Best Larp Reviews Podcasts (2024)

1
224: How Conspiracy Theories Harm You 28:26

29m ago28:26

28:26

People don't believe in conspiracy theories because they find them rationally compelling. Rather, these ideas hijack an individual's need for a sense of purpose and belonging. They prey on our desire for the world to be thus regular and make sense. However, the consequences of a conspiracy theory tend to be more personal than what the media would l…

1
223: Women In Combat // Quotas Hurt The Whole Team 26:37

37m ago26:37

26:37

Should Women serve in combat roles in the military? The recent attempt on President Trump's life brings up the old debate about women in the military and women in combat roles. Framing tends to drive this conversation, and we continually get bogged down in redundant questions. Can women do the job? Are women capable of the achieving the standards? …

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222: Red Teaming and Gathering Threat Intel with Rob Rawson 2:11:07

7d ago2:11:07

2:11:07

From Private Military Contractors to Mall Cops, the field of security is full of misconceptions, egos, and opportunities to find yourself hung out to dry for other's safety. But when we look behind the curtain into what goes in to threat prevention, we see a much deeper picture. Rob Rawson of Rozin Security joins the show to teach us about the idea…

1
Let's Make A One Shot: Potion Commotion 37:37

8d ago37:37

37:37

In today's episode we continue our series of Let's Make A One Shot. The game we make a one shot for comes from the prompt Potion Commotion. We describe all the details you would need to consider to pull this one shot off. Enjoy this episode as we make a one shot using the tools we talk about. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts a…

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221: Why Didn't Guns Come Up in the Debate? 24:30

12d ago24:30

24:30

The recent debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden covered a series of topics both relevant and otherwise to the American People. Among them included abortion, the economy, and illegal migration. What didn't come up, was Gun Control. And the silence spoke volumes as this divisive topic wouldn't have helped either candidate appear reasonable or kn…

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220: Reclaiming the First Amendment with Radios with Jake Knight of Gridbase 54:26

15d ago54:26

54:26

If owning and becoming proficient with a firearm continues the Second Amendment, owning and becoming proficient with radios may just be securing the First. Jake Knight of Gridbase.net reports on his first off-grid radio course and presents an argument that radios and their extension: mesh networks, strengthen our independence through the ability to…

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219: It May Not Be Your Fault, But It Will Be Your Responsibility 27:17

19d ago27:17

27:17

You do not have control over the circumstances that surround you. However, you may have a moral obligation to how you live through them. Which are you? Born too late to explore the world, or born too early to explore the stars? Which are you? One who sees your generation as the one who squandered their potential, or the generation that has to pay f…

1
Making Better Traps 48:07

22d ago48:07

48:07

In today's episode we discuss making better traps. What makes a good trap? How do I utilize traps effectively? Do I have too many traps? Are my traps appropriate? Are my traps dangerous enough? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourga…

1
218: The End of Celebrity and the Return of State Religions 24:00

24d ago24:00

24:00

The Secular Age can be marked as one where mechanism of belief commonly assumed considers religion one option amongst many. We may find a sense of freedom in not being bound politically or nationally to a Religion, but the cost reduces the legitimacy of a belief to authenticity and thus, merely a fashion statement. What you believe about right and …

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217: Identity Before, During, and After Ranger Regiment with Cameron Fath 1:47:09

29d ago1:47:09

1:47:09

Many of us grew up in a world where to join the military meant to serve our country. Baked into that ideological pie was a hierarchy where, the more special your operations, the more value you might have, at least on social media. Cameron Fath tells about how he joined the Ranger Regiment, what it was like to enter and then leave that arena, and wh…

1
216: Why Men Go Off To War 29:26

1M ago29:26

29:26

Why do men go off to war? Is it for Glory? Honor? The GI Bill? The war/violence/conflict in Ukraine illustrates how some men go to war, regardless of the big picture. While pundits and politicians opine about how America's influence, military support, and participation in Eastern Europe paints a picture of the next forever war, individuals travel t…

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215: The Fall of Minneapolis and its Consequences with Peter Johnson 1:56:35

1M ago1:56:35

1:56:35

Even during the 2020 Black Lives Matter Summer of Love, news agencies hesitated to report on the destruction taking place in Minnesota. Few poeple outside of Minneapolis know that the rioting continued well into 2021, and few people who live there are willing to admit it. To this day, the city of Minneapolis suffers the consequences of what took pl…

1
Narrative Combat 50:42

1M ago50:42

50:42

In today's episode we discuss narrative combat. What is narrative combat? How can I achieve better combat through narration? What does more description and narration add to combat? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgamingpodcast@g…

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214: How Might Makes Right and When it Doesn't 29:48

1M ago29:48

29:48

Might Makes Right. No Truth but Power. History is written by the Victor. These phrases often say one thing, but try to communicate another. When we casually say that might makes right, we aren't typically saying that morality comes from greater strength. When it comes to disputes, it often sounds like a shortcut to some form of solution, or a criti…

1
213: How to Start or ReStart training in Self Defense 29:12

1M ago29:12

29:12

When it comes to gear, play the long game. When it comes to training, get what you can, when you can get it. When it comes to practice, it's better to start with what you have, than wait for the perfect opportunity. Gear, Training, and Practice are three sore subjects when it comes to gun culture. How is this the case for a community that is center…

1
212: Peter Ildefonsa on Gun Culture, Industry, and the Second Amendment 1:38:39

1M ago1:38:39

1:38:39

The difference between what can be called the Gun Culture, the Industry, and those in support of the Second Amendment isn't a single overlapping circle of a Venn Diagram. Instead, we have disparate groups of Gun Culture, a market space of the Firearm Industry, and the broadest term of 2nd Amendment Supporters. Peter Ildefonsa brings all of this to …

1
211: Why We Train for Both Proportionality and Utility 28:52

2M ago28:52

28:52

In violence, as in war, two concept stand in tension with one another: proportionality and utility. McMahan identifies one understanding of proportionality as "a constraint on action that causes harm." (Killing in War Pg 19). Utility, on the other hand, often functions as the context for informing one part of strategy, tactics, and techniques. We p…

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210: Ruben Alverez of Paradox Training: ECQC vs Jiu Jitsu 2:02:41

2M ago2:02:41

2:02:41

Self Defense isn't what it used to be. Jiu jitsu has become mainstream. But what if you were to discover that no-gi training wasn't as realistic as you wished? Ruben Alverez traces a tale of growing up in the world of Jiu Jitsu, only to discover it wasn't all that he needed. ECQC or Extreme Close Quarters Concepts takes the idea of a violent encoun…

1
Degrees Of Success 38:21

2M ago38:21

38:21

In today's episode we discuss degrees of success. What is a success? What is a failure? Do they have greater or worse affect based on the roll? How can you use higher or lower numbers to add something special to your game? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions,…

1
209: The Trouble with LARP 28:26

2M ago28:26

28:26

What if the true LARP is the assumption that we can be credited as being part of the community without participation? When the term LARP (Live Action Role Playing) is used as an epitaph, it accuses the target of living in a fantasy. With analysis, we look at what it is that is considered dishonorable about so-called LARP-ing. What we find out is th…

1
208: Composure: One Measure of a Man 29:30

2M ago29:30

29:30

Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" often finds home on the wall and in the minds of great men. It leads the reader through a series of character traits that make a man, opening with the line "If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their …

1
Keep The Creativity Flowing 41:35

2M ago41:35

41:35

In today's episode we discuss keeping your creativity flowing. What do you do when you aren't feeling creative? How do you overcome writers block? What are some ways to stay focused on your game? How can you bring back the spark of creativity? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for…

1
207: Beyond the Gun: More than Marksmanship 47:43

2M ago47:43

47:43

There's more to being a warfighter than shooting. On the US Army webpage it is stated that the Ranger Battalions encompass the "Big 5 Philosophy" of Marksmanship, Physical Training, Medical Training, Small-Unit Tactics, and Mobility. Breaking down each of these, we look at what they might entail. In order to put to rest the cultural conversation in…

1
Adding Rules From Other RPGs To Make Your Game More Interesting ft How To Be A Better DM Podcast 55:21

2M ago55:21

55:21

In today's episode we are joined by guest hosts from How To Be A Better DM Podcast Justin and Tanner. We discuss the topic of adding rules from other TTRPGs into your current game. Join us as we give you our thoughts and more in today's episode. How To Be A Better DM Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-a-better-dm-dungeon-master…

1
206: Communication Lessons from the George Floyd Riots 27:59

2M ago27:59

27:59

The George Floyd Riots were a strange time. On the ground, the narrative level politics fell to the wayside. Information Warfare was not about which political party was effectively harnessing the energy of the street, but about if their house was going to be looted or burned down in the next few hours. We live in the post information age, were it's…

1
205: Small Mindedness - The Mechanism of Control 28:55

2M ago28:55

28:55

Which is better? To Bug Out or to Harden Your Position? Which is better? Train in Recce or CQB? Which is better? A DMR or a MK18? Which is better? 9mm or 45acp? These questions represent different decision that go awry when we attempt to answer them at the wrong level of analysis. There is a strange hope that, if it were to come to brass tacks, the…

1
204: Name Dropping and Clout Chasing 21:44

2M ago21:44

21:44

Sure, we all hate name dropping and clout chasing, especially in Gun Culture, but why? what is it about this kind of activity that we find so distasteful, and should we? It's not good enough to complain about the subject, and although it takes a little time to get into it, in this episode we compare it to writing an academic paper. It's not good en…

1
203: Jake Knight from GRIDBASE: Don't Quit, Decentralize 1:43:27

3M ago1:43:27

1:43:27

Decentralization might sound good on paper, but how does it work in the real world? When we look around, from media to the news to politics to culture in general, it looks like things are falling apart. And the just might be. But what happens when you shift your mindset away from the doom and gloom of how corrupt our politicians really are, and sta…

1
Corporate Games 39:53

3M ago39:53

39:53

In today's episode we discuss running corporate games. What is a corporate game? What do you need to avoid when running this type of game? How should I structure the game? How do I make the most of the time? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at…

1
202: Bad Philosophy and the Problem of Evil 34:30

3M ago34:30

34:30

What makes someone a pseudo-intellectual? If we treat philosophy like a trade, what does it look like when done poorly? In this episode, we review two arguments by public intellectuals who present two different arguments regarding God. Žižek compares God to a video game developer, and Neil deGrasse Tyson brings up the Problem of Evil. Some argument…

1
201: Kaleb Irving on Gun Culture on the Ground Level, Repenting America 1:43:03

3M ago1:43:03

1:43:03

While it can be fun to try to analyze Gun Culture at the 20,000 league above view, Kaleb Irving brings the conversation down to earth. We look at what Gun Culture looks like on the ground level, and then rise higher into moral frameworks, and discuss what it might mean for the Church to repent. Gun Culture isn't so much politically aligned to moral…

1
200: Marksmanship vs Fighting 28:23

3M ago28:23

28:23

Don't like a guy? Say he can't shoot. Although this will not put the argument to death, it will bring context to move past the ego game and into a professional approach. Shooting is a skill, and fighting requires a collection of skills. One of the most uncomfortable scenes in A24's Civil War is the firefight between men in Hawaiian shirts and unifo…

1
199: Civil War Review with Gypsy Walters 50:03

3M ago50:03

50:03

Gypsy Walters rejoins the show to talk about the movie "Civil War" by A24 Studios. The spoiler-free beginning covers tone and politics of the movie. After that, we dig into key scenes and take them apart both tactically and culturally. A surprisingly apolitical movie, with references to multiple sub-cultures present in America. Follow Ethan "Gypsy"…

1
198: Brett Kleypas of Huxwrx 1:49:13

3M ago1:49:13

1:49:13

With Suppressor Form 4 wait times measuring in mere days, we are witnessing the further normalization of owning a silencer. Huxwrx brought a fresh take by presenting suppressors as safety equipment. Beyond sound and flash reduction, flow through cans help reduce the amount of gasses in the shooter's face. Brett Kleypas joins the show to talk about …

1
Let's Make A One Shot: Axe Marks The Spot 52:01

3M ago52:01

52:01

In today's episode we continue our series of Let's Make A One Shot. The game we make a one shot for comes from the prompt Axe Marks The Spot. We describe all the details you would need to consider to pull this one shot off. Enjoy this episode as we make a one shot using the tools we talk about. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts…

1
197: Open Carry vs Concealed Carry, A False Dichotomy 29:25

3M ago29:25

29:25

Few debates within gun culture draw more ire and passion than whether a person should or should not open carry in public. The arguments back and forth, tribal and otherwise, rarely produce the satisfaction of solid victory, but why? In this episode we look at the rhetoric and logic behind two of the loudest arguments, one for each side, and see whe…

1
196: Stolen Valor, School Shootings, and Inverse Proportionality 25:21

3M ago25:21

25:21

Although not a hard and fast rule, a heuristic can be applied to both stolen valor claims, and individual violence. Stolen Valor, when a person claims to have held a position in the military that they never achieved, comes in a few different forms. However, in Gun Culture large cases often explode into a witch hunt for similar offenders. The amount…

1
195: Colonize, Contradict, Condemn / Non-Citizens with Guns 28:27

3M ago28:27

28:27

Two events in recent history share a common thread. The White House loudly declares the 31st of March to be the Transgender Day of Visibility, and on Easter nonetheless. Not long before, an Obama appointed Judge adheres to the Second Amendment, but for a man who entered the United States Illegally. What do these two events have in common? Strategy.…

1
194: Marcus Singletary on Launching Community Days 1:41:44

4M ago1:41:44

1:41:44

In this conversation with Marcus Singletary of Cloaked Entry Co, we start with inconsistencies in the culture when it comes to Chinese Optics and using your job as an excuse to act immorally. The scathing first half is contrasted by a conversation about community days, with Marcus providing an after-action review of their most recent community even…

1
Making Your Mooks More Human 39:06

4M ago39:06

39:06

In today's episode we discuss making mooks more human. What are mooks? How can we improve them? How does this make for memorable encounters? How much should I add to my mooks to improve them? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts at levelupyourgami…

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193: Reviewing The Warrior Poet Way 58:36

4M ago58:36

58:36

John Lovell, former Ranger and founder of the Warrior Poet Society has produced a book, but is it any good? After reading The Warrior Poet Way, some arguments fall flat, where others stick the landing with effective writing and a strong thesis. John Lovell is no philosopher, or at least that's what a reader might take from his chapter on philosophy…

1
192: PSA SABRE-10 Commentary 27:55

4M ago27:55

27:55

Calling it a review wouldn't be sufficient, and besides, there's plenty of places to go for that, some of which I may have even had a hand in. The SABRE-10 by Palmetto State Armory deserves recognition for presenting itself as two very different concepts, pulling each of with relative success. The first for a Sub-$2000 rifle, you get quite a bit. F…

1
191: Tim Selbrede on the Evolution of Training Night Vision 1:13:37

4M ago1:13:37

1:13:37

The history of training can be depicted like a spiral. While back and forth it looks like a flat circle with what was popular 30 years ago once again in vogue. Pull back a little, however, and that circle is going somewhere. Tim Selbrede returns to the REDACTED Culture Cast to talk about lessons learned from Night Vision instructor courses and DARC…

1
190: The Weaponization of Tragedy 28:56

4M ago28:56

28:56

Decentralization will have its consequences, and to centralized authority, it will look like collapse. This comes with a warning. A suicide deemed martyrdom on one side of the globalized country may radicalize the actions of another, who takes it out on innocent children. This is the underground precursor to holy war, only one half of the equation …

1
Playing The Good Guys 45:56

4M ago45:56

45:56

In today's episode we discuss playing the good guys. What is a good guy? How do we play this character? Doesn't it limit my players? How can adding constraints to character morality improve fun and engagement? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questions, or thoughts …

1
189: Guns and/or P*rn 29:13

4M ago29:13

29:13

Which Way Western Man? In a recent action, Texas has signed into law the requirement for adult content websites to implement age verification. In response, figures such as David Hogg commented the following on X "It’s crazy Texas sees porn as a greater threat to public health than the AR-15 used in Uvalde." either inadvertently identifying pornogra…

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187: Four Genomes of Gun Control Arguments 28:23

4M ago28:23

28:23

Arguments back and forth over gun control often follow consistent strains that resemble genetic lines through time. A bad argument of the 60's is reborn as if it were a new idea in 2013, only to be killed off quickly, but be resurrected again less than 10 years later. What are these argumentative strains when it comes to Gun Control? In this episod…

1
Making Your Story Fit Your Setting 47:07

4M ago47:07

47:07

In today's episode we discuss making story fit your setting. Does any story work for any setting? How do you bend story to fit into different settings? What are things that we need to consider when fitting story into settings? We give you our thoughts and answer all these questions and more in today's episode. Leave us an email for feedback, questi…

1
188: James Lindsay on Woke Warfare 2:10:09

4M ago2:10:09

2:10:09

When it comes to conversation on 5th Generational Warfare, we often get bogged down in the discussion on defining the terms, so much so that we are exhausted before getting to the application. James Lindsay joins the REDACTED Culture Cast as a guest to discuss not simply the description of how "woke" is used in a war-like fashion, but how to addres…

1
186: No, There Isn't a War on Masculinity 26:47

4M ago26:47

26:47

Look at the literature of Christian writers on Masculinity, and you'll see a long lineage of writers putting black ink to white paper on the war waged on masculinity. Does it disregard the conflicts they face? No. But does the imagery and metaphor of warfare do itself justice? Is there a war on masculinity? Is it true, or, is Christian Masculinity …

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