I’m out of my depth here, having only played D&D a handful of times one-on-one with a kid in 5th grade, but I love the idea of collaborative storytelling + rules + an element of chance. I’ve listened to a handful of “Actual Play” podcasts, and I must say I think podcasts were made for listening to and learning about role playing games. For me, they are not only a way to listen in, but the more thoughtful ones delve into why they like the games they select, and why they run the games the way they do.
I’ve recently started listening to Friends at the Table and it’s very satisfying on both storytelling and meta-game fronts. I like the GM a lot as a storyteller, and as a model for the importance of listening to characters, and balancing their thoughts with what the GM has planned. They start with Dungeon World, which seems to be a more storytelling-oriented version of D&D with simple, and clever mechanics. They also wedged a hybrid version of Sherlock Holmes into the same story, as a holiday special, so you get a taste of the mechanics of that as well. The season I’m currently on, they’re playing mainly Mech Noir, whose mechanics are based almost entirely on assigning adjectives to friends and foes. It’s a unique approach to a role playing mechanics and very story-telling friendly as well.
