Roleplay Rescue

It’s been a couple of weeks and I’ve been thinking about what we talked about in Series 1 and where we might take things next. The best contribution to my thinking has been the steady stream of voice messages, comments, emails, and conversations that I’ve been able to consider over the past few weeks. It’s fair to say that, given the response, I came to the conclusion that I could probably run to at least another eight episodes in response to those questions and points. Where are we heading in Series 2?  Listen to find out... Contact: Quick link here: rpgrescue.com Email: hello@rpgrescue.com MeWe: Roleplay Rescue Page Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page

What if the reason your gaming group is collapsing is because the Game Master keeps cancelling the sessions? In this final episode of Series 1, we talk about the barriers that stop a Game Master from getting a regular game off the ground and the strategies that I am starting to use to correct this problem.  We learn about the Holy Trinity of game decisions that I believe lie at the heart of every successful roleplaying campaign.  We finish by talking through the requirements for an Open Table and I share a worked example. I also discuss strategies for prepping and some of the systems that you can rely on to succeed. Here are some links from the episode: Daniel Pink, "When": www.danpink.com/books/when/ The Alexandrian, Justin Alexander’s, “Open Table” series: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1223/roleplaying-games/opening-your-game-table   The Alexandrian, Justin Alexander’s, “Game Structures” series: thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures The Angry GM: theangrygm.com Sly Flourish's "Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master": slyflourish.com/returnofthelazydm Engine Publishing's "Never Unprepared": www.enginepublishing.com/never-unprepared-the-complete-game-masters-guide-to-session-prep Brian Jamison's "Gamesmastering": www.gamemastering.info

This episode was inspired by Mike Bowers' question, back in Episode 3, about how to get established players of newer roleplaying games to give an older game system a go. When Mike called in with that question, I was blown away. I made a fumbling first stab in Episode 3, but I always knew I’d need to circle back to the heart of the problem. I discuss the more common reasons for playing the latest editions of roleplaying games and try to recognise the mammoth task required to get people to change game. I make a proposal on how appeal to the two big things that all players need and carve out a case for the systems of the past. From there, I share a bunch of tips on how to make the first experience of your alternative game system appealing. Here are some links to stuff mentioned in the episode: My blog post, "Why D&D Works Fine" Robin Law's ebook: Robin’s Laws of Good Gamemastering The Alexandrian's "Open Table Manifesto": Opening Your Gaming Table

Over the past few weeks, ever since starting this project, I’ve been chatting to a couple of gamers I know. One of the cool things that has happened is that one or two of these guys have agreed to record an interview about their own experiences.   Ted Wallerstedt lives in Minnesota, USA where he works in Computer Audit and Security. Ted has been a Member of the Society of Extraordinary Gamers (SXG) since 2014 and is largely responsible for my own transition to roleplaying online. He’s a regular at my Castles & Crusades Open Table, hosted at SXG. This interview was recorded while Ted was in Santa Monica, California, and holed up in a motel right on the highway. He was hooked up to a computer with a basic headset and, frankly, I was straining to hear him well while we chatted. That being said, the conversation was a good one and gets to the heart of why online roleplaying is so cool. Bear with us on the quality and see if there’s anything you can take from the conversation in spite of a rough edit.  Links related to the episode: Find out more about SXG: The Society of Extraordinary Gamers (My game is called "Stonehell" and meets on alternate Saturdays) Fantasy Grounds: FantasyGrounds.com (This is the online roleplaying software we recommend) Teamspeak 3: Download Teamspeak (This is the chat software that SXG uses for online gaming)

Following on from last week, I hopped online and had a chat with Carl Bussler. He is the co-founder of Stormlord Publishing, hosted and produced the Flagons & Dragons podcast, and is currently the host of The Megadungeon Podcast. Carl lives in a little town near Philadelphia where he works as a Videographer and Photographer. Here's a link to The Megadungeon Podcast Massive thanks to Carl for coming on the show and sharing his thoughts on why megadungeons are ace!

Having a stab at defining the concept of a "megadungeon", we take a look at the dungeoncrawl as the best and most successful game structure from the standpoint of a person who wants to play a foolproof game. The episode piles on the reasons why both players and Game Masters ought to be able to enjoy the megadungeon’s pleasures. We also note that the megadungeon does not, in any way, limit your play options in the longer term. Here are the links I promised in the episode:  The Megadungeon Podcast: Episode 1 The Alexandrian blog post: “Game Structures Part 3: Dungeoncrawl” Dungeons & Dragons Red Box (1983, aka BECMI): Player's Guide and DM's Rulebook Barrowmaze Complete: Labyrinth Lord, aka 1981 B/X D&D Edition Barrowmaze Complete (5e): 5th Edition D&D Shiny Shiny Edition Barrowmaze Level 1 Map: Level 1 Map Only Peter Dell’Orto’s “Dungeon Fantastic”: Megadungeon Mapping Best Practices Part I B/X Essentials free .PDFs Adventures & Treasures and Monsters Game on!

Over the past few weeks, ever since starting this project, I’ve been chatting to a couple of gamers I know. One of the cool things that has happened is that one or two of these guys have agreed to record an interview about their own experiences.  Derek McClean is an Anglican Priest, husband, and father. I’ve known him not shy of 30 years, ever since we met at University. Having been a teacher of Religious Education, Derek attended Cambridge University before his ordination. He currently serves a rural diocese in England.  Unfortunately, the audio quality on this interview has not been as good as I would have hoped and I need to admit that, while the content is good, the conversation has suffered a bit from being recorded on our mobile phones. I’m uploading this episode as a bonus because, frankly, the conversation is too good to consign it to the cutting room floor. Bear with us on the quality and see if there’s anything you can take from the conversation in spite of a rough edit. Here's a link to RoleGate, the online play-by-chat platform: RoleGate.com Oh, and this is the game Derek mentions at the end:  The Deryni Adventure Game

Following on from the last episode, in which I outed my story of discovery and the success experienced with B/X Essentials, I hopped online and interviewed the author of that product: Gavin Norman. Here are the questions I started with: - What is it that you enjoy most about roleplaying games? - What is your biggest barrier to getting a game? - What was the worst moment in your roleplaying hobby? - How do you keep yourself motivated to play? - What tips do you have for a person coming back to the roleplaying hobby? From there, we talked about the reception of B/X Essentials, plans for the future of the line, and a little about his Dolmenwood setting. Here are some links related to the interview: Necrotic Gnome: http://necrotic-gnome-productions.blogspot.com/ B/X Essentials .PDF Bundle: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/246226/B-X-Essentials-PDF-Bundle-BUNDLE Dolmenwood: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/5606/Necrotic-Gnome/subcategory/27522/Dolmenwood Many thanks to Gavin for braving an unknown interviewer and coming on the show!

Sharing my own journey of revelation about roleplaying games and describing one route back into hobby. This is the story of what happened to me in July 2018 when all the reading, thinking, and self-doubt finally opened a way to enjoy my hobby again. I hope it can inspire others to consider a trip back to the gaming table. Here are the links I promised in the episode: The Angry GM’s, “GMing, Basically” series: https://theangrygm.com/series/gm-basics/ The Alexandrian, Justin Alexander’s, “Open Table” series: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1223/roleplaying-games/opening-your-game-table Jennell Jacquays’, “The Caverns of Thracia” megadungeon: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/127336/Caverns-of-Thracia-1979 B/X Essentials (art-free) $0 .PDFs: Core Rules - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/220729/B-X-Essentials-Core-Rules--Plain-Text-Edition Classes & Equipment - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/227658/B-X-Essentials-Classes-and-Equipment--Plain-Text-Edition Cleric & Magic-user Spells - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/233175/B-X-Essentials-Cleric-and-MagicUser-Spells--Plain-Text-Edition Monsters - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/246582/B-X-Essentials-Monsters--Plain-Text-Edition Adventures & Treasures - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/253083/B-X-Essentials-Adventures-and-Treasures--Plain-Text-Edition Add dice and play!

What are roleplaying games and why should we play them? Taking a look at what lies at the heart of RPGs, their value to us as human beings, and the basics of how they work. It's time to take a stab at defining what tabletop roleplaying games are all about. We also take a look at the function of RPGs and the reasons for playing them (other than just for fun). Finally, this episode handles the fundamentals of how to play. Here are the links I mention in the episode: The Angry GM's "GMing, Basically" series: https://theangrygm.com/series/gm-basics/ The Alexandrian on Game Structures: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/15126/roleplaying-games/game-structures Sarah Lynne Bowman's book, "The Functions of Roleplaying Games": https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-functions-of-role-playing-games/ For Jon Peterson's, "Playing At The World": http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/ Tim Shorts’ Gothridge Manor: http://gothridgemanor.blogspot.com/

Taking a look at three big barriers to playing RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Traveller, or RuneQuest. This episode introduces some of the key reasons many folk will drop out of the hobby. None of this is rocket science yet it affects gamers everywhere at some time or another. Here are a couple of links to items mentioned in the episode... Andy Cope's & Andy Whittaker's book, "The Art of Being Brilliant": https://www.artofbrilliance.co.uk/shop/1/the-art-of-being-brilliant My own blog: http://ubiquitousrat.net A big thank you to Ravi Bains who designed the new artwork for the podcast - thanks, Ravi!

The Series 1 trailer in which I make a plea for lapsed roleplayers to come back to the gaming table. Ever play D&D or similar roleplaying games back in the day? This is my first stab at tempting you back. Game on! Contact: Quick link here: rpgrescue.com Email: hello@rpgrescue.com MeWe: Roleplay Rescue Page Facebook: Roleplay Rescue Page