As long as I can remember, I have been inspired by and drawn in to what is commonly called Portal Fantasy: a story which transports the characters into a magical world via a gate/wardrobe/magical tree or anything else the author might imagine. Today I want to explore that trope a little and try to understand why it always seems to fire up my imagination. On top of that, thanks to Frank for his call-in that rounds out this episode. Muchly appreciated! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Them...
Aug 07, 2021•23 min•Season 9Ep. 10
This is a bonus episode responding to a call-in from Colin "Spikepit" Green on the question of how I record an episode of Roleplay Rescue. It's probably a bit technical in places, for which I apologise. But hey, here's my process in under 25 minutes. I hope it answers the question asked. Big thanks to Colin for the question! Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreo...
Aug 03, 2021•21 min•Season 9Ep. 9
This is a bonus call-in episode featuring messages from listeners on previous call-in shows, plus comments on worlds and underdogs from recent episodes. Big thanks to the callers: Jason C, Spencer, ShandyAndy, Jon, and Paul for their messages! Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/rolepla...
Aug 02, 2021•16 min•Season 9Ep. 9
From the desert of the Necropolis, today I am joined by Mark Greenberg. Mark is co-author of The World of the Lost Lands by Frog God Games - the setting of Rappan Athuk and the myriad Frog God and Necromancer Games adventures - and he’s also the author of the currently-Kickstarting adventure for 5e and Swords & Wizardy, Necropolis. Big thanks to Mark for the interview and the whole Necromancer/Frog God Games team for sharing their latest project with us! Necropolis Kickstarter: https://www.k...
Jul 31, 2021•54 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Started recording this week's entries to the diary and then when I got home, I noticed Arlen had emailed me a message. I listened. I replied. I am sharing the whole thing with you now because it feels important. I will probably release it to Anchor on Monday too. Thanks, Arlen - possibly the kindest thing you could do for me! Yes, we are trying to build a community of discovery together. My problem is in feeling accepted. Game on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 26, 2021•17 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Rollin' 1d6 call-ins as a bonus. Really keen to share Jason's responses before he runs off to release his own episode on the topic... plus there are some fabulous comments and ideas in here around the subject of system fluidity and gaming style. Big thanks to the callers: Jason C, Spencer, First Age, and Karl! Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/...
Jul 25, 2021•15 min•Season 9Ep. 8
What is it with my preference to run lower-powered fantasy games? Is it avoidance of complexity, a desire to withhold cool stuff from the players, or an underlying lack of confidence in my ability to run complex games? Or is it something else… is it my love of the underdog? Thanks to Arlen for his call-in! Arlen Walker's "Live From Pellam's Wasteland": https://anchor.fm/pellamswasteland Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor....
Jul 24, 2021•26 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Another collection of excellent call-ins from a bunch of lovely listeners who are very kind. This stuff covers episodes 4 to 7 of this season and is well worth a listen... mostly because I don't say too much. Big thanks to the callers: Jason C, Frank T, Kevin from Redcaps, Colin Spikepit, James Sral, Jeffrey, and Paul aka Heptalemma. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.c...
Jul 18, 2021•27 min•Season 9Ep. 7
While I hope this episode stands alone, it follows on from my earlier discussion in Episode 5 about the importance of worlds. Today, I want to talk about system. By this, I mean the shape of the whole game including the World but also the choice of Rules and the Methodology we choose. I am working from the general, macro scale down towards specifics. Today I want us to see the whole system first. Thanks to Evil Jeff for his call-ins! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incide...
Jul 17, 2021•27 min•Season 9Ep. 7
Six weeks ago, I stated that I had arrived at a place of change and growth. I had turned 50 years of age and was beginning to wonder if I’d ever become the Game Master, Referee, and Creative World Builder that I have been meaning to get around to becoming since I was about 10 years old. I have had to learn to let go of old unhelpful patterns of thinking and rechart my pathway back to the hobby. So, as we reach the six episode of the series - what is to me a natural waypoint on my journey - I’m a...
Jul 10, 2021•19 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Quick bonus round-up of calls received from listeners in response to the Solo Sundays episode (903), plus a couple of straggler messages about dice. Good stuff and well worth the listen. Big thanks to the callers: Barry (aka GM Shadow), Jason C, Evil Jeff, Reese, and Karl R. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com M...
Jul 06, 2021•13 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Evil Jeff wants to know: "When are we going to hear about Webster’s style?" It’s actually a little more complex - at least in MY head - than it might at first seem. What do I want from my fantasy roleplaying games? There are three basic elements that I need to consider and today I want to explore what is for me the most important of all: the World. Many thanks to Evil Jeff for calling in and inspiring this episode... and maybe one or two more to follow. Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue T...
Jul 03, 2021•21 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Call-ins on the topic of dice have been coming in over the past week or two, plus a couple of great calls about scanning and ADHD. I thought I would share them along with my replies. Hope it's of interest. Big thanks to the callers: Goblin's Henchman, Jason C, Rob aka Menion, Spencer, and new caller Paul. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgre...
Jun 27, 2021•19 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Sometimes I feel like the proverbial Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, torn between two natures, two personalities, two ways of being. I love roleplaying games. I have loved them ever since I was very small. And yet, because of these two seemingly opposed natures, I feel constantly conflicted. How I can I reconcile these two characters within my one limited self? The answer, I believe, comes from embracing them both and bringing them into cooperation. Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme ...
Jun 26, 2021•20 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Two changes in my life have opened up a larger-than-expected chunk of free time. I’ve been able to turn over some of that time to gaming… and, specifically, to solo tabletop gaming. How have I found the time and why, having found some time, would I not just schedule it for more social gaming? That’s what I wanted to address today. Thanks to Reese for the call-in that inspired the episode. Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: ancho...
Jun 19, 2021•24 min•Season 9Ep. 3
More call-ins have been coming in over the past week or two, so I thought I would share them along with my replies. Hope it's of interest to someone else out there too. Big thanks to the callers: Spencer, Karl, and Frank. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Ro...
Jun 14, 2021•14 min•Season 9Ep. 2
What is it with dice? Why do these small objects hold such a fascination for me? How can something as simple as a six-sided die have such an impact on how I think and feel? Today I want to talk about dice. I want to talk about dice because, for me, these are probably the single greatest mood enhancer that I know. When I am down - and that can be a pretty frequent emotional state for me - dice are a useful trick for kick-starting some positivity and getting me back to an equilibrium. Roleplay Res...
Jun 12, 2021•19 min•Season 9Ep. 2
There were a bunch of call-ins received at the tail end of Season 8 that I wanted to share. Some are sublime, others utterly ridiculous. Make of it what you will. Big thanks to the callers: Gav, Brian, and Frank. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Re...
Jun 07, 2021•15 min•Season 9Ep. 1
I’ve arrived at a place of change and growth. I have recently turned 50 years of age and am beginning to wonder if I’ll ever become the Game Master, Referee, and Creative World Builder that I have been meaning to get around to becoming since I was about 10 years old. Having experienced a mental health crisis in November 2020, I have also had to learn to let go of old unhelpful patterns of thinking and re-chart my pathway back to the hobby. Essentially, I’ve needed to put all the theory and discu...
Jun 05, 2021•19 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Hello. This is Roleplay Rescue - the podcast about rediscovering your lost roleplaying hobby. Welcome to the introduction to Season 9 - a great starting point for anyone new to the show. This short episode outlines the background of your host, Che, and gives a brief outline of what RPR is all about. I hope you'll consider giving the show a go and continue listening as we roll on in to a new season. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Details: Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon. V...
May 29, 2021•8 min
Hello Rescuers! Yes, I’m pleased to say that it’s another bonus interview episode. This one’s popping up during the Interregnum between seasons because… well… there’s an excellent Kickstarter opportunity that I wanted to make GURPS fans - and, actually, any fan of fantasy roleplaying - aware of… and it’s from Gaming Ballistic. Douglas H. Cole is the owner of Gaming Ballistic, the first licensed third-party publisher for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game and The Fantasy Trip, working in suppor...
May 12, 2021•39 min•Season 8Ep. 15
It was Friday April 1st 2016 when my regular D&D group got together and, on a whim, decided to play “Red Box” D&D (BECMI). The weekend before, I’d been doodling around with that set and enjoyed myself enough to ask the guys to play the “First Adventure” with me. Little did I know that I was taking the first steps into a larger World - the classic fantasy realm of Mystamyr. Today, I am treading softly and steadily towards that realm I first discovered back in 2016. It’s the realm that led...
Apr 03, 2021•32 min•Season 8Ep. 15
Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, Christopher R. Rice is constantly writing, tinkering with, and running GURPS. A frequent contributor to Steve Jackson Games’ Dungeon Fantasy and Pyramid, if he's not writing for GURPS, he's blogging about it. His site “Ravens N' Pennies” is well-stocked with more GURPS goodies than you could shake a stick at. This episode was originally conceived as a bonus interview but, having recorded and edited it, I realise that Christopher has acted as a powerful catalyst...
Mar 27, 2021•52 min•Season 8Ep. 14
The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This is a bonus episode of the DMD that I am sharing with the wider RPR community of listeners because it feels significant. WARNING! Mental health content...
Mar 21, 2021•23 min•Season 8Ep. 13
It's a call-in show! I had so many responses in recent weeks that the only way to share and respond to them was to put them together into their own show. Lots of good content from the community here and it's well worth the listen. Thanks to Evil Jeff, Jon C, Wolfchild, Gav, Menion (aka Rob), Colin, and Lieren for their kind call-ins this episode! Game on! "Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com Roleplay Rescue Contact D...
Mar 20, 2021•36 min•Season 8Ep. 13
I’ve been bothered lately by the perception I have developed that the roleplaying game community is dominated by negativity. For a while now, I’ve found myself increasingly repelled by that negativity and this has led to a massive downward shift in the quantity of blogs, podcasts, and other social media that I consume. In short, I hear and read a lot of tearing down. I’ve been wondering how to respond. Is it negativity to call out the negativity you perceive in the community? Is it healthy to fo...
Mar 13, 2021•32 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Recently, I’ve been trying to finish a whole bunch of books that I’ve been reading but not quite managed to complete. One of these books was the latest tome from Dungeons & Dragons scholar Jon Peterson, “The Elusive Shift”. This book revealed a number of insights, not least of which was the simple truth that there really is no discussion or debate in which I have ever shared on the topic of roleplaying games which had not already begun between the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 an...
Mar 06, 2021•30 min•Season 8Ep. 11
Peter Laws is an ordained minister with a fascination for the macabre, an author, journalist, film critic, public speaker, and regular writer for Fortean Times. He is the creator of the Matt Hunter novel series and the host of the Creepy Cove Community Church podcast - an immersive, horror-themed ‘church service’, broadcast from the mysterious fishing town of Creepy Cove. Besides from horror, Peter is said to hail from somewhere down south and enjoys retro TV and Krispy Kreme donuts. This episod...
Feb 28, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Something strange has been happening over the past few weeks. I’ve been pushing the edges of my comfort zone and stepping out to see what kind of tabletop roleplaying experience lies outside of the rather narrow confines I had backed myself into. On a whim, I grabbed a copy of the Pathfinder 2nd edition Beginner Box and, well, I’ve been grubbing around with it ever since. This episode I want to share my early impressions of the game and bring you in on the process of taking the Beginner Box to t...
Feb 27, 2021•34 min•Season 8Ep. 10
Special bonus episode time! I hopped online to chat to my buddy Jason Hobbs about how mental health and roleplaying games mix. We enjoyed the chat and I felt it'd be good to share it... and quickly. Many thanks to Jason for coming back onto the show! We both hope that this bonus will help someone else out there. Game on! Hobbs & Friends: Hobbs & Friends – Tabletop RPG Podcast Hosted by Jason Hobbs (hobbsnfriends.com) See also Random Screed • A podcast on Anchor https://anchor.fm/jason-ho...
Feb 21, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 8Ep. 9
