Too Much Lore: Star Wars Worldbuilding

Too Much Lore: Star Wars Worldbuilding

Author: Josh Varty and Kristoffer Hansen March 28, 2025 Duration: 32:19

Description

In this special "Too Much Lore" installment of No Plot, Only Lore, Josh and Chris take a thermal detonator to the concept of over-explanation. What starts as a debate over the "Star Wars Canon Reset" quickly turns into a passionate critique of how "lore dumps" can actually kill the imagination of a franchise.

The DMs dive deep into:

  1. The Mystery of the Force: Why "The Force" is the perfect name for a magic system and how George Lucas’s introduction of Midi-chlorians sapped the wonder out of the galaxy.
  2. The Scale of Power: A breakdown of "lore creep"—from Yoda struggling with an X-wing to Starkiller pulling Star Destroyers out of the sky.
  3. Wasted Opportunities: Why the Book of Boba Fett should have been a Coruscant-based "bounty hunter procedural" instead of a desert-bound story about mobility scooters.
  4. The "Kermit" Problem: A heated discussion on Yoda’s prequel fight style. Was the "flying gerbil" combat a neat moment, or did it diminish the character’s status as a masterful teacher?
  5. Relatable Villains vs. Uber-Sith: Comparing the tragic, slow-burn fall of Jacen Solo (Expanded Universe) to the "somehow, Palpatine returned" storytelling of the sequel trilogy.

From "Hut Jedi" to why Tatooine needs to burn in hell, this episode explores the fine line between building a world and burying it under too much detail.


In No Plot, Only Lore, hosts Josh Varty and Kristoffer Hansen settle in for a conversation that feels like pulling up a chair at a familiar table. Their focus is the intricate, often messy, and deeply rewarding world of collaborative storytelling games, examining them not as rulebooks to be won but as frameworks for shared imagination. Each episode digs into the craft behind these experiences-how a setting’s history shapes a character’s decision, why a particular game mechanic fosters better stories, or what it means to build a narrative together without a predetermined endpoint. You’ll hear two seasoned practitioners reflect on the subtle art of being a player and a guide, discussing the tools and philosophies that transform a simple game night into a memorable saga. This podcast is for anyone who has ever gotten lost in a character’s backstory or spent more time discussing a campaign’s lore than actually rolling dice. It’s a thoughtful, meandering, and personal look at the stories we tell when we play, offering insights that resonate long after the session ends. Join Josh and Kristoffer for a deep, comfortable dive into the heart of why we gather to imagine together.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 93

No Plot, Only Lore
Podcast Episodes
Creating Character [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:55
Josh tries to make a dirt-simple character while Kris asks him ridiculous questions about his deep, detailed backstory.
Balancing Act | No Plot Only Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:36
www.noplotonlylore.comThis week we talk about balance in tabletop role-playing games!
Gamifying Everything | No Plot, Only Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:09
In this episode, Josh and Kris tackle the benefits and drawbacks of game systems appearing in everything from childhood education to modern gambling. But like, in a fun way?
Heroes and Cornplating | No Plot Only Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:25
www.noplotonlylore.comhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-plot-only-lore/id1717725243https://open.spotify.com/show/4aRL19z6CwVhoDaFWoRgqqThis week we talk about Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and how it doesn't re…
Genre | No Plot Only Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:07
www.noplotonlylore.comhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-plot-only-lore/id1717725243https://open.spotify.com/show/4aRL19z6CwVhoDaFWoRgqqTalking about the nature of Genre and how we interact with genre tropes in our…
D&D Five Point Five | No Plot Only Lore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:04
www.noplotonlylore.comThere's a new D&D edition coming out this year. Sort of. We figured we should probably talk about that.
Complexity | No Plot Only Lore Episode 23 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:17
www.noplotonlylore.comWe talk about that time a guy came into my game store to insult my mom, and also about the nature of complex systems in role-playing games!
Villains | No Plot Only Lore Episode 22 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:15
Star Wars has some pretty good villains sometimes. Your roleplaying games can have some pretty good villains in them too!
No Plot Only Lore 22: Theme, Tone, Context [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:21
Kristoffer's failings as a parent are a jumping-off point for a discussion of themes, tone, and context in storytelling and role-playing games.