We are still looking at the role of monsters and how we can learn from screen monsters in our TTRPGs

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The first part of an Episode all about Monsters. Which Bestiary should stay? Which should we play? And which could go away?

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Live from GROGMEET 23, join us as we roll back the years with Mike Mason. We look at the key moments in the history of Call of Cthulhu: its origins and its early campaigns. In Library Use, Blythy and Dirk look at Cults of Cthulhu and Different Worlds and consider the world populated by people … Continue reading "Cults of Cthulhu (with Mike Mason) Ep 66"

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Download Episode INTRO This time we are looking at James Bond 007, a game we didn’t play back in the day, but the GROGSQUAD suggested that we should give it the once over. We had a great review from Mike Hobbs from Meeples and Miniatures POTTED HISTORY 03:43 This is the story of Chris Klug realising … Continue reading "Episode 15 – James Bond 007 RPG"

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Download Episode INTRO: News about a new PBM ‘zine that we’ve inspired – Bones of the Lost God – if you like Phil’s monsters, he’s put some of his art on Red Bubble. GAMESMASTER’S SCREEN (with Ian Marsh): Ian Marsh returns to talk about his editorial-ship at White Dwarf and his involvement in Games Workshop. He … Continue reading "Episode 14 (Part 2) RPG Fanzines (with Ian Marsh)"

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Download Episode INTRO Welcome to the world of fanzines. OPEN BOX (with Ian Marsh) The first part of an interview with Ian Marsh, who was the editor of DragonLords fanzine and went on to become the editor of White Dwarf. DAILY DWARF For one episode only @dailydwarf becomes the Daily Dagon as he looks at … Continue reading "Episode 14 (Part 1) RPG Fanzines (with Ian Marsh)"

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Download Episode INTRO 00:05 By a strange quirk of fate, Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes has suddenly become available as a PDF from Drive Thru RPG. We’ve had another five star review on iTunes, this time it’s from Baz, of The Smart Party podcast. OPEN BOX 05:30 Dirk returns to Whartson Hall to visit Big … Continue reading "Episode 13 – Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes (with Jon Hancock)"

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Download Episode INTRO – We’re still taken aback at the scale of response to the first part of this episode, but we’re conscious enough to issue a warning about Hob Nob balls. POTTED HISTORY (3.49) – Kindly provided by @hobgoblinorange  who provides an overview of the major players and developments in the miniature figure art in … Continue reading "Episode 12 (Part 2) Games Workshop & Citadel (with Tim Olsen)"

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Download Episode INTRO (15 secs) This is an unusual episode as it is about a place more than a thing. This is about the remembered place that was Games Workshop, when we were kids, and the magical lead figures we found there. POTTED HISTORY (6.32) The story about how school friends came together to form … Continue reading "Episode 12 (Part 1) Games Workshop & Citadel (with Tim Olsen)"

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Download Episode For your eyes only. Don’t accept this Podcast if the seal is broken. INTRO: I love the world of espionage and this is the first in our ‘Spy Sequence’ that we’ll be peppering through the next year. We’ve had another iTunes review too – please give us one if you haven’t already. OPEN … Continue reading "Episode 11 – Top Secret RPG"

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Download Episode INTRO Blimey Charlie! This is the twentieth podcast! 1:53 GAMESMASTER’S SCREEN Rick Meints, President of Chaosium, joins us once again. This time we roll on a special ‘plunder’ table to search his fabled collection as he recounts past adventures from back in the day. 42:08 OPEN BOX Borderlands is Chaosium’s classic campaign from 1982 – … Continue reading "Episode 10 (Part 2) More RuneQuest RPG (with Rick Meints)"

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Download Episode INTRO We’re back for more podcasts in 2017! We’re returning to our origins and looking again at the game that we began with back in 1981. OPEN BOX 4.31 – the only President from the USA who really matters is the President of Chaosium, Rick Meints, who joins us to open the box … Continue reading "Episode 10 (Part 1)More RuneQuest RPG (with Rick Meints)"

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Download Episode RSS Feed INTRO Special thanks to Paul Cockburn for his contribution to these podcasts. This podcast is dedicated to Joe Dever, creator of The Lone Wolf adventure books, who sadly passed away in November. GAMESMASTERS’ SCREEN with Paul Cockburn Paul Cockburn is behind The GamesMaster’s Screen to pick out some of the regular … Continue reading "Episode 9 (Part 2) Imagine Magazine (Paul Cockburn) and RPG Review 2016"

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A homecoming. The GROGNARD files returns to Glorantha, the setting where our RPG life began. 4mins – Jeff Richard joins us at the Book Club to talk about The King of Sartar, Greg Stafford’s epic book of The Dragon Pass. The discussion also includes The Cults of RuneQuest. 26 mins – Judge Blythy and Dirk … Continue reading "Glorantha (with Jeff Richard)"

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Download Episode RSS Feed 0 INTRO We have been hard at work producing the GROGNARD files fanzine for Patreon backers. There are still a few hard copies available for new $3.50 backers. They are limited. Once they’re gone they’re gone. PDFs are available for download for $1 backers from 21st November. 6:33 SHOW AND TELL … Continue reading "Episode 9 (Part 1) Imagine Magazine (Paul Cockburn)"

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Download Episode RSS Feed Wednesdays 21:00 – 23:00 Fortnightly, between Sept 15 and July 16 was Traveller Time. During this period we played Traveller online using Roll 20. INTRO: I put out an advert for players on the site to play the classic 1983 adventure from GDW. OPEN BOX: 4:27 We discuss some of the … Continue reading "Episode 8 The Traveller Adventure"

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    Download Episode RSS Feed We return to ‘blast away the fiends of boredom’ with another T&T episode. This time we are joined by Big Jack Brass, Jon Hancock. 0.15 Introduction. We had feedback from non-other than Ken St Andre himself… 4.05 Open Box. Jon talks about his early life in role playing and … Continue reading "Episode 7 (Part 2) Tunnels and Trolls RPG"

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Download Episode RSS Feed Yes, it’s time for Solos and … satisfaction? It’s time for Tunnels and Trolls. Intro: Caroline is in big hair and specs, because we’ve had another iTunes in America! Potted History (4.00): A quick run through of the origin story of T&T. Open Box (8.23): Brought to you from a replica of … Continue reading "Episode 7 (Part 1) Tunnels and Trolls RPG"

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    Download Episode   RSS Feed This episode includes odds n’ sods, Old Scroates and Points of View about AD&D. Introduction 00.15  Dirk muses over the ridiculous, complicated numbering strategy adopted by the podcast and introduces Ric and Tim, the stars of this part of the episode. Old Scroates (Part 1) 04.15 It’s not … Continue reading "Episode 6 (Part 4) AD&D RPG UnEarthed Arcana"

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Download Episode RSS Feed The saga continues … Intro: 0:18 There’s been another review on iTunes. Dirk reveals his love of monsters. Open Box: 4:37 Dirk and Blythy get all nostalgic about 5e that they started playing 3 months ago. White Dwarf: 24:42 @dailydwarf has scrutinised every single monster produced in the FIEND FACTORY to … Continue reading "Episode 6 (Part 3) AD&D RPG Monster Manual"

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Download Episode RSS Feed So, after we’ve covered the Dungeon Masters Guide it’s time for us to get to the nitty-gritty of the core rules. INTRODUCTION 0:19 The story so far and a review from iTunes. Please review us too, if you haven’t already. WHITE DWARF SCENARIOS (Part 1) 4:54 @dailydwarf makes his first, controversial, pick from … Continue reading "Episode 6 (Part 2) AD&D RPG The Player’s Handbook"

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  Download Episode RSS Feed Roll up! Roll up! Finally, the GROGNARD files turns it’s attention to the grand daddy of them all. Make some space in your pod box for a 2 hour spectacular. Introduction. Dirk shows off his new turn table and invites you to add songs to his RPG playlist 1. Daily … Continue reading "Episode 6 (Part 1) AD&D RPG Dungeon Master’s Guide"

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Download Episode RSS Feed INTRODUCTION  This is the supplement to the first part … a companion which is all about STORMBRINGER supplements. We have had some encouraging iTunes reviews … if you haven’t done one, then please do because it will tax all those Apple algorithms. GAME-MASTERS SCREEN (4:46) Blythy joins me in the Octagon … Continue reading "Episode 5 (Part 2) Stormbringer RPG Micro-Grog Pod"

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  “I think of myself as a bad writer with big ideas, but I’d rather be that than a big writer with bad ideas.”  – Michael  Moorcock   Download Episode RSS Feed   The subject of this episode is STORMBRINGER – Fantasy Role Playing in the world of Elric. We have also opened a Patreon … Continue reading "Episode 5 (Part 1) Stormbringer RPG"

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Behold the man! Michael Moorcock joins us in the room of role-playing rambling to talk about memoir, the multiverse, movies and much more. I recommend Sanctom Secorum and Appendix N Bookclub interviews too. I have appeared on Breakfast in the Ruins talking about Letters from Hollywood. I recommend Moorcock’s latest trilogy The Sanctuary of the … Continue reading "Michael Moorcock Ep. 64"

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Download Episode RSS Feed   In a break with the usual format, The Armchair Adventurers are at risk of disappearing up their own fundament. It’s too short to break in two, too long to listen in one go, so disappointing either way. Take your time, pause a little, as you listen to the blow by … Continue reading "Episode 4 – RPG Games Cons Dragonmeet"

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Download Episode RSS Feed In this episode, we return to Traveller, and look at some of the supplements for the game. When it comes to politics, we are as woolly as John Stewart Mill riding a sheep and wearing cardigans, so we examine our attitudes towards the politics of the Imperium. Games master’s Screen: Judge … Continue reading "Episode 3 (Part 2) Traveller RPG Micro-Grog Pod"

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    Download Episode RSS Feed Introduction – The origin of the game Section One – Open Box – reliving the memories of playing the game for the first time with Blythy, who was our referee back in the day. We introduce ‘the prime directive’ and Blythy has a black mark on his wall. Section … Continue reading "Episode 3 (Part 1) Traveller RPG"

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This is a supplement to the Second Episode of The GROGNARD RPG Files – Call of Cthulhu. Download Episode RSS Feed GAMESMASTER’S SCREEN Behind the screen I have a table of Call of Cthulhu supplements. I’m joined by Judge Blythy who rolls the 1D100 to select 5 for detailed discussion. ED’S BARGAIN SHED Ed, The … Continue reading "Episode 2 (Part 2) Call of Cthulhu RPG Micro-Grog Pod"

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Download Episode 2 RSS Feed Introduction – The origin of the game Section One – Open Box – reliving the memories of playing the game for the first time and the faltering start. Section Two – Judge Blythy Rules! – The Armchair Adventurers’ Resident Rules Lawyer discusses the finer points of the rules and style of … Continue reading "Episode 2 (Part 1) Call of Cthulhu RPG"

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The second part of Episode 1 of the GROGNARD files which covers the potted history of the games.

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This is where the GROGPOD began. We started playing RPGs with RuneQuest, so we start with the podcast with a history of the game.

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Continuing to find inspiration from urban horror/fantasy, in this episode we look at The Stranger Times and Children of the Stones

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Join us as we discover the places and people 'between' with Paul Mitchener, creator of Liminal RPG

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Another repeat! This the next in the ongoing campaign to remaster the files from the early GROGPODs. Some of the early ones are difficult to hear, so this has been equalised. It does result in some strange gaps and distortions, but nothing too distracting I hope. The roll of dice are missing from here because … Continue reading "Call of Cthulhu Ep.2 (Part 2) – REMASTERED"

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You'll need at least two brews and a whole packet of Hob Nobs while we go on and on about UK Games Expo 2023.

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Join Dirk the Dice, climbing to the top of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh for an episode that we used to label ‘extra’ but who cares if they have an episode number? Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore joins us to share his First, Last and Everything. He mentions Mythic and The Quiet Year in … Continue reading "Tale of the Manticore (with Jon Cohen) ep.62"

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The early episodes are steadily being remastered with an extra segment reflecting on the episode eight years on.

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Star Frontiers returns. This time we are looking for adventure!

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In this episode we look at the culture of cyberspace and cyberpunk in the world of RPGs

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This time we look at a TSR classic and consider the history of the company post Gygax

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Don't panic, it's only a game, sit back have a hob nob, as we explore satan, RPGs and Tom Hanks .... Aye!

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We enter the strange world of the cult movies and the macabre in this episode with the help of Hypnogoria Podcast.

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The Armchair Adventurers have had another incredible year of gaming. Dirk and Blythy roll out the red carpet to the GROGGIE awards. At the Book Club, Bud talks about Viral: A Modern Call of Cthulhu Scenario.

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Join us at GROGMEET22 where we meet Chris McDowall, author of Into the Odd and Electric Bastionland.

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This is the GROGPOD naked. There’s no interviews or GROGSQUAD sections, it is just Dirk and Blythy talking bobbins. Swordbearer was a game that we played a lot for a brief period. We liked it, but for some reason it didn’t connect and become a game that did not stick in our repertoire. Why not? … Continue reading "SwordBearer RPG Ep.56"

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This time we explore the worlds of Savage Worlds from Deadlands to Slipstream and beyond.

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"Moby Dick as a Slasher pic" Paul Fricker talks to The Great Library of RPGs Book Club about Full Fathom Five for Call of Cthulhu.

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Exploring the very best that Savage Worlds RPG can offer the gamer. Personal insights from The Armchair Adventurers (Dirk, Blythy and The Daily Dwarf) and special guest Eric Lamoureux

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This is the second part of our exploration of Scarred for Life, the fantastic series of books about growing up in the dark decades of the seventies and eighties. Gen X-rated popular culture shaped our imaginations and informed our gaming. Buy the books here. Content warning for this one as we quote directly from a … Continue reading "Scarred for Life by RPGs (with Stephen Brotherstone) Ep. 54 (Part 2)"

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