Roleplay Rescue (Che Webster)

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

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.

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

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.

Started recording this week's entries to the diary and then when I got home, I noticed Arlen had emailed me a message. I listened. I replied. I am sharing the whole thing with you now because it feels important. I will probably release it to Anchor on Monday too.

Thanks, Arlen - possibly the kindest thing you could do for me! Yes, we are trying to build a community of discovery together. My problem is in feeling accepted.

Game on!

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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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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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

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

Over the months since I released "Getting Started Solo" (Ep204), I've been getting questions about it and the most repeated request has been for a worked example. I guess that by “worked example” people mean me sitting down and recording myself running a solo session while talking you guys through what I’m doing. Honestly, I’ve not been too sure how best to approach this but today I’m going to start what I rather suspect will end up being a series of episodes on gaming alone. Here's hoping it proves useful.

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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

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

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)

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What if the reason your gaming group is collapsing is because the Game Master keeps cancelling the sessions?

In this final episode of Series 1, we talk about the barriers that stop a Game Master from getting a regular game off the ground and the strategies that I am starting to use to correct this problem. 

We learn about the Holy Trinity of game decisions that I believe lie at the heart of every successful roleplaying campaign. 

We finish by talking through the requirements for an Open Table and I share a worked example. I also discuss strategies for prepping and some of the systems that you can rely on to succeed.

Here are some links from the episode:

Daniel Pink, "When": www.danpink.com/books/when/

The Alexandrian, Justin Alexander’s, “Open Table” series:
thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1223/roleplaying-games/opening-your-game-table  

The Alexandrian, Justin Alexander’s, “Game Structures” series: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures

The Angry GM: theangrygm.com

Sly Flourish's "Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master": slyflourish.com/returnofthelazydm

Engine Publishing's "Never Unprepared": www.enginepublishing.com/never-unprepared-the-complete-game-masters-guide-to-session-prep

Brian Jamison's "Gamesmastering": www.gamemastering.info

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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

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe: Roleplay Rescue Page

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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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

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

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. 

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, 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

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

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)

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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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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!

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

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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

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

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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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

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, 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

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.

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!

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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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

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

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.

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 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

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.

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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 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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

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. The second part will be released tomorrow.

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

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.

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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.com 

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

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

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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. 

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 

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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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!

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

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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 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

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.

Six weeks ago, I stated that I had arrived at a place of change and growth. I had turned 50 years of age and was beginning to wonder if I’d ever become the Game Master, Referee, and Creative World Builder that I have been meaning to get around to becoming since I was about 10 years old. I have had to learn to let go of old unhelpful patterns of thinking and rechart my pathway back to the hobby. So, as we reach the six episode of the series - what is to me a natural waypoint on my journey - I’m asking myself: how’s it going?

Given the highly introspective nature of the past five episodes, I feel that the best place to stop and look at her progress I have made lies in the one game I have been running consistently for the past twelve or so weeks. Let’s delve into the story of my very own classic fantasy campaign set within my very own fantasy world.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

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")

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

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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

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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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Following on from last week, I hopped online and had a chat with Carl Bussler. He is the co-founder of Stormlord Publishing, hosted and produced the Flagons & Dragons podcast, and is currently the host of The Megadungeon Podcast. Carl lives in a little town near Philadelphia where he works as a Videographer and Photographer.

Here's a link to The Megadungeon Podcast

Massive thanks to Carl for coming on the show and sharing his thoughts on why megadungeons are ace!

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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

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

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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Evil Jeff wants to know: "When are we going to hear about Webster’s style?" 

It’s actually a little more complex - at least in MY head - than it might at first seem. What do I want from my fantasy roleplaying games? There are three basic elements that I need to consider and today I want to explore what is for me the most important of all: the World.

Many thanks to Evil Jeff for calling in and inspiring this episode... and maybe one or two more to follow.

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

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")

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

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

This is the second part of the first Dungeon Master’s Diary of Season 7. These 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 diary of one man’s journey 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, to which I generally try to respond. There was so much content and so many lovely call-ins that,  in this first episode, I have split the episode into two parts. The first part was released yesterday. I hope you won't mind.

Thanks to Menion AKA Rob 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

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

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The Patreon Patrons have spoken! Season 4 may have ended but I didn't stop journalling. I've been quickly editing my GM Journals together and sharing them with those amazing supporters of the podcast via patreon.com/rpgrescue ... and yesterday those guys voted for me to release this episode as a bonus. It's raw, rough, and very much under-polished. It's a week or so old too. Hey ho, let me know if you'd like to hear the rest. 

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

Derek McClean is an Anglican Priest, husband, and father. I’ve known him not shy of 30 years, ever since we met at University. Having been a teacher of Religious Education, Derek attended Cambridge University before his ordination. He currently serves a rural diocese in England. 

Unfortunately, the audio quality on this interview has not been as good as I would have hoped and I need to admit that, while the content is good, the conversation has suffered a bit from being recorded on our mobile phones. I’m uploading this episode as a bonus because, frankly, the conversation is too good to consign it to the cutting room floor. Bear with us on the quality and see if there’s anything you can take from the conversation in spite of a rough edit.

Here's a link to RoleGate, the online play-by-chat platform:

RoleGate.com

Oh, and this is the game Derek mentions at the end: 

The Deryni Adventure Game

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What is it with my preference to run lower-powered fantasy games? Is it avoidance of complexity, a desire to withhold cool stuff from the players, or an underlying lack of confidence in my ability to run complex games? Or is it something else… is it my love of the underdog? 

Thanks to Arlen for his call-in!

Arlen Walker's "Live From Pellam's Wasteland": https://anchor.fm/pellamswasteland 

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon.

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")

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

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

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

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

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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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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!

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

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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

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

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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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe 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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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

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

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)

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Another collection of gaming thoughts from my mind rampage into the ether... but not before Tim and Josh lay some cool NPC tips at my feet. A call in from Jason reminds me why my Naked GURPS project is cool, and I drop a spoiler for players in my Dungeons of Thaarl campaign. Oh, and this episode ran out of time so there's another coming tomorrow. Game on!

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

JB Publishing Podcast: anchor.fm/jbpublishing

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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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Catching up on the New Year diary entries, this one is short and (hopefully) sweet. A collection of musings over the period from 1st-3rd January. This also resets the DM's Diary back to running from Saturday to Saturday so that we can have but one episode per week again. Hope you enjoy!

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

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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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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe 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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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

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe: Roleplay Rescue Page

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

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

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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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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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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

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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.

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

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

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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

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe: Roleplay Rescue Page

Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

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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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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 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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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

This will be the last GM's Journal of Season 4. It's the penultimate episode of the series too, as I aim to release 420 next Saturday and then take a break until mid-October, when school breaks for two weeks holiday.

This episode features the third instalment of call-ins regarding Sleep Deprivation. It also covers my descent into illness and is therefore not entirely positive. Still, there's plenty to chew over and I hope you'll be generous with your call-ins in response.

Game on!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe 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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Colin Green is the voice behind Spikepit, an OSR Anchorite podcast which many would say lies at the heart of a lively network and community. Colin’s show features call-ins from across the spectrum of gamers and champions forthright consideration of a range of useful ideas. He is as likely to ask a question from the community as he is to give a personal view, a trait which earns him deep affection from a strong base of listeners. This week, we hopped online and had a throughly engaging chat. We couldn’t settle on a specific theme before the interview but, as it unfolded, there definitely seems to be a thread that binds the thoughts together. See if you can figure out what that thread might be...

Spikepit Podcast: anchor.fm/spikepit

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe 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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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! 

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

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Finishing what I started on Monday when I super-early-released the first part of this episode.

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.

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

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

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

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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

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!

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

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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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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!

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

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.

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

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.

There were a bunch of call-ins received at the tail end of Season 8 that I wanted to share. Some are sublime, others utterly ridiculous. Make of it what you will.

Big thanks to the callers: Gav, Brian, 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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

Time to catch up on the call-ins and share the amazingly supportive words shared by listeners from around the world. I also talk briefly about the direction the show has taken recently, my worries about too many long interview episodes, and the decision to simply roll with it. These are tough times but I am immensely grateful to all the great folk who have given their time to talk to Roleplay Rescue. Thank you to you too - the listener - for tuning in one more time. Game on!

Thanks to Colin Green, Lonely Adventurer, Menion aka Rob, Josh Beckelheimer, and John from Tale of the Manticore - great stuff!

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.

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

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

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)

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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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

An episode sharing call-ins responding to my Addendum episode from some weeks ago. Thanks to Spencer, Lieren, Rob, Dave, Judd, Tim, and John. 

Music by John from Tale of the Manticore.

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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!

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

MeWe Page: mewe.com/page/5c077833bce33a3fe7dd7f04 (or search "Roleplay Rescue")

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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

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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Quick bonus round-up of calls received from listeners in response to the Solo Sundays episode (903), plus a couple of straggler messages about dice. Good stuff and well worth the listen.

Big thanks to the callers: Barry (aka GM Shadow), Jason C, Evil Jeff, Reese, and Karl R.

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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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:

Preorder Charlie Foxtrot: A Battlelords Sourcebook on BackerKit: charliefoxtrot.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

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

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

Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

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

The Patrons voted to release the two Journals during the interregnum and this is the second of those. That said, it was a long, hard, and tiring week in the run up to last weekend. It ended on a high because we finally played the first session of my new campaign, Adventurer's of Palantia, with the Friday Night Gamers. There's some deep downers in the middle of the week, however, so brace yourselves.

Big thanks to Larry Hamilton for resurrecting the Sleep Deprivation topic. Thanks also to Jason and ShandyAndy for lovely call-ins. Hope you enjoy!

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

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. 

Britain’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic is loosening and I’ve been asked to return to work. Because of this, I talk a fair bit about my reaction to this turn of events this week and so - fair warning - it’s not all about the gaming. Thanks for listening.

Special thanks to David M, Jason C, and Frank T 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

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Blog: roleplayrescue.com

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

Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

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

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

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

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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")

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

Roleplay Rescue Quicklink: rpgrescue.com

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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

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

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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!

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

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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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

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Blog: roleplayrescue.com 

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

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

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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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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

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

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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). 

Contact Details:

Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message

Email: hello@rpgrescue.com

Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue

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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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

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

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)

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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

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.