Tome Travelers

This week, John sits down with Jonathan G. Nelson of Adventureaweek.com to discuss his company and their current Kickstarter project, Adventure Omnibus!  Host: John Thompson Featuring: Jonathan G. Nelson Check out the Kickstarter: AAW Games' Adventure Omnibus Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com Passionerdly Facebook Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds Patreon TeePublic Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

As we wind down Season 1 of Tome Travelers and Sam prepares to move out, we decided to dedicate the last two episodes of 2018 to the games he loves the most. This week, we break out all the books we own between us from Palladium’s Robotech RPG series. John and Sam indulge their nostalgia a little as we discuss the anime and the RPG’s and see how alien technology launched the citizens of Earth into intergalactic wars. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

(We had an audio-hiccough this episode, and our sound quality is not up to its normal standard. Still, we felt this was an episode that featured great commentary about a really solid property, and opted to release it. Thank you for listening, and be assured, our audio quality will return to normal in two weeks.) Today, we travel into the cyclopean future of Cthulhutech. In this world, the elder gods have returned from the void and humanity fights against this ancient menace in strange mech suits. Cthulhutech combines the best parts of Lovecraftian mythos and giant robo-anime. Come listen to our hosts gush about Lovecraft and discuss this game in our first foray into this genre. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepu

This week, we had a great time chatting with John Hambone McGuire from The Vintage RPG Podcast (and others) to discuss the German fantasy roleplaying powerhouse, The Dark Eye! We have quite a collection for the fifth edition of this long-running RPG, as well as the boardgame releases! Join us as we discuss the history of this property and its unique mechanics! Find John and all of his productions at https://linktr.ee/johnhambonemcguire!   Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard John Hambone McGuire Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Ethan Haas was right… Or so said a viral campaign in 2008 that referenced the writings and works of a prophet (Haas) who foretold a coming war. The campaign was launched to build intrigue around the release of Alpha Omega by Mindstorm Labs. In this (post-)post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, the citizens of Earth are caught up in the political machinations of extra-terrestrial heralds from two warring factions. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

This episode is going up in the rapture. Or not, but we are going to talk about Quintessential Mercy Studios’ 1995 release of Rapture: The Second Coming. Seeing as our three hosts come from different backgrounds with respect to the theme’s inspiration, our discussion dives deep, chases a hundred rabbits, but along the way, we find out more about this game and where it ended up. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

This week, we crack open John’s copy of Dark Sun, the highly-acclaimed setting for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. Join us as we discuss the history of the property and take a deeper look at what it brought to the table, including the Thri-Kreen! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Heroes in a half shell! Turtle Power! Right? Or are you like Sam and hate EVERYTHING about the beloved TMNT cartoon of the late 80s? This is the episode where Sam’s OG love of the comics and Roxy’s nostalgic love for the cartoons and movies come to a head as we talk about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness Roleplaying Game! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

While celebrating Free RPG Day here in our corner of the world, John met Debra Hoenig Parizek of ParDen Us Gaming, publisher of EVERYVERSE RPG. We were lucky enough to be able to schedule some time with her at Houston’s own Tea + Victory Boardgame Café for an interview. Links below to find out more about ParDen Us Gaming and EVERYVERSE! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain ParDen Us Gaming: http://www.pardenusgaming.com EVERYVERSE on DriveThru RPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177843/Everyverse-Rpg Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Welcome to our first episode of Tome Travelers: Credits Page! In these special bonus episodes, our hosts will take a closer look at some of the influential women that have worked on the games that we all love to play. This list is not exhaustive by any means, and we hope to return to the subject at a later date and continue to spotlight authors and creators. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Here at Passionerdly, we love anime. This month, we invited our friend and long-time anime fan, Sam, to join us in discussing the quintessential Japanese Anime RPG – Big Eyes, Small Mouth, or simply, BESM. Listen in for our thoughts, let us know if you’ve ever played BESM in any of its editions, and find links to purchase below! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Featuring: Sam Howard Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds patreon.com/passionerdly teepublic.com/passionerdly Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Wanna get your hands on this game? http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/24482/BESM-Big-Eyes-Small-Mouth-3rd-Edition?it=1 Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org  

Whatever edition of this game you prefer to use, Tokyo Brain Pop/Panty Explosion (Perfect) is a game whose original title was completely unrelated to the content, but certainly got consumers to stop and look. We have played this game more than once and it is always a good time, so we had to move it to the top of the pile. Join us for a trip through Panty Explosion was originally release by Atarashi Games in 2006 before two name changes that made it more table-friendly to general audiences. PS: Stay tuned for some announcements at the end of the episode! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @passionerdlypds Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Wanna get your hands on this game? http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/385/Atarashi-Games Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Drawing inspiration from another superhero RPG, Roxy creates “Shadowscape”, a Nova with enhanced perception and super-stealth abilities in Aberrant, a 1999 release from White Wolf, now being published by Onyx Path Publishing. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Abberant Core Rulebook, Onyx Path Publishing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3/Aberrant-Rulebook?it=1 Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Welcome to the Trinity Universe! This week, we’re taking a look at the second era available in White Wolf’s foray into the world of superheroes: Aberrant. Roxy has strong feelings about the look of the book, but let’s see what John has to say about his experience with this 1999 release from White Wolf, now being published by Onyx Path Publishing. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Abberant Core Rulebook, Onyx Path Publishing: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3/Aberrant-Rulebook?it=1 Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Let’s create a Battlemech Pilot using the Battletech Classic RPG rules from Topps’ Fan Pro edition, circa mid-2000s. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Battletech RPG, Catalyst Game Labs: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/24644/BattleTech-Classic-BattleTech-RPG?it=1&filters=0_0_10132_0_0 Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

This month, we are going back to one of John’s very first introductions to tabletop gaming: Battletech, and its RPG counterpart, 1991’s MechWarrior by FASA. The property has been around for a long time, and is still one of the most popular mech-combat franchises, even today! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Battletech RPG, Catalyst Game Labs: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/24644/BattleTech-Classic-BattleTech-RPG?it=1&filters=0_0_10132_0_0 Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

Taking her character inspiration from one of her favorite video games, Roxy attempts to create an inquisitor worthy of the grim dark future of the 41st Millennium. Dark Heresy was originally released in 2008 by a subdivision of Games’ Workshop, Black Library. Links to purchase are below! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, Ulisses Spiele: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/65872/Dark-Heresy-Core-Rulebook Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

In this episode, we find ourselves in the grim dark future of the 41st Millennium, as inquisitors in service of the God Emperor, the Carrion Lord of the Imperium. Dark Heresy was originally released in 2008 by a subdivision of Games’ Workshop, Black Library. Links to purchase are below! Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks, @tometravelers Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, Ulisses Spiele: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/65872/Dark-Heresy-Core-Rulebook Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

In our second episode this month, Roxy attempts to use the Spycraft character creation rules to generate Agent 86 of CONTROL, the clumsy but lovable spy portrayed by Don Adams in Get Smart. Spycraft (or Classic Spycraft) is a D20 roleplaying game written by Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson, published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2002. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Check out Passionerdly at: passionerdly.com facebook.com/passionerdly Twitter/Instagram: @passionerdly, @roowerks Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain Want to get your hands on this game? Classic Spycraft Silver Line Bundle (PDF): http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/55280/Classic-Spycraft-The-Silver-Line-BUNDLE Classic Spycraft Black Line Bundle (PDF): http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/56982/Classic-Spycraft-The-Black-Line-BUNDLE Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org

This week, John and Roxy travel don their black turtlenecks and night-vision goggles and dive into the action-packed world of secrets and espionage in Spycraft. Written by Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson, this D20 System was published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2002. Hosts: John & Roxy Thompson Music "Alien's Feast Loop" by zagi2, FreeSound.org Follow Passionerdly on Facebook! Twitter and Instagram: John: @passionerdly Roxy: @roowerks Check out The Nerd’s Domain at: nerdsdom.com facebook.com/nerdsdomain twitter.com/nerdsdomain teepublic.com/user/nerdsdomain