Roleplay Rescue

Today I have another of my conversations with a friend within the roleplaying games community. This episode we dipped into talking about characterisation in our RPGs, especially around NPCs. My guest, Simon Williams, is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. Big thanks to Simon for coming back to the show!Legend of The Bones Podcast:https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the release of Episode 5 to the RPR Patreon, Patron Brian called in with a long series of seven questions about GURPS which I felt were worthy of a full episode to respond to. Not only are they truly excellent questions, they were also deeply insightful and are perhaps the kinds of questions that many listeners unfamiliar with GURPS would find interesting. I also think that, putting aside the specifics of GURPS, these are useful questions to ask of any game system.Because the questions relate to my chat with GMShadow, Barry from Shadow of the GM podcast, I decided to invite Barry to record his own response to Brian’s message. What follows is, then, a mash-up in the following sequence: first we’ll hear Brian’s message, then we’ll hear Barry’s reply, and then I’ll tackle the seven questions in sequence and give my own answers. I hope you find this useful.Thanks to Brian for the call-in and to Barry for replying too.Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 5, Barry aka GMShadow chatted with me about the need for a simple introduction to GURPS. Since then, we’ve been collaborating - along with other interested folk from the RPR Discord - to create Simple Dungeon GURPS. We have a working draft of Simple Dungeon GURPS and the playtesting is underway. In this episode, I wanted to share the progress made and the basic shape of that set of methodological guidelines which leverage the GURPS rules system. Massive thanks to Frank for calling-in!The Simple Dungeon GURPS Draft is here: Simple Dungeon GURPS – Roleplay Rescue’s BlogORhttps://roleplayrescue.com/2023/03/18/simple-dungeon-gurps/ Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever find yourself not physically starting something but instead spending inordinate amounts of time and effort reading, researching, and trying to decide where to start? If not, I envy you. It's a particular problem I have and been struggling with again. In simple terms, this is the Resistance in a pretty unsubtle form.Thanks to Matt for the call-in at the top of the show, giving me a nudge on a topic I blogged about some weeks ago: The Fear of Starting.This episode, I aim to share that original post and then develop some answers to the problem I was facing only a few weeks ago… but which has plagued me for the past 50 years.It turns out that the answer may lie in a shift in thought.Massive thanks to Matt, Jason, Frank, Jonathan, and Anthony for calling-in today!Game on!Find out more about "The War Of Art" and "Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be" via https://stevenpressfield.com/homeORSteven Pressfield Online | Steven PressfieldRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following my recent conversation with GMShadow, my good friend Barry from The Shadow of the GM podcast - which you can listen to in Episode 5 - I’ve been delving back into both the Great Library of GURPS and rekindling my love of the megadungeon. This episode, I want to talk about the reasons why I’ve returned to the Dungeons of Thaarl - my own megadungeon - for a return to the classic fantasy Open Table format. The Alexandrian blog post, “Game Structures Part 3: Dungeoncrawl”:https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15140/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-3-dungeoncrawlDungeons & Dragons Red Box (1983):http://www.dmsguild.com/product/116578/DD-Basic-Set--Players-Manual-BECMI-ed-Basichttp://www.dmsguild.com/product/116619/DD-Basic-Set--DMs-Rulebook-BECMI-ed-BasicPeter Dell’Orto’s “Dungeon Fantastic” Megadungeon Mapping Best Practices Part I:http://dungeonfantastic.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-megadungeon-mapping-best-practices.htmlBig thanks to Jason for the call-in!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I want to talk about the most durable, long-serving, and under-rated game structure in roleplaying games. Most GMs use some form of it in most sessions - anytime they come to a location in their world where the Player Characters need to explore. I want to talk about the humble Dungeoncrawl which has become tarnished over the years by people who totally fail to understand that the “crawl” is a fundamental and sturdy structure for any moment when the characters enter a location they want to explore. I prefer to call them Locationcrawls and, honestly, this is the second big tool in the Gamemaster’s methodological toolkit.Big thanks to The Alexandrian for his blog post quoted in the episode (without permission): The Alexandrian » Game Structures – Part 3: DungeoncrawlORhttps://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15140/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-3-dungeoncrawlThanks also to Barry and Jason for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is another one of the conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying community. This episode is a chat about how to introduce new players to GURPS by making the whole thing simpler and more familiar. One thing to say is that I got my timeframes all wrong: I began monkeying around with GURPS around 5 years ago or so ago. Dungeons of Thaarl was happening in 2019, which is 4 years ago. Doesn’t time fly?My guest, Barry aka GMShadow, is the host of Shadow of the GM podcast which, among other things, discusses his experiences with GURPS over the past few years. Like me, Barry is a GM returning to GURPS and we have much in common.Big thanks up front to Barry for coming on to the show. I hope you’ll find it as inspiring as I did - he’s got me thinking about getting something GURPS up and running again.Game on!Shadow of the GM podcast: Anchor - The easiest way to make a podcastORhttps://anchor.fm/gmsshadowRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever since I first began roleplaying, I have always been engaged by a good fight scene. Combat has been the way in which I almost always begin to learn a new game and you can bet your bottom-dollar that any scenario I run with open with a fight.Why is that? Is it because, as I alluded to back in Season 9, I am at heart a Munchkin? One of those kids who came into the hobby in the late 70’s and 80’s as a pre-teen adventurer with a predilection for violence? Or is it a little more nuanced, having to do with a variety of factors - not least being that every example of play I began with included combat as a key focus?Thanks for Frank for calling-in!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying community. This episode features a chat about how to move from beer and pretzels style gaming towards something a little deeper, richer, and longer lived.My guest, Arlen Walker, is the host of Live From Pellam’s Wasteland which you can find both as a podcast and on YouTube in video form. Arlen does most of his recent work on YouTube and his thoughts can range wildly, but include a lot of good solo play examples as well as discussions about RPG theory that I love.Big thank you, once again, to Arlen for coming and sharing his thoughts!Game on!Live From Pellam's Wasteland Podcast:Anchor - The easiest way to make a podcastORhttps://anchor.fm/pellamswastelandLive From Pellam's Wasteland YouTube:Live from Pellam's Wasteland - YouTubeORhttps://www.youtube.com/c/LivefromPellamsWasteland/playlistsRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one's a highly experimental episode. As I said last episode, I want to explore the roots of my own hobby by revisiting my first imaginary game-world. Through dreams and many hours of day-dreaming as a teenager, I uncovered a rich fantasy realm that I am long-overdue returning to visit. Despite a few attempts to bring other tools to the table, games that I deeply enjoy and seek to explore, the reality is that the first game I stole from my Dad - RuneQuest and the even simpler Basic Roleplaying Introductory booklet - have become the key to unlocking that “specially made game-world” that exists just for me. And I have begun as all good games begin… with some characters, a situation, and a simple first session.Thanks to Jon from Tale of the Manticore and Simon from Legend of the Bones for their inspiration. Thanks also to Tabletop Audio for the additional music and ambient sounds: Tabletop Audio - Ambiences and Music for Tabletop Role Playing GamesORhttps://tabletopaudio.com/Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Somehow I’ve found my way back to the microphone and it’s time to embark on a new quest. For me, it’s a journey into the deep past to find a new pathway towards enjoying the games I like to play in the way that I most enjoy playing them. It’s my hope that, at least for someone else, this quest will resonate enough to carry you along with me too.Massive thanks to all the callers today - Jason, Justin, Jonathan, and the Pink Phantom. Please keep the comments and questions coming!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in July, as Season 11 opened, I spoke about how some roleplayers experience deep anxiety around playing and running games. One of the most repeated comments I have received over the past 4 years of producing this podcast has been the one about how much my honest talk about anxiety has resonated with others. This episode ends a season of Roleplay Rescue that opened with a broad theme: An Anxious GM’s Guide To Fantasy Roleplaying. I’d like to take the opportunity to review where we’ve been and a few highlights that we learned along the way.Massive thanks to all the callers today - Jason from Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Jon from Tale of the Manticore, Frank from Middle Kingdoms Adventure and Trading Company, and Brian from I’ll Have To Look That up. Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johnn Four is the founder of RoleplayingTips.com which began in 1999 as a GM tips newsletter. Throughout the years, Johnn has published a GM advice column in Dragon Magazine, several books about how to improve your GMing, and continues to write on the topic of running better games. Johnn has teamed up with Jochen Linnemann to create Campaign Logger, a tool designed to help GMs capture all the details that get made up during sessions for the length of the entire campaign. Johnn is, however, perhaps best known for the 5 Room Dungeon which has become a well-known tool for adventure design across the RPG community.Big thanks to Johnn for joining us!RoleplayingTips: http://roleplayingtips.com/Campaign Logger:https://app.campaign-logger.com/Johnn and Jochen's Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/johnnfourGame on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Mastodon:@[email protected] Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the principle that everything is play, I sat down down to work out how I want to take forward my roleplaying games hobby for the foreseeable future. I have decided to record my thinking, as if I am talking to a gaming friend, because I find this helps me to work out my ideas. None of this is new, original, or even surprising. Daniel Jones has provided me with the majority of the ideas and methods outlined here and to him I simply say “thank you”. But this is the first time I’ve brought all my notes together and tried to express them coherently. It also feels like it’s high-time I share this so that Otherworld-immersion as a goal can be more widely discussed.Big thanks to Jason for the call-in!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I want to revisit the topic of “Gaming With Teenagers”. It’s very much a conversation aimed at adults, so I’d like to apologise up front to any actual young adults listening to the podcast. Caveats aside, this all comes from my experience in setting up and running RPG gaming clubs across three UK secondary schools - aka high schools - and working with teens aged 11-18. Here are my Top Ten tips for introducing them to the hobby.Massive thanks to all the callers - to Simon from Legend of the Bones, Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, to Evil Jeff from Minions and Musings, and to Wiebe!  Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the fifth in a sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode continues my quest to find the game I really want to play, focused today upon the question of how to achieve greater Otherworld-immersion and build the kind of Otherworld that matters to us. My guest is, of course, Daniel Jones.Daniel is the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a proponent of the idea that changing the methodology of our roleplaying games is the key to changing the experience we have at the table. For those who don’t know him, Daniel is a published author, game designer, philosopher, podcaster - check out the Primaeval Fantasy podcast - and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. If you want to hear our earlier conversations about Otherworld-immersion, please check out Season 6, Episode 10; Season 9, Episode 14; and Season 10, Episode 19. Big thank you to Daniel from Primaeval Fantasy for coming and sharing his ideas with us.Primæval Fantasy • A podcast on Anchor:https://anchor.fm/primeval-fantasyFRPG Thoughts | Good Daemon Geekery (danielionson.wixsite.com)https://danielionson.wixsite.com/good-daemonGame on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the fourth in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode continues my quest to find the game I really want to play, this time through re-investigating the topic of solo roleplaying.My guest, Simon Williams, is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. His evocative illustrations are inspired by classic roleplaying games like Fighting Fantasy and classic works of fiction such as The Lord of The Rings. His podcast is an amazing work of art, inspired by the pioneering Tale of The Manticore podcast whose creator, Jon, wrote and performed the theme music for this show. Simon’s Legend of the Bones has become a must-listen for me because his descriptions and characters are incredibly believable. And on top of all of this creativity, Simon is a husband and father, finding time for family and a very demanding job too. I hopped online to find out how he manages to enjoy an intense solo roleplaying experience so that I can move in this direction too.Big thanks to Simon for coming back to the show - it truly was an eye-opening and key conversation for me. I hope you’ll find it useful too.Legend of The Bones Podcast:https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the third in a fresh sequence of conversations I’ve been having with various friends within the roleplaying games community. This episode picks up a thread that I’ve been noodling around for a while, namely the value of Gygaxian-era Dungeons & Dragons and what makes OD&D and AD&D valuable.Big thank you up front to my guest, Jason, and I hope that you find this as interesting as I did.The Nerd's RPG Variety Cast: https://anchor.fm/jason376Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another conversation to share with you today, this time someone who has recently inspired and reinvigorated my hobby through his excellent podcast. While we did begin in interview mode, the primary focus of this conversation was to chat about fantasy game worlds and some of the ways in which those were particularly important to more Old-School flavours of the hobby. Kevin is the host of The Redcaps Podcast, the podcast where he dips his hat into the blood of his listeners and rambles on about Old-School roleplaying games. Hailing from Canada, The Redcaps first aired back in September 2020 and has, at the time of recording, just blasted through the first century of episodes - a true milestone for any podcaster. Beyond the podcast, Kevin uses his fame to raise awareness and funds for the charity extra life, a program of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.Big thank you, once again, to Kevin from The Redcaps Podcast for coming and sharing his thoughts with us!Game on!The Redcaps Podcast: The Redcaps Podcast • A podcast on AnchorORhttps://anchor.fm/theredcapsRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Admitting my discomfort with the Old-School label and talking about my own relationship with the OSR as a movement appears to have touched a couple of people in a helpful and powerful way. Two listeners have taken the time to send me not one but several messages on the topic and I am every keen to share their thoughts with you. But that’s not all. Today I also want to reflect on the journey that returning to the Old-School primer and listening to some interviews has sent me out to experience. I’ve made some surprising discoveries and perhaps begun to open a new chapter in my hobby.Thanks to Karl from the GMologist Presents, to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, and to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today. Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Special moments come along but rarely and today is a special moment for me. Sometimes we meet people with whom we share seemingly little in common and then we discover they play D&D too. My guest today is someone from a very different background and experience of roleplaying games whom I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with. While our conversation was focused around the topic of Pantheons in D&D, the conversation roamed far and wide giving me much to think about.Ron Ogden is the CEO of The Dungeon Society, a tabletop RPG company seeking to “give every GM a creative toolset to make the storytelling process convenient and unique.” Ron has been worldbuilding and creating homebrewed D&D campaigns for over two decades. His latest endeavors include being co-DM on The Dungeon Run (a popular live-play D&D show on Twitch) as well as "The Chronicle" for Heroic Story (a creator-led community that unites artists, writers, and gamers who love fantasy stories and RPGs).Big thanks to Ron for coming onto the show!Ron Ogden can be found on:TikTok: Ron Ogden (@therealrogden) TikTokORhttps://www.tiktok.com/@therealrogdenThe Dungeon Run: The Dungeon Run - YouTubeORhttps://www.youtube.com/c/TheDungeonRunTwitter: Ron Ogden (@therealrogden) / TwitterORhttps://twitter.com/therealrogdenThe Dungeon Society can be found at:Home | The Dungeon SocietyORhttps://thedungeonsociety.com/Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most overlooked aspects of running a roleplaying games campaign is the question of what you and your players want from such a game. We tend to assume that other people come to the table for the same reasons that we do. We also tend towards diving in head-first to getting a game up and running, keen to play, without considering how we want to the game to feel. There’s also a tendency to not consider the outcomes we might seek from a new campaign - and I’m not talking about the inevitable defeat of the Big Bad or returning home victorious from the quest. Over the past few years, I’ve had many conversations with fellow gamers and thought deeply about what it is that I want to offer at the table. I think these issues are important and ultimately play the largest factor in whether a game can stand the test of time. Thanks to Hobbs from Hobbs and Friends plus Random Screed, to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, to Kevin from The Redcaps Podcast, and to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today..Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode follows on from Choosing Fantasy Worlds, which was episode 13. Brian’s question was about recommending worlds that are well-done and while I have some personal favourites which fit that description, I also want to talk about why it’s so hard to find well-done modern and SF worlds for games.Thanks to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up for the call in that inspired the episode. Thanks also to Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast for the call-ins today.  There's also some news about my antics in creating a new school-based D&D club.Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am uncomfortably Old-School. While I don’t self-identify as being part of the so-called Old-School Renaissance, my habits and sensibilities have much in common with the early days of that Movement. But I am not truly part of the OSR because the games I enjoy are too complex and detailed for the members of that Movement. So where do I fit? I suspect I have fallen between the cracks of the roleplaying games community.Thanks to Jason and Evil Jeff for the call-ins!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue or search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many, many worlds that I would love to explore and play in. But if we specify worlds that are well-done then that list is much shorter. I’ve thought about it a great deal and I am going to suggest three worlds - or settings - that I consider to be well done. To keep things sane, I’m going to begin by focusing on Fantasy worlds. If you want my thoughts about modern-era or science-fiction worlds, let me know and I’ll do a follow-up episode. We begin with this: if I could sit down and run any pre-designed fantasy world and wanted to choose one that was well-done, there are three worlds I would choose: Harn, Glorantha, and Ptolus.Thanks to Brian, Jason, Wiebe, Barry, and Simon for the call-ins!Link to Ptolus:https://www.montecookgames.com/welcome-to-ptolus/Link to Glorantha:https://www.glorantha.com/Link to Harn:http://columbiagames.com/harn/index.htmlRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message:speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon:patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]:roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescueor search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big part of what makes this show special is the community of discovery that has grown up around it - through the blog comments, emails, Discord messaging, Patreon support, and podcast call-ins. You, the listeners, are what make working on the show a joy and about 80% of the reason that I keep recording and editing episodes.Every call-in gets saved but not every call-in has space in the regular episodes, so every now and again I like to scoop up the messages and present them back as a special Call-in Collective show. Many thanks to Evil Jeff from Minions and Musings for both the idea and name of the Call-in Collective.Thanks to Brian from I’ll Have To Look That Up, Jason from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Jason Wiebe, Arlen Walker of Live From Pellam’s Wasteland, and Frank Turfler for the call-ins today. Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email:[email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group:mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue or search "Roleplay Rescue"Twitter:@ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is a quick overview of an approach to GM preparation that I call Tiny Prep. It was inspired by the work of BJ Fogg, the Director of the Stanford Behavioural Lab and discussed at length in his highly-recommended book “Tiny Habits”. Tiny Prep is the simple idea of doing your GM game preparations in very small increments daily or, in my case, six days a week. I utilise the science of human behaviour revealed by BJ Fogg to leverage the natural habit-forming processes of the human brain to increase my output of prep before games. The great benefit is that I now prep more material and better quality material for my games than I did before. For my anxiety, this has helped me hugely.Thanks to Brian, Jason, and Wiebe for the call-ins!Tiny Habits: BJ Fogg | Tiny Habits OR https://tinyhabits.com/Fogg Behaviour Model: Behavior Model OR https://behaviormodel.org/Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This one is a bit of a rant. It arises from repeated comments from players about GURPS which irk me. It begins with this: “Sure,” says the player when I suggest we play a game using GURPS, “I’d be happy to play… as long as I don’t have to build a character.”GURPS is not a complex or difficult game. But it is a generic and universal game. It doesn’t come with a pre-packaged world nor with a bunch of genre conventions because it can handle any world and any genre. Or, more precisely, GURPS can handle all worlds, genres, and approaches. The problem is with building a character and with making choices as a player. Making choices is hard and that players are increasingly in too much of a hurry to be bothered with making the effort.Thanks to the Jason Connerly and Barry (GMShadow) for the call-ins today.Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is the last in a series of conversations I shared over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know.My guest today is a fellow podcaster and perhaps one of the nicest and most mellow souls I have had the privilege to meet. We sat down to talk a little about the Classic Traveller roleplaying game - especially since, at the time, I was re-approaching the old Black Box set for a possible SF campaign I am still desperate to create. This conversation inspired many elements in the project that has arisen from it and I thank Bob hugely for making me think about Traveller in fresh ways.Bob Loftin is co-host of SAFCOcast, a podcast about the Traveller roleplaying game and its derivatives. SAFCO stands for Super Adventure Friends Co., the tongue-in-cheek name the members of Bob’s group decided to give the company their characters formed for their Classic Traveller campaign, “Into The Void”. SAFCO podcast: SAFCOcast.com – a Traveller RPG Podcast – a podcast about the Traveller RPG and its derivatives OR http://www.safcocast.com/Big thank you to Bob for onto the show!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which set of roleplaying game rules should you use? What do you need to learn before you run the game? And how important are they to the success of the game?As an anxious gamer, the biggest focus of my hobby over the years has been the question of which set of rules is the best for roleplaying. My experience has been simple: this is the wrong question.Thanks to the Pink Phantom, Jason Connerly, and Jason Wiebe for the call-ins today.Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is the third in a series of conversations I shared over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know. My guest today is the single biggest influence on this podcast, a huge inspiration to me as a Game Master. He is, of course, The Alexandrian himself - Justin Alexander.Just in case you don’t know, Justin is a freelance writer and the author of The Alexandrian.net. His published works include more than 200 books, articles, and reviews including gaming supplements published by Modiphius Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, Dream Pod 9, Atlas Games, Troll Lord Games, and Dream Machine Productions. Justin is also the host of his own YouTube channels entitled Advanced Gamemastery, Quick GM Tips, and “Let’s Read 1974 D&D”.Big thank you up front to Justin for coming back onto the show. I hope you’ll find this as illuminating as I did.Game on!The Alexandrian Blog: The Alexandrian » Gamemastery 101 or https://thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101The Alexandrian YouTube: The Alexandrian - YouTube or https://www.youtube.com/TheAlexandrianJustin's Patreon: Justin Alexander is creating ROLEPLAYING GAME DOODADS, TRINKETS, AND INSIGHTS | Patreon or https://www.patreon.com/justinalexander/postsRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme also by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we get started setting up and running a fantasy roleplaying game? What’s the best approach to getting the game off the ground quickly? And how can we do it in such a way as to keep stress to the minimum?Let’s start with this: The best way to get a game going quickly is to begin with a place, a location from which to launch an adventure.Thanks to Jason and Wiebe for the call-ins!Legend of The Bones Podcast: Legend of the Bones | a podcast by legendofthebones (podbean.com) OR https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s chat is with Menion, aka Rob, the creator and host of Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi, a podcast that hails from Japan. This conversation was about Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and arose as I was trying to put together my own Open Table game now known as Hiraeth. At the time, I was wavering on which rules system to use and ultimately this chat helped me decide.Big thank you in advance to Rob for hopping online, sometime back in June, and sharing this delightful and insightful chat. I hope that you’ll find our discussion helpful and interesting.Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi podcast: Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi • A podcast on Anchor OR https://anchor.fm/menionRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s the easiest and most straightforward way to start playing roleplaying games after many years away from the table? And if we’re playing already but want to make the jump towards being Game Master, what’s the simplest path? Is there a way to make our first games so likely to succeed that we can overcome the anxiety that stands in the way?Big thanks to Jason, Brian, and Adam for the call-ins!LINKS:D&D Basic Rules: Basic D&D Rules | Dungeons & Dragons (wizards.com) OR https://dnd.wizards.com/what-is-dnd/basic-rulesThe Alexandrian Open Table Manifesto: The Alexandrian » Open Table Manifesto OR https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/38643/roleplaying-games/open-table-manifestoOD&D (includes Book III): OD&D Dungeons & Dragons Original Edition (0e) - Wizards of the Coast | D&D, Original Edition | Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com) OR https://www.dmsguild.com/product/28306/ODD-Dungeons--Dragons-Original-Edition-0eBECMI DM's Book: D&D Basic Set - DM's Rulebook (BECMI ed.) (Basic) - Wizards of the Coast | D&D Basic | D&D Basic | Dungeon Masters Guild (dmsguild.com) OR https://www.dmsguild.com/product/116619/DD-Basic-Set--DMs-Rulebook-BECMI-ed-BasicRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A short while ago I was privileged to be able to catch Doug for a chat about his forthcoming projects, most notably his entry into the Old-School Essentials B/X D&D space, with a really cool Kickstarter running until the tail end of August 2022. Big thanks to Doug for coming to speak to us and I hope you find this conversation illuminating. Especially look out for Doug talking about a few new projects previously unreported…Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gamingballistic/old-school-solo-adventuresGaming Ballistic: http://gamingballistic.com/Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of a series of conversations I’ve shared, over the period between the seasons, with some of the most creative gamers I know. Simon Williams is a British artist and illustrator as well as being the creator of the Legend of The Bones podcast, a hybrid Solo Old School Dungeons and Dragons actual play and dark fantasy audio drama. His evocative illustrations are inspired by classic roleplaying games like Fighting Fantasy and classic works of fiction such as The Lord of The Rings. On top of all of this, Simon is a husband and father. He has been running an ongoing roleplaying campaign for about 4 years and has plenty of experience with solo roleplaying to boot.Big thank you for Simon for coming on the show!Legend of The Bones Podcast: Legend of the Bones | a podcast by legendofthebones (podbean.com) OR https://legendofthebones.podbean.com/Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This season we are working towards creating an anxious gamer’s guide to roleplaying games and seeking to reduce the stress, worry, and heartache that so often seems to accompany something that feels like it should be more fun than it is. In his book, Play, Brown asserts that the reason we are doing an activity defines whether or not it is play. This pairing of ideas helped me to realise that some of my games are not playful. I feel it’s important to recognise the times when we are engaging in non-play.Thanks to Jason and Wiebe for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some roleplayers experience deep anxiety around playing and running games. Although I didn’t realise it until recently, my gaming habits have been formed as much by social and generalised anxiety as they have by anything else. More than that, one of the most repeated comments I have received over the past 3 and a half years of producing this podcast has been the one about how much my honest talk about anxiety has resonated with others. This episode begins a new season of Roleplay Rescue and we are going to open with a broad theme: An Anxious GM’s Guide To Fantasy Roleplaying. Big thank you to Jason and Brian for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know I said that Season 10 had come to an end after 22 episodes but when opportunity strikes it’s best to grasp it with both hands. Besides, episode 23 also has a nice, mystic ring to it.  My guest today is the single biggest influence on this podcast, a huge inspiration to me as a gamer and Game Master, and just about the best source of roleplaying wisdom I have come across on the internet. When he suggested he’d be open to doing an interview, well, I was thrilled. How could I say no?Justin Alexander is a freelance writer and the author of the grand repository of ideas that is The Alexandrian.net His published works include more than 200 books, articles, and reviews including gaming supplements published by Modiphius Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games, Dream Pod 9, Atlas Games, Troll Lord Games, and Dream Machine Productions. Justin is also the host of his own Youtube channels entitled Advanced Gamemastery, Quick GM Tips, and - of particular interest to me in recent weeks - his “Let’s Read 1974 D&D”. Hailing from Minneapolis, USA, Justin is also an actor and playwright. And it’s a very great honour for me to have him on Roleplay Rescue.Big thanks to Justin for coming to talk to us!The Alexandrian Blog: The Alexandrian » Gamemastery 101 or https://thealexandrian.net/gamemastery-101The Alexandrian YouTube: The Alexandrian - YouTube or https://www.youtube.com/TheAlexandrianJustin's Patreon: Justin Alexander is creating ROLEPLAYING GAME DOODADS, TRINKETS, AND INSIGHTS | Patreon or https://www.patreon.com/justinalexander/postsRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme also by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A selection of comments and questions from listeners to round off Season 10. Lots of interesting thoughts and a whole bucket of encouragement for me!Thank you to all the callers: Wiebe, Jason C., Frank, Lord Tygger, Bob from Safeco, James Sral, Graham First Age, and Brian.Thanks also to you for listening, to all the RPR Patrons, and to everyone who has shared the show anywhere! Couldn't do it without you!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very special episode in which Jon from Tale of The Manticore and I hopped online to play an improvised game using the Mythic solo game engine. There was zero prep and the whole thing was very off-the-cuff but we had a great time! The result is lightly edited because I didn't want to lose any of the magic I felt between us as players and the emergent story we conjure. After the game, Jon and I have a good chat about what we experienced.Thanks to Jon for his challenge and being a fantastic guest!Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Check out the Mythic Roleplaying here: Word Mill Games - Mythic or http://wordmillgames.com/mythic.htmlRoleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay Rescue Theme also by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three and a half years, ten seasons, and 295 episodes have elapsed since Roleplay Rescue began. Where have we got to, what’s the pathway forward, and do I have anything else left to say?As I reach Episode 20 of this tenth season, a milestone I set up in my mind at the beginning, I am taking stock and wondering what more I can share with this fantastically supportive Roleplay Rescue community.Many thanks to Jon for the call-in!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few days ago I was privileged to be able to schedule a conversation with Daniel Jones, the originator of the term Otherworld-immersion and a proponent of the idea that changing the methodology of our roleplaying games being the key to changing the experience we have at the table. For those who don’t know him, Daniel is a published author, game designer, philosopher, and the man behind the Eudaimonic Geekery blog. If you want to hear our earlier conversations about Otherworld-immersion, please check out Season 6, Episode 10 and Season 9, Episode 14.Today’s chat was initially aimed at responding to three very common objections I have heard to the central methodological change of bringing all the rules, die rolls, and mechanisms behind the GM screen. From there, we talk more generally about some of our experiences with this style of play and muse on how to invite more roleplayers to try something different.Thanks to Daniel for coming back to the show. I hope you’ll find it illuminating and interesting.Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to play a roleplaying game by yourself? How is it possible to find play in the solitude of alone? Should we even allow ourselves to go there?Last time I talked about the tension between being a player and being the GM in a roleplaying game. Today, I want to explore the question of what it means to play alone, solo, just you and the game.Thanks to Spencer for calling in! Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“First and foremost, then, all play is a voluntary activity. Play to order is no longer play: it could at best be but a forcible imitation of it. By the quality alone, play marks itself off from the course of the natural process. It is something added thereto and spread out over it like a flowering, an ornament, a garment.” These words from Johan Huizinga’s “Homo Ludens” raise a question: if play to order is no longer play, but at best a forcible imitation of it, at what point does the expectation and planning for a roleplaying game cause that roleplaying game to stop being playful?Links:The Alexandrian » Game Structures – Part 5: Mysteries: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15151/roleplaying-games/game-structures-part-5-mysteriesGaming From The First Age "Emergent Campaigns": anchor.fm/first-age/episodes/Emergent-Campaigns-e1fvt89Thanks to Evil Jeff and Jason C for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousratRoleplay 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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you could always sit down on a regular basis and actively prep for your next game in a way that left you feeling confident and positive? What if you could work in such a way as to unlock your maximum creativity while preserving your energy and motivation for the long haul?We all know how exciting it can feel to set up a brand new roleplaying game campaign - you are pumped with the vision, bouyed by the positivity of the players, and raring to go! And you might even get a strong start out of the gate. But human motivation being the fickle beast that it is, you also all know the reality of what happens when the initial high energy positivity wanes and you have to commit to preparing your game for the longer haul.I don’t think it’s any surprise that most gamers nowadays flit from system to system, game world to game world, playing one-shots and short campaigns. Human motivation being what it is, we always lose the buzz and it feels so much easier to bail on the game that has lost its shine and simply start a new one.But what if you could sustain the creative effort in the long run? Would you want to find out how to do it?BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits: tinyhabits.comFogg Behaviour Model: behaviormodel.orgThanks to Matt and Jason for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when, as a GM, you have nothing prepped and you are staring down the barrel of a session? You’ve had two weeks to prep but no, you couldn’t bring yourself to sit down and make any notes, so now you have nothing? Isn’t it just easier to bail out, make your excuses, and try again next time? Today, I want to talk about how to do emergency prep.Thanks to Karl and Jason for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescuePatreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Email: [email protected]: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what is one of the most creative activities in the human sphere, why do we outsource our creativity to others? Over the past 40 years or more I have spent countless hours and thousands of pounds buying, reading, and trying to use the untold prescriptions for roleplaying available on the market… and not one of them has matched my needs or desires for very long. The desire for the kind of entertaining, exciting, and open gaming that I am seeking grows. And the truth is that, at some point, I am going to have to either step up and realise it, or step out and do something else. Today I have a short rant on something I am calling, “The Blended Entity”. Today I am going over the edge...Thanks to Jason and Anthony for the call-ins!Roleplay Rescue Details:Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescueEmail: [email protected]: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello Rescuers! Finally managed to pull together a call-in bonus episode, featuring messages from Jason, Brian, Evil Jeff, and Barney! Thanks to those guys for sending in their thoughts.Hope this is of interest and please consider joining in with your questions or comments.Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescueEmail: [email protected]: 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.

How do you deal with the great Terror Phantom, the question of what will people think? How can we overcome the social anxieties around running and playing in roleplaying games? Where do we even begin?Big thank you to Jason for the call-in!Game on!Roleplay Rescue Details:Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama (podbean.com) or https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Voice Message: speakpipe.com/roleplayrescueEmail: [email protected]: 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.