Advantages & Disadvantages. Merits & Flaws. Edges & Hindrances. Are they helpful to a game? A vampire and a college professor debate the pros and cons.

Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University

NOTE:
There will be a slight delay as I deal with Christmahannukwanzaayuladanivus, after which there will be more debates forthcoming!

Is it a bad thing for player characters to kill or should it be perfectly acceptable?  An archwizard and a superhero take up arms over the issue.

Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force

When PCs fight each other, does everyone lose or is it just another way to get their game on?  A necromancer and a samurai square off on the subject.

Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms

What dangers lurk beneath the waves?  And what the heck is an aspidochelone?  Our intrepid panelists -- a pirate captain and a cleric -- slyly skirt around these questions and many more about underwater adventures!

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford

Are pre-written adventures a useful tool or do they do nothing but force PCs down a pre-determined track?  A college professor and a government agent tackle the issue of who's really in the driver's seat when modules come into play.

Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Special Agent Jack McCandless

CONTEST!
The character suggestion contest is over.  Thanks very much for your entries!  I announce the winner after the debate.

Shoutout & Promo:
RPGPodcasts.com

Is trying to make a character as powerful as possible a good thing or a bad thing?  A wizard and a bounty hunter flex their intellectual muscles over the subject.

Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax

Intro by Stu, Tappy & Stork of Happy Jack's RPG Podcast

CONTEST!
Only one day left for the character suggestion contest - it ends November 5th!  E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line.  The winner will receive a personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!

Shoutout & Song:
Beatnik Turtle - The Song of the Day Dot Com

Are good and evil absolutes for your PCs or do your characters see things in shades of grey?  A superhero and a pirate tackle the issue of anti-heroes in RPGs.

Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood

Intro by J.C. Hutchins

CONTEST!
Just one week to go on the character suggestion contest!  E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line.  The winner will receive a personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!

Shoutout & Promo:
The Gamer's Haven Podcast

The idea of warfare as a theme in RPGs is kicked about, pummeled and salivated over by our panelists.  A cleric and a fighter pilot wage war over the concept of waging war.

Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet (voiced by David Selby)
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford

CONTEST!
E-mail your suggestion for a new Great Debate character to debategreat@gmail.com and write CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line.  The winner will receive a personalized outgoing greeting for use with their voicemail!

Promo:
7th Son: Descent

Our resident bounty hunter clashes with our resident cyber-hacker over the issue of animals in role-playing games.  What's the best way to use them, if at all?

Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

Shoutout & Promo:
Eddy Webb - The Whitechapel Project

Some like to search every nook and cranny of a room and strip-search every fallen foe while others prefer to just move on.  A pirate and a demonologist talk about the practice of looting in RPGs!

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist

Shoutout & Promo:
J.C. Hutchins - 7th Son & Personal Effects

How bad are evil PCs?  Really bad?  Or just a little bad?  Should they even be allowed?  Our panelists - a superhero and an undead necromancer - have a little chat about it.

Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force

Shoutout & Promo:
Starla Huchton - The Dreamer's Thread

Are random encounters a good idea for a campaign or should everything be plotted out?  A fantasy priest and a government agent roll the dice and find out.

Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Special Agent Jack McCandless

Shoutout & Promo:
Anim5 - Solid Symbols

Here's a shorter version of the Captain Payne Promo -- it's the end section, in which he addresses the listener, by itself -- should anyone need something a bit more brief.

In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I've put together a new promo for The Great Debate! featuring Captain Payne, in which we get a little peek at what life in his game setting is like.  Feel free to download and distribute it in good health! :)

Ever have your PCs dumped in the ancient past or a far-flung future?  Can that kind of thing even fit into a game?  Two panelists from opposite ends of the historical spectrum discuss the use of time travel in a role-playing game.

Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet (voiced by David Selby)
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax

Just how permanent should PC Death be?  Two priests squabble over the issue.

Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist

Are magic items a good thing for a role-playing game or are they just a nuisance?  A college professor and an elf mull it over.

Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University

Our panelists -- a superhero and a cyber hacker -- discuss the use of money in RPGs.  But can they avoid selling out?

Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

Shoutout & Promo:
Shaun, Kristin & Randy - This Modern Death

My new podcast has just launched its first episode!  Don't worry folks, The Great Debate will be continuing unabated, but now here's something else to listen to, if you're so inclined!  It's called The Every World News Podcast and is geared  towards Sci-fi, Fantasy and a number of other genres.  If you think you might be interested feel free to check it out at:

www.everyworldnews.com

Is it a good idea to have a necromancer player character?  A bounty hunter and an undead wizard who happens to specialize in that very field have a lively discussion about it.

Panelists:
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax

In some games the Game Master has absolute control, but in others players chime and add to the plot whenever they feel like it.  A vampire and a cleric discuss the finer points of player narration -- hopefully without killing each other.

Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford

Shoutout & Promo:
The Encaffeinated One - The WEIRD Show

Is it a good idea to play something other than a human in an RPG?  A monster-hunting priest and an elven wizard throw down over the issue of nonhuman player characters.

Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist

Shoutout & Promo:
Jennifer Hudock - Goblin Market

Here is the second promo for The Great Debate! to reflect the new web address!  As always, feel free to distribute it as far and wide as you desire!

Should poison be allowed on either side of a role-playing game?  A pirate and a government agent wrestle with the issue.

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Special Agent Jack McCandless

Taste the adrenaline in the air as a samurai and a college professor do battle over the merits of combat in role-playing games.  Who will survive?!

Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms

Shoutout & Promo:
Ryan Macklin - This Just In... From Gencon!

How many out of character considerations should be allowed to influence your role-playing, if any?  And what kind?  Two monster hunters duke it out over the issue.

Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Reverend Jedediah Black, Demonologist

What's the best approach to the use of powers that set your PCs aside from everyone else?  Two powerful beings clash haphazardly over the issue of special abilities in RPGs.

Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force

This episode discusses railroading in RPGs.  One panelist is from feudal Japan, the other is from a dystopian future and it's likely neither one has ever seen a train before.  Let's hope they grasp the metaphor!

Panelists:
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

Shoutout & Promo:
The White Wolf Blogcast

What should your character receive more experience points for?  Combat or role-playing?  A college professor and a necromancer attempt to have an earnest discussion about it.

Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Baron Thandor Karn of the Dark Basin

Shoutout & Promo:
The Bear Swarm! Podcast

Do you like campaigns set in one area or do you prefer to globe-trot?  A well-traveled pirate and a reclusive cyber hacker discuss it.

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

Shoutout & Promo:
The Adventures of Indiana Jim

Do town guards, police officers or government agents help your adventuring party or are they nothing but a nuisance?  On this episode we talk about the use of authority figures in games.

Panelists:
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force

Shoutout & Promo:
The Tome Show - 4th ed D&D Interview: One Year Later

Which genre makes for a better campaign setting?  Fantasy or Science Fiction?  PCs from each of the two clash over the issue.

Panelists:
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet

Shoutout & Promo:
International Detective Dragons From Outer Space (IDDFOS)

Here is my first promo for the show.  Feel free to download and distribute it as you see fit!  :)

A cleric and an anthropology professor duke it out over the value of having a pantheon of deities in a role-playing game.  Are they there to watch over your PCs or to drive them stark-raving mad?

Panelists:
Father Vernon Corey, High Priest of the Temple of St. Wilford
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University

Is it a good idea to run a game with undead PCs or NPCs?  A vampire and a bounty hunter go head-to-head on the topic.

Panelists:
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax
Lord Connor Shadowbane

Which vision of the future is more fun to play your sci-fi campaign in?  Two realities collide when a cyber-hacker and an ace starship pilot get together to talk about it.

Panelists:
Major Hal Cross of the Interstellar Fleet
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

Does playing without dice help a game or hinder it?  Our guests debate the merits of diceless role-playing games.

Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Special Agent Jack McCandless

To role-play or not to role-play?  Listen in as two immortal beings clash over the subject.

Panelists:
Lord Connor Shadowbane
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest

Is it okay to fudge the rules sometimes?  We threw a pirate and a samurai into a room together to have a nice, calm conversation about it.

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Masato Nakajima, Samurai to the Court of Orange Blossoms

Is it better to build a great conversationalist or a heavy hitter?  Our panelists go at it over the best method to build a player character.

Panelists:
Solomon Eldridge, Professor of Anthropology at Miskatonic University
Reflux (Live via the Neural Net)

The battle between live-action and table-top role-players comes to the Great Debate!  Listen as a vampire lord and a government agent go at it!

Panelists:
Special Agent Jack McCandless
Lord Connor Shadowbane

A superhero squares off with a Wild West bounty hunter.  The topic: the use of shape-changing villains in RPGs.

Music for this episode includes excerpt from "Pennsylvania Rose" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com).

Panelists:
Captain Radiant of the Integrity Force
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Anthrax

The first episode of The Great Debate!

It's the pirate vs the elf as we debate the merits of fear effects in games.  Be afraid.

Panelists:
Darin Payne, Captain of the Ironblood
Archwizard Avan Brightstar, Vizier to the Elven Court of Neverrest

This is the third and final short I recorded for the Player's Handbook 2 release on D&D Game Day.  My intention was to set the situation for each of the sketches in three of the most "cliche" locations for an adventuring party to meet: at an adventurer's guild, at an inn, and in a dungeon cell.  All three of these shorts played on War Pig Radio on that day and I remember desperately trying to bulldoze my way through them to get them all done in the week leading up to it.  Harrowing, but lots of fun!

This is the second of the three spots I did for the PHB2 release.  Hooray for drunken player characters!  ;)

Before we get to The Great Debate, I wanted to share this series of three audio shorts with you.  I did them for War Pig Radio for the release of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook 2.  I've edited this first one just a little bit for copyright reasons, so you may notice that one of the names has been changed.  I'll let you sort out which one it is.  :)

Behold the archive for episodes of The Great Debate!  Downloadable episodes are coming soon!