They mystery comes to a head as the investigators gather the final clues they need. Theories swirl and unbelievable truths are uncovered. What spirits are plaguing Antenna 8 and why is Billy Ray Cyrus at the center of it all? The crew of Paranormal Inc. cracks the case wise open but will they be able to lay these spirits to rest? A huge thanks to o…

A spirit screeches through the air waves of the radio station Antenna 8. Voices call out to some listeners and whispers drive away others. The station has called in the investigators of Paranormal Inc. to appease or dispel the spirits. The mystery begins in our actual play of the Paranormal Inc. Mystery "Antenna 8" by Sven Truckenbrodt. Alex Rodrig…

We're back with another Actual Play arc! We begin our playthrough of Paranormal Inc. with meting the cast of characters and talking about how the game works. Really excited for all of our guest players, all of whom will be familiar to long time listeners. Alex Rodriguez will be playing Madame Nancy, the medium. Alex can be found on Two Weeks One Sh…

Our Actioneers reach the IT Archives floor and they are within reach of finding the Floppy Disk and fulfilling their daily objectives. It won't be so easy though as they are met with the dread and depression of the IT collective who have been under the boot of Senior Leadership. How can the Actioneers persevere in the face of utter despair caused b…

Our team of Actioneers continues to pursue their objectives and deliver on their KPIs. The Halloween party on the HR floor is, well no longer lively and the Company Co. snack table has left them wanting something...juicier. I've heard Corporate Offices were full of mindless drones but this is ridiculous! Join us for Part 2 of our Actual Play Series…

What's the scariest place you could possibly be this weekend? If you guessed stuck in a corporate office, you are correct. Conan Lybarian returns this time as H.R. and running his game "Corner Office." My fellow Actioneers Alex Rodriguez and Josh Newton join me as we navigate our way through Company Co. HQ. In today's episode we meet our Actioneers…

This special episode officially kicks off the actual play portion of our season. In today's episode I read the journal wrote while playing "And The Gunslinger Followed" a solo RPG by Hypnos. Check out the previous episode for an interview with the creator and download the game on itch https://michanikos.itch.io/and-the-gunslinger-followed Follow me…

I talk a lot about how Tabletop RPGs are a collaborative storytelling experience. Friends around a table, whether physical or virtual, rolling dice and telling a story together. But maybe you don't know anyone who wants to game with you, or sometimes you can't get your friends together, or perhaps you'd rather just spend some time telling a story o…

Game Masters not just creators of stories, we are also enjoyers of stories. And with so many great stories that have been told throughout the history of humanity it's inevitable that you're going to find other stories that inspire you, stories you want to bring to your table and share with your friends. Today I'm joined by Kate the Master Teacher o…

The Big Bad Evil Guy is a tried and true trope. No matter what story your game is telling there is going to be someone or something that is working against your players. Someone to personify the forces of evil; some nefarious creature out to cause havoc and destruction; Or maybe one character's dad is just an asshole. But how do you make the BBEG i…

Reality is weird, really weird. Scientists work to understand just how weird our world is and have given us many wonders to marvel at. Today I'm joined my the twice graduated Reed, GM of Bring your Own Mech and Deimos Paradox. They're hear to tell ups about the weird and fantastical side of science and how to use it to inspire your Tabletop RPGs. F…

There are a ton of things that go into producing TTRPG supplements. Beyond creating whatever adventures, creatures, items and the like that are the focus of the supplement, there's artwork, layouts, edits upon edits to make it all look great and be the thing you're proud to publish. As one of our guests puts it "Writing a book is hard." Today I'm j…

Planning for player choices is incredibly challenging. TTRPG players are notorious for going left when you wanted them to go right or making any choice other than the ones you thought of and prepared for. So how can you as a Storyteller make your games just as enjoyable without spending so much time and energy on plans that you never use? Today I'm…

Dungeon Master. Storyteller. Game Mom. Keeper of Arcane Lore. Whatever you are called, running any Tabletop RPG requires a lot of effort and a ton of labor on the part of the narrator. Countless hours can be poured into planning and preparing your games, especially if you're running a long form campaign. Well today I'm joined by Artemis the GM of t…

There are so many different types of Game Masters out there. It can be easy to try and emulate what you've seen on Actual Plays or try to copy your previous GM in your own games. But how do you find your own voice, your own style? Today I'm joined by Justin aka 4everDM_Justin to talk about his own style and approach to the table. We swap stories ab…

Often in my conversations with guests, we talk about how TTRPGs are really just a form of collaborative storytelling. But DnD and other games like it have a habit of becoming a situation where the players are playing through a story that kind of exists without them specifically. So how do we change that and make our games something that can feel mo…

I love sitting down at a table with people who are new to TTRPGs. New players are the best! They bring such life and nuance to games without any presumptions and expectations about what a game "should be." Though it can be kinda tough to get them out of their shell and I guess teaching them the mechanics of a game can take a while. You know what? T…

I've mentioned several times that Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition is a build-your-own TTRPG. The source books also do a great job of encouraging players and GMs to create their own content for the game. In today's episode I'm joined by some excellent creators who are doing just that. Daniel Lieberman and Rene Beauregard of DragonRoc RPG Design hav…

GMs, don't you just hate when your players trip you up by asking the name of an unplanned NPC and you have to make something up on the spot as if you had the answer all along? Well today I'm joined by Mike Ashmoore of Tales of Asperran to tell you to how to stop doing that. Aside from setting the precedent of having the first Mike to make a guest a…

There are some incredibly talented people in the TTRPG community. With new content getting churned out all the time you gotta wonder, how do creators keep coming up with ideas? Well today I'm joined by Zac Harrison aka Conan Lybarian to discuss ways to keep filling your well of ideas. We talk about how to draw on other works, monster books, mytholo…

Sometimes when two, or more, classes really like each other they come together and make something really special. That dear listeners is called a Multi-class Character. Today I'm joined by the hosts of Undercommon Taste to discuss mulit-classing in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. Ian and James and I got together for a cross-podcast collaboration to really…

Think back on the games you've played. What are some of the most memorable moments from them? I'm willing to bet it wasn't the I'm willing to bet it wasn't the slower sessions, the down time between adventures. No, usually the most memorable gaming moments are moments of high tension. When something important is on the line and there's a risk of lo…

19 Hits the Dragon is back! *cue epic guitar solo* We've got a great season ahead and we're off to a hot start with our first guests, the creative minds behind The Real Thing RPG. We chat about some lessons learned in the development of this project and how their take on empowering players to be co-creators at the table influenced the decisions the…

Happy Holidays listeners! Our Holiday Special concludes! With the Yule Cat having been run off and some special gifts from the big man himself, Santa's Helpers hop into his sleigh and pursue the Yule Lads back to their mother Gryla's hut for a final showdown to rescue the children of Mitten. Special Guests: Alex Rodriguez From Two Weeks One Shot Ch…

Happy Holidays listeners! The Holiday Special continues as our crew, Santa's Helpers, takes to the streets to find the rest of the Yule Lads and stop them from kidnapping any more children. But they had better watch out for that Yule Cat! Special Guests: Alex Rodriguez From Two Weeks One Shot Christian Borchert From My Sound Delve Ishmael Alvarez a…

Happy Holidays listeners! We've got a special Holiday treat for all of you. Today I'm joined by many of the friends we've made through the year for a Yuletide adventure! It is a wintery night in the cozy village of Mitten on the first night of the Solstice. A motley crew is heading home after the festivities when they come upon some mischievous lad…

Welcome to the darkest, most chilling reaches of deep space. This is the Actual Play Miniseries, Chariot of the Gods, hosted by the Dads with Nerdy Ambitions, Tabletop Journeys, and 19 Hits the Dragon podcasts. Subscribe at the following links so that you don’t miss a minute of the thrilling adventure: Dads with Nerdy Ambitions: https://redcircle.c…

Welcome to the darkest, most chilling reaches of deep space. This is the Actual Play Miniseries, Chariot of the Gods, hosted by the Dads with Nerdy Ambitions, Tabletop Journeys, and 19 Hits the Dragon podcasts. Subscribe at the following links so that you don’t miss a minute of the thrilling adventure: Dads with Nerdy Ambitions: https://redcircle.c…

CW for suicide and body horror skip over 45:25-46:05 to avoid the suicide content. Our episode part 3 and the finale of a 1-Shot that was concepted by Zac Harrison a.k.a. @Conan_Lybarian, our editor Hannah Miller and Myself when we opened a random pack of "The Adventures of Johnny Quest" trading cards. In today's episode the crew unravels the horri…

Our episode today is the second part of a 1-Shot that was concepted by Zac Harrison a.k.a. @Conan_Lybarian, our editor Hannah Miller and Myself when we opened a random pack of "The Adventures of Johnny Quest" trading cards. In today's episode our motley crew pursues the leads of their jobs. They have a run in with some strange figures in an alley a…

I had the good fortune of connecting with our intrepid DM for this One-Shot Zac Harrison a.k.a. @Conan_Lybarian a while back and cracking random trading card pack with him and and Hannah and then concepting a One Shot based around the cards we pulled from the pack. Today we bring you a play through of that very One-Shot that Zac has put together us…

The TTRPG space is full of interesting and unique settings where your games can take place but sometimes the story you want to tell doesn't quite fit into any of the established locations and you need to set out for new waters and establish a land of your very own. World building is a time honored tradition in the sci-fi/fantasy realm and something…

Have you ever gone to your well of inspiration, whatever mental or emotional place you go to draw up ideas for your stories, and found that well dry or close to empty? Well today I'm joined by Ryan Johnson author of the DMs Guild campaign Wintry Blast to talk about his strategy for forcing inspiration. Ryan draws random MTG cards and converts them …

The role of Game Master at a table is something of a circus act, a juggler or plate spinner keeping all the pieces moving and enthralling your players as a participating audience. This is something that requires skill and like all skills requires time and practice to execute flawlessly. Like any showman however you must also be aware of audience or…

It's no secret that many TTRPG games are fairly short lived for a variety of reasons. There are however the chosen few out there that are able to carry a campaign to completion. Last episode I sat chatted with Christian Borchert to talk about how to keep your players invested so they return to your game week after week. Today we're going to talk ab…

One of the unspoken roles of the Game Master is the responsibility for bringing everyone together for each session. Doing that successfully requires a certain set of skills. Investing your players in the games, in their characters, and in each other as a group takes work. Without the knowhow it can be really difficult. Often TTRPG groups will fall …

The world is full of interesting and unique people, but filling the world up yourself can seem like a daunting task for a GM. You're players keep asking every guard their name, wanting to know the back story of every person in the tavern, or possibly the true motives of the quest giver. So how do you handle that? Well never fear dear listeners. Dav…

Are you an aspiring Game Master? Have you and your friends been interested in playing D&D or another TTRPG but no one wants to step into the Role of GM? Maybe you've been watching Critical Role and now you're itching to run a game yourself but you're feeling nervous about getting behind the screen? Well fret no longer friend. Today Dan Ryan of Non-…

Traps are a longstanding tradition in Dungeons and Dragons and many other tabletop RPGs. Whether is through ambush, bamboozle, ensnarement, pitfall, or a demonic face with a sphere of annihilation in it, Game Masters have a variety of ways they can ensnare their player. Today I am joined by Josh Newton and Lewanika Miller of Tabletop Journeys to in…

Tabletop RPGs come in a variety of forms and offer a myriad of options in terms of style, setting, theme, goals or purpose. One thing that is central to all TTRPGs however is the player character. As Sean so aptly puts it in our discussion, "It's hard to have a story without characters." And while the Lone Wolf Rogue can be fun to play for a time w…

What is a One shot and why do we play them? Where do I begin the creation process? What should I focus on when writing? How do I prepare for when my players inevitably ignore the tasks in front of them and go have a light lunch instead? My very first guests Alex Rodriguez and Brian LeBlanc aka Helix Missionary from the delightfully chaotic Two Week…

We have a lot of great content in store this season and I'm super excited to get all of our episodes to you our listeners. In the mean time enjoy a peek at the conversations to come! Huge thank you to Paul Mackie for the rocking theme song and our editor Hannah Miller for all the amazing work she does!…

19 Hits the Dragon is back in action May 8th! Join Mike as he sits down with some awesome TTRPG creators to talk shop about our favorite aspects of gaming.nineteenhitsthedragon által

Hello listeners, Mike here with a quick announcement. You may have noticed we don’t have a full episode this week. We’re beginning a brief hiatus as we make some adjustments to the show moving forward. I explain in more detail in the clip we have uploaded today. In the meantime I’ll still be reachable on twitter @19hitsthedragon or via email at 19h…

CW for this episode: Extreme bodily harm, drug use/addiction, mental illness, discussion of psychopathy and dissociation We return to the Dark Future of Cyberpunk Red for our final installment (for now) of this series of episodes. LAst week we talked about combat and all the ways that bullets can hurt you. Today we continue this conversation by cov…

We are back in the dark future of Cyberpunk Red! Today we highlight the core mechanics of the game and how your edgerunner succeeds or fails in their attempts to topple the megacorps. We spend a little time talking through various aspects of the numerous skills before slowing down to unpack the role abilities. These are abilities and features that …

It's a very special episode of 19 Hits the Dragon! For the very first time in the show's extensive and prestigious history, Mike and Rob are venturing all the way out of the high fantasy adventure gaming space and dive headlong into the world of Cyberpunk Red! It is a distant, bleak, dystopian future, where a small cabal of hyper-wealthy elites exe…

(Content Warning: Alcohol mention in the episode) 19 Hits the Dragon is back to delve further into the mysteries of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition! This episode is all about classes. You would think that classes would be pretty straightforward, right? Then, you start flipping through Chapter 3 and are immediately confronted with a maze of…

You come into consciousness, floating in nilspace. You are unsure if you have corporeal form, or any sort of physical extension, for that matter. As far as you know, you are only the sum of your thoughts and mental processes. Before you are able to fully acclimate to this nothing, a voice calls out to you: “Roll 3d6. 11? Ok, that's your Strength sc…

19 Hits the Dragon is back for a further look at Mike and Rob's favorite D&D spells! Last episode was all about combat spells, giving our intrepid co-hosts the chance to spread their wings and soar as majestic, contrarian hipster eagles who don't care for Magic Missile. But this episode is all about all those other weird spells. These spells don't …