Podcasts by The Great Debate!
Hapless would-be actor and comedy writer Jim Ryan pits his characters against each other in a series of no-holds-barred debates covering anything and everything about role-playing games. But can they do it in under five minutes? Tune in and find out!
Further podcasts by Jim Ryan
Podcast on the topic Spiele
All episodes
Funkadelic Frankenstein Actual Play! from 2014-12-15T03:35:22
I recorded a one-shot I ran of Hex Games' "Monstersploitation" game Listen
An Announcement from 2011-11-26T05:06:02
Howdy, folks! I've recorded a message for you!
The Great Debate! WILL return.
In the mean time, here's my new podcast: Crucible o...
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Episode XLIX - Arming the Canon from 2010-12-31T19:39:33
Is it better to use a pre-existing setting or o...
Episode XLVIII - Do PCs Come in Six-Packs? from 2010-11-22T22:38:06
Is it a good idea for GMs to pregenerat...
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Episode XLVII - Is It a Race or Is It a Species? from 2010-10-20T02:15:10
Which genre offers a better choice of p...
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ACTION CASTLE Actual Play! from 2010-09-09T02:58
A recording of myself running a quick game of...
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Episode XLVI - Background Noise from 2010-08-25T19:12
How important is having a background story for your campaign? A bounty hunter and a cleric sit down and chat amenably about the subject.
Panelists
Father Vernon Co...
Not Going to GenCon - 2010 from 2010-08-09T21:21
I didn't get to go to GenCon and decided to record a chat about it! I commiserated with three other folks (Kim, Jason and Kent) who also didn't get to go this year. Fair warning: we rambled fo...
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Episode XLV - Getting a Transfer Slip from 2010-07-23T01:54
Is it a good idea to bring an old PC into a new game? A cyber-hacker and a government agent delve into what it means to transfer your character.
Panelists:
Reflux...
Episode XLIV - House Arrest from 2010-06-14T20:38
Are house rules the way to go when running an RPG or are they a bad idea? A pirate and a futuristic military grunt take each other to task on the issue.
Panelists:
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Episode XLIII - The Book Was Better from 2010-05-10T02:06
Is it a good idea to adapt an RPG from another source, such as a series of novels? Our two undead panelists ponder the pros and cons of adaptation.
Panelists: Baron Th...
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Episode XLII - The PC's Pain Falls Mainly on the Planes from 2010-04-01T22:59
Is planar travel cool and exciting or is it just a tool to help the Game Master mess with the players? A college professor and a dwarf engineer debate the subject.
Panelists: Listen
Episode XLI - My Power Source is Bigger Than Yours from 2010-03-18T04:41
Listen in as an old feud between two fantasy characters comes burbling to the surface. A wizard and a cleric face off to discuss which kind of power is better: Arcane or Divine?
...
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Episode XL - Lawyering Up from 2010-03-11T04:31
Is the guy who always knows the rules a help or a nuisance? A samurai and a superhero talk about the place of rules lawyers in RPGs.
Panelists:
Masato Nakajima, Sam...
Episode XXXIX - Juggling GMs from 2010-03-03T03:49
Is it a good idea to rotate Game Masters in an ongoing campaign? Listen in as preacher and a hacker toss the issue back and forth between them like a rag doll!
Panelists: Listen
Episode XXXVIII - Are You Ever Going To Role Play That Flaw? from 2009-12-15T18:20
Advantages & Disadvantages. Merits & Flaws. Edges &
Hindrances. Are they helpful to a game? A vampire and a college
professor debate the pros and cons.
Pan...
Episode XXXVII - How Not to Host a Murder from 2009-12-03T19:52
Is it a bad thing for player characters to kill or should it be
perfectly acceptable? An archwizard and a superhero take up arms over
the issue.
Panelists...
Episode XXXVI - PvP! from 2009-11-26T18:34
When PCs fight each other, does everyone lose or is it just another way
to get their game on? A necromancer and a samurai square off on the
subject.
Panel...
Episode XXXV - Hotwiring the Submarine from 2009-11-20T05:42
What dangers lurk beneath the waves? And what the heck is an aspidochelone? Our intrepid panelists -- a pirate captain and a cleric -- slyly skirt around these questions and many more about under...
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Episode XXXIV - Module or Mind Control? from 2009-11-12T00:49
Are pre-written adventures a useful tool or do they do nothing but force PCs down a pre-determined track? A college professor and a government agent tackle the issue of who's really in the driver'...
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Episode XXXIII - Caressing the Power Lines from 2009-11-04T21:40
Is trying to make a character as powerful as possible a good thing or a
bad thing? A wizard and a bounty hunter flex their intellectual
muscles over the subject.
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Episode XXXII - Anti-Heroics from 2009-10-29T04:55
Are good and evil absolutes for your PCs or do your characters see
things in shades of grey? A superhero and a pirate tackle the issue of
anti-heroes in RPGs.
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Episode XXXI - War! Now in Barbecue Flavor! from 2009-10-22T23:54
The idea of warfare as a theme in RPGs is kicked about, pummeled and
salivated over by our panelists. A cleric and a fighter pilot wage war
over the concept of waging war.
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Episode XXX - Animal Magnetism from 2009-10-16T03:40
Our resident bounty hunter clashes with our resident cyber-hacker over
the issue of animals in role-playing games. What's the best way to use
them, if at all?
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Episode IXXX - Take Everything That Isn't Nailed Down from 2009-10-09T00:52
Some like to search every nook and cranny of a room and strip-search
every fallen foe while others prefer to just move on. A pirate and a
demonologist talk about the practice of looting in RPGs!
Episode XXVIII - Evil is Good? from 2009-10-02T01:44
How bad are evil PCs? Really bad? Or just a little bad? Should they
even be allowed? Our panelists - a superhero and an undead necromancer
- have a little chat about it.
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Episode XXVII - Random Acts of Game Mastery from 2009-09-24T04:18
Are random encounters a good idea for a campaign or should everything
be plotted out? A fantasy priest and a government agent roll the dice
and find out.
...
Captain Payne Promo - Short Version from 2009-09-19T08:28
Here's a shorter version of the Captain Payne Promo -- it's the end section, in which he addresses the listener, by itself -- should anyone need something a bit more brief.
Captain Payne Promo from 2009-09-19T08:17
In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I've put together a new promo for The Great Debate! featuring Captain Payne, in which we get a little peek at what life in his game setting is like...
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Episode XXVI - How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Time Travel from 2009-09-18T01:28
Ever have your PCs dumped in the ancient past or a far-flung future? Can that kind of thing even fit into a game? Two panelists from opposite ends of the historical spectrum discuss the use of ti...
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Episode XXV - Are We Dead Yet? from 2009-09-10T05:41
Just how permanent should PC Death be? Two priests squabble over the issue.
Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wi...
Episode XXIV - MacGuffins Half Off! from 2009-09-03T17:04
Are magic items a good thing for a role-playing game or are they just a nuisance? A college professor and an elf mull it over.
Panelists:
Archw...
Episode XXIII - Money! Beautiful Money! from 2009-08-26T20:25
Our panelists -- a superhero and a cyber hacker -- discuss the use of money in RPGs. But can they avoid selling out?
Panelists:
Captain Radiant...
A Second Podcast! from 2009-08-20T04:31
My new podcast has just launched its first episode! Don't worry folks, The Great Debate will be continuing unabated, but now here's something else to listen to, if you're so inclined! It's called...
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Episode XXII - Are You Necro-Friendly? from 2009-08-19T19:10
Is it a good idea to have a necromancer player character? A bounty
hunter and an undead wizard who happens to specialize in that very
field have a lively discussion about it.
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Episode XXI - Who's In Charge Here? from 2009-08-13T04:55
In some games the Game Master has absolute control, but in others players chime and add to the plot whenever they feel like it. A vampire and a cleric discuss the finer points of player narration ...
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Episode XX - Nonhuman Rights from 2009-08-05T20:49
Is it a good idea to play something other than a human in an RPG? A
monster-hunting priest and an elven wizard throw down over the issue of
nonhuman player characters.
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Episode IXX - Arsenic, Cyanide and Other Old Favorites from 2009-07-29T21:48
Should poison be allowed on either side of a role-playing game? A pirate and a government agent wrestle with the issue.
Panelists:
Darin Payne,...
Episode XVIII - I'll Fight You For It! from 2009-07-22T23:35
Taste the adrenaline in the air as a samurai and a college professor do
battle over the merits of combat in role-playing games. Who will
survive?!
Panelis...
Episode XVII - Meta-Gaming for Fun&Profit from 2009-07-15T04:36
How many out of character considerations should be allowed to influence
your role-playing, if any? And what kind? Two monster hunters duke it
out over the issue.
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Episode XVI - Fight the Powers? from 2009-07-08T06:49
What's the best approach to the use of powers that set
your PCs aside from everyone else? Two powerful beings clash
haphazardly over the issue of special abilities in RPGs.
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Episode XV - Riding the Rails from 2009-07-01T04:27
This episode discusses railroading in RPGs. One panelist is from feudal Japan, the other is from a dystopian future and it's likely neither one has ever seen a train before. Let's hope they grasp...
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Episode XIV - Precious XP from 2009-06-23T19:19
What should your character receive more experience points for? Combat
or role-playing? A college professor and a necromancer attempt to have
an earnest discussion about it.
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Episode XIII - Travel! from 2009-06-17T21:18
Do you like campaigns set in one area or do you prefer to globe-trot?
A well-traveled pirate and a reclusive cyber hacker discuss it.
Panelists:
Episode XII - What's All This, Then? from 2009-06-10T03:26
Do town guards, police officers or government agents help your
adventuring party or are they nothing but a nuisance? On this episode we talk about the use of authority figures in
games.
<...
Episode XI - Fantasy vs Sci-Fi from 2009-06-03T02:47
Which genre makes for a better campaign setting? Fantasy or Science Fiction? PCs from each of the two clash over the issue.
Panelists:
Archwiz...
Episode X - God Complex from 2009-05-27T01:04
A cleric and an anthropology professor duke it out over the value of
having a pantheon of deities in a role-playing game. Are they there to
watch over your PCs or to drive them stark-raving mad?
Episode IX - Undead on Arrival from 2009-05-19T22:15
Is it a good idea to run a game with undead PCs or NPCs? A vampire and a bounty hunter go head-to-head on the topic.
Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc...
Episode VIII - Eutopia or Dystopia? from 2009-05-12T16:16
Which vision of the future is more fun to play your sci-fi campaign
in? Two realities collide when a cyber-hacker and an ace starship
pilot get together to talk about it.
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Episode VII - The Lure of the Demon Dice from 2009-05-06T05:24
Does playing without dice help a game or hinder it? Our guests debate the merits of diceless role-playing games.
Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, P...
Episode VI - Stop Him Before He Role-Plays Again! from 2009-05-02T18:52
To role-play or not to role-play? Listen in as two immortal beings clash over the subject.
Panelists:
Lord Connor Sh...
Episode V - Bending the Rules from 2009-05-02T18:33
Is it okay to fudge the rules sometimes? We threw a pirate and a samurai into a room together to have a nice, calm conversation about it.
Panelists:
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Episode IV - This Will Be the Ultimate Build (Until the Next One...) from 2009-05-02T07:27
Is it better to build a great conversationalist or a heavy hitter? Our panelists go at it over the best method to build a player character...
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Epidode III - Sitting or Standing? from 2009-05-01T17:56
The battle between live-action and table-top role-players comes to the Great Debate! Listen as a vampire lord and a government agent go at it!
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Episode II - Attack of the Doppelgangers from 2009-05-01T17:44
A superhero squares off with a Wild West bounty hunter. The topic: the use of shape-changing villains in RPGs.
Music for t...
Episode I -- Fear! from 2009-05-01T04:17
The first episode of The Great Debate!
It's the pirate vs the elf as we debate the merits of fear effects in games. Be afraid.
Pane...
PHB2 Release Audio Short # 3 from 2009-05-01T03:48
This is the third and final short I recorded for the Player's Handbook 2 release on D&D Game Day. My intention was to set the situation for each of the sketches in three of the most "cliche" locat...
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PHB2 Release Audio Short # 2 from 2009-04-30T20:31
This is the second of the three spots I did for the PHB2 release. Hooray for drunken player characters! ;)
PHB2 Release Audio Short # 1 from 2009-04-30T00:57
Before we get to The Great Debate, I wanted to share this series of three audio shorts with you. I did them for War Pig Radio for the release of the Listen
The Moment is Nigh! from 2009-04-29T04:45
Behold the archive for episodes of The Great Debate! Downloadable episodes are coming soon!