Pixels & Dice

Waxing poetic about old-school CCGs, and casting a bit of suspicion towards overly-hyped TTRPGs. Intro (0:49) – Scormey’s been playing retro games a lot lately, and Beoulus has been playing “Tavern Keeper”. CCGs (3:47) – Collectible Card Games. Are there any you are nostalgic for, and would like to see rebooted? We have some thoughts...Read More “Flop! – Loot Mechanics #318” »

“Diablo IV” gets dumbed-down, more playtest material for “Black Flag”, and 4Chan gets a Reality Check. Yay. Intro (0:49) – Beoulus hated “Diablo III” for being too easy. He’s not going to like what Blizzard has done with “Diablo IV”, then… Tabletop Roleplaying (10:11) – Playtest 2 packet for Project Black Flag has dropped, covering...Read More “The Bad, the Good, and the Trollish – Loot Mechanics #317” »

As much as we love tabletop roleplaying games, there are just some that simply… suck. Let’s talk about them today! Intro (0:49) – Our week, in brief. Tabletop Games (5:32) – Which TTRPGs do we refuse to play, and why? (Inspired by this Reddit post) Wrap (41:06) – Minor update on Scormey’s saga regarding the...Read More “Just Say No – Loot Mechanics #316” »

Corporate shenanigans and chicken sandwiches, on today’s episode! Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing lately? Scormey has been ruining “Fluxfall Horizon“, while Beoulus has been… working? Video Games (6:03) – Workers at indie studio Dynasty Loop haven’t been paid in months. This is why the game industry desperately needs unions! Wrap (33:16) –...Read More “Unions Now! – Loot Mechanics #315” »

There are plenty of TTRPGs based on literary works, but today we talk about some literary characters and settings that are perhaps being overlooked unfairly. Intro (0:49) – Scormey has a beef with Twitter, and Beoulus has been doing… something TTRPG (10:08) – Talking about kinda-sorta obscure characters and settings from literature that would make...Read More “(Not So) Obscure – Loot Mechanics #314” »

Dark Suns, Black Flags, and Harry Potter fans never fail to disappoint, on today’s show. Intro (0:49) – WotC confirms why “Dark Sun” setting has not been revived for 5E TTRPG (10:21) – Kobold Press’ have released their first playtest packet for “Project Black Flag”. We discuss. Wrap (30:28) – “Hogwarts Legacy” earns nearly a...Read More “Raising the Black Flag – Loot Mechanics #313” »

Scormey is glad people are stepping aside from D&D to other games, but just slipping over to Pathfinder 2E is – while still acceptable – not even really worth the bother in many ways. Intro (0:49) – Scormey wants to talk about “Cities Without Number“, now up on Kickstarter. Tabletop Roleplaying (10:15) – Sliding over...Read More “Pathfinder is great, but not that great – Loot Mechanics #312” »

Shipping woes, and the inevitable controversy around “Hogwarts Legacy”, all come home to roost. Intro (0:49) – What have we been up to lately? Video Games (4:50) – You can play “Hogwarts Legacy” if you like, but expect some blowback… Wrap (32:52) – Funagain gets out of the game distribution business. Thank Gawd! “Alchemists Tower”...Read More “Justice?- Loot Mechanics #311” »

Let’s talk about the value of continuing to play MMORPGs in today’s gaming market, and other nonsense. Intro (0:49) – Scormey has been enjoying some of the smaller games on his Switch, and Beoulus has been playing the usual suspects. Video Games (11:43) – What is the point of still playing MMORPGs in this day...Read More “Leveling up our gaming experience – Loot Mechanics #310” »

GTA V is riddled with exploits and bugs, even after all these years. Is it time to move on from that game, despite how profitable it has been? Intro (0:49) – Vox Machina is back, and we’re getting a “Mighty Nein” animated show, too! Video Games (10:21) – Should “Grand Theft Auto V” be finally...Read More “Basically Broken – Loot Mechanics #309” »

Like many, are you sick of WotC and their OGL shenanigans? Today we present several fantasy TTRPGs that are free from Wizards’ licensing idiocy. Intro (0:49) – An addendum to last week’s show… Tabletop Roleplaying (8:35) – Let’s talk about some TTRPGs that aren’t subject to Wizards of the Coast’s Open Game License. Band of...Read More “Replacing D&D – Loot Mechanics #308” »

Beoulus and I have to talk about the newest kerfuffle over Wizards of the Coast and Open Game License for “Dungeons & Dragons” Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing this week? Tabletop Roleplaying (2:22) – WotC has forever lost the trust of the TTRPG community, and even their pathetic response won’t save them...Read More “A breach of trust – Loot Mechanics #307” »

Reports say Nintendo has dropped plans for a Switch Pro model, in favor of a new console. Bullsh!t. Intro (0:49) – What have we been playing this week? Video Games (4:55) – The “Switch Pro” reportedly has been cancelled, in favor of a true, next-gen Nintendo console. Let’s point out all of the problems with...Read More “MarioBox – Loot Mechanics #306” »

Holiday catch-up, more OneD&D controversy, and Scormey talks new TTRPGs for his collection! NOTE: In this episode we are talking about the controversy from late December in regards to the OGL, not this week’s travesty. Just saying. Intro (0:49) – Catching up on what we’ve been doing over the holidays! Tabletop Roleplaying (6:02) – The...Read More “Paying the Toll – Loot Mechanics #305” »

A rundown of our Best and Worst games of 2022! Intro (0:49) – Final thoughts on 2022 Other (8:38) – The Best Games of 2022! Blade Runner RPG Pokemon Legends: Arceus Coyote & Crow Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Rant (26:55) – The Worst Games of 2022 Dark Souls The Roleplaying Game Diablo Immotal Wrap (51:10) –...Read More “Best and Worst of 2022 – Loot Mechanics #304” »

Yes, it’s that time of year again! Our annual picks for great, last-minute gifts for the gamers in your life! Intro (0:49) – What we’re doing for the Holidays! Other (5:29) – The gift-guide, as we do every year, but with less schlock this time around. TTRPG Dice, Joking Hazard, Replica Weapons, DragonFire Lamp, D&D...Read More “Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide, 2022 edition – Loot Mechanics #303” »

Finishing out the year with some semi-topical news (as is our way), before the Holiday Specials come… Intro (0:49) – Scormey headbutted the planet, and Beoulus has been doing other things. Collectible Card Games (4:57) – Hasbro refutes suggestion they are killing “Magic: the Gathering” Wrap (31:05) – New World devs announce a lackluster roadmap...Read More “The Last Topical Show of 2022! – Loot Mechanics #302” »

Today we’re talking about unusual settings we might use for various TTRPGs, and the fickleness of WotC fans. Intro (0:49) – Scormey’s dice have failed him, and Beoulus has been working (because that’s all he does). Tabletop Roleplaying (5:34) – LET’S TALK SETTINGS!… Which is to say, unusual locales to center your adventures in. Wrap...Read More “Schrödinger’s Company – Loot Mechanics #301” »

We’re all about business today, talking about antitrust lawsuits and open game licenses! Exciting stuff! Intro (0:49) – Scormey’s been getting back to solo roleplaying with “WitchCraft”, and Beoulus discusses some “No Man’s Sky” news. Video Games (5:58) – The FTC looks likely to move to block Microsoft’s acquisition of ActivisionBlizzard Wrap (28:24) – WotC...Read More “Back to Business – Loot Mechanics #300” »

Catching up, talking a bit about bad GM choices, and Scormey talks about a cool new game he got recently. Intro (0:49) – Scormey’s been on a hot streak, and Beoulus has been doing… something. Tabletop Roleplaying (5:29) – Let’s talk a bit about bad choices some GameMasters make, and how to fix them. Wrap...Read More “Bad Choices – Loot Mechanics #299” »