After Serenity

Campaign prep is something every dungeon master a needs to do … even if “prep” is something you throw together five minutes for the session starts. On this episode, we talk about our individual game prep strategies, from structured approaches like Chris’s multi-phase plan to Ken’s adrenaline-fueled last-minute inspiration. Josh and Erin share insights into […] The post Campaign Prep Tips – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Get in. Do a thing. Get out. Look awesome doing it. That’s your typical cyberpunk adventure, and it always involves some sort of security. On this episode, we discuss real-world hacking inspiration, cinematic heist scenarios, and strategies for balancing game difficulty. We dive into the nuances of netrunning, social engineering, and how even the best-laid […] The post Cyberpunk Security (S4E10) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

So your Dungeons & Dragons campaign went on hiatus … how do you restart it? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, Ken, Chris, and Josh talk about how to re-engage with a not-quite-dead-yet role-playing game campaign. They dive into how a game can lose momentum, with real-life interruptions causing campaigns to stall or be […] The post Restarting an RPG Campaign – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In the latest expedition through the Lair of Secrets, David Moore, Ken Newquist, and Chris Miller delve into the art of map design, specifically focusing on the peculiarities and challenges of modern and near-future maps in gaming. The discussion kicks off with Ken recounting his creation of the “worst best map ever” for a Mothership […] The post Modern Maps (S4E9) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

The edgerunners are at Elysium HQ. All they need to do is descend through three sub-levels of the abandoned corporate headquarters and flip a switch on an old server. But first they have to get past these cybernetic corvids … and the remains of the edgerunner crews that came before them. Quotes Chapters 0:00 Intro […] The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 9: Flip the Switch (S4E8) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Chapter 7 of our Broken Loop campaign for Cyberpunk RED ended with a cliffhanger as the edgerunners faced an unexpected … enemy? Friend? Belligerent hivemind hell bent on stripping everyone of their chrome? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, we talk about that actual play session, it’s unexpected turns, and how we rolled with […] The post Cyberpunk Red takes a MURDEROUS Turn – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

After talking and driving their way past the factions controlling access to Night City’s radioactive core, the edgerunners are approaching the ruined Elysium corporate headquarters. Their goal is to infiltrate the building’s sub-levels and flip a switch. First though, they have to get past the Glow Boys, a cult of radiation Worshiping cyborgs … and […] The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 8: Fresh Meat and Chrome (S4E7) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

It’s convention season, and David talks about Origins, a big-but-cozy game convention in Columbus, Ohio, meeting Shadowdark RPG creator Kelsey Dionne, plans for Gen Con 2024, and gaming with Jon Hook of the Modern Mythos podcast. Meanwhile, Ken geeks out about dynamic lighting in Roll20 (and his hopes for using during the Lair’s upcoming Cyberpunk […] The post Into the Shadows: Origins, Shadowdark, & Hades (S4E5) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Chapter 7 of our actual play Cyberpunk RED campaign sees the edgerunners venture into the Hot Zone at the center of Night City as part of their mission to flip a switch in the basement of Elysium HQ. Get Cyberpunk RED: Chapters 0:00 Intro2:10 Mission Briefing5:30 Gear and Supplies10:45 Entering the Hot Zone15:20 Encounter with […] The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 7: Into the Hot Zone (S4E5) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In this episode of “Campaigns and Coffee,” hosts David, Josh, and Erin dive into convention season, offering tips and sharing personal experiences. The trio discusses their preparation rituals, with Erin highlighting her dedication to the Sparks campaign—a Star Wars role-playing game using the West End Games D6 system. Josh shares his strategy for attending Gen […] The post Gen Con Tips for Newcomers – Campaigns and Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In the latest episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast, we delve into our summer reading lists, exploring a mix of thrilling, nostalgic, and intellectually stimulating books. Ken kicks things off with Action Park by Andy Mulvihill, reminiscing about the notorious amusement park of his youth. David follows with a dive into sci-fi novels, including […] The post Sci-Fi & Fantasy Summer Reading List 2024 (S4E4) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Our Cyberpunk RED campaign continues with Chapter 6: Anticipating the Glow. Previously, the edgerunners accepted a mission to venture into the irradiated core of Night City, descend into the depths the ruined Elysium HQ headquarters, and flip a switch. Being somewhat cautious mercenaries, they decided to do a little research first before venturing into the […] The post Cyberpunk RED Chapter 6: Anticipating the Glow (S4E3) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

In this thrilling episode of Campaigns and Coffee, David and Ken delve into Ken’s epic Elemental Apocalypse D&D campaign. The heroes are on a quest to reunite a fallen angel with its lost sun sword amidst a world torn apart by elemental forces. Ken shares his creative process, discussing map-making with Incarnate, integrating skill challenges […] The post Overland Exploration in D&D – Campaigns and Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Mind the crates; we’re still unpacking Season 4 of the podcast! On this episode, Ken talks about playing Monster of the Week mysteries, David flips through his Dreams and Machines rule books, and we delve into our respective reading lists. Chapters Show Notes Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with […] The post Lunchtime Ghouls & Sci-Fi Encounters (S4E2) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Our cozy, Saturday morning show continues with a discussion of cyberpunk, but different from our usual cyberpunk. Instead of the dystopian future of R. Talsorian’s Cyberpunk RED, hosts David, Ken, and Chris talk about Chris’s homegrown, Cleveland-based, cyberpunk campaign which uses the Cities without Number rule set. We explore the challenges of learning different systems […] The post Cyberpunk, But Different – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Season 4 kicks off with this episode as we experiment with a new format and geek out about everything from death rays to Dragonbane. We rundown the role-playing games we hope to play this season, review the games we delved into during the hiatus, and geek out about technology in our campaigns. Chapters 0:00 – […] The post From Death Rays to Dragonbane (S4E1) appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Fallout – the post-apocalyptic game set in an alternate, atomic-powered reality – kicks off our new Campaigns & Coffee short-format podcast. With the sound of laughter echoing through the vast caverns of the Lair, we talk about the new streaming series on Amazon Prime, the video games that inspired it, and the session zero for […] The post Gore and Lore in Fallout – Campaigns & Coffee appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Our Cyberpunk RED Recap episode looks at the first season of our actual play campaign. We talk about our favorite moments, how the characters grew, reversals we didn’t see coming (or did, and loved anyway) and more. The post S3E32 Cyberpunk RED Recap and Review appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

Join us for a lookback at our Savage Worlds-powered actual play campaign, Sundered Horizons! In this podcast retrospective, the crew discusses the three episode arc and asks one of the most important questions you can ask in a campaign: should we continue or try something else? Sundered Horizons was our first “Side Passage” adventure – … S3E31 Sundered Horizons – Season Look Back Read More » The post S3E31 Sundered Horizons – Season Look Back appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.

The edgerunners finished their latest big gig, securing black box tech for the Maker Enclave and surviving an encounter with a Zetatech “negotiation response team”. With the run complete, they’re looking for some much needed downtime. In Chapter 5 of our Cyberpunk RED actual play podcast, we try out the games downtime rules, which allow … S3E30 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 5: Downtime and the Living is Easy Read More » The post S3E30 Cyberpunk RED Chapter 5: Downtime and the Living is Easy appeared first on Lair Of Secrets.