Side Passages

Side Passages
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Games
  • Updated Semiweekly

The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two middle aged geek dads.

  1. 3d ago

    Should you go to Gen Con?

    Should you go to Gen Con? We’re talking about our experience at GenCon 2026 so you can decide for yourself. And be “our experience”, we mean David’s experience, because he’s the one who went.

  2. 3d ago

    8 Killer Ideas from the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG

    The aliens have arrived. Every building in the world has collapsed. And now we’re all trapped in a world-wide dungeon, trying to fight our way to the 18th floor to save the world. On this episode of Side Passages, we’re looting our eight favorite concepts from the Dungeon Crawler Carl Starter Set. The PDFs for the starter set were released to backers in late August 2026. The print version of the starter set and the core rulebook are expected to ship in late fall. We took a look at the starter set. Here are our eight killer concepts from the game.

  3. Aug 6

    Summer Reading List 2026

    It’s summertime, which means it's time for our annual summer reading list! Featured books include Veil by Jonathan Jans, Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove, Dungeon Crawler Carl Matt Deniman, God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert, and the Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny.

  4. Jul 11

    d4 Underground Hazards for Shadowdark

    We return to Shadowdark environmental threats by delving deeply into underground hazards. Among the dangers we discuss are collapsing tunnels, fungal forests, and the fun-but-dangerous Goonies-style water slides. Inspiration for these threats comes from Ken's Mörka Norden campaign, which features a Viking-inspired alternative universe ... and a trek underground to explore the "Deep Crawl" in search of the nefarious Rat King.

  5. Jul 3

    Morale: The Forgotten GM Tool (S5E18)

    On this episode, we’re talking about how making your monsters run away can improve your game. The concept is morale, an old school D&D game mechanic that reflects how your antagonists feel about the combat. At the start of the combat, monster morale is high. They have overwhelming numbers and a charismatic leader. But then combat starts. They lose half their number to a fireball. The barbarian decapitates their leader with a critical hit. Suddenly, the remaining monsters are worried. And they’re thinking of running away.

  6. Jul 2

    Good RPG Prep Begins Before You Sit Down

    How does a new creator build a massive TTRPG audience so fast? In this interview, we sit down with Daði from Mystic Arts to discuss his journey, his magazine The Broadsheet, and how he uses tools like Obsidian to manage 15-player West Marches campaigns as well as smaller campaigns.

  7. May 30

    Shadowdark Tutorial Dungeon

    The Tomb of the Forgotten is a short Shadowdark tutorial dungeon introducing dungeon masters and players to the basic mechanics of the role-playing game. On this episode, we walk through the adventure and its accompanying map.

  8. May 23

    d4 Arctic Hazards for Shadowdark

    We talk about four winter hazards for Shadowdark: ice crevasses, reindeer stampede, freezing fog, and hypothermia.

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About

The podcast about gaming and being a geek by two middle aged geek dads.

Information

  • Creator
    Side Passages
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    148
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 by David Moore and Ken Newquist
  • Show Website
    Side Passages