Ship of the Dead Podcast

Osad

• Roundtable with Kelsey Dionne & Joseph R. Lewis 03.06.2026 52min

  Luke sits down with Kelsey Dionne (creator of Shadowdark RPG) and Joseph R. Lewis (Greatest adventure writer of all time) for a laid-back round table covering tabletop RPGs, game design, what they’re currently playing, and the projects keeping them busy. From TTRPG design, Video games, and new adventures to creative inspiration and behind-the-scenes creator talk, the conversation goes wherever the wind takes it. If you love Shadowdark, Pirate Borg, tabletop roleplaying games, or hearing RPG creators talk shop, this episode is for you.
• Running & Writing OSR Adventures 20.05.2026 58min

  Joel Hines (Silverarm Press) and "the greatest adventure writer of all time”,  Joseph R. Lewis, (Nightmare Over Ragged Hollow) join Luke at Gary Con '26 to talk about not just writing a good OSR adventure, but how to run one as well.
• State of the OSR at Gary Con '26 06.05.2026 51min

  Round 2 of The State of the OSR back at Gary Con 2026! The crew gets spicy talking about some hot topics, what they are into, and how the OSR is doing.
• Venom in the Veins Deep Dive (Jon Pohl and Will Tramp) 22.04.2026 1t 36min

  Luke explores our snake-temple dungeon crawl “Venom in the Veins”—one of the three major adventures found in the Pirate Borg expansion book Down Among the Dead. Two of our most experienced GMs, Jon Pohl and Will Tramp, join him, sharing their own experience running this adventure. There’s a room-by-room page turn, a general overview, and extra trips on tying this adventure into a larger campaign.
• Running Adventures & Meaningful Choices (Levi Combs, John "Hambone" McGuire, Brian Shutter) 09.04.2026 56min

  Levi Combs (Planet X Games), John “Hambone” McGuire (321 RPG), and Brian Shutter (Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland) use their diverse RPG design backgrounds to talk about running great adventures at the table—making meaningful player choices vs. forced outcomes. Check it out!
• Lost to the Locker Deep Dive 01.04.2026 1t 11min

  Luke takes his crew down into the Locker to deep dive on the showcase adventure in the new expansion book Down Among the Dead. The adventure, Lost to the Locker, is a post-TPK (Total Party Kill) adventure where you must traverse the terrors of the netherworld and find a way back to the land of the living.
• Elements of Great RPG adventures feat. Professor Dungeon Master and Brad Kerr 25.03.2026 1t

  Ship of the Dead Podcast Ep. 207: Elements of Great RPG adventures feat. Professor Dungeon Master and Brad Kerr Professor Dungeon Master and Brad Kerr join the Ship of the Dead podcast to talk OSR design, Deathbringer for Shadowdark, Mythic Bastionland, Dolmenwood, adventure writing, encounter design, rumors, and what makes a great RPG session actually work at the table. This episode is packed with tabletop RPG design talk, GM advice, indie RPG discussion, and behind-the-scenes conversation for fans of Pirate Borg, Shadowdark, Old-School Essentials, and the OSR.
• Into The Maelstrom Deep Dive 18.03.2026 1t 9min

  What if Curse of Strahd took place on a vampire pirate ship? In this Pirate Borg deep dive we break down Into the Maelstrom, a gothic horror adventure set aboard a haunted ship in the Dark Caribbean. We break down how the adventure works, how to run it as a 4-hour one-shot, and how to expand it into a full campaign across the Dark Caribbean. We also demonstrate the Three-Eyed Parrot card reading mechanic, discuss the terrifying pelagic vampires, and walk through the massive haunted ship The Maelstrom deck-by-deck.
• State of the OSR at PAGE 3 11.03.2026 44min

  At Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo (PAGE), Luke gets together another expert panel of OSR creators and talks shop about what everyone believes IS the OSR, what their favorite blogs are, and where the OSR is headed through 2026. Featuring Kelsey Dionne (Shadowdark), Tiger Wizard (Exalted Funeral), Levi Combs (Planet X Games), and Robert Conley (Bat in the Attic Games).
• How To Be a Great GM with Mike Shea 04.03.2026 54min

  See the extended full episode on Patreon! Mike Shea (aka "The Lazy Dungeon Master" & “Sly Flourish”) chats with Luke about how to prep your RPG session and be a better GM. Recorded at PAGE 3, this turned into round after round of volleys as both of them present ideas and experiences that practically work at the table.
• Using RPG Maps with Skullfungus & JP Coovert 25.02.2026 1t 5min

  See the extended full episode on Patreon! On this week’s episode, Luke, Skullfungus (Karl Stjernberg), and JP Coovert talk cartography! Both guests have an excellent black-and-white style and portfolio but go about completing their tasks differently. Want to know about their process, where to get good battle maps, or how to use them effectively at the table? Look no further.
• Tales from the Locker 18.02.2026 58min

  See the extended full episode on Patreon! Luke has the core team behind Tales from the Locker (a PIRATE BORG 3rd-Party zine) step into the captain’s quarters. Ed Bourelle (Skeleton Key Games), Philip Reed (too many creations to list), Alexander Jatscha-Zelt (Golem Productions) go deep in a discussion on creating 3rd-Party content, their design processes, inspirations, and future projects.
• Gavin Norman (Dolmenwood, OSE) 11.02.2026 58min

  Kicking off Season 2, Gavin Norman—Eldritch wizard of the OSR, creator of Old-School Essentials and the smash new hit Dolmenwood campaign setting and game—comes on the podcast. Luke and Gavin talk about what makes a good sandbox, the design of Gavin’s games, and what comes next for the veteran designer. Episodes are released every Wednesday on Patreon a full 7 days before going live on YouTube and podcast platforms. Check out the Patreon for more information: https://www.patreon.com/limithron
• State of the OSR (Gary Con '25 Panel) 10.04.2025 1t 24min

  At Gary Con 2025, Luke interviews an exceptional panel of OSR creators about the current state of the OSR. Matt Finch (Mythmere Games), Kelsey Dionne (The Arcane Library), and Yochai Gal and Brad Kerr (Between Two Cairns) each share their take on how they entered the scene, what’s great about the current state of play, and what they’d like to see more of.
• Kelsey Dionne (Arcane Library) 04.04.2025 1t 5min

  Kelsey Dionne, creator of Shadowdark, joins Luke at Gary Con 2025 to talk about her new Kickstarter, her favorite RPGs, and her design style! They also talk about how similar Pirate Borg and Shadowdark are and what the future holds for her!
• Mike Mearls (Chaosium/Mike Mearls Games) 11.03.2025 1t 14min

  Mike was the lead designer on D&D 5E (2014) and has now moved on to work on great games like Magic: The Gathering and Chaosium's RuneQuest. In this episode, they talk about his design choices, journey through games, and what he personally enjoys about RPGs. There's some extra juicy stuff during the Broadside Barrage as well!
• Joseph R. Lewis (Dungeon Age) 25.02.2025 1t 11min

  Luke has adventure creator and Merry Mushmen writer Joseph R. Lewis back on the show to dive deeper into his style, method, and ideology. They break down why he designs adventures this way over that way and discuss his current projects.
• Brian Colin (Creature Curation) 18.02.2025 1t 5min

  Brian Colin is back and hanging with his bestie Luke. These two creators gush about moving into the skirmish game world and how that has opened up their creative worlds. Brian is a dear friend of the Limithron crew, and we are stoked to have him back.
• Zac Goins (Limithron) 11.02.2025 1t 17min

  Our very own Zac Goins joins the podcast to talk about his new Pirate Borg Kickstarter, Tangled in Shrouds. The two gents muse about the community, what makes a great adventure, and Zac’s Moria campaign. Later, they dive into a heated controversy over one of Luke's favorite topics.
• Mike Tuñez (Firelock Games) 04.02.2025 1t 2min

  Firelock Games might just be the closest game company aligned in spirit with Limithron. In this episode, Luke sits down with Mike Tuñez to talk about all their pirate-themed skirmish games, naval combat games, and upcoming RPGs. It quickly becomes clear that both captains are cut from the same sail cloth!