September « 2012 « Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff

Archive for September, 2012

Episode 8: Cruller-Infested Demi-Paradise

September 27th, 2012 | Robin

If there is a mother of all Cinema Huts, it is the Toronto International Film Festival. We kick off the episode with Robin’s picks from the just-completed 37th fest.

Then we skulk into the Conspiracy Corner to put the inflammatory impact of Innocence of Muslims in historical context.

In Ask Ken and Robin, we compare the strong points of Dungeons and Dragons’ third and fourth editions, as we examine the emotional fuel behind the Great Schism.

Finally, we call again upon the Consulting Occultist for a primer on Aleister Crowley.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: Ask Ken and Robin, Cinema hut, Conspiracy Corner, Consulting Occultist

Posted in Podcast | 11 Comments »

Episode 7: Lindbergh’s Mummy

September 20th, 2012 | Robin

Travel Advisory whisks us on an aural journey to Worldcon, courtesy of Ken, who brings back knowledge of Chinese SF, steampunk semantics, the best vampire novel of the last 100 years, and the dreaded hallway seminar. Along the way we explore the sub-cultural differences between the literary side of geekery and its gaming cousin.

We venture into the Gaming Hut to peer over the shoulders of Mike Mason and Paul Fricker as they refit the classic roleplaying game Call of Cthulhu for its seventh edition.

On the occasion of a $69 mil settlement of price-fixing charges by HarperCollins, Hachette and Simon & Schuster, The Business of Gaming contrasts mainstream publishing’s response to ebooks to that of the tabletop gaming world.

Finally, in History Bending, we squeeze gameworthy or fictionable material from the connection between aviator Charles Lindbergh and his associates, real-life weird scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel and pulp-writer/UFO investigator Donald Keyhoe. Referenced: The Immortalists, by David M. Friedman.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: Gaming hut, History Bending, The Business of Gaming, Travel Advisory

Posted in Podcast | 16 Comments »

Episode 6: The Mystic Power of Indexing

September 14th, 2012 | Robin

This week’s stuff-talking kicks off with another Among My Many Hats. Here Robin unravels the circuitous design history of his Dying Earth Revivification Folio, as Ken orders his sandestin to provide him with perks and snails.

In Ask Ken and Robin, we ponder cases in which D&D fights are better off without a battle grid.

Then we journey to the History Hut to consider Neil Armstrong and the passing of the space age.

Finally we call upon Ken in his capacity as Consulting Occultist to introduce us to H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophists.

Tags: Among my many hats, Ask Ken and Robin, Consulting Occultist, History Hut

Posted in Podcast | 12 Comments »

Episode 5: Gen Con ‘12

September 7th, 2012 | Robin

It’s a bumper installment of Travel Advisory as Ken and Robin look back on the whirlwind that was Gen Con 2012. Amid the fast-flying references: Fantasy Flight’s Spartacus and Netrunner; GURPS Horror, Book of the Smoke, Bookhounds of London, the Coventry Street, Harmonsworth and Highgate Vampires; Charles Fort, Lorefinder, Ashen Stars, 13th Age, Delta Green, John Helfers, Matt Forbeck, Pathfinder Tales.

In Ken and Robin Recycle Audio choice snippets of the GUMSHOE Investigative roleplaying panel are presented for your delectation, with special guest silvered tones supplied by Pelgrane Press publisher Simon Rogers. They add Night’s Black Agents and The Esoterrorists to the reference tally.