RPGBOT.Podcast

Last time, we opened a door that had been sealed for thousands of years, murdered a dinosaur, adopted its baby, and turned a crank we probably shouldn't have touched. Now the village is flooding, the ancient machinery is waking up, and our only hope is building weapons from whatever junk we can find. Oh, and Tyler wants to dismantle a horse for spare parts. Welcome back to Numenera, where saving the world requires a little engineering, a lot of questionable judgment, and apparently a working knowledge of French grammar 

VBM.games/rpgbot (affiliate link)
Numenera 2-Book Set (affiliate link)
RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 1
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 2
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 3
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 4



Show Notes
Our Numenera actual play continues, and La Gorge is having a very bad day. Randall returns as GM while Tyler and Ash discover that waking an ancient machine is easy. Figuring out what it does is another matter.
With the village transformed and an approaching scourge threatening everyone, Dob and Marty must venture deeper into the Ninth World's forgotten technology to repair ancient defensive turrets. First, they'll need to find some rare iotum, survive their own decisions, and convince a talking rectangle to give them directions.
Along the way, we explore Cypher System recovery rolls, one-use cyphers, GM intrusions, Numenera Destiny crafting, and the surprisingly entertaining business of salvaging ancient technology. There's even a gravity-warping escape from angry lizard birds.
It's another chaotic RPGBOT.Quickstart adventure where clever ideas beat combat, nobody can pronounce turret, and one bad repair job might dismantle the village's best chance of survival.
Key Takeaways
Numenera recovery rolls restore points to Might, Speed, and Intellect pools, with recovery taking progressively longer throughout the day.



Cyphers encourage creative problem-solving. A gravity-changing device turns a dangerous encounter into an easy escape.



Numenera Destiny crafting and salvaging mechanics make finding iotum such as quantium and monopole essential to repairing ancient technology.



GM intrusions turn success into new complications, including an automated machine threatening to dismantle the very defenses the characters need.



Character abilities, Effort, and skills give players multiple ways to overcome difficult tasks without relying entirely on lucky dice rolls.



The Ninth World rewards exploration, improvisation, and figuring out ancient technology that nobody fully understands.



Experience points can purchase character advancement or specialized benefits that help solve immediate problems.



Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
https://ashelydm.com/
https://ashelydm.com/
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

What happens when a mysterious cowboy rides out of a deadly desert, introduces himself, and immediately falls off his horse? Naturally, you trust his god, open a door that's been locked for thousands of years, and discover your entire village might be living inside a dead monster. Welcome to Numenera, where the birds are terrifying, the technology is incomprehensible, and Tyler can't roll above a five when it matters. At least Ash gets a pet dinosaur. Things are going great.

VBM.games/rpgbot (affiliate link)
Numenera 2-Book Set (affiliate link)
RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 1
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 2
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 3
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 4

Show Notes
It's time to put Numenera to the test! In Part 1 of our RPGBOT.Quickstart Numenera actual play, Randall takes the GM's chair while Tyler and Ash explore the Ninth World using the Cypher System.
Their adventure begins in the isolated village of La Gorge, where a wounded stranger arrives with warnings of an approaching scourge. A mysterious goddess reveals that the village hides an ancient secret, sending our heroes through a long-sealed door to awaken something that might save their home.
Inside, they encounter prehistoric nightmares, adopt an unexpected companion, and explore forgotten technology while learning Numenera combat, character abilities, GM intrusions, and the game's unique crafting and salvaging mechanics. Along the way, they discover that ancient technology is considerably harder to operate when nobody remembers what a hydroelectric dam is.
It's a hands-on introduction to playing Numenera, complete with terrible dice rolls, questionable decisions, and a talking brick that demands professional certification.
Key Takeaways
Numenera actual play demonstrates how the Cypher System handles combat, skill checks, Effort, Edge, and difficulty adjustments.



GM intrusions add unexpected complications and reward players with experience points.



Numenera character abilities encourage teamwork, creative problem-solving, and unconventional approaches to danger.



Crafting and salvaging iotum are central to Numenera Destiny, even when the dice refuse to cooperate.



The Ninth World blends ancient technology, bizarre creatures, and science-fiction mysteries into a setting built for exploration.



Player choices turn a dangerous encounter into an unlikely friendship with a baby reptilian bird named Korra.



Numenera's straightforward mechanics make it accessible to new players without sacrificing depth or flexibility.



Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
https://ashelydm.com/
https://ashelydm.com/
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

You've slain dragons, defeated liches, and saved the kingdom. But now an NPC is flirting with you, and suddenly everyone at the table is making death saves against awkwardness. Romance in D&D can be terrifying, especially when the GM's idea of flirting involves a Persuasion check and prolonged eye contact. Fortunately, Sebastian Yūe and Friday Strout are here to help us navigate love, relationships, and the delicate art of making imaginary people kiss without making real people uncomfortable. Roll for initiative. No, wait. Roll for chemistry.

How to GM Romance from Metal Weave Games
Friday Strout BlueSky
The Undead Gala

Sebastian Yūe BlueSky
http://sebastianyue.ca/ttrpgs

Previous RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Friday Strout: Inside the Mind of a Pro Dungeon Master
The Vineyard with Friday Strout
Uncaged Goddesses

Show Notes
Love is in the air, and the GM is sweating. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, Tyler and Randall welcome Sebastian Yūe and Friday Strout to discuss how to GM romance in tabletop RPGs without turning your campaign into an RPG horror story.
From flirting with NPCs to building meaningful character relationships, we explore consent, player boundaries, and practical romance mechanics for D&D and other TTRPGs. Our guests also introduce How to GM Romance, their guide to creating believable romantic storylines, tracking relationships, and giving characters something worth fighting for beyond treasure and experience points.
Because sometimes the hardest encounter isn't the dragon. It's asking someone out.
Key Takeaways
Consent comes first. Establish boundaries, expectations, and safety tools before introducing romance.
Romance is more than flirting. Meaningful relationships create opportunities for character development and storytelling.
Communication prevents awkwardness. Check what players want from romantic encounters and respect their comfort levels.
Mechanics can help. Relationship trackers and memorable moments give romantic storylines structure without overwhelming roleplay.
NPC relationships matter. Believable romantic interests need personalities, motivations, and agency.
Romance should fit the table. Whether playful, dramatic, or intimate, relationships work best when everyone is comfortable and invested.
How to GM Romance offers system-flexible advice and tools to help GMs approach romantic storytelling with confidence.
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
https://ashelydm.com/
https://ashelydm.com/
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

So you've survived character creation in Numenera. Congratulations! Now it's time to level up, rummage through ancient garbage, and build a giant murder robot that might eventually decide you're the problem. What could possibly go wrong? In this episode, we're spending XP, scavenging the ruins of forgotten civilizations, and exploring the joys of community development. Because nothing says heroic adventure quite like spending six months building a machine that might explode, or thirty years constructing a castle. Welcome to the Ninth World, where yesterday's trash is tomorrow's technology, and apparently nobody can agree on how to pronounce a two-by-four.

Numenera 2-Book Set (affiliate link)
RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 1
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 2
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 3
Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 4

Show Notes
In Part 3 of our How to Play Numenera series, Randall, Tyler, and Ash tackle character advancement, salvaging, crafting, and community building in Monte Cook Games' science-fantasy tabletop RPG.
We start with Numenera character advancement, explaining how experience points improve abilities, Edge, Effort, and skills as characters progress through six tiers. Then we dig into the Numenera Destiny crafting system, where ancient technology becomes raw materials for everything from useful cyphers to heavily armed automatons that may eventually turn against their creators. Fun!
Along the way, we explore salvaging iotum, collecting parts, crafting plans, equipment depletion, and the questionable wisdom of building a war machine with trust issues. Finally, we look at community-building mechanics and how players can turn their adventures into something bigger than another pile of mysterious artifacts.
Whether you're learning the Cypher System, planning your next Numenera campaign, or just want to build a robot with swords for hands, this episode has you covered.
Key Takeaways
Numenera character advancement uses XP to improve stat Pools, Edge, Effort, and skills. Four advancements, costing 16 XP total, move a character to the next tier.
GM intrusions provide experience points while introducing complications that keep the story moving.
Salvaging ancient technology provides ordinary parts and valuable iotum needed for Numenera crafting.
Crafting plans determine required materials, difficulty, and construction time. Larger projects can take months, years, or even decades.
Automatons, cyphers, artifacts, vehicles, and installations offer powerful options, but depletion and repair costs can make them risky investments.
Community-building rules let characters develop settlements, construct defenses, and influence the Ninth World beyond individual adventures.
Exploration, salvaging, crafting, and settlement development create a rewarding gameplay loop that gives characters a reason to venture into dangerous ruins.
Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.
Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players.
Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings.
Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community.
Meet the Hosts
Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.
How to Find Us:
In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net
Tyler Kamstra
BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET
Ash Ely
Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
BlueSky: @GravenAshes
YouTube: @ashravenmedia
https://ashelydm.com/
https://ashelydm.com/
Randall James
BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
Amateurjack.com
Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)
Producer Dan
@Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to Numenera, where ancient technology is magic, character creation is an adventure, and Tyler is already looking for something dangerous to invent. This time, Randall walks us through building characters in the Ninth World, where your personality, abilities, and questionable life choices all become part of your character sheet. Ash wants a loyal adventurer. Tyler wants a reckless inventor. Randall just wants everyone to understand the rules before somebody accidentally destroys civilization. Again.
VBM.games/rpgbot 

Numenera 2-Book Set (affiliate link)

RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes

Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 1

Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 2

Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 3

Old Gods of Appalachia AP Part 4

Show Notes
In part two of our RPGBOT.Quickstart How to Play Numenera series, Randall guides Tyler and Ash through Numenera character creation using the Cypher System and the Discovery and Destiny rulebooks. We're building characters for the Ninth World, a science-fantasy setting where ancient technology powers extraordinary abilities, and understanding what you're doing is entirely optional.
We break down the three essential parts of building a Numenera character: Type, Descriptor, and Focus. Your Type determines your core abilities and role in the party. Your Descriptor adds personality traits, mechanical benefits, and limitations. Your Focus defines what makes your character unique, providing specialized abilities and connections to other characters.
Along the way, we explore the six Numenera character types, compare character-building options, and explain how Might, Speed, Intellect, Effort, and Edge shape gameplay. We also examine how character backgrounds, starting abilities, and advancement work together to create memorable characters without getting buried in complicated rules.
Tyler builds a Risk-Taking Wright Who Builds Tomorrow, an inventive tinkerer with more curiosity than caution. Ash creates a Loyal Jack Who Explores Yesterday, a versatile adventurer drawn to lost civilizations and ancient mysteries. Together, they demonstrate how Numenera's flexible character creation system turns a simple concept into a fully realized character with abilities, motivations, and roleplaying opportunities.
We also dig into GM intrusions, special dice results, and character connections, showing how the Cypher System encourages creative decisions and unexpected consequences.
Whether you're new to Numenera, learning the Cypher System, or looking for a character creation guide that doesn't require a spreadsheet and a minor existential crisis, we've got you covered.
Key Takeaways
Numenera character creation follows a simple formula: Descriptor + Type + Focus, creating a distinct character concept with mechanical and narrative depth.
Character Types define your primary abilities and playstyle. Discovery introduces the Glaive, Nano, and Jack, while Destiny adds the Arkus, Wright, and Delve.
Descriptors shape personality and provide mechanical benefits, limitations, and roleplaying opportunities.
Foci define your character's signature abilities, unlock new features as you advance, and establish connections with other characters.
Might, Speed, and Intellect form the foundation of Cypher System mechanics, while Effort and Edge influence how effectively characters handle challenges.
Character backgrounds and connections help players establish motivations, relationships, and reasons for adventuring together.
GM intrusions and special dice results introduce narrative twists that reward creative gameplay and occasionally punish spectacularly bad decisions.
Numenera's character-building system encourages players to start with a concept and let the mechanics support it, rather than forcing a character into a predetermined class.