Rascal News

Talkback: Blades in the Dark/Doskvol

Book club episode! We respond to people's responses about my discussions questions regarding Blades in the Dark and Doskvol. Show Notes: Games mentioned: Mythic Bastionland, Spire, Paranoia, Silent Titans Kieron's blog about Mythic Bastionland on Old Men Running the World COTTONMOUTH LAW, THE 400 BLOWS & KUNG FU CAPITALISM, a blog from Was it Likely The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

Reading Club: Blades in the Dark/Doskvol

Book club episode! We discuss Blades in the Dark by John Harper. Read more here. As always, you can participate in the talkback episode by sending in a response to any or all of the following questions. You can record yourself speaking, you can post in the discord thread for this episode, or write to thomas@rascal.news. Looking forward to hearing from you. Discussion Questions What are your thoughts on Duskwall? Do you have a cool example of a moment in the game that came out of factions and their connections? As a GM or as a player? What do you think about the idea that Duskwall is "a city designed for heists"? Do you feel a strong difference between the rules in systems and the rules of the setting? Do you think one is easier for you to remember or forget? What do you think about the idea that a good setting helps you figure out cause and effect so that it's easier to make players' decisions and actions be meaningful? Show Notes: Thursday Garreau's blog series on the history of Blades in the Dark and its setting Dice Exploder podcast episode on Lightning Barriers The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

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Rascal Radio Hour E42: Scootin' for a Mutin'

Rowan joins Chase and Thomas for a podcast that almost immediately flies off the rails and deep into tangent territory. Also, Chase gets roundly bullied by his friends and coworkers. The crew discuss Rowan, Rook and Decard's new union, Wizards of the Coast's vision keynote at Gen Con, and the culmination of a Band of Blades campaign that left Thomas and Rowan impressed with themselves and the Forged in the Dark-style fantasy RPG. Later in the Question Dungeon, the crew offer PbtA advice and discuss what a "normal player" would even look like. -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social) and Rowan Zeoli (@rowanzeoli.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we mention: Pirate Borg Dungeons & Dragons Band of Blades Masks: A New Generation Stonetop

State of the Rascal - August 2026

Subscribe now to get 33% off an annual memberships! Already a subscriber? We'd appreciate a donation to our tip jar. Rascal News needs your help. You might have seen our recent article laying out the potentially dire financial straits that the website finds itself facing. In this special episode of the podcast, Chase and Thomas tackle the reasons why and what you, dear listeners, can do to support us through this (hopefully) brief economic blip. It's a conversational and transparent discussion about finances, failed projects, experimentation, and dreams. We also answer some reader questions, which prompts a long tangent about reviewing tabletop RPGs. -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Chris Gethard Show's famous episode, "One Man's Trash" No Pun Included's video on why they're rethinking the channel's approach to reviews.

Interview: Cameron Kunzelman on Lifepaths

Cameron Kunzelman, game critic and scholar, returns to our podcast feed with a conversation with Thomas about lifepaths, his new book Path Apparatus, and his love-hate relationship with Pendragon. This interview is also available as an article. You can read an edited excerpt here. Show Notes: Sword Coast: Coast 2 Coast (actual play): https://rangedtouch.com/sword-coast-coast-2-coast/ Maelstrom Domesday (game): https://beyondcataclysm.co.uk/product/maelstrom-doomsday-softcover/ Whale Roads: https://sulcata.itch.io/whale-roads Podcast episode with the organizers of Whale Roads: https://www.patreon.com/rangedtouch/posts/rangers-upon-119380961 State of the Rascal 2026: https://www.rascal.news/state-of-the-rascal-august-2026/ Theme song by People Need Goals.

Rascal Radio Hour E41: Three Damage Tracks!!

Thomas and Chase wade into a forum controversy over Deathrbringer that's about something other than the purile art and misguided promises of lethality. They also discuss delays to the Wolfenstein RPG adaptation and the slightly baffling (deep breath) Anne Rice's Immortal Universe Roleplaying Game, which will have plenty of vampires but somehow be distinct from Vampire: The Masquerade. Finally, they discuss the TTGDA's guidance on properly crediting game designers before hacking their way free of a Question Dungeon full of 20 bloodthirsty Jimothies. -- TTGDA Crediting Best Practices Hollandspiele's video on René Soriano's games -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we mention: Deathbringer Shadowdark Vampire the Masquerade Diplomacy A Perfect Rock Band of Blades Apocalypse World: Warriors of the World Ablaze

Rascal Interview: Agency, frustration, and secrets in Asa Donald's SPINE

Heads up: We explain some large structural spoilers for SPINE during this interview but stay away from particular details. While Thomas plans the next seasons of the Reading Club, Chase invites designer Asa Donald for a conversation about his ENNIE-nominated solo RPG, SPINE. The peculiar title wrestles with questions of player agency and the capacity of words to reflect ourselves - or, at least, a version of us. An academic and early modernist by day, Asa explains the literary and classical roots underpinning SPINE's tale of immortality and discusses how the endnotes system creates fruitful frustration. -- Find SPINE here and the rest of Asa's work on Backwards Tabletop. Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring guest Asa Donald (@backwardsttrpg.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: SPINE The King is Dead Firebrands -- Asa's retrospective on SPINE and printing your own copy of the game. Game Studies Study Buddies' episode on The Ludic Self in Seventeeth-Century English Literature.

Rascal Radio Hour E40: The Clicky-clacky Candy Metric, feat. Clayton Notestine

Chase is joined by designer and blogger Clayton Notestine of Explorer's Design to discuss the ENNIEs, both as a former judge and as a current nominee! Awards are a strange beast for tabletop RPGs, mattering very little but able to change smaller designers' career trajectory. How does the public's misapprehensions about these awards for ostensible "excellence" muddy the waters? And who is responsible for correcting course? The duo also talk about generative AI sneaking into tabletop publishing via Adobe software backends. Later, Clayton explains his dual metric for rating board games (which involves mouthfeel), while Chase is still not facing consequences for quadruple-dealing in Diplomacy. Finally, they wade into the The Question Dungeon's muck and scare out a discussion on why more RPGs should play their genres straight. -- Read Clayton's work on Explorers Design. Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring guest Clayton Notestine (@explorersdesign.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: Intergalactic Bastionland The One Ring Mothership Diplomacy Carin 2E Stonetop Snakes of Wrath -- Clayton's official statement on his ENNIEs nom. The Awards Debrief 2025, an ENNIEs post-mortem. On why I hate awards, or "Please vote for me at the Ennies", by Em Acosta.

Talkback: Stonetop

Book club episode! Sean Foer, professional GM and maker of videos, joined me to go through people's responses about my discussions questions on Stonetop. Show Notes: Games mentioned: Secret of the Night Market, Perils & Princesses, Dictionary of Mu, Realis, Green Oaks by Roberto de Luca, Heart, Seven Part Pact, Book House / Nostos, The House Edge. The excellent Blorb principles that outline that style of play Jeremy Kerr's interactive map for Wildsea and guide Also, check out our previous episodes about the Warden's Operations Manual for comparison and contrast. The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

Rascal Radio Hour E39: You Game of Thrones'd Yourself

Union wins and hall of fame inductions headline a much more positive week for tabletop games. Chase and Thomas convene to discuss the major headlines, including some awards news out of Origins and United Wizards of the Coast officially electing the venerable company's first ever union. Later on, the pair saunter into the Question Dungeon's deadly political soiree to cross s(words) with half-year predictions and why the concept of dungeon crawling has such staying power in our imagination. -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: Warhammer 40k Magic: The Gathering Arena Land of Eem Apocalypse World Berserkr SPINE Band of Blades Diplomacy

Reading Club: Stonetop

Book club episode! We discuss Stonetop by Jeremy Strandberg. Read more here. As always, you can participate in the talkback episode by sending in a response. You can record yourself speaking, you can post in the discord thread associated with this podcast or write to thomas@rascal.news. Looking forward to hearing from you. Discussion Questions What do you think about Stonetop? What do you think about it as "a textbook for running games"? As a GM, do you find yourselves having a preference for pre-existing settings, setting created at the table, an original setting created by the GM alone, or something else? Do you find yourself moving between these modes? Or just sticking to one? Do you have a particularly memorable experience with one of these modes? Do you have a favorite question that you've asked as a GM or that you've been asked? What's the best pitch you've ever seen from a game (that wasn't an IP or a sequel)? What about it got you excited enough to run it? Was it very different from your usual thing or in the same wheelhouse? What game has made you feel most supported when it comes to improvising? How did it do that? Show Notes: Types of GM Materials by Johnstone Metzger Quinns Quest review Interview with Jeremy Strandberg, Lucie Arnoux, and Jason Lutes on Rascal News The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

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Rascal Radio Hour E38: Documents and Daggers

UPDATE: Thomas spoke with Paizo CEO Jim Butler after we recorded this. Industry news looms heavy over the discussion between Chase, Thomas, and Caelyn, but they find plenty of time for regularly scheduled shenanigans. The episode leads with Paizo's recent layoffs, how Diamond Comics Distribution caused it, and where the publisher goes from here. Afterward, they move on to RPG Trader and what this new, indie-focused storefront does differently from the major players. Stay tuned for an infiltration-themed Question Dungeon, Thomas' extremely satisfying week of games, and Chase's dalliance with duplicity. -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social) and Caelyn Ellis (@caelyn.bsky.social). Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: SPINE Asher's Ridge Diplomacy Apocalypse World Band of Blades Daggerheart Neon Odyssey --

Talkback: Burning Wheel

Book club episode! Andrew Gillis, designer of Girl by Moonlight, joined me to go through people's responses about my discussions questions on Burning Wheel. Show Notes: Games mentioned: D&D, Pathfinder, Fate, Blades in the Dark, Dogs in the Vineyards, Ironsworn, Realis, Apocalypse World, Gloomhaven, Frosthaven, Mythic Bastionland My interview with Helena Real about Dungeon World 2 The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

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Rascal Radio Hour E37: Entering a Horse Race on a Donkey, feat. Jenna Stoeber and Tomas Franzese

Chase is joined on this episode (which is #37 despite what he says) by Jenna Stoeber and Tomas Franzese to discuss two overlapping issues between the tabletop and video game industries. First, the crew dive into Wizards of the Coast's response to unionization efforts within the Magic: The Gathering Arena team. Spoilers: it ain't friendly. Everyone then ponders the cancellation of an unnamed Dungeons & Dragons video game that was being developed by Giant Skull and why pinning all of Hasbro's digital hopes on Exodus and Warlock is... hm, well, ah. Nevertheless, -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring special guests Jenna Stoeber (@thejenna.bsky.social) and Tomas Franzese (@tomasfranzese.bsky.social). Find Jenna's work on Patreon and Tomas' writing at Remastered. Tomas' interview with Stig Asmussen from 2024. Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: Magic: The Gathering Arena Warlock Exodus Rose and Locket TetherGeist Lego Batman The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time SPINE Fatherfog 0e

Reading Club: Burning Wheel

Book club episode! We discuss Burning Wheel, the influential fantasy RPG from Luke Crane. Read more here. As always, you can participate in the talkback episode by sending in a response. You can record yourself, you can post in the discord thread associated with this podcast or write to thomas@rascal.news. Looking forward to hearing from you. Discussion Questions 1. What do you think about Burning Wheel? 2. What's been your experience with games that ask players to write freeform statements like Beliefs in Burning Wheel or Aspects in Fate? Do you feel like you lose some of that freedom in games that just give you a list to pick from? 3. What do you think about the idea of system mastery as a GM? Does it feel different to run games that are about those versus games that don't offer that? Do you have different tastes as a player and as a GM when it comes to games that offer system mastery? 4. Do you agree with my statement that it feels like system mastery in the OSR or storygames is about mastering (specific, identifiable) skills that are broadly compatible across similar games? 5. What do you think about the classification of quests, struggles, and intrigues? Does that feel useful to you? Do you feel like you're better at some or prefer some over others? The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

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Talkback: Draw Steel

Book club episode! We respond to people's responses about my discussions questions regarding Draw Steel. Party Members can nominate games for this series about GM advice through this form. Show Notes: Games mentioned: D&D, Pathfinder, Lancer, Daggerheart, Dolmenwood Caio's youtube channel, The Dice Society My article about what makes Lancer so popular and also, just for good luck, my article about how MCDM designed Draw Steel. The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

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Rascal Radio Hour E36: Scouting Days, feat. Mollie Russell

Check out the Indie Media Collective Bundle! Rascal is partnering with five other independent outlets and creators to offer a group subscription at 50% for the first month. -- Chase and Caelyn are joined by Wargamer's resident haunt-lover, Mollie Russell, to discuss (among other games) Call of Cthulhu's campfire scouts-meets-cosmic horror RPG -- Campfire Tales. The crew also explore the new union with Magic: The Gathering Arena's team and their plea to Hasbro for voluntary recognition. After that, Mollie describes D&D's official actual play, Dungeon Masters, and its distinct offerings. In the Question Dungeon, everyone decides what color of miniatures paint they would be. -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Caelyn Ellis (@caelyn.bsky.social) and special gust Mollie Russell (@spookysyntax.bsky.social) Find Mollie's work at Wargamer. Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: Magic: The Gathering Arena Dungeons & Dragons Campfire Tales Magic of Inventorying SPINE A Land Once Magic Chronicles of Darkness --

Reading Club: Draw Steel

Book club episode! We discuss Draw Steel by MCDM. Read more here. As always participate in the talkback episode, either post in the discord thread associated with this podcast or write to thomas@rascal.news. Discussion Questions What do you think of Draw Steel? What do you think of the GM being called a Director? What differences does the evoke from simply the GM? Does it sound cooler than just Gamemaster? What do you think about the idea that Mothership and Draw Steel have a different ideology about what rules do? Do you think Apocalypse World has a different view from Draw Steel? Do you think a GM of Draw Steel is a game designer in a way that a GM of Apocalypse World isn't? As a GM, do you have a way of "making time matter" without using mechanics? Are you able to do with just narrative or fiction? Do you think there's a (theoretical) recurring tension between heroic game and the idea of a more political game? The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.

Rascal Radio Hour E35: Countless Bridges, feat. Austin Walker and Tyler Crumrine

Chase and Thomas invite Austin Walker and Tyler Crumrine onto the show to discuss the upcoming science fantasy RPG, Realis. Austin explains his history of facilitating tabletop games and how writing the book's GM sections forced him to imrpove his craft. Tyler shares his love for big, beautiful books made as much for the hand as the shelf. Bridges are for the sickos (complementary). -- Hosted by Chase Taylor-Carter (@chasecarter.bsky.social). Featuring Thomas Manuel (@newmadras.bsky.social), with special guests Austin Walker (@austinwalker.bsky.social) and Tyler Crumrine (@possibleworlds.bsky.social) Find Realis on Kickstarter and Possible Worlds Games. Theme song by People Need Goals. Cover art logo by Johan Nohr (@johannohr.bsky.social). -- Games we discuss: Realis Beam Saber Mothership FIST --

Talkback: Deathmatch Island

Book club episode! We respond to people's responses about my discussions questions regarding Deathmatch Island by Tim Denee & Evil Hat. Read more here. Party Members can nominate games for this series about GM advice through this form. Show Notes: Games mentioned: Apocalypse World, Mothership, Last Train To Bremen, Cairn 2e, Dream Askew/Dream Apart, Blades in the Dark, The Wizards Grimoire Jason Morningstar on editing scenes (mentioned by Sam Dunnewold) Yochai Gal on people hacking Cairn The music used for this show is by Nihilore and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. The opening track is So Does Hope and the closing track is Something Beautiful Is Going To Happen. For more from us, visit Rascal News.