Lonely TTRPG EP 40 - Void 1680 AM by Ken Lowery
VOID 1680 AM includes rules for single-session and ongoing play, instructions to have your show broadcast on the airwaves as an Affiliate, and even a way to add your voice to a library of Callers that other DJs can use in their own games.
Thoughts: This is a unique game that uses music and prompts to build a classic late night radio style feel.
You can find Void 1680 AM at https://bannerlessgames.itch.io/void-1680-am?ac=pEV55vHqdvG
Find our merch at https://my-store-d24802.creator-spring.com/
Find our games here at https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/20990/Black-Dragon-Dungeon-Company.php?affiliate_id=3362048
BDDC logo by https://www.instagram.com/craftyteapotfox/
You can find us on Twitter @bddc_pod or Tumblr @bddc-pod
You can support us on Patreon https://patreon.com/blackdragondungeoncompany for early releases and exclusive content.
Songs in the episode:
Frost in the Northern Winter - Music by <a
href="https://pixabay.com/users/elias_weber-6810638/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=127704">elias_weber</a>
from <a
href="https://pixabay.com/music//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=127704">Pixabay</a>
Ambition by Dungeon Glitch at https://dungeonglitch.com/background-music/
Energetic Rock Trailer - Music by <a
href="https://pixabay.com/users/playsound-24686998/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=140906">Playsound</a>
from <a
href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=140906">Pixabay</a>
Hard Work Music by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/litesaturation-17654080/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=109942">LiteSaturation</a>
from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=109942">Pixabay</a>
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Transcript
Greetings, weary wanderer and welcome back to Lonely T T R P G,
SteelStash:the Solo Actual Play and Review podcast.
SteelStash:This week we are playing void 1680 am by Ken Lowry.
SteelStash:Welcome to the exciting world of Radio.
SteelStash:Let us be the first to say congratulations on your acquisition
SteelStash:of an AM transmitter and mast Tower.
SteelStash:With this simple but powerful technology, you can stake your
SteelStash:claim on the dial and share a little bit of yourself with the whole.
SteelStash:But why am radio in these modern times.
SteelStash:It's true.
SteelStash:FM has the son of your reputation.
SteelStash:It's powerful.
SteelStash:It's clear.
SteelStash:It goes from miles and miles, but the FM band is narrow and highly competitive.
SteelStash:And inevitably what airs on it is more commercial.
SteelStash:There is no one author on the FM dial.
SteelStash:Each playlist, each task segment is carefully focused to appeal to anyone
SteelStash:who tunes in, not am on the AM band.
SteelStash:You can find voices expressing what they must express at any cost, sharing what
SteelStash:they love or dislike because that is the end point of their revelatory process.
SteelStash:There are no committees on am there are only lone voices in the
SteelStash:darkness saying what they cannot contain seeking connection with
SteelStash:like minds, voices like yours.
SteelStash:So void 1680 am is a single player tabletop role playing game.
SteelStash:In it.
SteelStash:You take on the persona of a radio broadcaster and use the tools of chance
SteelStash:to build your playlist and sketch out the identities and concerns of the
SteelStash:people who call in to talk to you.
SteelStash:The game can be played in about two hours.
SteelStash:We're gonna go a little bit shorter as we normally do.
SteelStash:If you decide you want to continue and see how the stories of your callers
SteelStash:evolve over time, there are rules provided to continue over multiple broadcasts.
SteelStash:Unlike many RPGs Void 1680 am does not have levels, classes,
SteelStash:powers, or even other players.
SteelStash:This game is essentially an engine to build playlists that are equal parts
SteelStash:familiar and surprising, and to help you construct the personalities, desires,
SteelStash:and fears of the lonesome souls who call in to connect with you, put simply
SteelStash:the rules of play, provide prompts upon which you build a playlist and connect
SteelStash:with the extension of your own imagin.
SteelStash:Now grab your records and some coffee.
SteelStash:Tonight's gonna be a long one.
SteelStash:You can just feel it.
SteelStash:All right.
SteelStash:So what you're gonna need to play is you're going to need a deck of cards.
SteelStash:And with that deck of cards, you're gonna remove the jokers.
SteelStash:You're gonna separate out the face cards and you are going to separate it by suit.
SteelStash:You're also gonna need a voice recorder, cuz after all this is
SteelStash:radio, you have to talk for radio.
SteelStash:And in addition, you're going to need some type of playlist builder.
SteelStash:Now if you want a more analog approach, you can pull out your cassettes, your
SteelStash:CDs, if you're really old school.
SteelStash:Otherwise, just go to your streaming service, pull up
SteelStash:your library and use that.
SteelStash:And finally, you will need a six-sided dice to help make up who is calling you.
SteelStash:Now again, for us, we're not gonna be using a regular playlist
SteelStash:builder cause I do release this.
SteelStash:So I have to take into consideration things like licensing and the
SteelStash:legalities of doing so.
SteelStash:So I'm gonna be using stuff that I know is license and royalty free.
SteelStash:and I will have links for all of the artists in the notes below.
SteelStash:All right.
SteelStash:When you're starting off, you need to consider two things.
SteelStash:First of all, find your wavelength a.
SteelStash:All right, and what that means is every radio show has some sort of theme.
SteelStash:What is your theme gonna be?
SteelStash:And then you want to consider your station.
SteelStash:Where are you broadcasting from, or where are you claiming to broadcast from?
SteelStash:Now, after you know your wavelength and your broadcast location,
SteelStash:We move on to a typical night's programming.
SteelStash:So a turn in this game is you're gonna draw three cards from the song block suit.
SteelStash:You're gonna pick songs for each of those cards.
SteelStash:Cue them up.
SteelStash:In your player of choice, you are going to introduce the first
SteelStash:song, stop your recorder, play the songs, listen through 'em.
SteelStash:Consider any questions posed by the cards as you're listening.
SteelStash:And while you're doing that, you're going to draw your caller card.
SteelStash:So your suits are gonna be your playlist cards or your song cards.
SteelStash:And your face cards are gonna be your caller cards.
SteelStash:That's gonna let you know what type of person's calling.
SteelStash:And after you draw your caller card, you are going to consult when a stranger calls
SteelStash:to sketch out the identity of your caller.
SteelStash:When the song's finished, you're gonna restart your recording back, sell as
SteelStash:much or as little as you'd like, and then talk about your conversation with the
SteelStash:caller as much or little as you like.
SteelStash:Then you are going to.
SteelStash:Select your next block of songs and repeat in a typical night's
SteelStash:performance, you're gonna do this four times, so that will be 12 total songs.
SteelStash:So your first block of songs is going to come from clubs, and these are going to.
SteelStash:Typically high energy, typically catchy songs.
SteelStash:Remember, this is how you were starting your show, so this is what you want to be.
SteelStash:Your attention grabbing songs.
SteelStash:Make sure you introduce your radio station before you announce your first song.
SteelStash:After all, everybody needs to know who they are Listening to
SteelStash:Diamonds will be your next.
SteelStash:And this should be increasing in intensity.
SteelStash:Building towards an emotional climax.
SteelStash:It doesn't mean the songs need to be faster or louder, just think
SteelStash:of it as emotional intensity.
SteelStash:Spades will be third, and this is gonna be a bit of a come down.
SteelStash:You gotta get that emotional break in there.
SteelStash:And then finally, a hearts is your fourth song block.
SteelStash:And these are the conclusion of your broadcast.
SteelStash:You wanna make sure that you have a nice, good ending
SteelStash:where if your club cards are your thesis statement, your heart cards
SteelStash:are your conclusion and making good on the promise that you started at the.
SteelStash:Now, as we said, during each song block, someone is going to call in to talk with
SteelStash:you, or at the very least, talk at you.
SteelStash:People who call into radio shows to talk are acting on a strong, simple
SteelStash:need to be heard, no matter by who.
SteelStash:In that way, you are very alike.
SteelStash:To begin the sketch of your conversation with the caller, draw a face.
SteelStash:The face card is going to indicate what type of caller they are.
SteelStash:Next, you're gonna determine if they're calling because of one of the songs
SteelStash:you were playing or for a request.
SteelStash:if your caller card is the same suit as your current song block, they're
SteelStash:calling about something you've played.
SteelStash:Pick whatever one is numerically closer to the face.
SteelStash:If their suit matches the next song block, they're calling to make a request.
SteelStash:It is up to you if you honor that request.
SteelStash:If you do roll a D six and select something based on the table,
SteelStash:the song should be outside your comfort zone, but it can still
SteelStash:be on theme for the night.
SteelStash:If the caller suit does not match the current or next song block, then
SteelStash:they have no attachment to the music.
SteelStash:They just wanted to talk to somebody.
SteelStash:In addition, there are some common caller questions that you can
SteelStash:roll based on the caller's suit,
SteelStash:and with that table, it's simply look at the suit from the caller card, roll your D
SteelStash:six and choose the question that came up.
SteelStash:And finally continuing your broadcast.
SteelStash:Sometimes one broadcast is not enough.
SteelStash:That's understandable.
SteelStash:The bonds you form with callers fleeting, as they may be, can be
SteelStash:surprisingly powerful despite, or perhaps because of their anonymity.
SteelStash:To continue the stories of your callers over multiple broadcasts,
SteelStash:you'll need to either mark the caller cards as you draw them, a sharpie
SteelStash:works well, or log them in a journal.
SteelStash:Play your broadcast as normal when you draw a given caller card.
SteelStash:For the first time, write a word or phrase to summarize your color card on
SteelStash:top of the card and discard as usual.
SteelStash:On subsequent broadcast, use the full caller card deck including marked cards.
SteelStash:Mark any first time callers as above on their second, third, or fourth calls.
SteelStash:Use additional tables to generate follow ups.
SteelStash:Syndicating your show void.
SteelStash:1680 am is real.
SteelStash:This is not a metaphor.
SteelStash:The author of this game has an AM transmitter in their garage connected
SteelStash:to a range extender on the roof, and they use it to broadcast music and
SteelStash:radio plays to their neighborhood.
SteelStash:Yes.
SteelStash:At 1680.
SteelStash:They also stream the broadcast on YouTube, but thanks to copyright, very
SteelStash:few of those broadcasts stay on YouTube.
SteelStash:They're always happy to broadcast affiliates.
SteelStash:If you have a playlist and banter you'd like to broadcast on the Real
SteelStash:Void, 1680, they want to hear from you.
SteelStash:Email, banner list games gmail.com with the following, inform or with
SteelStash:your information, and please put Void AM broadcast in the subject.
SteelStash:Good night and good luck.
SteelStash:With that, we're gonna go ahead and get into our game.
SteelStash:A couple things up front.
SteelStash:First of all, I'm gonna be drawing one card per suit again, because I
SteelStash:don't want this to take a long time.
SteelStash:Yes, we will be playing music.
SteelStash:I will not be playing the full song though.
SteelStash:We'll be playing snippets and I apologize if I sound rough or if any
SteelStash:coughing gets into the broadcast.
SteelStash:I am just getting over some type of sickness and.
SteelStash:I am doing my best to mitigate that, but the show must go on
SteelStash:and hopefully I got all of the sounds of that off of the airways.
SteelStash:Well, hey, there are all you Displacer beasts and wyverns this is Steel Stash
SteelStash:coming to you from deep within the dungeons of the Black Dragon itself, once
SteelStash:again, bringing you the late night tunes for all your dungeon crawling needs.
SteelStash:So let's go ahead and start this evening off.
SteelStash:With our three clubs,
SteelStash:an old favorite of mine just right for getting any type of dungeon started.
SteelStash:So you sit back and relax and watch out for them traps.
SteelStash:Now, that was Frost in the Northern Winter by Elias Weber, a real
SteelStash:great one when you're just trudging along, trying to get that adventure.
SteelStash:Now?
SteelStash:Old Ace, what did you have to think about that song?
SteelStash:Oh, I quite liked it reminded me of the time I was struggling
SteelStash:through the mountains.
SteelStash:Its real cold.
SteelStash:Got the frostbite, almost lost three of my toes.
SteelStash:The brightside was the gold we found at the top bought me six new toes.
SteelStash:Yeah.
SteelStash:Sometimes those hard routes have.
SteelStash:mighty High Payday.
SteelStash:But what do we see?
SteelStash:Why don't we see what's next on the docket for tonight?
SteelStash:And that's gonna be a Six Diamonds,
SteelStash:a song to help you focus and tune in.
SteelStash:if we had just started our journey, I think we've come
SteelStash:to our first major obstacle.
SteelStash:Let's see what type of song we can find to help you figure out how to solve that
SteelStash:puzzle and get into that old dungeon.
SteelStash:I hope that ambition by Dungeon Glitch helped fill y'all with the ambition
SteelStash:needed to overcome that obstacle.
SteelStash:But now let's go check the phones.
SteelStash:And we got a,
SteelStash:we got the King of clubs.
SteelStash:Well, Mr.
SteelStash:King, you're not calling about the music, so what's on your mind
SteelStash:will, well, you see.
SteelStash:I have this issue going on with with the family.
SteelStash:There seems to be some type of Hulu going on within our ranks and.
SteelStash:We're not quite sure how to handle it.
SteelStash:It's, we've never been faced with something like this before.
SteelStash:You know how it is, new elements brought in and, and the like.
SteelStash:Ah, yes.
SteelStash:I understand the issue there, Mr.
SteelStash:King.
SteelStash:You know, change can be tough, but that adventuring party.
SteelStash:Y'all are continuing to grow and change on your own.
SteelStash:And sometimes you forget that just because you're with each other doesn't
SteelStash:mean that you guys are communicating with each other, and that existing
SteelStash:in the same space is not the same as sharing your lives with each other.
SteelStash:So maybe.
SteelStash:The solution is for you guys to take a break from everything and just sit down
SteelStash:together and talk and have a little bit of a activity, you know, overcome
SteelStash:some mi, overcome some minor challenge under your own, whether that be a board
SteelStash:game, whether that be a new puzzle or whether that be trying to find that.
SteelStash:That lost dungeon, that old cousin Henry been going on about forever.
SteelStash:You know, a little bit of a challenge and actually working together and
SteelStash:communicating with each other might just be what you need to revitalize
SteelStash:that party feeling within your family.
SteelStash:Hmm.
SteelStash:What an interesting interesting concept.
SteelStash:Thank you.
SteelStash:I shall take it under consider.
SteelStash:You do that now, Mr.
SteelStash:King.
SteelStash:You do that.
SteelStash:Now, moving on to our next song for the evening.
SteelStash:We must be getting ready for our fight here.
SteelStash:We've already entered our dungeon.
SteelStash:We've overcome our first obstacle.
SteelStash:What we fixing to do now?
SteelStash:Oh, we fixing to do the nine.
SteelStash:A song from when your parents were young, how did you discover it?
SteelStash:Hmm.
SteelStash:So it seems to be that we have some type.
SteelStash:Classic situation on our hands here and now.
SteelStash:Look, I know folks, you know, the definition of classic keeps
SteelStash:getting changed every day.
SteelStash:Like I remember when I, I remember when I first heard the music that I
SteelStash:listened to growing up be the finest classic, took me as a bit of a shock,
SteelStash:but then I stopped and thought about it.
SteelStash:You know, why was I upset that they were calling my music Dad rock?
SteelStash:I mean, I am a dad and it's the rock that I listen to.
SteelStash:So I guess by definition that makes it dad rock.
SteelStash:But all of that aside, let's stop and think about this for a second.
SteelStash:It seems we have ourselves a bit of a classic monster situation at hand.
SteelStash:We're not just looking for that old type of feel music.
SteelStash:We're looking for that old type of feeling, boss.
SteelStash:And what is.
SteelStash:Who else can be the classic boss at the end of a dungeon, aside from a dragon?
SteelStash:Now, don't worry, Mr.
SteelStash:Black Dragon, it ain't gonna be you.
SteelStash:I know better than the bite the hand that feeds me, especially when the hand
SteelStash:that feeds me can swallow me hole in one.
SteelStash:But how about we do one of those mean red dragons?
SteelStash:Let's see if we got something suitable for fighting a red dragon.
SteelStash:And sticking with that dad rock theme.
SteelStash:I hope you guys like that energetic rock B by play sound, and I hope
SteelStash:you guys were able to take care of that dragon that you found.
SteelStash:I know Red Dragons can seem scary and.
SteelStash:Tell the truth.
SteelStash:They are big, tough, angry sons.
SteelStash:Guns.
SteelStash:They are.
SteelStash:But little bit of perseverance and a little bit of wits about you.
SteelStash:I'm sure you guys took that dragon on.
SteelStash:No problem, no problem whatsoever.
SteelStash:And let's see who our next caller is.
SteelStash:In fact, it's gonna be our last caller for the evening before
SteelStash:we go ahead and play us on out.
SteelStash:And let's see who we got calling up now.
SteelStash:Got ourselves the ace of spades.
SteelStash:Colin about, Colin, about that fat music, huh?
SteelStash:Well, there, ACE, what would you like to talk about?
SteelStash:Oh, I remember when we felt our first dragon, it was, it was
SteelStash:quite a harrowing adventure.
SteelStash:We, we were so under prepared.
SteelStash:It was a miracle that we even survived.
SteelStash:But the team came together and we all had each other's backs
SteelStash:and threw some crafty, crafty.
SteelStash:Tactics, thankfully developed by by our fighter and some
SteelStash:well-placed shots by the Ranger.
SteelStash:I was able to use some of my casting ability to trap that
SteelStash:thing down on the ground.
SteelStash:and then a few well placed his from the monk and Bob both
SteelStash:stunned it and stunned it.
SteelStash:The fighter, he liked to call that the shock and awe, you know, the
SteelStash:stunning strike followed by the reckless attack that sort of thing.
SteelStash:He was very, he was very fond of that little trick of of his sleeve.
SteelStash:It was, it was quite amusing, huh?
SteelStash:To, to see.
SteelStash:And oh, it's always a pleasure to watch work out.
SteelStash:But again, you know, it was, it was a hair and horror, an
SteelStash:incident and, you know, quite.
SteelStash:Despite, despite all of that, still quite the meal cause we made it out.
SteelStash:But I'm glad that we did and I'm glad that I trusted in my team
SteelStash:that we were able to do that.
SteelStash:Well, that does sound like quite the quite the predicament you guys were in, but
SteelStash:luckily everything seemed to work out for.
SteelStash:. Well, at least in the material sense, I hope that after that incident
SteelStash:that you guys were able to go seek someone to talk it out with as well.
SteelStash:Cuz remember, it's not always the physical dragons that you gotta worry about.
SteelStash:It's those mental dragons as well, those dragons that hide deep in your
SteelStash:mind, poisoning you with thoughts.
SteelStash:Slack, I'm not worth it and I can't do it.
SteelStash:All right.
SteelStash:Those are the dragons that we're fighting every.
SteelStash:and those are dragons just as scary as those big red ones
SteelStash:living up in the mountain.
SteelStash:And we shouldn't be ashamed about talking about our fights with
SteelStash:them and none, none whatsoever.
SteelStash:So I hope that after your, after your battle with the physical
SteelStash:dragon, you guys were able to take care of your mental dragons.
SteelStash:I've been Steel stash.
SteelStash:This has been Dungeon Dive Radio on VO 1680 am and looking for
SteelStash:our final song to sign out.
SteelStash:Be the eight.
SteelStash:We're gonna be signing out with something to make you feel invincible,
SteelStash:rather apropo consider.
SteelStash:After all, we just beat a dragon.
SteelStash:So I hope y'all are feeling strong.
SteelStash:I hope y'all are feeling an invincible and like this song title, like
SteelStash:this song by light saturation.
SteelStash:I hope y'all are willing to do that hard work.
SteelStash:Goodnight all.
SteelStash:All right, so that is Void 1680 FM by Ken Lowry.
SteelStash:So this was a really interesting concept for a game.
SteelStash:I really enjoyed it.
SteelStash:Definitely up there with one of the definitely up there with one of the
SteelStash:more interesting and novel approaches.
SteelStash:The gameplay I do.
SteelStash:I do like the basic design that you're building a playlist and you're building
SteelStash:this this rapport with your collars.
SteelStash:I think that this is a game that, you know, I think this is
SteelStash:a game that will kind of shine the more you play it especially
SteelStash:with the ability of having those.
SteelStash:Collars call back multiple times.
SteelStash:I think that the, I think that the collar deck might be a little bit small, but then
SteelStash:again, we're talking about an AM station, so it's not, it's not like we're dealing
SteelStash:with that huge of an audience as well.
SteelStash:And for those of you youngins out there who might be like, well, this
SteelStash:is totally unrealistic, who would call into a radio show or anything like that,
SteelStash:you know, go ask your mom about Del.
SteelStash:Just go do that.
SteelStash:Go ask your mom about Delilah.
SteelStash:I'm, I'm sure that, I'm sure that she has, she has stories listening
SteelStash:to Delilah Late night radio.
SteelStash:All right.
SteelStash:We, but this is definitely, this is definitely one of those
SteelStash:that captures that nostalgia, it captures that classic feel to it.
SteelStash:Got an interesting, got an interesting feel.
SteelStash:And I like it.
SteelStash:I like it.
SteelStash:And if nothing else, if nothing else, now you can be the DJ for your group
SteelStash:during their dungeon crawl, as you now have a template for how that would work.
SteelStash:But if you enjoyed this game and you want to find it for yourself,
SteelStash:You can get it on Itch for $10 at banner list games.itch.io/void-sixteen 80
SteelStash:dash am or check my links down below.
SteelStash:And if you pick it up, make sure you tell 'em that steel stash sent ya.
SteelStash:But that's been it for this week.
SteelStash:You guys take care and remember I mustache all to stay Awesome.