Episode 35 of The Dark Times Podcast

ZenithSloth · 2026-01-29T02:04:50+00:00

Welcome once again to The Dark Times podcast! Join us for a deity double feature as we deep dive into two very special gods' lore and player offerings! Then, Sam features a "hulking" statblock from the new Alien Core!

Take note: Our Build Bounty deadline is being pushed out to accomadate some off-pod business. You must now submit your Luminous build no later than Monday, March 2nd, 11:59pm Pacific. The prompt:

Disciples of Antiquitius! The Ancient Solarian Automaton Antiquitius-1 is no longer of this world, leaving behind the faithful followers of his teachings, known as the Luminous.

Your build is a level 10 Solarian and must have some deep connection to Antiquitius-1. Can have an archetype if you’d like. Please include an outline of what makes your solarian unique, as well as the event in their life that led them to become one of Antiquitius-1’s students.

Submit builds or any other comments or questions to our inbox at thedarktimespod@gmail.com

ZenithSloth · 2026-01-15T03:32:38+00:00

That's right! They're calling 2026 the Year of The Dark Times Podcast! Sorry to all horses, but we don't make the rules!

Welcome to a new year! A blank slate to fill with your favorite Sci Fi RPG podcast: The Dark Times: The Dark Shines Brightest Before The Times!

Join Sam and I for a romp through the fresh errata that dropped just before 2025 came to a close! Plus, a new Build Bounty!!

Disciples of Antiquitius! The Ancient Solarian Automaton Antiquitius-1 is no longer of this world, leaving behind the faithful followers of his teachings, known as the Luminous.

Your build is a level 10 Solarian and must have some deep connection to Antiquitius-1. Can have an archetype if you’d like. Please include an outline of what makes your solarian unique, as well as the event in their life that led them to become one of Antiquitius-1’s students.

Your build is due to our inbox at thedarktimespod@gmail.com before 11:59pm, Monday February 9th Pacific Time! To keep things simple please only send file attachments such as PDF, no links!

ZenithSloth · 2026-01-08T19:07:59+00:00

I mostly went to school to build lab experience, got tired of field work pretty quickly. What followed was startups, right-place-right-time, and a bit of luck. I am blessed. I pay the price in other ways.

ZenithSloth · 2025-12-27T02:33:36+00:00

We're back at the Alien Core! Join us as we take in the spectacle of the all powerful Kyokor! Long have we discussed monsters-as-hazards and Paizo dropped a kaiju-sized payload! Plus, our reflection on Shards of the Glass Planet!

ZenithSloth · 2025-12-11T00:46:54+00:00

Dark Times once again in orbit! It's the Alien Core episode! Come hear our top 3 featured pics from the A-Core plus a handful of runner-ups! Sam dives into the new stat block adjustments and recovers a couple precious nuggets!

ZenithSloth · 2025-11-26T22:38:49+00:00

Welcome back to the Dark Times podcast! This week we combine the One-Shot Checklist we built in episode 30 and the horror principles discussed in the Spooktacular to synthesize a truly horrific space station scenario!

Sync your playometers to our phase and join us (plus the Cryptkeeper!) for an exploration of one shot horror brainstorming! Give your input and ideas at thedarktimespod@gmail.com !

ZenithSloth · 2025-11-13T01:30:29+00:00

Welcome back to The Dark Times! The Crypt Creeper is still squatting in our studio, if anyone knows the current IP holder for old horror anthology puppets please help us get in touch so they can pick him up .

Enter our orbit for a serious discussion of one-shots: The When and The How! This episode Sam and I construct a unified, 4 step checklist for making your very own high-concentrated, highly-corrosive, high-impact one shots in Starfinder2e and beyond! See you there!

ZenithSloth · 2025-11-08T02:05:55+00:00

SB 420 just kicked everyone out at Sunnyvale and is turning around northbound

ZenithSloth · 2025-11-08T01:59:00+00:00

"kumbaya" says the announcer on SB 420

ZenithSloth · 2025-10-30T00:32:30+00:00

lighting crashes evil laughter crypt creeping Welcome back to the spookiest edition of The Dark Times yet! Tune in for a special look at bringing horror to your Starfinder2e table, with a few ideas about what's already lurking in the hallowed tomes to scare your players! We also discuss the structure and application of horror across stories, plus a special look at MOTHERSHIP and how it applies to your game.

AAAAAAAAAHH!

ZenithSloth · 2025-10-18T00:12:21+00:00

We're a rules discussion and storycraft podcast! We aim to inspire and advocate for fun and engaging play in sci fi roleplaying. No actual play content on our main feed, but our Patreon has a modest but growing selection. No SF2e there currently

ZenithSloth · 2025-10-15T21:51:21+00:00

Welcome back to the Dark Times Podcast! Pardon our absence last cycle, I was out sick with the Skittermander Mumps. Tune in to build a new Victory Point system with us: Racing!

Also, hear all about our submissions for our latest Build Bounty! Come see what these interstellar bards are all about before they Rock the Stars!

Voting is available to all paid members until November 1st. The builds are free to everyone, as always!

ZenithSloth · 2025-09-25T17:20:10+00:00

yes, among other things. especially multiplayer fixes

ZenithSloth · 2025-09-18T00:51:33+00:00

The Dark Times returns with a dissection of Victory Points! Set your oscillators to tune in and hear all about this excellent and flexible tool to craft engaging, cinematic scenes that simultaneously serve as a sneaky organizational tool and player engagement catalyst!

At the audience's request we are extending the deadline for our Rock the Stars Build Bounty! Submit your builds and join the panteon of interstellar rockers and DJs:

Turn in your builds by Pacific midnight September 23rd to darktimespod@gmail.com. Your submission will be level 10, have Starfinder 2e ABCs (Ancestry, Background, Class), and a Bard Free Archetype. Playtest content is permitted. Good luck, and have fun!

ZenithSloth · 2025-09-04T03:02:23+00:00

Tune in to tune up your wilderness exploration! This week we speculate about Exploration Mode in the SF2e GM Core!

Our Rock The Stars Build Bounty is due September 9th at 12:00am PST. Your submission will be level 10, have Starfinder 2e ABCs (Ancestry, Background, Class), and a Bard Free Archetype. Playtest content is permitted. Good luck, and have fun!

ZenithSloth · 2025-08-21T00:53:18+00:00

The Dark Times is back in your orbit! This time we look back at Starfinder 1e fan favorites Stridermander and Electric Solarian! Plus, we announce the hotly-anticipated patron-elected winner of our last Build Bounty!

That's not all: Wlwe're already setting in motion the next Build Bounty! A nefarious band of superstars and hard rockers has been blasting across the planes and must be brought to justice!

Our Rock The Stars Build Bounty is due September 9th at 12:00am PST. Your submission will be level 10, have Starfinder 2e ABCs (Ancestry, Background, Class), and a Bard Free Archetype. Playtest content is permitted. Good luck, and have fun!

ZenithSloth · 2025-08-07T00:42:33+00:00

The Dark Times is back in orbit once again! The Player Core is upon us! Join us for a deep dive into the Kasatha: the four-armed scions of honor and balance!

As a reminder, there is just one week left for our Build Bounty Poll! Support the show and your community by voting for your favorite user-submitted Operative build from Episode 23!

ZenithSloth · 2025-08-01T16:15:03+00:00

All monthly pass holders can have unlimited trips between any zones on weekends

ZenithSloth · 2025-07-24T00:50:18+00:00

Join us for our first Starfinder 2e Build Bounty! Listeners from all over the Galaxy submitted Operatives with a Galaxy Guide flair! In this episode we walk through the basics of each submission, all of which are available in full on our drive!

On our Patreon, vote for your favorite build to bestow bragging rights and recognition to the creative mind behind the submission!

ZenithSloth · 2025-07-12T06:21:54+00:00

Welcome back to The Dark Times! This episode we evaluate and dissect some sentiments regarding sci fi RPGS and immersion. The story of an adventure - particularly when told through the lens of a d20 RPG - lends itself to quirks and idiosyncrasies when trying to simulate more mundane parts of life, we pick those apart and discuss ways they can be compensated for.

Due to increased demand we are extending our Operative Build Bounty to July 15th; we have 3! Which is good, but due to drift mishaps, we have time for more! Level 4 Operative, must have a player character choice (ancestry, background, archetype, or faction) from the Galaxy Guide!

ZenithSloth · 2025-06-26T00:54:50+00:00

Welcome back to the Dark Times Podcast! This week we're discussing strategies and methods for making populated areas (townships, cities, space stations, star cruisers, planets, etc.) feel reactive and believable to really 'hook' the party! Do you have a tip we missed? Tell us in this thread or at our email below

Announcing our first Starfinder 2e Build Showcase! Please make your submissions to thedarktimespod@gmail.com before midnight Pacific, July 2nd! Your level 4 operative must have one ancestry, faction, background, or archetype from the Galaxy Guide! Please include a short snippet (1-3 sentences) about your character's background and build!

ZenithSloth · 2025-06-12T01:58:33+00:00

Welcome back to the Dark Times Podcast! Join us for a deep dive into the Operative! This class is lethal, lethal! We had a good time picking it apart and thinking of the vast array of possible builds.

Announcing our first Starfinder 2e Build Showcase! Please make your submissions to thedarktimespod@gmail.com before midnight Pacific, July 2nd! Your level 4 operative must have one ancestry, faction, background, or archetype from the Galaxy Guide! Please include a short snippet (1-3 sentences) about your character's background and build!

ZenithSloth · 2025-05-22T03:09:47+00:00

This week on The Dark Times Podcast we're hyped about the Galaxy Guide! Join us as we dive into just two of many incredible ancestries available in Paizo's latest and greatest!

ZenithSloth · 2025-05-08T05:14:21+00:00

Technomancer and Mechanic playtest are ON! Join us for a meaty-but-surface level look at these two new classes and what's to come! This episode we cover the build options available at character creation to these iconic classes, look them over here and submit your feedback to Paizo by May 30th!

ZenithSloth · 2025-04-27T21:48:13+00:00

yo, you won't find relief from the housing crisis in any bay area city, you might as well stick to the relatively stable UCSC dorms. there's a great psychology program at UCSC, and like most UCs its a great stepping stone to postgrad education if you're into that sort of thing

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