Learning how to gain XP & gold as a freelancer in the tabletop industry. Our host Friday takes us on a journey of learning from the best how to: design games, write, market, pro GMing and everything in between. www.dollarsanddragons.com
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December 9, 20251 hr 27 min
"Cyberpunk" Ep 57 - J Gray (he/him)
This episode I had the privilege of chatting with J Gray, an R Talsorian game design veteran with over a decade of work with the company and who currently serves as the Line Manager for Cyberpunk. We talked about the upcoming releases of Night City 2045 and the 2077 campaign book, in addition to some shop talk about game design and teamwork. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
October 28, 20251 hr 2 min
"Shadow Scar TTRPG" Ep 56 - Cody Pondsmith (he/him)
We had on the podcast the accomplished and energized game designer Cody Pondsmith (he/him) of R. Talsorian Games! Beginning his journey at 11 years old, Cody has long been in the designer seat and has the portfolio to prove it. Having worked on Cyberpunk Red and Witcher, he is now spearheading an anime-inspired ninja TTRPG called Shadow Scar.Check out Shadow Scar on Kickstarter!LINKS:https://www.wargamer.com/shadow-scar/kickstarter-launchhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/792383008/shadow-scar-ttrpg-core-rulebookhttps://rtalsoriangames.com/downloadable-content/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
October 20, 202549 min
"Superheroes & Marketing" Ep 55 - Josh Simons (he/him)
This episode we have on a repeat guest Josh Simons who has worked for D&D, DMs Guild, Magpie Games, Kobold Press, Mage Hand Press, and even AMC Networks. We chat about his indie superhero game called Paragons, marketing for TTRPGs and how he’s made his way in the industry.“Paragons: The Roleplaying Game is a dynamic TTRPG with heavy influences from animated superhero shows like Teen Titans and Batman: The Animated Series. The mechanics draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including the Year Zero Engine, Shadowrun, the World of Darkness games, the Powered by the Apocalypse system, and Pathfinder 2e. Paragons is easy to pick up and understand, taking only a few minutes to make a character and start playing. The game is designed so the mechanics don’t get in the way of the story or the fun happening around the table.Behind the mask of superhero fun, Paragons is about overcoming obstacles, the weight of responsibility that comes with being in the public eye, and the ever-raging battle between good and evil in the world and in our hearts.”Click the image below to support an indie publisher!Links:https://brokendoor.shop/pages/paragonshttps://www.joshuamsimons.com/https://bsky.app/profile/joshuamsimons.comhttps://www.dakotacurry.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
June 17, 20251 hr 17 min
"WotC Modules: Reloaded" Ep 54 - DragnaCarta (he/him)
On the pod we had on DragnaCarta (he/him) whose work has helped redefine Curse of Strahd adventures for tens of thousands of players across the hobby. His work includes Curse of Strahd: Reloaded and Twice Bitten. He’s now launching Eidolon Publishing with the announcement of his upcoming Kickstarter Lost Mine of Phandelver: Reloaded!If you’d like to play a Curse of Strahd game with me (or Rime or Daggerheart or - or - or) sign up for one of my games on Start Playing! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
May 26, 202559 min
"Exoecology for Monster Hunters" Ep 53 - Andie MargoMods (they/them)
This time we had on Andie MargoMods (they/them) a game designer with experience in 5e subclasses, adventures, and magic items. We talk crowdfunding, freelancing, and general business practice for TTRPG.Check out their latest work on Kickstarter. Funding for this campaign ends in a couple days!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/margomods/exoecology-for-monster-hunters This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
May 8, 20251 hr 3 min
"What Makes A Great Writer" Ep 52 - Hannah Rose (she/her)
Ahoy adventurers! I was pleased to run into Hannah Rose (she/her) at Big Bad Con in 2023 and managed to get her to agree to come onto the podcast to talk about her work in the TTRPG industry. You might know her from her contributions to MCDM’s work such as Arcadia or Flee! Mortals, Tal’Dorei Reborn, several Wizards of the Coast hardcovers, the Uncaged series, or even some of her latest stuff at Wildmage Press!links:https://wildrosemage.carrd.co/https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-early-91306717Check out my games on StartPlaying Games!Play Daggerheart with me!Play in an Exandria game with me! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
April 29, 20251 hr 11 min
"Making A Living As An Indie Publisher & Game Designer" Ep 51 - Chris Bissette (they/them)
This time I had on Chris Bissette (they/them) who has written for Fallout, Pathfinder, Discworld, MCDM, and also has a massive indie library to peruse. We chat about printing, indie design, freelancing, bouncing at a bar, AI grift and everything in between.Note: Recorded in 2023! A bit late in publishing it, (sorry Chris).LINKS:The Moss Mother’s MazePlease also check out his latest work: Blood In The Margins!Dungeon Game (2023) (https://loottheroom.itch.io/a-dungeon-game)Patreon - Behind The Scenes content (https://www.patreon.com/chrisbissette)https://loottheroom.uk/https://twitter.com/pangalactichttps://twitter.com/deadthroneukhttps://loottheroom.uk/product/treasures-of-the-troll-king-mork-borg-print-pdfAre you a forever GM who just wants to finally play? Book me! I have 1000+ pro games run and I’m going back to full time on SPG. Now’s the time to reserve your seat. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
April 24, 20251 hr 35 min
"Doing The Hard Work, TTRPG Crowdfunding" | Ep 50 - Lucia Seersword (she/her)
This time I had on Lucia Seersword (she/her) who is a young Filipina entrepreneur with two successful crowdfunding campaigns under her belt. It was a real pleasure to speak to her and I took away so many important lessons. You may have heard of The Islands of Sina Una or its adventure book Tales From Sina Una - or seen some of her fantastic art or art direction. links:https://sinauna.com/https://seersword.com/Want to play a tabletop game online? Book me! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
April 9, 202558 min
"Knockoff, a solo journaling horror game" | Ep 49 - Banana Chan (she/they/he)
Returning to form is one of TTRPG’s premiere designers, Banana Chan (she/they/he) launches a crowdfunding campaign for a game aimed at scaring the shit out of you while you play alone in a dark room. Knockoff is the sequel to Forgery, part of a series of journaling games that will creep you out. My conversation with Banana delved into what Knockoff is and how it was made, his design philosophy, and the future of small independent games.Check out the video below for a 60 second summary of Knockoff:Check out Knockoff!Check out Forgery! (available now)Check out the first interview I did with Banana in 2023. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
March 17, 20251 hr 6 min
"Blood On My Name" | Ep 48 - Kienna Shaw (she/they) & Jason Cutrone (he/him)
This time I have on Blood On My Name co-creators Kienna Shaw (she/they) and Jason Cutrone (he/him). We chat about what I personally love about the game, what their process was for its creation, its inspiration, and what solo journaling games are as a medium.Blood On My Name is a solo journaling TTRPG that follows a former assassin on a mission of revenge. Delve into a shadowy underworld filled with espionage and intrigue, connect to former professional associates, explore clandestine locales, and eliminate anyone and anything that stands between you and your target.If you choose to support this game, you receive your copy immediately and can start playing it tonight. Supporting indie games is important for so many reasons - and I do not receive any kickbacks for this podcast - I just simply love the game and I’m excited about it. Click on the images below to check it out!Inspired by the films of Chad Stahelski (the John Wick film franchise) and the spy fiction works of John le Carré (The Karla Trilogy) and Ian Fleming (The Bond Series), this game is not about fame or glory. It's about vengeance. Violence. The depths that you're willing to sink to, when everything that you love is dead and all that's left is the pain of that loss. Death lurks in every shadow that Babel casts, and your character’s survival is far from guaranteed. TAKE YOUR REVENGE, OR DIE TRYING.This game builds on the Wretched and Alone SRD, utilizing a standard 52-card deck and a block tower. It introduces new injury mechanics to further test your willpower, as well as a "crosshair" mechanic for drawing closer to your target and planning your way out when the job is done. 52 unique scene prompts will guide your story. There are many ways to die, and only one way to make it out alive.About the CreatorsKienna Shaw (she/they) is an award-winning Canadian game writer and narrative designer based in Toronto. Their work has appeared in numerous publications (including Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia World Guide, The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, and Land of Eem), and she’s self-published multiple solo projects and collaborations with Jason Cutrone. They can be found everywhere as @KiennaS (like on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/kiennas.bsky.social, itchio https://kiennas.itch.io/, or on her website https://kiennas.com/). Jason Cutrone (he/him) is an award-winning Texan game writer and designer. His previous works include The Hare-Barons’ Estate, Arcon: City of Neon Daylight, and the adventure module Orange Coloured Sky for Modiphius Games’ Fallout: The Roleplaying Game, the first in the Astoundingly Awesome Tales series of products. He has collaborated with Kienna Shaw on numerous projects, which can be found on their itchio (listed above). His solo works are hosted at justjasonpls.itch.io. He abstains from social media but can easily be reached via raven, candygram, or smoke signal.Dylan Grinder (she/he) is an American game designer and graphic designer based in Toronto. He’s the creator of the widely-acclaimed game Spoken Magic, alongside many other self-published games, tools, and graphical assets. She’s also the person behind Heartheld Games, which publishes Become: Artificial Investigation. Dylan can be found on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/anarisis.dylangrinder.com) and itchio (https://anarisis.itch.io/). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dollarsanddragons.com
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