Good GMs Podcast

James Currie, Chuck Taylor
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Weekly

We’re James and Chuck, lifelong Game Masters who can’t stop thinking about role-playing games. We’ve spent years running sessions, building worlds, and discovering stories we never planned. Sometimes things work perfectly, and sometimes we screw up spectacularly, but we always learn, laugh, and lean on each other’s experience to make the next game even better. We don’t always agree, and that’s part of the fun. There's no right or wrong way to GM, just choices, surprises, and the joy of collaborative storytelling. Support Good GMs on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Anywhere You Stream: https://linktr.ee/GoodGMs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast

  1. 9h ago ·  Video

    17 - The Last GM On The Left

    James and Chuckie welcome Jon Hook - award-winning writer, legendary keeper of cosmic horror, co-host of Modern Mythos with Seth Skorkowsky, and one of the original voices behind the Miskatonic University Podcast. He's written for Call of Cthulhu, Goodman Games, Golden Goblin Press, Dungeon Crawl Classics, and more. If anyone knows how to run horror, it's this guy.What We Get Into:- Good horror is a roller coaster! You need the highs so the lows hit harder. Jon explains exactly when to load your players up and when to bring the hammer down- Terror vs. horror: fear of the unknown vs. the sickening realization of it. Jon tells the story of a squirrel in the Tennessee woods that explains both perfectly- Tropes aren't a crutch if they're a tool. When players recognize a trope, even subtly, they respond the way you need them to. Jon's steam corridor scene works every single time.- The player who just wanted to survive: Jon's convention story about the guy who avoided every plot hook — and how Jon handled it- Scenarios are written for an audience of one...the GM. Feel free to reinterpret the telephone game before you pass it to your table- James pitches his unpublished horror scenario Class of 86, Chuckie talks My Father's Work and the free RPG day at Voss Media Board Game Cafe in Galesburg, MI!- Jon is running Spawn of Azathoth and playing Gunga, the wild boy raised by Amazon Sasquatches, in a MörK Borg pulp game. Yes, really.Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcastTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast#GoodGMs #TTRPG #TabletopRPG #GameMaster #CallOfCthulhu #GMTips #Horror #TTRPGCommunity #PodcastForGMs #CosmicHorror

    17 - The Last GM On The Left

  2. Aug 14 ·  Video

    16 - Eternal Theatre of the Spotless Mind

    James and Chuckie go back to basics this week with one of the most useful and most underused tools in any GM's kit — Theater of the Mind. No maps. No minis. Just words, and the picture they paint.James is prepping for his Monster Hunters Club livestream and wants to lean into Theatre of the Mind so audiences aren't watching him count squares. Chuckie points out he's probably already doing it without realizing it.What We Get Into:- Where Theatre of the Mind actually comes from — radio drama, Steve Allen, and the early days of D&D with no maps- The Three Senses Rule: don't describe a bar, describe the smell of tobacco and stale beer and the sound of fists slamming tables- The camera technique: wide shot, medium shot, close up — Chuckie uses it every game and Sounds Like Crowes built a whole methodology around it - Three anchors: pick three things in the room and build the scene from there. Tables, crowd, the frustrated bartender. Done.- Zones instead of inches for combat — melee, close, far, very far — and why "plot appropriate distance" sounds condescending until you think about it for two seconds- Maps aren't cheating. But they're also not required.Also: the Good GMs Discord book club is starting with Mothership, Cam Rogers is joining the show soon, and Rainey's idea for a GM tip booklet might actually happen.Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcastTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast#GoodGMs #TTRPG #TabletopRPG #GameMaster #GMTips #TheatreOfTheMind #TTRPGCommunity #TabletopGaming #PodcastForGMs #RoleplayingGames

    16 - Eternal Theatre of the Spotless Mind

  3. Aug 7 ·  Video

    15 - The Keeper Out Of Space

    James and Chuckie sit down with Mike Mason, Creative Director for Call of Cthulhu at Chaosium, co-author of the ENnie Award-winning 7th Edition Keeper Rulebook, Pulp Cthulhu, the Starter Set, Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy, and over 40 other titles! If you've ever lost sanity at a table, this is the man who took it from you! What We Get Into: The biggest crime in every roleplaying game What makes a good GM? What sets a Keeper apart from other kinds of GMs? Mike's answer will surprise you. Sandbox vs. linear! Mike doesn't care, as long as nobody's talking to the librarian at five to midnight, when the cultists are already at the hill… Pulling strings: how tension in a horror game works like a slow build, not a jump scare Comedy and horror: why Evil Dead works and why your players' guard needs to come down before the scary thing hits Genres! Sci-fi, Westerns, Deadlands, and a Savage Worlds crossover you might not know about...Love the first half of our chat with Mike Mason? The descent into madness continues! Catch the full, uncut second half of this episode - including Mike’s secret GMing techniques ! Exclusively for all member tiers on Patreon: https://bit.ly/4xmp9YF Patreon and Discord and Bonus Episodes: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcast#GoodGMs #TTRPG #TabletopRPG #GameMaster #CallOfCthulhu #Chaosium #GMTips #TTRPGCommunity #PodcastForGMs #Horror

    15 - The Keeper Out Of Space

  4. Jul 31 ·  Video

    14 - Session Zero Dark Thirty

    Stop your next TTRPG campaign from dying on scheduling or mismatched expectations by mastering the ultimate Session Zero. Learn how to use safety tools like the X-Card and set a social contract that keeps your players coming back every week. Subscribe for more expert GM advice and let us know your must-have Session Zero rules in the comments!What We Get Into:  One simple rule for session cancellations will save your campaign.  Session negative one: the pitch that happens before session zero. The email, Discord message, phone call where you get initial buy-in before anyone shows up  The three pillars: combat! exploration! roleplay! Why asking your players to rank them tells you more about the game you need to run than any rulebook will  Tone and expectations: are you running The Boys or Mystery Men? Don't make them guess.  Lines and veils: the hard stops and the fade-to-black moments. Why they go on the table before character creation, not after  The X card, and why it isn't a question  Chuckie once ran The Haunting without asking about rats. Find out why he'll never do it again!  Accessibility at the table! Light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, mobility, etc. and why it's the same as moving a chair out of a doorway Phones: fidget spinners and colouring apps are fine; mobile game sound effects are not; remember GMs, you are God at this table!Next week: Mike Mason, creative director for Call of Cthulhu at Chaosium. We are so excited. We've also launched our Twitch channel for August's Monster Hunters Club Actual Play! Join us: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcast Patreon (and DIscord access): https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/  BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodgms.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast  Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcast

    14 - Session Zero Dark Thirty

  5. Jul 24 ·  Video

    13 - Wake Up GM: A Knife Theory Mystery

    James and Chuckie are back to basics this week - no guests, just the two of them digging into one of the most useful GM tools you've probably never heard by name: Knife Theory. Originally posted to Reddit in 2017 by a guy named Jim Baby, Knife Theory is a way to get players to write backstories that you can actually use. The idea is simple: when players include certain elements in their character history, they're handing their GM a knife. A weapon you can pick up and use to pull that character deeper into the story. What's in the knife block: named NPCs, phobias, traumas, mysteries, enemies, obligations, crimes, heirlooms, secrets - and what makes each one useful at the table The difference between a sharp knife, a dull knife, and something that was never a knife to begin with Why 12 knives is too many and what happens when a player's backstory starts stabbing the rest of the party The double-bladed knife: what happens when you tie two backstory hooks together into one scene Chuckie walks through his character Finn Mueller's knives live - ex-thief, ex-soldier, one abusive uncle, a phobia of angry dogs, and a pocket watch he won't put down The debate: should you share your secrets with the whole party or keep them for the GM only? James and Chuckie don't agree. Send the knife list out before Session Zero - and what that looks like in practiceStay tuned to the end to hear about some upcoming guests...we're so proud of what we've got coming to close out August (it's not a knife!)  We've also launched our Twitch channel for August's Monster Hunters Club Actual Play and our member-only quarterly AP  - this time featuring our friend James Gordon Ross to close out Petey & Westmoreland's first ever time out of Vault 104! https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcast Discord access & Actual Plays on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodgms.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/goodgmspodcast

    13 - Wake Up GM: A Knife Theory Mystery

  6. Jul 17 ·  Video

    12 - Deathclaw Becomes Her

    The Fallout 2D20 actual play continues. James Gordon Ross is back as Overseer James, James is running Westmoreland the Mr. Handy, Chuckie Tee is Petey Redwing fresh out of Vault 101, and this time they've got backup — E.E. Morris of Radio Salad Studios joins as Shiloh, caravan guard, nine strength, spiked baseball bat, newly un-broken arm. Last time: bombs through windows, a stolen canteen, a ghoul bartender who was not impressed. This time: the Moriarty gang shows up to collect, led by Bobby Scratches — a 1,200-pound talking #Deathclaw in a tailored silk jacket and fedora who used to work for the Enclave and now runs loans. What Happens: Initiative in 2D20 — why Overseers need to think carefully or players feel robbed before they act Shiloh's Molotov catches a goon on fire, who shoots his own friend in the head while trying to stop drop and roll Kitchen Kit fires an Iron Man hand laser powered by his own battery — loses three hit points, vaporizes a goon's arm into red dust Westmoreland throws moonshine Molotovs with Demolition Expert and Pyromaniac perks, four successes, kills two goons and ruins Bobby Scratches' silk jacket How physical weapon AP spending works — Shiloh unloads nine strength, Heavy Handed, and three AP of bonus vicious damage on Bobby's burnt arm Bobby Scratches!This show is also available in video form! See our Patreon or check YouTube or Spotify!  Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast

    12 - Deathclaw Becomes Her

  7. Jul 10 ·  Video

    11 - Legends of the Fallout

    No more theory - this one is actual play so you can see exactly how 2D20 works at the table in real time. James Gordon Ross is back, this time as Overseer James, running James and Chuckie through a live Fallout 2D20 play. Tune in for the conclusion next week. Chuckie's playing Petey Redwing, vault dweller, level two, first day above ground. James is playing Westmoreland, his loyal Mr. Handy with a flamethrower and questionable medical skills. Mission: negotiate a trade agreement with Megaton. Problem: zero caps, zero water, and a GM who is not going easy on them. What Happens: First roll of the session is a difficulty zero Science check and Petey immediately...well, welcome to 2D20. How action points, momentum, and assists actually work when you're figuring it out in real time Gobtholomew the ghoul bartender, who has no interest in anyone who can't pay Shiloh, a caravan guard with a badly set broken arm and a lead on abandoned chems in Deathclaw territory Kit, a Schlocket Industries robot who steals Petey's canteen A bottle cap mine through a bar window, then a second one, and Westmoreland pulling off a six-success defuseAlso: Weird Candy joins the Patreon at the Gooder tier. Welcome! The Discord is getting active this month. We're adding the GM Book Club in August, where we can read and work through sourcebooks and GM guides together - don't act like you don't have a stack of them too - and we have casual gaming tables where members can run games of their own or join pickup games for a session or two. And starting soon, Currie will be running Friday night games for members at the free level and above on our Twitch channel - starting with Monster Hunter's Club, set in his own hometown of Barrie, Ontario. So come on out! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/

    11 - Legends of the Fallout

  8. Jul 3 ·  Video

    10 - Mo'diphius Better Blues

    James Gordon Ross returns to teach James and Chuckie the 2D20 system (Modiphius), using his 120-session Fallout campaign as the working example. A real toolbox episode for anyone curious about momentum-based dice systems. ✨Pro-Tips✨ How momentum works: extra successes roll into a shared pool the whole party can spend from, so one hot roller can carry the table Threat: the GM's mirror currency, and why players almost never spend it to buy extra dice, even after 120 sessions of chances Why even a "boring" roll, like diagnosing an injury, can generate momentum and matters more than it looks on paper How contested rolls work versus a flat difficulty, using an arm-wrestling example to break it down Chuckie's go-to litmus test for sizing up any new system: how do you do a headshot? A quick aside on what different systems call their GM (Keeper, Overseer, Dean, Marshall) and why that title hints at the kind of game you are playingAlso in this one: a Savage Worlds East Texas University one-shot recap, a peek at Daggerheart character creation, and the usual chaos of recording live. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast#GoodGMs #tabletoprpg #TTRPG #gamemaster #gmtips #dungeonmaster #npcs #CallOfCthulhu #SavageWorlds #etu #roleplayinggames #ttrpgcommunity #PodcastForGMs #tabletopgaming #modiphius #esoteric #daggerheart #2d20 #2d20system #fallout2d20

    10 - Mo'diphius Better Blues
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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

We’re James and Chuck, lifelong Game Masters who can’t stop thinking about role-playing games. We’ve spent years running sessions, building worlds, and discovering stories we never planned. Sometimes things work perfectly, and sometimes we screw up spectacularly, but we always learn, laugh, and lean on each other’s experience to make the next game even better. We don’t always agree, and that’s part of the fun. There's no right or wrong way to GM, just choices, surprises, and the joy of collaborative storytelling. Support Good GMs on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GoodGMsPodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGMsPodcast Anywhere You Stream: https://linktr.ee/GoodGMs Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584454320344 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgmspod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@good.gms.podcast

Information

  • Creator
    James Currie, Chuck Taylor
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Good GMs LLC, 2026
  • Show Website
    Good GMs Podcast