What if prep didn’t have to feel like work?

What if there were ways in which we could be more playful with our prep? 

Would that transform the way in which we feel about being the GM?

Following a call-in from listener Jon M, who was responding to some comments in GMJ #270, I was inspired to comment on the topic of making prep less like work and more playful. Big thanks to Jon for the call-in!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the year turns from 2024 into 2025, I decided to invite Grail Knight Patron and regular caller Jason Wiebe to come and have a chat on air. The topic was broadly, “Becoming a Game Master” and based on the notion that Wiebe has been struggling his way to the GM’s chair over many years and finally feels he has a handle on what it all entails. For my part, I was curious to find out what he had to say.

Jason is a long-time listener and Patron to Roleplay Rescue. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, he’s someone I’ve played with a fair bit over the past year or so and we’ve become solid friends. We hopped on to Zoom just prior to playing a game in Fellmyr and I simply pressed “Record”. Jason agreed to share the resulting conversation uncut. Here’s hoping it’s as interesting and enlightening for you as it was for me - we certainly exchanged a few emerging ideas that I didn’t expect. As it turns out, Wiebe had a whole list of ideas about being a great GM.

Thanks to Wiebe for coming on the show!

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a pitch for building a tiny roleplay habit using 30-minute sessions and one-on-one play with the rules behind the GM’s screen. The idea, taken from solo play, is to gather more often for shorter periods. In busy lives, dropping online to play for 30 minutes is much easier to schedule. This is viable because RPGs work best on the accumulation of play over many sessions. One-on-one places the player’s focus on just their own character’s perspective. If we blend this with the desire for Otherworld-immersion, we can marry the character and player perspective in a powerful manner. Rules opacity is also easier for the GM to handle because there is only one PC sheet.

Big thanks to Frank T for running this Tiny Roleplay experiment and allowing me to share the session recordings.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most important game mechanism is, of course, the Game Master of a roleplaying game. Roleplaying games are all about making choices as-if you are your character and then seeing what happens as a consequence. This week the Angry GM gave me a long-overdue kick up the butt when I read an article on his blog. This episode is a response to that kick up the butt. Big thanks to the Angry GM for his book and blog - I hope he won't mind the extensive quotation from them.

Thanks to Frank T for calling in! 

Game on!

The Angry GM's article:

A Campaign Manager’s Guide to Selfishness | The Angry GM

OR https://theangrygm.com/a-campaign-managers-guide-to-selfishness/

The Angry GM's book in his Shop:

https://angry.games/shop/ols/products/game-angry-how-to-rpg-the-angry-way

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens if we lean in hard to the Roleplay in roleplaying game? What if we take away the elements which distract from the enjoyment of being in-character, as-character, in a fantastic world? The first move is to start caring more about the fantastic Otherworld. The second is to push for greater Rules Opacity.

Thanks to Jason Wiebe for calling in once again. 

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do I spend so much of my time drifting from game to game, system to system, and between diverse imaginary worlds? Why do I find it hard to settle on a game and make it come alive? Am I doomed to roam for the remainder of my life never quite experiencing the games I want to enjoy?

I’ve been adrift in the hobby for a long, long time. And then something clicked. That click was a simple question: What’s it for?  The answer is simple: the RPGs that I want to play are first and foremost vehicles for agency. But, as with all answers to the basic question, “What’s it for?” there is a need to ask that question at the second level too: what’s this particular game - the campaign I am currently cooking up - what’s that for? And that is the question that I need to start asking when I build my next RPG experience for my players.

Thanks to Jason Wiebe for calling in once again. 

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I love to hear from listeners and, while email and social media messages are great, the best moments are when people call in with a voice message. This episode collects four listener calls which I have been wanting to respond to for a few weeks, plus a bonus-length call-in from Patron Carl D. These date back over the period from the 7th September until the 19th October 2024 and cover thoughts on a few past episodes.

Big thanks in advance to Patrons Jason Wiebe, Spencer aka Free Thrall, Jason Connerley, and Carl D aka "The Kid" for calling in! Thanks also to one of the earliest callers to Roleplay Rescue, Matt Jackson, back for a rare reprise. When you feel like you are shouting into the Void it’s great to get some signal feedback.

Game on!

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Casciano is a medieval fantasy illustrator and author from Syracuse, New York. He has illustrated for novels, tv shows, and numerous games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Game of Thrones. His personal art series, “The Iron Cast,” is a world of medieval knights and environments painted with a combination of realism, abstract shapes and textures. Chris has also written and illustrated his own Solo RPG novel, Escaping Tynebris: The Dungeons. Beyond being a professional creator, he also teaches Concept Art, Illustration and Digital Design at the high school level. Talking to him, I realised just how special this book is going to be, coming as it is from a well-spring of passion and love for all things medieval and fantastic. I hope you’ll listen in and check it out.

Escaping Tynebris Trailer:

youtube.com/watch?v=Q5M34woIYCA

Kickstarter Prelaunch Page: 

kickstarter.com/projects/escapingtynebris/escaping-tynebris-the-dungeons

Escaping Tynebris Website:

theironcast.com/escapingtynebris

The Iron Cast Website:

theironcast.com/

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 2nd 2004, Pyramid Magazine published an article entitled, “Designer's Notes: GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition” by Sean Punch. Twenty years from that article in 2004, GURPS - the Generic Universal Role-Playing System - is still with us. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not a dead game. GURPS Fourth Edition might be out of fashion but it’s truly a standard in the RPG community. 

Last episode, I spoke of my rediscovery of the spirit of the Third Edition through the pages of Roleplayer. A month on, I have arrived back with the Fourth Edition of GURPS. Having enjoyed a journey into the early 1990s GURPS community, I was also aware that GURPS received an overhaul in 2004. This episode is a reflection on the power of that RPG system: it’s time to unleash this power and flexibility into my experience of play.

Big thanks to Matt C and Jason W for the call-ins this episode!

Thanks also to Steve Jackson Games for creating GURPS and keeping the game alive for nearly 40 years.

Game on!

GURPS Basic Set on Warehouse23:

GURPS Basic Set: Characters and Campaigns | Warehouse 23

OR

warehouse23.com/collections/gurps/products/gurps-basic-set-characters-and-campaigns

GURPS Lite on Warehouse23:

GURPS Lite (Fourth Edition) | Warehouse 23

OR

warehouse23.com/products/gurps-lite-fourth-edition

GURPS Lite on DriveThruRPG:

GURPS Lite (Fourth Edition) - Steve Jackson Games | GURPS Fourth Edition | GURPS Fourth Edition - Start Here! | DriveThruRPG

OR

drivethrurpg.com/en/product/236828/gurps-lite-fourth-edition

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In February 1986, a free newsletter began to be posted out to customers from Steve Jackson Games: Roleplayer. Now available again from Warehouse 23, in the summer of 2024 I got curious to discover what insights this old newsletter might hold about the development of GURPS. What I found was a portal back to 1986 which began to inspire me towards play in directions both old and, strangely, new.

Thanks to Jason Connerley who, by sending me GURPS Second Edition, unlocked this whole episode’s content.

Thanks to all the callers - Frank T, Jason C, Jon M, Jon C, and Wiebe - for adding the community’s voice to this episode.

Game on!

Roleplayer on Warehouse23:

GURPS Roleplayer Bundle | Warehouse 23

OR

https://warehouse23.com/products/gurps-roleplayer-bundle

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a special bonus episode to celebrate the forthcoming Reaver Sword and Sorcery Roleplaying Game by Raven God Games. Because Reaver is on Kickstarter right now until 7th October 2024, I couldn’t wait to share this conversation with the game’s designer.

Joe Salvador is a freelance cartographer, writer and game designer hailing from Ohio, USA who has been involved with role-playing games for more than 30 years. He is the writer and creator of Eldritch Tales: Lovecraftian White Box Roleplaying and Reaver RPG. He has produced material for many other RPG systems within the broadly OSR category. He publishes under the banner of Raven God Games and he joins us today to talk about Reaver: Sword & Sorcery Roleplaying Game, on Kickstarter until October 7th 2024.

Big thanks to Joe Salvador for coming on the show and also to Jason, from the Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, for connecting us.

Reaver Kickstarter: Reaver: Sword & Sorcery Role-Playing Game by Joseph Salvador — Kickstarter

OR

kickstarter.com/projects/ravengodgames/reaver-sword-and-sorcery-role-playing-game/

Raven God Games: Raven God Games

OR

ravengodgames.blogspot.com/

Roleplay Rescue Details:

Voice Message:

speakpipe.com/roleplayrescue

Patreon:

patreon.com/rpgrescue 

Email:

[email protected]

Blog

roleplayrescue.com 

Bluesky Social:

https://bsky.app/profile/ubiquitousrat.bsky.social

MeWe:

https://mewe.com/p/roleplayrescue

Roleplay Rescue Theme by Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo and artwork by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.