Explore every episode of the podcast Expedition to the Grizzly Peaks

Expedition to the Grizzly Peaks staggers to a close. This is it - really - really, the final episode. Thanks to everyone that has listened, called in, contributed, inspired, befriended, castigated, chastised, humoured, loved, hated, but mostly put up with, this collection of mostly meaningless ramblings, which will now sit on Spotify's servers gathering dust until someone one day decides to unplug the life support. 

You've all been awesome. Except for Barney.

If you want to hear more from me (and Barney and many others) head over to Grizzly Peaks Radio

Peace!

H.G. Wells is so well known that you don't have to bother reading his books, you already know them, except you don't. I rather ashamedly had never actually read an H.G. Wells novel until a week ago. That all changed and I'm a better person for it.

Corrections:

The tedious Brit drama is of course Downton Abbey

The album is by Jeff Wayne not Jeff Lynne (easy mistake)

There was a movie of War of the Worlds from 1953 but the album is a fictional soundtrack as suspected

Most the science I expound on is at least slightly wrong

After decompressing from the amazing awesomeness of GaryCon I talk about (amongst other things) NuTSR and Star Frontiers fiasco, Twitching with Goodman Games, and where you go when an epic campaign ends.

the glorious failure of endings

AD&D is a great game with a terrible game system

what it says on the tin

The horror game is in full flight and I reflect on whether we have created something truly scary. Messages from Joe and Julz from a while back give me a bit of a start too.

They say you never want to see the sausage get made - but we are making a horror game so a bit of intestine and gristle is par for the course. This may not be everyone's cup of tea but I think it's interesting to hear how we are collaboratively building the setting and characters for our forthcoming delve into real horror (or as real as you can get it). Listen in as Scott Dorward (Good Friends of Jackson Elias), Spencer Game (Keep off the Borderlands), Barney Dicker (Loco Ludus), and TJ Drennon join me for our session zero of (Name Pending) horror game.

Listener discretion advised: There is an actual real life monster attack at about the 40 minute mark - so anyone of a sensitive disposition may want to skip.

Are the GM and Players playing the same game? The answers obvious isn't it?

Inspired by Jason of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast, and an epic battle of wills between Joey of Hindsightless and Daniel of Bandit's Keep, I lumber into the ring and give a good pounding. After all who doesn't like to see grown men take a pounding in the ring.

I have just finished reading Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. Recognized as one of the key texts that inspired and shaped D&D. I ponder how different D&D would be if we had never had heroic fantasy and been stuck in the mire with these wonky and delightful Appendix N novels. Call ins from  Rob (Menion) Barney Jason Karl Rodriguez David Henry

Many moons ago Barney sent me some messages. I am not a good friend but I try to make amends here.

Where I talk about Earthquakes and Lyonesse - and a game or two.

Wherein I talk about The Dying Earth, Clark Ashton Smith, The Empty Man and Tears for Fears

Thanks to all the callers in. Barney, Jason, BJ, Rob "Menion", Karl, Joe and Spencer

Another oh so near. This time England made us hope longer than they had since that black and white day in 1966. I reflect on a lifetime of supporting England, a lifetime of disappointment and longing. This one is all about Football so if you want gaming content - this pod is not for you!

We rejoin our temporal adventurers as they get sent back to Medieval Paris to investigate a mysterious flagellation. Hijinks ensue.

Starring:

Barney as GM

Spencer from Keep Off The Borderlands

Archie

Scott Dorward of too much to mention

Dave Surman

The TSR debacle has me thinking about many things, but mostly about my friends who I game with. This is where I stand.

Continuing the mini-series documenting our journey to create audio horror. In this episode I am joined post game by Spencer, Scott, Nicky, TJ and Barney to discuss our plans for scaring our pants off. Now that I think about it, that idiom is quite silly isn't it. I mean is it because you've crapped yourself, or that your pants have been literally blown off your legs by some supernatural force.

Continuing the mini-series documenting our  journey to create audio horror. In this episode I dig deep with my collaborator TJ Drennon who edits most of our actual plays and is a sometimes player in our Call of Cthulhu games.

The start of a mini-series where I talk about Horror Podcasts and my journey to learn how to create feelings of horror through sound alone.

Podcasts and Audio Horror referred to in this episode are:

The Magnus Archives

Good Friends of Jackson Elias

Tear Them Apart

The Cipher 

Salem's Lot BBC Audio Drama

The Left Right Game 

The White Vault

Video Palace

Limetown 

Alice Isn't Dead

In this episode I go into more detail on why I think Berlin The Wicked City is the best sourcebook I've ever seen.
In the second half of the episode I am joined by most of my players from that campaign, Daniel from Bandit's Keep, Varin, Henry and Marko as we unpack the Bookstore Incident! 

How we spend our time is an important question, both in and out of game. What counts as progress and should I keep releasing an episode or more a week of this podcast. All shall be revealed. Thanks to Goblin's Henchman and especially Daniel Norton for their contributions to the show.

TJ's patreon can be found here

And don't forget to check out Grizzly Peaks Radio for all our actual plays

What happens when there is tension at the table, does everyone feel the same thing, does a recording of the session give us any clues. Hopefully by the end of this episode you will have an answer - but probably not

You can hear more from Safer and Spencer here

Music and editing by TJ

Check out our Actual Plays at Grizzly Peaks Radio

This really should be titled Eldritch Organ pt.9 but I thought that would put people off - I mean who in their right mind does a nine part series on a podcast for Cthuga's sake. Herein we touch on some delicate matters - such as tension at the table and people maybe (or maybe not) feeling unsatisfied at the end of a session. Great call ins from Goblins Henchman and Loco Ludus.

Music as ever by the man mountain, TJ Drennon

Our second Eldritch Organ actual play reaches parts that other AP's cannot reach. With the youngest clocking in at 62 this must be the oldest group of investigators to ever go face to face with the mythos. We all hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed playing it. 

Starring:

Barney as Orville Hammond (age 89)

Safer as Rob Thornton 

TJ  as Jasper Sherman

Spencer as Percival Flint

Music and editing by TJ

Check out the rest of out APs at Grizzly Peaks Radio

The end is in sight

What happens when you take away player agency? What happens when you take away their sight. 

Special thanks to TJ for his new version of our theme song "The Way Up" 

Don't forget to check out Grizzly Peaks Radio for our actual plays

We finally move away from the Eldritch Organ and talk about more appropriate gaming topics - like civil disorder. What a day, what a day.

If you've been following the EO experiment over the last few weeks you'll know the outcome, now listen to the tapes. We hope you enjoy our first stumbling steps into improvisational mythos investigations. A group of Eternal Guardians are warp dropped near the Scottish border in Cumbria, England where some strange events are unraveling in Carlisle Cathedral

Starring:

Barney as GM

Safer as Captain William Blunt

Archie as Smike

Spencer as Mathias Lapel

Yours truly as Vernon Bland

Music and editing by TJ

Check out the rest of out APs at Grizzly Peaks Radio

Barney and Safer have a right old Barney. Whilst I dive for cover. More deep thoughts about our Eldritch experiments in Mystery Improv.

We did it. Ended the year on a promise. Barney from Loco Ludus and I ran two improvisational Mythos games, using two different rules systems. One - designed by Barney himself called the League of Eternal Guardians and the other Azathoth's Answer. Here we discuss the successes and failures of our respective games and look to the future of Eldritch Organ.

Thanks to all the players that played. 

Archie, Safer, TJ, and Spencer

check out Grizzly Peaks Radio in the near future for the edited Actual Plays of each session. Should be fun

One day to go until we run the inaugural EO improv game - and I'm nervy

Loco Ludus is here

TJ's patreon can be found here

And don't forget to check out Grizzly Peaks Radio for all our actual plays

A hokey set up got under Daniel's skin and he gently gave me both barrels - it was a learning experience for me. You should definitely check out this episode of Bandit's Keep on YouTube to get the full story.

Daniels podcast is here as well Find more game design theory from Loco Ludus and Goblin's Henchman 

TJ's patreon can be found here 

And don't forget to check out Grizzly Peaks Radio for all our actual plays

Continuing the series about Improvisational Cthulhu Mythos mysteries. We have had a great response to our proposed experiment. Comments, requests and caveats. Call-ins from Spencer, Paul StJohn Mackintosh, Edwin, Jason, Barney, Safer and George Johnson Jr