Panda's Talking Games

Show us how you…continue the question about romance! Phil and Senda get into the second part of the question of romance in games. Follow ups next time!

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Show us how you handle love and intimate relationships in game! Phil and Senda *start* the conversation on romance in games — with part 2 to come.

Reminder: there will be no episode next week!

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Show us how you remove combat from a published adventure! Phil and Senda talk how about what to balance, what you made need to consider, and some different approaches depending on why you want less combat in the game.

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Show us how you deal with creep in your games! No, not creepy people — scope creep, or slow changes in expectations, or forgetting your session 0 conversations etc. Phil and Senda manage not to sing about being a creep and a weirdo, probably.

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Show us what you do when you thought the campaign was over…but you all want more! Phil and Senda talk extending a campaign from a TV series perspective, and some things to check in on before you do.

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Show us how you manage your game docs! Phil and Senda talk platforms and information storage so that we can confidently answer the question “Where do you keep your rules of the table?”

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Show us how you play to find out! Phil and Senda talk play to find out, where it crystalized for them, and what it means for their style and process of gaming.

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Show us what you do when you’re sitting in a game you’re not enjoying — for whatever reason! Phil and Senda talk sitting down to a game you discover you don’t like, and what we’d do in that situation (spoilers: be polite, but don’t cause yourself harm).

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Also, if you are interested in that Larp Senda keeps ta...

It’s sure been a time! Phil and Senda talk their 2025 gaming, then things to look forward to in 2026.

This feels like a good time to reiterate that we have specifically chosen to maintain this podcast space (as much as we can) as a place where you will not be jump scared by current events. We’ve done this not because we don’t care, but because we all need a rest stop along the way so that we can keep going. We would like to create that space for you when you need it — come take a breath...

Show us how you…do a year end topic round up?? Phil is joined by Ryan, our always intrepid editor, for a quick topic round up to “round off” our recording year. (eh? eh? you see what I did there? Nevermind.) This is our last show for 2025 — we’ll be back in 2026, so drop your topics to us in all the ways, including the ones you can find at the links below!

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Show us how you handle a game end when you don’t get to wrap it up, whether that’s for a story or a character! Phil and Senda talk about closure/closing loops, and other ways to approach getting closure on your own if the game is gone.

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Show us how you form good TTRPG teams! Phil and Senda revisit the Tuckman model of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and (wah wah) adjourning when your group changes up — whether that’s people, scheduling, or splitting a group in two!

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Show us how you balance agency vs story structure in table top games! Phil and Senda talk spectrum and (hopefully) nuance of this potentially loaded question.

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Show us how you move from a more traditional game to PbtA for the first time! Phil and Senda talk tips for grocking the major differences in the system whether you’re new to TTRPGs in general or an old hand at more traditional games and looking to try something new.

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Show us how you handle failure in your games! Phil and Senda talk competent failure, incompetent failure, and failure at various story points.

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Show us how you handle asking your group for more — more role play, more emotional stakes, more shared narrative. Phil and Senda talk about the ways you might approach that conversation and what you might do on both sides of it, as well as potential outcomes and what you might make of them.

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Show us how you use the principles of servant leadership to GM your games! Phil and Senda once again bring their professional training to bear on this gaming topic to discuss servant leadership for GMs.

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Show us how you manage your setting/info dump! Phil and Senda talk just in time info and some ways to approach it.

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It’s episode 400! Show us how you…do 400 episodes? Phil and Senda reminisce a bit and talk stars and wishes for the podcast, then answer three shorter listener questions.

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Show us how you create a culture of collaboration at the table! Or, show us how you make sure that everyone is getting their game needs met in balance at the table! Phil and Senda talk tools, like spotlight management and hand raising, but also deeper discussion on approaching the root cause of folks not getting an opportunity to speak or act.

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Show us how you get useful feedback as a GM or a player! Phil and Senda talk ways to get critique and what needs to be true to make it useful. Also, sometimes the game is fine but the brain weasels are weaseling. Please do not be tricked by the brain weasels. We know that you can defeat them.

ALSO! No new episode next week — see you the week after!

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Show us how you handle starting a game that’s lost it’s shine…or should you? Phil and Senda talk communication with your players and ways to approach a game that’s lost its shine between when you recommended it and when you actually start running it.

ALSO! We will be on vacation next week — see you the week after!

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Show us how you avoid manipulating your players via NPC/GMPC (GMC)! Phil and Senda talk the actual question from last week: how to avoid unconscious (or conscious) bias in using your NPCs to communicate with your PCs!

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Show us how you try new or risky ideas at the table! Phil and Senda tackle a single question that turns into two parts (so come back next week for the rest of the discussion). For this week: we dissect our frequent saying “Don’t Be Clever” with some better nuance, from the perspective that if you always play safe and never try anything new, you’ll never learn or grow as a GM. What is your experience with experimentation vs. being clever?

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Show us how you handle mid-game check ins! Phil and Senda talk checkins: after session, four sessions in, going into a new arc, going into the end game, and when something goes wrong.

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‘Show us how you rebuild your game prep strategy when life throws you a curveball! Phil and Senda talk through Phil’s updated free time reality, how that’s been impacting his gaming, and what his new plan is to resolve it.

There will be no episode next week, so we’ll see you again on July 16!

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Show us what three things are most important for a new GM to learn! Phil and Senda talk through what we think — do you agree?

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Show us what you want from a rulebook! Phil and Senda tackle a question about what we most want to see in a rule book, for running a game or for potentially purchasing a game.

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Show us how you create an engaging core loop — as another part of your setting creation! Phil and Senda talk core loops and how they drive investment and character creation, and also how to get people attached to the setting at a micro level instead of a macro level.

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Show us how you handle facilitation and collaboration at the table…and specifically, how do you make sure everyone stays involved! Phil and Senda are pretty passionate about this because it’s part of both their hobby and their respective day jobs!

References:

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Show us how you manage players missing games! Phil and Senda talk about what you may need to take into consideration, including length of absence, how key that character is to the story, etc.

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Show us your favorite things to include in your session 0! Phil and Senda are joined by invisible third panda Ryan Boelter (our editor) in celebration of their 100th show with us. Thanks Ryan!!

Check out the Creation Cast session 0 document here: https://sessionzero.charactercreationcast.com/

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Show us how you bring an iced campaign back from a long hiatus! Phil and Senda both have some experience with this. As usual this is a buffet, so some may be helpful for your specific situation or not! Take what works and leave what doesn’t.

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Show us how you manage tech at the table for players and GMs! Phil and Senda talk about everything except the monster in the corner (focus).

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Show us how you manage patterns of behavior at your table! We love games, and games require people, which means that sometimes you will run into a social dynamic that’s just not working. We do our best to help in one specific scenario!

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Show us how you prep for play vs. prepping for reading! Phil and Senda talk about the different ways we use prepared adventure materials, and things you may consider to make your prep work for you, accessibly, in play at the table.

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Show us your tips for new players — and for getting old players back to the table! Phil and Senda talk new players and players returning after a hiatus (for whatever reason).

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Show us ho GMing is manipulation — or not! Or, how to make sure you’re not doing it by accident or for the wrong reasons. Phil and Senda talk when you might be subconsciously manipulating the table and some ways to dodge it.

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Show us how you go from GM to player — especially if you’re a forever GM! How do you transition your skills and hand over default leadership gracefully? Phil and Senda talk this and also accidentally GM manipulation.

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Phil and Senda are having a busy *life* moment, so for your listening pleasure we bring you this chit chat! The chit chat is not our normal format of show, for which we’d recommend going back (or probably forward) an episode. We talk about what’s giving us life in gaming and in life, and Senda expounds a lot on her extreme excitement for the LARP she is in.

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