We haven’t said much about the Heroes of the Hydian Way yet. We record the first actual session today, we’ve had a session zero to get a feel for each other and work out most tech bugs. To give an idea of what Heroes is Ben answers here some of the questions that could be (and should be) poking up about the new podcast.
What is the Heroes of the Hydian Way?
Heroes of the Hydian Way is an actual play podcast that aspires to be a radio drama, but the bedrock under it is a GM knowing a module through and through playing it for their players.
Module?
Yes, the purpose behind Heroes is to run published FFG modules as a podcast so that prospective GMs can listen and learn some of the ways to deal with the difficult things that are there on paper, but don’t seem to translate to the table.
Why are you doing it this way?
No one does FFG modules as podcasts. They are telling their own stories, which is amazingly daunting for new GMs. In doing research for this podcast Ben and Kristine could find several beginner game podcasts that then went off into their own thing, and a few that start off in Beyond the Rim and keep going, we couldn’t find any that did Jewel of Yavin or Mask of the Pirate Queen, let alone any of the more advanced modules like Friends Like These or Onslaught at Arda I.
Okay, that says what annoyed you two about other podcasts, but why are you doing it this way?
I have a bedrock belief that new GMs need a path to being a better GM, that books are produced at either a Beginner level, like the Beginner Boxes, or at an expert level. I feel there is a hole there about showing how to take the sometimes difficult FFG adventures and turning them into adventures you want to run at the table. This is to show that it can be done, that players can have fun doing it, and it’s an enjoyable situation.
Is this a tool just for GMs?
No. Full Stop.
If it isn’t just for GMs who is it for?
Our first goal is to have a good podcast, which means for us to have entertaining players with cool characters and difficult scenes. We want to make a podcast that helps bring new people to the table, makes GMs realize that these adventures can be great fun at the table, and something enjoyable to listen to.
When can I listen to it then?
We’re targeting April 20th as a birthday present to the GM.
We keep hearing about it though?
We’re recording ahead of when the podcast is going to air so our editor isn’t going to pull her hair out, and to make sure we have a clue about what we’re doing from all angles.
Yeah, that’s great, but what’s the module you’re going to run and why should I care?
We start on April 20th with Dead in the Water by Keith Kappel as a prologue to get our legs about this whole actual play thing, then once that’s finished we’ll move onto Friends like These (also by Keith Kappel)
Age of Rebellion? Really? Why not an Edge of the Empire thing or Force and Destiny?
Because I tend to go for the ‘hard thing’. When this was originally pitched, the module was Chronicles of the Gatekeeper, which is a great module, but also relatively easy to run. When I became the GM for the first adventure I wanted to run Dead in the Water since I have talked about it on Tales at least twice about it having a near perfect second act and the first and third are lack luster. In my mind, it became: Put up or shut up.
That’s Dead in the Water, but what about Friends Like These?
There are two reasons why I want to run Friends Like These. The first is that there is a boat load of Mass Combat scenes in it. In some ways, this is the exact reason why I’m wanting to do the show, second only to starship combat mass combat is a gnarly setup that intimidates so many people. The second reason I’m wanting to do Friends Like These is that it has a ticking clock in it. Episodes will be marked by planet and session number, but also by how much time is still on the clock.
Who are the movers behind this?
Ben Yendall and Kristine Chester are producing the show.
Kristine will be editing the show and Ben GMing to start with for the first book.
Who are the players?
Kristine is playing the Mirialan – Neema Talemy
Chris Ing is playng the Mandalorian – Matu Ordo
Brent Brown is playing the Droid – TV-93 (Teevee)
Leslie is playing the Bothan – Kith Ursi’bek
