Never let it be said that Gnome Stew doesn’t keep up with the times. We’ve heard all this buzz about LLMs and CCCs and ROPs and whatever and we know that the future is AI. It’s one of the few rare advancements in technology that comes with no downsides and has no drama around it. […]

10 Years Wow. I’ve been roaming these halls and avoiding the stew pot for 10 years now. Just wow. Rough Start I’ve been writing for Gnome Stew for ten years now. My first article dropped on March 28, 2016. It was an attempt to describe the differences between gaming, narrating, and simulation. This is a […]

My Blades in the Dark campaign is due for some free play soon. After every four or five Scores, I do one whole session that is just free play. No scores. Every character gets their own mini-story for the evening. This is in contrast to where our score sessions are a self-contained story, where the […]

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GC_233_Player-Types-The-Pros-and-Cons.mp3 Join Ang along with Jared and friend of the show, Carl Lehman, as they talk about four different player types we often see at our tables. We go over the good and the bad they can bring to the table and offer advice how to turn these tendencies towards helping the game. Links: Symphony […]

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GC_232_Art-of-the-con-game_Final.mp3 Join Ang along with guests Jason Haskins and Mike Mistele as they talk about the components that make for a good convention one-shot! Links: Origins Game Fair Matinee Adventures

Last month, I talked about When Play Does Not Go To Prep, mostly about how deviations are normal and ways to adjust your story when it drifts from your prep. There is something that is underlying that previous article that I wanted to expand more about today. I want to talk more about the nature […]

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GC_231_Running-Published-Adventures_final.mp3 Join Ang along with Josh and JT as they talk about the ins and outs of running published adventures! Whether it’s easier or harder and tips and tricks on how to make them work for you. Links: JT’s D&D Tools Classic JT’s D&D Tools Modern JT’s D&D Tools Download at GitHub 7th Sea 3rd […]

This Valentine's Day, if you want to add a little romance to your games, you should be armed with the knowledge of what goes into creating a satisfying romance arc. The ingredients and...techniques...required to bring two (or more) characters to their...narrative climax. So sit down. It's time we have The Talk.

https://polygamero.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GC_230-Metacurency_final.mp3 Join Ang along with Chris and Tomas as they talk about the finer points of metacurrencies. What are they, what design purpose do they serve, and why do our players love them? Links: Mutants & Masterminds 4th Edition Kickstarter Crypt of the Nekrolych Dimension 20: Gladlands Streets of Avalon

In many TTRPGs, giants have become a simple, escalating challenge: bigger and bigger versions of essentially the same thing, to encounter in tactical fights as your characters progress. A scalable threat, with a side serving of elemental power.