Roleplay Rescue

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Decisions and Dark Sorcery

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT

In this episode I lay out where Roleplay Rescue stands after the whirlwind of twenty episodes in Season 16. I dive into my “dark sorcery” experiments with AI—how tools like Lumo, Gemini and Notebook LM have become useful sidekicks for prep, NPC stats, and campaign organisation. Finally, I give listeners a quick roundup of the various tabletop groups you’re shepherding, from GURPS sci‑fi to D&D 5e, and thank the Patreon supporters who keep the hobby alive at the School RPG Club.

Thanks to Alex for the call-in.

Game on!

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Character Roleplay Drives Emergent Story

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT

This one arose from the Karameikos recap last week and explores the way in which in-character as-character roleplay drives the emergent story in the Otherworld.

Included is a reflection on what roleplay is, the approaches to play I've adapted from a couple of major sources, and the practical impact these approaches have on play. I also reflect on how much the player's input to the game is driving the play.

Thanks to my players - Pat, Ryan, Chris, Matt, Derek, and Josh - for the awesome campaign we're enjoying!

Game on!

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Karameikos!

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:00:00 GMT

This one's a bit of an indulgence... responding to Alex's recent call-in asking to hear the story so far in Karameikos, I've cobbled together some words and shared the tale.

It's impossible to do justice to the experience at the table after the fact. I hope it's worth the listen.

Thanks to Alex for the request.

Thanks to my players - Pat, Ryan, Chris, Matt, Derek, and Josh - for the awesome campaign we're enjoying!

Game on!

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The Power of Pretend

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:00:00 GMT

What's the power of pretend and the power of the imaginary? Of inhabiting a different Otherworld, of inhabiting a different person within an emergent tale?

What is it about that which is so compelling?

Thanks to Pat and Alex for the call-ins.

Game on!

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The Process – Processing GURPS

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Permission To Bail

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 03:00:00 GMT

What do you do when it's game night and you're sleep-deprived or sick? You've got six players waiting and you don't want to let everyone down.

What do you do?

Big thanks to UberGrog for the call-in!

Pat's "Processing GURPS" blog, including examples for the Bio Sheet:

https://processinggurps.com/2025/12/04/the-process/

Game on!

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Character and Story with Andrew Kafoury

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 03:00:00 GMT

This episode is an interview with someone whom I never expected to meet but am hugely grateful for the opportunity to talk to about RPGs, comics, characters, and story.

Andrew Kafoury is a writer, creator, and the publisher and head of story at Battle Quest Comics, hailing from Portland, Oregon in the USA. He founded the company in 2020 to be a home for like-minded story creatives and artists with a passion for compelling characters and exciting adventures. He oversees the publication of original, creator-driven comic projects while also contributing his own works. Andrew is the writer and creator of No'madd: The Unconquerable, The Young Nomads, Elatari, and Steel Siege, titles that blend action, mythology, and character-driven narratives.

More of his work can be found at www.BattleQuestComics.com.

Big thanks to Andrew for coming on the show!

Game on!

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Three In-Character Preferences

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 03:00:00 GMT

This one's inspired by Anthony from the Casting Shadows realm of podcasting, YouTube, and blogging. He has some thoughts about Episode 11, Master and Emissary, and this then sparks my own sharing of three preferences that have emerged in my own play in recent months.

Big thanks to Anthony for calling-in!

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support.

Game on!

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Turning Up

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:00:00 GMT

In the spirit of turning up, this one's a bit more ad hoc and GM Journal in style, but it's relevant and heartfelt.

I talk about getting back to Ariadne's Thread (powered by Cypher) and report on the Monster Hunters (powered by GURPS). The over-arching theme is the power of choosing to turn up to play. Improvisation around the tools and notes you've got can help you overcome the fear and play.

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support.

Game on!

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Overcoming Inertia

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 03:00:00 GMT

How do you overcome the sense of inertia where you don't want to play or prep anything?

After weeks of holiday disruption, how do you get yourself moving as a GM and rediscover some enjoyment.

Thanks to Frank T and Pat M for the call-ins.

Game on!

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Master and Emissary

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 03:00:00 GMT

What is it about slipping fully into a character and exploring a living, open‑ended world that makes us feel so drawn into the fantasy and have fun? What part of our human make-up is refreshed and excited by these imaginary adventures we experience during roleplay? Is there a way to understand this specific preference for slipping into a imaginary persona and exploring a living, open-ended world?

This one’s sharing a more experimental theory that’s emerged in my mind over recent days. It’s rooted back in my first conversations with friends of the show Daniel Jones from Primaeval Fantasy, Runeslinger Anthony from Casting Shadows, and my co-host Patrick Mullen from GURPStalk. It’s also rooted in the psychology and philosophy of Dr Iain McGilchrist and several other authors that I’ve read or heard over recent years.

Game on!

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The Arc of Experimentation

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 03:00:00 GMT

After a break of nearly 11 weeks between August and the tail end of October 2025, Roleplay Rescue was reborn with an experimental mindset and a specific pact to record one short episode per week for 10 weeks, focusing solely on actions and experiences as a GM.

This is the tenth episode of that pact. How have things worked out and what has been learned?

And what about the other pacts I made for my hobby?

This is an opportunity to reflect and, hopefully, through that reflection to discern the next steps on the journey as we enter 2026...

Game on!

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Hunting Monsters

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:00:00 GMT

I've been shifting my focus towards preparing a new school-based game designed to engage the students in roleplay but also to be light, fun, and open to newbies as much as possible. For me, the trick is to get started: my confidence in the game, in my ability to deliver the game and run it, and in engaging the students begins with the first steps. This time, I’m taking a modified approach and running an experiment in providing a mission-based game in a grounded Otherworld with the potential to offer the players a sandbox to explore and mysteries to uncover.

This episodes introduces my first steps towards a Monster Hunters game.

Game on!

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Tabletop Audio - Ambiences and Music for Tabletop Role Playing Games

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Solo Experimentation

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:00:00 GMT

What’s the point of solo roleplaying games? Why do it? And, frankly, how do you keep the game moving?

If you’ve ever tried to play a role‑playing game solo, you know the feeling: the excitement of stepping into a new world, followed by the nagging question, ‘How do I keep the game moving when there’s no one else at the table?’

This past week, I built a tiny experiment to solve that tension and today I’m sharing it with you.

Game on!

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Yes, I'm a Scanner

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This one's a reflection on the mental health side of my journey wherein I talk about the reflection that hitting 7 years of the show coincides with 5 years of healing since the mental health breakdown that I experienced in 2020.

Here at the tail end of 2025, I’ve been reminded of the "Scanner" concept – because I had forgotten about it in all the hustle of the past couple of years – and it’s refreshed my sense of acceptance for the way my mind functions. That led me into thinking about some of the things that I do (or am returning to doing) that lean into the realities of being designed to move from interest to interest, soaking up everything I can.

This is a breathless, wild-minded blast of ideas. Take it for what it is: the way my mind works.

Thanks to Carl D, Wiebe, and Evil Jeff for the call-ins!

Game on!

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The 7th Anniversary

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:00:00 GMT

On the 28th of November 2018, the 8 minute and 14 second Episode Zero of Roleplay Rescue was aired. Seven years of striving, failing, starting over, and asking: How can I run a game that is creatively engaging for my friends and myself, while managing the crippling anxiety and self-doubt that plagued my identity as the "world's flakiest GM"?

This episode we dive into the manifesto that emerged from that struggle.

Thanks to Anthony and Thorsten for the call-ins!

Music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore.

Game on!

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Player-Directed Goals

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This week patron and regular listener, Alex from the UK, called in with a question about my approach of what he calls, "Player-Directed Goal-Driven Play". His specific issue is around whether this approach can work with shorter periods of play that are designed to be time-bound to fewer sessions than my own aspiration for 1-year plus long-form play. This episode is my answer to the question.

Thanks Alex for the call-in question!

Hope this is useful to others too.

Game on!

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The Pioneer RPG: Explore the Solar System by Mongoose Publishing — Kickstarter

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Wonder Wander

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This week I found myself wandering back to Traveller - specifically, the current edition of the game published by Mongoose.

Wandering is an inevitability in my hobby. My mind is constantly scanning for interesting things. I am curious by nature. This is the way I am.

This week, Pioneer caught my attention again. It's a game about exploring the solar system. For me, the idea of a "For All Mankind" type of space exploration game in the near future sounds great. I downloaded the free book that's on the Kickstarter page:

But then I wanted to re-read Traveller Core Rules. My head was spinning about the Companion, which has points-build rules for characters. And then, just this morning, I landed upon The Borderland:

The Borderland

WONDERING is part of my character. It's the most natural thing in the world to wonder.

WANDERING is also part of my character. I find myself wandering, both physically and intellectually, most days.

And so I wonder and wander.

Cute.

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Non-linear Paths with Obstacles

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Starting with a seemingly random quote from "Tiny Experiments" by Anne-Loure Le Cunff, I riff off the idea of non-linear paths through RPG adventures.

I draw on Jamison's idea about the Obstacle and its three stages.

Overall, this is me animatedly talking about how I prep for my games right now.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the show on Patreon!

Thanks to Anthony for calling in (even if I didn't use it yet)!

Game on!

Jamison's "Gamemastering": Gamemastering: Amazon.co.uk: Jamison, Brian: 9781448675432: Books

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Jamison and the Magical Bio Sheet

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This episode I talk about Brian Jamison's approach to setting up a role-playing game. I stitch together Pat Mullen's bio sheet into this process as I talk about how I've applied it in my gaming in recent months. I also point out how good play involves improvisational elements which Jamison and Mullen's process encourages.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the show on Patreon!

Thanks to Carl D for calling in (even if I didn't use it yet)!

Game on!

Jamison's "Gamemastering": Gamemastering: Amazon.co.uk: Jamison, Brian: 9781448675432: Books

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The Experimental Mindset

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 03:00:00 GMT

What would happen if I recorded one short episode every week for ten weeks? This is my tiny experiment for Roleplay Rescue Reborn.

This episode I talk about the intention, the experimental mindset, and the three RPG experiments I've got underway.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the show on Patreon!

Game on!

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The Play's The Thing

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 02:00:00 GMT

I don’t want to say this out loud, because it feels so final and unlikely, but this is the last planned episode of Roleplay Rescue. After seven years, what is there left to say? Well, uncounted things and many topics as the hobby moves forward and ideas still percolate through my consciousness, BUT…

The truth is that producing the podcast is a big investment in time and energy. Do I want to make a podcast or would I rather run some games?

The playing of these games is far more important to me than talking about them, even if those two things do go hand-in-hand. And so it’s time to press pause and admit that just because you’ve been doing something for a long time it doesn’t mean that you can’t stop.

Big thanks to the callers today - Jason C and Matt C - your message are appreciated and, at heart, spurred some of the things I want to talk about!

Game on!

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thealexandrian.net/wordpress/6517/roleplaying-games/roleplaying-games-vs-storytelling-games

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Reorientation

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This episode arose after 12 weeks of conversations and not recording a more personal episode during those 3 months. Here you'll catch up with what I've been doing since April, hear three great messages from listeners and the replies they spark from me, and get the lowdown on what's coming this summer on Roleplay Rescue.

Big thanks to the callers - Matt, Jason C, and Pat. Big thanks to you for listening in.

Blogs mentioned in the show include...

The Alexandrian "Roleplaying Games versus Storytelling Games":

The Alexandrian "Art of Rulings":

thealexandrian.net/wordpress/4238/roleplaying-games/the-art-of-rulings

Game on!

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Legend of the Bones Podcast — Apple Podcasts OR https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/legend-of-the-bones/id1622036301

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Scenario Design with Simon Williams

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s with a familiar guest - Simon Williams - in which, as it turned out, Simon interviewed me on the question of Scenario Design: how do I do it and what approaches do I take? Simon is a British artist and illustrator, and also the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama.

Through several conversations, both on and off air, Simon and I have become friends and this chat wasn’t really slated for airing but I had clicked record. I’m really glad that I did record the chat because it was an hour during which Simon’s questions led to me working out and explaining a process that I’ve developed over the past couple of years. Big thanks to Simon for asking the questions and sharing his own thoughts, but also for letting me record and share it with you.

Game on!

Legend of the Bones podcast:

Legend of the Bones | Podcast on Spotify OR https://open.spotify.com/show/2HIuUxGzBtQLdGgPWRwjkg?si=0e438637d0854b09&nd=1&dlsi=57a5f90b55a148d1

Legend of the Bones website: Legend of the Bones OR https://legendofthebones.blogspot.com/

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Wild Magic with Clarke Peterson

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 02:00:00 GMT

My guest today is Clarke Peterson from Speaks and Spells Publishing, the author of several 5th Edition compatible products including Venture Forth, The Arcane Exterminator, and Secrets of the Selkies. The work he has been doing has been focused on Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition, and he has also contributed regularly to EN Publishing's monthly periodical for the system, the Gate Pass Gazette.

Clarke is currently working to launch a Kickstarter for Wild Magic Reimagined, the most versatile and dynamic system yet for adding wild magic to anything and published under the ORC license. This was a really interesting conversation for me: on the one hand, I get to talk to an up-and-coming designer about their 5e-related project; on the other hand, I had the privilege of discussing some more personal and practical issues from the perspective of someone perhaps 30 years younger. What I discovered was fascinating, heartening, and very encouraging. The first half of the chat is about the guest and the project, but we veer into deeper and more personal waters at around the 30 minute mark. I hope you enjoy what he had to say.

Big thanks to Clarke for coming on the show!

Check out Wild Magic Reimagined: presale.speaksandspells.com/

Game on!

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castingshadowsblog.com/?p=13470

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Story Divide Feedback

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one is all about the call-in feedback for the discussions I recently shared with Anthony, aka Runeslinger, from Casting Shadows on the topic of the Story Divide. More specifically, these messages largely relate to the longest episode ever - S15 Ep9 What are Roleplaying Games - in which we discussed the emergence of the Story Divide through the lens of what game designers were writing in their books.

Big thanks to Anthony, aka Runeslinger, for adding his responses to this call-in episode. Thanks also to JonM, Jason C, Carl D, Wiebe, Bob, and BJ for the calls this episode… and also to Marnie for the encouragement. Without you all, this discussion wouldn’t happen and my thinking wouldn’t have been stretched even further. Thank you!

Game on!

Casting Shadows: castingshadowsblog.com/

The Accidental "Lie" in RPGs:

Lucifer's Lexicon: On RPG Concepts and Terms:

castingshadowsblog.com/2025/04/28/lucifers-lexicon-on-rpg-concepts-and-terms/

The Alexandrian: Roleplaying Games versus Storytelling Games:

thealexandrian.net/wordpress/6517/roleplaying-games/roleplaying-games-vs-storytelling-games

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Characters as Protagonists

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s another conversation with Runeslinger, aka Anthony from the Casting Shadows blog, podcast, and Youtube channel. He hails from South Korea and, having just enjoyed a week off work, I was able to cue up some chats with him.

This conversation is essentially the third part that began in Episode 6, The Story Divide, and explores - through the lens of D&D - the process by which the character became a protagonist… and the impact this change had on play.

Big thanks to Anthony for coming to talk. We do hope it helps to illustrate the Story Divide that we spoke about some weeks back and offers some insight on different ways of approaching roleplaying games.

Game on!

Casting Shadows: castingshadowsblog.com/

The Accidental "Lie" in RPGs:

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What are Roleplaying Games with Runeslinger

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s a conversation with Runeslinger, aka Anthony from the Casting Shadows blog, podcast, and Youtube channel. He hails from South Korea and, having just enjoyed a week off work, I was able to cue up some chats with him.

This conversation continues from Episode 6, The Story Divide, and delves deeper into the history of the emergence of a perception that roleplaying games are about storytelling as opposed to being about, well, something else.

The approach was to dig out several texts - both in book form off our shelves and PDF format digitally - and examine those oft overlooked sections entitled something like, “What are roleplaying games?”

Texts referenced include: Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974), Basic Role-Playing (1980), RuneQuest (1978), Stormbringer (1985 et al), Traveller (1977 & 1981), AD&D 1e Player's Handbook (1978), Cypher System Rulebook (2019), Your Best Game Ever (2019), Tales of the Valiant (2024), D&D 3rd Edition (2000), Vampire: The Masquerade (1991 et al), Apocalypse World (2010)... and a few others too.

Big thanks again to Anthony, aka Runeslinger, for sharing this conversation. It's posted by us both in hope and with fear... the hope being that the community will find it useful.

Game on!

Casting Shadows: castingshadowsblog.com/

New blog --> The Accidental "Lie" in RPGs:

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World First T2K with Patrick Mullen

Sat, 31 May 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s a conversation with a new friend. My guest hails from Florida, USA, and this is probably the beginning of a sequence of chats I’d like to have with him.

Our focus was on what my guest calls, "world first" play and we specifically take his currently running Twilight 2000 campaign as an example. Yes, we talk GURPS and we talk modern post-apoc but that's not quite the point: this is about methodology.

Big thanks up front to Patrick for coming to talk!

Game on!

Pat's T2K blog: t2kcampaigns.com

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Eclectic Thoughts

Sat, 24 May 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s an eclectic collection of thoughts emerging from listener messages and the ongoing experience of running games in the wake of recent episodes.

When I started this podcast, it was really about getting my concern about losing gamers to the experience of play - of people giving up the play which enriches our lives under the pressures of modern living.

At the same time, I was aware that the title - Roleplay Rescue - implies that the show is about recovering the art and depth of roleplaying. Strangely, all these years later, that is what is emerging.

This episode, I tune back in to the community with a handful of messages received over the past month. I’ll share a few thoughts, riffing off those calls and I hope that’ll give us a worthwhile few minutes of content.

Thanks to Steve, Jason, Patrick, and Jon for the call-in!

Game on!

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The Story Divide with Runeslinger

Sat, 10 May 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one’s a conversation with an old friend. My guest hails from South Korea and this continues a sequence of chats that we’ve shared over a number of months. Fear not though - this episode stands alone.

Big thanks again to Anthony, aka Runeslinger from Casting Shadows for having this conversation and allowing me to record it.

Game on!

Casting Shadows: castingshadowsblog.com/

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Grounded Realistic Gameplay

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 02:00:00 GMT

What if roleplaying games are not about telling stories?

Is there another way to approach these games?

And what happens if we stop treating the game like it’s a movie?

This one is about expressing where I am in my own quest for improved roleplaying game experiences for my players. As the GM, this episode discusses where I am coming from and helps to explain some of the choices that I am making.

Big thanks to Wiebe, Bob, and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

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FUDGE 1995 Edition (PDF Bookmarked) 1.0

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Fudging It with Joe from Dekahedron

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 02:00:00 GMT

This one's a conversation with Joe, the host of the Dekahedron podcast where he talks about his love of the tabletop RPG hobby. On his show Joe talks about a range of stuff from OSR gameplay ideas through to newer (?) games like Fudge and Dungeon World.

Joe's renowned for his honesty in RPG reviews and it’s that which triggered an invitation to the show. He recently did a couple of episodes reviewing Fudge (1995) and so I invited him on to explore it a little more.

Big thanks to Joe for taking the time to talk Fudge. I know I enjoyed it and I hope you did to!

Game on!

Links to stuff in the episode:

Dekahedron Podcast: www.dekahedron.com

Dekahedron on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoIenKcZZRol5yCPO46iaAUJgq-Ju5bMi

The Anchorite APA: sites.google.com/view/anchorite/home

Fudge Website: https://fudgerpg.com/

Fudge 1995 Rules PDF (free):

https://fudgerpg.com/goodies/fudge-files/download/3-core/54-fudge-1995-pdf-bookmarked.html

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Unshackled

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 02:00:00 GMT

What happens if we drop the script and the expectation that this is going to be a thought-provoking analysis of some aspect of roleplaying?

What happens if we lean into improvisation and see where things end up going?

What if I just riff off the call-ins and other seemingly-random thoughts that pop into my head?

Wouldn’t that just be a descent into the raw and unedited mess of the GM’s Journal?

Or would it be me becoming unshackled?

Big thanks to Jason Wiebe and Carl D for the call-ins!

Game on!

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Old-School GURPS

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 02:00:00 GMT

What happens if we lean back into the roots of our hobby - which for me is largely the 1980s - and realise that the kind of roleplaying we enjoy the most is in fact the Old-School variety?

But instead of landing back in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons, what if we find the kind of system that emphasises the roleplay is actually found in the emergence of a game designed to encourage just that: roleplay?

In 1985, Steve Jackson Games published the combat system from their forthcoming roleplaying game system and they named it, “Man-to-Man”. A year later in 1986, they published the full game system as it then existed. It’s name was GURPS - the Generic Universal Role-Playing System.

40 years later, GURPS is still around… and so is that earlier incarnation. And it turns out that it’s a far more accessible and playable role-playing system than I ever imagined.

Thanks to Steve Jackson Games for continuing to keep GURPS Third Edition in print:

Amazon POD: amazon.co.uk/GURPS-Basic-Set-Third-Revised/dp/1556348266/

Warehouse23 PDF: warehouse23.com/products/gurps-basic-set-third-edition-revised

Big thanks to Spencer and Evil Jeff for calling in with their experiences and thoughts!

Game on!

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Crafting Better Roleplay

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 03:00:00 GMT

If roleplaying games are really about roleplay then how come so much of our time at the table is spent doing all sorts of other things that aren’t roleplay?

Is there a way in which we can craft our play experience to put the roleplay back into the roleplaying game while still remaining a collaborative game?

There comes a time when many a roleplaying gamer realises that they are unsatisfied with the way in which the game is being played. I’ve been in this place for longer than I can remember, and I have attempted to resolve this in many unsatisfactory ways. No one else’s game rules have ever quite worked for me – although there are a couple of sets that get close – but more fundamentally it turns out that the problem has been methodological.

As I start the fifteenth season of Roleplay Rescue, I want to focus on how to get more of what I want: roleplay with friends in an imaginative Otherworld.

Big thanks to Spencer and Barry for taking the time to record their messages!

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Legend of the Bones Podcast — Apple Podcasts OR https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/legend-of-the-bones/id1622036301

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Dungeoneer with Simon Williams

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This episode emerged from a Zoom call I shared with today’s guest which he was gracious enough to allow me to record and share. The episode is as simple as that: a recorded chat in which we catch up and then start to talk about Dungeoneer, also known as the Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG from 1989.

My conversation is with Simon Williams, a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama.

Simon opens the conversation with a bold claim - the one you heard at the top of the show - and we explore the idea of using the Fighting Fantasy rules for developing our own Otherworld-immersed games.

Big thanks to Simon for coming on the show and letting me share it largely unedited. I hope you find his enthusiasm as infectious as I did.

Game on!

Legend of the Bones podcast:

Legend of the Bones | Podcast on Spotify OR https://open.spotify.com/show/2HIuUxGzBtQLdGgPWRwjkg?si=0e438637d0854b09&nd=1&dlsi=57a5f90b55a148d1

Legend of the Bones website: Legend of the Bones OR https://legendofthebones.blogspot.com/

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roleplayingtips.com/ OR https://www.roleplayingtips.com/

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Dungeons & Newbies with Johnn Four

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This episode emerged from a Zoom call I shared with today’s guest which he was gracious enough to allow me to record and share. The episode is as simple as that: a recorded chat in which we catch up and then start to talk about a question I raised: what would you do if you had a new player to add to your existing roleplaying group?

My conversation is with Johnn Four, the founder of RoleplayingTips.com which began as a GM tips newsletter back in the late 1990s. Johnn is perhaps best known for the 5 Room Dungeon, even though throughout the years, Johnn has published a GM advice column in Dragon Magazine, several books about how to improve your GMing, and continues to write on the topic of running better games.

Big thanks to Johnn for allowing me to share this largely unedited conversation!

Game on!

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https://roleplayrescue.com/2025/02/06/new-frontiers-part-v/

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New Frontiers

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Back at the beginning of 2025, I decided that I wanted to double-down on my mastery of GURPS as the roleplaying game system that I actually consistently enjoy. Alongside that I decided that I wanted to take on the challenge of developing my own science-fiction space-based game. This would involve creating a sector of space and working out the basis for different approaches to SF play within it.

With a month of anxious dithering behind me, I found inspiration while sitting with the face-to-face group prior to continuing our current Cthulhu investigation: one of the players expressed, not for the first time, a desire to play something SF. Given my realisation that I have transitioned towards a more improvisational style at the table, I determined that it would be fun to create a framework within which we might play.

This episode is drawn from the play notes that I made one Sunday in February 2025, which were then posted on the Roleplay Rescue blog at roleplayrescue.com. Why share them here? Well, firstly they turned out to be a truly enlightening series of notes for me as a potential science-fiction GM, unlocking many of the doors to playing SF that I had experienced being closed tight ever since my earliest experiences with Traveller in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Big thanks to Carl D and Brian for taking the time to record some messages.

Game on!

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Voices From The Abyss

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 03:00:00 GMT

This one’s filled with the voices echoing out the of Abyss - in other words, it’s a call-in episode. These all stacked up from the 4th December 2024 into 2025, so there’s plenty of good comments, questions, and ideas to hear.

I love to hear from you because it encourages me. Without your voices - the listener’s feedback - it would feel a very empty and dark abyss to be shouting into. Big thanks in advance to Jon, Simon, Wiebe, Matt, Karl R, Michael, Andrew, and Carl D for taking the time to record me a message.

Game on!

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More Playful Prep

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 03:00:00 GMT

What if prep didn’t have to feel like work?

What if there were ways in which we could be more playful with our prep?

Would that transform the way in which we feel about being the GM?

Following a call-in from listener Jon M, who was responding to some comments in GMJ #270, I was inspired to comment on the topic of making prep less like work and more playful. Big thanks to Jon for the call-in!

Game on!

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Ten GM Rules with Jason Wiebe

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 03:00:31 GMT

As the year turns from 2024 into 2025, I decided to invite Grail Knight Patron and regular caller Jason Wiebe to come and have a chat on air. The topic was broadly, “Becoming a Game Master” and based on the notion that Wiebe has been struggling his way to the GM’s chair over many years and finally feels he has a handle on what it all entails. For my part, I was curious to find out what he had to say.

Jason is a long-time listener and Patron to Roleplay Rescue. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, he’s someone I’ve played with a fair bit over the past year or so and we’ve become solid friends. We hopped on to Zoom just prior to playing a game in Fellmyr and I simply pressed “Record”. Jason agreed to share the resulting conversation uncut. Here’s hoping it’s as interesting and enlightening for you as it was for me - we certainly exchanged a few emerging ideas that I didn’t expect. As it turns out, Wiebe had a whole list of ideas about being a great GM.

Thanks to Wiebe for coming on the show!

Game on!

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Tiny Roleplay with Frank T

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 03:00:44 GMT

This episode is a pitch for building a tiny roleplay habit using 30-minute sessions and one-on-one play with the rules behind the GM’s screen. The idea, taken from solo play, is to gather more often for shorter periods. In busy lives, dropping online to play for 30 minutes is much easier to schedule. This is viable because RPGs work best on the accumulation of play over many sessions. One-on-one places the player’s focus on just their own character’s perspective. If we blend this with the desire for Otherworld-immersion, we can marry the character and player perspective in a powerful manner. Rules opacity is also easier for the GM to handle because there is only one PC sheet.

Big thanks to Frank T for running this Tiny Roleplay experiment and allowing me to share the session recordings.

Game on!

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A Campaign Manager’s Guide to Selfishness | The Angry GM

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The Most Important Game Mechanism

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 03:00:46 GMT

The most important game mechanism is, of course, the Game Master of a roleplaying game. Roleplaying games are all about making choices as-if you are your character and then seeing what happens as a consequence. This week the Angry GM gave me a long-overdue kick up the butt when I read an article on his blog. This episode is a response to that kick up the butt. Big thanks to the Angry GM for his book and blog - I hope he won't mind the extensive quotation from them.

Thanks to Frank T for calling in!

Game on!

The Angry GM's article:

OR https://theangrygm.com/a-campaign-managers-guide-to-selfishness/

The Angry GM's book in his Shop:

https://angry.games/shop/ols/products/game-angry-how-to-rpg-the-angry-way

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Towards Full Rules Opacity

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 03:00:39 GMT

What happens if we lean in hard to the Roleplay in roleplaying game? What if we take away the elements which distract from the enjoyment of being in-character, as-character, in a fantastic world? The first move is to start caring more about the fantastic Otherworld. The second is to push for greater Rules Opacity.

Thanks to Jason Wiebe for calling in once again.

Game on!

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Recovering Purpose and Agency

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 03:00:02 GMT

Why do I spend so much of my time drifting from game to game, system to system, and between diverse imaginary worlds? Why do I find it hard to settle on a game and make it come alive? Am I doomed to roam for the remainder of my life never quite experiencing the games I want to enjoy?

I’ve been adrift in the hobby for a long, long time. And then something clicked. That click was a simple question: What’s it for? The answer is simple: the RPGs that I want to play are first and foremost vehicles for agency. But, as with all answers to the basic question, “What’s it for?” there is a need to ask that question at the second level too: what’s this particular game - the campaign I am currently cooking up - what’s that for? And that is the question that I need to start asking when I build my next RPG experience for my players.

Thanks to Jason Wiebe for calling in once again.

Game on!

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Voices From The Void

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 02:00:25 GMT

I love to hear from listeners and, while email and social media messages are great, the best moments are when people call in with a voice message. This episode collects four listener calls which I have been wanting to respond to for a few weeks, plus a bonus-length call-in from Patron Carl D. These date back over the period from the 7th September until the 19th October 2024 and cover thoughts on a few past episodes.

Big thanks in advance to Patrons Jason Wiebe, Spencer aka Free Thrall, Jason Connerley, and Carl D aka "The Kid" for calling in! Thanks also to one of the earliest callers to Roleplay Rescue, Matt Jackson, back for a rare reprise. When you feel like you are shouting into the Void it’s great to get some signal feedback.

Game on!

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youtube.com/watch?v=Q5M34woIYCA

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Escaping Tynebris with Chris Casciano

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 02:00:45 GMT

Chris Casciano is a medieval fantasy illustrator and author from Syracuse, New York. He has illustrated for novels, tv shows, and numerous games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Game of Thrones. His personal art series, “The Iron Cast,” is a world of medieval knights and environments painted with a combination of realism, abstract shapes and textures. Chris has also written and illustrated his own Solo RPG novel, Escaping Tynebris: The Dungeons. Beyond being a professional creator, he also teaches Concept Art, Illustration and Digital Design at the high school level. Talking to him, I realised just how special this book is going to be, coming as it is from a well-spring of passion and love for all things medieval and fantastic. I hope you’ll listen in and check it out.

Escaping Tynebris Trailer:

Kickstarter Prelaunch Page:

kickstarter.com/projects/escapingtynebris/escaping-tynebris-the-dungeons

Escaping Tynebris Website:

theironcast.com/escapingtynebris

The Iron Cast Website:

theironcast.com/

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GURPS Basic Set: Characters and Campaigns | Warehouse 23

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GURPS Fourth Edition

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 02:00:28 GMT

On April 2nd 2004, Pyramid Magazine published an article entitled, “Designer's Notes: GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition” by Sean Punch. Twenty years from that article in 2004, GURPS - the Generic Universal Role-Playing System - is still with us. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not a dead game. GURPS Fourth Edition might be out of fashion but it’s truly a standard in the RPG community.

Last episode, I spoke of my rediscovery of the spirit of the Third Edition through the pages of Roleplayer. A month on, I have arrived back with the Fourth Edition of GURPS. Having enjoyed a journey into the early 1990s GURPS community, I was also aware that GURPS received an overhaul in 2004. This episode is a reflection on the power of that RPG system: it’s time to unleash this power and flexibility into my experience of play.

Big thanks to Matt C and Jason W for the call-ins this episode!

Thanks also to Steve Jackson Games for creating GURPS and keeping the game alive for nearly 40 years.

Game on!

GURPS Basic Set on Warehouse23:

warehouse23.com/collections/gurps/products/gurps-basic-set-characters-and-campaigns

GURPS Lite on Warehouse23:

GURPS Lite (Fourth Edition) | Warehouse 23

warehouse23.com/products/gurps-lite-fourth-edition

GURPS Lite on DriveThruRPG:

GURPS Lite (Fourth Edition) - Steve Jackson Games | GURPS Fourth Edition | GURPS Fourth Edition - Start Here! | DriveThruRPG

drivethrurpg.com/en/product/236828/gurps-lite-fourth-edition

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GURPS Roleplayer Bundle | Warehouse 23

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Roleplayer: Game Likes It's 1986!

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:00:20 GMT

In February 1986, a free newsletter began to be posted out to customers from Steve Jackson Games: Roleplayer. Now available again from Warehouse 23, in the summer of 2024 I got curious to discover what insights this old newsletter might hold about the development of GURPS. What I found was a portal back to 1986 which began to inspire me towards play in directions both old and, strangely, new.

Thanks to Jason Connerley who, by sending me GURPS Second Edition, unlocked this whole episode’s content.

Thanks to all the callers - Frank T, Jason C, Jon M, Jon C, and Wiebe - for adding the community’s voice to this episode.

Game on!

Roleplayer on Warehouse23:

https://warehouse23.com/products/gurps-roleplayer-bundle

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kickstarter.com/projects/ravengodgames/reaver-sword-and-sorcery-role-playing-game/

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Reaver with Joe Salvador

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 02:00:26 GMT

This is a special bonus episode to celebrate the forthcoming Reaver Sword and Sorcery Roleplaying Game by Raven God Games. Because Reaver is on Kickstarter right now until 7th October 2024, I couldn’t wait to share this conversation with the game’s designer.

Joe Salvador is a freelance cartographer, writer and game designer hailing from Ohio, USA who has been involved with role-playing games for more than 30 years. He is the writer and creator of Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Roleplaying and Reaver RPG. He has produced material for many other RPG systems within the broadly OSR category. He publishes under the banner of Raven God Games and he joins us today to talk about Reaver: Sword & Sorcery Roleplaying Game, on Kickstarter until October 7th 2024.

Big thanks to Joe Salvador for coming on the show and also to Jason, from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, for connecting us.

Reaver Kickstarter: Reaver: Sword & Sorcery Role-Playing Game by Joseph Salvador — Kickstarter

Raven God Games: Raven God Games

ravengodgames.blogspot.com/

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Pellam's Wasteland Plays Solo • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters

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Dragons with Arlen Walker

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 02:00:03 GMT

My guest, Arlen Walker, is the host of Live From Pellam’s Wasteland which you can find both as a podcast and on YouTube in video form. In this, the last of my holiday chats with gaming friends, Arlen raises the question of how to deal with dragons in our roleplaying campaigns.

Big thanks up front to Arlen for coming on to the show. As ever, it was a fascinating conversation which I hope you’ll find as interesting as I did.

Game on!

Pellam's Wasteland Plays Solo Podcast:

podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pellamswastelandplayssolo

Live From Pellam's Wasteland YouTube Channel:

Live from Pellam's Wasteland: Back & Showing Off Elephants! (youtube.com)

youtube.com/@LivefromPellamsWasteland

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Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi | Podcast on Spotify

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Invoking Imagination with Menion

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 02:00:01 GMT

Today’s chat is with Menion, aka Rob, the creator and host of Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi, a podcast that hails from Japan. This one follows on from Rob’s call-in at the top of the show as we pick up his points in response to Episode 3 and wrestle together to make sense of the elusive intangibility of the fantasy Otherworld.

Big thank you in advance to Rob for hopping online (back in August) and sharing this delightful and insightful chat. I hope that you’ll find our discussion helpful and interesting.

Game on!

Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi:

open.spotify.com/show/0NF1sMhWGIllBFS2u2w14G

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Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters

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Face-to-Face GM Tools with Jason Connerley

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 02:00:07 GMT

Jason Connerley is the voice behind the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast podcast and a regular caller to several shows, including this one. We’ve gamed a few times over the years and always seem to enjoy ourselves. As I began the summer break, I was grateful for Jason being willing to have a chat about something he was curious about… and it ended up that he interviewed me.

Big thanks up front to Jason for taking the time to record this conversation about some practical questions for face-to-face gaming. We even went on to record a second bit about how I have fallen out of love with D&D… but I’ll leave that for him to share on his show.

Game on!

Nerds RPG Variety Cast:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376

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Six Months Face-to-Face with Jon McNally

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:00:27 GMT

Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Jon McNally has been a listener and Patron for some time now and regularly calls in. His thoughts and questions are always provocative for me in a positive manner, inviting reflection and deeper consideration. The call at the top of the show is the one message that I held off on including in Episode 3 and wanted to tackle in a separate show. So, here we are… and what could be better than to invite Jon onto the show to discuss it?

Big thanks to Jon for agreeing to talk this one over and I hope you will find it as useful as I did.

Game on!

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Ravens N' Pennies - Caw! Caw! Look, it's a blog! About gaming and writing and...and stuff! (ravensnpennies.com)

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Meta-Tech with Christopher R. Rice

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:00:02 GMT

Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, Christopher R. Rice is constantly writing, tinkering with, and running GURPS. A frequent writer for Steve Jackson Games, if he's not writing for GURPS, he's blogging about it. His site “Ravens N' Pennies” is well-stocked with more GURPS goodies than you could shake a stick at.

This one’s about GURPS Meta-Tech, his most recent book, but it’s about so much more. Even for those not into the GURPS system, there’s much to ponder and I hope you’ll listen in nonetheless. Christopher is a great evangelist for GURPS but he’s also a strong voice for creative, exciting game play.

Big thanks up front to Christopher for coming on the show!

Game on!

Ravens 'n' Pennies Blog:

https://www.ravensnpennies.com/

Christopher's Ravenpenny Patreon:

Christopher R. Rice | Creating Role-Playing Games and Fiction | Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/ravenpenny

Meta-Tech on Warehouse23:

GURPS Meta-Tech | Warehouse 23

https://warehouse23.com/collections/new/products/gurps-meta-tech-pdf

Meta-Tech on Amazon:

GURPS Meta-Tech: Amazon.co.uk: Rice, Christopher R.: 9781639990566: Books

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GURPS-Meta-Tech-Christopher-R-Rice/dp/1639990569

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Snapshot!

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 02:00:23 GMT

Hello Rescuers!

This episode is subtitled, "Tactical combat, wargaming, and RPGs". Although inspired by Snapshot, the thoughts are broader than any one particular set of rules.

Opening with a quotation from Jamison's, "Gamemastering", this episode shares some thoughts about the place of wargaming in the roleplayer’s arsenal. The words of Brian Jamison tell us to be wary of such folk, but I am in disagreement.

Big thank you to Jason, John, Simon, and Wiebe for contributing to the show with their calls!

And thank you to you for tuning in and making this show a part of your hobby. I hope you find it useful.

Game on!

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Back To Analogue

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 02:00:05 GMT

This episode brings us back to the most important question in rediscovering our hobby: How do we best recapture the spirit of play and of deep engagement with these games? This episode reflects on a shift in my experience of gaming and talks about what I have been learning as I focused on running two Fellmyr games - that is two groups of players using the same world - on a regular basis over the past six months. I also share some messages I’ve received from listeners which express gratitude for Roleplay Rescue and everything that this community stands for.

Big thank you to Jon, Matt, Riley, Thorsten, and Peter Laws for contributing to the show! I would not be sitting here recording if not for your inspiration.

Game on!

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Imagine with Michael Tenery

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 02:00:02 GMT

Hello Rescuers! We’re back! Sort of.

As I said a few weeks ago, I am changing the pace of Roleplay Rescue from a regular podcast to being a, well, irregular podcast - in other words, although this is the first episode of the resurrected show, it may be some time (or not) before I record another.

But this episode couldn’t wait. I thought about holding it back but, frankly, it was such a great conversation that I couldn’t in good conscience hold it back.

Today, I am honoured to welcome W. Michael Tenery III, author of the Imagine Role Playing (role-playing.com ), to our show. Michael’s game is something I discovered back around 2000 and have longed to play ever since.

It’s a game I’ve dabbled with but never dived into… until now. During the interregnum betwixt series, I’ve found myself back reading and solo playing Imagine and, well, it’s a game I want to talk about more.

Big thank you to Michael for coming on the show - it was a truly inspiring conversation and I have been deeply affected by it. I cannot thank you enough for the ideas that you’ve sparked. I hope it sparks something for others too.

Game on!

Links:

Imagine Roleplaying: https://role-playing.com/

Random Encounter Show, "How Has This Hidden Gem Stayed Hidden?!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn1Epv09Yx8

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The End?

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 03:00:44 GMT

Here’s the short version: I’m going to take a break - once again - from podcasting. When I do return, whether it’s in a couple of weeks, two months, or a year, I’m going to take the approach of recording when I have something I’m interested in saying. No more weekly or bi-weekly schedule, just grabbing the mic whenever ideas are worth developing.

And so this is the End. It’s also the beginning of something new.

Big thanks to Jon for the call-in which inspired the episode.

Tiny Prep, the book: roleplayingtips.com/gm-books/tiny-prep/

Game on!

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RPGMatch with Joaquin Lippincott

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 03:00:51 GMT

This is the last in a series of four conversations I’ve enjoyed with various guests over the tail end of 2023 and into January 2024.

Joaquin Lippincott is the founder of RPGMatch, an application where you can register and meet other TTRPG players who like to play like you do. Following the call-in and my not-entirely positive feedback about the app in Episode 6, Seeking Face to Face, Joaquin reached out and we agreed to have a bit of a chat.

Thanks to Joaquin for coming on the show! I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did.

Game on!

RPGMatch is at www.rpgmatch.org/

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Intermission

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 03:00:11 GMT

It has been a month since I last hopped on the mic and spoke. This episode is a GM Intrusion into the flow of the season to do two things:

First, I wanted to share and respond to a few call-in messages I’ve received through January and February.

Second, I thought I would update you on a couple of areas in my own hobby and thought - we just played a second face-to-face session at The Dice Cup, the School Club has shifted to playing Dungeon Fantasy RPG too, and I’ve even taken part as a player in an experimental modern-day game designed to seek deeper Otherworld-immersion. It’s been the busiest period of actual gaming that I’ve experienced in years.

Thank you to all the callers - Frank, Simon, Dan, Jon, Evil Jeff, and Andrew - for inspiring and supporting the show! Thanks to the callers on the GM’s Journal weekly too - you keep me fired up!

Game on!

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SAFCOcast.com – a Traveller RPG Podcast – a podcast about the Traveller RPG and its derivatives

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Five Percent Challenge with Bob from SAFCO

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 03:00:56 GMT

This is the third in a series of four conversations I’ve enjoyed with various friends and new acquaintances within the Roleplay Rescue community over the tail end of 2023 and into January 2024. My guest today is Bob from the SAFCO podcast.

Bob Loftin is co-host of SAFCOcast, a podcast about the Traveller roleplaying game and its derivatives. SAFCO stands for Super Adventure Friends Co., the tongue-in-cheek name the members of Bob’s group decided to give the company their characters formed for their Classic Traveller campaign, “Into The Void”.

Bob keeps a log of the games on his blog, Concrete Lunch Gaming, and the chaps’ adventures have kept me entertained since I first came across them in 2019. I last spoke to Bob at length for Season 11, Episode 9 but he is a Patron of the show and this time Bob has an interesting challenge to propose.

Thanks to Bob for coming on the show! I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did.

SAFCOcast:

https://www.safcocast.com/

Game on!

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https://ajmanitt.wordpress.com/

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GURPS with Mr_Sandman

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 03:00:17 GMT

This is the second in a series of four conversations I’ve enjoyed with various friends and new acquaintances within the Roleplay Rescue community over the tail end of 2023 and into January 2024. My guest today is Mr_Sandman, aka Andrew from Long Island.

Andrew is a long-time GURPS GM and the mind behind his blog, In The Sandbox, which contains lots of great advice for aspiring and new GURPS GMs. I particularly enjoyed his post entitled, “My Tips for GMs New to GURPS” from May 2023. Last time I looked, that post was pinned to the top of the blog.

Andrew has been an encouragement to me as an aspiring GURPS GM and I think this conversation clinched the deal on persuading me to go all-out and attack the game with gusto. It’s no coincidence that Fellmyr has become powered by GURPS through the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game.

Thanks to Andrew for coming on the show! I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did.

Mr_Sandman's Blog, "In The Sandbox":

Game on!

Please note that, while I have been releasing episodes weekly into the New Year, we will return to a bi-weekly format going forward.

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https://roleplayrescue.com/2023/11/28/after-five-years/

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Playing Face-to-Face

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 03:00:01 GMT

I got back to running a game face-to-face. More than that, it looks like this newly formed group of gamers wants to meet again in February. I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m so entirely made up about this event that I thought I’d share a few quick thoughts as an episode.

Thanks right up front to all the new players in that session who absolutely made my day - James, Phil, Isa, Onur, and Adam. It was an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Fellmyr Map via After Five Years – Roleplay Rescue’s Blog:

Game on!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTae19wN9Hk

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Primaeval Fantasy with Daniel Jones

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 03:00:34 GMT

This is the first in a series of four new conversations I’ve enjoyed with various friends and new acquaintances within the Roleplay Rescue community over the tail end of 2023 and into January 2024. My guest today is Daniel Jones of the Primaeval Fantasy YouTube and podcast channels, plus the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. I ask him to outline the nature of what he means by the term, “Primaeval Fantasy” as a sub-genre of fantasy world making.

Daniel is the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a proponent of the idea that changing the methodology of our roleplaying games is the key to changing the experience we have at the table. For those who don’t know him, Daniel is a published author and game designer. If you want to hear our earlier conversations about Otherworld-immersion, please check out Season 6, Episode 10; Season 9, Episode 14; Season 10, Episode 19, Season 11 Episode 22, and Season 12, Episode 21.

Big thanks in advance to Daniel for coming back to Roleplay Rescue for this raw, unedited conversation between two gamers. As ever, it was an illuminating and fascinating conversation. I hope you find something of interest in here too.

Game on!

Awakenings and Evolutions with Crispy on Primaeval Fantasy YouTube Channel:

Primæval Fantasy • A podcast on Anchor:

https://anchor.fm/primeval-fantasy

FRPG Thoughts | Good Daemon Geekery (danielionson.wixsite.com)

https://danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemon

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https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/runeslinger/episodes/On-Mentors-and-Peers-in-RPG-Learning-with-Che-Webster-e2cesqv

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Into 2024

Sat, 06 Jan 2024 03:00:34 GMT

As the New Year for 2024 arrives, where am I at with table top roleplaying games? What are my plans for the year ahead and what lessons am I carrying forward?

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024 and I wish you all the very best for the 50th anniversay of the publication of Dungeons & Dragons - that funny old boxed set that sparked this whole roleplaying games phenomenon in 1974!

This episode is - predictably enough - all about me, my hobby, and my thoughts as I begin the 53rd year of my life. I talk about Fellmyr, the School D&D Club, the Saturday Night Roleplay group, respond to calls about face-to-face gaming, and generally share some hopes for the year ahead.

Thank you to all the callers this week - to Simon, Frank, Jason, Sam, Bob, and Andrew. Your comments and feedback are deeply appreciated.

Check out On Mentors and Peers in RPG Learning; with Che Webster by Casting Shadows:

Game on!

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https://auguryignored.wordpress.com/home

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Augury Ignored

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 03:00:40 GMT

I’ve sat on the conversation that you’re about to hear for far too long. Back in late September, I hopped online for a conversation with Augury Ignored - the voice behind the Augury Ignored blog. Thomas - for that is his actual name - reached out across Mastodon and we hopped online to chat. It was a first time conversation between gaming strangers but it was a hugely influential chat for me. Without this conversation, I don’t think Roleplay Rescue Season 13 would have started.

Big thanks to Thomas for coming on the show. I hope you enjoy it too.

Game on!

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Seeking Face-to-Face

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 03:00:47 GMT

The barriers to finding face-to-face community are many. But this was the very problem I began the whole podcast to resolve and, weirdly, find myself right back where I began. I want to face this challenge full on and see what actions I can take. This is pretty personal but I hope you'll find it useful nonetheless.

Thank you to all the callers this week - to Infinity Devil for helping inspire the episode, and to Jamie, Jason and Jon.

Nottingham Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Meetup Group: https://www.meetup.com/nottingham-roleplaying-games-rpgs-meetup-group/

Game on!

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After Five Years

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 03:00:43 GMT

On the 28th November 2018, the eight minute and 14 second episode zero of Roleplay Rescue was aired. Now, as we reach the 5th anniversary of that fateful episode, I’m wondering… has it been worth it? What have I learned? And is it mission accomplished?

I mean… has anyone’s roleplaying been rescued?

Big thanks to the callers today - Jason, Hobbs, Spencer, Jean-Francois, Carl, Matt, and Jon.

Please consider donating for Men's Health during Movember! Thanks to everyone who has already donated for their generosity!

Webster's Movember Page: https://movember.com/m/15039659?mc=1

Game on!

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An Open World Campaign

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 03:00:23 GMT

Draw a quick regional map on hexed paper. Grab the rules from an old roleplaying game. Sit down with some friends and begin to play.

Is it really that simple to start a fantasy roleplaying campaign?

Today, I want to share some of the things I’ve experienced and what these moments have taught me about being a fantasy RPG GM.

Big thanks to the callers today - Andrew, Jason, Anthony aka Runeslinger, and Wiebe!

Game on!

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Tabletop Audio - Ambiences and Music for Tabletop Role Playing Games

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Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

https://www.patreon.com/yumdm

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Talking D&D With YUMDM

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 02:00:34 GMT

YUMDM is the creator of the d12 Monthly ‘zine which started in mid-2021 and has grown from a humble 8-pages to - in September 2023 - 27 issues at a whopping 28-pages! Hailing from Australia, Russ has been roleplaying for 30+ years and allegedly played his first game as Tasslehoff in a Dragonlance module. He has been creating his own campaign world since 2019 and has seen it grow and develop in each new campaign he runs. Russ is an avid solo roleplayer having done so as far back as 1986. This conversation was one of those open chats that I have discovered I prefer to have with my guests - I hope you enjoy it!

Big thank you, once again, to Russ - YUMDM - for coming and talking about D&D and zines!

Game on!

YUMDM blog:

https://yumdm.com/

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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/autarch/adventurer-conqueror-king-system-imperial-imprint-acks-ii

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Adventurer Conqueror King With Alex Macris

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 02:00:12 GMT

Alex Macris is the lead designer for the Adventurer, Conqueror, King System, an old-school fantasy RPG designed to support campaign play. He’s the founder of Autarch LLC, a game design studio from Durham in North Carolina, USA which publishes ACKS and several other titles. Alex is also an entrepreneur and the author of “Arbiter of Worlds”, a primer for Gamemasters - as well as having made a host of other achievements.

Massive thank you to Alex for coming on the show. Thank you to Matthew for suggesting it.

Game on!

ACKS II Kickstarter:

Arbiter of Worlds book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P9JCLB1

Arbiter of Worlds Substack:

https://arbiterofworlds.substack.com/

Arbiter of Worlds YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@AlexanderMacris

Autarch Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Autarch

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Sound Effects and Background Music via Slip.stream:

https://slip.stream/

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

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Schooled

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 02:00:21 GMT

What’s going on with the school Roleplay Club? Why would you even run such a thing? What are the best steps in getting started?

Today, I want to take you through the story of the first two weeks of the School Club project and outline the progress, but also the pains, of getting myself back in front of teens gamers. I’ve even grabbed two short clips from the GM’s Journal - recorded immediately after the students left on two consecutive sessions - to give you a sense of how the play has been going.

Big thanks to all the callers today - Simon, Matt, Jean-Francois, Jamie and John!

Game on!

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Sound Effects and Background Music via Slip.stream:

https://slip.stream/

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

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Rescue!

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 02:00:43 GMT

What do you do when you know you used to enjoy playing RPGs but the whole thing has, frankly, become a chore? How do you move forward when the reality is that you are anxious about GMing the next session and you have bailed more times than you run the game?

This season is shifting to a bi-weekly format and I hope that listeners will understand. This season I’m going to work on presenting the experiments I’m testing in my own actually played RPG sessions. The goal is to track a route back to the table and, if all goes to plan - which, of course, is a big if - see about rediscovering the joy and confidence of being a GM. This episode is all about my expedition's direction at the start of a fresh leg in the journey.

Big thanks to all the callers today - Andrew, Barry, Jason, Matt, Spencer, and Ubergrog!

Game on!

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So You Want To Be A Game Master With Justin Alexander

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 02:00:30 GMT

This episode is the final one for this season - no, really - and it’s my pleasure to bring you a conversation about a significant new book for the RPG scene.

Justin Alexander is a freelance writer and the author of the grand repository of ideas that is The Alexandrian. This is an interview with Justin about his forthcoming book, released in November 2023, "So You Want To Be A Game Master".

Big thanks up front to Justin for agreeing to come and talk about his new book - it truly was another joyous and interesting conversation. I hope you find it illuminating too!

Game on!

The Alexandrian Blog: https://thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101

The Alexandrian YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheAlexandrian

Justin's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/justinalexander/posts

Pre-order the book via Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Want-Game-Master-Adventure/dp/1645679152

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Community Voices

Sat, 26 Aug 2023 02:00:44 GMT

The last episode was supposed to be the final one for this season but, well, then I got a whole barrage of messages and call-ins from you, the listeners. It seems a shame not to share them in one last hurrah of community positivity and thoughtfulness. So… here we are.

Big thank you, once again, to Frank, Brian, Anthony, Jason, John, Barry, Jean-Francois, Hobbs, and James for all of their call-ins!

I’m not really sure if and when I’ll be back for more episodes so… thank you for showing up and listening over the past 4 and a half years!

Game on!

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Tension and Change With Jason Connerley

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 02:00:14 GMT

This episode is the final one for this season, another of the extended conversations I’ve shared with gaming friends over recent weeks. It was largely unplanned as I hopped online to talk and discuss some key ideas with my guest.

Jason Connerley is the voice behind the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast podcast and a regular caller to several Anchorite shows, including this one. Jason started gaming around 1983 with the Dungeon! board game by David Megarry. His first RPGs were the Mentzer Red Box D&D Basic set and the original TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG. We’ve gamed a few times over the years and always seem to enjoy ourselves. At a time of experiencing some disconnection and change, I was grateful for Jason being willing to not only talk, but let me record what was also a personal conversation.

Big thanks up front to Jason and I hope you’ll find the conversation a useful one.

Nerd's RPG Variety Cast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376

Cerebrevore: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cerebrevore

Game on!

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Talking FKR With Paul Jennings

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 02:00:25 GMT

This one’s a chat about FKR - Free Kreigspiel Roleplaying - with someone I am only beginning to get to know but who has also been so generous with their time that I feel deeply appreciative of and in debt to. The episode is the penultimate one for this season, another of the extended conversations I’ve shared with gaming friends over recent weeks. It was largely unplanned and is really just that - hopping online to talk and discuss some key ideas with my guest. We did have a few moments of spotty online connectivity, so please forgive the vaguaries of British internet technology.

Big thanks up front to Paul Jennings, my guest, and I hope you’ll find the conversation an illuminating one.

Game on!

FKR Links:

Paleolithic Voyages, Paul D Jennings | DriveThruRPG.com: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/409295/Palaeolithic-Voyages

Paleolithic Voyages, Paul D Jennings | Lulu.com: https://www.lulu.com/shop/paul-jennings-and-kitty-hiraeth/palaeolithic-voyages/paperback/product-kpmy8y.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Revenant's Quill: https://www.revenant-quill.com/

Dreaming Dragonslayer: https://dreamingdragonslayer.wordpress.com/

Aboleth Overlords: https://aboleth-overlords.com/

FKR Collective Discord: https://discord.com/invite/aJjkg3sThu

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The Apprentice GM

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 02:00:09 GMT

So, yes, I want to be a Game Master. And I want to become a good Game Master. I’m ready to learn and I’m willing to put myself into the space of running a game for my friends. Where do I start? This episode is being put together on Day One of my Apprenticeship as a GM. I’m sharing it partly so that I can externalise and understand where I am going - it helps to explain my rationale and direction. But I’m also sharing because I hope that it might inspire one or two others who’ve been sitting on that fence, fearing (like me) to become the GM they hope to be.

Big thanks up front to the callers - Andrew and Jason - who added so much to the episode!

Game on!

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Something Shared

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 02:00:22 GMT

This episode is basically a call-in show with lots of messages interspersed with my thoughts in response. It’s unscripted and probably a little rougher around the edges… but I would encourage you to stick around and listen because this collection of messages from the community has been some of the most insightful stuff in all my years of podcasting.

Big thanks up front to the callers - Simon, Wiebe, Matt, Barry, Matthew, and Jason. I hope you enjoy it.

Game on!

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The Fear of Mastery

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 02:00:12 GMT

What does the phrase “Game Master” mean? It is simply a synonym for other labels we stick on the poor soul who organises and runs a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, or might it have deeper meaning? And if we wanted to master our craft, how would we begin?

This episode is about the idea of mastery and the fear which arises whenever one speaks about attaining such status. Of the sense of inadequacy and foolishness which leads me to feel as though it is preposterous to suggest such an outrageous idea. How could I, this fumbling idiot who barely knows how to roll dice, ever suppose to call himself “Master of the Game”?

Big thank you to the callers today - especially Spencer for his comments about agency - and also to Anthony, Evil Jeff, and Jason.

Game on!

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War of Art with Daniel Jones

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 02:00:42 GMT

This episode is the third extended conversation I’ve shared with some gaming friends over recent weeks. The conversation was unplanned and is really just that - hopping online to talk and discuss some key ideas with my guest.

Daniel Jones is the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a published author, game designer, philosopher, podcaster, and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. In this episode, Daniel wanted to talk to me about his struggles with writing his own roleplaying game, Primaeval Fantasy, and was - surprisingly enough to me - seeking some advice.

Big thank you to Daniel from Primaeval Fantasy for coming and sharing his ideas with us.

Primæval Fantasy • A podcast on Anchor:

https://anchor.fm/primeval-fantasy

FRPG Thoughts | Good Daemon Geekery (danielionson.wixsite.com)

https://danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemon

Game on!

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Transitions

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 02:00:01 GMT

Today’s episode is a Transition - a shift from one place towards another, the ending of one chapter and the opening of another. In part, this is a reflection upon the journey so far. It’s also a reorientation towards what I want for my future with roleplaying games. But the episode is also a sharing, both of my own thoughts and ideas but also those from the community which have gathered over the past few weeks.

Big thank you to Hobbs from Random Screed for inspiring this episode and giving me his generous feedback. Thanks also to Sam, Anthony, Karl, Spencer, and Jason for your generous messages and thoughts. It's all appreciated!

Find Hobbs at: Random Screed • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters OR https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason-hobbs/

Game on!

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Solo Tales Ep4: Into The Tower

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 02:00:20 GMT

Hello Rescuers! Here's a early-access bonus for the Swordbearers which will become open to all Patrons prior to general release as a bonus episode on Roleplay Rescue.

Roleplay Rescue’s Solo Tales is a podcast recounting the solo tabletop roleplaying adventures played by me. The core of the game is being played with Basic Roleplaying by the Chaosium and the Mythic GM Emulator Deck. There are adult themes and some pretty gory moments of combat, so listener discretion is advised.

Thanks to Jon from Tale of the Manticore and Simon from Legend of the Bones for their inspiration.

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

Thanks to Anthony (aka Runeslinger) and Simon for the call-ins!

Game on!

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Player Agency With Simon Williams

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 02:00:11 GMT

Today is the second of two extended conversations I’ve shared with some gaming luminaries over the course of a week, focused on answering some practical questions around the barriers I have long experienced in running consistent campaigns. These conversations were largely unplanned and are really just that - hopping online to talk and discuss some key ideas with my guest.

This second conversation is with Simon Williams, a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. Simon asks an important question: Do our players really want agency?

Big thank you to Simon from Legend of The Bones for coming and sharing his thoughts.

Legend of The Bones Podcast:

https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/

Game on!

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Adventure Building With Johnn Four

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 02:00:58 GMT

Today is the first of two extended conversations I’ve shared with some gaming luminaries over the course of a week focused on answering some practical questions around the barriers I have long experienced in running consistent campaigns. These conversations were largely unplanned and are really just that - hopping online to talk and discuss some key ideas with my guest.

The first conversation was with Johnn Four, the founder of RoleplayingTips.com which began as a GM tips newsletter. Throughout the years, Johnn has published a GM advice column in Dragon Magazine, several books about how to improve your GMing, and continues to write on the topic of running better games. Johnn is perhaps best known for the 5 Room Dungeon and this was where we began our conversation… although we moved deeply on and, by the end of the conversation, Johnn helped me to unlock my own confidence in preparing a new fantasy campaign.

Big thanks to Johnn for joining us!

Thanks also to Spencer for the intro bumper!

RoleplayingTips:

http://roleplayingtips.com/

Campaign Logger:

https://app.campaign-logger.com/

Johnn and Jochen's Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/johnnfour

Game on!

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Back In Balazar

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 02:00:36 GMT

Newfound clarity has given birth to some confidence and a much greater sense of my preferences in gaming. The last few weeks have seen seismic shifts in my sense of wellbeing alongside a growing sense of who I am as a GM. As with much of Roleplay Rescue, there is a sense that in sharing my own journey back towards the roleplaying I enjoyed so much as a young man, perhaps there is also an invitation for others to follow.

Following on from Episodes 14 and 15, I have found myself nudged towards setting up an early Bronze Age fantasy campaign which - as I began to conceive it - opened up an intuitive sense that I should return once again to my roots.

Thanks to Brian and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

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Sparking Creativity With Runeslinger

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 02:00:59 GMT

Today I have another of my conversations with a friend within the roleplaying games community. This episode we dipped into talking about sparking creativity with younger students of varying ages - a comparison between my guest’s creative writing courses that utilise roleplaying games and my own school-based RPG club for teens.

My guest today is Runeslinger - Anthony Boyd - the creator of Casting Shadows, a blog offering commentary about roleplaying games and techniques for both players and adjudicators. Big thanks up front to my guest - Runeslinger, aka Anthony — for reaching out and asking if we could have this conversation. I found it very rich and hope that you will enjoy it too.

Game on!

Casting Shadows blog: Casting Shadows | Interactive roleplaying interaction (castingshadowsblog.com)

OR https://castingshadowsblog.com/

Casting Shadows podcast: Casting Shadows • A podcast on Spotify for Podcasters

OR https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/runeslinger

Casting Shadows on YouTube: Runeslinger - YouTube

OR https://www.youtube.com/user/Runeslinger

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Solo Tales Ep3: Skeletons!

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 02:00:04 GMT

Hello Rescuers! Here's another bonus - the third episode of Roleplay Rescue's Solo Tales!

This episode picks up where that one left off. Because this is a personal solo game, I’m going to be using a variety of tools and methods to create a game that I enjoy. In other words, while I am sharing the game in the hope of inspiring others to try solo play, I am also very much playing the game for my own enjoyment.

Thanks to Jon from Tale of the Manticore and Simon from Legend of the Bones for their inspiration.

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

Game on!

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Permutations

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 02:00:45 GMT

Having realised that I’ve been chasing my tail for the past 40 or so years in accepting a very simple misunderstanding as truth, the past couple of weeks have been an enriching and enjoyable period. While work and other commitments still limit my time to engage in play, the times when I do sit down to roleplay have been increasingly rich and enjoyable.

The mission of the podcast has always been about helping gamers get back to the table. Throughout the past 12 seasons of Roleplay Rescue, we’ve been on a journey through many cycles of learning and growth which has helped not just me but also many other roleplayers get back to playing with greater confidence.

Today, I am taking the time to consider the core elements which - at least for me - make these games come alive at the table. My hope is that the discussion will spark some ideas for you on how to shift your play towards the specific combination of elements which would engage you the most.

Massive thanks to Frank, Brian, and Jason for the call ins. Please keep them coming!

Game on!

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Clarity

Sat, 27 May 2023 02:00:42 GMT

What if you didn’t need anything more to have the best games of your life? What if you didn’t need another product, another tool, or another set of rules? What if everything you really need to have a cracking session, whether with your friend or online, was already in reach?

Today’s episode is inspired by my recent reading of Jamie Smart’s hugely interesting book, “Clarity” - the second edition of which was published this year, ten years after the first, and which I heard about through a recent interview. Basically, this is me working out some thinking about what I read... out loud.

Big thanks to Jason from the Nerd's RPG Variety Cast for the call-in!

Game on!

"Clarity" by Jamie Smart (2023): Clarity: Clear Mind, Better Performance, Bigger Results: Amazon.co.uk: Smart, Jamie: 9780857084484: Books

OR https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarity-Better-Performance-Bigger-Results/dp/0857084488

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Rolemaster Unified

Sat, 20 May 2023 02:00:27 GMT

What’s the deal with Rolemaster? Why did we love it back in the 1980s and does the recent release of Rolemaster Unified invigorate us to play it again?

Back in Episode 1, I declared that I was embarking on a new quest. It’s a journey into the deep past to find a new pathway towards enjoying the games I like to play in the way that I most enjoy playing them. Today, I take a trip back to 1980 and revisit the fantasy roleplaying game we played the most in that formative decade. Then I take an initial peek at the latest edition of that same game and contemplate what I might do with it.

Massive thanks to Hobbs, Jason, and Frank for the call ins.

Game on!

Rolemaster Unified: Rolemaster Core Law (RMU) - Iron Crown Enterprises | DriveThruRPG.com

OR https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/416633/Rolemaster-Core-Law-RMU

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GM's Journal #183: Coronation Weekend (May 5th-10th 2023)

Sun, 14 May 2023 02:00:28 GMT

Bonus episode leaked from the Patreon to give listeners a taste of the raw and unedited horror that is the GM's Journal. A few folk have asked what the GM's Journal is all about so I thought the best way to respond would be to share one episode by way of a taster. Remember: the Journal is a very candid snapshot of my life as a gamer, is recorded throughout the week into my phone, and is nothing like the polished typical episodes. Listener discretion is advised!

This week saw the new King's Coronation over the long Bank Holiday weekend and me taking a bit of a break from some stuff... like recording podcasts.

Lots of interesting stuff to talk about, including what felt like the worst session I've run in ages which proves that I am a giant hypocrite when it comes to my GMing skills. That said, I learned from it and am focusing on the changes that matter to me.

Thanks to Jason and Brian for calling in!

Thanks to everyone for their support!

Game on!

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On Community

Sat, 13 May 2023 02:00:57 GMT

Having spent quite a few episodes now revisiting and developing my own return to a more coherent practice with roleplaying games, I thought I would make a brief pitstop and talk about the Roleplay Rescue community.

The community is the life-blood of this podcast. Without it, I would be alone and isolated. I would possibly have stopped playing, but even if I was playing it would be alone - my home group died with the first lockdown in 2020 and has not recovered. Friends who gathered at my table are all scattered, some to other parts of the country. There’s a lot of goodwill and support for Roleplay Rescue, despite us being a small fish in a vast ocean of tabletop roleplaying games chatter and content.

Massive thanks to Justin, Jason, Barry, Frank, Menion aka Rob, and Xenoris for the call ins and messages. Please keep them coming!

Game on!

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Solo Tales Ep2: Back To Crag's Ruin

Wed, 10 May 2023 02:00:25 GMT

Hello Rescuers! Here's a bonus! I have this vague idea that if I can produce a few episodes then I might release them on their own podcast feed, Roleplay Rescue's Solo Tales.

This episode follows on from the main Roleplay Rescue Season 12, Episode 2 entitled “Crag’s Ruin”. I began wanting to explore the roots of my own hobby by revisiting my first imaginary game-world.

Thanks to Barry, Jason, Jonathan, and Runeslinger for the call-ins.

Thanks to Jon from Tale of the Manticore and Simon from Legend of the Bones for their inspiration.

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

https://tabletopaudio.com/

Game on!

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Characterisation With Simon Williams

Sat, 06 May 2023 02:00:46 GMT

Today I have another of my conversations with a friend within the roleplaying games community. This episode we dipped into talking about characterisation in our RPGs, especially around NPCs. My guest, Simon Williams, is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama.

Big thanks to Simon for coming back to the show!

Legend of The Bones Podcast:

https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/

Game on!

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Why Play GURPS?

Sat, 29 Apr 2023 02:00:22 GMT

Following the release of Episode 5 to the RPR Patreon, Patron Brian called in with a long series of seven questions about GURPS which I felt were worthy of a full episode to respond to. Not only are they truly excellent questions, they were also deeply insightful and are perhaps the kinds of questions that many listeners unfamiliar with GURPS would find interesting. I also think that, putting aside the specifics of GURPS, these are useful questions to ask of any game system.

Because the questions relate to my chat with GMShadow, Barry from Shadow of the GM podcast, I decided to invite Barry to record his own response to Brian’s message. What follows is, then, a mash-up in the following sequence: first we’ll hear Brian’s message, then we’ll hear Barry’s reply, and then I’ll tackle the seven questions in sequence and give my own answers. I hope you find this useful.

Thanks to Brian for the call-in and to Barry for replying too.

Game on!

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Simple Dungeon GURPS

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 02:00:30 GMT

In Episode 5, Barry aka GMShadow chatted with me about the need for a simple introduction to GURPS. Since then, we’ve been collaborating - along with other interested folk from the RPR Discord - to create Simple Dungeon GURPS. We have a working draft of Simple Dungeon GURPS and the playtesting is underway. In this episode, I wanted to share the progress made and the basic shape of that set of methodological guidelines which leverage the GURPS rules system.

Massive thanks to Frank for calling-in!

The Simple Dungeon GURPS Draft is here: Simple Dungeon GURPS – Roleplay Rescue’s Blog

https://roleplayrescue.com/2023/03/18/simple-dungeon-gurps/

Game on!

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The Fear Of Starting

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 02:00:19 GMT

Do you ever find yourself not physically starting something but instead spending inordinate amounts of time and effort reading, researching, and trying to decide where to start? If not, I envy you. It's a particular problem I have and been struggling with again. In simple terms, this is the Resistance in a pretty unsubtle form.

Thanks to Matt for the call-in at the top of the show, giving me a nudge on a topic I blogged about some weeks ago: The Fear of Starting.

This episode, I aim to share that original post and then develop some answers to the problem I was facing only a few weeks ago… but which has plagued me for the past 50 years.

It turns out that the answer may lie in a shift in thought.

Massive thanks to Matt, Jason, Frank, Jonathan, and Anthony for calling-in today!

Game on!

Find out more about "The War Of Art" and "Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be" via https://stevenpressfield.com/home

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Megadungeon!

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 02:00:21 GMT

Following my recent conversation with GMShadow, my good friend Barry from The Shadow of the GM podcast - which you can listen to in Episode 5 - I’ve been delving back into both the Great Library of GURPS and rekindling my love of the megadungeon. This episode, I want to talk about the reasons why I’ve returned to the Dungeons of Thaarl - my own megadungeon - for a return to the classic fantasy Open Table format.

The Alexandrian blog post, “Game Structures Part 3: Dungeoncrawl”:

https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15140/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-3-dungeoncrawl

Dungeons & Dragons Red Box (1983):

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/116578/DD-Basic-Set--Players-Manual-BECMI-ed-Basic

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/116619/DD-Basic-Set--DMs-Rulebook-BECMI-ed-Basic

Peter Dell’Orto’s “Dungeon Fantastic” Megadungeon Mapping Best Practices Part I:

http://dungeonfantastic.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-megadungeon-mapping-best-practices.html

Big thanks to Jason for the call-in!

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Location, Location, Location

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 02:00:21 GMT

Today, I want to talk about the most durable, long-serving, and under-rated game structure in roleplaying games. Most GMs use some form of it in most sessions - anytime they come to a location in their world where the Player Characters need to explore. I want to talk about the humble Dungeoncrawl which has become tarnished over the years by people who totally fail to understand that the “crawl” is a fundamental and sturdy structure for any moment when the characters enter a location they want to explore. I prefer to call them Locationcrawls and, honestly, this is the second big tool in the Gamemaster’s methodological toolkit.

Big thanks to The Alexandrian for his blog post quoted in the episode (without permission): The Alexandrian » Game Structures – Part 3: Dungeoncrawl

https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15140/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-3-dungeoncrawl

Thanks also to Barry and Jason for the call-ins!

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Simple GURPS With GMShadow

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 03:00:30 GMT

This is another one of the conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying community. This episode is a chat about how to introduce new players to GURPS by making the whole thing simpler and more familiar.

One thing to say is that I got my timeframes all wrong: I began monkeying around with GURPS around 5 years ago or so ago. Dungeons of Thaarl was happening in 2019, which is 4 years ago. Doesn’t time fly?

My guest, Barry aka GMShadow, is the host of Shadow of the GM podcast which, among other things, discusses his experiences with GURPS over the past few years. Like me, Barry is a GM returning to GURPS and we have much in common.

Big thanks up front to Barry for coming on to the show. I hope you’ll find it as inspiring as I did - he’s got me thinking about getting something GURPS up and running again.

Game on!

Shadow of the GM podcast: Anchor - The easiest way to make a podcast

https://anchor.fm/gmsshadow

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On Combat

Sat, 18 Mar 2023 03:00:23 GMT

Ever since I first began roleplaying, I have always been engaged by a good fight scene. Combat has been the way in which I almost always begin to learn a new game and you can bet your bottom-dollar that any scenario I run with open with a fight.

Why is that? Is it because, as I alluded to back in Season 9, I am at heart a Munchkin? One of those kids who came into the hobby in the late 70’s and 80’s as a pre-teen adventurer with a predilection for violence? Or is it a little more nuanced, having to do with a variety of factors - not least being that every example of play I began with included combat as a key focus?

Thanks for Frank for calling-in!

Game on!

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Deeper Gaming With Arlen Walker

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 03:00:18 GMT

This is the first in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying community. This episode features a chat about how to move from beer and pretzels style gaming towards something a little deeper, richer, and longer lived.

My guest, Arlen Walker, is the host of Live From Pellam’s Wasteland which you can find both as a podcast and on YouTube in video form. Arlen does most of his recent work on YouTube and his thoughts can range wildly, but include a lot of good solo play examples as well as discussions about RPG theory that I love.

Big thank you, once again, to Arlen for coming and sharing his thoughts!

Game on!

Live From Pellam's Wasteland Podcast:

https://anchor.fm/pellamswasteland

Live From Pellam's Wasteland YouTube:

Live from Pellam's Wasteland - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/LivefromPellamsWasteland/playlists

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Crag's Ruin

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 03:00:34 GMT

This one's a highly experimental episode. As I said last episode, I want to explore the roots of my own hobby by revisiting my first imaginary game-world. Through dreams and many hours of day-dreaming as a teenager, I uncovered a rich fantasy realm that I am long-overdue returning to visit. Despite a few attempts to bring other tools to the table, games that I deeply enjoy and seek to explore, the reality is that the first game I stole from my Dad - RuneQuest and the even simpler Basic Roleplaying Introductory booklet - have become the key to unlocking that “specially made game-world” that exists just for me. And I have begun as all good games begin… with some characters, a situation, and a simple first session.

Thanks to Jon from Tale of the Manticore and Simon from Legend of the Bones for their inspiration.

Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds:

https://tabletopaudio.com/

Game on!

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Back To Basic Roleplaying

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 03:00:30 GMT

Somehow I’ve found my way back to the microphone and it’s time to embark on a new quest. For me, it’s a journey into the deep past to find a new pathway towards enjoying the games I like to play in the way that I most enjoy playing them. It’s my hope that, at least for someone else, this quest will resonate enough to carry you along with me too.

Massive thanks to all the callers today - Jason, Justin, Jonathan, and the Pink Phantom. Please keep the comments and questions coming!

Game on!

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Finale

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 03:00:06 GMT

Back in July, as Season 11 opened, I spoke about how some roleplayers experience deep anxiety around playing and running games. One of the most repeated comments I have received over the past 4 years of producing this podcast has been the one about how much my honest talk about anxiety has resonated with others. This episode ends a season of Roleplay Rescue that opened with a broad theme: An Anxious GM’s Guide To Fantasy Roleplaying. I’d like to take the opportunity to review where we’ve been and a few highlights that we learned along the way.

Massive thanks to all the callers today - Jason from Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Jon from Tale of the Manticore, Frank from Middle Kingdoms Adventure and Trading Company, and Brian from I’ll Have To Look That up.

Game on!

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Adventure Prep With Johnn Four

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 03:00:43 GMT

Johnn Four is the founder of RoleplayingTips.com which began in 1999 as a GM tips newsletter. Throughout the years, Johnn has published a GM advice column in Dragon Magazine, several books about how to improve your GMing, and continues to write on the topic of running better games. Johnn has teamed up with Jochen Linnemann to create Campaign Logger, a tool designed to help GMs capture all the details that get made up during sessions for the length of the entire campaign. Johnn is, however, perhaps best known for the 5 Room Dungeon which has become a well-known tool for adventure design across the RPG community.

Big thanks to Johnn for joining us!

RoleplayingTips:

http://roleplayingtips.com/

Campaign Logger:

https://app.campaign-logger.com/

Johnn and Jochen's Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/johnnfour

Game on!

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Manifesto!

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 03:00:24 GMT

On the principle that everything is play, I sat down down to work out how I want to take forward my roleplaying games hobby for the foreseeable future. I have decided to record my thinking, as if I am talking to a gaming friend, because I find this helps me to work out my ideas. None of this is new, original, or even surprising. Daniel Jones has provided me with the majority of the ideas and methods outlined here and to him I simply say “thank you”. But this is the first time I’ve brought all my notes together and tried to express them coherently. It also feels like it’s high-time I share this so that Otherworld-immersion as a goal can be more widely discussed.

Big thanks to Jason for the call-in!

Game on!

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Gaming With Teens

Sat, 24 Dec 2022 03:00:17 GMT

Today I want to revisit the topic of “Gaming With Teenagers”. It’s very much a conversation aimed at adults, so I’d like to apologise up front to any actual young adults listening to the podcast. Caveats aside, this all comes from my experience in setting up and running RPG gaming clubs across three UK secondary schools - aka high schools - and working with teens aged 11-18. Here are my Top Ten tips for introducing them to the hobby.

Massive thanks to all the callers - to Simon from Legend of the Bones, Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, to Evil Jeff from Minions and Musings, and to Wiebe!

Game on!

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Otherworlds With Daniel Jones

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 03:00:36 GMT

This is the fifth in a sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode continues my quest to find the game I really want to play, focused today upon the question of how to achieve greater Otherworld-immersion and build the kind of Otherworld that matters to us. My guest is, of course, Daniel Jones.

Daniel is the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a proponent of the idea that changing the methodology of our roleplaying games is the key to changing the experience we have at the table. For those who don’t know him, Daniel is a published author, game designer, philosopher, podcaster - check out the Primaeval Fantasy podcast - and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. If you want to hear our earlier conversations about Otherworld-immersion, please check out Season 6, Episode 10; Season 9, Episode 14; and Season 10, Episode 19.

Big thank you to Daniel from Primaeval Fantasy for coming and sharing his ideas with us.

Primæval Fantasy • A podcast on Anchor:

https://anchor.fm/primeval-fantasy

FRPG Thoughts | Good Daemon Geekery (danielionson.wixsite.com)

https://danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemon

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The Redcaps Podcast • A podcast on Anchor

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Solo With Simon Williams

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 03:00:03 GMT

This is the fourth in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode continues my quest to find the game I really want to play, this time through re-investigating the topic of solo roleplaying.

My guest, Simon Williams, is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. His evocative illustrations are inspired by classic roleplaying games like Fighting Fantasy and classic works of fiction such as The Lord of The Rings. His podcast is an amazing work of art, inspired by the pioneering Tale of The Manticore podcast whose creator, Jon, wrote and performed the theme music for this show. Simon’s Legend of the Bones has become a must-listen for me because his descriptions and characters are incredibly believable. And on top of all of this creativity, Simon is a husband and father, finding time for family and a very demanding job too. I hopped online to find out how he manages to enjoy an intense solo roleplaying experience so that I can move in this direction too.

Big thanks to Simon for coming back to the show - it truly was an eye-opening and key conversation for me. I hope you’ll find it useful too.

Legend of The Bones Podcast:

https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/

Game on!

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Talking OD&D and AD&D with Jason Connerley

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 03:00:51 GMT

This is the third in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode picks up a thread that I’ve been noodling around for a while, namely the value of Gygaxian-era Dungeons & Dragons and what makes OD&D and AD&D valuable.

Big thank you up front to my guest, Jason, and I hope that you find this as interesting as I did.

The Nerd's RPG Variety Cast:

https://anchor.fm/jason376

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Talking Worlds With Kevin From The Redcaps

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 03:00:49 GMT

Another conversation to share with you today, this time someone who has recently inspired and reinvigorated my hobby through his excellent podcast. While we did begin in interview mode, the primary focus of this conversation was to chat about fantasy game worlds and some of the ways in which those were particularly important to more Old-School flavours of the hobby.

Kevin is the host of The Redcaps Podcast, the podcast where he dips his hat into the blood of his listeners and rambles on about Old-School roleplaying games. Hailing from Canada, The Redcaps first aired back in September 2020 and has, at the time of recording, just blasted through the first century of episodes - a true milestone for any podcaster. Beyond the podcast, Kevin uses his fame to raise awareness and funds for the charity extra life, a program of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

Big thank you, once again, to Kevin from The Redcaps Podcast for coming and sharing his thoughts with us!

Game on!

The Redcaps Podcast:

https://anchor.fm/theredcaps

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Old-School Reflections

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 03:00:26 GMT

Admitting my discomfort with the Old-School label and talking about my own relationship with the OSR as a movement appears to have touched a couple of people in a helpful and powerful way. Two listeners have taken the time to send me not one but several messages on the topic and I am every keen to share their thoughts with you. But that’s not all. Today I also want to reflect on the journey that returning to the Old-School primer and listening to some interviews has sent me out to experience. I’ve made some surprising discoveries and perhaps begun to open a new chapter in my hobby.

Thanks to Karl from the GMologist Presents, to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, and to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today.

Game on!

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Talking Pantheons With Ron Ogden

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 03:00:26 GMT

Special moments come along but rarely and today is a special moment for me. Sometimes we meet people with whom we share seemingly little in common and then we discover they play D&D too. My guest today is someone from a very different background and experience of roleplaying games whom I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with. While our conversation was focused around the topic of Pantheons in D&D, the conversation roamed far and wide giving me much to think about.

Ron Ogden is the CEO of The Dungeon Society, a tabletop RPG company seeking to “give every GM a creative toolset to make the storytelling process convenient and unique.” Ron has been worldbuilding and creating homebrewed D&D campaigns for over two decades. His latest endeavors include being co-DM on The Dungeon Run (a popular live-play D&D show on Twitch) as well as "The Chronicle" for Heroic Story (a creator-led community that unites artists, writers, and gamers who love fantasy stories and RPGs).

Big thanks to Ron for coming onto the show!

Ron Ogden can be found on:

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@therealrogden

The Dungeon Run:

The Dungeon Run - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDungeonRun

Twitter:

Ron Ogden (@therealrogden) / Twitter

https://twitter.com/therealrogden

The Dungeon Society can be found at:

Home | The Dungeon Society

https://thedungeonsociety.com/

Game on!

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Goals For Engagement

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 03:00:42 GMT

One of the most overlooked aspects of running a roleplaying games campaign is the question of what you and your players want from such a game. We tend to assume that other people come to the table for the same reasons that we do. We also tend towards diving in head-first to getting a game up and running, keen to play, without considering how we want to the game to feel. There’s also a tendency to not consider the outcomes we might seek from a new campaign - and I’m not talking about the inevitable defeat of the Big Bad or returning home victorious from the quest. Over the past few years, I’ve had many conversations with fellow gamers and thought deeply about what it is that I want to offer at the table. I think these issues are important and ultimately play the largest factor in whether a game can stand the test of time.

Thanks to Hobbs from Hobbs and Friends plus Random Screed, to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, to Kevin from The Redcaps Podcast, and to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today..

Game on!

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Choosing Modern and SF Worlds

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 02:00:09 GMT

This episode follows on from Choosing Fantasy Worlds, which was episode 13. Brian’s question was about recommending worlds that are well-done and while I have some personal favourites which fit that description, I also want to talk about why it’s so hard to find well-done modern and SF worlds for games.

Thanks to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up for the call in that inspired the episode. Thanks also to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today.

There's also some news about my antics in creating a new school-based D&D club.

Game on!

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Uncomfortably Old-School

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 02:00:49 GMT

I am uncomfortably Old-School. While I don’t self-identify as being part of the so-called Old-School Renaissance, my habits and sensibilities have much in common with the early days of that Movement. But I am not truly part of the OSR because the games I enjoy are too complex and detailed for the members of that Movement. So where do I fit? I suspect I have fallen between the cracks of the roleplaying games community.

Thanks to Jason and Evil Jeff for the call-ins!

Game on!

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Choosing Fantasy Worlds

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 02:00:15 GMT

There are many, many worlds that I would love to explore and play in. But if we specify worlds that are well-done then that list is much shorter. I’ve thought about it a great deal and I am going to suggest three worlds - or settings - that I consider to be well done. To keep things sane, I’m going to begin by focusing on Fantasy worlds. If you want my thoughts about modern-era or science-fiction worlds, let me know and I’ll do a follow-up episode. We begin with this: if I could sit down and run any pre-designed fantasy world and wanted to choose one that was well-done, there are three worlds I would choose: Harn, Glorantha, and Ptolus.

Thanks to Brian, Jason, Wiebe, Barry, and Simon for the call-ins!

Link to Ptolus:

https://www.montecookgames.com/welcome-to-ptolus/

Link to Glorantha:

https://www.glorantha.com/

Link to Harn:

http://columbiagames.com/harn/index.html

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Call-In Collective

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 02:00:01 GMT

A big part of what makes this show special is the community of discovery that has grown up around it - through the blog comments, emails, Discord messaging, Patreon support, and podcast call-ins. You, the listeners, are what make working on the show a joy and about 80% of the reason that I keep recording and editing episodes.

Every call-in gets saved but not every call-in has space in the regular episodes, so every now and again I like to scoop up the messages and present them back as a special Call-in Collective show. Many thanks to Evil Jeff from Minions and Musings for both the idea and name of the Call-in Collective.

Thanks to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Jason Wiebe, Arlen Walker of Live From Pellam’s Wasteland, and Frank Turfler for the call-ins today.

Game on!

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Tiny Prep

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 02:00:11 GMT

Today’s episode is a quick overview of an approach to GM preparation that I call Tiny Prep. It was inspired by the work of BJ Fogg, the Director of the Stanford Behavioural Lab and discussed at length in his highly-recommended book “Tiny Habits”. Tiny Prep is the simple idea of doing your GM game preparations in very small increments daily or, in my case, six days a week. I utilise the science of human behaviour revealed by BJ Fogg to leverage the natural habit-forming processes of the human brain to increase my output of prep before games. The great benefit is that I now prep more material and better quality material for my games than I did before. For my anxiety, this has helped me hugely.

Thanks to Brian, Jason, and Wiebe for the call-ins!

Tiny Habits: BJ Fogg | Tiny Habits OR https://tinyhabits.com/

Fogg Behaviour Model: Behavior Model OR https://behaviormodel.org/

Game on!

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Choosing Is Hard

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:00:55 GMT

This one is a bit of a rant. It arises from repeated comments from players about GURPS which irk me. It begins with this: “Sure,” says the player when I suggest we play a game using GURPS, “I’d be happy to play… as long as I don’t have to build a character.”

GURPS is not a complex or difficult game. But it is a generic and universal game. It doesn’t come with a pre-packaged world nor with a bunch of genre conventions because it can handle any world and any genre. Or, more precisely, GURPS can handle all worlds, genres, and approaches. The problem is with building a character and with making choices as a player. Making choices is hard and that players are increasingly in too much of a hurry to be bothered with making the effort.

Thanks to the Jason Connerly and Barry (GMShadow) for the call-ins today.

Game on!

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Traveller With Bob Loftin

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 02:00:21 GMT

Today is the last in a series of conversations I shared over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know.

My guest today is a fellow podcaster and perhaps one of the nicest and most mellow souls I have had the privilege to meet. We sat down to talk a little about the Classic Traveller roleplaying game - especially since, at the time, I was re-approaching the old Black Box set for a possible SF campaign I am still desperate to create. This conversation inspired many elements in the project that has arisen from it and I thank Bob hugely for making me think about Traveller in fresh ways.

SAFCO podcast: SAFCOcast.com – a Traveller RPG Podcast – a podcast about the Traveller RPG and its derivatives OR http://www.safcocast.com/

Big thank you to Bob for onto the show!

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Choose Your Rules

Sat, 10 Sep 2022 02:00:36 GMT

Which set of roleplaying game rules should you use? What do you need to learn before you run the game? And how important are they to the success of the game?

As an anxious gamer, the biggest focus of my hobby over the years has been the question of which set of rules is the best for roleplaying. My experience has been simple: this is the wrong question.

Thanks to the Pink Phantom, Jason Connerly, and Jason Wiebe for the call-ins today.

Game on!

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Mystery With Justin Alexander

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 02:00:28 GMT

Today is the third in a series of conversations I shared over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know. My guest today is the single biggest influence on this podcast, a huge inspiration to me as a Game Master. He is, of course, The Alexandrian himself - Justin Alexander.

Just in case you don’t know, Justin is a freelance writer and the author of The Alexandrian.net. His published works include more than 200 books, articles, and reviews including gaming supplements published by Modiphius Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, Dream Pod 9, Atlas Games, Troll Lord Games, and Dream Machine Productions. Justin is also the host of his own YouTube channels entitled Advanced Gamemastery, Quick GM Tips, and “Let’s Read 1974 D&D”.

Big thank you up front to Justin for coming back onto the show. I hope you’ll find this as illuminating as I did.

Game on!

The Alexandrian Blog: The Alexandrian » Gamemastery 101 or https://thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101

The Alexandrian YouTube: The Alexandrian - YouTube or https://www.youtube.com/TheAlexandrian

Justin's Patreon: Justin Alexander is creating ROLEPLAYING GAME DOODADS, TRINKETS, AND INSIGHTS | Patreon or https://www.patreon.com/justinalexander/posts

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Imagine Places First

Sat, 27 Aug 2022 02:00:16 GMT

How do we get started setting up and running a fantasy roleplaying game? What’s the best approach to getting the game off the ground quickly? And how can we do it in such a way as to keep stress to the minimum?

Let’s start with this: The best way to get a game going quickly is to begin with a place, a location from which to launch an adventure.

Thanks to Jason and Wiebe for the call-ins!

Legend of The Bones Podcast: Legend of the Bones | a podcast by legendofthebones (podbean.com) OR https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/

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Discussing AD&D With Menion (aka Rob)

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 02:00:30 GMT

Today’s chat is with Menion, aka Rob, the creator and host of Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi, a podcast that hails from Japan. This conversation was about Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and arose as I was trying to put together my own Open Table game now known as Hiraeth. At the time, I was wavering on which rules system to use and ultimately this chat helped me decide.

Big thank you in advance to Rob for hopping online, sometime back in June, and sharing this delightful and insightful chat. I hope that you’ll find our discussion helpful and interesting.

Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi podcast: Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi • A podcast on Anchor OR https://anchor.fm/menion

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Fantasy, Dungeons, and The Open Table

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 02:00:20 GMT

What’s the easiest and most straightforward way to start playing roleplaying games after many years away from the table? And if we’re playing already but want to make the jump towards being Game Master, what’s the simplest path? Is there a way to make our first games so likely to succeed that we can overcome the anxiety that stands in the way?

Big thanks to Jason, Brian, and Adam for the call-ins!

LINKS:

D&D Basic Rules: Basic D&D Rules | Dungeons & Dragons (wizards.com) OR https://dnd.wizards.com/what-is-dnd/basic-rules

The Alexandrian Open Table Manifesto: The Alexandrian » Open Table Manifesto OR https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/38643/roleplaying-games/open-table-manifesto

OD&D (includes Book III): OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (0e) - Wizards of the Coast | D&D, Original Edition | Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com) OR https://www.dmsguild.com/product/28306/ODD-Dungeons--Dragons-Original-Edition-0e

BECMI DM's Book: D&D Basic Set - DM's Rulebook (BECMI ed.) (Basic) - Wizards of the Coast | D&D Basic | D&D Basic | Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com) OR https://www.dmsguild.com/product/116619/DD-Basic-Set--DMs-Rulebook-BECMI-ed-Basic

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Old-School Essentials With Doug Cole

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 02:00:15 GMT

A short while ago I was privileged to be able to catch Doug for a chat about his forthcoming projects, most notably his entry into the Old-School Essentials B/X D&D space, with a really cool Kickstarter running until the tail end of August 2022.

Big thanks to Doug for coming to speak to us and I hope you find this conversation illuminating. Especially look out for Doug talking about a few new projects previously unreported…

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gamingballistic/old-school-solo-adventures

Gaming Ballistic: http://gamingballistic.com/

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Back To The Table With Simon Williams

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 02:00:06 GMT

This is the first of a series of conversations I’ve shared, over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know. Simon Williams is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. His evocative illustrations are inspired by classic roleplaying games like Fighting Fantasy and classic works of fiction such as The Lord of The Rings. On top of all of this, Simon is a husband and father. He has been running an ongoing roleplaying campaign for about 4 years and has plenty of experience with solo roleplaying to boot.

Big thank you for Simon for coming on the show!

Legend of The Bones Podcast: Legend of the Bones | a podcast by legendofthebones (podbean.com) OR https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Being More Playful

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 02:00:46 GMT

This season we are working towards creating an anxious gamer’s guide to roleplaying games and seeking to reduce the stress, worry, and heartache that so often seems to accompany something that feels like it should be more fun than it is. In his book, Play, Brown asserts that the reason we are doing an activity defines whether or not it is play. This pairing of ideas helped me to realise that some of my games are not playful. I feel it’s important to recognise the times when we are engaging in non-play.

Thanks to Jason and Wiebe for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Towards An Anxious Gamers Guide To FRPG

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:00:02 GMT

Some roleplayers experience deep anxiety around playing and running games. Although I didn’t realise it until recently, my gaming habits have been formed as much by social and generalised anxiety as they have by anything else. More than that, one of the most repeated comments I have received over the past 3 and a half years of producing this podcast has been the one about how much my honest talk about anxiety has resonated with others. This episode begins a new season of Roleplay Rescue and we are going to open with a broad theme: An Anxious GM’s Guide To Fantasy Roleplaying.

Big thank you to Jason and Brian for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

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Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Talking Roleplaying Games With Justin Alexander

Sat, 21 May 2022 02:00:42 GMT

I know I said that Season 10 had come to an end after 22 episodes but when opportunity strikes it’s best to grasp it with both hands. Besides, episode 23 also has a nice, mystic ring to it. My guest today is the single biggest influence on this podcast, a huge inspiration to me as a gamer and Game Master, and just about the best source of roleplaying wisdom I have come across on the internet. When he suggested he’d be open to doing an interview, well, I was thrilled. How could I say no?

Justin Alexander is a freelance writer and the author of the grand repository of ideas that is The Alexandrian.net

His published works include more than 200 books, articles, and reviews including gaming supplements published by Modiphius Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, Dream Pod 9, Atlas Games, Troll Lord Games, and Dream Machine Productions. Justin is also the host of his own Youtube channels entitled Advanced Gamemastery, Quick GM Tips, and - of particular interest to me in recent weeks - his “Let’s Read 1974 D&D”. Hailing from Minneapolis, USA, Justin is also an actor and playwright. And it’s a very great honour for me to have him on Roleplay Rescue.

Big thanks to Justin for coming to talk to us!

The Alexandrian Blog: The Alexandrian » Gamemastery 101 or https://thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101

The Alexandrian YouTube: The Alexandrian - YouTube or https://www.youtube.com/TheAlexandrian

Justin's Patreon: Justin Alexander is creating ROLEPLAYING GAME DOODADS, TRINKETS, AND INSIGHTS | Patreon or https://www.patreon.com/justinalexander/posts

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme also by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Community Call-Ins (Finale)

Sat, 14 May 2022 02:00:00 GMT

A selection of comments and questions from listeners to round off Season 10. Lots of interesting thoughts and a whole bucket of encouragement for me!

Thank you to all the callers: Wiebe, Jason C., Frank, Lord Tygger, Bob from Safeco, James Sral, Graham First Age, and Brian.

Thanks also to you for listening, to all the RPR Patrons, and to everyone who has shared the show anywhere! Couldn't do it without you!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Che, Jon, and The Mythic Experiment

Sat, 07 May 2022 02:00:02 GMT

A very special episode in which Jon from Tale of The Manticore and I hopped online to play an improvised game using the Mythic solo game engine. There was zero prep and the whole thing was very off-the-cuff but we had a great time! The result is lightly edited because I didn't want to lose any of the magic I felt between us as players and the emergent story we conjure. After the game, Jon and I have a good chat about what we experienced.

Thanks to Jon for his challenge and being a fantastic guest!

Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Check out the Mythic Roleplaying here: Word Mill Games - Mythic or http://wordmillgames.com/mythic.html

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme also by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Taking Stock As GM

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 02:00:07 GMT

Three and a half years, ten seasons, and 295 episodes have elapsed since Roleplay Rescue began. Where have we got to, what’s the pathway forward, and do I have anything else left to say?

As I reach Episode 20 of this tenth season, a milestone I set up in my mind at the beginning, I am taking stock and wondering what more I can share with this fantastically supportive Roleplay Rescue community.

Many thanks to Jon for the call-in!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Behind The Screen With Daniel Jones

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 02:00:56 GMT

A few days ago I was privileged to be able to schedule a conversation with Daniel Jones, the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a proponent of the idea that changing the methodology of our roleplaying games being the key to changing the experience we have at the table. For those who don’t know him, Daniel is a published author, game designer, philosopher, and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. If you want to hear our earlier conversations about Otherworld-immersion, please check out Season 6, Episode 10 and Season 9, Episode 14.

Today’s chat was initially aimed at responding to three very common objections I have heard to the central methodological change of bringing all the rules, die rolls, and mechanisms behind the GM screen. From there, we talk more generally about some of our experiences with this style of play and muse on how to invite more roleplayers to try something different.

Thanks to Daniel for coming back to the show. I hope you’ll find it illuminating and interesting.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Playing Alone

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 02:00:11 GMT

What does it mean to play a roleplaying game by yourself? How is it possible to find play in the solitude of alone? Should we even allow ourselves to go there?

Last time I talked about the tension between being a player and being the GM in a roleplaying game. Today, I want to explore the question of what it means to play alone, solo, just you and the game.

Thanks to Spencer for calling in!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Emergent Play

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 02:00:00 GMT

“First and foremost, then, all play is a voluntary activity. Play to order is no longer play: it could at best be but a forcible imitation of it. By the quality alone, play marks itself off from the course of the natural process. It is something added thereto and spread out over it like a flowering, an ornament, a garment.”

These words from Johan Huizinga’s “Homo Ludens” raise a question: if play to order is no longer play, but at best a forcible imitation of it, at what point does the expectation and planning for a roleplaying game cause that roleplaying game to stop being playful?

Links:

The Alexandrian » Game Structures – Part 5: Mysteries: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15151/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-5-mysteries

Gaming From The First Age "Emergent Campaigns": anchor.fm/first-age/episodes/Emergent-Campaigns-e1fvt89

Thanks to Evil Jeff and Jason C for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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Making Prep Doable

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 02:00:35 GMT

What if you could always sit down on a regular basis and actively prep for your next game in a way that left you feeling confident and positive? What if you could work in such a way as to unlock your maximum creativity while preserving your energy and motivation for the long haul?

We all know how exciting it can feel to set up a brand new roleplaying game campaign - you are pumped with the vision, bouyed by the positivity of the players, and raring to go! And you might even get a strong start out of the gate. But human motivation being the fickle beast that it is, you also all know the reality of what happens when the initial high energy positivity wanes and you have to commit to preparing your game for the longer haul.

I don’t think it’s any surprise that most gamers nowadays flit from system to system, game world to game world, playing one-shots and short campaigns. Human motivation being what it is, we always lose the buzz and it feels so much easier to bail on the game that has lost its shine and simply start a new one.

But what if you could sustain the creative effort in the long run? Would you want to find out how to do it?

BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits: tinyhabits.com

Fogg Behaviour Model: behaviormodel.org

Thanks to Matt and Jason for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

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How To Emergency Prep

Sat, 26 Mar 2022 03:00:06 GMT

What do you do when, as a GM, you have nothing prepped and you are staring down the barrel of a session? You’ve had two weeks to prep but no, you couldn’t bring yourself to sit down and make any notes, so now you have nothing? Isn’t it just easier to bail out, make your excuses, and try again next time? Today, I want to talk about how to do emergency prep.

Thanks to Karl and Jason for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 03:00:00 GMT

What happens if we embrace combat as the focus of the roleplaying game? Is it possible to make fighting enjoyable? And what difference does it make to use miniatures and maps?

Around the turn of the century, while I was working on Games Day in the U.K., I was lucky enough to be invited to get involved in playtesting several projects. The one I want to mention today is Inquisitor. But, in addition, I wanted to mention two additional matters: the first is regarding call-ins to the show and the second is an update on Episode 10, That Hexcrawling Vibe.

Big thank you to Simon for the call-in!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Talking Wargames With Dad

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Growing up, I was introduced to tabletop hex-and-chit board wargames from a very early age. The source of my wargaming roots came from my father’s interest but I have never been entirely clear on how he got involved. While I delved off into roleplaying games around sometime around 1980, Dad has always been a wargamer and this was an interest that served as an anchor home through most of my life.

This episode is a recording of a chat with my Dad. We’re sitting at the dining table at the family home, looking over old stuff together. The conversation was interesting, offering a connection back to my early teenage experiences, and opened up several insights into why I like to play how I play.

Big thanks to my Dad, Bob Webster, for agreeing to record our conversation!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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That Hexcrawling Vibe

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 03:00:00 GMT

What would happen if I took the Classic hexcrawl game structure, Rob Conley’s revised Wilderlands of High Adventure hex maps, the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game rules, Doug Cole’s excellent Delvers To Grow quick character creation templates, and the forthcoming Nordland Bestiary, also produced by Doug Cole’s Gaming Ballistic? Well, I want to find out.

Thank you to Frank, Brian, and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Inherently Valuable

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Today I have a short rant on the idea that what we do, each of us, is inherently valuable. My assertion is that whatever we do - individually or collectively - as gamers, friends, and curious onlookers, it all has value. It’s valuable because you made it. Because you thought it. Because you shared it with us. We might not like it, agree with it, or want it… but you gave of yourself. It’s valuable because being a human being is inherently valuable. You don’t have to earn anything, do or say anything more. We love that you are already here.

Thank you to Brian and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Playing By The Seat Of Your Pants

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Talking about five steps that lead to lasting joy, how to apply this to roleplaying games, and what I've learned from ADD/ADHD experts Edward Hallowell and John R. Ratey. It's a call to get back to the real reasons I got into roleplaying in the first place.

Thanks to Richard, Brian, Trev, and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

Delivered From Distraction book from Amazon.co.uk here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Delivered-Distraction-Getting-Attention-Disorder/dp/0345442318/ or click Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most Out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder: Amazon.co.uk: Hallowell M D, M D Edward M, Ratey, John J: 9780345442314: Books

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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#RoleForCharity

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Signal boost for #RoleForCharity!

Link for #RoleForCharity t-shirt:https://rphaven.co.uk/product/roleforcharity

Text of this episode:

Tabletop Role-Playing Games Industry comes together to support NHS Charities Together in #RoleForCharity

The Role Play Haven has teamed up with a whole host of UK publishers to raise money for NHS Charities Together through a bespoke charity t-shirt fundraiser which launches on Wednesday 2nd February at 2:00pm.

The pressure on our National Health Service continues to be relentless, but NHS Charities Together help provide the extra support and services needed to care for staff, patients, and improve health in our communities. Working with a network of over 230 NHS Charities, they listen to teams on the ground and invest in projects that help the NHS go further than what would otherwise be possible through standard Government funding alone.

The Role Play Haven t-shirt campaign will help them to fund things like counselling and the creation of outdoor spaces to improve staff and patient wellbeing, new technology and specialist equipment to enhance patient care, the training and equipping of thousands of emergency response volunteers to help save lives in local communities and research into long-term health conditions – such as long-Covid and many other conditions.

The #RoleForCharity t-shirt features bespoke, never before seen, artwork which has been created exclusively for this campaign by the veteran TTRPG artist Jason Juta.

As part of the purchase, supporters will also receive a one-off gift from each of The Role Play Haven’s sponsors in the form of PDFs, discount coupons and physical books. They estimate this bundle value to be over £100 and sponsors include; Brittania Game, EN Publishing, Handiwork Games, Magnum Opus Press, Modiphius Entertainment, Nightfall Games, Red Scars and Son of Oak.

T-shirts can be purchased here from 02.02.2022 at 2pm for £18, with a minimum of £8 per t-shirt being donated to NHS Charities Together.

Link: https://rphaven.co.uk/product/roleforcharity

The campaign will be a two-week pre-order to maximise fundraising and fulfilment will be completed by GMS Hobby Game Logistics.

Thanks for supporting this great charity event!

Game on!

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Playing With Invisible Rules

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Having talked a lot about playing games with the rules behind the GM's screen, the GM rolling the dice, and the players encouraged to be in-role and in descriptive mode, I decided to dive into an experiment to find out how that might work. This episode shares part of our Session 6 conversation reviewing the player's experiences so far and reflecting back their thoughts on the Northern Isles game we are creating. Our hope is that you'll find this interesting too.

Thanks to Evil Jeff, Bob aka amenditman, and Rev Derek for taking part in the experiment and letting me share our conversation!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Roles, Teams, and Open Tables

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 03:00:00 GMT

What’s our role in this roleplaying game? How do we fit into the team? And what kind of expectations am I holding for the group? Talking about the struggles I face in coming up with decent character ideas - in finding my role at the table - as well as reflecting on the nature of the roleplaying group as a team. Also talking a little bit about opening up the table.

Thanks to Rob (aka Menion) and Jason for the call-ins!

Game on!

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Why do most gamers prefer the regular kind of roleplaying game? What do you do if you want something more? And what can we say to the majority who tell us we are playing bad wrong fun? Welcome to the regular kind of roleplaying game... which I no longer wish to play.

Big thanks to Rob (aka Menion) for the call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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What's It For?

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 03:00:00 GMT

What would happen if I just started a new season with very little in the way of a plan? Well… we’re about to find out.

Big thanks to today's callers: Menion (aka Rob), Brian, and Jason C.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking Thieves With Christopher R. Rice

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Here's a bonus episode featuring and interview with Christopher R. Rice talking about the soon-to-be-published Dungeon Fantasy Thieves book for GURPS. It's a good listen, even if you're not into GURPS... but it's gold for those who are.

Hope you enjoy!

Game on!

Big thanks to Christopher R. Rice for talking about it.

Check out his Patreon here: Christopher R. Rice is creating Role-Playing Games and Fiction | Patreon or https://www.patreon.com/Ravenpenny

Wanna add to the Movember fundraiser?

Click here to donate: Movember

or https://uk.movember.com/mospace/13562574

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Movember Appeal

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 02:00:00 GMT

In November 2021 I am once again shaving off my beard and growing a moustache in solidarity with my MoBros across the world. I am inviting you to help me turn this into a fundraising event for Movember.

I am supportive of Movember because of their multi-faceted approach. What particularly appeals is their efforts in working toward a world where men and boys are comfortable having conversations about the big things in life. My experience has been that we don’t talk to each another enough in meaningful ways. I’ve been inspired by others in the RPG community who has spoken openly about their struggles.

I’ve set a £250 target because I figured that if every one of Roleplay Rescue’s listeners chipped in £1 each we could smash that number. It’d be double what I raised about 4 years ago when I first took part. I’ve had generous support from several Patrons and friends already, so please do come and support this effort.

Mental health matters. Movember is working to help men stay mentally healthy, but they can’t do it alone. Please donate to my Movember efforts and support men's health.

Click here to donate: Movember or https://uk.movember.com/mospace/13562574

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920 The Massive Call-in Collection

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 02:00:00 GMT

As promised, this is the final episode of Season 9. The plan is to collate and respond to the call-ins that I have received over the past six weeks or so. I am hugely grateful to the generously shared questions and comments that come from you - the listeners. Thank you for taking the time to listen to Roleplay Rescue; thanks also to the many many listeners who keep downloading the episodes and giving them a go. Thank you.

Especial thanks to the callers: Frank, Brian, Jason, Spencer, Colin, Paul, Graham, and Barney.

Enormous thanks to Daniel Jones for answering one of the questions!

Couldn't do it without you all! Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song by TJ Drennon and incidental music by Jon Cohen.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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919 Don't Wanna Play How You Wanna Play

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 02:00:00 GMT

What do you do when you realise that you don’t want to play the way that most other people are playing? Do you give up, say `that’s it, I’m done”? It’s tempting. It’s easier. Or do you double down, accept you are different, and play on regardless?

Thanks to Barney from Loco Ludus for his call-in.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song by TJ Drennon and incidental music by Jon Cohen.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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918 Return To The Infinite Game

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 02:00:00 GMT

In 1986, the Professor Emeritus of history and literature of religion at New York University wrote that, “There are at least two types of games. One could be called finite, the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.”

The author was James Carse and he has something rather useful to teach us about roleplaying games.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song by TJ Drennon and incidental music by Jon Cohen.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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917 Combat-only Gaming

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Ever since I can remember, a big part of my hobby experience has revolved around combat - martial and magical combat against the foes of our characters. When I was a teenager, the older gamers called me a Munchkin and accused my games of being focused too much on combat and not including enough exploration or character interaction - the interaction sometimes erroneously being referred to as “roleplaying”. Today I am asking: What’s wrong with combat focused gaming?

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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916 Talking Fear with Peter Laws

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 02:00:00 GMT

WARNING: This episode is intended for a mature audience. Listener discretion is advised. Topics of fear, horror, threat, illness, and general unpleasantness.

As I headed out of the summer holiday period, I was fortunate to be able to record a sequence of intriguing conversations with people from across the community. Today you’ll be listening to the third and final conversation. This one is on the topic of fear and my guest is, of course, Peter Laws.

For those not in the know, Peter Laws is an ordained minister with a fascination for the macabre, an author, journalist, film critic, public speaker, and regular writer for Fortean Times. He is the creator of the Matt Hunter novel series and the host of the Creepy Cove Community Church podcast - an immersive, horror-themed ‘church service’, broadcast from the mysterious fishing town of Creepy Cove. Besides from horror, Peter is said to hail from somewhere down south and enjoys retro TV and Krispy Kreme donuts.

Creepy Cove Community Church Podcast: https://www.creepycove.com/

Peter Laws on Twitter: @revpeterlaws

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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915 Trickster's Net with Barney and Tom

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 02:00:00 GMT

As I headed out of the summer holiday period, I was fortunate to be able to record a sequence of intriguing conversations with people from across the community. In this second conversation, I was invited to talk about Trickster's Net.

Find the Trickster's Net website here: https://8743x.de/tricksters-netz

Grab your copy of the final Trickster's Net product here: https://tricksters-net.itch.io/

Further discussion of Trickster's Net can be found on Loco Ludus.

Listen to Barney's podcast: Loco Ludus • A podcast on Anchor

Here's the link: https://anchor.fm/loco-ludus

Barney on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loco.ludus

Barney on Twitter: @loco_ludus

Check out Tom's PlayFrame: www.playframe.co.uk

Tom on Twitter: @playframeuk

Thanks to Barney and Tom for sharing this conversation with me - game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Feeding Back on Lieren (Bonus)

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Another bonus call-in episode focused on the conversation I had with Lieren on labels, play styles, and communication. These are responses to Season 9 Episode 12 (912).

Big thanks to the callers: Jason C., Safer, Barry, Jason C., Frank, Brian, and Jason C. Loved it all - thank you!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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914 Towards Primaeval Fantasy with Daniel Jones

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 03:00:00 GMT

As I headed out of the summer holiday period, I was fortunate to be able to record a sequence of intriguing conversations with people from across the community. The first of these was with Daniel Jones, whom long time listeners might remember first introduced me to the concept of Otherworld-immersion.

Daniel Jones is a self-confessed IT nerd and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog, musing on the Art of RPGs, and the Primaeval Fantasy podcast. He describes himself as an Idea-Tinkerer, holding an interest in writing and philosophy as well as being a published novelist. Daniel hails from forest-filled southern Indiana where he is working on his beloved Primaeval Fantasy RPG.

Listen to Daniel's podcast: Primæval Fantasy • A podcast on Anchor

Here's the link: https://anchor.fm/primeval-fantasy

Previously on Roleplay Rescue:

611 Otherworld Immersion: https://anchor.fm/rpgrescue/episodes/611-Otherworld-Immersion-with-Daniel-Jones-efjiec
(Bonus) More Otherworld Immersion: https://anchor.fm/rpgrescue/episodes/Bonus-More-Otherworld-Immersion-with-Daniel-Jones-egr5c1

Thanks to Daniel for sharing this conversation with me - game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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BRP Call-ins (Bonus)

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Another bonus call-in episode focused on Basic Roleplaying, aka BRP. These are responses to Season 9 Episode 11.

Big thanks to the callers: Evil Jeff, Graham aka First Age. Arlen, Brian, and Jason C. Highly appreciated stuff!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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913 Eisen's Vow

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 02:00:00 GMT

In April 1975, a scant 13 months after the publication of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax asked Sandy Eisen a question that elicited a response which I think many modern gamers would find surprising. Writing in Europa Issue 6-8, at the end of his second article on “How to set up your Dungeons & Dragons campaign”, Gygax picks up on a comment from an earlier issue of the ‘zine in which Eisen had stated that D&D was not really as open-ended as it seemed to be. Gygax wanted to know why Eisen felt this way and so he did the thing that good creatives do: he asked Eisen why. The reply Eisen gave ignited a debate which we, some 45 years on, have forgotten. This came to be known as Eisen's Vow.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Portal Messages (Bonus)

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Another bonus call-in episode focused on Portals and Portal Fantasy, responses to Season 9 Episode 10.

Big thanks to the callers: Jason, Kevin, Brian and first-time caller Paul O.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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912 Talking Labels, Communication, and Play Styles with Lieren

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Long overdue, this episode is an interview with Lieren from "Updates In The Middle of Nowhere". Responding to a call-in she made many moons ago, we dive into a conversation about labelling, communication as a challenge, and valuing different play styles and emphases in gaming. It has taken far too long for me to edit and ship this episode but I am hugely grateful that I did.

Thanks to Lieren for making this episode with me - game on!

Listen to Lieren's podcast: Updates From The Middle Of Nowhere • A podcast on Anchor

Here's the link: https://anchor.fm/lieren/

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Another 1d6 Call-ins (Bonus)

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Another 1d6 messages from listeners in the RPR community. Topics today include feedback on "making the sausage", a question about traps in the Necropolis, thoughts on Underdogs, a question about how to handle mismatches in play style, and a lovely analysis on teleology in relation to fantastic worlds.

Big thanks to the callers: Karl, Kevin and Paul (aka Heptalemma). Great comments and questions that make this show better!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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911 Basic Roleplaying

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 02:00:00 GMT

This episode arises from a week spent away from home and away from work. I travelled back to my home town of Norwich, in Norfolk, England, to visit my parents - a trip I haven’t taken for nigh on 2 years. Aside from family reunion and spending time with my parents, themselves ascending in age and wisdom, I also got to sit back in my old bedroom - much changed now, but essentially the space wherein, for good or ill, I grew up. With newfound awareness I had taken along my copies of two roleplaying games to read in quieter moments. While you would be forgiven for believing this to be a trip into nostalgia, what I was seeking was to connect myself back to the beginning so that I could develop a more active awareness of who I have become. In so doing, I found a pathway back to an old favourite gaming system that I have begun to reconsider upon my shelf.

Thanks to Michael Bowers for the bonus call-in!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Or Necropolis: An Epic Adventure in the Desert Sands by Necromancer Games — Kickstarter

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Sat, 31 Jul 2021 02:00:00 GMT

From the desert of the Necropolis, today I am joined by Mark Greenberg. Mark is co-author of The World of the Lost Lands by Frog God Games - the setting of Rappan Athuk and the myriad Frog God and Necromancer Games adventures - and he’s also the author of the currently-Kickstarting adventure for 5e and Swords & Wizardy, Necropolis.

Big thanks to Mark for the interview and the whole Necromancer/Frog God Games team for sharing their latest project with us!

Necropolis Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/necromancergames/necropolis-an-adventure-in-the-desert-sands-for-5e-and-sw

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Another collection of excellent call-ins from a bunch of lovely listeners who are very kind. This stuff covers episodes 4 to 7 of this season and is well worth a listen... mostly because I don't say too much.

Big thanks to the callers: Jason C, Frank T, Kevin from Redcaps, Colin Spikepit, James Sral, Jeffrey, and Paul aka Heptalemma. Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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907 Finding My Blend: System Fluid

Sat, 17 Jul 2021 02:00:00 GMT

While I hope this episode stands alone, it follows on from my earlier discussion in Episode 5 about the importance of worlds. Today, I want to talk about system. By this, I mean the shape of the whole game including the World but also the choice of Rules and the Methodology we choose. I am working from the general, macro scale down towards specifics. Today I want us to see the whole system first.

Thanks to Evil Jeff for his call-ins!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Sat, 19 Jun 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Two changes in my life have opened up a larger-than-expected chunk of free time. I’ve been able to turn over some of that time to gaming… and, specifically, to solo tabletop gaming. How have I found the time and why, having found some time, would I not just schedule it for more social gaming? That’s what I wanted to address today.

Thanks to Reese for the call-in that inspired the episode.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

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Quickfire Call-ins (Bonus)

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 02:00:00 GMT

More call-ins have been coming in over the past week or two, so I thought I would share them along with my replies. Hope it's of interest to someone else out there too.

Big thanks to the callers: Spencer, Karl, and Frank.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

Sat, 29 May 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Hello. This is Roleplay Rescue - the podcast about rediscovering your lost roleplaying hobby. Welcome to the introduction to Season 9 - a great starting point for anyone new to the show. This short episode outlines the background of your host, Che, and gives a brief outline of what RPR is all about. I hope you'll consider giving the show a go and continue listening as we roll on in to a new season.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Buy Che Webster a Coffee: ko-fi.com/cwebster

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Delvers To Grow With Doug Cole (Bonus)

Wed, 12 May 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Hello Rescuers! Yes, I’m pleased to say that it’s another bonus interview episode. This one’s popping up during the Interregnum between seasons because… well… there’s an excellent Kickstarter opportunity that I wanted to make GURPS fans - and, actually, any fan of fantasy roleplaying - aware of… and it’s from Gaming Ballistic.

Douglas H. Cole is the owner of Gaming Ballistic, the first licensed third-party publisher for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game and The Fantasy Trip, working in support of Steve Jackson Games’ popular roleplaying games. His more recent projects include Five Perilous Adventures for The Fantasy Trip and the Nordland Sagas for the Dungeon Fantasy RPG. This time we are talking about his latest project in Kickstarter now!

Many thanks to Doug for coming to talk on the show!

Delvers to Grow (Dungeon Fantasy RPG, Powered by GURPS) by Douglas H. Cole — Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/gamingballistic/delvers-to-grow-dungeon-fantasy-rpg-powered-by-gurps

Gaming Ballistic: gamingballistic.com

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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815 Return to Mystamyr: The Lure of Mythras Classic Fantasy

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 02:00:00 GMT

It was Friday April 1st 2016 when my regular D&D group got together and, on a whim, decided to play “Red Box” D&D (BECMI). The weekend before, I’d been doodling around with that set and enjoyed myself enough to ask the guys to play the “First Adventure” with me. Little did I know that I was taking the first steps into a larger World - the classic fantasy realm of Mystamyr.

Today, I am treading softly and steadily towards that realm I first discovered back in 2016. It’s the realm that led to the publication of my own first adventure module in May 2017 and which has brought me a great deal of creative joy ever since. For me, it’s time to rediscover the path back to gaming. It's also the final episode of Season 8.

Thanks to all the callers: Jason C, Emil, Frank T, Andy G, and Evil Jeff. Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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814 Firing Up GURPS Campaigns with Christopher R. Rice

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, Christopher R. Rice is constantly writing, tinkering with, and running GURPS. A frequent contributor to Steve Jackson Games’ Dungeon Fantasy and Pyramid, if he's not writing for GURPS, he's blogging about it. His site “Ravens N' Pennies” is well-stocked with more GURPS goodies than you could shake a stick at. This episode was originally conceived as a bonus interview but, having recorded and edited it, I realise that Christopher has acted as a powerful catalyst in my transition from old to new ways of thinking.

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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Dungeon Master's Diary #72.5: Something Significant This Way Comes

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 03:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This is a bonus episode of the DMD that I am sharing with the wider RPR community of listeners because it feels significant.

WARNING! Mental health content. Mature listening.

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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813 A Fistful Of Feedback

Sat, 20 Mar 2021 03:00:00 GMT

It's a call-in show! I had so many responses in recent weeks that the only way to share and respond to them was to put them together into their own show. Lots of good content from the community here and it's well worth the listen. Thanks to Evil Jeff, Jon C, Wolfchild, Gav, Menion (aka Rob), Colin, and Lieren for their kind call-ins this episode! Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

812 Why Don't You Knock It Off With Them Negative Waves?

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 03:00:00 GMT

I’ve been bothered lately by the perception I have developed that the roleplaying game community is dominated by negativity. For a while now, I’ve found myself increasingly repelled by that negativity and this has led to a massive downward shift in the quantity of blogs, podcasts, and other social media that I consume. In short, I hear and read a lot of tearing down. I’ve been wondering how to respond. Is it negativity to call out the negativity you perceive in the community? Is it healthy to focus on the negasphere? How can we lift ourselves out into a more positive space?Today, I’d like to engage you in asking: what can we do to reduce the negativity and increase the usefulness of our positive efforts?

Thanks to Frank T, Evil Jeff, and Wolfchild for their kind call-ins this episode! Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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811 The Elusive Shift

Sat, 06 Mar 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Recently, I’ve been trying to finish a whole bunch of books that I’ve been reading but not quite managed to complete. One of these books was the latest tome from Dungeons & Dragons scholar Jon Peterson, “The Elusive Shift”. This book revealed a number of insights, not least of which was the simple truth that there really is no discussion or debate in which I have ever shared on the topic of roleplaying games which had not already begun between the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 and those first 10 years or so of the hobby. Today, I wanted to simply reflect on three areas in which the book gave me some new things to ponder. I’m not sure this is a book for everyone but it was a good book for me and I wanted to share why.

Thanks to Safer for his kind call-in this episode! Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: Facing Truth and Evil with Peter Laws

Sun, 28 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Peter Laws is an ordained minister with a fascination for the macabre, an author, journalist, film critic, public speaker, and regular writer for Fortean Times. He is the creator of the Matt Hunter novel series and the host of the Creepy Cove Community Church podcast - an immersive, horror-themed ‘church service’, broadcast from the mysterious fishing town of Creepy Cove. Besides from horror, Peter is said to hail from somewhere down south and enjoys retro TV and Krispy Kreme donuts.

This episode once more crosses a divide which I have always felt is a false one: the division between fiction and reality, between movies and the creativity of imaginative games. Hear Peter and I discuss: the Cleric in Dungeons & Dragons; the shift from post-modernism to well, whatever we are going to call the current mindset towards truth; the dichotomy between Evil and Good; how this all relates to culture, movies, and gaming... and whole bunch of other stuff. Fair warning: We do touch on some dark places and don’t shy away from some difficult questions.

Big thanks to Peter Laws for willingly crossing the podosphere and doing the interview. Game on!

Useful Links:

Creepy Cove Community Church: creepycove.com

Support the Creepy Cove Patreon: patreon.com/creepycove

Peter Laws' website: peterlaws.co.uk

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

810 Learning Pathfinder: 10 Things I Enjoyed

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Something strange has been happening over the past few weeks. I’ve been pushing the edges of my comfort zone and stepping out to see what kind of tabletop roleplaying experience lies outside of the rather narrow confines I had backed myself into. On a whim, I grabbed a copy of the Pathfinder 2nd edition Beginner Box and, well, I’ve been grubbing around with it ever since. This episode I want to share my early impressions of the game and bring you in on the process of taking the Beginner Box to the virtual table.

Thanks to Reese, Hobbs, Aaron, and Tim for their kind call-ins this episode! Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: Talking Mental Health and Roleplaying Games With Jason Hobbs

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Special bonus episode time! I hopped online to chat to my buddy Jason Hobbs about how mental health and roleplaying games mix. We enjoyed the chat and I felt it'd be good to share it... and quickly. Many thanks to Jason for coming back onto the show! We both hope that this bonus will help someone else out there. Game on!

Hobbs & Friends: Hobbs & Friends – Tabletop RPG Podcast Hosted by Jason Hobbs (hobbsnfriends.com)

See also Random Screed • A podcast on Anchor https://anchor.fm/jason-hobbs

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

809 Unpicking Webster's GM Rules, Part 3

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

A third (and final) instalment of call-ins responding to Episode 2, "13 Game Master Rules", first released back on January 2nd. In Episode 2, I wanted to explore the Rules that I have - over a lifetime of gaming and roleplaying - constructed around the concept of being the Game Master. As I stated at the beginning of that episode, these Rules are all open to challenge and, in fact, are already undergoing challenge.

My purpose has been to rock the foundations of these GM Rules and share with you the journey into finding some that are more helpful. The call-ins I have received have been immensely helpful in doing just that. Thank you to everyone who has called in about one or more rules. I am going to work through them one by one, as much as the messages allow, to present comments on each rule in turn. I will probably dive in and comment on some of the ideas shared... but I am not going to script those, so anything I do say from now on is completely off the cuff.

Big thanks to Jason C, Arlen, Barry, Emil, Jason W, and Captain First Age for the call-ins! Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

808 Unpicking Webster's GM Rules, Part 2

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

A second instalment of call-ins responding to Episode 2, "13 Game Master Rules", first released back on January 2nd. In Episode 2, I wanted to explore the Rules that I have - over a lifetime of gaming and roleplaying - constructed around the concept of being the Game Master. As I stated at the beginning of that episode, these Rules are all open to challenge and, in fact, are already undergoing challenge.

Big thanks to Jason C, Arlen, Barry, Emil, Jason W, James, and Reese for the call-ins! There were too many for just one episode, so look out for Part 3 next week. Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

807 Manifesto Pt 1, The Limits Of Our Power

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Barney from Loco Ludus has been encouraging me to embrace the concept of the Manifesto as a means to discussing my new approach to gaming and I rather like that idea. To my mind, there will be two major parts to my Manifesto For Roleplay Gaming - the first being the principles, policies and intentions of the Game Master, and the second being the principles, policies and intentions of the Player. Today, I am beginning to write my Manifesto and we begin, as they say, at the beginning: I am going to talk about what I believe needs to be the first principle of the Game Master.

Big thanks to Jason C, Spencer, Rob aka Menion, John Alan Large, and Jason W for the call-ins!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

806 Unpicking Webster's GM Rules

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Today is the first official call-in episode of Season 8 - by which I mean an episode constructed around the audio messages sent in from loyal listeners. In Episode 2, I wanted to explore the Rules that I have - over a lifetime of gaming and roleplaying - constructed around the concept of being the Game Master. As I stated at the beginning of that episode, these Rules are all open to challenge and, in fact, are already undergoing challenge.

Big thanks to Jason C, Spencer, Barney, Barry, and Jason W for the call-ins! There were too many for just one episode, so look out for Part 2 in a couple of weeks time. Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

805 Campaigning In 2021

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

A journey into 2021 with the specific aim of approaching the question of how I might imagine my roleplaying hobby to develop this year. It’s a sketch of the possibilities and I am going to refrain from allowing the Worry to rise up and get in the way of the project: the goal, of course, is to give myself direction; to place myself upon the pathway towards better gaming; to imagine how I would like it to be. I know that the reality, when now catches up to this imagined future, that each moment will be both very different and far richer.

Big thanks to Jason W, Jason C, and Brian for their supportive call-ins!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: The Cycle Of Change

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Call-ins and response to the Bonus Episode from December entitled, "Am I Stuck In A Loop"? Lots of good feedback in response to the original messages from Andy Goodman - thanks to Barney, Spencer, and Barry for taking the time to call-in. On top of that, I share a new piece of the great puzzle of life - the idea of The Cycle of Change. Big thanks once again to my friends, Andy Goodman included, for being honest with me and helping me to find my way back into the roleplaying hobby. Game on!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

804 Cyphering

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

This episode is about my first steps into trying a totally different way of roleplaying and being the Game Master. Now, when I say “totally different way” I mean totally different for me. There is perhaps nothing new here for the GM who is secure in their approach to roleplaying games. On the other hand, if you are - like me - a bit of an old grog who has never really grasped the so-called “New School” ways of doing things, then maybe you’ll be curious to find out how I got on when I dove headlong into the world of Monte Cook’s Cypher System. Game on!

Thanks to Robert (aka Menion) for the call-in!

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

803 Three Useful Motivators

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Hot on the heels of talking about my own vision for the kinds of roleplaying games I want to play came a rush of energy and enthusiasm to go out and make that vision become a reality. Of course, being human, with a bold vision comes big doubt. If there is something I can rely on in life it’s that I cannot rely on my level of motivation. That being said, and knowing full well that focus on motivation is not as useful as most people tend to think, I have noticed that three motivators give me a much-welcomed spike of motivation which can - for one night only - give me a boost of creative activity in my hobby. This episode I aim to share those motivators with you and basically ask you to give me a shot in the arm whenever you can remember to do so. Game on!

Thanks to Larry, Jason, and Evil Jeff for the call-ins.

"Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

802 Thirteen Game Master Rules

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Last time I shared my vision for approaching roleplaying games as a sacred imaginary birthright, a means to transcend - if only for a little while - the mundane rush of everyday life and replace it with worlds of wonder shared through collaboration with other human beings. Collectively, we have the ability to imagine and create for ourselves shared secondary worlds, inhabit them with characters whom we individually care about, and share their stories through the medium of the roleplaying game.

Building on this vision, today I want to explore some thoughts that have been bubbling under the hood as I have been wrestling with my diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I want to explore the Rules that I have - over a lifetime of gaming and roleplaying - constructed around the concept of being the Game Master.

Many thanks to Derek and Josh for their valuable call-ins!

Game on!

My Thirteen GM Rules Compiled:

1. Playing games should be a positive and enlightening experience for everyone at the table

2. It is the gamemasters responsibility to make sure the players are having a good time

3. The GM needs to know everything about the game system and the game world before play begins

4. The GM should not force the players to play their predesigned adventure

5. The player is sovereign over their character

6. The GM should be prepared to handle any choice the players make

7. The GM should never look anything up at the table

8. Always make honest die rolls, no fudging be bound by the results

9. The monsters or opposition should always act in a rational and tactically understandable way

10. The game world needs to make sense to everyone at the table

11. Players expect you to be able to answer any question they ask

12. Players expect you to challenge them but ultimately to let them win

13. It's wrong to kill the player characters

"I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: An Interview With Christopher R. Rice

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, Christopher R. Rice is constantly writing, tinkering with, and running GURPS. A frequent contributor to Steve Jackson Games’ Dungeon Fantasy and Pyramid, if he's not writing for GURPS, he's blogging about it. His site “Ravens N' Pennies” is well-stocked with more GURPS goodies than you could shake a stick at. Christopher kindly agreed to come on the show back in November and talk about GURPS, GMing, and why GURPS is his go-to system. Thanks Christopher - it is a great interview! Game on!

Ravens 'n' Pennies blog: ravensnpennies.com

Christopher's Patreon: patreon.com/Ravenpenny

Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: Am I Stuck In A Loop?

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Unscripted thoughts provoked by a very challenging call-in from Andy Goodman of the Expedition to the Grizzley Peak podcast. The calls triggered my anxiety which, it turns out, I was ready to notice and examine. I called Andy back and this bonus episodes shares the exchange. I then added further thoughts and invite your feedback. I realise that some listeners don't like call-in shows and also that some don't enjoy when I talk about myself and my mental health challenges either - this is probably not the episode for you.

Many thanks to Andy for his valuable call-ins!

Game on!

Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

801 Finding My Own Way

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Although I have been gaming for more than 40 years and podcasting for the past 2 years, in recent months I almost lost my hobby. I know that I am not alone in this experience because, in the weeks since I stopped making new episodes, I’ve received many emails and social media messages, not to mention audio call-ins, that bear witness to the fact that many people have lost their hobby to the vagaries of modern life.

As I begin this fresh season, my eyes are set on a single goal: I want to run games that I feel proud of, that I enjoy, and with people whom I care about deeply. To say that I want to rediscover my love for the tabletop roleplaying hobby would not be an overstatement. Today, I want to lay out the beginnings of my way forward and invite you to join me in the quest.

Big thanks to Derek and Jason for the call-ins! Here's to a great 2021 with Roleplay Rescue!

Game on!

"I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

800 May All Your Dreams Come True

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Publish and be damned, I say! Here's Season 8, Episode 0 (the "trailer"). The rough plan is that I will release Episode 1 on Saturday 2nd January 2021, kicking Roleplay Rescue back on the air to begin a fresh new year!Frankly, this is a little bit indulgent but heart-felt. It's been a few weeks in the making too but I think it sets things up for a positive ride forward. Thanks for believing, everyone! If you want to do me a favour, call in with some comments/questions so I've got content for the first few episodes in January. Especial thanks to John from Tale of the Manticore for his special contribution. Hope you enjoy it! Game on!"I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..comRoleplay Rescue Contact Details:Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.comPatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescueBlog: roleplayrescue.comMeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratBuy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #57: Unclenching (Bonus)

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 14:34:32 GMT

A few people have been asking how I am doing since the close of Season 7 and, coincidentally, I finally got around to listening to this DM Diary episode from last week which answers that question quite well. I think it's a good episode for content too because in this episode you'll hear how my coming to terms with anxiety intersects with me being a GM.

For newcomers, the Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form an audio journal. At present, Patrons get these episodes via Patreon.com/rpgrescue but I have decided to share this one as a bonus for the main RPR podcast. I hope the Patrons won't mind and other listeners might find it interesting.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Preorder Charlie Foxtrot: A Battlelords Sourcebook on BackerKit: charliefoxtrot.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Dear Diary Theme by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

720 Battlelords of the 23rd Century with David Suruco

Sat, 28 Nov 2020 03:00:00 GMT

In the last week that I was at work, I hopped onto Zoom for a chat with a member of the team responsible for updating a seminal science-fiction roleplaying game. David Soruco is one of the partners at 23rd Century Productions, LLC. His focus area is gaming rules including ship combat and general rules. He has been playing RPGs since the 70's. What I didn’t know is that he turned out to be one of the most pleasant and patient guests I have ever had the honour to interview.

This interview has been a joy to revisit and I offer it today as the last episode of Roleplay Rescue Season 7. David got me looking at what is, to my mind, a truly great science-fiction roleplaying game that I thoroughly encourage you to check out for yourselves.

Game on!

Battlelords Links:

Email: info@23rdcentury.net

Website: http://23rdcentury.net or http://battlelords.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/Battlelords/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/battlelords_of_the_23rdcentury/…

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BattlelordsRPG

YouTube: http://bit.ly/BattlelordsYouTube…

Discord: https://discord.gg/srRY2Pn

Roleplay Rescue Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

719 The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg with Griff Morgan

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Griff Morgan is a writer, director, and gamer whose collaboration on the “Secrets of Blackmoor” film - released in 2019 - has shone a bright light on the origins of roleplaying games rooted in the work of David Wesley and Dave Arneson.

About three weeks ago now, I hopped onto Skype for a chat with Griff, ostensibly to talk about Good versus Evil. As chance would have it, a few days earlier I had received my Backer’s .PDF of the Tonisborg draft - a bonus book that was part of the Kickstarter for Secrets of Blackmoor - and our conversation began by chatting about that project. I wanted to extract this part of the conversation and share it separately from the much longer discussion that came later. So, here it is… and I’ll be working on the second part of this to share in a few weeks time, pressures of work and life permitting. That’s the background. Here’s the interview.

Game on!

Secrets of Blackmoor: secretsofblackmoor.com

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

718.9 Pressing Pause

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 09:03:34 GMT

It is with a heavy heart that I announce I am pressing pause on RPR for the foreseeable future. Details are in this episode. Please bear with me. I hope everyone will understand.

Be well and game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

718 Tale of The Manticore with Jon

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Roleplay Rescue is primarily about encouraging the lapsed roleplaying game enthusiast - those of us who perhaps played Dungeons & Dragons sometime in the past - to come back to the gaming table. Today, my guest is just that: a lapsed roleplayer who has found a path back to play… but perhaps not by the traditional route. It’s a great honour for me to welcome one of the most creative minds in the community to tell us a little bit about himself and the fantastic project he’s been working on in recent months. This might just be the nudge someone needs to pick up some dice and roll ‘em.

Game on!

Tale of The Manticore: taleofthemanticore.blogspot.com

ToTM Podcast: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

717 The Defense Roll Reversal with Doug Cole

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Douglas H. Cole is the owner of Gaming Ballistic, the first licensed third-party publisher for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game and The Fantasy Trip, working in support of Steve Jackson Games’ popular roleplaying games. It’s simply terrific to welcome Doug back to the show… and this time it’s all about helping me to think through a specific issue I believe I might have solved with my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy campaign.

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's Up With RPR? (Bonus)

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 03:00:00 GMT

A short bonus episode in which I talk about where Roleplay Rescue is going plus take some call-ins from Frank T, Jason C, and Safer. To end, I share an ambition to get more voices onto the show, inviting folk to get in touch if they'd like an opportunity to shout about their favourite RPGs from the RPR rooftop. Thanks for listening! Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

716 Dungeon Master's Diary #51: Roger and Out

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 03:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This is the end... well, the last episode of the DM Diary... the end of this rambling mess. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

715 On Gamemastering: Choose Your Players!

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Brian Jamison’s “Gamemastering”, self-published in 2011, has had a major impact on me over the years. Initially, the book intrigued me and I tried to take the advice to heart. Doing so, I quickly ran into some genuine resistance from fellow gamers. This past week or so, I began to re-read it and re-visit it. It seems I am still niggled by the style and tone but I am also trying to mine the book for useful methodology. It’s really the first and only book on methodology that I have found useful thus far.

Brian Jamison's "Gamemastering": gamemastering.info

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

RPR Jingle No. 5 by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.blogspot.com

Thanks to Lee, John, Jason, and Spencer for the call-ins.

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

714.9 Dungeon Master's Diary #50 (Part 3): Staggering Onward

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow, we've made it to 50 episodes of this tripe, so that is some kind of an achievement. This week I have split it in to three halves: this is Part 3 which features chatter about manifestos, wanderings about why I can't game in the evenings, and some more ideas about RuneQuest.

Special thanks to Barney D and Jason C for their contributions to this episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

714.5 Dungeon Master's Diary #50 (Part 2): RuneQuest Revelations

Sun, 18 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow, we've made it to 50 episodes of this tripe, so that is some kind of an achievement. This week I have split it in to two halves: this is Part 2 which features the post-Glorantha Games thoughts and a lovely call-in to round things out.

Special thanks to Barney D for his contribution to this episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

714 Dungeon Master's Diary #50 (Part 1): The Big Five-O

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow, we've made it to 50 episodes of this tripe, so that is some kind of an achievement. This week I have split it in to two halves: this is Part 1 which features the pre-Glorantha Games week and loads of call-ins.

Special thanks to Jason C, Andy G, ShandyAndy , and John L for their contributions to this episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

713 Satanic Panic with Peter Laws

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This episode crosses a divide which I have always felt is a false one: the division between fiction and reality, between movies and the creativity of imaginative games. Hear Peter and I discuss horror movies, the development of Creepy Cove, Dungeons & Dragons, Jack Chick, reasons why people collect horrific memorabilia, and what it means to enjoy fiction.

Fair warning: We do touch on some dark places and don’t shy away from some difficult questions.

Big thanks to Peter Laws for willingly crossing the podosphere and doing the interview. Game on!

Useful Links:

Creepy Cove Community Church: creepycove.com

Support the Creepy Cove Patreon: patreon.com/creepycove

Peter Laws' website: peterlaws.co.uk

Dark Dungeons Tract: chick.com/products/tract?stk=0046

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

712.5 Dungeon Master's Diary #49 (Part 2): Shaping Creativity

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Finishing what I started on Monday when I super-early-released the first part of this episode.

Special thanks to Judd and ShandyAndy for their contributions to this episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

712 Dungeon Master's Diary #49 (Part 1): RuneQuesting

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Super-early release of the first part of this week's DM's Diary because I want to help promote the Glorantha Games 2020 online convention I am attending on Saturday 3rd October. Details for that event below.

Special thanks to ShandyAndy and Evil Jeff for their contributions to this episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Glorantha Games 2020 (online): https://warhorn.net/events/glorantha-games-2020

Contact Details:

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Frank T and Jason C for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: Talking Play-by-Post With Evil Jeff

Sun, 30 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Responding to questions about Play-by-Post Roleplaying Games, I decided to hop on Zoom and have a chat with my friend, Evil Jeff (Minions & Musings) whom I know is a long-time player in such games. We had a positive chat in which I asked some pretty basic questions and got some helpful answers. Because other out there might find this approach to gaming both mystifying but also potentially perfect for them, I thought I would share the conversation as a bonus episode. Hope you find it to be as useful as I did. Thanks to Evil Jeff for doing it. Game on!

Minions & Musings Podcast: anchor.fm/eviljeff

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

707 An Interview With Tom Knauss (Frog God Games)

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This is the first time that Roleplay Rescue was invited by an RPG company to interview and to talk about a new product which, despite obviously being part of an awareness campaign for the Kickstarter now live, was a great honour for me. I realised that we roleplayers don’t, perhaps, pay as much attention to the writers of modules and worlds but I learned a great deal from my guest, Tom Knauss, of Frog God Games.

Huge thanks to Tom for coming on the show. Thanks also to John Barnhouse who orchestrated this interview and was gracious enough to offer Roleplay Rescue this seminal moment. The interview is rich with Tom’s backstory, talk of his new setting (of course), and also his secret desire to write for a totally different game. Game on!

Lost Lands Tehuatl Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/lost-lands-tehuatl?ref=adncfv

Frog God Games: froggodgames.com

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

706.5 Dungeon Master's Diary #46 (Part 2): Megadungeon!

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The DM's Diary episodes feature me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. It's recorded in short(ish) snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a journal of one man’s experience in gaming, shared on a bi-weekly basis. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Included in roughly chronological order of receipt are call-ins from community members commenting on past episodes, most of which need little response but all of which are gratefully shared. There was so much content and so many lovely call-ins that I have had to split the episode into two parts. This is the second part.

Thanks to Andy G and Spencer for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

706 Dungeon Master's Diary #46 (Part 1): Playing Again

Sat, 22 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Colin, Arlen, John, Menion, and Jason C for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Addendum: I Don't Feel Safe

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Words have been bubbling inside me for a while and I found the will to turn on the mic and share them: I don't feel safe.

Part of me hopes that noone listens to this. The better part of me hopes that there are other people who might understand what I am trying to express. Make of it what you will.

Game on.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

705 Why Do I Play How I Play?

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Today I talk about the reasons I believe I suck both as a Game Master and a Player. Before Evil Jeff calls in to tell me to stop being hard on myself, this is not about self-flagellation: my purpose has been to analyse the patterns I have fallen into and see what can be done to break bad habits and forge new ones. While I have felt tempted to give up my hobby in recent weeks - yes, I really have - I feel I owe it to both you and to myself to be honest about the huge mistakes in thinking that I have engaged in over many years.

This episode seeks to exorcise my demons. Along the way, my hope is that some of this will resonate with other listeners - especially those of you who have become convinced that you can’t have what you desire from a roleplaying game. I might be very different to you, but I do believe we can find a way to a more compelling, engaging, and fulfilling roleplaying experience. I want to go beyond mere fun; I want to discover joy. Before I can work on that, however, I think I need to drive out despair.

Many thanks to Arlen Walker, John Alan Large, and Jon (from Tale of the Manticore) for the call-ins! Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

704b Dungeon Master's Diary #45 (Part 2): Being Not-GM

Sun, 09 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The DM Diary episodes feature me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. It's recorded in short(ish) snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a journal of one man’s experience in gaming, shared on a bi-weekly basis. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Included in roughly chronological order of receipt are call-ins from community members commenting on past episodes, most of which need little response but all of which are gratefully shared. There was so much content and so many lovely call-ins that I have split the episode into two parts. This is the second part, so check out Part 1 before listening to this.

Thanks to Jason C, ShandyAndy, and Arlen Walker for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

704a Dungeon Master's Diary #45 (Part 1): DM Surrender

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Jason C, ShandyAndy, and Arlen Walker for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Microburst: The Walker Testimony

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

A few weeks back I got some rather moving call-in messages from my good friend, Arlen Walker. He was calling about Episode 503 and had clearly been strongly affected. I passed his messages along to another good friend of mine, Paris Conte, who then recorded a reply. Both these chaps have already heard this stuff but they agreed it was ok to share it publically too. I hope it's of some interest to others in the community. Game on!

Arlen's Live From Pelham's Wasteland podcast: anchor.fm/pellamswasteland

genU GAMER (Victoria, Aus): genu.org.au/support-services/genu-gamer/

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus: On Dice and The Loop with Andy Goodman

Sun, 02 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Some months ago, Andy Goodman (Expedition to The Grizzly Peaks) called in and made an interesting comment right at the end of his message. You can hear this comment replayed at the top of this bonus episode. Andy and I hopped onto Zoom, some weeks ago now, and had a chat about his comment and also his experiences in playing Tales from The Loop. The recording was rough but, with the help of the editing wizardry of Minion Bravo and Evil Jeff (Minions and Musings), we present to you now that very conversation. I'm not sure whether there's gold in here, but I sure enjoyed chatting to Andy and I am eternally grateful to Minion Bravo for the hours he put in editing it into shape. Enjoy!

Expedition to The Grizzly Peaks: anchor.fm/andy-goodman8

Minions & Musings: anchor.fm/eviljeff

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Daniel Jones is a self-confessed IT nerd and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog, musing on the Art of RPGs. He describes himself as an Idea-Tinkerer, sharing an interest in writing and philosophy. Daniel hails from forest-filled southern Indiana where he is working on his Primaeval Fantasy RPG. This is my second conversation with Daniel on the topic of what he terms Otherworld-immersion and this time we delve into the how of reaching this goal. Many thanks to Daniel for agreeing to come and talk to me again. Game on!

Thanks also to Paris Conte for the call-in.

Eudaimonic Geekery blog: danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemon

Daniel Jones on Twitter: @primevalfantasy

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

701 Purpose and Engagement

Sat, 18 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the first “Webster Burbles About Gaming” episode of Season 7. As promised from the trailer, this episode delivers on the claim that - from time to time - I will have some thoughts and be totally unable to keep them inside. Today I want to highlight and respond to the fact that, as it turns out, I am a pretty lousy communicator. I am also going to share some rather intriguing thoughts about the intersection of WHY we might choose to play with WHAT we might be getting out of the game when we judge it to be “good”. On top of that, I have a truck load of awesome call-ins which I have placed at the back end of the show, allowing those of you who want to get to the meat of the episode to do so quickly while also allowing those of you who enjoy the back-and-forth from the community to get your fix too.

Thank you to all of today’s callers - Tim, Jason, Goblin’s Henchman, Arlen, and Andy. Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

700 Roleplay Rescue Evolved

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This is Season Seven, Episode Zero. Roleplay Rescue has been around for a while now and has a large back catalogue of episodes ripe for the eating. In this episode, I want to do two things: I want to talk about the birth and genesis of Season 7. I also want to evolve the purpose of our podcast. Thanks to Frank Turfler, Gavyn Upham, and Arlen Walker for the call-ins. Game on!Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJDContact Details:Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.comPatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescueBlog: roleplayrescue.comMeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #43: Of Harn, Orcs, a TPK, and Discovering the Otherworld

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This is the last Dungeon Master’s Diary of Season 6. Usually the DMD is a Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Going forward, the DMD will become a bi-weekly journal and move to a Saturday. It seemed appropriate to let you know. Hope you don't mind.

Thanks to Jason C for the call-in. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

613 Responses to Daniel Jones (Season 6 Finale)

Sat, 04 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Herein lies an important announcement! For starters, this is the end of Season Six. But there's more to tell you...

Today's episode is an off-the-cuff round-up of just some of the call-ins I have received following the release of my interview with Daniel Jones on Otherworld Immersion. The response has been overwhelming and I am just presenting part of the larger picture. Big thanks today to all the callers: Andy Goodman, Arlen Walker, Evil Jeff, Tim Shorts, Jason Connerley, and Barney. Thanks also to my special guest caller, Daniel Jones himself. What more can I say? This is the end. But I hope it's not The End.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #42: Making Time and a Mykovnian Discovery

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This week I have been thinking deeply about my Otherworld, Mykovnia, and trying to make space in my schedule for a more focused hobby. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

612 Talking Numenera with Dave Aldridge

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This episode we are joined by my good Anchorite friend and fellow podcaster, Dave Aldridge of the dpercentile podcast. This episode claims a few firsts on Roleplay Rescue, being the first interview recorded using Zoom and also the first interview which is being shared in two parts. The focus of this first part is upon Dave’s experiences with Numenera and why he considers it a great game from which to learn a more freeform style of play. The second part, in which we discuss what Numenera has taught him as a GM, will be released on Dave’s own podcast, dpercentile. It is in the spirit of collaboration that we bring you this conversation that I think we both enjoyed sharing.

Many thanks to Dave for agreeing to do this with me!

dpercentile on Anchor.fm: anchor.fm/dave-aldridge

dpercentile on Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dpercentile/id1465464879

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #41: Back to School, Slowing, and Questioning Methodology

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This week is possibly the shortest episode ever: I have been busy returning to work and intent on slowing down. Hope you can make some sense of this one.

Thanks to Jason C for the call-in. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

611 Otherworld Immersion with Daniel Jones

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Daniel Jones is a self-confessed IT nerd and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog, musing on the Art of RPGs. He describes himself as an Idea-Tinkerer, sharing an interest in writing and philosophy with far more followers than I could dream of - probably because he’s a published novelist (aka Daniel Ionson). Daniel hails from forest-filled southern Indiana where he is working on his beloved Primaeval Fantasy RPG.

Many thanks to Daniel for agreeing to come and talk to me about Otherworld Immersion - a concept and phrase I fully intend to steal from him. Game on!

Eudaimonic Geekery blog: danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemon

Daniel Jones on Twitter: @primevalfantasy

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sat, 06 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This is the second in a new approach to interviews in which I aim to talk to roleplaying game activists about games that I am personally less familiar with. Joe Richter is perhaps best known for the Weal or Woe podcast, the world’s first unfiltered, real-play, Pathfinder Second Edition Playtest homebrew campaign, played around a real table of friends. He’s also the creator of the Hindsightless podcast and a regular caller to this show. Joe lives someplace windy and rainy up in America and he is prone to swearing. That said, he did avoid making this interview the first ever Roleplay Rescue to carry a warning notice. Huge thanks to Joe for coming on the show!

Weal or Woe: wealorwoe.com

Hindsightless: anchor.fm/joe-richter9

Pathfinder SRD (Free Rules): d20pfsrd.com

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #38 (Part 2): Prepping, Random Tables, and the Pulp-Cinematic Extreme

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This week had a lot of call-ins (which is great!) and a couple of longer segments which needed splitting over two parts. Thanks to Barry for the call-ins in this half of the episode. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #38 (Part 1): Call-ins, Cool Maps, Opening Rifts

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This week had a lot of call-ins (which is great!) and a couple of longer segments which needed splitting over two parts. Thanks to Barry, John, and Josh for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

608 Beginnings, Part 2: Playing Well

Sat, 30 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Hello Rescuers! This week we continue with the core mission of Roleplay Rescue: to encourage the lapsed tabletop roleplayer to come back to the table. This is the second episode in a sequence that I am calling “Beginnings”. I want to keep things short and practical, free from community calls and distractions. Following on from Part One, we recap the basic job of the Player and then extend a little further with some advice on how to play well - for the benefit of everyone at the table. I hope you find it useful.

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Answering the OSR Question

Thu, 28 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This episode is a bonus call-in show focused around the competition I ran in response to the call in from Daniel that we hear at the top of the show. I’ve had a nice bundle of answers from the Anchorite podcasting community and we’ve even managed to get Daniel to listen to them and judge the winner. On top of that, I wanted to drop in one or two message I’ve received in recent weeks - although there are far more to share than I have time for today. Thanks to Daniel for the question and being the Judge. Thanks to the competition callers: Jason, Menion, Spencer, Vance, and John.

Thanks also to the bonus callers: Jason, Andy G, Joe, and Derek - without all of you guys this episode would never have happened. Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #37: The GM Rant and the Big Book Clearout

Wed, 27 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This week I recorded my replies to two call-ins on the day of receipt and one of them got pretty intense as I slipped into a full on rant. Sorry, Jason. Thanks to Jason, Barry, and Evil Jeff for the call-ins. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

607 Tempting FATE with John Large

Sat, 23 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This is the first of a new approach to interviews in which I aim to talk to roleplaying game activists about games that I am personally less familiar with. John Alan Large is the brain behind Red Dice Diaries, the channel where he provides tips and advice for roleplaying, broadcasts games showing that advice in action, and highlights games that offer innovative mechanisms or assistance to the GM. Although John has uploaded more than 900 videos to YouTube over the past three years, my exposure to Red Dice Diaries came through his podcast of the same name and contributions to the Purple Worm podcast. In recent weeks, John has rebooted the podcast as RDD RPG and it was the first episode - talking his wife Hannah through running a Star Trek game using FATE - that inspired me to want a deeper chat.

Red Dice Diaries: reddicediaries.com

RDD RPG Podcast: rddrpgpodcast.buzzsprout.com/977239

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #36: Measuring Up, Monster Hunting, and the Power of Fear

Wed, 20 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This week was another toughy, so forgive the mentions of work and how that is screwing with my confidence. Thanks for listening. Game on!

Thanks to Jason, Goblin's Henchman, and Barry for the call-ins.

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

606 Playing Too Seriously With Jason Hobbs

Sat, 16 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This interview was recorded a little under a month ago and was LOADS of fun to record. Jason Hobbs is the Host and Creator of the Tabletop RPG podcast, Hobbs & Friends, and also host of his personal journal podcast, Random Screed. In addition to podcasting, he has started streaming his tabletop role-playing games on Twitch. He is famed for, among other games, his Kalmatta campaign and a recent foray into playing the RPG Low Fantasy Gaming in the Midlands setting. Hobbs is a regular convention gamer and an all-round good egg, hailing as he does from the American Mid-west. Listen in and see what you can learn about playing games way too seriously.

Hobbs & Friends: hobbsnfriends.com

Random Screed: anchor.fm/jason-hobbs

Upgrade the Gamerhood: gofundme.com/f/upgrade-the-gamerhood

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #35: Harn, Dolmenwood, and Stepping On Up

Wed, 13 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This past week was more positive and, although I was very busy grading for GCSE, I managed to find time to record a few segments. I've organised the episode broadly in time order, sprinkling in some excellent call-ins through the week. Thanks for listening. Game on!

Thanks to Jason, Menion, John, and ShandyAndy for the call-ins.

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community Callbacks

Sun, 10 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This episode is a bonus call-in show in which I am going to try and pack in as many messages as I can, seeking to hoover up and present the outpouring of interest and support that Roleplay Rescue has received in the six or so weeks since the UK went into pandemic lockdown. Lots of these will stand on their own but I will, on occasion I feel, have something to say in response. Many thanks to all the callers!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

605 Beginnings, Part 1: Creating Character

Sat, 09 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This week I want to get back to the core mission of Roleplay Rescue, namely to encourage the lapsed tabletop roleplaying gamer to come back to the table. The first step back to the table involves becoming a player. And to become a player, you need to create a character. This episode is all about the approaches you might take to do just that. Game on!

Thanks to Evil Jeff for "Adam's Rules of Gaming Etiquette" (1991).

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #34 (Part 2): Darkness Falls and Light Bursts Through

Thu, 07 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the average week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea.

In recent weeks, with the global Covid-19 pandemic placing all UK citizens under lockdown and forcing me to work from home, I’ve had more time to think and it’s easier to record those thoughts than ever. Consequently, there have been several weeks now with a double bill of the Dungeon Master’s Diary. I fear that it is too much for some listeners but… well, the call ins and comments on social media encourage me to keep going.

This past week was rough: be warned - my mind strayed to some dark places. But it wasn’t all bad and some significant positive developments are afoot. I just hope that by sharing the dark alongside the light, even when it is painfully personal, I can offer you something of goodness. Thanks for listening. Game on!

Thanks to Jason and Menion for the call-ins.

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #34 (Part 1): Darkness Approaches

Wed, 06 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the average week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea.

Thanks to Jason, ShandyAndy, and Josh B for the call-ins.

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

604 Adventures With Douglas Cole

Sat, 02 May 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This interview was recorded a little under a month ago, two days before the Steve Jackson interview, and was very much a joy to record. My guest is just about the most hard-working and consistent RPG writer I have ever known and he’s a genuine inspiration to me. Douglas H. Cole is the owner of Gaming Ballistic, the first licensed third-party publisher for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game and The Fantasy Trip, working in support of Steve Jackson Games’ popular roleplaying games. If there was one person on a Top 10 list of adventure writers I would like to talk to, this guy would be on it. Yes, he writes for GURPS but that’s not the essence of this interview. Listen in and see what you can learn about writing adventures.

Gaming Ballistic: gamingballistic.com

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #33 (Part 2): Death In Dolmenwood and Stealing Mystara

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Part 2 of this week's DM's Diary opens with a lovely call-in from John Large and then plunges into Dolmenwood. This was the week in which Friar Jaspar died and Pithwilder appropriated some magic items. From here, I pick up on my rant about stealing worlds and turn my eyes on Mystara. As ever, it's a rough-and-tumble affair. You have been warned! Enjoy!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #33 (Part 1): Hyboria, Stealing Maps, and Prepping Dolmenwood

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Another mad week of home-working in which I had limited time for actually DOING any hobby but far too many ideas floating around my head. There are some ranting moments in here, so please excuse the passion. Thanks for the call-ins to Jason, Menion, and John Large. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simulation Callbacks and The OSR Question

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

This episode is a bonus call-in show focused around the initial reactions I got to Episode 2, “Why do you play what you play?” I have had a truck-ton of lovely call-ins throughout the last 2 weeks since Season 6 started airing. Although I will share those calls over time, I wanted to address one or two issues that arose from the content of Episode 2. It seems that while some folk have commented - both here and through social media - that it was a valuable episode, not everyone is entirely comfortable with what I said. Here's me responding to those call-ins about Simulation and Abstraction in gaming received so far. To cap it all off, I hope to find time to briefly respond to the question that I have been dreading for 5 seasons of the show. Oh, and there's a competition too. Are you ready? Come on down.

Ron Edwards' quotation from here: indie-rpgs.com/articles/3/

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

603 Talking The Traditional Game With Griff

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

About a month ago, I was fiddling around on Twitter when I got into a tweet-chat with Griff, one of the creative team behind The Secrets of Blackmoor, a film that takes you into the True History Behind Dungeons & Dragons. Very quickly, we decided to hop onto Skype and have a chat. Although I am a big fan of the film, I didn’t want to talk about that and asked Griff if we could talk about what he terms, “The Traditional Game”. Thank you to Griff for agreeing to have that chat!

This Skype conversation was edited by the wonderfully talented and generous hand of Frank L. Turfler, Jnr, the man behind Middle Kingdoms Publishing and the excellent maps available on his Patreon. Big thank you to Frank for saving me hours of editing!

Secrets of Blackmoor Movie: secretsofblackmoor.com

Frank's Patreon: patreon.com/frankt

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #32 (Part 2): Creative Traps and GURPS Adventures

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Second part of this week's DM's Diary - again a big, busy week because I was on holiday from school over the Easter break. This bit covers from last Wednesday until the weekend. As ever, it's raw and messy so enter at your own risk. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #32 (Part 1): Dolmenwood, Death Test, and Closing Thaarl

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

First part of this week's DM's Diary - again a big, busy week because I was on holiday from school over the Easter break. This bit covers through to Tuesday and the next bit will go from there until the weekend. As ever, it's raw and messy so enter at your own risk. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking GURPS With Dr. Kromm

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

At the tail end of Season 5, I invited listeners to help hit the 30-Patron Goal on Patreon and offered, as a reward, to approach and invite a Tabletop Roleplaying Luminary onto the show for an interview. We are incredibly blessed today to have a second such interview: following on from last week’s interview with Steve Jackson, I was basically greedy enough to ask for permission to speak to the GURPS Line Editor as well. Without any hesitation, both Steve and Sean said yes… and so here we are.

Manys thanks to Sean Punch - it was a great honour and a lot of fun!

Steve Jackson Games: sjgames.com

Find out more about GURPS: sjgames.com/gurps

Get the free GURPS Lite rules: warehouse23.com/products/gurps-lite-fourth-edition

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

602 Why Do You Play What You Play?

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

In January 2020, I had a call in from the legendary podcaster and game designer, Ray Otus, of Plundergrounds fame. It was in response to an episode I had made about the Eight Engagements of games. He made a mention of wondering how the Eight Engagements connected to the idea of Simulationism. Just a couple of weeks ago, Spencer from Keep Off The Borderlands podcast, called in with a response to some comments I made about abstraction in gaming and also asked for a response. In this episode, I try to answer both of these call-ins... and, as I did so, I realised that they were tied together through the question that titles this episode: Why do you play what you play?

Many thanks to Ray and Spencer for their inspirational call-ins. Game on!

Plundergrounds: anchor.fm/plundergrounds

Keep Off The Borderlands: anchor.fm/free-thrall

GNS Theory by Ron Edwards: indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/

Ron Edwards Interview: anchor.fm/andy-goodman8/episodes/129-Ron-Edwards-interview-ebja60

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #31 (Part 2): The Fantastic Isles, AD&D2e, and Fantasy Flavours

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. The DM’s Diary is raw, glaringly personal, and not for the faint-hearted. Here's the second part of the first Dungeon Master's Diary of Season 6. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #31 (Part 1): Holiday, Listlessness, and a Parcel Arrives

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary is the Wednesday bonus episode and features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. The DM’s Diary is raw, glaringly personal, and not for the faint-hearted. Here's the first part of the first Dungeon Master's Diary of Season 6. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Talking To Steve Jackson

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

At the tail end of Season 5, I invited listeners to help hit the 30-Patron Goal on Patreon and offered, as a reward, to approach and invite a Tabletop Roleplaying Luminary onto the show for an interview. Today's guest is Steve Jackson, the founder and President of Steve Jackson Games, who was the first and loudest request from the Patrons. Well-known games he created include OGRE, The Fantasy Trip, Car Wars, GURPS, and Munchkin. Steve Jackson Games is now 40 years old but its founder remains a dedicated SF reader and fan, and enjoys attending both gaming and SF conventions.

Manys thanks to Steve Jackson - it was a genuine honour!

Steve Jackson Games: sjgames.com

Melee (free .PDF): warehouse23.com/products/SJG30-3452

The Book of Unlife & Red Crypt Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/warehouse23/the-fantasy-trip-the-book-of-unlife-and-red-crypt

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

601 Back To The Mic

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Roleplay Rescue Season 6 goes off half-cocked as I get back to the mic. In the face of the Covid-19 lock-down, not only here in the UK but across the world, I've decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, stop making excuses for not being creative, and put something out. This episode contains lots of call-ins from listeners, a brief outline of the plan for Season 6, mention of what's been happening over the past couple of weeks, and even some news from the Patreon. Hope there's something of use for all of you in there. Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

With apologies to Brian May.

Contact Details:

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Today’s episode arose from another one of those moments in which I couldn’t keep the passion of the topic inside any longer. It was also triggered by some pretty disparate experiences in my own gaming coalescing into a moment of clarity. Thus, although I am hoping that clarity can be transmitted during this episode, you’ll have to be the judge on whether I manage to pull it off.

Thanks to all the callers in this episode: Jason C, Goblin's Henchman, and Rui Lourenco - great stuff and please keep 'em coming!

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dungeon Master's Diary #29: More Maps, Descriptions, and Club Victories

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This one's a treasure-trove of lovely call-ins mixed with the usual snippets from the DM's Diary. As ever, it's unashamedly personal, raw, and poorly edited. Massive thanks to the callers - Spencer, Colin, Lieren, Jason, and Andy! It's a good-un!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

520 Back To The Fifth Edition

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This week’s episode is about my sudden return to the Fifth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons and the profound impact this has had on me over the past week and a half. I also want to take the time to share a whole bunch of great call-ins that I’ve received, most of which are in praise of episode 518 in which Andy Goodman and I shared a deep conversation about the Fear and Freedom of Improvisation. I'm not entirely sure if this makes a whole bunch of sense but there you go. Game on!

Thanks to Spikepit, Evil Jeff, Jason C, Lieren, Menion, and FreeThrall for the call-ins!

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Dungeon Master's Diary #28: School, Getting D&D Out There, and a Dolmenwood Update

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This week is an unusually energetic blast through my thoughts on narrative, description, what happened at the school club, D&D5e, what's going on in my Traveller gaming, and how Dolmenwood is going. As usual, it's a raw and largely unedited collection of random thoughts collected through the week and assembled into a rough diary. Take from it what you will - but it's pretty candid and personal, you have been warned!

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519 The Referee's Basic Toolkit

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This week I’ve been thinking an awful lot about what it means to be a Referee - or Game Master, Dungeon Master, Storyteller, whatever - running your own game. With our theme of getting back to the table firmly in mind, I sat down to jot out a list of the key Referee Tools that I would seek to bring to the table for almost any game I run. I am not necessarily good at remembering to assemble these items, but I do strongly feel like they help me to run a positive session for my friends - both face-to-face and online. I thought it might be interesting to share those notes with you and invite anyone with additional things they use to call in to let me know.

Big thanks to Andy Goodman and Barry Dewey-Robertson for their barrage of great call-ins! Keep 'em coming, folks!

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Dungeon Master's Diary #27: A Week Spent Travelling Alone

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This week was half-term for me and I was off work with my wife. We spent a fair bit of time zipping out to nice places and in-between I got to do some travelling myself. Alone. Fabulous call-ins included. Many thanks to Andy Goodman, Goblin's Henchman, Rob C, and Menion for taking the time to shoot me a message. Game on!

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518 The Fear And Freedom Of Improvisation With Andy Goodman

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Following on from recent thoughts on questions surrounding the role of story and narrative in tabletop roleplaying games, I hopped online to chat with fellow Anchor podcaster, Andy Goodman from Expedition to The Grizzley Peaks. We had a fairly unstructured natter about the role of emergent play, improvisation, and prepared narrative structure in gaming. It was a very illuminating conversation.

Thanks to the call-in callers: Jason, Mr Henchman, and Rui - you are amazing and I am, as ever, deeply grateful for your thoughts.

Especial thanks to Frank T for editing this interview and saving me the embarrassment of not having an episode this week. Thank you!

Andy Goodman's podcast: anchor.fm/andy-goodman8

Frank T's Patreon: patreon.com/FrankT

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Dungeon Master's Diary #26: News From Thaarl, Dolmenwood, and Traveller

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This was the week I ran my first-ever game of Old-School Essentials in Dolmenwood. Call-ins from Jason, ShandyAndy, and Menion kick us off and then we dive through the past week's DM's Diary entries. It all culminates in the outcomes from Dolmenwood and a new project for Traveller entering my consciousness. Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering.

Enter at your own risk! Game on!

Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials

Learning How To Play Traveller blog post: roleplayrescue.com/2020/02/16/learning-how-to-play-traveller

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Dungeon Master's Diary #25: Zines, Maps, and Thaarlian Musings

Sun, 16 Feb 2020 06:30:00 GMT

Catching up on my DM's Diary, this episode brings you through to about the turn of the month in February 2020. Lovely call-ins from Goblin's Henchman, John Alan Large, Josh Beckelhimer, and Menion aka Rob. Thanks to all of them!

Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering. Enter at your own risk! Game on!

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517 What If It's Not About Storytelling?

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

What if roleplaying games aren’t about storytelling? What if we stop thinking about our games as collaborative attempts to create coherent narratives? What if, after all, we consider that RPGs are - at their roots - actually just games?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the assumptions that we tend to have about roleplaying games. There is one particular oft-repeated phrase that has long niggled at me and which, if I am honest, I am not entirely sure is true. Or, at least, I don’t think it HAS to be true. I think it might be true only if we want it to be. You’ve heard it said, I am sure: “Roleplaying games are a form of collaborative storytelling.”

Thanks to all the callers in this episode: George, Rob, Rui, and Josh. This feedback and sharing of thoughts is what makes Roleplay Rescue and Anchor podcasts generally compelling. Thank you!

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Dungeon Master's Diary #24: Satanic Responses and OSE Impressions

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This has been a tough week with a lot going on. I've been essentially bed-bound for several days, but I have had a lot of time to read and think in the hours during which I wasn't asleep. There is a kind of wondrous freedom in that, despite the fact that I can skant remember a time when I have been more ill. Well, that seems to be coming to an end. I am grateful for my immune system and the wisdom of my doctor.

This episode focuses on just a handful of the wonderful call-ins made because I also wanted to share the somewhat rambling initial impressions I have formed around Old-School Essentials as a game. Thanks to Jason Connerley, John Alan Large, and Conrad Kinch for their generous words and comments. Two of those are first-time callers and, as ever, I deeply appreciate the time taken to make the calls. Thank you all.

Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering. Enter at your own risk! Game on!

Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials

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516 The Beckelhimer Testimony & Other Thoughts

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This is a very special and yet highly experimental episode: Josh Beckelhimer, from JB Publishing, emailed in an extended audio response to Dungeon Master's Diary #22. At the end of that episode, I had asked for help in relation to Sword & Wizardry as a game system and Josh responded. It's a heartfelt and, frankly, amazing testimony to the S&W game system and its designer, Matt Finch. I felt I had to share it because it sits at the heart of what Roleplay Rescue stands for. Thanks to Josh... and many thanks to Arlen Walker, Frank Turfler Jnr, Jason Connerley, Ray Otus, Rui Lourenco, and ShandyAndy for the ton of call-ins in this episode because, without you guys, there really wouldn't have been a show this weekend. Game on!

JB Publishing podcast: anchor.fm/jbpublishing

JB Publishing blog: fantasticalbeckelhimer.blogspot.com

Swords & Wizardry Complete (the .PDF is free): froggodgames.com/product/swords-wizardry-complete-rulebook

Swords & Wizardry Boxed Set Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/swords-and-wizardry-limited-and-collectors-edition-box-sets

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Dungeon Master's Diary #23: Into Dolmenwood With Old School Essentials

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Everything has changed inside about 40 hours or so. Hear my reaction to Gavin Norman's invitation to playtest the Dolmenwood Player's Guide, how this has catalysed a whole host of insights and emotions, and what I have decided to do. This is either one of the biggest breakthroughs in my gaming or the most rash decision from the World's Flakiest Dungeon Master. Time will tell. Be warned - this is very raw, very emotional, and very much off the cuff. Thanks also to the wondrous Barney (Loco Ludus), Jason (Nerd's RPG Variety Cast), and Joe (Hindsightless) for the call-ins. Game on!

Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials

Dolmenwood: necroticgnome.com/collections/dolmenwood

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

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Dungeon Master's Diary #22: Illness, Low-fantasy, and Swords & Wizardry

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This week has been foul: the UK exited the European Union, I went down with a nasty bout of a flu-like illness, and I had a lot of time to think. Is it time to finally transcend my current hobby expectations and try Swords & Wizardry? You tell me. Game on!

Thanks to Frank T and Andy G for the call-ins!

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515 Using RPGs In Education With Dave Aldridge

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This one's a rather fabulous chat I had with fellow Anchorite podcaster, Dave Aldridge about the issues around using RPGs in education. He's a lecturer at a prestigious British university and I'm a classroom teacher in a mainstream UK high school. It seems Dave has some misgivings about using RPGs in the educational setting which led me to engage him in a deeper conversation about those issues. It's a deep, philosophical, and ever-so-slightly technical chat and I sincerely hope we managed to maintain an accessible level of educational jargon. I hope you find it useful.

Thanks must go to the fantastic call-ins from Cory, Rui, and Andy G that lead the show - skip to about 10 minutes in if you want to avoid those.

Especial thanks to Frank T for editing this interview and saving me the embarrassment of not having an episode this week. Thank you!

Frank T's Patreon: patreon.com/FrankT

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Dungeon Master's Diary #21: Sci-Fi Missions and Satanic Accusations

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

This was the week in which I prepped for the Traveller "High and Dry" scenario, talked to the school club kids about one-shots, figured out how I would run a science-fiction Open Table, and found out that the Satanic Panic is back. It's an emotional roller-coaster made all the better by call-ins from ShandyAndy, Jason Connerley, and Colin Spikepit. Enter at your own risk! Game on.

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514 Structures, Modules, and Finding Groups

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Three major call-ins from three top Rescuers allow me to talk you through three very neat ideas. What's a Game Structure and why should you care? Can you run a module on the fly? How can we find non-5e gamers in an age of D&D5e? All worthy questions tackled off-the-cuff and (hopefully) with good humour. It must be another episode of Roleplay Rescue. Game on!

The Alexandrian on Game Structures: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures

Many thanks to Andy Goodman, Joe Richter, and Rui Lourenco for their call-ins... and also to ShandyAndy for his. Enjoy!

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Dungeon Master's Diary #20: Prep Anxiety, Mutants, and Burning Out

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Another collection of top-notch call-ins followed by my rough and ready DM's Diary entries. Thanks to all of the callers! As ever, you guys make my show better. This one has had one entry removed due to time and you can find it over on my Patreon very soon. I hope you find something useful and thanks for taking the time to listen to my ramblings. Game on!

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513 Roleplayer vs Rollplayer

Sat, 18 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Catching up on a host of great call-ins makes this episode slightly longer than I usually prefer... but it's good stuff from the community and definitely overdue. Following the first 15 mins or so of call-ins, I dive into a discussion around the question of whether it's better to be a Roleplayer or a Rollplayer. I've being hearing this dichotomy talked about in several places lately, so I decided to chip in my two-penneth on the question. I hope you find it useful... or, at the very least, interesting.

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Dungeon Master's Diary #19: Beyond The Iron Door

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Squeezing in as many of the fantastic call-in that I can within my self-imposed 25-35 minute episode length, there are still more to come. Thanks to everyone who called in and sorry that my responses are a little brief. This episode I go back to work, get snubbed by teenagers, delve into Star Trek Adventures, and we find out what lay beyond The Iron Door in Thaarl. Game on!

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512 Talking Old School Essentials With Gavin Norman

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Brilliant interview with Necrotic Gnome's Gavin Norman, the creator of the Old School Essentials RPG! This one has some announcements about projects coming through 2020 and there's a major scoop about the "big project" of the year. If you want to skip to the "what's next" question, you'll find that at about 34:33. Massive thanks to Gavin for giving me an hour and sharing the latest in the world of OSE. Game on!

Necrotic Gnome: necroticgnome.com

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Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:45:00 GMT

This one's unashamedly personal and open. I have begun to come to terms with a sense of being wrong about the roleplaying hobby and decided to tackle that sense of wrongness with some experimentation. This is probably one of those "important moments" which, in actual fact, was probably facilitated by my awareness of you guys out there listening. Without you guys, I doubt I would have grasped this one and begun to move through it. Just be warned: this one's pretty rambling.

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Dungeon Master's Diary #15: Regrets, Realisations, and Expectations

Sun, 29 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Last one for 2019, folks. This is another one of my rough and raw collections of random gamer musings. You should listen with caution and understand that the Diary is very personal, something not for the faint hearted. In this episode, there's a lovely call-in from Jason and then me bumbling about in the run-up to Christmas Eve. Game on!

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510 Put The Players First

Sat, 28 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

I want to begin an ongoing discussion about getting started with tabletop roleplaying games by talking about some things you definitely should NOT do - even though I and most other GMs almost always seem to do them - if you want to get a good game going. Because I am a teacher - someone who knows that the human brain tends to ignore negative instructions - I am going to turn those negative statements around and state them as positives - things to do. I hope you’ll bear with me and consider my points fairly. Game on!

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Dungeon Master's Diary #14: Pathfinder 2, Why More RPGs, and Travelling

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Merry Christmas to everyone! As we close in on the Western celebration of the Nativity, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported and listened to the show in 2019 - thank you! On top, you can hear Frank T's call-in about Monster Manuals. Then we dive into my exploration of Pathfinder 2e, a lot of musing about why I buy and read RPGs, and finishing with a Traveller proposal. As ever, it's a collection of my weekly audio diary entries - be warned: this is raw and rough. Game on!

Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

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Dungeon Master's Diary #13: Into Thaarl and Down a Sidetrack

Sun, 22 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Gribsnak grabs the mic. An email about GM Accreditation from Luderati. Call-in from Evil Jeff. Reports from Thaarl. Unboxing some boxes. Oh, and running down a side-track. As ever, this is raw and unedited journalling from my personal RPG hobby. Listen with caution!

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509 Eight Types of Fun

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

A bunch of call-ins which inspired me, a long reading from one of my favourite RPG gaming books, and a dollop of my random musings makes this episodes a wild mash-up of ideas... and I am desperately hoping it hangs together. This one's unscripted, not very well thought-through, and unapologetically all I've got this week. Hope you find something useful in here. Game on!

The Angry GM's book: theangrygm.com/gameangry

Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

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Dungeon Master's Diary #12: Delving Thaarl

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Three very welcome call-ins from the community to lead us into the diary of the week past. This was the week in which work got VERY intense, the UK had a General Election, and I almost lost my mind. Salvation came in the form of a Saturday night online game in the Dungeons of Thaarl. Once again, it's me warbling on - rough, largely unedited, and very candid. Listen at your peril!

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508 Revisiting The Open Table

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Tim Shorts is responsible for this one: he laid down a challenge to the Anchorites to revisit an episode from December 2018 and allow it to inspire a retrospective... so, here's mine. I've gone back and listened to Ep103, "On Rediscovery & Roots" from Season 1. This episode revisits the recipe for an Open Table game that I talked about last year, updates you on the journey I've been on throughout the year, and ends with a pledge to re-open my gaming tables once again. Along the way, there's call-ins from fellow podcasters seeded in to add some further thought-provocation. Here's hoping you enjoy the show! Game on!

Old School Essentials (OSE): necroticgnome.com

OSE Freebie Basic Edition (free): drivethrurpg.com/product/272802/OldSchool-Essentials-Basic-Rules

Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

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Sat, 30 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

This week I want to revisit a few thoughts on how to make a start in coming back to the roleplaying game table. I also wanted to do something that I believe is a first for Roleplay Rescue - to build an episode almost entirely around the call-ins that I have received following last Saturday’s very popular episode 505, "Never Go Back?"

It seems fitting that we periodically revisit the core questions that come up anytime I am talking to a lapsed gamer about coming back to the gaming table. This time, instead of my somewhat limited viewpoint, I am delighted to be able to share some thoughts from a cool array of podcasters and listeners, all of whom have been generous enough to pick up their phones and make a call. I reckon many of these comments work quite well for newbies to the entire roleplaying game shebang too, so you get a fair bit of bang for your buck.

Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Crooked Staff Publishing 2.5D .PDFs: drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3785/Crooked-Staff-Publishing/subcategory/6576_29751/Print--Paste

Crooked Staff Terrain: youtube.com/channel/UC1cnHiqtsuMk9NwJNj8SmpA

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Bonus: GURPS Quick Start Actual Play

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

This episode features about 20 minutes of Friday Night's session in which Andy, Dave, and myself sat down to play a one-off Dungeons of Thaarl game using my cobbled together quick start "Naked GURPS" approach for beginning a dungeon fantasy type game. It's raw and unedited. There's loads of background noises. But, overall, I hope that it gives anyone curious about the stuff I talked about in DM's Diary #8 an insight into that session and approach. Hope it's of value! Game on!

Music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

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Dungeon Master's Diary #8 feat. Mrs W.

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Had a couple of really good call-ins this week in response to DM Diary #7 - thank you, sincerely, to those callers! Given that these calls and the replies plus entries over the past two days were enough to (over)fill another episode, I felt it was best to release this one quickly. There's a nice cameo from my wife, Mrs W, in which she shares her commentary on collecting RPGs. Hope you enjoy!

Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Keep Off The Borderlands: anchor.fm/free-thrall

dPercentile: anchor.fm/dave-aldridge

Squarehex Pre-Printed 2.5D Dungeon Tiles: squarehex.myshopify.com/collections/accessories/products/2-5d-dungeon-starter-kit

Crooked Staff Publishing 2.5D .PDFs: drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3785/Crooked-Staff-Publishing/subcategory/6576_29751/Print--Paste

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505 Never Go Back?

Sat, 23 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Why do people give up their hobbies? Should you ever go back? Is trying to recapture the past simply a big mistake? This episode is having a think about the phenomenon of giving up hobbies and the value of reclaiming them years later. As I think I’ve said before, my biggest bugbear is seeing people give up playing tabletop roleplaying games and never quite returning to the table. Is there anything we can do to help?

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

D&D Basic (free): dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules?x=dnd/basicrules

Excerpts included are from episodes 104 (Gavin Norman), 205 (Mike Mason), and 306 (Janet Forbes).

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Dungeon Master's Diary #7 feat. Old School Essentials

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Mid-way through the week and I've already racked-up a whole 25 minutes or so of DM's Diary content. I thought I'd better kick it out and share it before tomorrow's work day eats my energy and the weekend looms. As ever, this is my unedited audio diary and the quality varies wildly... not to mention, it's unashamedly personal - you have been warned! Oh, and there's a rather weird tale about my Old School Essentials Black Box too.Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJDContact Details:Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.comPatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescueMeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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Dungeon Master's Diary #6

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Forced myself to edit together this week's episode. Not feeling good after a very rough work week and missing this last weekend's online game. :-(

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504 Talking With Jason Connerley

Sat, 16 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Jason Connerley is the voice behind the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast podcast and a regular caller to several Anchorite shows, including this one. Jason started gaming around 1983 with the "Dungeon!" board game by David Megarry. His first RPGs were the Mentzer Red Box D&D Basic set and the original TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG. Hailing from Virginia, USA, he’s a family man and, judging from the background noise during his call-ins, the owner of some awesome dogs who are almost as famous as he is. He’s one of the most self-effacing voices in the pod-o-sphere and I am delighted to be able to have a chat with him today.

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Nerd's RPG Variety Cast: anchor.fm/jason376

The Angry GM, Eight Kinds of Fun: theangrygm.com/gaming-for-fun-part-1-eight-kinds-of-fun

MDA Game Theory: cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf

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Dungeon Master's Diary #5

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Remember: Dungeon Master's Diary is my unashamedly personal and raw recorded audio diary entries mashed up to create a rough outline of what's going on in my gaming head. Listen at your peril! That said, there's some GREAT call-ins in this one... especially the one from Goblin's Henchman! Game on!

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Bonus: The GURPS Conversation

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Remember when Frank T called in and suggested we work on our own version of GURPS Ultralite? This is the audio conversation - back and forth - that we had a few weeks back and which led to a whole raft of further writing, thinking, and chatting. Not sure it's of interest to everyone, so I'm sticking it out as a bonus episode. Enjoy!

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Frank T's Liner Notes: anchor.fm/frankt

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503 Three Voices: Why Do People Play Games?

Sat, 09 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Diving head first into an experimental approach which seeks to open up discussion around some pretty big questions that relate to our tabletop roleplaying game passion. Today’s question was chosen simply by way of piloting the format. We are hoping that listeners will call in and suggest new and better questions for our panel to answer. What’s that, I hear you ask, a panel? Yes, today I want to begin what we hope will become a once per month episode featuring three different voices answering the same big question. The panel consists of Frank Turfler from Frank T.’s Liner Notes, Paris Conte - formerly of the Wild Die Podcast, and myself. Game on!

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Paris’ Interview on Gaming With Gage: sgadpod.com/gamingwithgage/2019/9/2/paris-conte

Frank T's Liner Notes: anchor.fm/frankt

The Angry GM, Eight Kinds of Fun: theangrygm.com/gaming-for-fun-part-1-eight-kinds-of-fun

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Dungeon Master's Diary #4

Sun, 03 Nov 2019 11:00:00 GMT

My week has been all over the place and this DM's Diary is a little shorter than usual. Hear my initial thoughts on the second session of the Friday Night Game plus a lengthy fessing-up on my beliefs and feelings around magic. I also (rather cheekily) include a recording from a visit to the Royal Armouries in Leeds in which we hear the final confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing... sort of. As ever, this is my personal Dungeon Mastering Diary and roughly recorded, badly edited, and very raw. You have been warned!

Many thanks to Mike and Rich from the Royal Armouries at Leeds: royalarmouries.org

Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

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502 Talking GURPS With Douglas Cole

Sat, 02 Nov 2019 03:00:00 GMT

First of a couple of interviews I've managed to record over the past week or so, this one with Doug Cole of Gaming Ballistic is on the topic of why GURPS is a game worth looking at and what the Dungeon Fantasy RPG offers the curious onlooker. Doug creates licensed products for both the DFRPG and The Fantasy Trip, giving us an excellent insight into the world of gaming with 3d6 that is hard to get from the outside. Many thanks to Doug for coming back for a second chat! Oh, and big thanks to Spencer (aka Free Thrall) for the rather... interesting call-in that leads the episode.

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Douglas Cole's Gaming Ballistic: gamingballistic.com

Steve Jackson Games' GURPS: sjgames.com/gurps

Dungeon Fantasy RPG: sjgames.com/dungeonfantasy

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Dungeon Master's Diary #3

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 14:00:00 GMT

It's been a busy week - first week of half-term for me, away from work - and I've been dropping diary entries daily. Some nice call-ins from some good people in here too. Thanks to Frank T, Jason, and ShandyAndy for the messages! Enjoy!

Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

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501 The Infinite Game

Sat, 26 Oct 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Bit of a weird one but inspired by Simon Sinek's latest book, "The Infinite Game" (which is totally NOT about gaming), I was feeling inspired. Actually, a call-in from Paul Stoneman nudged this along and I couldn't suppress the topic any longer. Sometimes the thoughts bubble up from my unconscious and scream to be heard. Hope you find it useful.

Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

Simon Sinek's stuff: simonsinek.com

The Secrets of Blackmoor documentary: secretsofblackmoor.com

Jon Peterson's "Playing At The World" on Amazon: amazon.co.uk/Playing-World-Simulating-Adventures-Role-Playing/dp/0615642047

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Dungeon Master's Diary #2

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Two episodes on one week? Yes! The Dungeon Master's Diary returns with a fabulous call-in from Frank T, news on some online gaming, and my initial reaction to listening back to the Friday night session. I've also got a couple of questions for Patrons in there. Oh, and we open with something special from TJ Drennan - could it get any better? (Probably.)

Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

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Dungeon Master's Diary #1

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 02:00:00 GMT

The Dungeon Master's Diary is born! Fans of the old GM's Journal will, I hope, be pleased to know that I aim to continue sharing my personal audio diary. I’m re-branding it as the Dungeon Master’s Diary - DM’s Diary for short - because I’m a fantasy roleplayer right now and also because I love that old terminology: I am the Dungeon Master. At least, I am around here. DM’s Diary will always be pretty much an uncut, roughly edited mess hashed together in a hurry. It’ll also be honest and include some serious ups and downs. I warn you now, listen to the DM’s Diary at your own risk!

Dear Diary Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJD

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500 Motivation, Looking Back, and Looking Forward

Sat, 19 Oct 2019 12:25:53 GMT

Roleplay Rescue is back! This podcast is about rediscovering your lost tabletop roleplaying game hobby. If you’re gamer who has wandered away from gaming, welcome to the community. I hope you’ll find something to help you get back to the table. If you’re an active gamer, someone who has played in the last 30 days, welcome to you too - perhaps you can support those of us who are struggling and share in our journey too. This episode, I want to do two things: I want to talk about the birth and genesis of Season 5. I also want to restate the purpose of our podcast. This is Season Five, Episode Zero.Rescue Theme Song and all incidental music by TJ Drennan: patreon.com/TJDNoom App: noom.comContact Details:Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.comPatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescueMeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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Bonus: GM's Journal 12-10-19

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:12:47 GMT

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 02:00:00 GMT

After what has been a really horrid week, I've sat down and recorded Part 2 of the Simple Dungeoneering mini-series I started last week. How can we keep things simple and yet also create an experience that satisfies for a solid evening of play? Hopefully there's something in there for everyone - lots of stellar call-ins, some half-lucid thoughts from me, and the odd moment of inspiration. Enjoy!

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417 GM's Journal 21-09-19 feat. #OBaWS

Sun, 22 Sep 2019 19:00:00 GMT

It's Wednesday come early! A tighter episode focused on my attendance at The Owlbear and Wizard's Staff convention in Leamington Spa on the 21st September. This episide contains all my usual GM Journal entries but then lurches into an audio journal of the day at OBaWS. If you just want the Owlbear stuff, that starts at around 9 mins and 50 secs. Massive thanks to all the contributors. Captain Martinez's log entry performed by GeekGirlBookWorm, Anjuli Clayden - especial thank you to her! Bonus and BIG thanks to the organisers at the show for allowing me to record my blitherings unsupervised. Game on!

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416 Simple Dungeoneering, Part One

Sat, 21 Sep 2019 02:00:00 GMT

What does it take to set up, from scratch, a fantasy dungeon-based roleplaying campaign? Let’s see if we can get playing a simple fantasy adventure game. How can we keep things simple and yet also create an experience that satisfies for a solid evening of play. What’s the design process that we’d need to go through? I’d like to posit using a simple set of rules that I’ve been tinkering and experimenting with, on and off, since June. This episode is a bit different to my usual Saturday fare. I hope you find something useful within. Game on!

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415 GM's Journal 14-09-19

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Further call-ins on the question of sleep deprivation - some classic stuff! My week laid bare once again, the harried GM who seems to have had plenty to smile about in spite of the intensity of work. Many thanks to all the callers and to you, the listener, for tuning in. Game on!

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Wed, 04 Sep 2019 02:00:00 GMT

It's time for another rambling collection of my personal Game Master Journal entries. What makes the episode are the call-ins from Jason and Free Thrall - thanks, chaps! Hope you find something of interest in among the ups and downs of my week. One word of warning: it is, as ever, a raw and largely unedited mash of audio burblings. Make of it what you will!

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410 Going Mythic

Sat, 31 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Following on from "Delving Deeper Solo", I got a bunch of call-ins and a set of very specific questions from Frank T. In response, the only reasonable thing to do was to record a follow-up episode. This week, I delve into the Mythic Roleplaying rulebook and do a review of the stuff you'll find inside. You also get my candid thoughts on various elements and why most people will probably prefer to grab the Mythic GM Emulator instead. I hope you find it useful!

Here’s a link to the Word Mill Games bit on DriveThru: drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/480/Word-Mill

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Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

With around 15 minutes of call-ins and replies, this episode has grown much longer than I expected. There's a ropey section in the middle, and which I almost cut, where I was recording myself developing some solo play ideas using the Story Forge deck. Left it in because I am trying to resist the self-editing, highly-judgemental part of my personality so that my subconsciousness feels less inhibited. More lucid thoughts later in the episode, I felt. Nonetheless, here it is... warts 'n' all. Game on!

Solo Reports on my blog start here: Toward Further Solo Adventuring

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406 Energy At The Table

Sat, 17 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This episode was totally inspired by a call-in from the mighty Pure Mongrel this morning. Picture the scene: You wake up at 4.45am, get yourself a cuppa, and then you notice that there’s a message from one of your Patrons. And, wow, it’s a doozy of a message. This started out as a recorded reply but I ditched that pretty quickly as the whole thing escalated. I hope that the episode is more than a reply and more of a general take on the big question of how to set expectations at the table. Enjoy!

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405 GM's Journal 10-08-19

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Here's another Journal episode! Complaints about the noise have led to a re-editing of the opening theme. There's a bucket load of call-ins from the coolest listeners anyone could have, as well as a bundle of journal entries largely recorded while I visited my parent's home in Norwich. As ever, I hope it has something of interest to you and thanks again for taking the time to listen. Game on!

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404 Talking Random Tables With Dave Aldridge

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, I started listening to Dave's dpercentile podcast - albeit I was VERY late to the party - and in episode 3, he spoke about the value of GMs using random table to prep. Inspired by this episode, I contacted Dave and arranged to chat more about this topic and explore the value of random tables for the returning gamer. Although there were technical problems, we managed to have a fascinating conversation that I couldn't resist sharing with you all. Enjoy!

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403 GM's Journal 03-08-19

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

It's that time of the week when I release the mumbled Journal logs from the week before. With call-ins from Tim Shorts of Gothridge Manor and the enigmatic RFED, this is a generally upbeat and active episode. As ever, it's recorded here and there on my iPhone, all of it is off-the-cuff, and it's pretty candid stuff. Listen at your peril! Game on!

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402 Return of The Flaky GM

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Here's the first Saturday release episode of the 4th Season! Hear me ramble on about what I've learned over the past 6 months, ever since the release of the original, "Curse of The Flaky GM" episode in late January. This one's a tour of the key learning points along the way. I also touch on how much the podcast has influenced my thought and why your support means the world to me. Here goes for another Season of Roleplay Rescue!

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401 GM's Journal 27-07-19

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

First of the Season 4 entries to the Game Master's Journal. This one has some upbeat moments but there is a dark ending that I am not so proud of... I really allowed my irritation and moodiness to get the better of me this week. Sorry about that. Still, you did want the warts and all, right? Game on!Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.com

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Bonus: GM's Journal 20-07-19

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This is a catch-up bonus for those who enjoy the GM's Journal and missed the episodes I released to Patrons during the weeks between Season 3 and Season 4. This one's an excellent demonstration of how flaky I can be as a GM. I threw in the call-ins I'd received too - thank you to everyone who did that - but as this is a rush job, I didn't get a chance to respond on air. Suffice it to say the calls were much appreciated and speak for themselves.

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Bonus: GM's Journal 13-07-19

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This is a catch-up bonus for those who enjoy the GM's Journal and missed the episodes I released to Patrons during the weeks between Season 3 and Season 4. If you're following the Journal, this one's important because it brings you through some of the largest moments of my roleplaying experience in recent years. Hopefully you'll enjoy it!

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400 The Season 4 Trailer

Sat, 27 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Well, the summer holiday break from school has arrived and I have decided to get back behind the mic - despite the 35C temperatures that have left me totally sleep-deprived for two days!This is a warm-up trailer in which I re-introduce the show to new listeners, outline some small changes to the show format, lay out the rough plan for Season Four, and thank the three newest Patrons! Show Contact Details:Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/messageEmail: hello@rpgrescue.comMeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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312 Being Top Of Your Game

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Today I want to take a look at the stories we tell ourselves and the dialogue we have with others. I want to explore whether its possible to overcome the general sense that I frequently have of being just a little bit crap at gaming. To help, we’re going to take a dive into the psychology of experience and see how many points we can pick up. In this final episode of Season 3 we're going off on one about positive psychology!

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Bonus: The Gaming With Teenagers Patreon Special

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Hello and welcome to this Roleplay Rescue special bonus episode on the topic of gaming with teenagers. This episode is brought to you by the generous support of the Roleplay Rescue Patrons over on Patreon.com/rpgrescue. We recently hit another Patreon goal and this bonus episode is being made by way of a thank you. It’s very much a conversation aimed at adults, so I’d like to apologise up front to any actual young adults listening to the podcast whom I accidentally end up offending.

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GM's Journal #21

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Following the first official complaint, I've decided this is to be the last GM's Journal for a while. I've compiled this week's ramblings as usual but, well... you know the drill. It's raw, rough, and all pretty much a mess of random thoughts. Enjoy!

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311 Three Good Adventure Games

Sat, 06 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

I don’t know why I keep collecting RPGs but I think it’s probably something that most gamers indulge in. Even if you’re not gaming, owning and reading gorgeous books is a big part of the hobby. Other than Dungeons & Dragons, what other great adventure games should we consider playing?

In Season 2, I did an episode asking that same question and shared my thoughts on five games that have had a big impact on me over the last 35 or so years. As that went down quite well, I’ve decided to share my thoughts on three more games that I believe are very much worthy of your attention.

Useful Links:

Game #1: chaosium.com/basic-roleplaying/

Game #2: trolllord.com/tlgstore/#!/Amazing-Adventures/c/11639154/

Game #3: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #20: Bam... Three Games!

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Another mash-up of personal Gamemastering journal entries and awesome call-ins from across the community. This has been one of the hardest weeks of the year so far but also one in which I think I got the most gaming. As ever, it's raw and rough stuff so you have been warned!

If you want to read the solo game report from Sunday, find it here: ubiquitousrat.net/?p=5047

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310 Building Sandboxes

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Today’s episode builds on my earlier discussions about building a dungeon adventure and generally about getting started as a GM. To keep things simple, I’m going to assume we are building a fantasy roleplaying experience - largely because that’s the most popular genre out there. Along the way, I hope to begin to touch on how building a sandbox goes a long way towards pulling together all the theory on game structures and how to make life easy as a GM long-term.

Useful Links:

Alexander Macris, “Arbiter of Worlds”: amazon.co.uk/Arbiter-Worlds-Gamemasters-Alexander-Macris

The Angry GM, "Game Angry": theangrygm.com/gameangry

D&D 1983 Expert Set: drivethrurpg.com/product/116581/Dungeons--Dragons-Expert-Set-Rulebook-BECMI-ed-Basic

Old-School Essentials by Necrotic Gnome: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials

Tim Shorts of Gothridge Manor: gothridgemanor.com

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #19

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Witterings, call-ins and replies, and more ramblings from my addled GM brain. As ever, it's another selection of audio journal entries from my own gaming experience. Listen at your peril!

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309 Talking Savage Worlds With Frank Turfler

Sat, 22 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

I talked about Savage Worlds back in Season 2, Episode 6 when I spoke about Five Games that I’d recommend everyone at least take a good look at. With my recent focus on creating a multi-genre campaign, something which I believe Savage Worlds would excel at delivering, I decided to talk to someone whose been not just using the game but also writing for it.

Frank Turfler been playing tabletop RPGs for at least 35 years and is the voice behind Frank T’s Liner Notes, an Anchor podcast in which he shares what he’s up to with Print and Paste Tabletop Terrain, Techniques, Theory, and other things Tabletop RPG related. Frank creates modular tile-sets that can be printed and assembled in just about any configuration to match the encounter you need, and he releases these through his Patreon. Frank also offers his work through DriveThruRPG under the Middle Kingdoms Adventure & Trading Company. A percentage of all proceeds from his titles goes to the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation, which has care centers all across Arizona, USA.

Useful Links:

Frank T's Liner Notes: anchor.fm/FrankT

Frank T's Patreon: patreon.com/FrankT

Savage Worlds: peginc.com/product-category/savage-worlds

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #18

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This is the second instalment of GM's Journal this week in which I dribble on about Arcana Gravitas, get a couple more call-ins, and then begin to work out how to get started with writing that genre-bending multi-setting campaign idea. Following advice from Evil Jeff, I figure out which generic and universal roleplaying game I'd like to use and set to. There's even a little bit of self-play going on... if that doesn't sound too dodgy.

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GM's Journal #17

Sun, 16 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This one's a bonus bonus episode, so to speak. I rambled on quite a bit over the past few days and was afraid that the next Journal would end up being too long. Given that I was racking up a few good call-ins too, I decided to throw together the next instalment of the Journal early. With luck, you'll enjoy the content and I'll still have enough for a regular episode later in the week too. Game on!

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308 Mystery Making

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

In Season 1 we explored two major game structures that have stood the test of time: the Dungeoncrawl and the Hexcrawl. Ever since the release of The Chaosium’s “Call of Cthulhu” roleplaying game in 1981, there entered a third major game structure into the annuls of RPG play. Today, I want to have a look at this third structure and outline how you can incorporate Mystery into your games.

Useful Links:

The Call of Cthulhu RPG: chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg

The Alexandrian Gamemastery 101 series: thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101

Look for "The Three Clue Rule" + "Don't Prep Plots" + "Node-Based Scenario Design".

The Angry GM's, "Game Angry": theangrygm.com/gameangry

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #16

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

What a turbulent week! Full of challenges and essentially draining both mine and my wife's energy. I don't know how I've made it but here I am. Still breathing and very grateful for the journey. Not sure what you'll make of my sparse journal entries this week but maybe there's something of value hidden in there. As always, bear in mind this is raw and stitched together quick clips from throughout my week rather than a polished episode. Game on!

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307 The Game I Really Want To Run

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

I am stepping off into the wilds. I am going to talk about the game that I really want to run and I am going to invite you to do the same. This episode is filled with contentious statements and provocative claims. Take it as you like. Even I’m not sure how serious I am about doing this, but I am keen to share the idea. There’s a game that I REALLY want to run. It’s not something that everyone else around me necessarily wants me to run. It’s the game that I want. The world that excites me. That makes me want to get out of bed and start writing. Do you want to know more?

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #15: Sharing The Mo

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This episode was largely recorded during the school break when I was off work for a week. It's a mash-up of two elements: the usual ups and downs of my own life as a GM plus a whole bunch of lovely call-ins from listeners who had something to say about losing momentum, the last episode's key moment. There are some heart-felt replies to my question as to whether I am alone in this problem. Clearly, I am not. Thank you to everyone who called in and shared their own perspective on the question of maintaining positive momentum!

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306 Talking World Anvil With Janet Forbes

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Janet Forbes is the Director of World Anvil, a purveyor of world-building advice, a singer, writer of novels and worshipper of cats. Based in London, England, Janet and her husband Dimitris lead a small team in the development of an online set of tools specifically designed for world-building. She is the face of World Anvil on Youtube where she presents an excellent series of tutorials and advice on, you guessed it, building worlds.

Check out World Anvil: worldanvil.com

Show Contact Details:

Voice Message Me: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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GM's Journal #14: Momentum Lost

Wed, 29 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Another week of random thoughts from my GM's Journal. The main topic is momentum and how to lose it. There's also an unboxing in there plus a wonderful surprise from a Roleplay Rescue supporter. Lots to ponder... as long as you don't mind the raw, rambling peek into my inner life as a gamer. Enjoy!

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305 Choosing Castles & Crusades

Sat, 25 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Do you remember when Frank T called in and asked me about my choice of system for our fantasy roleplaying game? Frank’s getting his wish today because I wanted to respond to the question and didn’t feel like I could do it justice in just a short reply. Thus, I’ve decided to sit down with a few notes and share my thoughts on why I chose Castles & Crusades for my new fantasy adventure campaign.

Useful Links:

Troll Lord Games: trolllord.com

TLG Online Store: www.trolllord.com/tlgstore/#!/Castles-&-Crusades/

Show Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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GM's Journal #13: Unlucky For Some?

Wed, 22 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Another instalment of my dronings about Gamemastering a roleplaying campaign. Good news with the teenaged gaming group, not so much with the adults. As ever, this is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril!

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304 The Unscripted Dungeon

Sat, 18 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Whatever your rules system, there are two other big elements that you’ll want to create as you get started with your game. The first of those is the world. The second of those are the game structures that you want to employ. As a beginning Dungeon Master, I’d recommend keeping things simple. This episode is about creating a short adventure in a lightly sketched world using the Dungeoncrawl game structure. It's also an episode in which I ditch the script and record off the cuff. Hope it's not too awful.

Useful Link:

The Unscripted Dungeon Map on UbiquitousRat.net: ubiquitousrat.net/?p=5030

Show Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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GM's Journal #12: Fresh Beginnings

Wed, 15 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

GM's Journal becomes a regular fixture at Roleplay Rescue with our first scheduled Wednesday release. This episode sees me focused on preparing for the new fantasy roleplaying campaign that the Friday Night Gamers have asked for. Along the way we visit antics at the school club and hear an update on Saturday night online gaming. As ever, it's a candid peek behind the GM's screen which assembles my audio notes into a rough edit. There's the odd naughty word and there are spoilers for players in my campaigns... you have been warned!

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303 Talking Dungeon World With Yochai Gal

Sat, 11 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

I wanted to create more episodes that explore other well-known roleplaying game systems. To do this, I decided it’d be a good idea to talk to people who already enjoy those games. Today’s episode is the first of these in which the brief was to create a Dungeon World 101.

Yochai Gal is an avid fan of the Dungeon World roleplaying game who hails from Massachusetts, USA. He maintains the Dungeon World Syllabus, a repository of links useful to anyone who wants to get into the game, and is highly active in the Reddit community. Yochai published a Beta of this Dungeon World hack, “One Shot World”, via DriveThruRPG in January. He’s here today to talk about the Dungeon World RPG and why we should consider getting into it.

Useful Links:

Dungeon World Syllabus: docs.google.com/document/d/1ORjM3sxhQrwNI_chlNzYFMD5OFHj7u-Rs_gY4kHkzO0

A 16 Hit Point Dragon: latorra.org/2012/05/15/a-16-hp-dragon/

Dungeon World Guide: drive.google.com/file/d/0BzeF5GXNEsnfUjU0NXRDM1dFN1k

Dungeon World Website: dungeon-world.com

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GM's Journal #11: Decision

Sun, 05 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Here's the latest Journal in which I burble on about deciding what to do with the Friday Night Roleplayers. A decision is made. As usual, this episode features my audio notes recorded here and there. Assembled into a rough edit, these notes form a journal and let you take a peek behind the GM’s screen. But be warned: there are spoilers aplenty for anyone who plays at any of my gaming sessions. It’s a pretty candid and messy snapshot of my inner life as a gamer - you have been warned!

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302 What's Wrong With 5e?

Sat, 04 May 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Over recent weeks, there have been a few people in the Anchorite OSR community talking about the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons. As someone who got involved playing the Fifth Edition right from the days of the D&D Next Playtest, I feel it’s high-time we gave the game some serious consideration. This episode I want to ask: What’s wrong with 5e? Why not just play the world’s most popular roleplaying game?

Useful links:

D&D5e Basic Rules: dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules

Show Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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GM's Journal #10: Messy, Flaky, Conflicted

Sun, 28 Apr 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the Roleplay Rescue Game Master’s Journal. This episode covers the two week period from the end of Season 2 and the start of this new series. Each journal episode features my audio notes, recorded here and there over the days between my regular gaming sessions. Assembled into a rough edit, these notes form a journal and let you take a peek behind the GM’s screen. But be warned: there are spoilers aplenty for anyone who plays at any of my gaming sessions. It’s a pretty candid and messy snapshot of my inner life as a gamer - you have been warned!

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301 Escaping The Grind

Sat, 27 Apr 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Season 3 of Roleplay Rescue! Today we take a look at the meaning and importance of Escapism. We learn that we are healthier when we seek escapes that are focused on self-expansion rather than self-suppression. Through a brief glance at modern psychology, we find out how roleplaying games allow us to do do cool stuff AND become friends with people with whom we discover how to work with collaboratively. If that isn’t a cool reason to get back to the table, I don’t know what is.

Show Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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Bonus: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:13:48 GMT

In Episode 58 of Plundergrounds, Ray Otus challenged his listeners to record a one-off podcast on the theme of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something out of the blue". Despite finishing my series for the holiday, the challenge has been bugging me. Haunting me, even. Here, then, is my response to the challenge.

Find Ray Otus on Plundergrounds: anchor.fm/plundergrounds

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210 Talking Arduin With Gabriel Roark

Sat, 13 Apr 2019 02:00:00 GMT

Today’s episode is the last of Series Two. It began as a question posted on the MeWe group entitled “The Arduin Grimoire by Dave Hargrave”. From this stepped forward today’s guest. We arranged to chat online but, on the night, the technology let us down. After some tinkering and typing, we agree to hop onto the Anchor app and record the interview using our phones.

Gabriel Roark is a Californian, married, and the father of one. An archaeologist, focused on California Indians and historic archaeological sites across the state, he has been a gamer since 1983, beginning with the Lone Wolf series and Mentzer's Red Box D&D. Like many, Gabriel had a gaming hiatus in the early 2000s owing to graduate school, having a young kid, and full-time employment. Gaming picked up again around 8 years ago when Gabriel taught his daughter to play D&D. He has been running an Arduin campaign for nearly two years and considers himself a Hargrave enthusiast. He’s even been known to publish a ‘zine called Bugbears & Ballyhoo through the Alarums & Excursions APA.

Show Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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GM's Journal #9: The Revelation

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 07:46:21 GMT

Well, GM's Journal #8 wasn't the last entry. Oh no. You guys got on Anchor and sent me a barrage of lovely voice messages which I have collected together in this episode. Additionally, I've hacked together the thoughts and mumblings from the past four or so days into a follow-up journal. The long and short of it is that I have come to realise something very powerful about my Gamemastering. As ever, this is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril!

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GM's Journal #8: The TPK

Sat, 06 Apr 2019 08:36:24 GMT

Rough edit from a rough week at the table. Shennanigans at the school club leading to the death of four characters, followed by the fourth Friday Night Roleplay session on the Isle of Fire going ... erm ... badly, leading to a TPK. As ever, this is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril! Will this be the last entry in the Journal? You decide!

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209 Bringing The SF

Sat, 06 Apr 2019 02:00:00 GMT

What if you don’t want to play in a fantasy roleplaying game? What are the options for getting a science-fiction game up to the table? Is anything different? In this episode, we delve into the second major RPG genre - the science-fiction game - and take a quick peek at the options available to the gamer who wants to boldly go where no-one has gone before. For me, science-fiction roleplaying adventure is a wonderful alternative to the traditional fantasy game. Through the years, many science-fiction rule systems have been produced but the fundamental game structures for an SF game go right back to the hobby’s foundations.

Useful Links:

Stars Without Number, Revised (free edition): drivethrurpg.com/product/230009/Stars-Without-Number-Revised-Edition-Free-Version

The Alexandrian Game Structures: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures

Mongoose Traveller Starter Set: mongoosepublishing.com/traveller-starter-set

Roll20 for Absolute Beginners: youtube.com/watch?v=Jbayc1GToow

UK Games Expo: ukgamesexpo.co.uk

Gothridge Manor: gothridgemanor.com

Contact Details:

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

Email Me: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue/ (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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GM's Journal #7: Glorantha Games 2019

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 10:04:36 GMT

Mash-up of clips from my day out to Birmingham on Saturday 30th March to attend Glorantha Games 2019, a convention held at Geek Retreat to celebrate the world and games of Glorantha. Organised by Pookie and Darren Happens, the show was run to raise money for Shelter and bring together the tribes of UK Glorantha fandom. It was my first convention in about 15 years and an amazingly positive experience. Forgive the awful audio quality at times - I just wanted to share some of the moments I experienced in a great day out. Game on!

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GM's Journal #6

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 05:54:28 GMT

This episode is a grab-bag of moments from the week: unboxing the Black Hack, prep for the school game, thoughts on Traveller, and ending the week with a trip to Ludorati in Nottingham. As ever, this is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril! Not sure how coherant I am but you guys are used to the format, right? Game on!

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208 On Virtual Tabletops

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Following the interview with Rob Twohy, I’ve been feeling slightly more confident about putting together an episode on the the various online gaming options. As is true of this podcast generally, the whole question of playing fantasy adventure games online has been a learning curve for me. Today, I’m going to share what I’ve learned and see if I can offer some further ideas on the whole question of online options for roleplayers.

On top of that, listen to the end because there's a bit about the future of Roleplay Rescue with which I need your help.

Useful Links:

Roll20 App Game Search: app.roll20.net

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop: www.fantasygrounds.com

SXG The Society of Extraordinary Gamers: extraordinarygamers.com

Dyson Logos' Maps: dysonlogos.com

Roleplay Rescue's Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Che's Gaming (and other things) Blog: UbiquitousRat.net

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GM's Journal #5: Patreon Special

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Mainly, this is a regular GM's Journal episode with my blitherings from the last week of gaming, highs and lows included. I've changed the format slightly - adding in the voice messages in roughly timeline order as received, rather than all at the start. I've also added a bit at the end in which I talk about the launch of my Patreon page for this podcast.

Patreon allows listeners to support the podcast by chucking some dollars in the hat and joining the member community. There are no rewards, no bonus materials, and no early-access episodes. I fully intend to keep Roleplay Rescue free for anyone to listen to and I don't want to hide stuff behind a paywall. That said, I do want to ask you guys to support me by asking for money. That's not easy for me, by the way, but it's the step I needed to take. After dithering, I hacked together a page and launched it on Friday just gone. So, yeah, I added a bit about why to this episode. Hope that's ok and doesn't turn anyone off listening.

Links:

Roleplay Rescue Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Kristian Richard's Patreon: patreon.com/csp_kris

Kristian's Crooked Staff 2.5D Terrain Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1cnHiqtsuMk9NwJNj8SmpA

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207 An Interview With Rob Twohy

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about getting started with online gaming and, frankly, I’ve been really struggling to put together an episode addressing those questions. Because I’m not an expert on the topic, I decided to reach out to someone who truly is an expert.

Rob Twohy has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since 1981. He has a strong passion for the hobby and brings that enthusiasm to the community by hosting live games and tutorials for the D&D 5E community via Twitch and YouTube. Rob has a dedicated line of products supporting the Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop, available through the Dungeon Master’s Guild, and you can support him via his Patreon.

Useful Links:

Rob on DM's Guild: dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Rob%20Twohy

Rob's Patreon: patreon.com/Rob2e

On Twitch: twitch.tv/rob2e

On YouTube: youtube.com/c/robtwohy

Twitter: @rob2e

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GM's Journal #4

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 05:49:50 GMT

The twists and turns in my hobby over the past week or so, in what has been one of the toughest in my career, along with many of the joys that come from gaming. While editing it occurred to me that roleplay adventure games might be the cornerstone of my sanity. More detail on the school club and a post-game ramble after the Saturday night game using Fantasy Grounds. As ever, this is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril!

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206 Five Great Games

Sat, 16 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Taking a bit of a risk, this episode discusses five games that have had a great impact on me. Along the way, I also touch on various matters of taste and icons who have influenced my play style. It's a bit of an indulgence through which I hope others might also find some inspiration.

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GM's Journal #3

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

A third dose of my GM prep ramblings during which I share my preparation for the Rise of The Dragon Kings campaign using Castles & Crusades. I touch on where the school club game is and mumble some thoughts on the Saturday night game too. This is a laid-bare peek behind the GM's screen and not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril!

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205 An Interview with Mike Mason

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Mike Mason began roleplaying with what he calls “Purple Box” Dungeons & Dragons. Nowadays he is the Line Editor of Call of Cthulhu for the Chaosium. He is the co-writer of the 7th edition Keeper's Rulebook and the recently released Call of Cthulhu Starter Set.

Call of Cthulhu is a roleplaying game of mystery and horror, in which players take on the role of investigators to uncover the secrets of the cosmos. In the course of a game, the investigators may find themselves battling against crazy cults and horrors from beyond space. Mike takes us on a journey into the wonders of mystery gaming and shares several tips on how to make the most of the definitive horror roleplaying game.

Useful Links:

Call of Cthulhu RPG: chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg

Starter Set: chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-starter-set

Podcast Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com

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Solo Journal #SAMM Ep2

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Follow-up to the first bonus episode which records my #SoloAModule month efforts, this is the first adventure from the Alternity Starter Set 1999. I've tried to make my gibberings more entertaining but, in the end, it's one man gaming alone. But I did have a good time. Enjoy!

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Solo Journal #SAMM Ep1

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

It's Solo A Module Month and, following the last episode on getting into solo play, I thought I would take part. In short, Spencer Salyer from the Lone Wolf Roleplaying group on MeWe (formerly on G+) has set the guys there the challenge to solo play a module sometime during March 2019. I got the itch to play my all-time favourite SF RPG just before #SoloAModule was announced and decided to throw my lot in to do a very special blast from the past. This is a very rough intro to my plan for March in which I learn to play the game I've chosen. Hope it's worth a listen.

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204 Getting Started Solo

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 03:00:00 GMT

What if you can’t find any players or a game to join? Is it possible to roleplay on your own?

In this episode, we explore the slightly misunderstood world of solo roleplaying. I take you through the reasons behind solo play, even as far back as the 1970s and the hey-day of D&D. From there, we explore the Mythic RPG and the many approaches to solo roleplaying in a practical sense. By the end, I hope to convince you that solo RPG play is a good and sensible option.

Useful Links:

Kenny Norris' seminal free solo guide: Guide To Playing Alone

Cabbage Games' stuff - Kenny's freebies: Collected Solo Works

Mythic Game Master Emulator (GME): Mythic GME on DriveThruRPG

Word Mill Games' (Mythic Resources): wordmillgames.com

Game Master's Apprentice Card Deck: GM Apprentice Base Deck

Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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GM's Journal #2: A New Campaign

Sun, 24 Feb 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Here it is: a second helping of my GM prep ramblings during which I share my preparation for the Rise of The Dragon Kings campaign using Castles & Crusades. This is a laid-bare peek behind the GMs screen and totally not for the faint-hearted. Enter at your peril!

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203 On Being A Player

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 03:00:00 GMT

What if you just want to come back and roleplay as a PLAYER? What are the ways back to the table as a player, as opposed to being a Game Master?

Taking a look at what it means to be a player in a roleplaying game, we discuss finding a table (both locally and via the internet) as a player and not a GM.

This one's short and sweet. I hope you enjoy it!

USEFUL LINKS:

The Angry GM's book: "Game Angry: How To RPG The Angry Way"

Roll20 App Game Search: app.roll20.net

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop: www.fantasygrounds.com

SXG The Society of Extraordinary Gamers: extraordinarygamers.com

Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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202 An Interview With Douglas Cole

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Douglas H. Cole has been roleplaying since 1981, starting with the Holmes Basic Box and AD&D, and has been playing GURPS since 1988. Living near Minneapolis, Doug is known as a longtime GURPS playtester, as a regular contributor to Pyramid magazine, and as the author of GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling.

Doug is an R&D manager for a major hard-disc-drive company and also the mastermind of Gaming Ballistic, his own company. Creator of Hall of Judgment, the first licensed third-party content for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game, and also the Dragon Heresy Roleplaying Game based on the 5th Edition SRD, he is a rising star in the hobby community.

For my money, Douglas has provided the best supplement for any D&D-type game in the form of Dungeon Grappling - a set of rules designed to bring to life the most common and heroic struggles in literature.

Useful Links:

Doug's website: gamingballistic.com

Dungeon Fantasy RPG: sjgames.com/dungeonfantasy

Dragon Heresy RPG: Print & .PDF Bundle

GURPS: Generic Universal Roleplaying Game website

Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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GM's Journal #1

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 03:00:00 GMT

The first bonus of Season 2, the GM's Journal is a laid-bare behind-the-curtain peek into my preparation process for a one-shot game using Castles & Crusades.

This is what a few listeners asked for and I think, even for the returning player, there might be some value in sharing it. That said, this is a pretty raw stitching together of me talking into the mic as I prep my session. I've had some fun in the post-production phase, but in the end it's 50 minutes or so of me being a GM pre-game. Make of it what you will.

Thanks to Frank T. and Aron C. for their encouragement.

USEFUL LINKS:

Troll Lord Games Downloads Secret (?) Page

The module is "The Wizard's Tower & Basic Rules" (for Castles & Crusades)

The Angry GM's "Game Angry" book

Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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201 Fitting Roleplaying Back Into Your Life

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 03:00:00 GMT

Today, we have a question from a listener. One of my favourite podcasters…

We take a look at ways to start heading back to the table. Starting with why you want to add gaming back into your life, I’ll challenge you to start small and find an hour to build a plan. We discuss various cheeky ways to convince the significant others in our lives to let us have some fun. We even consider how to attract new gamers to the hobby.

Useful Links from the episode:

Ray Otus' podcast: Plundergrounds

Simon Sinek, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” (video).

D&D Basic (5e): Free to download 5th Edition Basic Rules

Society of Extraordinary Gamers: SXG website

Contact:

Quick link here: rpgrescue.com