Around the Hearth

As the first installment in a series of episodes on improv tools at the gaming table, Ian & José are joined by Karen Twelves, the author of Improv for Gamers, to discuss how players can make and receive meaningful offers in TTRPGs.
Timecodes
0:04:37 Pick your Poison
0:24:25 What's an Offer?
0:31:17 Creating Offers and Listening for Them
0:36:53 Formal and Informal Ways to Offer
0:46:30 Offers that Endow Others
0:51:02 Nuancing Improv's Rules of Thumb
0:57:15 Prepping for Spontaneity
1:01:09 Ending Scenes
1:06:57 The Pressure to Make Something Happen
1:13:50 Pearl of Wisdom
1:16:10 Outro
Karen's Work
https://karentwelves.com/
Improv for Gamers
Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
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Our actual play podcast can be found here
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Our info:
Email: [email protected]
Music: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex

Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at two related RPG systems. First Godlike, the World War II supers game that leans into realism and consistency. Second Wild Talents, the evolution of the systems from Godlike which can follow that history or be recast into a generic supers RPG. The hosts look at what both games do, their place in the history of gaming, and the influence of related comics media. They wrap that up general discussion, including what what's weird and what they dug.
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.
Thanks to Rich Rogers for the edit of this episode.
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
01:10 The Pitch
09:34 Gaming History
17:00 Comics & Media History
21:44 Thoughts

In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Kieron Gillen and Cat Rambo to talk about recent games, plans for future games, current writing projects, and more.
Kieron Gillen
Newsletter: buttondown.email/KieronGillen/
Comics: bindings.app/shelf/1FLv6kLb
Website: www.kierongillen.com
@kierongillen.bsky.social on BlueSky
Cat Rambo
https://www.catrambo.com/
Wayward Wormhole Workshop
@catrambo.bsky.social on BlueSky
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​
01:52 Kieron Gillen & Mythic Bastionland
11:42 Cat Rambo & Villa Encantata (still in design)
19:53 Lowell & Rapscallion
30:31 Upcoming Publications & Giving Me Life

A collection of favorite tabletop RPGs of 2025 from our community members. It's split into three sections, with host picks in-between.
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]
SPOILER
Dominik | Apocalypse Keys
Rae Nedjadi | Harvest
Alexander Marchant | Last Train to Bremen
Horst | Mystic Bastionland
Marc Majcher | Triangle Agency / Ultraviolet Grasslands
Mads | Trophy Dark
Anders | Sentinel Comics RPG
Kieron Gillan | Seven Part Pact
Mike Minutillo | The Watch
Jim Crocker | Band of Blades
Sean Smith | OD&D
Tea | Sundered Isles
Ferret | Promethean
Sherri | DIE
Jesse Ableman | Harvest
Will | Mystic Bastionland
Wyllora | Triangle Agency
Casey | Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast
Mike Ferdinando | Ultraviolet Grasslands
Alun Rees | Grimwild
Jex Thomas | Exile
Nat Knight | Blood Feud
Gerrit Reninghaus | Pizza Box
Lloyd Gyan | Daggerheart
Michele | Anamnesis
Guy Milner | You Must Leave This Party Alone
Rich Rogers | Smallville
Lowell | Writers' Room
Sina | Apocalypse Keys
Thomas Manuel | Last Train to Bremen, Impossible Landscapes, Harvest
Gabe | Mystic Bastionland
Will S | Triangle Agency
Michael D | Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast
Dom | Cats of Cthulhu
Shane | Oddfolk
Amanda Mullins | Numbskulls
Donogh McCarthy | Star Trek Adventures 2nd ed
Cat | Triangle Agency
David MK | Stonetop, AWBO, Ex-Capes
Bez | Chapter Dungeon Crawler
José | Girl by Moonlight

In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Michael D. and Alun R. to talk about the ups and downs of "funny" game mechanics, a modern approach to traditional fantasy, and facing down what feels like inescapable doom. They examine light rules for sitcoms, new rules with an old feel, and a game that puts you on the losing side of a war.
Please note that we will not be releasing any more episodes in December, but look for our upcoming annual Games of the Year episode dropping at the start of 2026!
Going for Broke
Grimwild
Band of Blades
Panda's Talking Games
Viva La QueerBar (English)
Viva La QueerBar (Deutsch)
Lowell's Dumb Honkai Star Rail Returning Player Code
Michael
https://kpopandrpgs.itch.io/
KPOPandRPGs on social media or @kpopandrpgs or Michael D on Discord.
Alun
https://gallusgames.itch.io/
@gallusgames or Alun R on Discord
@gallusgamesar.bsky.social on BlueSky
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
01:55 Michael & Going For Broke
16:10 Alun & Grimwild
29:24 Lowell & Band of Blades
49:19 Giving Me Life