ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-48-trustworthy-characters/
Grant, Peter and Branden are back with thoughts on monsters! Our brief news segment discusses our new online store (go buy a shirt or a mug, they're awesome), a plug for the LIVE episode we'll r...
Grant's back, and there's so much news! Our official store is open, Peter's getting published again, Branden has a job, and our live Q&A episode is coming up. And all that's before we get into o...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-46-kindness-virtues-vices-part-12/
BIG NEWS: Branden will be a Save Against Fear 2014 ! If you're not familiar with SAFe and The Bodhana Group, take a listen to Episode 25, "Therapeutic Roleplaying (with Jack Berkenstock)" . Th...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-4-brandon-tells-a-story/
Peter and Branden take a break from the usual episode sequence to talk about their story and game ideas that haven't made it to the table yet! We also plug Save Against Fear 2014 , in Lancaster, ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-3-story-ideas/
Branden and Peter continue our Virtues & Vices series with a discussion of Envy! BIG news first, though: Episode 50 will be recorded LIVE, with an ongoing listener Q&A during the episode! Also...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-45-envy-virtues-vices-part-11/
Peter and Branden will be holding down the next couple of episodes—Grant's got some medical issues and can't podcast for a while. But we've got extra STG-related content to make up for it! Pete...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-44-oaths-and-vows/
Peter was at Fear the Con 7 when we recorded this one, but that's okay—Ed Healy , founder of Gamerati and co-host of Atomic Array , joined Grant and Branden as a guest host this episode! Afte...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-43-unity-vs-uniformity-with-ed-healy/
Grant, Peter, and Branden are back at it! In news: Branden's read a book , Peter preemptively thanks everyone for an amazing time at Fear the Con , and Grant tries really hard not to make jokes a...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-42-blessings-and-curses/
Professor Branden schools Peter and Grant on some traditional lists of archetypal stories! We start things off with a reminder that Peter will be at Fear the Con 7 from June 12th to June 14th (f...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-41-the-types-of-stories/
Grant, Peter, and Branden are back around the mics for a discussion about holy orders and, er, sheep. We kick things off with a bit of an explanation of our missed episode, a plug for Save Again...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-40-religious-orders/
Sorry -- no regular episode today. Peter's father-in-law passed away on the day we were slated to record today's episode (with a guest host), and that threw our schedule off rather a bit more tha...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/no-regular-episode-today/
After an aside on the books which have impacted us most strongly, Grant, Peter and Branden settle in on a difficult and unpopular topic: Chastity. We take a few minutes to define it, then discuss...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-39-chastity-virtues-vices-part-10/
Derek W. White, a.k.a. the "Geek Preacher ", joins Grant, Peter, and Branden as a guest host, bringing with him his knowledge of the geek convention scene and Christian organizations and activiti...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-39-christians-on-the-convention-scene-with-derek-white/
Our Virtues & Vices series picks up again with a particularly difficult topic: Lust. We briefly plug Sojourn again, and then dive headlong into a discussion about this capital sin. We explain w...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-37-lust-virtues-vices-part-9/
We're back with a lot of news and a great topic: Romance! We're proud to announce that Peter was published in Sojourn: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction , a collection recently released by Fea...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-36-romance-in-games/
In a thematic continuation from our previous episode on death , Grant, Peter and Branden talk about resurrection! We first address the question of whether a game that features any resurrection o...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-35-resurrection/
After only a little bit of banter and news (including an official announcement relating to our backlog of missing episodes), Grant, Peter and Branden jump right into a particularly heavy topic: D...
We welcome guest host Mike from Innroads Ministries and Game Store Prophets ! Mike introduces our listeners to Innroads, and we talk a bit about "geek ministries" before settling in with our ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-33-our-origin-stories/
In this episode, Grant and Peter introduce our syndication partnership with Innroads Ministries , and thank everyone who donated to The Bodhana Group through our fundraiser (and everyone else wh...
It's our annual New Years bonus episode! Grant, Peter, and Branden review their 2013 New Years resolutions and how well they lived up to them (or not). Then we dive headlong into our resolutions ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/bonus-episode-2014-new-years-resolutions/
We kick off our pseudo-Christmas episode with a shoutout to all our new listeners and a reminder about our fundraiser for The Bodhana Group , and a bit more brief news (as well as a Cooking Comi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-31-religious-holidays/
We welcome back guest host Ben Rome, co-author of Games' Most Wanted and Assistant Line Developer for Catalyst's Battletech line! We discuss the 2013 RPG Podcasters' Charity Drive and our ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-30-long-campaigns-with-ben-rome/
Peter and Grant welcome Steve Jarjoura from Postcards from the Dungeon as a guest host! We talk about our fundraiser for The Bodhana Group and the 2013 RPG Podcasters Charity Drive , as well as...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-29-giving-in-games-with-stephen-jarjoura/
It's fundraiser time! We're raising money this year for The Bodhana Group as part of the 2013 RPG Podcasters Charity Drive ! In this episode, Grant, Peter, and Branden plug a couple of things,...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-28-playing-the-bad-guy/
Branden, Mike, Peter, and Grant pick up our "Science of Storytelling " series with a discussion of episodic storytelling structure and pacing! Branden walks us through the structure and guides th...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-27-episodic-structure-and-pacing/
We're back with more virtues! This time, we're talking about the virtue of Patience, and its glosses of Peace and Mercy. As usual, we discuss and define Patience from a theological perspective, a...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-26-patience-virtues-vices-part-8/
It's our distinct pleasure to welcome Jack Berkenstock of The Bodhana Group as a guest host for this episode! We give Jack plenty of time to talk about his group and their mission to help youn...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-25-therapeutic-roleplaying-with-jack-berkenstock/
We welcome Mike, occasionally known as Mindtakerr on the Internet, as a new host! Then we talk about wrath - when anger is (and isn't) a mortal sin, and how it can manifest in people. Then we tal...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-24-wrath-virtues-vices-part-7/
Two major announcements: This is the first episode in our new "Science of Storytelling" series; and Save Against Fear , a remarkable gaming convention and fundraiser for sexually traumatized kids...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-23-narrative-structure-science-of-storytelling-part-1/
Back when we recorded this episode, Saving the Game had just turned one year old! That's pretty awesome! A big thanks to all of our listeners, old and new. In this episode, Grant, Peter, and Bra...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-22-morals-in-stories/
This time our episode topic is redemption stories in your roleplaying games. We discuss how to successfully tell redemption stories in a collaborative storytelling environment; how these stories ...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-21-redemption-stories/
Grant, Peter and Branden continue our Virtues & Vices series with an episode on Diligence, the virtue contrary to the vice of Sloth. As usual, we explain the virtue—both culturally and theologi...
https://savingthegame.podbean.com/e/episode-20-diligence-virtues-vices-part-6/