In this first episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Superhero 2044, arguably the first supers role-playing game. We go over what the game is, its place in the history of gaming, and what was going on in comics media at the time. We then move to general discussion, including what we found weird and what we dug.

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Jay's the author of By Aecer’s Light, The Clockwinders for Fate, Cortex Prime's Supers, and a contributing author on Pathfinder’s Mwangi Expanse, Trophy Gold, Hit the Streets: Defend the Block, and the upcoming Lifted: Indomitable RPG, a supers game about everyday folks with extraordinary powers in a tech-aggressive world.

Check out Mad Jay's work at Play.Fearless and at the Diceology Podcast.

Lowell is the designer and co-author of Hearts of Wulin. He's the ENnie-winning creator of the Age of Ravens blog and community manager for the Open Hearth Gaming Community.

You can find Lowell's work on YouTube, on Itch.io, and on DriveThruRPG.

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

00:00 Intro
01:30 The Pitch
05:23 Gaming History
08:55 Comics & Media History
12:45 Thoughts

Ian & José are joined by Marc Majcher to discuss how we develop & pursue both in- and out-of-character aspirations. What makes a goal, and how can having one drive play? Along the way we talk about how closely we identify with our PC’s, and peer briefly into using techniques from improv theatre to improve our gaming.

Timecodes:
0:01:30 - Pick Your Poison,
0:09:55 - Setting character goals,
0:18:55 - Goals & Plot,
0:25:44 - How do games help us form goals?,
0:36:37 - Instrumental play & balancing goals between PC's,
0:42:08 - Finding goals through improv & PC embodiment,
0:48:52 - Unconscious PC motivation,
0:52:24 - Generic systems & stock tropes,
0:59:33 - Pearls of Wisdom,
1:03:13 - Outro,

Marc’s Work: majcher.com, Twitch.tv/mmajcher

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

Our info:
email: adifferenthex@gmail.com
music: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex

In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at two really interesting projects. Host Lowell Francis (edige23) is joined community members Amanda Mullins (iamatrex) and Chrys Sellers (Hectic Electron). We talk Sprigs and Kindling, Defy the Gods, and a hack of Microscope for a Star Wars writers' room.

LINKS
Sprigs and Kindling
Amanda's website
The Between: Unsinkable on the Critshow's youtube

The Defy the Gods Kickstarter
The Defy the Gods Quickstart
Chrys's website

The Ugly Stepsister
Amplitudes anthology

Star Wars Alternate New History

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcasts can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:37 Amanda: Sprigs and Kindling
21:28 Chrys: Defy the Gods
37:08 Lowell:
44:17 Giving Me Life

Part of the Open Hearth series of seminars, discussions, and workshops. Rich Rogers (Hit the Streets, +1 Forward) and Lowell Francis (Hearts of Wulin, Gauntlet Podcast, Open Hearth Podcast) talk all things superhero rpgs: challenges, combat, world-building, villainy, solo gaming, and beyond. We’re joined by a group of community members for this discussion/round-table (Jim C, Anders, Rod Santos, Sabine and Jolene).

Hosts Show Notes

Selected Games Mentioned

Anti-Heroes

Better Angels

Capes in the Dark

Ex-Capes

Galaxies in Peril

Hearts of Wulin

Hit the Streets

In This World

Masks

Microscope

Signal Light (Protean City Comics)

Sword Opera

Union

Age of Ravens Generators

Superhero B-Plots

100 Supers City Events

Supervillain Plot Generator

Solo Gaming

Supersworn

Herosworn

Friendly Neighborhood Superhero

Anyone Can Wear the Mask

For more information about Open Hearth, check out openhearthgaming.com.

In this podcast, community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Andrea Rick (https://plotbunnygames.itch.io/) is joined today by Agatha (https://mightyyshrimp.itch.io/) and Wyllora (https://wyllora.itch.io/).

Games Discussed
Take the Universe
Triangle Agency
Apocalypse Keys

Andrea Rick
https://plotbunnygames.com/
https://plotbunnygames.itch.io/
https://curiouscat.carrd.com/

Agatha
https://mightyyshrimp.itch.io/
https://bsky.app/profile/mightyshrimp.bsky.social

Wyllora
https://www.artstation.com/wyllora
https://wyllora.itch.io/
https://bsky.app/profile/wyllora.bsky.social
https://artfight.net/~wyllora

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:30 Agatha & Take the Universe
17:52 Wyllora & Triangle Agency
29:00 Andrea & Apocalypse Keys
48:06 Giving Me Life

Ian and José chat with Agatha Cheng about how we develop narrative arcs for our PCs and the art of calling scenes to illustrate those arcs. Along the way, we indulge in bad boy tropes and the joys of PC/PC fandom.

Agatha’s Work:
Game Design + Consultancy: https://agathacheng.carrd.co/
Asians Represent!

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

Our info:
email: adifferenthex@gmail.com
music: https://lloydeaves.bandcamp.com/album/a-different-kind-of-hex

In this podcast community members join us to talk about their recent gaming and discuss one in depth that they really enjoyed. Host Rae Nedjadi (https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/) is joined today by Mint (https://mint-rabbit.itch.io/) and Casey.

Games Discussed
Protect the Child
Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast
Blades '68 (in Playtest)

Also Mentioned
There's a RPG for that!
The Righteous Gemstones
South of Midnight

Find out more about the Open Hearth Gaming Community
Support us on Patreon!
Our actual play podcast can be found here
Follow us on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/open-hearth-rpg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/openhearthrpg
Mastodon: @openhearthrpg@dice.camp

Chapters

01:05 Introduction​

03:07 Mint & Protect the Child

15:52 Casey & Yazebas Bed & Breakfast

32:52 Rae & Blades '68 (open playtest version)

43:41 Giving Me Life

Another in our series of Open Hearth Community talks, this time discussing hacking Powered by the Apocalypse and Forged in the Dark: approaches, challenges, best practices. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Anders, Puckett, Bryan L, Brushman, Amaze, Ethan, Dom, and Cinna.

Selected Games Mentioned

Adventures on Dungeon Planet

Ars Magica

Blades in the Dark

Girl by Moonlight

Good Society

Hearts of Wulin

Impulse Drive

Monster of the Week

Mountain Home

Pasión de las Pasiones

Slugblaster

The Veil

Veil: Iterations

TTRPG Hacks and Getting Games to the Table