RPG Ramblings – Details, episodes & analysis

Matt Gullett has been building Eldritch Wastelands for ten years, and he’s finally letting the world in. An arcane apocalypse has torn a hole in reality, civilization has collapsed, and a hundred years later, psychopathic warlords and voodoo mamas rule the ruins of the Weird South. It’s Gamma World’s DNA filtered through Thundarr the Barbarian and seasoned with a Southern drawl — and it runs on ShadowDark.

In this episode, Matt talks about why he ditched Savage Worlds mid-project, how a friend’s off-the-cuff recommendation changed everything, and why the stripped-down ShadowDark engine finally let his world breathe the way it always should have. He covers his Kickstarter’s blazing fast funding, his long-game vision for quarterly zines and new content, and why running games at Texas conventions has been his single best marketing tool.

Along the way we get into the elegance of purpose-built game systems versus universal ones, the OSR community’s genuine warmth, RPGs as a tool for social development — Matt credits the hobby with curing a childhood stutter severe enough to make ordering ketchup at McDonald’s a crisis — and the stories behind some of the hobby’s most generous people.

This one is for anybody who wants their apocalypse with a drawl.

This week Nick Baran of Breaker Press joins me. We talk about his project Rabid Dogs v.3 on Kickstarter. Utilizing the DCC ruleset, Nick has created a setting the emphasizes the difficulties of living in a medieval time period made more difficult by corrupting force that insinuates into their lives and even ruins their food. 

We also talk about a lot of groovy things, including writing adventures based on song titles, professional GM’ing and expanding one’s gaming experiences. Sisters and brothers, I think you will love this episode

.Link to Nick’s Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakerpressgames/rabid-dogs-vol-3-zine-with-collectors-box

Link to Nick’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@breakerpressgames

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a quasi–weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people. 

Today, Matthew and Dave joins me. They have written a Western RPG and are enjoying great success with their Kickstatcampaign and would love for you to check it out and back it. This is a condensed ramble but we to get into discussing dice manufacturing and using mechanics to add story hooks to your games. 

The sun has risen, and we have a long ride ahead of us. Sisters and brothers, it is time to get rambling. 

———————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

Dave Semark & Matthew Tyler-Jones

Kickstarter - tales of the old west rpg kicksarter

Website: https://www.effektpodcast.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RPGGods/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTL-78ykSWs6g0GEH2y0J5g

Actual Plays - https://www.effektap.org

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Website: rpgramblings.com

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

2.32

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Andrew Tryon the Astral Wanderer joins me. Andrew is a freelance writer who is part of the crew writing for Gary’s Appendix. We discuss freelance writing, games and a variety of other topics.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. For as low as one dollar month you will gain my gratitude because you are offsetting the cost to make the podcast. A baker’s dozen is enough to cover the monthly costs of this podcast.

At the end of the show, you will hear the further adventures of the Patreon Pack as they fall head-first into the unknown.

A dense fog is rolling in, sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————

————————————————————————

Andrew Tryon

Twitter: @AstralWanderer1

Blog: https://astralwanderer.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grumpewizard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astralwandererajt

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.comAscolese

2.31

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Travis Miller of the Grumpy Wizard blog joins me and we discuss all sorts of groovy things. He wrote an excellent article for the Gary’s Appendix Kickstarter that is live during the month of August. I

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. This week, Patreon members Stefan, Russ, James and Jon are rowing to a mysterious island with a single ominous mountain that pierces the clouds. The adventuring party exhausted and they look forward to making camp on solid ground.

The large bubbles surfacing from deep have James a bit nervous, but Jon tells him to keep rowing and “If they get ‘et they get ‘et…worrying won’t change a thing.

As they near the white-sand beach, the mysterious Dieku is spotted and Russ and Stefan exchange worried glances wondering where the others are. Will there be more Patreon members to join the party next week? Stay tuned, dear listeners….

A dense fog is rolling in, sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

Gamehole Event - https://gameholecon.com/events/event/17717

————————————————————————

Travis Miller

Twitter: @grump_e_wizard

Blog: https://grumpywizard.home.blog

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grumpewizard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grumpeewizard/

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.comAscolese

2.30

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Chris Koger and Wes Ascolese of Spooky Bell Games joins me to talk about the Mork Borg Kickstarter project - BEYOND DEEP. Filled with ghoulish panache, this monstrous goulash will help satiate your desire for a game that is seasoned with a bit of political commentary.

If you are listening to this podcast in August in the year 2022, I have a Kickstarter, called Gary’s Appendix. I have cool people writing articles for it… so you will want to check it out.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. Thanks Stefan, Russ and James for joining the crew. With only Jon rowing, the boat kept going in a circle. I am sure he appreciates the company. This frugally ran podcast is now 40% funded. Now that more patrons have joined…I need to pay more attention to that site.

The Necromancer beckons, sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

Gamehole Event - https://gameholecon.com/events/event/17717

————————————————————————

Publisher: Spooky Bell Games

Writers and Designers: Wes Ascolese and Chris Koger

Email: spookybellgames@gmail.com

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spooky-bell-games/beyond-deep

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spookybellgames/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spookybellgames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spookybellgames

Chris Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cjkoger

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.comAscolese

2.29

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Mark Finn joins me. If you need the direction, inspiration and motivation for adding heists into your game, Mark has you covered with two products. First in the, “hot of the virtual press” category is Tools of the Trade. Next, just in time for ZineQuest in August is, the zine “Ogre’s Eleven.”

We end the interview with me, realizing that I failed to inquire about his recorded audio dramatization that I had just heard. I stitched that at the end.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. For one dollar per month you can fund 1/11th of a smile on my face. Currently, I only have enough of a smile to make a smirk.

Time is wasting here on the Group W bench, sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

Gamehole Event - https://gameholecon.com/events/event/17717

————————————————————————

Mark Finn

Twitter @finnswake

Substack: ntab.substack.com

Webite: www.northtexasapocalypsebunker.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/northtexasapocalypsebunker

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.com

2.27

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Brad Murray of VSCA joins me. Brad hails back to the Google Plus days. We discuss his process for creating his love letter to Traveller using the Fate engine. On the table is VSCA’s approach to design and a number of games that VSCA has written.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. A total of ten people giving one dollar a month top off my fuel cells will mean that I will no longer have to skim the surface of a local gas giant.

We are approaching the slipknot Sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Brad Murray

Twitter - @yum_dm

ITCH: https://vsca.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3109/VSCA-Publishing

Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=VSCA+Publishing&adult_audience_rating=00

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.com

2.28

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Troy Sandlin and Zac Goins of Geek’s Cant podcast joins me. They are part of World of Game Design. I was going to call them about what assistance that they could provide me for my upcoming Kickstarter, “Gary’s Appendix. ”I thought other people might benefit from this conversation and so I recorded our discussion.

We talk about the professional services that they offer to creators, about a structured meetup for GenCon and Gamehole Con, and we talk about movies.

Check the show notes for contact details and how to sign up zine hangout event at Gamehole Con.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. I am looking for a total of 11 contributors a month to throw a George Washington my way. That will be enough to pay cover my monthly expenses for this podcast. So far, Jon is carrying the load alone.

We are approaching the rushing sound of ZineQuest 2022 Sisters and brothers. It is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

Gamehole Event - https://gameholecon.com/events/event/17717

————————————————————————————————

Geeks' Cant Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/geekscant

Geeks' Cant Discord: https://discord.gg/G66M27P8a7

World of Game Design Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldOfGameDesign

Zac Email: zac@wogd.com

Troy Email: troy@wogd.com

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.com

2.26

Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.

Today, Russell Allert joins me. We discuss what it takes to produce a zine on a monthly schedule. We also talked about the Australian geo-political landscape and then he nearly convinces me to give 3rd edition DnD a fair shake.

In the show notes is a link to my Patreon. Giving one dollar a month you will brighten the skies above Peoria, IL by .3 lumens. This number is, of course, unverifiable, but I believe it to be true. In this day and age….that is all that matters.

We have a lot ground to cover for this episode. Sisters and brothers, it is time to get rambling.

————————————————————————————————

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/RPG_Ramblings

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Russell Allert

Twitter - @yum_dm

Website - https://yumdm.com

————————————————————————————————

Jeff Jones

Twitter: @I_Am_Jeffrey

Itch.io: https://jeffrey-a-jones.itch.io

DriveThru: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Jeffrey%20A%20Jones

Intro and Outro Music: Jungle Juice by Wataboi from Pixabay.com/music

Sound Effects: https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.com