The GROGNARD Files

Here we go! After a two year break, Dirk and Blythy are back in Birmingham talking about RuneQuest, DCC, Traveller, Conan, Old School Essentials and into the Odd. It’s good to be back. Why not support us on Patreon? The post UK GAMES EXPO 2022 – GROGPOD extra first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

The 70s and 80s were the golden age of dark popular culture and Scarred for Life have chronicled the TV, comics, adverts, sweets and others of the period in a conversational but forensic style. There are two volumes available with a third on its way at the end of Summer ’22, which will feature role-playing … Continue reading "Scarred for Life by RPGs (with Stephen Brotherstone) Ep 54 (Part 1)" The post Scarred for Life by RPGs (with Stephen Brotherstone) Ep 54 (Part 1) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Welcome, this is an extra-GROGPOD which is from a live recording made at this year’s virtual GROGMEET. Every month, on the first Sunday, the GROGSQUAD meet to discuss books from The Great Library of RPGs. This time we read The Gutter Prayer and invited Gareth Hanrahan for a Q&A session. If you would like to … Continue reading "RPG Book Club GROGPOD Extra (with Gareth Hanrahan)" The post RPG Book Club GROGPOD Extra (with Gareth Hanrahan) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

One of the foundational films that shaped the games that we played is Excalibur (1981). In this episode we look back on the film and consider how it can continue to inspire our gaming. To see some of the issues of Starburst that we refer to in this episode, you’ll find images over at Dirk … Continue reading "King Arthur Pendragon RPG (with David Larkins) Ep.53 (Part 2)" The post King Arthur Pendragon RPG (with David Larkins) Ep.53 (Part 2) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Join me as I take an idea for a walk across the Gangster RPG shelf in the GROGPOD den. It also features a sample actual play of GangBusters – The Vanishing Investigator. Games mentioned: GangBusters Gangster! Crime Fighter Fiasco Hillfolk Spirit of ’77 Cartel Blades in the Dark Wise Guys Also mentioned: Good Friends of … Continue reading "GangBusting RPGs (GROGPOD extra)" The post GangBusting RPGs (GROGPOD extra) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

In this episode, we finally draw the sword from the stone and examine a game that had an enormous impact on gaming in the 80s: King Arthur Pendragon. David Larkins, the Pendragon line editor for Chaosium, joins us to tell us about the history of the game, how it works and the future developments. Judge … Continue reading "King Arthur Pendragon RPG (with David Larkins)" The post King Arthur Pendragon RPG (with David Larkins) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

“Get your trousers on, you’re nicked!” We are still in the mood for some old fashioned cops and robbers. In this part we look a bit more closely at how the rules work in GangBusters. Judge Blythy, our resident rules lawyer casts his eye over some of the highlights of the system. New in this … Continue reading "GangBusters Ep.52 (Part 2)" The post GangBusters Ep.52 (Part 2) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster in an RPG. This time we look back at a classic from back in the day. Pound the mean streets of LakeFront City as we look back to playing the game back in the 80s. Blythy opens up the box of delights … Continue reading "GangBusters RPG (with Mark Hunt) Ep.52 (Part 1)" The post GangBusters RPG (with Mark Hunt) Ep.52 (Part 1) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

It’s that time of the year again when our thoughts turn to The GROGGIES, our review of the year, with a series of special awards for the highlights. Get ready to open the spurious golden envelope to find the winners. We are delighted to have musical accompaniment by Paul Mitchener who also provides his First, … Continue reading "Episode 51 – Review of 2021" The post Episode 51 – Review of 2021 first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

We return to the subject of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks with our special guest Jonathan Green who has written a history of the publishing phenomena. He is an active gamebook designer with many projects in his repertoire. You’ll find his latest work Ronin 47 (late pledges) kickstarter. Judge Blythy joins me at the Las O Gowrie … Continue reading "Episode 50 (Part 3) Fighting Fantasy (with Jonathan Green)" The post Episode 50 (Part 3) Fighting Fantasy (with Jonathan Green) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Welcome to another extra all about this year’s GROGMEET. This time it includes a live recording made at Fan Boy Three. Frankenstein’s RPG podcast has been pulling together the best bits of role-playing games this year to produce an epic monster of a game. We got together to decide which would be the best supplement … Continue reading "Extra – Dirk and Blythy grogMEET Frankenstein (with Ian Cooper and Paul Fricker)" The post Extra – Dirk and Blythy grogMEET Frankenstein (with Ian Cooper and Paul Fricker) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

It’s that time of year when we are preparing for the GROGMEET convention in Manchester and, this time, online. Blythy and Dirk discuss the history of the meet-up, give some tips on how to start one yourself, discuss the thorny issue of ‘player sign-ups’ and run through the games they are running at the event. … Continue reading "Extra – It’s a con! GROGMEET preparation" The post Extra – It’s a con! GROGMEET preparation first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

We are pleased to say that Ian Livingstone returns to the GROGPOD to face the Games Master’s Screen. He talks about the early days of White Dwarf and the upcoming book, Dice Men from Unbound, and he also talks about his role in shaping computer studies in the UK. Fabio Vollono shares the first game … Continue reading "Episode 50 (Part 2) Fighting Fantasy (with Ian Livingstone)" The post Episode 50 (Part 2) Fighting Fantasy (with Ian Livingstone) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Armed with no more than 2 dice a pencil and eraser we are delighted to have special guest Ian Livingstone on Episode 50. Also in this episode, the return of face to face recording in the Las O Gowrie. Judge Blythy talks to Dirk about his experiences of Fighting Fantasy and reveals his thoughts of … Continue reading "Episode 50 (Part 1) Fighting Fantasy (with Ian Livingstone)" The post Episode 50 (Part 1) Fighting Fantasy (with Ian Livingstone) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Forgotten Futures is the table-top RPG that is based on the scientific romances of the late Victorian and Edwardian period. Marcus L Rowland take us on a tour on his works and the ways that it has been distributed during its years of production. You can find a whole host of fascinating material on Marcus’ … Continue reading "Extra – Forgotten Futures (with Marcus L Rowland)" The post Extra – Forgotten Futures (with Marcus L Rowland) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

This is the 80th GROGPOD and there is a sense of celebration in the air. We are delighted to have Marcus L Rowland as our guest. He was a stalwart of Whit Dwarf during its hey day. Cthulhu Now! Green Horizon, To Live and Die in Mega City One and the Fear of Flying, his … Continue reading "Episode 49 – Marcus L. Rowland (with Thunder Phase!)" The post Episode 49 – Marcus L. Rowland (with Thunder Phase!) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

The GROGNARD files returns with the Return of Call of Cthulhu with the return of Lynne Hardy. This time she faces the Keeper’s Screen to reveal her Arcane secrets. She talks about her contribution to the Dying Earth Role-Playing Game, Cogs, Cakes and Swordsticks, the game she designed, and more news about upcoming Chaosium releases … Continue reading "Episode 48 (Part 2) Return to Call of Cthulhu (with Lynne Hardy)" The post Episode 48 (Part 2) Return to Call of Cthulhu (with Lynne Hardy) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

The Armchair Adventurers keep coming back to Call of Cthulhu and we are about to begin Children of Fear, written by our guest Lynne Hardy. In this episode we discuss Lynne’s formative years in role-playing and how she started work with Chaosium with a pitch for this richly detailed and horrific campaign. Tristan Narbrough is … Continue reading "Episode 48 (Part 1) Return to Call of Cthulhu (with Lynne Hardy)" The post Episode 48 (Part 1) Return to Call of Cthulhu (with Lynne Hardy) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

As the Final Score recedes (great result between Arbroath and Queen of the South) it’s time to grab a Tizer and sit down to an episode all about Dr Who. We speak to Dave Chapman, who is the lead writer on Doctor Who Roleplaying Game from Cubicle 7 about his history with the Doctor, his … Continue reading "Episode 47 – Dr Who RPG (with Dave Chapman)" The post Episode 47 – Dr Who RPG (with Dave Chapman) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Tim Harford, economist, columnist, broadcaster, best-selling author, podcaster and role-player was the very special guest at virtual GROGMEET 2021. There were a vast array of games available over the weekend, including a fiendish quiz set by Pookie from Reviews from R’lyeh – thank you to everyone who took part to make it a great event. … Continue reading "Extra – My Role-Playing Games First, Last and Everything (with Tim Harford)" The post Extra – My Role-Playing Games First, Last and Everything (with Tim Harford) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Whatever happened to March 2021? We may never know, let’s hope that April restores normal service. In this episode we continue the discussion with Chris Klug about his career in game design: James Bond RPG (which we covered in Episode 15), Aidyn’s Chronicles, and his work for Chaosium, such as The Smoking Ruin … Continue reading "Episode 46 (Part 2) DragonQuest RPG (with Chris Klug)" The post Episode 46 (Part 2) DragonQuest RPG (with Chris Klug) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode The GROGNARD files opens on one of our favorites from back in the day. Blythy bought it from Northern Games Day while I was playing a great game of RuneQuest and he was feeling sorry for himself. We played a lot of this game as it was our swords and sorcery game of … Continue reading "Episode 46 (Part 1) DragonQuest RPG (with Chris Klug)" The post Episode 46 (Part 1) DragonQuest RPG (with Chris Klug) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

In this episode we review the games that we have played in 2020 – there were so many! During the discussion we cover our experiences of playing Lyonesse, Savage Worlds, Mutant Year Zero and many more. You can see the report on all the games we played by following this link. Dave Morris joins us … Continue reading "Episode 45 – Review of 2020 (with Dave Morris)" The post Episode 45 – Review of 2020 (with Dave Morris) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

The last GROGPOD of 2020 features a classic British Old School RPG, Dragon Warriors. You can find out more about Dave Morris at his blog and his Patreon. Daily Dwarf has a blog too. Dave Paterson is about to launch a new podcast Frankenstein’s RPG and he’s a regular on Orlanth Rex’s Gaming Vexes. Dragon … Continue reading "Episode 44 – Dragon Warriors (with Dave Morris)" The post Episode 44 – Dragon Warriors (with Dave Morris) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

This is a bonus episode featuring a ‘Library Use’ segment that we recorded which looks in detail at issue 52 of Dragon Magazine (published in August 1981). The publication was around the same time as the launch of the Moldvay edition of Basic D&D. We discuss an article where the new edition is discussed in … Continue reading "Episode 43 (Bonus) Dungeons and Dragons" The post Episode 43 (Bonus) Dungeons and Dragons first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

This is the second part of the Dungeons and Dragons Episode. Lew Pulsipher returns to talk more about his contributions to White Dwarf, his strategy game Britannia and his contributions to EN World. Daily Dwarf revisits Holmes Basic D&D and tries to revive the magic. Cris Watkins from Bonhomie Games shares his First, Last and … Continue reading "Episode 43 (Part 2) Dungeons and Dragons (with Lew Pulsipher)" The post Episode 43 (Part 2) Dungeons and Dragons (with Lew Pulsipher) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

GROGMEET2020, the fifth annual meet-up of the GROGSQUAD, had to be held online to avoid pathogens. It didn’t stop us having a fantastic weekend which included a Pub Quiz, a Mausritter Tournament Dungeon, and an eclectic mix of games over four time-slots: seventy sessions in total. To end the event we recorded this live panel … Continue reading "Extra – Thunder Phase! at GROGMEETish2020 (with Paul & Gaz)" The post Extra – Thunder Phase! at GROGMEETish2020 (with Paul & Gaz) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode We knew we’d get there eventually. This episode is dedicated to Basic Dungeons and Dragons. Our guest is Lew Pulsipher who was a regular contributor to the Golden Era of White Dwarf. He talks about his formative years in role-playing. He is still contributing to EN World and has a Video channel all … Continue reading "Episode 43 (Part 1) Dungeons & Dragons (with Lew Pulsipher)" The post Episode 43 (Part 1) Dungeons & Dragons (with Lew Pulsipher) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Welcome to the end of the world! In the latest episode we look at the FGU RPG Aftermath!, a game that is still supported by useful online resources. I ran a one-shot for GrimCon but working out the rules was a challenge. Thankfully Doc Cowie is on hand to help me through the … Continue reading "Episode 42 – Aftermath! RPG (with Doc Cowie)" The post Episode 42 – Aftermath! RPG (with Doc Cowie) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Blimey, we’ve been doing this bobbins for five years! Good grief! In this episode, we go back to the beginning to look at RuneQuest with Jason Durall, as well as other highlights from his career in role-playing. Blythy and I face the randomly selected Thunder Phase suggested by Patreons. First, last and everything … Continue reading "Episode 41 – Five Years of The GROGNARD Files (with Jason Durall)" The post Episode 41 – Five Years of The GROGNARD Files (with Jason Durall) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Know o prince … the GROGNARD files produces another epic (take your time …). We’ve been playing Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed of, by Modiphius and having great fun emulating the Hyborian world of Robert E Howard. Jason Durall is an enthusiastic player as well as designer and he gives a great … Continue reading "Episode 40 – Conan RPG (with Jason Durall)" The post Episode 40 – Conan RPG (with Jason Durall) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Loz Whitaker from The Design Mechanism returns to face The GamesMaster’s screen. He talks about The Eternal Champion, Strontium Dog and Mythras. We have been enjoying a Hawkmoon series of adventures using Mythras using elements of Chaosium’s Hawkmoon and the Mongoose version. Doc ‘Con’ Cowie shares his First, Last and Everything. In a … Continue reading "Episode 39 – Hawkmoon RPG (with Lawrence Whitaker)" The post Episode 39 – Hawkmoon RPG (with Lawrence Whitaker) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Welcome to a new GROGPOD about a new game that we are very excited about. Lyonesse, Fantasy Role-Playing based on the novels by Jack Vance has been released by The Design Mechanism. We are joined by Lawrence Whitaker who tells us about the project and his formative years in role-playing. Daily Dwarf looks … Continue reading "Episode 38 – Lyonesse RPG (with Lawrence Whitaker)" The post Episode 38 – Lyonesse RPG (with Lawrence Whitaker) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Hello, my name is Dirk the Dice and this is the GROGNARD files podcast. If you are new here, then this is the place to begin as it provides a quick overview of what to expect from the GROGPOD. It’s probably best to start at the beginning, but time is precious, so this … Continue reading "Start Here – The GROGNARD Files – Session Zero" The post Start Here – The GROGNARD Files – Session Zero first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Welcome to the post apocalypse with Pookie from Reviews from R’lyeh. We talk about how RPGs taught us everything we need to know about the apocalypse. Old Scouse Role Player shares his first, last and everything. Please support what we do on Patreon. The post Episode 37 – Gamma World RPG (with Pookie) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Welcome to the second part of the MERP episode. I recommend Menion (AKA Rob’s) podcast ; we speak to Liz Danforth – why not support her on Patreon? Thanks to Per Broden for his excellent First, Last and Everything, the an ad for our good friends at The Good Friends …. and we … Continue reading "Episode 36 (Part 2) Middle Earth Role-Playing (MERP) (with Liz Danforth)" The post Episode 36 (Part 2) Middle Earth Role-Playing (MERP) (with Liz Danforth) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Popular demand has insisted that we look at MERP from Iron Crown (1984). In this first part we come to terms with Tolkien and our relationship to Middle Earth. Thanks to Liz Danforth, Daily Dwarf , Graham Kinniburgh, and Steve Ray for their help in putting this Episode together. Support us on Patreon The post Episode 36 (Part 1) Middle Earth Role-Playing (MERP) (with Liz Danforth) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode What makes Pulp “pulp” we ask ourselves in this episode. It features the interview with Paul Fricker that we recorded at GROGMEET19. He’s one of the hosts of The Good Friends of Jackson Ellias, who we joined in the E.N.World Hall of Fame, thanks to the generous votes from the GROGSQUAD. There’s also … Continue reading "Episode 35 – Pulp Cthulhu (with Paul Fricker) recorded at GROGMEET19" The post Episode 35 – Pulp Cthulhu (with Paul Fricker) recorded at GROGMEET19 first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode It’s the end of the world as we know it, but we feel fine, because we’ve been gaming, a lot. We review the year in gaming over a pint with Clint, the pub dog. Jamie Thomson is back looking over his career in Fighting Fantasy, The Way of the Tiger game books, The … Continue reading "Episode 34 – Review of 2019 (with Jamie Thomson)" The post Episode 34 – Review of 2019 (with Jamie Thomson) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode INTRO: We are still recovering from a successful GROGMEET19. I picked up some new games along the way, including Pendragon and the new Eberron supplement for D&D (thanks to the coverage that they received on The Smart Party). OPEN BOX (with Jamie Thomson): Features editor for White Dwarf between 1981-84, author of Fighting … Continue reading "Episode 33 – Live Action RPG (with Jamie Thomson)" The post Episode 33 – Live Action RPG (with Jamie Thomson) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode INTRO: It’s the first anniversary of Greg Stafford’s passing and to recognise the event, we are celebrating one of his greatest, collaborative creations: Thieves’ World. There’s a quick potted history featured here, if you want to see the supplement for yourself, I’ve made a short unboxing film. OPEN BOX: Eddy has managed to … Continue reading "Episode 32 – Thieves’ World" The post Episode 32 – Thieves’ World first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode The GROGNARD files is back with the latest episode which looks in-depth at Numenera RPG based on the Cypher System which was the first new-fangled game that we played when we returned to the hobby. There’s a great First, Last and Everything from Kaye Elling (make sure you follow the progress of her … Continue reading "Episode 31 – Numenera RPG" The post Episode 31 – Numenera RPG first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode As an extra to Episode 30, here’s the rest of the Actual Play. It also features a ‘Games Master Prepares’ segment about using The Five Room Dungeon. The post EXTRA – Blake’s 7 Actual Play first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode INTRO: This time we are looking at Blake’s 7 and its influence on our gaming. GROGGLEBOX: Eddy joins us in a noisy Port Street Beer House in Manchester to discuss ‘Project Avalon’ ACTUAL PLAY: Thanks to Andrew Cousins of lending me his copy of the rules to play. Blythy as Avon, Doc Con … Continue reading "Episode 30 – Blake’s Seven RPG" The post Episode 30 – Blake’s Seven RPG first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode In this episode we discover the seven ages of White Dwarf with @DailyDwarf and the First Last and everything from Nick Edwards. We also bang on a bit about the Patreon which has got some new goals. The post Episode 29 (Part 2) White Dwarf the RPG years first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode Mike Brunton, our special guest for Episode 29, suddenly passed away on 18th July 2019. This is the interview in full, released as a celebration of his gaming career. It also features Paul Cockburn adding a tribute to his old friend and colleague. The post Extra – Mike Brunton: a tribute first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

It’s taken us 50 podcasts to dedicate an episode to White Dwarf. It was the centre of our RPG lives when we were teenagers. In this episode Mike Brunton tells us how he got into RPGs and worked with TSR UK and Imagine magazine. Next time he will be relating his experiences as editor of … Continue reading "Episode 29 (Part 1) White Dwarf the RPG years" The post Episode 29 (Part 1) White Dwarf the RPG years first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode This is a GROGPOD extra, made possible thanks to the generosity of the GROGSQUAD patreons. This is a Newstalgia podcast talking about the things we are playing now. It is focused on the preparations for the RPGs played at UK Games Expo: Savage Worlds, PSI World and Lyonesse. Here are some links mentioned … Continue reading "EXTRA – A RPG GamesMaster Prepares (UK Games Expo 19)" The post EXTRA – A RPG GamesMaster Prepares (UK Games Expo 19) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode INTRO: A new review of The GROGNARD files INTERVIEW: A list of interesting things referred to by Ken: His mini, Trollhala Press, Fours, and Big Jack Brass ACTUAL PLAY: Hook up with The Smart Party to hear more FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING: This time : Steve Ray GROGGLEBOX: At The Earth’s Core Outro: Thanks … Continue reading "Episode 28 (Part 2) More Tunnels & Trolls RPG (with Ken St Andre)" The post Episode 28 (Part 2) More Tunnels & Trolls RPG (with Ken St Andre) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Download Episode INTRO: 00:00:16 – This is the first part of a two part episode looking at the games and worlds created by Ken St Andre. He’s one of the founders of the hobby and tremendously influential on the development of RPGS. OPEN BOX: 00:04:40 – Live from his Troll Cave in Arizona, The Trollgodfather … Continue reading "Episode 28 (Part 1) Monsters! Monsters! RPG (with Ken St Andre)" The post Episode 28 (Part 1) Monsters! Monsters! RPG (with Ken St Andre) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.