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Every week the Mythcreants geek out about spec fic and storytelling. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or with our xml feed: http://feeds.feedblitz.com/MythcreantsPodcast
Speculative fiction presents authors with a truly dazzling array of environments for their settings. This week, we talk about some of those wonderlands and what value they add to the story. From the spooky forests of New England to the cratered surface of the moon, we … read more »
A throughline is the story’s core, the problem that opens in the beginning and concludes in the climax. Throughlines are essential for compelling stories, but many authors still struggle with them, so that’s what we’re talking about this week. We discuss why stories should open … read more »
It’s one thing to master the rules of combat, but how should you describe it? Sarah joins us for a third time to discuss the delicate business of depicting combat in words. We talk about the disconnect between a badass description and a failed roll, … read more »
How do you know when someone gets to do something? Should there be complex systems for tracking whose turn it is, or should the GM just decide? What about combat? Once the dice start rolling, what’s the best way to give everyone a fair chance to … read more »
Everyone has to start somewhere, even GMs and even if that start is very embarrassing. This week, Sarah joins us to talk about the very first campaigns we ran, or at least the first campaigns we’ll admit to running. All of us learned important lessons … read more »
Hitpoints and wound penalties cover a PC’s physical health, but what about their mental health? That’s what we’re talking about this week, to the cringe worthy “random insanity” of Call of Cthulhu, to the superb therapy rules of Eclipse Phase. We discuss the benefits that … read more »
Let’s say you want to sneak up on an orc. Do you need to roll Move Silently to avoid stepping on a twig, and then Hide to keep the beast from seeing you, or can you cover both tasks with a single Stealth roll? That’s … read more »
Praise mighty Zeus, it’s time to talk about Greek mythology and its place in speculative fiction. For this task we bring on special guest Jim, who is perhaps the Iliad’s biggest fan. We discuss how accurately modern stories portray Greek mythology,* how the mythology has … read more »
A common fear among writers is that our characters will all sound the same. Unlike film, we can’t count on an actor to give them personality; it all needs to come from the written page. That’s why we sat down this week to talk about … read more »
NPCs and monsters are one thing, but what about a game’s environment, how should a GM handle that? Should dust storms and floods be confined to flavor, or should they inflict serious penalties. What about hunger and thirst? Join us this week for a discussion … read more »