Around the Hearth

Powered by the Apocalypse games still remain a strong force in the indie TTRPG space and heavily represented here on the Open Hearth. For this talk we're going to consider where PbtA has been, where it is now, and where it could go. We'll talk broadly about PbtA as a system and specifically about folks' experience with different PbtA iterations. Lowell has ideas, and he'll be leading this discussion group– relying mostly on the participation of folks who join us and desperately filling dead air in between points. This is part of our Open Hearth series of community RPG talks.
Selected Links
Ryne
Stonetop
Rapscallion
Masks
Urban Shadows
Pasión de las Pasiones
Vale of the Failed and the Fallen
Escape from Dino Island
Apocalypse World 3e
Under Hollow Hills
Armour Astir: Advent
Hearts of Wulin
The Cluster
Help Rae Recover Links 
Support or donate at https://patreon.com/swordqueengames or https://ko-fi.com/matthewarcilla

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @[email protected]

In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, Lowell (edige23) talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Dominik and Donogh discuss things they recently played, cover three RPGs in more depth (Paint the Town Red, The Last Caravan, & Midnight of the Century), Lowell waxes rhapsodic about a recent TPK, and then the group finishes up with some things they've been digging recently.
Links:
https://dice.camp/@donogh
https://rpggeek.com/geeklist/370389/2026-rpgg-challenge-play-five-rpgs-you-have-never
https://www.reddit.com/user/DonoghMC/comments/
https://donogh.itch.io/ 

Help Rae Recover Links 
Support or donate at https://patreon.com/swordqueengames or https://ko-fi.com/matthewarcilla
Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @[email protected]    

00:00 Introduction
01:13 Dominik & Paint the Town Red
12:29 Donogh & The Last Caravan
26:02 Lowell & Midnight of the Century
38:42 Giving Me Life

Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at Aberrant, part of a trilogy of games which defined a major pivot point in the history of White Wolf Publishing. We talk about the game's pitch, how it's predecessor Trinity "isn't" a supers game, and the general system mechanics for Aberrant. We then cover the publication history of the line-- a brief heyday followed by a rapid burnout-- followed by what we see as the important media influences for the vibe and themes of the setting. We finish up by giving our general thoughts about Aberrant, metaplot, and "wide-screen" supers action.
If you dig this series, please rate, review, and subscribe.
Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.
Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.
Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community.
You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG.
Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @[email protected]
00:00 Intro
01:30 Pitch and Mechanics
10:40 Publication History
15:27 Media Influences
24:28 Thoughts

In our sixth episode of Roll for Mutation, we talk about one of the greatest modern post-apocalyptic games: Mutant: Year Zero (and the rest of the Mutant line). We talk about mechanics, important since this engine ends up powered a ton of Free League games in various versions. We talk about the publication history, drawing heavily on Magnus Seter's masterful book Outside the Box, and the media spin offs and properties associated with the franchise. Finally we talk about our thoughts and impressions of this game and the line as whole.
References
Outside the Box: How Sweden Conquered the World of Role-Playing Games
Marc's MYZ AP Playlist
Lowell MYZ AP Playlist
Mutant: Year Zero: 36 Mood Elements for the Zone
Mutant: Year Zero: 36 Plots for Roles
Help Rae Recover Links
Support or donate at https://patreon.com/swordqueengames or https://ko-fi.com/matthewarcilla

For other shows like this, check out Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History.
Marc Majcher is an award-winning game designer, performer, educator, director, woodworker, writer, and all-around goblin-man recently relocated from Austin, Texas to East Lansing, Michigan. You can find their RPGs and LARPs inspired by the works of Philip K. Dick, a bird apocalypse, eldritch startup cults, viral videos, and much, much more at https://majcher.itch.io/ and everything else at https://majcher.com/.
Lowell Francis is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community.
You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG.
Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @[email protected]
Music: Here Comes the Night Karl Casey @White Bat Audio
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Premise and Mechanics
10:46 Publication History
17:52 Media Context
23:57 Thoughts and Impressions

In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Tea talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time maiya and Sina discuss things they recently played, cover three RPGs in more depth (Under Hollow Hills, Raccoon Sky Pirates, and CAIN), and then the group finishes up with some things they've been digging recently.
Links:
maiya on the OH Discord
Sina is Beatingaroundthebooks on Discord
You can also check out their work at https://adhdandme.kit.com/
Tea is Tea_amat on Discord and @tea-amat.bsky.social 

Help Rae Recover Links 
Support or donate at https://patreon.com/swordqueengames or https://ko-fi.com/matthewarcilla
Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @[email protected]    
00:00 Introduction
02:07 maiya & Under Hollow Hills
09:54 Sina & Raccoon Sky Pirates
17:57 Tea & Cain
32:24 Giving Me Life