Roleplay Rescue

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

In January 2020, I had a call in from the legendary podcaster and game designer, Ray Otus, of Plundergrounds fame. It was in response to an episode I had made about the Eight Engagements of games. He made a mention of wondering how the Eight Engagements connected to the idea of Simulationism. Just a couple of weeks ago, Spencer from Keep Off The Borderlands podcast, called in with a response to some comments I made about abstraction in gaming and also asked for a response. In this episode, I try to answer both of these call-ins... and, as I did so, I realised that they were tied together through the question that titles this episode: Why do you play what you play?  Many thanks to Ray and Spencer for their inspirational call-ins. Game on! Plundergrounds: anchor.fm/plundergrounds Keep Off The Borderlands: anchor.fm/free-thrall GNS Theory by Ron Edwards: indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/ Ron Edwards Interview: anchor.fm/andy-goodman8/episodes/129-Ron-Edwards-interview-ebja60 Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message 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

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

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

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

Roleplay Rescue Season 6 goes off half-cocked as I get back to the mic. In the face of the Covid-19 lock-down, not only here in the UK but across the world, I've decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, stop making excuses for not being creative, and put something out. This episode contains lots of call-ins from listeners, a brief outline of the plan for Season 6, mention of what's been happening over the past couple of weeks, and even some news from the Patreon. Hope there's something of use for all of you in there. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD With apologies to Brian May. Contact Details: 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

Are you someone who used to play roleplaying games, like Dungeons & Dragons, back in the day? Why’d you stop? Did life get too busy for that sort of thing? This is Roleplay Rescue - the podcast about rediscovering your lost roleplaying hobby. Host Che Webster introduces the purpose and approach of the show as it enters its Sixth Season. What's Roleplay Rescue about? Come and find out more! 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

This is the end. Season Five crashes to a halt in the face of overwhelming odds. That said, I've got a confession to make and a question to ask. Tune in to find out what my crazy brain is suggesting now. Thanks to all the callers in this episode: Jason, Andy, Colin, John, Lieren, David, Menion, and Pandion Knight. Your contributions make this a much better show! Thank you! 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

This is the last DM's Diary of Season 5. There's some lovely call-ins from Juho and Evil Jeff - thanks, guys - and then we plunge into what turned out to be a very challenging week. If you want to keep up-to-date between Seasons, subscribe via Patreon because I do post bonus DM Diary content there. Thanks to everyone for listening and, please, stay safe out there! 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

Today’s episode arose from another one of those moments in which I couldn’t keep the passion of the topic inside any longer. It was also triggered by some pretty disparate experiences in my own gaming coalescing into a moment of clarity. Thus, although I am hoping that clarity can be transmitted during this episode, you’ll have to be the judge on whether I manage to pull it off.  Thanks to all the callers in this episode: Jason C, Goblin's Henchman, and Rui Lourenco - great stuff and please keep 'em coming! Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message 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

This one's a treasure-trove of lovely call-ins mixed with the usual snippets from the DM's Diary. As ever, it's unashamedly personal, raw, and poorly edited. Massive thanks to the callers - Spencer, Colin, Lieren, Jason, and Andy! It's a good-un! Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message 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

This week’s episode is about my sudden return to the Fifth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons and the profound impact this has had on me over the past week and a half. I also want to take the time to share a whole bunch of great call-ins that I’ve received, most of which are in praise of episode 518 in which Andy Goodman and I shared a deep conversation about the Fear and Freedom of Improvisation. I'm not entirely sure if this makes a whole bunch of sense but there you go. Game on! Thanks to Spikepit, Evil Jeff, Jason C, Lieren, Menion, and FreeThrall for the call-ins! 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

This week is an unusually energetic blast through my thoughts on narrative, description, what happened at the school club, D&D5e, what's going on in my Traveller gaming, and how Dolmenwood is going. As usual, it's a raw and largely unedited collection of random thoughts collected through the week and assembled into a rough diary. Take from it what you will - but it's pretty candid and personal, you have been warned! 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

This week I’ve been thinking an awful lot about what it means to be a Referee - or Game Master, Dungeon Master, Storyteller, whatever - running your own game. With our theme of getting back to the table firmly in mind, I sat down to jot out a list of the key Referee Tools that I would seek to bring to the table for almost any game I run. I am not necessarily good at remembering to assemble these items, but I do strongly feel like they help me to run a positive session for my friends - both face-to-face and online. I thought it might be interesting to share those notes with you and invite anyone with additional things they use to call in to let me know. Big thanks to Andy Goodman and Barry Dewey-Robertson for their barrage of great call-ins! Keep 'em coming, folks! 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

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