The GROGNARD Files

Following our podcasts about home computing in the 1980s, we turn our attention to the emerging culture of ‘Cyberpunk’ and how it shaped a new imaginative space – especially for gaming.

We look at Neuromancer by William Gibson, with writer Alister Davison who has added the novel to Appendix G, the list of media that has inspired us. Do you have any suggesions?

Judge Blyhty is in to Roome of Role-Playing Rambling to look at Cyberpunk Red and its influnce.

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We’ve talked about our formative years in RPGs, what about computers? They were as important as a common-ground to become friends.

In this episode Dirk and Blythy talk about their exposure to computers in the 80s.

Also, we discuss Rippers for Savage Worlds and the crisis of confidence when creating a setting.

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At this year’s virtual GROGMEET we were joined by Dan Whitehead, the author of Speccy Nation, who took us on a tour of The ZX Spectrum. The 8-bit computer was a staple of our every day lives in the 1980s.

There’s an advert for Third Floor Wars which recently featured Burn After Running’s Guy Milner.

The next season of the Book Club features classic science fiction.

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Welcome back, just when you knew you had enough of Dirk the Dice and Judge Blythy rambling on and on about TTRPGs, they’re back with more.

These are the answers to the GROGPOD listener questions that didn’t fit into the first part.

There’s also a Post Bag section, where we talk about to the favourite covers of White Dwarf identified by our listeners.

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The return of @dailydwarf with an article about Good, the Bad and downright Odd covers of White Dwarf from 1 – 106 (when they stopped doing RPGs). Join us as we go into a time capsule and review some of our favourites.

If you’d like to play along and let us know your favourite White Dwarf cover, then head to Daily Dwarf’s site where he has helpfully put together a catalogue of the covers.

Dirk and Judge Blythy join in the fun as well as answering listener questions. There’s more to come (sorry about that).

There’s an advert for Orlanth Rex’s Gaming Vexes Podcast, where Dirk recently appeared talking about ‘Why we RPG’.

If you would like to know more about the symposium Dirk attended, then follow the substack.

Support the podcast by giving 5 star reviews at your favourite podbox and joining the Patreon.

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In this episode, we have a very special guest. Marc Miller is the creator of the Traveller Role-Playing game and in this interview he talks to Dirk the Dice about his first encounter with Dungeons and Dragons. He also talks about the origins of Traveller and his trip UK Games Day.

Judge Blythy, our resident rules lawyer, revisits the rules that we looked back at in Episode Three and assesses the changes that have been developed in the latest version. We are playing Traveller regularly again, and really enjoying it.

Space Ship art by Ian Stead (thanks for making the contact!).

The outro music is My Face will Murder Me by The Static Music Club (Omari)

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This episode follows the theme of the previous one, where we looked at Adventure Design. This time at the book club we have the amazing Johnn Four who shares his Five Room Dungeon method and explains how story techniques can add to our gaming.

Judge Blythy and Dirk the Dice look back at the games that they have played over the past 12 years and try to identify what made them work.

They also set out their resolutions for 2024 – a year on the grog.

Dirk is recommending the following podcasts: The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment, Immortals, Land of the Giants: Twitter, ACFM, Scarred for Life, Mason and Fricker’s Eldritch Tales, Bud and Griff’s Gaming Creepshow, and Between 2 Cairns.

Outro music is Ickle Pickle by Static Music Club (Omari)

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Another year comes to a close, we review the gaming highlights and award The GROGGIES …

We talk about our highlights and low lights of the year. Well done to the GROGGIES of the year: https://bonhomiegames.uk/

We mention our appearance on Orlanth Rex’s Gaming Vexes

Unconventional GMs

What would the Smart Party Do?

You can find all of Gaz’s community content listed below:

Call of Cthulhu

Burning Desire

A year after the investigators defeated a daemon-summoning cult, their allies have been in touch. Murder, arson, disappearances. Could the Siblings of Burning Desire be back? The investigators must return to the scene of their former victory and get to the truth lest disaster befall them, their friends and everything they hold dear.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/463092/Burning-Desire

Vaesen

Unbearable

The small village of Alsen has enjoyed a peaceful and traditional existence in harmony with the natural world for many generations.A new world is upon us though, the old ways wane and the vaesen are forgotten. Sadly for the villagers, their vaesen do not forgive and forget.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/363819/Unbearable

Sugar and Spice

Progress descends on the rustic lands of Sweden, and it is not only the people who must move with the times. Vaesen are displaced and rub up against each other, causing frictions that will lead to disaster if left unattended. Thursday’s Children must learn what is going wrong and fix it for the sake of the actual children of the village.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/445162/Sugar-And-Spice–Vaesen

Midnight Hunt

An ancient tradition in the wilds of Sweden has become problematic, as new-age mysticism messes with old ways and a city slicker huntsman sets his sights on one last expedition. Strange beasts stalk the night and villagers are going missing. Can the investigators resolve the mystery before perhaps they too disappear?

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/391679/Midnight-Hunt–Vaesen

Tales From the Loop

Puppy Love

A chance encounter with a missing pet leads to a missing child, and then altogether too many pets and children. Can the Kids learn what’s going on, get things back to normal, before they find themselves in Trouble? What will the Kids do when faced with a moral dilemma?

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/362159/Puppy-Love

Looking Glass

School football captain Sture Lagerwall, is a popular, well-liked kid and so when he is out of sorts, it’s time for the Kids to investigate what’s wrong. Sture’s mother is an ambitious scientist of no small vision. Where has she gone, and more importantly, what fresh hell has her experimentation wrought?

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/436852/Looking-Glass

D&D (DMs Guild)

The Bone Alchemist

A missing prince, nefarious magical goings on and fantastical beasts combine for a thrilling adventure taking characters from 1st level through to 3rd level in the style of Arabian Nights mixed with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/356191/The-Bone-Alchemist

Shadow of the Devourer

Who will put a stop to the desperate plans of the deranged cult to summon a world-eating daemon? Dynamic struggles in ancient tombs awaits! (Levels 3-5)

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/382966/Shadow-of-the-Devourer

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Live from GROGMEET 23, join us as we roll back the years with Mike Mason. We look at the key moments in the history of Call of Cthulhu: its origins and its early campaigns.

In Library Use, Blythy and Dirk look at Cults of Cthulhu and Different Worlds and consider the world populated by people who are ‘tuned in’ to Cthulhu.

Mike Mason and Paul Fricker have a new podcast project

You can support the GROGNARD files at Patreon.

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A homecoming. The GROGNARD files returns to Glorantha, the setting where our RPG life began.

4mins – Jeff Richard joins us at the Book Club to talk about The King of Sartar, Greg Stafford’s epic book of The Dragon Pass. The discussion also includes The Cults of RuneQuest.

26 mins – Judge Blythy and Dirk are in the Library looking at Different Worlds issue 1 and Wyrms Footnotes 5.

44 mins – Closing time chat about Liminal and adapting old White Dwarf scenarios.

Want to see some Glorantha action with vim and vigour? Check out Unconventional GMs, don’t forget your cow.

Join the GROGSQUAD tribe at Patreon.

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