Dicecast

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Synopsis

DiceCast is a podcast about roleplaying games (RPGs) and related hobbies produced by Polymancer Studios, Inc.. Episodes of DiceCast are always about topics that are of interest to gamers of all kinds (and for RPGs, this means both players and gamemasters) as well as special topics for freelance writers and artists. Other news about Polymancer® Studios, such as new opportunities for freelance writers and artists as well as new product announcements, are included in the cast.

Episodes

  • DiceCast Episode 17: D&D Next, "indie" vs. "mainstream" RPGs, and an interview with Stan Sakai

    23/08/2012

    This is our first episode in quite some time. The initial discussion of "D&D Fifth Edition" (now officially known as "D&D Next") was recorded in February 2012 and is thus, dated; at the time, the most current news about it was in an article in the New York Times. Many recent podcasts (particularly ones made after Gen Con 2012) have discussed this topic in greater detail. We include this discussion to offer some perspective: this illustrates the various expectations and speculations that have been made about what will be the newest edition of what was once the most popular roleplaying game on the market, when it released in 2014 (or is projected to be at that time).Furthermore, we discuss the dividing line between "indie" and "mainstream" roleplaying games. The line is thinner and fuzzier than many people believe and after you hear our discussion, you will have much food for thought.Finally, we interviewed cartoonist extraordinare Stan Sakai at Montreal Comicon 2011. Mr. Sakai is famous for his work on the Usa

  • DiceCast Episode 16: Using Miniatures In Your RPG & "You Are A Cat"

    11/12/2011

    We return with an honest-to-goodness episode about a game topic! As much as we love interviewing interesting people who are connected to popular culture, it feels good to be back to the game table for an episode. In this one, we talk about miniatures; not miniatures wargaming, but the use of miniatures in roleplaying games (RPGs). It seems almost odd that we have to introduce miniatures to roleplayers, because RPGs evolved from miniatures wargaming. Indeed, the first RPGs were miniatures wargames optimized to playing a single character, rather than an entire army; a character who went on to evolve from scenario to scenario; scenarios which were more than just a battle. It was when the emphasis switched to interaction and plots and away from combat that roleplaying games evolved into something in which miniatures were optional. This has been great for the maturation of the hobby, but maybe roleplayers are missing out on something.To that end, we introduce miniatures to roleplayers in this episode, with a few t

  • DiceCast Halloween 2011 Special Episode: Interview with Nancy Kilpatrick

    31/10/2011

    Nancy Kilpatrick is an author of horror fiction. Many of her 18 novels, over 200 short stories, and anthologies have been about vampires. Her breadth and depth of knowledge of the entire vampire sub-genre of horror is staggering, being able to speak about it with eloquence and good humor, without at all belittling the subject or its fans.We met up with Nancy Kilpatrick at Con*Cept 2011, a science fiction and fantasy convention held in Montreal, every autumn; this year, she was the guest of honor. She gave a great, lively interview that we are proud to share with you in this episode. Other linksPolymancer main sitePolymancer corporate web sitePolymancer on TwitterPolymancer on LiveJournalPolymancer on MySpacePolymancer on FacebookRSS feed for DiceCastSubscribe to DiceCast in iTunesDiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • Dice Cast Episodio:Intrevista con Sergio Aragones y El Hijo del Santo

    09/10/2011

    This special episode of DiceCast is in Spanish. Este episodio especial de DiceCast está en español.Te nemos el plaser de intrevistar a uno de los mejores caricaturista el Sr. Sergio Aragones que fue entrivistado en la sede Montreal Comiccon. Este episodio es espesial para todas las personas que an leida la revista Mad, Groo y Sergio Aragones Funnies. Tambien tenemos una intrevista espesial con un personaje que es reconocido en la lucha libre El Hijo del Santo.Sergio Aragones habla sobre su vida y sus prollectos realizados y por realizar.El sellor Aragones se ha destaca por la calidad de sus dibujos en las revista Mad y por sus habilidades caricaturistica en el comic Groo y la nueva comic Sergio Aragones Funnies.El Hijo del Santo es reconocido en la lucha libre, y otras de sus cualidades es haber realisado librros comicos y caricaturas , el hijo del Santo se encuentra partisipando como bocero representando ala fundasion Will Cost que se dedica ala, preservasion, protecsion y cuidado delas espesies marina

  • DiceCast Special Episode: Interview With Sergio Aragones

    24/09/2011

    We had the pleasure of interviewing the great cartoonist and comic artist Sergio Aragonés at Montreal Comiccon this month. This episode is a special treat for fans of Mad magazine, Groo, and funny cartoons and comics.Sergio Aragonés discussed his life as a cartoonist with us, as well as his work. Mr. Aragonés is famous for his "Drawn Out Dramas" and "Marginals" from Mad magazine and for his epic comic series about the terminally stupid, buffoonish barbarian Groo The Wanderer. He has recently began a new series called Sergio Aragonés Funnies, a semi-autobiographical collection of cartoons, puzzles, and other vignettes in his distinct style. Other linksPolymancer main sitePolymancer corporate web sitePolymancer on TwitterPolymancer on LiveJournalPolymancer on MySpacePolymancer on FacebookRSS feed for DiceCastSubscribe to DiceCast in iTunesDiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • Special Episode: Otakuthon 2011

    24/08/2011

    Otakuthon is Montreal's convention for fans of all things related to anime, manga, and similar fun stuff. It is held every August and they recently completed their 6th annual convention, with as many as 10,000 people attending.Otakuthon features a huge exhibitor's hall, panel discussions, games, music, a dance, a masquerade, and of course, screenings. We went to Otakuthon and we interviewed participants, exhibitors, and organizers. Interviewed in this episode One of many participants who offers free hugs to fellow Otakuthon attendees; just one of the many things that make the experience unique and friendly. Eric Allard, creator of the Herobot webcomic, which has recently had its first chapter published in print. A more extensive interview with Allard is available in our French podcast, Royale With Cheese. Dawn, a representative of

  • Gaming Genius Awards podcast spot (Spanish)

    16/08/2011

    Las nominaciones están abiertas para los premios de juegos genio (

  • Gaming Genius Awards podcast spot (English)

    16/08/2011

    Nominations are open for the Gaming Genius Awards (

  • Freelancing For Polymancer (Special DiceCast episode)

    21/07/2011

    This special audio segment is about freelance writing for the Polymancer family of publications; including but not limited to: Polygraff™; Polymancer magazine; Paladin; Bayonets, Spears & Blasters; as well as full-length novels; and non-fiction books about topics relating to the gaming hobby and non-gaming topics as well. Please note that Polymancer Studios's submission guidelines are subject to change. Detailed, updated information may be obtained by writing to writer@polymancerstudios.com. DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS! This means that if you have a written work (whether or not it is complete) that you wish to submit for consideration for publication, do not e-mail it to us without sending us an e-mail in which you first ask if we are interested in reviewing it for consideration of publication. All writers whose works are published by Polymancer Studios, Inc. are paid. Please note that no publication occurs unless and until a written contract is signed between the writer and the publisher. Further inf

  • DiceCast Episode 15: Convention One-Shots

    09/06/2011

    In this episode, we discuss running one-shot convention adventures. How do you fit a complete, satisfying adventure into a 4-hour time slot, and finish it? We discuss some of the dos and don'ts. Even if you never run one-shot adventures at cons or in stores, these are tips that can make anyone be a better GM, by helping accomplish more in a limited amount of time.We also have a short interview with a member of the 501st Legion, Quebec. Other linksPolymancer main sitePolymancer corporate web sitePolymancer on TwitterPolymancer on LiveJournalPolymancer on MySpacePolymancer on FacebookRSS feed for DiceCastSubscribe to DiceCast in iTunesDiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • DiceCast Episode 14: Matchstick Marvels

    16/04/2011

    In this episode, we interview Patrick Acton of the Matchstick Marvels Museum in Iowa (matchstickmarvels.com). Patrick makes amazing models of buildings and vehicles out of matchsticks and glue; including detailed scale models of the city of Minas Tirith from Lord Of The Rings and the Hogwarts Academy from the Harry Potter novels. Patrick discusses how he creates his models, some of the models that he has made, and about the museum that he operates in which they are on display.We also include a promotional bumper for the Conjurations game convention in Montreal (May 14-15, www.ggconventions.com for more information).Other linksPolymancer main sitePolymancer corporate web sitePolymancer on TwitterPolymancer on LiveJournalPolymancer on MySpacePolymancer on FacebookRSS feed for DiceCastSubscribe to DiceCast in iTunes DiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • Conjurations 2011 official podcast bumper (English)

    16/04/2011

    >Conjurations is a game convention for fans of roleplaying games (RPGs), miniatures wargames, collectible card games, non-collectible card games, board games, live action roleplaying games (LARPs), and similar hobbies. Running over the course of two days (the weekend of May 14-15 2011), its goal is to put as much fun and as much variety as possible for enthusiasts of the hobby under one roof. It is held in the reception room of The Church of St. John The Evangelist ("The Red Roof Church"), at 137 President Kennedy, conveniently located in downtown Montreal at the corner of President Kennedy and Kimberley (which is between St-Urbain and Jeanne Mance). For more information: www.ggconventions.comYou are encouraged to place this into your podcast as often as you like up to and including the date of the convention. Just download the MP3 file. DiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • DiceCast Episode 13: Dark Dungeons!

    11/02/2011

    In this episode, we interview Andrew and JD from Boolean Union about their recent animated film adaptation of the infamous Jack Chick tract "Dark Dungeons." Their work is a serious adaptation of a work that is inherently funny. It is produced to a very high level of quality. We found Andrew and JD to be as animated as their movie, articulate, and perceptive in our interview. And for the record, they are not in the least bit "anti-game."In brief, "Dark Dungeons" is a short comic book (called a "tract") about a teenaged girl who gets swept away into the occult from playing a fictitious RPG called "Dark Dungeons" (which, as described, is D&D in all but name). The comic contains a number of amusing misconceptions about RPGs, including the notion that players can start to believe that they really are their characters or that the goal of RPGs is to make people learn how to cast "real spells." It has gained a cult following among roleplayers for its humor value.LinksThe Dark Dungeons Movie. The producers encoura

  • DiceCast Special Holiday Interview Episode

    03/01/2011

    We close off 2010 and welcome in 2011 with an awesome selection of interviews, many of them with people who have never appeared on a podcast before.Our first interview is with David Pulver, RPG freelance writer extraordinaire. Fans of GURPS® and Transhuman Space™ by Steve Jackson Games will know his work well. Pulver also revised Big Eyes, Small Mouth by Guardians Of Order for that game's second edition and also for that game's third edition, which was published by White Wolf. In this interview, Pulver talks about his background in games, writing, and about how he researches his technologically-oriented works. N.B. this interview was originally recorded for print and thus, little regard was made for sound quality; while we apologize for the poor sound quality, every step was taken to ensure Mr. Pulver's words were understandable and we are confident that what he had to say more than makes up for the audio.Next up, we have a truly Foundational member of the roleplaying game pantheon, Marc Miller. As a founder

  • DiceCast Episode 12: Interview with Monica Gaudio

    15/11/2010

    Monica Gaudio is a medievalist who recently became a reluctant Internet personality when she was embroiled in a controversy. Two of her medieval pie recipes were copied from a web site where she posted them for free by Cooks Source (sic), an advertiser-supported food magazine, without her permission. She protested to the magazine's publisher and the answer that she got was not what anyone would expect to get under those circumstances. She posted a part of the response to her blog and that was where things got interesting. Neil Gaiman, Will Wheaton, John Scalzi, and thousands more people on the Internet took up the cause of protesting what happened, and the result of this massive outpouring of support was a victory for Monica Gaudio. Rather than discuss the issue and the fallout surrounding it ourselves, we decided to interview Monica Gaudio and get the story from her, in her own words. We caught her while she was on the road, so the sound quality is not perfect, but it is clear enough for you to hear what she

  • DiceCast Episode 11: Fan Expo 2010 and an interview with Robin D. Laws

    01/11/2010

    This episode features more interviews from Fan Expo 2010, an annual sci fi, fantasy, horror, anime, and gaming convention held in Toronto. Most importantly, we interview noted writer and game designer Robin D. Laws. There is a bonus special "wordless" appearance by William Shatner.We also interview Lee-Ann Farruga of Steampunk Canada, new Star Wars® fan film "Saber Legend" director Cal Drew, Red Herring of Red Herring Products discusses her sci fi burlesque show "Babes In Space."LinksFan Expo, held every year at the Metro Toronto Convention Center on the weekend before Labor Day.Robin D. Laws's LiveJournal. His bibliography is available at the Pen & Paper database and there is more information about him on Wikipedia. Robin's latest book is Hamlet's Hit Points; also referenced on the show is Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering.Hammercon, an all-gaming convention held every year in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (listen for the promo in the 'cast).Steampunk Canada, a resource and forum for Canadian steampunk enth

  • DiceCast Episode 10: Interview with Ed Greenwood

    17/09/2010

    Ed Greenwood is the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. We interviewed him at Fan Expo 2010 in Toronto. He is a friendly, approachable man who, in spite of being one of the living legends of the roleplaying world, is surprisingly humble. In this interview, Ed Greenwood talks about how he created the Realms, how he got into writing, the importance of being an active roleplayer for those who want to work in the industry, and much more.LinksEd Greenwood Biography at Wizards.comEd Greenwood at the Internet Speculative Fiction DatabaseFan Expo DiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • DiceCast Episode 9: Interview with Stu Levy

    25/08/2010

    In this episode, we interview Tokyopop founder and CEO Stu Levy. He discusses the origins of Toykopop, the state of anime today, America's Greatest Otaku, and even offers a crash course in how to impress anime girls in Japanese. We interviewed him at Otakuthon 2010 in Montreal.Polymancer Studios also invites anyone who is going to be in the Greater Toronto Area on the weekend of August 28 to August 30 to drop by our booths and demo tables at Fan Expo 2010. Stop to say hello, inquire about freelancing opportunities, take in a game demo, or even join in one of our RPG events. We look forward to seeing you there.Links:ToykopopAmerica's Greatest OtakuOtakuthon MontrealPolymancer StudiosFan Expo Canada DiceCast is available at the iTunes music store. The RSS feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dicecast.

  • DiceCast™ Special Episode: We must ban everything!

    24/02/2010

    It has been recently reported that someone who was a member of a university RPG club many years ago, allegedly committed a murder. Reporting of this in the media reflected a shocking level of ignorance that serves to remind RPG enthusiasts that as far as we have come since the Dark Dungeons days of the 1980s, much work remains to be done. Many hobbies are misunderstood, but very few misunderstood hobbies are so frequently targeted by popular hysteria.We posted this reaction for humor value, more than anything else. It almost need not be said that nobody at Polymancer® Studios, Inc. actually believes anything being said here. Naturally, the invocation of the name of one infamous historical figure was not a violation of Godwin's Law, simply because, again, it was all meant in good fun.LinksThe classical music compositions that were used in this special episode can be downloaded from the following sites.Musopen.com, an excellent source of public domain classical music recordings, including many that have been re

  • DiceCast™ Episode 8: Polygraff Volume 1 Issue #2, featuring an interview with John Norman

    16/02/2010

    In this episode, we discuss the latest issue of Polygraff™ (Volume, 1 Issue #2), a quarterly adventure fiction anthology with short stories in science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, pulp, and many other genres. This issue contains more chapters in The Well at the World's End by William Morris, "The Road to Corinth" by Karen Gallant, "Visitors" by Anne Michaud, "Grounded" By Wes Weston, a chapter of Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith, and a review of Judge Dredd™ America.This issue also features a very rare interview with science fiction author John Norman, famous for creating the Gor series of novels. It is one of the few interviews that Mr. Norman has conducted in the last 30 years. In this podcast, we also include an interview with Anne Michaud, author of "Visitors," which appears in this issue of Polygraff. This is a relatively short interview but we will post a longer interview, in Ms. Michaud's native French language, to another podcast, available on another feed, in the near future.LinksSample of Pol