Campaign Spotlight

Folded Frequencies
Podcast Campaign Spotlight

This show explores the creativity and originality of home tabletop games. Every two weeks we interview a GM to hear about the unique world they've built and the story they've told for their players. Between these interviews we take a deeper dive into the history of tabletop gaming.

  1. 4 SEPT.

    Dungeon Lore VII: Hasbro and the OGL controversy [S3F7]

    In this week's Flashlight, we talk about intellectual property, resolve to go to law school, and finally earn that explicit rating. You can tell that we record a few weeks in advance, because we joke about WotC's next bad decision but we don't know about the DNDBeyond debacle yet. Jake gets into economic theory. Reilly's mic might just be a cursed artifact. Spoiler warning for Fountainhead? Also, we're not actually sponsored by Microsoft. Dennis mentioned the OGL controversy last week, so go listen to the interview if you'd like to hear another perspective on the whole situation. Also, here's a book by Reilly's professor that looks pretty cool. Here are some links that we used in research for the episode.  Here’s a Wall Street Journal article on the Hasbro reorganization that refers to D&D as “old-school tabletop games”.Here’s the Hasbro press release about the WotC CEO becoming the overall Hasbro CEO.Here’s the interview with WotC’s VP of tabletop gaming about the rationale for the OGL.Here’s an academic journal article with statistics on TTRPG publications after the release of the OGL.Here’s a very early Gizmodo piece on the updated OGL.Here’s a blog post that lays out the biggest issues with the proposed updated OGL.Here’s Hasbro’s annual SEC report for 2022.Here’s an article about the plans to release new editions under a Creative Commons license. Here’s a review of Paizo’s ORC license.Here’s a Reddit thread on Paizo’s ORC license and whether it’ll be applied to Pathfinder Infinite.Here’s Monte Cook’s guide to consent in gaming.If you like the music on the show, go check out more of Reilly's music. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. You can also get episodes right from the source at our RSS feed. If you enjoy Campaign Spotlight, consider subscribing to our Patreon. For more on the show, including links to all our social media, visit our website.

    40 min
  2. 28 AOÛT

    Building a new game system with Dennis [S2E7]

    In this week's episode, we chat with Dennis about branching out from D&D, useful feedback on game design, and the tradeoff between generality and specificity. We're doing something a little bit different this week (talking to someone who's built a new game system) and so the conversation gets a little crunchy at times. Also, you get to hear about Jake and Reilly's whole process of backups on backups when we're recording these episodes. Spoiler alert for Jane Eyre, which Jake embarrassingly confuses with Sense and Sensibility. Also, spoiler alert for Lord of the Rings. If you're listening to this podcast and you've somehow never read or watched Lord of the Rings, let us know. If you're interested in downloading SAGAS for yourself, here's the Kickstarter and here's the DriveThruRPG page. Also, go check out Dennis's other projects!   Here are some of the other game systems that we mention in this episode: ezd6, which has some excellently streamlined rulesTangled Blessings, which has an extremely strong aestheticContained, which is a very cute micro-TTRPG that Dennis built previouslyThis week's PC intro comes from Jordan. Thanks Jordan! If you like the music on the show, go check out more of Reilly's music. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. You can also get episodes right from the source at our RSS feed. If you enjoy Campaign Spotlight, consider subscribing to our Patreon. For more on the show, including links to all our social media, visit our website.

    1 h 20 min
  3. 21 AOÛT

    Dungeon Lore VI: Actual Plays and Peak D&D

    In this week's Flashlight, we talk the rise of actual plays, the incredible profitability of Wizards of the Coast, and the professionalization of a hobby. We get into both academic media theory and SEC filings. Reilly is astounded by how many movies Jake has never seen. Spoiler warnings for Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as well as "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream" as well as maybe Rick and Morty? Also, we mention our Patreon on air for the first time. Here are some links that we used in research for the episode. (It's a research-heavy episode.) Here’s a CNBC article about Wizards of the Coast’s financials, including its profitability. Here’s a link to World’s Largest Dungeon Session 01, which is the oldest RPGMP3 episode still online.Here’s the host of RPGMP3 talking about actual play podcasts in 2008. Here’s a Polygon article about the history and format of actual plays.Here’s an academic journal article on actual play production and monetization.Here’s a discussion of actual play shows trying to tell inclusive stories.Here’s an academic journal article that analyzes actual plays through a media studies lens. Here’s another CNBC article (sorry) quoting WotC management on the importance of actual play to the business.Here’s Hasbro’s quarterly SEC filing from May 2024.If you like the music on the show, go check out more of Reilly's music. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. You can also get episodes right from the source at our RSS feed. If you enjoy Campaign Spotlight, consider subscribing to our Patreon. For more on the show, including links to all our social media, visit our website.

    37 min
  4. 7 AOÛT

    Dungeon Lore V: Playtesting and Pathfinder [S2F5]

    In this week's Flashlight, we talk about playtesting at scale, becoming a cult leader, and the development of D&D 3e and D&D 3.5e as well as Pathfinder. Reilly shares his philosophy on ability checks and roleplay. Jake really doesn't know anything about cinema. We mention the games Swords of the Serpentine and Time Watch, both of which look extremely fun. Also, here are some links that we used in research for the episode:  Here’s a Department of Commerce study called “A Nation Online” that talks about who would be able to access the Internet in the era of the 3rd Edition playtest, complete with some very old-school Excel charts.Here’s a forum thread from Jonathan Tweet (the lead designer on D&D 3rd Edition) that talks about the changes in 3rd Edition.Here’s a contemporary Death Cookie review of 3rd Edition that discusses some of the changes from previous editions.Here’s a review of 3rd Edition play from 2000 that’s mostly positive.Here’s another forum thread with a retrospective on how players felt about D&D 3rd Edition.Here’s Monte Cook, one of the designers for 3rd Edition (but not 3.5) talking about the development of 3.5.Here’s a brief history of Paizo, the publisher of Pathfinder.Here’s the character generator we used in this episode.We didn’t really get into this, but Roll20’s Orr Report shows the relative popularity of different TTRPG systems. Head over to our website to see to the character sheet that Reilly builds in this episode.  If you like the music on the show, go check out more of Reilly's music. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. You can also get episodes right from the source at our RSS feed. If you enjoy Campaign Spotlight, consider subscribing to our Patreon. For more on the show, including links to all our social media, visit our website.

    43 min

À propos

This show explores the creativity and originality of home tabletop games. Every two weeks we interview a GM to hear about the unique world they've built and the story they've told for their players. Between these interviews we take a deeper dive into the history of tabletop gaming.

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