S37E03 | Adam from Gnome Made Games, Being a Good Player, Tropes with New Players
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In Season 37, Episode 3 of the Happy Jacks RPG Podcast, host Kimmy welcomes Adam from Gnome Made Games as the Indie Designer of the Month, diving deep into Adam’s journey from a curious teen discovering D&D in a department store to a prolific indie TTRPG designer. Adam shares the inspiration behind his upcoming Kickstarter project, 12 Realms—a fantasy game set around a ringed gas giant with 12 habitable moons, each home to distinct cultures that have intermingled for millennia. The game’s innovative one-roll mechanic, where all players roll simultaneously, emphasizes collaborative storytelling and dynamic scene resolution. The episode also tackles two listener questions: how to be a good player (beyond just being a GM), and whether tropes emerge when new players join the table. The hosts emphasize player responsibility—prioritizing commitments, avoiding selfish choices, being present, and supporting the GM’s world-building. They highlight the importance of feedback, collaboration, and creating inclusive experiences. Real-life anecdotes from Adam and the hosts reveal both chaotic first-time player moments and heartwarming examples of creativity and empathy, especially with younger players. The episode closes with a celebratory tone, urging listeners to support indie games like 12 Realms and fostering a culture of mutual respect at the table.
Be a reliable player: Honor your commitments to the group and show up consistently.
Prioritize collaboration: Avoid selfish in-character decisions that disrupt the group’s fun.
Be a fan of the GM’s world: Ask questions, contribute ideas, and help build the story together.
Give constructive feedback: Share what worked and what could improve to help the GM grow.
Support indie games: Back projects like 12 Realms on Kickstarter to help sustain creative TTRPG design.
Welcome & Season 37 Launch
The hosts kick off Season 37 with a warm welcome, introducing the episode’s theme of player responsibility and new player tropes, while promoting the return of the OneShot podcast feed and encouraging listener support.
Introducing Adam & 12 Realms
“I have to make this game that I've sort of have created already that I have this outline for. And that's sort of how it started. So everything you see here is sort of me just going, yeah, this is how I would want to do it if, you know, if it were the ideal game.”
Design Philosophy & Mechanics
“The GM is always rolling. Every time the players roll, the GM is rolling unless there's some sort of weird inter-player violence going on.”
The Player’s Responsibility
“If you want to be there, you'll be there. Anything else is just, you don't want to be here. That's okay. Like that's valid, but just be honest about that.”
Tropes with New Players
The hosts share real-life stories of new players—both kids and adults—exhibiting classic tropes like violence-first solutions, over-the-top problem-solving, and unexpected empathy, illustrating how first-time players often surprise with creativity or chaos.
“I have to make this game that I've sort of have created already that I have this outline for. And that's sort of how it started. So everything you see here is sort of me just going, yeah, this is how I would want to do it if, you know, if it were the ideal game.”
“If you want to be there, you'll be there. Anything else is just, you don't want to be here. That's okay. Like that's valid, but just be honest about that.”
“I was just like, okay, you can absolutely do this. Yes, you can. I forget what it is. It's something very wholesome. a cake or something. I don't know. It was something very cute.”
Hosts
Guest
Happy Jacks RPG Podcast
media
12 Realms
media
Adam Hancock
person
Dungeons & Dragons
media
Kimmy
person
Gnome Made Games
organization
Kickstarter
other
Vixie Bell
person
June
person
Wes
person
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