Welcome to the #RPGaDAY2025 recap. Here are the first 10 prompts for August 2025.

#RPGaDAY

Material mentioned:

Electric Bastionland by Chris McDowall, Random Realities and Everspark by Cezar Capacle, Into the Cess & Citadel by Alex Coggan & Charlie Ferguson Avery, The Weird from Monte Cook Games, Cairn 2e by Yochai Gal, Plot Unfolding Machine by Jeansen Vaars, OZ by Andrew Kolb, The Gardens of Ynn by Emmy ‘Cavegirl’ Allen, Throne of Avarice by Brian Yaksha, Vaesen Mythic Britain & Ireland by Graeme Davis.

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

August will be Mad Max month, and I recommend those unfamiliar with the franchise watch Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior from 1981. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

"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]⁠

Follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall

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

You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

In this feedback episode, I field calls from Safer of the currently dormant Safer Fantasy Crafting podcast, the Southwest London Sofa Gang, who are joined by James Knight’s dad Iain, MW Lewis of The Worlds of MW Lewis podcast, and Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast.

August is not only #RPGaDAY2025, it’s also Movie Monday’s Mad Max month, and I recommend those unfamiliar with the franchise watch Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior from 1981. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. That episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

"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]⁠

Follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall

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

You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Welcome to Movie Monday. This month, we finally got around to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth from 1986. Starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, this musical fantasy was not the box office success I believed it to be.

This episode features contributions from:

(in order of appearance)

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

Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast)

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

Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube)

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

Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch, Bandcamp)

Here’s that rather bizarre clip mentioned by Lex with Jennifer Connelly on Saturday Superstore in 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL5PwDSvHro&t

Find here the Appx. N itch jam here https://itch.io/jam/appx-n-jam

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

August will be Mad Max month, and I recommend those unfamiliar with the franchise watch Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior from 1981. Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from 1986. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

"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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

I respond to a message from MW Lewis of the Worlds of MW Lewis, continuing the superhero movies genre debate from the last couple of episodes.

Listen to Joe Richter’s spoiler-free reviews of James Gunn’s Superman https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oUOPdwxKtFHOrSpWXzMPC

Listen to Joe Richter chatting to Jason Connerley https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ljeCfHHUItSrOpB6AUm5J

Listen to Jason Connerly chatting to BJ Boyd https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pkiSPjE8RBoX7t1m987BW

Also, a reminder that #RPGaDAY2025 begins on August 1st.

Find out more about #RPGaDay2025 here https://www.autocratik.com, here https://castingshadowsblog.com/2025/07/07/rpgaday2025-launches-on-august-1st/, and here www.facebook/RPGaDAY

The Movie for July will be Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from 1986. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

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 ⁠

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Here be feedback and announcements: some Legend talk, an itch.io jam, some hero talk, and RPGaDay.

First up, it’s Joe Richter of Hindsightless with some Movie Monday feedback, a brief look at Lex Mandrake’s Tree of Night adventure, and an Appendix-N itch jam that’s already well under way.

Then we have a bit about superhero movies from Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, and a reminder that next month is #RPGaDay2025.

Here’s Lex Mandrake’s draft version of The Tree of Night module for OSE.

The Tree Of Night (draft)

224KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Find more Dank Dungeons goodness here https://www.patreon.com/dankdungeons, here https://www.dank-dungeons.itch.io, and here https://www.dankdungeons.bandcamp.com

Find the Appendix N Jam here https://itch.io/jam/appx-n-jam

Listen to Jason speaking to David Chapman and Anthony Boyd on Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast here https://open.spotify.com/episode/0M20dAsq290A0pgLPy9SNu?go=1&sp_cid=1eaaf9c2449ef2ff4cff91a49182d49c&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&si=hfcspsigTRKjblkYiDmWOA&nd=1&dlsi=d16b54d4ec104f67

Find out more about #RPGaDay2025 here https://www.autocratik.com, here https://castingshadowsblog.com/2025/07/07/rpgaday2025-launches-on-august-1st/, and here www.facebook/RPGaDAY

The Movie for July will be Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from 1986. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Welcome to Movie Monday. This one’s a little longer than usual, as we’ll be exploring both the US Theatrical version and the Director’s Cut of Ridley Scott’s Legend, first released in 1985.

This episode features contributions from:

(in order of appearance)

Joe Richter of Hindsighless (podcast)

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

James Knight, Tyranner the Dwarf and Ellen the Elf

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

Menion aka Rob of Confessions of a Wee Tim’rous Bushi

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

Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch, Bandcamp)

Here’s the comparison video I mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAAd2QKyhww&t

And here is the draft version of Lex Mandrake’s “legally distinct” The Tree of Night module for OSE.

Find more Dank Dungeons goodness here https://www.patreon.com/dankdungeons, here https://www.dank-dungeons.itch.io, and here https://www.dankdungeons.bandcamp.com

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

The Movie for July will be Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, from 1986. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on July 28th, so please send your submissions by the 26th if you’d like to be included in the show.

"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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Here’s some more wittering about Willow.

Featuring:

Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast)

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

Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch, Bandcamp)

The Umberbulk (allegedly)

Goblin’s Henchman (blog)

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

The Movie for June will be Legend, from 1985, directed by Ridley Scott. Please see below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on June 30th, so please send your submissions by the 28th if you’d like to be included in the show.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Following the sad loss of both Val Kilmer and Jean Marsh in April of this year, Ron Howard’s Willow from 1988 was the only choice for May. Written by George Lucas and starring Warwick Davis, Willow is a family-friendly fantasy adventure that has stood the test of time.

This episode features contributions from:

(in order of appearance)

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

James Knight, Tyranner the Dwarf and Ellen the Elf

Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube)

Mirke of Mirke the Meek (podcast)

Darkfluid of The Silver Key (podcast)

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

M.W. Lewis of The World’s of MW Lewis (podcast)

Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch, Bandcamp)

Henchling 1, Henchling 2

The Movie Monday Letterboxd list https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/

The Movie for June will be Legend, from 1985, directed by Ridley Scott. Please take a look below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on June 30th, so please send your submissions by the 28th if you’d like to be included in the show.

"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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

Hold onto your purse strings, this could be a pricey one!

This is essentially a promotional episode for an upcoming Kickstarter from Jess Levine and Riley Rethal, but I speak about a whole bunch of stuff I’ve backed, too.

The Galactic & Going Rogue Kickstarter can be found here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galacticgoingrogue/galactic-and-going-rogue-two-ttrpgs-of-war-among-the-stars

Here are the itch pages Galactic 2e https://metagame.itch.io/galactic and Going Rogue 2e https://jumpgategames.itch.io/going-rogue

Other games mentioned:

Cairn 2e Boxset by Yochai Gal https://yochaigal.itch.io/cairn-players-guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXpR9P6MGZo

Tiny Fables by Josiah S Moore https://josiahsmoore.itch.io/tiny-fables (for Mausritter) plus Playful Void review https://idlecartulary.com/2025/03/15/bathtub-review-tiny-fables/

Sharky by Idle Cartulary https://idlecartulary.itch.io/sharky

Mythic Bastionland by Chris McDowall https://chrismcdee.itch.io/mythic-bastionland

Late pledge for Cold City and Hot War by Malcom Craig https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonhodgsonmaptiles2/cold-city-hot-war

Cosmic Dark by Graham Walmsley https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grahamwalmsley/cosmic-dark

Liquid Steel by Eduardo Mazzitelli & Enrique Alcatena https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/melsonian-arts-council/liquid-steel

Liminal Horror by Goblin Archive https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/space-penguin-ink/liminal-horror-deluxe-edition

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

You can leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands

Email me at ⁠[email protected] ⁠

Follow me on BlueSky @freethrall.bsky.social or look me up on Discord by searching for freethrall

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

You can also hear me in actual plays on Grizzly Peaks Radio

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

I’m really stretching this “Between” episodes format. There’s enough here to warrant a fully fledged episode, but I’m my own boss, so what you gonna do?

I begin by addressing a shameful omission from the previous episode before diving into a whole bunch of feedback.

Featuring:

James Knight, Ellen the Elf & Tyranner the Dwarf

Goblin’s Henchman (blog)

Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast)

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

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

There’s a reminder for this month’s Movie Monday, Ron Howard’s Willow from 1988. See below for details on how to contact the show. The episode will air on May 26th, so please send your submissions by the 24th if you’d like to be included in the show.

Then an announcement of a forthcoming Kickstarter campaign launching on May 20th. Jess Levin’s award-winning Star Wars-inspired Going Rogue is coming to print as part of Galactic & Going Rogue, a book combining Jess’ game with Riley Rethal’s Galactic, the game on which it’s based. Find the upcoming crowdfunder here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galacticgoingrogue/galactic-and-going-rogue-two-ttrpgs-of-war-among-the-stars

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 is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com