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Setting the Stage Episode 65 – Al and the Backrooms

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Isaac

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Al from the Point of Insanity Game Studio and Podcast is here to talk about a couple of different things! We started off by discussing the Dark Sun campaign setting, which was a post-apocalyptic campaign setting released for D&D in 1991. Next was the changes in D&D over the editions/years. After that was Al’s Point of Insanity Network podcast, a variety podcast about a number of different topics in the geek and horror space.

Next we discussed one of Al’s RPGs he’s designed, Strange Things Afoot. Characters in Strange Things Afoot are high schoolers with their stats derived from their character’s grades in school. They work to investigate horror stories based on belief. The monster from the horror story can manifest as a tulpa, powered by the belief that society has in that monster. The teenagers must discover the terrifying mysteries, defeat them, and survive to make it to gym class on time.

The last thing we discussed, that was the main focus of the episode, is Al’s RPG called Caught in the Backrooms. The Backrooms concept comes from video games where if you maneuver your character correctly you will clip into an area of the map intended just for developers to access during playtesting. But once you’re in that zone there isn’t a way out. You wander aimlessly through endless blank corridors with the occasional secret room. That’s the Backrooms. Caught in the Backrooms provides rules for playing characters who have slipped into the Backrooms of reality and are unable to escape. PCs must struggle to find resources, fight against monsters, and maintain their sanity, all while looking for the exit, if there even is one.

You can learn more about Al’s podcast, Point of Insanity Game Studio, at his website or on your podcast app: http://www.poigamestudio.com/
Al’s storefront on DriveThruRPG where you can find Strange Things Afoot and Caught in the Backrooms: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/2995/point-of-insanity-game-studio
And Lulu if you prefer paper copies: https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=Al+Seeger

And one of our previous guests, Peter from Tales From Elsewhere, is crowdfunding his first TTRPG book, Clockworld. You can check the Kickstarter out at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/talesfromelsewhere/tales-from-elsewhere-clockworld

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Hello,

I’m Isaac

Welcome to the GoCorral website! I’m Isaac Shaker and this is a place for me to write about D&D and occasionally other topics. I host a podcast called Setting the Stage that interviews different DMs about their campaigns. I’m currently focused on completing the Cimmeria campaign setting and turning it into a book.

Setting the Stage Podcast

76 – Flying Island Worlds (Alan and Fractus) – Setting the Stage, Campaigns for D&D and Other RPGs

Alan tells us about his Daggerheart campaign setting, Fractus, that is launching on Kickstarter soon. Fractus was a normal planet until it exploded and stopped halfway through. Now bunches of asteroids rotate a swirling magical maelstorm at the center of the planet. The people of Fractus survive on the asteroids which are large enough to support life. The land is now separated by air rather than oceans, resulting in a different path for technology along the lines of flight rather than sea travel.Fractus is available on Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/icv1/fractus-the-broken-worldAlan also has a big catalog of TTRPG products he's produced in the past that you can check out on DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/17830/alan-tuckerIn addition to his TTRPG writing, Alan has written a few novels that you can find links to on his website: http://www.alantucker.net/ For the latest updates on what Alan's doing you can follow him on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tuckerauthor.bsky.socialOur website: https://gocorral.com/stsWant to be on the show? Fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/U11TbxtAReHFKbiVAJoin our Discord: https://discord.gg/Nngc2pQV6CSupport the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SettingtheStage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  1. 76 – Flying Island Worlds (Alan and Fractus)
  2. 75 – Masks, Capitalism, and Coming of Age (Joel and Critical Bits)
  3. 74 – Kylie and Fallout: Garden of Atom
  4. 73 – Duncan and Extraordinary Locations
  5. 72.5 – Calico and Psychomortis (Part 2)

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