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Tangent #1: Introductions
132 Plays14 days ago
In our very first episode, we go over the purpose of our new podcast, introduce ourselves and explain a bit about our love for Savage Worlds, GMing, movies, and more! Welcome to Tabletop Tangents!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/2skmrtYyZU
DTRPG Bundle for Aaron Acevedo: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/563946/aaron-ace-bundle
GoFundMe for Jodi Black: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jodis-fight-against-pulmonary-fibrosis
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Transcript
Managing Podcast Timing Challenges
00:00:02
Speaker
Do not flip and deviate from that four hours. And if you go too long, oh my God, everybody hates you. And if you make it too short, wow, you suck. And everybody hates you.
00:00:13
Speaker
And everybody hates you.
Introduction to 'Tabletop Tangents'
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello friends. Welcome to Tabletop Tangents, a podcast about running tabletop RPGs, writing stories, and the sometimes meandering paths we take in pursuit of creativity and inspiration.
00:00:34
Speaker
Tangent number one, introductions.
Meet the Hosts: Tracy, Dot, and Chris
00:00:41
Speaker
Welcome everybody. i am Tracy Sizemore. You may have heard of me, you may not have. I have done a couple of podcasts in the past and I am accompanied by people who have done the same. So we are joined by Dot, just Dot, thank you very much, and Chris Hussey.
00:00:59
Speaker
And both of them are experienced podcasters as well. We're all a part of the Savage Worlds community and we're here to start a new podcast. about community, but also about Savage Worlds, about our inspirations, about running games, about movies, about writing, about whatever comes to mind.
00:01:20
Speaker
So, dot how are you doing today?
Excitement About Returning to Podcasting
00:01:23
Speaker
You know, doing just dandy. Happy to be here. Glad to be getting back into the conversational podcasting.
00:01:33
Speaker
um It's been a hot minute. Awesome. And Chris? It has been a hot minute. I was sitting here almost when you were introducing us, I had to actually back away from the mic because I wanted to burst out laughing just as sort of that emotional reaction when you don't know what to do because, gosh, yeah, it's been a long time. It feels good, but it's been a long time.
00:01:55
Speaker
So it is kind of nice to be back. Well, this has been a long time in the making. I've been wanting to do this for a while. My last podcast was Designing Problems with Christian Serrano, which was a specific sort of topic about designing games and stuff like that. So it had a very limited scope.
00:02:14
Speaker
So we didn't go very long because it felt like we had run our course and said everything we wanted to say.
Fostering Community and Friendship
00:02:20
Speaker
And I really wanted to get back to a community sort of centric podcast about at least yeah to ah to a good degree about Savage Worlds, but ah allowing us to be able to sort of branch off of that topic as well.
00:02:37
Speaker
And so I'm so excited because Chris Hussey and Dodd are two of my best friends, whether they like it or not. And um they both said yes, or at least provisionally.
00:02:50
Speaker
So we're going to give this to try and see how it goes. So as a beginning, we'll sort of go over what our plan for the podcast is, what this is all about. We'll talk about us in ways that some of you have maybe listened to our podcast before don't know, um because this is more of a freewheeling ah talk about anything kind of thing, um because there are a lot of accomplishments that each of us have that, um you know, are cool to talk about and might be relevant in some way.
00:03:22
Speaker
um And then we'll do a brief sort of overview about what we're currently working on as sort of a beginning mini topic.
Podcast Format and Future Topics
00:03:30
Speaker
We have lots of topics, plans that are about Savage Worlds, that are about movies, about inspiration, about writing, about life, Some of these absurd things that I came up with that Dot laughs at me for. but but we we have plans.
00:03:47
Speaker
So there's that. So many plans. Plans within him plans. Plans on plans on plans. We'll talk about plans within plans when we go to our current events.
00:03:59
Speaker
But let's start with what are we doing here? I already covered a little bit of it but for me. i also used to do a podcast called Savage Interludes with my great friends, Ron and Vern. And that lasted for three years and we were very successful and it was really great. And it ended. And i i kind of feel that there's a little bit of a void there with I don't know. For me anyway, for me. So that was my motivation. i don't know what Dot and Chris's motivation were for saying yes. I'll let them speak for themselves.
00:04:33
Speaker
Well, i I think you put it best earlier that you are one of my best good friends. And when you came to me saying that you wanted to start up a podcast with me, there wasn't really an other answer than, yeah, let's do it. i mean, I don't know that there was a choice factor in there.
00:04:50
Speaker
I would have to agree with that. I think the only additional factor for me is i have a, I don't know, maybe a a self-imposed reputation as some sort of podcast or journeyman. I just sort of have gone around and glommed on to other people's podcasts. And so this just seemed like the natural, ah most logical progression of that. So.
00:05:11
Speaker
Wow, that's that's very, very impressive. I know, isn't that just, ah that makes it sound like, I guess I could do this. No, this is- It's super enthusiastic. Thank you. Well, but that's the thing. yeahp As a definite fan of Savage Interludes, um as as when I discovered it, and I did not discover it from the beginning, like most folks did. But once I found it, I absolutely became ah very enraptured. And that just, you know, got it gave me
00:05:45
Speaker
it gave me a lot of respect for you and Ron and Vern, and also helped just sort of get me deeper into that the Savage Worlds community. And so I kind of also look at this as a little ways of like giving back.
00:06:02
Speaker
in addition to that. So um I think that there's there's some of that going on there as well. Awesome. The other thing that i ah that I'm excited about with this, and we we can sort of transition into the Savage Worlds aspect of this,
00:06:18
Speaker
is that I've worked on Savage Worlds as as a writer, as a developer.
Exploring Savage Worlds Mechanics
00:06:23
Speaker
I did Holler. I developed Pine Box Middle School. I created my own setting called the Hon Cluster.
00:06:31
Speaker
And I've worked closely with the creators of Savage Worlds. I game with Shane every week almost. And Daryl, in fact, as well, multiple times a week usually with Daryl because I grew up with Daryl. I i knew him in the you know first grade.
00:06:46
Speaker
So um I know how the developers run Savage Worlds. I run for them all the time. And i think that there's some value in sort of going over how we play Savage Worlds um in that sense, because there tends to be some...
00:07:07
Speaker
you know A lot of questions about that. There's no right way to do it. But I do i do get distressed when I hear some people ask questions that ah they they seem frustrated by about the system.
00:07:21
Speaker
And i kind of want to... like Oh, you know, there's there's better ways to do it than that. And and and and like, it's yes, it's confusing, but this is how we do it. And maybe it's not listed in the rules at all, but this is how we kind of tend to do these things. And and so I feel like there's value there as well.
00:07:41
Speaker
Because I want Savage Worlds to be fun for people. I really do. it's one It's my favorite system. So I think there's value in that too. Chris also has written for Savage Worlds. And Dot is sort of a new... She's she's working toward becoming the expert that we know she will eventually be. And I'll stop talking now.
00:08:03
Speaker
It'll happen eventually. just in regards to learning the, learning the game or questions about the game and just the, the different ways of doing it. That is one i think one of the things that I've appreciated most about my journey is that In my earlier days of running this, um i did every i went out of my way to make things overly complicated in regards to the rules.
00:08:36
Speaker
um And as time has gone on I've realized more and more how using what is there in in a way to simplify things And certain things like just the mode of simplifying certain encounters has streamlined a lot of things tremendously, especially when it comes to writing adventures for it, whether they're con events or whatnot. It really, it continues to teach in in a surprising way.
00:09:08
Speaker
Yeah. We have one episode planned on just the core mechanic of Savage Worlds and how versatile it is, how you can run entire games just with a target number four and the regular skill roll. I've done it many times, many times. i've I've gotten to the point where in some games as a GM, I don't roll at all.
00:09:27
Speaker
I let the players roll everything. It's target four with maybe a penalty or two here and there, but the rest of it is just... how you run the game, you know?
00:09:38
Speaker
And, but that randomizer is, is an important part of it, I think. And we have a, we have a plan. We have a plan for an episode about that. And Dot, you're still like gaining confidence at this point. You're still sort of figuring things out. Is that right? Yeah.
00:09:53
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think I've I'm familiar enough with the system and the overwhelming majority of the, you know, but I get it.
00:10:07
Speaker
I get how to run it. I have run it where i struggle most. Is combat.
Overcoming Gaming Insecurities
00:10:13
Speaker
Because it intimidates me.
00:10:18
Speaker
I always worry that I'm going to get hung up on the minutiae. And it's going to take too long. And then people are going to get bored. And think, oh my god, this combat is never going to end.
00:10:29
Speaker
And then, so i over exaggerate And I speed through it. And then I'm like, gosh, crap that i I should have really tried to hang on a little bit longer. But i will get there.
00:10:42
Speaker
i think I've gotten over a lot of my.
00:10:50
Speaker
that's that's that's too That's too lenient of a statement that I was just going to make. i definitely haven't gotten over all of my prep fear, but I think that I have made progress. I'm definitely not as... i don't feel the need to prep as heavily as I once did.
00:11:08
Speaker
um and having run a couple more games since then, like that has helped me loosen up a bit. I think it's it's really just... some of those combat mechanics really trip me up and that's where I need to lean in and develop more skill.
00:11:24
Speaker
It doesn't get any easier, by the way. Yeah. I mean, because because yeah I still have the same, the motivation the motivation to move it along at a pace that you internally set for yourself is part of the problem. I'm not saying that that's part of your problem. I'm just saying that that is part of the problem.
00:11:46
Speaker
I think part of my problem is that I've only run one shots. I've only run shot adventures or con events or con style events, I should say.
00:12:00
Speaker
So I have this four hour time block in my head. Do not flip and deviate from that four hours. And if you go too long, oh my God, everybody hates you. And if you make it too short, wow, you suck.
00:12:14
Speaker
And everybody hates you. And everybody hates you. Wow. It's a lot of pressure. that is a lot of pressure. I wonder what you can do about that. You know, i i after a while, and it does take a while, part of part of part it took a while for me, and it it still happens. I still go through this. i still I'm running Han Cluster right now for the two of you.
00:12:38
Speaker
Plus Dylan, my our friend Dylan and my my spouse Booth. And I still go through all the things in my head of why how I'm screwing this up.
00:12:51
Speaker
How I'm not making this as fun as I could. How ah it's fundamentally flawed and I somehow messed that up. and now, you know, my players hate me or they're just being nice to me. All that stuff goes through my head still, Dot.
Gaming Preferences and Invitations
00:13:09
Speaker
First of all, I'm sorry to say that Chris is right. It's never going to really go away. But you do get better at ignoring it. You do get better at saying, you know what, that is stupid, crazy, negative Tracy talking. And negative Tracy is not always correct.
00:13:30
Speaker
And so you'll eventually figure that out or at least be able to not completely make it go away, but I think make better. Yeah. yeah Are you sorry that you have to admit that I was right? Or are you sorry for her in realizing that it's never going to get better? I'm sorry for her.
00:13:50
Speaker
Oh, okay. All right. But I mean, as a bonus, I'm also sorry for having to admit that you were right. Most people are. Let's also just not forget. a but Let's get back from the tangent back on the point of you're running your game for us. Like I get to say,
00:14:11
Speaker
Yeah, I played Han Cluster and Tracy Sizemore, the author, the creator, ran it for me. And that's way cooler than probably anything else that I've ever experienced in in my gaming experience. So just saying. Wow. Well, I mean, you know, that that but that that that novelty will wear off eventually, I'm sure.
00:14:38
Speaker
I don't know. But um yeah, i am I'm having a great time running. there's nothing There's nothing quite like having those actualized books on your desk when you're running your own game. I can't describe it to anybody who's not experienced it themselves. And unfortunately, most of you won't experience that.
00:14:59
Speaker
But man, it's cool. It's really cool that you that you worked so hard on it to make it easy for yourself to run, to make it easy for others to run, and to be able to read an adventure 30 minutes before you go and to know what you're doing.
00:15:14
Speaker
it is It's indescribable. It's very, very cool. And to be able to look it up like, oh, I don't remember this particular rule. I wrote it down for a reason. It's in this book.
00:15:24
Speaker
You know, very, very cool. Very cool. But tangents aside, because that's what this podcast is all about. We're not just going to talk Savage Worlds. We're not going to just talk Savage Worlds in the sense of RPGs, because Dodd is also experienced at running other things. And she plans to run Eat the Reich at GameholeCon this year. Is that right?
00:15:48
Speaker
Yes, I... I could probably be so bold to say that it may be my favorite game. Like,
00:16:02
Speaker
I know the looks that I'm getting right now. My Lanta. I think it's great.
00:16:12
Speaker
i i really like how simplistic the dice mechanics are. i adore the artwork. And i think that the overall theme and just setting of the game is spectacular. Like, i mean, spoiler alerts, you're playing as vampire commandos trying to eat eat Hitler. that's true That's the premise of the game.
00:16:41
Speaker
And... I just, I really like it, you guys. It's a good time.
00:16:51
Speaker
So I'm going to keep running it. And if anybody, if anybody listening is like, oh, I'd be interested in playing it. Just hit me up on Discord or whatever and we'll play it and I'll run it. It'll be fine. Awesome.
00:17:04
Speaker
You're going to get so many DMs. It's not even funny right now. it's It's ridiculous what's going to happen now. It's fine. You're going get a whole bunch of people saying, thank you for inviting me to your Eat the Right game. When are we playing?
00:17:19
Speaker
Maybe that could be the first campaign they're run because it is a mini campaign. I've just only run it as one shots so far. Sure, sure, sure. So we're not just limiting ourselves to Savage Worlds. The thing is, we will talk Savage Worlds because, well, you know, Chris and I especially really love it. And um I play it all the time. And, you know, I know the creators. I play with them all the time. So it's just going to happen. It's just the way it's going to be.
00:17:44
Speaker
um And we want it to be that way, I think. and so But we are also going to explore our tangents, which which could include anything from—because we're all writers here. All three of us are writers. Dodd and Chris have been with the Bite Size Tales podcast for a long time.
00:18:03
Speaker
And um so they write like crazy. I don't know how they manage to do it, but they do somehow. Write flash fiction like constantly. Chris and Wayne are the real machines of that operation. and And of the two of us, Wayne is the real machine. Yeah. Okay. So I picked the wrong person is what you're telling me. Oh, wow.
00:18:25
Speaker
oh Oh, no, you picked the right people. Well, Wayne have been able to do it because he's busy writing fiction. Sure. Sure. Okay. Okay. No, he really, though, he...
00:18:37
Speaker
it He has put it into a practice in his daily life to write consistently. And it is something i aspire to, but it is very far out of reach for me in my everyday life. But even still, it's inspirational. And, you know, he he's a good writer. And I'm so pleased that, you know, the three of us are still doing this together.
00:19:06
Speaker
Yeah, it's impressive that it's been going for that long and that you've keep kept it up. That's that's that's dedication. it really is. But we want to talk about writing. And because all three of us participate in a movie night in one of our Discord servers on Sundays, Dot and I especially have talked movies like crazy.
00:19:27
Speaker
And Chris has joined that discussion a little later, but still participates now. And i love talking movies because I love movies. I love them to death. There are ones that I watch over and over and over and over. And i have reasons that I love them. And i love to articulate those reasons. And part of this podcast will be giving us the opportunity to go over some of those things, those moments, those movies that we love so much in the context of inspirations for us or how they affect us in our lives and all that stuff. I think there's something to be said there and something to share with an audience that will also be able to sort of place themselves into that discussion and participate later after the podcast is over, I think.
00:20:18
Speaker
I think it's one of those things where you can disagree about something and still have it be a very friendly disagreement. Unless it's... Sometimes. Unless you're with certain crowds and it's Star Wars, then forget about Yeah, unless you're talking Star Wars and then it just gets completely out of control. Yeah.
00:20:38
Speaker
But i think I think there's, for me, there's i always want to hear, if if if you're passionate about something, even if it's something that I don't necessarily what identify with or belong into, I want to know why you like it Because that teaches me something, right?
00:20:55
Speaker
Like Daryl and I have these discussions all the time where Daryl will tell me what he loves about things that I've either never seen or never really like i you know felt anything for, but his passion is so crazy. that I start to understand where he's coming from. And I just like, okay, let give that another shot. You know, even if I don't like it, I appreciate what he likes about it. And and that's the same with you guys too. And that's kind of the kind of discussions I want to have.
00:21:25
Speaker
And I want to create a community um with these things. I want you to feel like out there that you can participate in these discussions as well after the podcasts are over so that we can continue to talk. and and share our moments and share our favorite things. And I think that would be fun.
Chris's Background in Gaming and Podcasting
00:21:43
Speaker
yes So there's lots to talk about, but let's talk about ourselves. So let's start with Chris. Who are you? Why do we care What have you done that makes you interesting on this podcast? Yeah.
00:21:59
Speaker
ah To answer the questions in order, Chris Hussey, you don't. And what was the last one? No. um I mean, you know, not to put you on the spot or anything. No. um i am...
00:22:15
Speaker
Long time gamer, long time podcaster, first time having to talk about myself. No, I i think um I've been freelance writing ah off and on since 93.
00:22:27
Speaker
um i still remember where I was when I got my first ah published a gig in the RPG business. It's one of those moments that is drilled into your brain. um And I've done it for a few different game lines over the years.
00:22:47
Speaker
It is interesting. um Let's see, I started writing for Savage Worlds back in 2020. um i've been i've done a lot of fiction yeah in gaming universes, most notably or primarily Battletech.
00:23:04
Speaker
I mean, how much how much do you want me to how much you want me to detail here? don't know. Whatever is relevant. i I need to point out, I have signed Battletech books by Chris Hussey. Yeah. For whatever they're worth.
00:23:19
Speaker
So defaced. That's what I call them. Defaced. I needed to put him on the spot in that moment and make sure that other people saw him signing books for me because then there were like a couple other people that were like, why are you having him sign your book? I was like, oh, he, you know, is one of the authors. And then they're like, oh my gosh, really? was like... ah got show Yeah, thanks for that. And i don't know, I've done, I've produced a couple of actual play podcasts. ah When it comes to, on i guess, on the fan side of things, when I get into something that I like, I like to be a very active and enthusiastic a fan member. Anyone who was in the Wild Cards community would, ah knows of my my GIF or GIF proclivity. um it was, it was,
00:24:13
Speaker
I even became disturbed by the level with which I would, and the amount of work I would put into the weekly gifts. It was just, it was, it was astounding.
00:24:23
Speaker
um And um why do you care? i don't know. I mean, I, I, I guess I ultimately, I like to think that the enthusiasm that I have brought um is contagious and that,
00:24:42
Speaker
um the people that I'm playing running a game for or playing a game with, um that they can catch some of that as well and take it with them. um i like to, i think probably one of my favorite things is to have new players, regardless of the game.
00:25:02
Speaker
I found that over the years, getting new players um to learn the game, discover what what this is all about, um is it fascinates me and it and it sort of reinvigorates me into the hobby as well.
00:25:18
Speaker
Well, what you didn't mention is that you also work in television. do. And you have created some awesome ah box opening videos. Oh, yeah, that's right. I forgot about those. yeah Speaking of enthusiasm. it's you know It's weird where you get ideas to do things like that. And I wish I could remember where I got the idea. I think because I'd watched some unboxing videos. And you know there's nothing wrong with your standard unboxing videos. But knowing...
00:25:48
Speaker
Like for are these these these things that people had, you know, often sometimes waited two years for, for the Kickstarter fulfillment to finally happen.
00:25:58
Speaker
um And it's for a game that you love. It's for a game that you spent far too much money on. But in the amount of love that you have for that particular game. And I think that that just idea just I threw in some Barry White and then that was the end of it. As far as an idea, and it was like I got the idea in my head. I was like, I had to do this.
00:26:21
Speaker
And then it just kind of became a thing. I think it's one of the purest manifestations of your sense of humor. If I'm being so honest, like yes if if you were to get to know Chris, well, you would know exactly what part of his brain came up with that idea.
00:26:41
Speaker
Exactly. Yes, that is 100% true. that is that is like that That's actually a very honest assessment. um They've only gotten better since Alan ah Blunt came along. Oh, for sure. yeah he yeah Yeah. He does the voices for your unboxing thing. Yeah, there's only one that I did the voice for. and then he fortunately happened to see that and said, you know, next time you do one of these, you have to let me do it. And I said, well, be careful what you wish for. And then he's done them since. Yeah.
00:27:14
Speaker
Also, Chris runs a hell of a game. If you ever get a chance to play in a game with Chris, it's it's it's really cool. Chris is an amazing actor of NPCs, and he engages you quickly and easily, and he's very welcoming at the table, and he knows his savage worlds. And so if you get a chance, play with
Dot's Podcasting Experience and Growth
00:27:35
Speaker
Chris. I know that I succeeded in that the one time you were in the sp straw runners game that I ran and remember you looked at me and you said, i hate that guy. i hate that guy so much.
00:27:49
Speaker
That was amazing. That was such a good game. Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's some characters coming up in Han Cluster that we'll see. We'll see. We'll see what I can do to you.
00:28:00
Speaker
um Dot. That's my name. Same questions. Who are you? What do you do? Why do we care? Oh, gosh. Honestly, i don't even know what I did to get here right now. Like...
00:28:14
Speaker
The accolades that the two of you can point to. and then there's little old me just sitting on the sidelines like, wow, look at you guys Great.
00:28:28
Speaker
Maybe that'll be me someday. but It's already you. You're here. Okay. Yeah. Sure. Sure. yeah Well, I don't know. I i have been on a long-running Shadowrun podcast, um Resting Glitch Face. ah Gosh, I think we're at like ah seven or eight years that we've been producing this podcast.
00:28:55
Speaker
My lanta. It feels like a lifetime. um time Yeah, it's been a long time. I mean, there were definitely, mean, I've got to be honest, there's definitely been some considerable breaks in time that within that period. But we were actively either working on editing, producing, or something for the podcast throughout that entire period.
00:29:21
Speaker
um It just may not have been all of us together. And was it all one continuous campaign? It is. Wow. All one continues campaign. We are in the third season. We actually just came back from a mid-season break couple weeks ago, I believe. Last week?
00:29:36
Speaker
Yeah. And yeah, we are on our final season. ah And it's the end of probably one of the most incredible things that I've done. It... Like... Having that be my introduction to podcasting. I mean, I had been on the gamers table podcast a couple of times before then, but I had been playing with that group for about a year or so before we really decided we're going to start up a podcast. Um, and our niche was that we want it to be in, wanted it to be an all female cast of, of gamers. And so Eric ran the game and then it was the four of us all together. We had a little bit of a rotating group, uh,
00:30:26
Speaker
around the end of season one into season two. But then the four of us core girls, we really, we really nailed it And i'm I'm very proud of what we have accomplished so far.
00:30:39
Speaker
And yeah, it's, i mean, to be referred to as the Gilmore Girls of Shadowrun is high praise. And when you've heard it from people that you didn't even realize listened to the show, that's where I'm like, whoa, wow, this thing's had legs. That's amazing. um You know, we won two Audioverse Awards. We won Minnesota Web Fest. Like,
00:31:05
Speaker
That kind of stuff still just doesn't make sense to me because for me, it was I'm sitting at a table with five of my closest friends just talking into a mic and, you know, spewing some BS about Shadowrun.
00:31:18
Speaker
And yet it's a huge accomplishment. It really is. And it's a tight podcast. It has a, it's a great game and it is really well produced and it's been going for a long time. So if you get a chance, it's really cool. And that all female thing really does make a difference in ah you know, in a cool way, especially when you're playing Shadowrun that way. Really, really cool.
00:31:44
Speaker
it is a It is a unique experience to to listen to it in in in the best way possible. ah it it Because it is, there's there's almost like there's two things really going on there. You have the you have the actual Shadowrun plotline that's occurring and they're in the cast members' interactions with that.
00:32:07
Speaker
But then there's this other side, which is just this fun female forward drama, Dramedy, which is fantastic.
00:32:18
Speaker
We refer to it as just four horny women around a table. Like that's, that's what it ends up becoming so often. um And not for like lack of trying to keep things serious, but we just...
00:32:33
Speaker
we find that kind of levity in almost every situation. Well, I can also say that Dot runs a very, very good game. And um I've played, what, at least once? if i played Twice.
00:32:45
Speaker
Twice. You did the Pirates of the Spanish main game and then eat the Reich once. Yep. And it was very
Tracy's Creative Background and Passion for GMing
00:32:51
Speaker
it was very good both times. And we're are trying to encourage Dot to do it more. I'm trying to.
00:32:58
Speaker
i just also have... another person's schedule that I have to accommodate 90% the day. i understand. i understand.
00:33:11
Speaker
But that leaves me. Who am I? What do I do? Why should people care? Right. Well, Who am I, Tracy Sizemore? I've talked already about me and some of the stuff I've done. um My biggest, proudest gaming accomplishment is HanCluster, which is out as a setting right now. It's available to purchase. It it was backer-kitted, crowdfunded last year, delivered at the end of last year, and more is to come as we speak. the or you know in afer Probably crowdfund maybe beginning the next year, but I'm working on it right now.
00:33:48
Speaker
um I've also worked on Savage Worlds itself. um i helped kind of create quick encounters for the Savage Worlds Suede core book. um I pitched it to Shane. He listened to me. I wrote up something. he took a lot of it and he put it in the book. And I was shocked at this, but...
00:34:08
Speaker
um Lucky me. um And then I did some development for Holler and for Pine Box Middle School. I've written adventures for Holler for for Pine Box Middle School, for the science not science for the Superpowers Companion I wrote of Adventure. I wrote Adventure for Core Suede, Disaster at Granatomica. I've done lots of stuff.
00:34:31
Speaker
And I've also written for Torg Eternity as well. i'm very proud of some of the stuff I've done for that. And then outside of gaming, I have lots of other accomplishments, including I'm a trained lighting designer. I'm award winning. did the Kentucky Cycle and won a local ah PBS award for that. and we actually went to a dinner and they honored people and stuff. It was pretty cool.
00:34:54
Speaker
And then um I am a singer, trained singer. have performed solos for Handel's Messiah. I've done all kinds of other things. I did my own arrangement of O'Danny Boy, which is on Apple Music right now. I've done all kinds of stuff.
00:35:12
Speaker
And that is relevant, I think, to this podcast because I have all kinds of creative experience in doing... It's very Renaissance lady type stuff, right?
00:35:24
Speaker
I'm not super good at any one thing, but I do it long enough to become pretty good at it. So I'm always in danger of abandoning what I've become good at and going into something else because that's just me. So right now I'm learning how to do YouTube videos for better or worse.
00:35:44
Speaker
but um But yeah, and so that's, I think... ah Goes into why you should care. I'm also, i think, a pretty good GM and I've honed my craft as best I can. There's always more to learn. I've spent years actively trying to get better at it. I try to be a good actor.
00:36:04
Speaker
um as well. I'm trying to get better at that um because I love to do it so much. And i just, I love to be at a table and to be, have the spotlight on me and to be responsible for not only entertaining a group of people, but also bringing that group of people together um and connecting people. I've had people at my table that have become great friends after one session. And that's,
00:36:34
Speaker
There's nothing quite like that unless you're gaming. So that's that's the kind of stuff that I do. There is more, but I won't bore you with all that, any more of that.
00:36:47
Speaker
Can confirm. Does run a good game. Absolutely. Yeah, can confirm.
Hosts' Current Projects and Community Efforts
00:36:52
Speaker
And then for our last little hoorah for this podcast, I thought we would talk about just a little bit of hint of what we're currently working on um in whatever space you feel like talking about. So let's start with Chris.
00:37:08
Speaker
What am I currently working on? um my My two cons this year is kind of what I'm focused on. um i am um running some events at Daikon, and one of them is a Deadlands event that I was going to run last year Daikon, I couldn't go. um And the funny thing was when I went back and revisited, you know, when I was submitting my events and I took a look at the the email chain, I discovered, i saw these events in there and i went in and looked at them to kind of refresh my um my memory. And it was very much of the Gandalf gif. I have no memory of this place. I looked at this adventure and I was like,
00:37:55
Speaker
I wrote this? What is this? I don't remember writing this. And as I was reading, I'm like, oh, yeah, OK, this is kind of good. Oh, this is kind of neat. OK, this should be kind of fun. And then what did you do, Chris?
00:38:06
Speaker
i I see. I don't remember. At one point, I received a message of, do you remember me writing this adventure? yeah.
00:38:15
Speaker
That's right, because i yeah because I had shared, I looked at who I'd shared the doc with and you were on there and I'm like, okay, so do you remember this? um But so ah I've DICON, I'm running a couple events there and then prepping for GameHulkCon. I'm working on, um have a Deadlands event for that, which is brand new. It's called the Horror Gone Trail.
00:38:35
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. um This is me. And um the other one, the other one, best way to describe it, it would be a parallel game that I'm going to run with another GM, if we can make it work.
00:38:52
Speaker
um And the idea is that there will be two tables running different aspects of the event at the same time, and they will culminate together in the final encounter.
00:39:03
Speaker
um But and we have it sketched out. We just need to get together and coordinate some things with it. So. ah But that's kind of what I'm working on. and The only other thing I'm working on, I guess it's not that, is i have a move coming up in my future and it's going to actually get me closer to my oldest a son. And when he found out that this was happening, I think it was within a week, he had messaged me and um asked if I would run a game for him and his adult friends, you know, because he's he's in his thirty s now um And so that is, ah i haven't done much beyond talk to them just a little bit about what do we want to try to accomplish. But yeah, so eventually I'll be able to run a game for my son once again and his friends, which I'm kind of looking forward to.
00:40:00
Speaker
Very cool. Yeah. Very cool. Don, what are you working on? Kind of a little bit of the same. Also going to be going to Daikon and GameholeCon this year I'm already registered and planning on running ah couple eat the Right games because that's what I feel most comfy with. So that's what I'm going to do.
00:40:20
Speaker
And yeah, I mean, I'm, you know, helping like air quotes, helping Chris with some of his adventures as usually happens around con season.
00:40:32
Speaker
Makes them much better. Day-to-day working stuff. And I've got my kiddo keeps me busy. So, you know, sure not too terribly much.
00:40:46
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I am, I'm doing YouTube videos for the Han Cluster right now, and I think they're going pretty good. And i am working on the next Han Cluster book, which is on pause because I'm doing these darn YouTube videos.
00:41:00
Speaker
And I'm working on art orders for said book and for a couple of adventures that are coming up soon. i keep, running into the buzzsaw of my day job, which is requiring a lot of me right now. So, you know, I'm i'm very busy. I'm just, I just am. This is the way I am.
00:41:21
Speaker
um And as far as events coming up, I do plan to go to GameholeCon. I have not submitted any events yet because I was kind of waiting on some information from Gamehole before i submitted those events because it'll determine what I do That's what I'm working on. It's always too much. And i actually probably have more. i have you know yard stuff and all that other stuff too. But that's what I'm doing right now. And yeah, that's that.
00:41:50
Speaker
I do want to point out one little thing. Aaron Acevedo and Jody Black are both going through some really tough health crises at this point. Aaron was one of the art directors for Honkloster.
00:42:04
Speaker
It has been the art director for Pinnacle for years and years. He did the logo for Han Cluster. He's been a colleague of mine that I've worked with on Holler in Pine Box Middle School, and he's in dire straits health wise right now. And we have put together, we ACEs, ah ah that is the ACE licensees of Savage Worlds, ah in tandem with Shane, have put together a bundle at DriveThruRPG to help Aaron with his his medical expenses and whatever else he needs.
00:42:38
Speaker
So if you could support that by buying the bundle, it's got $300 plus of stuff in that bundle for only $30, and that includes the core book of Han Cluster and the archetypes.
00:42:52
Speaker
So ah among many other things, secret files of Section D, um some other stuff as well. And um a lot of really cool stuff. So if you feel like helping Aaron out, um that would be a great way not only to do that, but also get you a bunch of cool Savage Worlds stuff.
00:43:10
Speaker
The other thing that's happening is Jody Black, who is a longtime pillar of the Savage Worlds community, a Savage Worlds employee, um is also going through her own health problems. And they have a GoFundMe set up.
00:43:25
Speaker
Both of these links are going to be available in the show notes. So if you feel like supporting Jodi or Aaron, please click those links and do what you can.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:43:40
Speaker
Thanks for hanging out with us. Whether you're behind the screen, at the table, or lost in your own story, we hope you found a little inspiration. If you enjoy our tangents, be sure to connect with us on Discord and follow us on socials to keep the conversation going.
00:43:54
Speaker
Until next time.
00:44:06
Speaker
Oh, wait, that reminds me. There was one other thing I wanted to talk about. So I was looking at, i was watching this fascinating documentary on the economics of Southeast Asia. Not the economics of Southeast Asia.
00:44:16
Speaker
No, this is really, really good.