Podcast – Page 10 – The GROGNARD Files

Episode 13 – Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes (with Jon Hancock)

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 Jack Brass, our Flying Buffalo correspondent. He talks about his twitter hash tag #overlookedrpgs and provides a potted history of MSPE.

STARBURST MEMORIES 30:00

Following the Top Secret episode, we’ve had some correspondence from DM Mike from the new old-school podcast Save for Half.

Dirk talks about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Blythy introduces Spooks.

BIG JACK BRASS, RULES! 01:00:00

Wearing the wig this episode is the locum Judge Big Jack Brass, looking at the ins and outs of the MSPE rules.

OUTRO 01:23:00

Jon will be appearing on Desert Island Dungeons very soon

The GROGNARD Files 2017 annual fanzine and The Collected Daily Dwarf are now available on Drive Thru RPG.

Dirk gives news of the next ‘zine and thanks new Patreons. Why not join.

Episode 12 (Part 2) Games Workshop & Citadel (with Tim Olsen)

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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 the early 80s. He recommends the site The Stuff of Legends which features lots of images of Citadel miniatures from back in the day.

GMSCREEN (11.29) We return to the wonderful Las O Gowrie in Manchester to continue the interview with Tim Olsen, the former manager of Dalling Road branch of Games Workshop. TV and ZZ Top emerge as he faces the annecdotamator.

If you want to see Tim’s TV AM appearance you’ll find it here from 16:00 (John Noakes!)

THE WHITE DWARF (25.45) @dailydwarf returns with the second part of his Small but Perfectly Formed essay, examining miniatures in White Dwarf before it became all about miniatures.

ATTIC ATTACK (37.14) We climb into the attic of the all-new Dirk Towers to look at some of the interesting minis from our collection.

POSTBAG (01.06.34) There’s been a great response from listeners to the last episode, share some of the game shop memories from all over the UK. Including Alegis Downport who did a great piece on Tunnels and Trolls on his blog. There’s also the last word from Tim Olsen.

Thanks to everyone who joined the Patreon campaign this month. You’ll get a name check next time when I’ll share the details of the next ‘zine.

Episode 12 (Part 1) Games Workshop & Citadel (with Tim Olsen)

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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 Games Workshop and how it grew and grew …

OPEN BOX (WITH TIM OLSEN) (10:17)

I am joined by Tim Olsen who was instrumental in the early days of GW. He was the manager of Dalling Road branch, then Manchester, before taking the first stores to America. He is a fascinating and lovely guy. You’ll enjoy his contribution.

WHITE DWARF (31:35)

The first part of @dailydwarf ‘s contribution to the episode where he talks about his experience of using figures in his games.

OPEN BOX (46:08)

Blythy joins me to talk about minis, memories and how we consume games. There’s a riot going on in the background, sorry about that, it is the sound of Bolton I’m afraid.

THERE ISN’T A LAST BIT (1:20)

A call for the submission of your memories of Games Workshop and a thank you to Patreons.

Episode 11 – Top Secret RPG

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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 BOX: Top Secret was one of those games that we only played a few times, but it made a lasting impression on us. In this section we remember those early games and I challenge Blythy about whether or not he really likes spy-based games.

POTTED HISTORY: The game emerged from a single vision, born from a college dorm, in this section I talk through the history of the game. If you want to hear the story from Merle Rasmussen’s mouth, then seek out The Dead Game’s society’s interview with him from 2014.

JUDGE BLYTHY RULES!: We roll a character and Judge Blythy complains that there are far too many tables. In a thrilling exchange, there is a transformation as Judge Nutmeg transforms into Mr Hand-Wavey Davey.

~~THE WHITE DWARF~~ DRAGON: Top Secret didn’t appear in White Dwarf, so we turn to Dragon – a magazine that fully supported the development of Top Secret.

STARBURST MEMORIES: Blythy and I discuss our favourite spy moments from films and television in a brand new feature that includes an overly complicated audience participation feature.

OUTRO: There’s a chance to play Top Secret if you join our Patreon campaign. This is a thank you bit for all those who are already supporting us.

Episode 10 (Part 2) More RuneQuest RPG (with Rick Meints)

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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 – we’ve played it twice, once in ’83 and again in ’13 – find out why this is very much our ‘foundational document’.

1.25 POSTBAG We’ve revamped the Patreon campaign – join now and get access to the ‘zine PDF – also, you can join the Valhalla agents at Convergence …

Episode 10 (Part 1)More RuneQuest RPG (with Rick Meints)

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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 on his early years of play and to talk about how he transformed from a player and collector of Chaosium games, to running the company.

WHITE DWARF 36.50 – @dailydwarf examines my favourite department of White Dwarf – RuneRites with its new creatures, magic and rules for combat.

JUDGE BLYTHY RULES! 50.00 – RuneQuest 6 has been rebranded as MYTHRAS . Ahead of Dirk running his Luther Arkwright scenario at Convergence in March, Blythy casts his critical eye over the rules.

OUTRO: I’ve been appearing on various podcasts as a RuneQuest zealot – Dissecting Worlds and the RPG Academy as well as appearing wild-eyed on Twitch.

The Patreon campaign is being reviewed and renewed for 2017.

Episode 9 (Part 2) Imagine Magazine (Paul Cockburn) and RPG Review 2016

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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 highlights from Imagine Magazine: Nick The Novice, Pelinore, and more. He also tells the story of the rise and the untimely fall of the magazine.

THE GROGGIES 2016

Our review of the a year in gaming: Roll 20, Dungeons and Dragons, Tunnels and Trolls, Nights Black Agents, Call of Cthulhu and Numenera are all discussed.

The Last Bit

Thanks to Patreons, reviewers and listeners. Have a great holiday and all the very best for 2017 to you and yours.

Episode 9 (Part 1) Imagine Magazine (Paul Cockburn)

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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

Blythy joins me in the attic to look at some of the issues of IMAGINE in our collection.

I will be running the Luther Arkwright adventure THE FIRE OPAL OF SET at Convergence in Stockport on 18th March 2017.

43:50 OPEN BOX – PAUL COCKBURN

We are pleased to join Paul Cockburn, editor of Imagine, and he talks about his gaming experiences and how Imagine got off the ground.

He’s back in the next part looking at specific features of the magazine.

01:09 THE WHITE DWARF

@dailydwarf reflects on CRITICAL MASS and Dave Langford’s contribution to White Dwarf and the SF literary hinterland.

01:20 POSTBAG

DM Mike from Save or Die podcast, asks a sensory Pelinore question …

Episode 8 The Traveller Adventure

“Don’t mess with me, I’ve been corrupted by Space Monkeys”

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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 benefits and pitfalls of playing online

POTTED HISTORY: 31:57 A run down of the history of the supplement and the characters and players.

GAMESMASTERS SCREEN: 38:22 Blythy and Dirk discuss some of the highlights and lowlights of the adventure

ED’S SHED 01:26 Not bargain hunting this time, instead he offers his views on the adventure.

POST BAG 01:30 Other players offer their views and thanks to new Patreon backers.

Episode 7 (Part 2) Tunnels and Trolls RPG

tunnels-and-trolls-1980

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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 why he was drawn to T&T.

24.04 Actual Play. Jon is the GM for Monsters! Monsters!, where the ill-kin are the heroes.

You’ll find more from the Whartson Hall gaming group at UK Roleplayers forums.

34.01 Gamesmasters Screen. Why is T&T so good? Jon counts the ways.

1.17 Actual Play. Blythy joins Dirk for a solo game and a reluctant example of actual play.

1.31 Postbag. Feedback and thank you to new Patreons.