Keep off the Borderlands – Details, episodes & analysis

As #RPGaDay2024 comes to a close, I summarise my responses to the month’s prompts.

For show notes and links, please take a look at the daily Substack posts I've been sharing throughout August.

The one exception is Jason Tocci’s innovative minimalist 24XX system which I didn't post about but got a mention in this episode. Find it here https://jasontocci.itch.io/24xx

Please check out contributions from fellow participants:

Mirke the Meek https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mirke-the-meek

Dekahedron https://www.dekahedron.com/

Arcane Alienist https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/arcanealienist

Nerd's RPG Variety Cast https://nerdsrpgvarietycast.com

Phantom Thoughts https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/phantomthoughts

Hindsightless https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/joe-richter9

The GMologist presents https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karl-rodriguez

ivanmike1968 https://www.youtube.com/@ivanmike1968

Diegetic Advancement https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diegeticadvancement

Runslinger/Casting Shadows https://www.youtube.com/@Runeslinger & https://castingshadowsblog.com

"Warning" by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere

Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands

You can email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠

You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠

You can also find me on Discord by searching for freethrall

This month Ralph Bakshi’s animated dark fantasy Fire & Ice from 1983. A collaboration with renowned fantasy artist Frank Frazetta.

This episode features contributions from:

(in order of appearance)

Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast)

Menion (AKA Rob) of Confessions of a Wee Tim’rous Bushi

Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast & blog)

M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis (podcast)

Goblin’s Henchman (podcast & blog) & the Umber Bulk

The Making of Fire & Ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYCafSa8MKE

Honourable mentions: The Secret of NIMH (1982), Lord of the Rings (1978), Wizards (1977), American Pop (1981), Death Dealer (1973).

The movie for next month is 1985’s Return to Oz directed by Walter Murch. See below for details on contacting the show. The episode airs on September 30th, submissions by the 28th, please.

"Warning" by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere

Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands

You can email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠

You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠

You can also find me on Discord by searching for freethrall

In this episode, after responding to a couple of great calls from Michael of Mirke the Meek (podcast) and Colin Green of Spikepit (podcast), I explore my struggle with solo roleplaying games, playing other roleplaying games solo and getting my head around gaming in general with a host of awesome RPGs getting mentioned along the way.

In order of appearance:

Phantom Mill’s The Valley of Flowers

Chris McDowall’s Mythic Bastionland and Into the Odd

Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu

Jon Sutherland’s Watchers of Walberswick from White Dwarf issue 50

Amanda P’s Pilgrimages of the Sun Guard

Nerd Siren’s Corny Groń and Beyond Corny Groń

Ockult Örtmästare Games and Stockholm Kartell Mörk Borg and Dark Fort

Yochai Gal’s Cairn 2E and Beyond the Pale

Corkboards & Curiosities – How being a Teacher made me a better Game Master

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVKhKTprEuw

David Blandy’s Lone Eons, Lost Eons, and Eco Mofos

Free League’s Dragonbane

Man Alone – The Best Book for Improving Your Solo Skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQC3xHdERsk

Cezar Capacle’s Random Realities and Lisergia

Jason Graham & Del Branham’s Dark Age of Man

By Odin’s Beard’s Runecairn Wardensaga Remastered and Runecairn: Into the Nine Realms

Tuesday Knight Games’ Mothership

Honourable mentions: Andy Goodman of Grizzly Peaks Radio

The movie for next month is Albert Pyun's The Sword & The Sorcerer from 1982. See below for details on contacting the show. The episode airs on the 27th, submissions by the 25th, please.

Music by Timothy J. Drennon

"Warning" by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere

Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands

You can email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠

You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠

You can also find me on Discord by searching for FreeThrall/KeepOffTheBorderlands#7623

A call from Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast prompts me to revisit my recent Vaesen overview. I also get a call from my old friend Brandon Marlow (a.k.a. Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus).

Honourable mentions: Spirit of 77 by By David Kizzia & Bob Richardson, Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, Dave Peterson's Frankenstein's RPG podcast.

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast calls in to school me on %Liar and Dave Hargrave's Arduin followed by a brief overview of Vaesen, a game of Nordic folk horror from Free League (Fria Ligan).

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

First, a final word from Joe Richter of Hindsightless on the trouble with thieves, or rogues, or whatever you crazy kids are calling them nowadays, followed by a message from first-time caller Wayne Banacek, creator of the infamous %Liar statistic.

I talk a little about Ben "Questing Beast" Milton's Knave rules system before giving a brief overview of Scott Wegener's Glaive and Caverns of Heresy's Rogueland, two zine RPGs based on the Knave rules.

You can pick up Glaive here https://tesladyne.itch.io/glaive

You can get Rogueland here https://cavernsofheresy.itch.io/rogueland or on Drivethru https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/335988/ROGUELAND?term=rogueland

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

Kicking off in the traditional manner with a message from Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast, followed by responses from Joe Ritcher of Hindsightless and Weal or Woe, and wise elders of old-school D&D, Rob C of Down in a Heap and, the man himself, Daniel Norton of Bandit's Keep.

I recommend listening to Darrold "creator of the thief class" Wagner on episode 160 of The Save or Die Podcast! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventure-160-start-thief/id385668065?i=1000504027427

Also please check out Daniel Norton's YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3GrWa8Jjw&t=609s

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

Kicking off with a lovely message from Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety  Cast, followed by a couple of responses from naysayers Colin "Spikepit"  Green and Che Webster of Roleplay Rescue and a nice reading from the original Dungeons & Dragons rules by Jason Connerley.

Also please check out Daniel Norton's YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3GrWa8Jjw&t=609s and his podcast https://anchor.fm/daniel-norton

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

Thanks to a few messages from Jason Connerly of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast, I was prompted to delve into the origins of the thief as a playable class in Dungeons & Dragons and its subsequent impact on the early game. I take a look at Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax's original rules, Simon Bull's Delving Deeper Reference Rules Compendium, Charlie Mason's White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game, John Eric Holmes' Basic Set, Gygax's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and Tom Moldvay's Basic Set.

Also please check out Daniel Norton's YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3GrWa8Jjw&t=609s and his podcast https://anchor.fm/daniel-norton

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]

As the title suggests, a whole bunch of feedback following my episodes on magic and shamanism in the Alluvial Plains setting for Barney Dicker's Vantage system followed by a great message from Barney regarding the dearth of difference between early humans and their modern counterparts. Featuring contributions from Jason Connerley of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast, Safer of Safer Fantasy Crafting, Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus, Goblin's Henchman, Ray Otus of Plundergrounds, Sofinho of Alone in the Labyrinth and Colin "Spikepit" Green.

Honourabl mentions: Joe Richter of Hindsightless and Weal or Woe, Tom Barbalet of My Rules are Better.

Music by Timothy J. Drennon. Find his Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TJD/posts

Special thanks to Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere.

Contact me at [email protected]