web01.fireside.fm Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:01:26 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Unwritten Earths Symposium - Episodes Tagged with “Swords Without Master” https://unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/tags/swords%20without%20master Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0700 Welcome to the Unwritten Earths Symposium! In each episode, tabletop RPG designers Nathan D. Paoletta and Epidiah Ravachol try to trick each other into designing a game they wouldn't otherwise make. en-us episodic Discovering and designing genre-defining tabletop RPGs. Unwritten Earths Symposium Welcome to the Unwritten Earths Symposium! In each episode, tabletop RPG designers Nathan D. Paoletta and Epidiah Ravachol try to trick each other into designing a game they wouldn't otherwise make. no TTRPG, tabletop, games, rpg, design, game design Unwritten Earths Symposium provost@unwrittenearths.com The Haters Episode https://unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/36 4d18acf9-a9ac-4343-944d-67d00120c526 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0700 Unwritten Earths Symposium 36 The Haters Episode full 2 Unwritten Earths Symposium No, this isn't about games we don't like; following up on a question from our Wisdom Episode, we talk about the parts of making games that are not fun, from merely boring all the way to actively hate. This turns into a conversation about how we get through those periods, how the unique nature of truly true roleplaying games makes perfection impossible, and harnessing the hate that flows through you for good. We balance that out with an update on something we're loving right now, the incoming artwork for Swords Without Master! 59:01 no No, this isn't about games we don't like; following up on a question from our Wisdom Episode, we talk about the parts of making games that are not fun, from merely boring all the way to actively hate. This turns into a conversation about how we get through those periods, how the unique nature of truly true roleplaying games makes perfection impossible, and harnessing the hate that flows through you for good. We balance that out with an update on something we're loving right now, the incoming artwork for Swords Without Master! Nathan's game Mortal Skein is out! Here's the playtest materials on itch (https://ndpdesign.itch.io/mortal-skein). Show Notes: * Great Courses: English Grammar Boot Camp (https://shop.thegreatcourses.com/english-grammar-boot-camp) * CSS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS) * Tailwind CSS (https://tailwindcss.com) * Pomodoro Technique (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) * Forest Timer App (https://www.forestapp.cc) (the tree-growing one) * Will Jobst's Plasmodics: Mutant Freaks in the Weird Future (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/goodluckpress/plasmodics) Swords Artists: * Shel Kahn (https://www.portablecity.net) * Jabari Weathers (https://goblinprincete.com) * GORAN (https://www.gorangligovic.com) * Simon Roy (https://www.instagram.com/simonamroy/) * Big Bluesky Thread (https://bsky.app/profile/unwrittenearths.bsky.social/post/3mjiatsmso22s) of the Swords artists And there's more: * Unwritten Earths Symposium (http://unwrittenearths.com) * Our Patreon (https://patreon.com/UnwrittenEarths) * Join the Discord (https://discord.gg/cgJa5hWcVq) * Nathan's games (https://www.ndpdesign.com) * Eppy's games (https://www.dig1000holes.com) * Music by Will Jobst (https://willjobst.carrd.co) game design, ttrpgs, indie games, indie game publishing, playtesting, rpgs, challenges, mailroom, swords without master No, this isn't about games we don't like; following up on a question from our Wisdom Episode, we talk about the parts of making games that are not fun, from merely boring all the way to actively hate. This turns into a conversation about how we get through those periods, how the unique nature of truly true roleplaying games makes perfection impossible, and harnessing the hate that flows through you for good. We balance that out with an update on something we're loving right now, the incoming artwork for Swords Without Master!

Nathan's game Mortal Skein is out! Here's the playtest materials on itch.

Show Notes:

Swords Artists:

And there's more:

]]> No, this isn't about games we don't like; following up on a question from our Wisdom Episode, we talk about the parts of making games that are not fun, from merely boring all the way to actively hate. This turns into a conversation about how we get through those periods, how the unique nature of truly true roleplaying games makes perfection impossible, and harnessing the hate that flows through you for good. We balance that out with an update on something we're loving right now, the incoming artwork for Swords Without Master!

Nathan's game Mortal Skein is out! Here's the playtest materials on itch.

Show Notes:

Swords Artists:

And there's more:

]]> The Shel Kahn Episode https://unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/30 249522ec-6782-4cb5-b415-5e0ec73e3efb Wed, 21 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 Unwritten Earths Symposium 30 The Shel Kahn Episode full 2 Unwritten Earths Symposium In this episode, we sit down with friend, artist, game designer and art director for Swords Without Master Shel Kahn to talk about... all of those things! We touch on the different roles of art in game design, working with abstract imagery, refining your taste as a chooser-of-images even if commissioning original art isn't realistic, and the ways artwork and visual design elements help out the game design endeavor. Art... it's good! 1:13:48 no In this episode, we sit down with friend, artist, game designer and art director for Swords Without Master Shel Kahn to talk about... all of those things! We touch on the different roles of art in game design, working with abstract imagery, refining your taste as a chooser-of-images even if commissioning original art isn't realistic, and the ways artwork and visual design elements help out the game design endeavor. Art... it's good! Show Notes: * The Swords Without Master Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unwrittenearths/swords-without-master?ref=9uxdgk) - funded now, runs through February 13th 2026! * Shel's website (https://www.portablecity.net) and webcomics (https://stories.portablecity.net) * Buy By Crom! (https://sorcererscatalogue.itch.io/by-crom-pdf) * The Beguiling Bookstore (https://beguilingbooks.com) * Elemei (https://elemei.art) (our glyph artist for Swords) * Movies: Captain Blood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Blood_(1935_film)), Don Juan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_(1926_film)) and Troy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_(film)) Games Mentioned: * Traveller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_(role-playing_game)) and GURPS Traveller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GURPS_Traveller) * TORQ (https://goodluckpress.co/products/torq) * Shel’s Pocket Dungeons (https://www.portablecity.net/category/pocket-dungeons/) * Wolfspell (https://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/bazaar/wolfspell-on-a-trifold-album-jacket) And there's more: * Unwritten Earths Symposium (http://unwrittenearths.com) * Our Patreon (https://patreon.com/UnwrittenEarths) * Join the Discord (https://discord.gg/cgJa5hWcVq) * Nathan's games (https://www.ndpdesign.com) * Eppy's games (https://www.dig1000holes.com) * Music by Will Jobst (https://willjobst.carrd.co) game design, ttrpgs, indie games, indie game publishing, playtesting, rpgs, challenges In this episode, we sit down with friend, artist, game designer and art director for Swords Without Master Shel Kahn to talk about... all of those things! We touch on the different roles of art in game design, working with abstract imagery, refining your taste as a chooser-of-images even if commissioning original art isn't realistic, and the ways artwork and visual design elements help out the game design endeavor. Art... it's good!

Show Notes:

Games Mentioned:

And there's more:

]]> In this episode, we sit down with friend, artist, game designer and art director for Swords Without Master Shel Kahn to talk about... all of those things! We touch on the different roles of art in game design, working with abstract imagery, refining your taste as a chooser-of-images even if commissioning original art isn't realistic, and the ways artwork and visual design elements help out the game design endeavor. Art... it's good!

Show Notes:

Games Mentioned:

And there's more:

]]> The Episode Without Master https://unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/24 0ab4a5d0-9054-4d15-8335-90f36d38a10d Wed, 08 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 Unwritten Earths Symposium 24 The Episode Without Master full 2 Unwritten Earths Symposium The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone release, coming early 2026! 59:20 no The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone release, coming early 2026! Show Notes: * Swords Without Master is in Worlds Without Master, Issue 3 (https://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/bazaar/worlds-without-master-issue-3) (for now...) * We're pumped to welcome Shel Kahn (https://www.portablecity.net/art-direction/) as our Art Director for the project. And there's more: * Unwritten Earths Symposium (http://unwrittenearths.com) * Our Patreon (https://patreon.com/UnwrittenEarths) * Join the Discord (https://discord.gg/cgJa5hWcVq) * Nathan's games (https://www.ndpdesign.com) * Eppy's games (https://www.dig1000holes.com) * Music by Will Jobst (https://willjobst.carrd.co) game design, ttrpgs, indie games, indie game publishing, playtesting, rpgs, challenges The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone release, coming early 2026!

Show Notes:

And there's more:

]]> The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone release, coming early 2026!

Show Notes:

And there's more:

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