Miskatonic University Podcast

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan welcome back Heinrich Moore to discuss collaborative RPG projects, such as scenarios and anthologies.

Patreon Plug & Update

Did you know that crowdfunding is a collaborative way to support your favorite podcast? We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patron! 

That’s right! You can head over to patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. For as little as two bucks a month you can help us pay our editors, pay for web hosting, and pay for my therapy when I have to deal with technical issues on the web hosting. 

And listen, if monetary support isn’t possible, might I remind you that the black market rates for a gently used kidney are very attractive right now? 

Evan, no. No, we are not having our listeners sell a kidney to support the show, because you know they would.

I didn’t say it had to be *their* kidney! But… fine. If we can’t get some of that sweet, sweet black market organ money, I guess we’ll have to sell space to advertisers, like this one!

[Heinrich:

Obed’s Seafood thinks you shouldn’t have to settle for soggy, bland fish sticks, fish filets and crab cakes. Your family deserves only the best, so why not give them the seafood that’s harvested from our own hidden fishery in New England, reef-caught and fresh-frozen. How do we attract such fantastic fish? That’s Obed’s secret! 

From our boats to your table, Obed’s Seafood stays crispy and tasty. Ask for Obed’s in your grocer’s seafood aisle. – A division of Marsh Family Industries.]

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. 

The Discord Plug

Yes, MUP has a Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode. 

Main Topic 

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing collaborative RPG projects, such as scenarios and anthologies. And we have with us, fresh off masterminding the phenomenally successful Year of the Goat anthology… HEINRICH MOORE! Heinrich, you’ve been with us on MUP before, for a special episode where we played through your Guide to Character Creation. But for those few folks who don’t know you yet, tell us who you are!

[Heinrich does so]

Year of the Goat was an anthology of 12 scenarios, by 12 different authors, and in bringing it to life, Heinrich and I learned a LOT. We want to pass those lessons on to the listeners, both to encourage you to try putting together your own collaborative projects, and to help you get over some of the barriers.

Level-set: What is a Collaborative Project? Why do it?

A written project where two or more people are contributing text, editing, art, or other skills and content.

It can have one or two people leading the project, or be a collaboration of equals

Some critical tools and tips for doing this well:

Clear Concept

Concept paper

Topics – what’s in scope and not

Any content restrictions

Clear format and requirements

Templates

Style guide

Word Count

Clear roles and responsibilities

Writing

Editing (different kinds) – who has final say over text?

Art (including providing inspiration or public domain art)

Marketing (including promos, submitting for nominations, making videos, sending to reviewers)

Deadlines and contingencies

Payment split – ideally, decide on this BEFORE ANYONE DOES WORK 

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – have you led a collaborative writing project for Call of Cthulhu or another system? Have you been part of one? How did it go, and how could it have gone better? Come to the Discord, channel ep-357, and share what you’ve learned!

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan discuss ways to make a scenario your own with Holly and Lex of the RPG Reanimators!

Patreon Plug & Update

Bonjour, les auditeurs! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon! 

That’s right! Head over to patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. Because we know how things are out there, our tiers are surprisingly affordable! Oh… I don’t mean t-i-e-r-s, although the backer tiers are quite reasonable. I mean our actual tears, from our actual eyes. We’re selling them in little glass vials. Bringing in such esteemed guests as the RPG Reanimators IS NOT CHEAP! Help us. Help us, guys. Don’t make us sell our tears. 

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon! 

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. Like this one!

[Movie trailer announcer voice] Asenath Waite is ready to make her way through life alone. The only woman enrolled at Miskatonic University, she doesn’t have time for romance. But when she meets Edward Derby, it’s more than just a fling on the doorstep. Can she learn to let go and have fun? Can he be the man she wants him to be? They’ll just have to… Waite and See. A new romantic comedy, coming this fall.

And if you’d like to make Evan apologize to you in person for the terrible, terrible puns in that ad, you can do that! At…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor BEN for editing this episode. 

Main Topic 

Welcome everyone to the Main Topic! Tonight we are discussing ways to make a scenario your own! This is a natural continuation of episode 355, where we talked about how to develop your own GM style. So once you know yourself a little better, how can you take that and make changes to the scenarios you run to make them reflect your own way of doing things? 

Define: Making it your own: written scenarios? Improv? 

Address: Why does it matter?

Perspective: Some things you can adjust to make it your own: 

Plot points, structure, rules

Areas of focus: action, emotion, mystery, suspense, NPC interactions, level of OOC humor, tactics

Tone and pacing

Move it to a setting you love (time, place)

Lean into certain kinds of horror you like – body horror, weird science, chases, absurdity

Personal “calling card:” a certain NPC or voice; a plot or setting element; a running joke with players (or an audience) who know you; 

Presentation: lean into things that reflect how you like to move and speak at the table or online

What things can you adapt in a scenario to suit your storytelling style?

Clarify: Is this something you can do as a new GM, or do you need to really have a sense of who you are first? Should you feel obligated to change things?

How do you know if players walk away feeling like this is an experience they can only get with you GMing it?

Homework

Dear listener, tell us – what do you do to make a scenario your own? Join the Discord and on channel: ep-356, give us your best tips and tricks. I feel like this is going to be a hot topic. I just have that feeling. Let’s see if I’m right.

This episode, Keepers Bridgett and Evan welcome GMs Alex and Nathan of the RPG Reanimators to discuss how to hone your GM Style!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patron! 

That’s right! Head over to patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month, or $24 a year, or $240 a decade! And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon! 

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. It’s easy, fun, and leads immediately to spiritual enlightenment and emotional fulfillment. Just ask backer Steve-O who suggested the following ad:

Are you a new student at the Miskatonic or spending a pleasant summer strolling the seven hills of Arkham, you can have all the comforts of home. Wondering witch house to stay at? Ma’s Boarding House in Arkham is the next best thing to being at home with your own Ma. Three hot meals a day with laundry included. Bringing a pet with you? Ask about staying in our pet-friendly attic loft. When you’re far from home, let Ma’s Boarding House in Arkham take care of you. You’ll never stay anywhere else.

And if you’d like to hobnob with other Patreon supporters of high moral character and super personal hygiene, you can find them at…

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor EQUINOX for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

Welcome GMs Alex and Nathan of the RPG Reanimators to help us discuss how to hone your GM Style!

GM Style Points to consider: 

Viewpoint & Tone: What’s your attitude towards the story  (e.g., humorous, serious, cynical, or empathetic)?  Does your personality shape the narrative? 

Structure & Pacing: Note if they tell stories chronologically (linear) or use flashbacks and non-linear jumps to build suspense. Evaluate how quickly or slowly events unfold to maintain tension. 

Sensory Details: Look for the balance between showing and telling. See if they rely heavily on figurative language (metaphors, similes) or use dialogue and raw thoughts to paint a picture.

Content Engagement: How much agency do you provide your players? How included are they in the narrative? 

How do we hone?

Practice

Feedback

Soundboarding

Engaging with storytellers whose style we wish to implement

Trying new things 

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss ways to spice up your scenarios with something new!

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon! 

That’s right! Head over to patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month, or $24 a year, or $240 a decade, or… well, tell you what, you tell me how long you plan on living, and I’ll help you budget things so you can continue to support this fantastic community of friends, collaborators, and sometimes even enemies-to-lovers. (I mean, it’s not impossible that that could happen.)

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon! 

And if you would like to create a mythos or horror-related ad for us to read, please visit the Patreon Chat on our Discord. Don’t be shy! Don’t worry about making it perfect! We just read the words that are here on the sheet! We will read anything that’s put in front of us!

For example, I will now read: THE DISCORD PLUG.

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor NATE for editing this episode. 

Main Topic

New Things You Can Do in a Scenario:

Scope and Stakes:

If you usually play world-spanning campaigns where the fate of the Earth is at stake, try limiting yourself to one city, one neighborhood, or even one building, like the airship or submarine scenarios.

Try playing for small, personal stakes. One person, maybe not even life or death, maybe just their ability to continue living the life they thought they knew.

Threat/Antagonists

What to do instead of cults? Instead of a big monster?

Think antagonist rather than villain

Or little monsters that do horrible things when they gang up on you (gnomes, puppets, dolls, cloud of vampiric gnats, etc)

Try a scenario where the threat is unconventional – I’ve done a few where the threat is basically just a spell, that exists, but it draws people in and ruins them

Pacing

If you usually do long, leisurely multi-session scenarios, try a tight 1 or 2 hour event that starts fast and doesn’t let up. You can check out No Time to Scream as a place to start.

Structure and Clue Trail

Shoutout to Heinrich – start the scenario *after* the bad thing has already happened

Emphasize or de-emphasize the clue trail

In a short scenario, try fewer “Acts”

Try improv – Players can do this too, leave your background blank and fill it in as you go, or roll randomly and make it fit the emerging story

Tone

Pulse-pounding vs. cerebral, quiet and sad, loud and shooty, comic, uncomfortable

Singing! An opera/sung-through-musical

Setting:

Try a new time in a familiar place, or a new place in a familiar time

Give your brain lots of new things to explore

Try Pulp in any setting

For Players

Play a totally different kind of investigator: brainy vs. brawny, different social background, different approach to solving problems

See what happens if you don’t optimize for the traditional Cthulhu skills; Keepers, are you willing to reward a player who puts points in Climb, Swim, Throw, and Track?

This episode, Keepers Bridgett & Evan discuss meaningful and creative ways to bring back retired PCs.

Patreon Plug & Update

Hellloooo, listeners! We have a Patreon, through which you can support us! You can directly support the show, and our surrounding community, by becoming a Patreon! 

That’s right! Head over to patreon.com/MUP to subscribe. We have tiers as low as $2 a month. JUST $2/month. So let’s do the math… for under $25, you could subscribe for a whole year at once, and know that you’ve invested in both content and a community that you celebrate and enjoy! 

And listen guys– if monetary support isn’t in the cards for you? A like, a share, a referral, a nomination, engagement on spotify, engagement on Discord… all of those points of contact truly do make a significant difference. So yes, please, back us on Patreon! 

And if none of this is possible, don’t worry! We can always run to the loving arms of our sponsors, like Skitter. Listen, we know you’re busy, and it can be hard to find time in the day to fill your home with the right balance of beetles, ants, spiders, and other insects and arachnids. You’ve seen the research, you know how important it is to maintain a home that is simply brimming with chittering arthropod life in every corner. That’s why Skitter makes it easy. With one monthly subscription, we send you a box full of a new and interesting variety of chitinous animals, every month. All you need to do is take the box inside, open it, and relax. The insects will take care of the rest. I’ve been using Skitter for six months now, and I’ve never been more terrified in my own home. 

New backers: Robby H

The Discord Plug

Our MUP Discord and we are all there! We invite all of our listeners to come and enjoy the community of horror gaming and cute pet pics. Link in the show notes: MU Discord server invite link: https://discord.gg/vNjEv9D 

And thank you to our editor GENE for editing this episode. 

Bridgett’s Pet Pick Shout Out

Tonight, I am shouting out our editor, Nate, LOST TO TIME AND SPACE, and his kittuh in their rendition of… if I fits… I SITS!!!! 

Main Topic

Removal from Play:

Insanity

Totally insane 

Death

Physically destroyed/died

Massive injury 

Relocation

Retired to an asylum

Jettisoned to another plane of existence 

Relocated from the story by unsolved mystery, disappearance, fade to black off screen, etc

Age

Resurrection Opportunities: 

Insanity

Totally insane

Reset Sanity

Hardened

Explore Cowboys with Big Hearts 

Death

Retcon

Return as new version of themselves

Paid a terrible cost

Physically destroyed/died

Relocation

Retired to an asylum

Released/escaped/healed/worsened

Jettisoned to another plane of existence

Returned/rescued/etc

Relocated from the story by unsolved mystery, disappearance, fade to black off screen, etc

Veil dropped (could be cinematic)

Age

Flush out the family dynamics 

When and Why to Consider These Options:

Bridgett Thoughts:

Dave made a good point in 350 about the PCs agreeing to the death event, so I think to honor the story, and table, the entire table should consent to the resurrection or the experience could feel cheap and thoughtless or worst, annoying

Check your grief. The story may have ended before you were ready, but is resurrection really what’s best for the story, or for you? Sometimes, you need to let go. 

Evan Thoughts:

NPC Variants on Resurrection