Shows / Around the Hearth
Around the Hearth
Around the Hearth features discussion on a wide range of topics relevant to tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) featuring members of the Open Hearth Gaming Community. We talk games, gameplay, design, and the games being played at the Open Hearth Gaming Calendar. Our online games are free and open to all! If you'd like to join the fun, visit openhearthgaming.com for more information.
Episodes
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 11 - Headless
In this especially unusual Hex, José & Ian sit down with Open Hearth stalwart Tea-amat to discuss games with no particular GM. Some of these games have strict…
Around the HearthKnown Territory: Ep 3 The Between
Welcome to another episode of our new series on the Around the Hearth podcast feed: Known Territory: GMs Talk Games. Each episode we sit down with an…
Around the HearthKnown Territory: Ep 2 Good Society
Welcome to another episode of our new series on the Around the Hearth podcast feed: Known Territory: GMs Talk Games. Each episode we sit down with an…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 24: Trespasser, The One Ring 2e, Slugblaster
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Dominik talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Guy and Anders discuss things…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 23: Talking Arium
In this episode, Gwen talks with community member & layout/designer David MK and game designer Will Munn about Arium the Worldbuilding RPG. They cover the…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 22: Basic Fantasy RPG, Fearful Symmetries, Void Technicians
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Tea talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Moria and Shane discuss things they…
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 10 - White Whales
...to the last, I prattle with thee; from a studio apartment, I yap at thee; for the game's sake I pod my last cast at thee!! In the first-ever live studio…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 21: Blades '68, Firebrands System, Dungeon World 2
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Gwen talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Jex (Bump in the Dark) and Mads…
Around the HearthKnown Territory: Ep 1 Band of Blades
Welcome to the first episode of a new series on the Around the Hearth podcast feed: Known Territory: GMs Talk Games. Each episode we sit down with an…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, one of the earliest and most successful licensed supers games…
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Talking Romance
Love, lust, friendship, strong attachment-- the emotional beats which support drama and play. In this community talk, we consider romance in TTRPGs: running…
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 9 - Character Interiority
Ian, José, and special guest Elle discuss the inner worlds of our characters and of ourselves! How do we as players express interiority and why would we want…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 20: Planet Raygun, Embers of the Void, A Land Once Magic
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Tea talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Amanda (Sprigs and Kindling) and…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 7 The End of the World
In our seventh episode of Roll for Mutation, we look at a game series originally from a Spanish publisher, translated and released in English by Fantasy…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 19: Raccoon Sky Pirates, Capers, Traveller
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, Lowell (edige23) talks with a pair of community members about their gaming. This time Chrys Sellers (Defy the Gods)…
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Talking PbtA
Powered by the Apocalypse games still remain a strong force in the indie TTRPG space and heavily represented here on the Open Hearth. For this talk we're going…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 18: Paint the Town Red, The Last Caravan, & Midnight of the Century
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, Lowell (edige23) talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time Dominik and Donogh discuss…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 9 Aberrant
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at Aberrant, part of a trilogy of games which defined a major pivot point in the history of White Wolf Publishing…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 6 Mutant Year Zero
In our sixth episode of Roll for Mutation, we talk about one of the greatest modern post-apocalyptic games: Mutant: Year Zero (and the rest of the Mutant…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 17: Under Hollow Hills, Raccoon Sky Pirates, CAIN
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Tea talks with a couple of community members about their gaming. This time maiya and Sina discuss things they…
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 8 - Your Home Table
Ian, José, and special correspondent Danny put the knowledge we've gained from past episodes into practice. We talk about figuring out what you actually like…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 8 Smallville & Marvel Heroic
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at two closely linked licensed supers games: Smallville and Marvel Heroic. To dig into this pair, Lowell and Jay…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 16: Ars Magica, Long Campaigns & Modern Supers
In this episode of the Open Hearth Podcast, host Lowell Francis (edige23) once again talks with a couple of community members about their recent gaming. This…
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Talking Playtesting
This episode presents a community talk from back in 2022. It features Rae Nedjadi, David MK, and myself talking about managing and working with playtests. It…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 5 Tank Girl & Wizards
In our fifth episode of Roll for Mutation, we look at two different licensed post-apocalyptic TTRPGs from the 1990s. First, World of Tank Girl, part of West…
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Talking Long Campaigns
While the Open Hearth Community has often focused on one-shots, two-shots, and monthly short campaigns, there's always the siren call of running a longer…
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A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 7 - Showing & Telling
Ian, José, and special guest Shane explore the space between direct exposition and embodied demonstration during play. How are these two approaches different?…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 7 Mutants & Masterminds
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks all four editions of one of the most important modern supers TTRPGs, Mutants & Masterminds. Jay and Lowell talk…
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Talking Adapting Modules
Since almost the beginning, game publishers have supplemented games with pre-generated dungeons, scenarios, and campaigns. Some of these have becomes…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 4 Apocalypse World
In our fourth episode of Roll for Mutation, we look at one of the most important post-apocalyptic games, Apocalypse World. We consider both the impact of PbtA…
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Talking RPG Cities
What makes a good city in a role-playing game? People, places, factions, rumors? We're going to be talking about that and bringing together your insights. This…
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A Different Kind of Hex Ep. 6 - The Gift of Offers
As the first installment in a series of episodes on improv tools at the gaming table, Ian & José are joined by Karen Twelves, the author of Improv for Gamers…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 6 Godlike & Wild Talents
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History looks at two related RPG systems. First Godlike, the World War II supers game that leans into realism and consistency…
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Open Hearth Podcast Ep 15: Mythic Bastionland, Villa Encantata, Rapscallion
In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Kieron Gillen and Cat Rambo to talk about recent games, plans for future games, current writing projects, and…
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Open Hearth Games of the Year 2025
A collection of favorite tabletop RPGs of 2025 from our community members. It's split into three sections, with host picks in-between. Find out more about the…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 14: Going for Broke, Grimwild, Band of Blades
In this episode host Lowell Francis is joined by Michael D. and Alun R. to talk about the ups and downs of "funny" game mechanics, a modern approach to…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 3 Paranoia
Note: we had some audio issues with this recording (apologies)! In our third episode of Roll for Mutation, a look at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs, we…
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 5 - Playing to Fail
Content Advisory: character death, ritual sacrifice Ian & José are joined by Wyllora to explore what it means to fail in an RPG, and why we might want to do it…
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Talking Space Opera
Lets talk widescreen, big idea sci-fi. Games of space fleets, interstellar empires, sometimes aliens-- big ideas and lasers. Games like Star Trek Adventures…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 5 Base Raiders
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History jumps forward significantly in time to just after the d20 boom/bust cycle. Today's focus is Ross Payton's independently…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 2 Twilight 2000
In our second episode of Roll for Mutation, a look at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs, we tackle Twilight 2000 from GDW, focusing on those original…
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Talking White Whales and Inadvisable Ideas
What's the game you've wanted to get to the table but haven't been able to? What's the campaign premise you've considered but don't know how to make it work?…
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Design Chat: Pedro Barrenechea & Rotted Capes 2e
This week we present a bonus episode for both Roll for Origin & Roll for Mutation. Lowell chats with Pedro Barrenechea, lead designer for Rotted Capes 2nd…
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Talking One-Shots
For this episode we've cleaned up the audio from an older community seminar on running one-shots. Like several of our other "Talking" episodes, this has Lowell…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 13: Ex Tenebris, Wise Women, Star Trek Adventures
In this episode Host Lowell Francis talks with Becky Annison and Josh Fox of Black Armada games about what they've been playing, herbal witches, the final…
Around the HearthA Different Kind of Hex Ep. 4 - Bleed
Content Advisory: colonialism & imperialism; sexual violence in a horror/vampire context; death of loved ones, including miscarriage; excessive immersion…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 4 Champions (1st-3rd Editions)
Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History returns to one of the earliest and most important superhero ttrpgs: Champions. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis talk…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 12: Rangers of a Broken World, Aberrant, Masks
In this episode Host Rae Nedjadi (Apocalypse Keys, Once More into the Void) talks with Sebastian Yūe and Matthew Arcilla about games, superheroes, villainy…
Around the HearthTribes in the Dark Kickstarter: Roll for Mutation Bonus Ep
In this "bonusode*" for Roll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History, we talk with Wil Hutton aka Rivetgeek, lead developer for Tribes in the Dark. TitD…
Around the HearthRoll for Mutation: Post-Apocalyptic TTRPG History: Ep. 1 Gamma World
First episode of Roll for Mutation, a new series looking at the history of Post-Apocalyptic TTRPGs. In this one hosts Lowell Francis and Marc Majcher cover the…
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Open Hearth: What Is It?
Lowell Francis provides a short introduction to the Open Hearth Gaming Community: what we are, what we do, how you can join, and how you can support what we…
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Talking Mysteries: Running Mystery TTRPGs
This is the edited version of an older seminar by Lowell Francis talking about planning and running TTRPG mysteries. It's about 50 minutes of talk followed by…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 3 Underground
This time Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History jumps forward in time to the mid-1990s. Hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Underground (1993)…
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Fireside Chat with Agatha: Ep 1 Lowell Francis
In the inaugural episode of Fireside Chat with Agatha, Agatha is joined by Lowell Francis, Community Manager for the Open Hearth and designer of Hearts of…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 11: Smallville, Flying Circus, Mythomorphosis
In this episode we cover a wide range of games old and new. Host Lowell Francis is joined by Rich Rogers (+1 Forward, Hit the Streets) and Jay Brown…
Around the HearthTalking Hearts of Wulin
Be sure to check out the Hearts of Wulin Bundle of Holding running through Wednesday July 23rd, 2025. This is an edited and cleaned up version of a talk Lowell…
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Talking Horror: Running & Playing Horror TTRPGs
Horror as a genre can be a great tool to use in your ventures in GMing horror games, but horror movies aren’t the only place to pull from. You can pull from…
Around the HearthRoll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History: Ep. 2 Villains & Vigilantes
In this second episode of Roll for Origin: Supers TTRPG History, hosts Jay Brown and Lowell Francis look at Villains & Vigilantes, the superhero rpg that broke…
Around the HearthOpen Hearth Podcast Ep 10: Night Witches, Fathom, Impossible Landscapes
In this episode we talk recent gaming and look at some really interesting and intense games. Host Mike Minutillo is joined community members Gwen Marshall and…
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Talking World Building, Collaboration & Beyond
A recording of a talk by Lowell Francis about handling world building and collaborative elements. This session was part of Shared Hearth, the Open Hearth…