Roleplay Rescue

Following on from recent thoughts on questions surrounding the role of story and narrative in tabletop roleplaying games, I hopped online to chat with fellow Anchor podcaster, Andy Goodman from Expedition to The Grizzley Peaks. We had a fairly unstructured natter about the role of emergent play, improvisation, and prepared narrative structure in gaming. It was a very illuminating conversation. Thanks to the call-in callers: Jason, Mr Henchman, and Rui - you are amazing and I am, as ever, deeply grateful for your thoughts. Especial thanks to Frank T for editing this interview and saving me  the embarrassment of not having an episode this week. Thank you! Andy Goodman's podcast: anchor.fm/andy-goodman8 Frank T's Patreon: patreon.com/FrankT 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 was the week I ran my first-ever game of Old-School Essentials in Dolmenwood. Call-ins from Jason, ShandyAndy, and Menion kick us off and then we dive through the past week's DM's Diary entries. It all culminates in the outcomes from Dolmenwood and a new project for Traveller entering my consciousness. Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering.  Enter at your own risk! Game on! Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials Learning How To Play Traveller blog post: roleplayrescue.com/2020/02/16/learning-how-to-play-traveller 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

Catching up on my DM's Diary, this episode brings you through to about the turn of the month in February 2020. Lovely call-ins from Goblin's Henchman, John Alan Large, Josh Beckelhimer, and Menion aka Rob. Thanks to all of them!  Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering. Enter at your own risk! Game on!  Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD  Contact Details:  Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message  Email: hello@rpgrescue.com  Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue  Blog: roleplayrescue.com  MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")  Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")  Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

What if roleplaying games aren’t about storytelling? What if we stop thinking about our games as collaborative attempts to create coherent narratives? What if, after all, we consider that RPGs are - at their roots - actually just games?  I’ve been thinking a lot about the assumptions that we tend to have about roleplaying games. There is one particular oft-repeated phrase that has long niggled at me and which, if I am honest, I am not entirely sure is true. Or, at least, I don’t think it HAS to be true. I think it might be true only if we want it to be. You’ve heard it said, I am sure: “Roleplaying games are a form of collaborative storytelling.”  Thanks to all the callers in this episode: George, Rob, Rui, and Josh. This feedback and sharing of thoughts is what makes Roleplay Rescue and Anchor podcasts generally compelling. Thank you! Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

This has been a tough week with a lot going on. I've been essentially bed-bound for several days, but I have had a lot of time to read and think in the hours during which I wasn't asleep. There is a kind of wondrous freedom in that, despite the fact that I can skant remember a time when I have been more ill. Well, that seems to be coming to an end. I am grateful for my immune system and the wisdom of my doctor.  This episode focuses on just a handful of the wonderful call-ins made because I also wanted to share the somewhat rambling initial impressions I have formed around Old-School Essentials as a game. Thanks to Jason Connerley, John Alan Large, and Conrad Kinch for their generous words and comments. Two of those are first-time callers and, as ever, I deeply appreciate the time taken to make the calls. Thank you all. Remember: this is the DM's Diary so it's raw, uncut, and meandering. Enter at your own risk! Game on! Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

This is a very special and yet highly experimental episode: Josh Beckelhimer, from JB Publishing, emailed in an extended audio response to Dungeon Master's Diary #22. At the end of that episode, I had asked for help in relation to Sword & Wizardry as a game system and Josh responded. It's a heartfelt and, frankly, amazing testimony to the S&W game system and its designer, Matt Finch. I felt I had to share it because it sits at the heart of what Roleplay Rescue stands for. Thanks to Josh... and many thanks to Arlen Walker, Frank Turfler Jnr, Jason Connerley, Ray Otus, Rui Lourenco, and ShandyAndy for the ton of call-ins in this episode because, without you guys, there really wouldn't have been a show this weekend. Game on! JB Publishing podcast: anchor.fm/jbpublishing JB Publishing blog: fantasticalbeckelhimer.blogspot.com Swords & Wizardry Complete (the .PDF is free): froggodgames.com/product/swords-wizardry-complete-rulebook Swords & Wizardry Boxed Set Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/swords-and-wizardry-limited-and-collectors-edition-box-sets Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Everything has changed inside about 40 hours or so. Hear my reaction to Gavin Norman's invitation to playtest the Dolmenwood Player's Guide, how this has catalysed a whole host of insights and emotions, and what I have decided to do. This is either one of the biggest breakthroughs in my gaming or the most rash decision from the World's Flakiest Dungeon Master. Time will tell. Be warned - this is very raw, very emotional, and very much off the cuff. Thanks also to the wondrous Barney (Loco Ludus), Jason (Nerd's RPG Variety Cast), and Joe (Hindsightless) for the call-ins. Game on! Old-School Essentials: necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials Dolmenwood: necroticgnome.com/collections/dolmenwood Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD 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 has been foul: the UK exited the European Union, I went down with a nasty bout of a flu-like illness, and I had a lot of time to think. Is it time to finally transcend my current hobby expectations and try Swords & Wizardry? You tell me. Game on! Thanks to Frank T and Andy G for the call-ins! Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

This one's a rather fabulous chat I had with fellow Anchorite podcaster, Dave Aldridge about the issues around using RPGs in education. He's a lecturer at a prestigious British university and I'm a classroom teacher in a mainstream UK high school. It seems Dave has some misgivings about using RPGs in the educational setting which led me to engage him in a deeper conversation about those issues. It's a deep, philosophical, and ever-so-slightly technical chat and I sincerely hope we managed to maintain an accessible level of educational jargon. I hope you find it useful. Thanks must go to the fantastic call-ins from Cory, Rui, and Andy G that lead the show - skip to about 10 minutes in if you want to avoid those. Especial thanks to Frank T for editing this interview and saving me the embarrassment of not having an episode this week. Thank you! Frank T's Patreon: patreon.com/FrankT Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

This was the week in which I prepped for the Traveller "High and Dry" scenario, talked to the school club kids about one-shots, figured out how I would run a science-fiction Open Table, and found out that the Satanic Panic is back. It's an emotional roller-coaster made all the better by call-ins from ShandyAndy, Jason Connerley, and Colin Spikepit. Enter at your own risk! Game on. Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Three major call-ins from three top Rescuers allow me to talk you through three very neat ideas. What's a Game Structure and why should you care? Can you run a module on the fly? How can we find non-5e gamers in an age of D&D5e? All worthy questions tackled off-the-cuff and (hopefully) with good humour. It must be another episode of Roleplay Rescue. Game on! The Alexandrian on Game Structures: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures Many thanks to Andy Goodman, Joe Richter, and Rui Lourenco for their call-ins... and also to ShandyAndy for his. Enjoy! Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Another collection of top-notch call-ins followed by my rough and ready DM's Diary entries. Thanks to all of the callers! As ever, you guys make my show better. This one has had one entry removed due to time and you can find it over on my Patreon very soon. I hope you find something useful and thanks for taking the time to listen to my ramblings. Game on! Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Catching up on a host of great call-ins makes this episode slightly longer than I usually prefer... but it's good stuff from the community and definitely overdue. Following the first 15 mins or so of call-ins, I dive into a discussion around the question of whether it's better to be a Roleplayer or a Rollplayer. I've being hearing this dichotomy talked about in several places lately, so I decided to chip in my two-penneth on the question. I hope you find it useful... or, at the very least, interesting.  Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Squeezing in as many of the fantastic call-in that I can within my self-imposed 25-35 minute episode length, there are still more to come. Thanks to everyone who called in and sorry that my responses are a little brief. This episode I go back to work, get snubbed by teenagers, delve into Star Trek Adventures, and we find out what lay beyond The Iron Door in Thaarl. Game on! Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Brilliant interview with Necrotic Gnome's Gavin Norman, the creator of the Old School Essentials RPG! This one has some announcements about projects coming through 2020 and there's a major scoop about the "big project" of the year. If you want to skip to the "what's next" question, you'll find that at about 34:33. Massive thanks to Gavin for giving me an hour and sharing the latest in the world of OSE. Game on! Necrotic Gnome: necroticgnome.com Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat