It struck me this morning that we gamers have some strange allegiances. In my case, I am oddly loyal - attached if you will - to systems of rules. Evidence for this arises whenever I try, as I have been seeking to do this week, to read an alternative system of play. Even when my … Continue reading That Strange Allegiance
One of the things that has been most influential to my roleplaying experience was the discovery, back in 1980, of the RuneQuest boxed set and my introduction to the Basic Role-Playing (BRP) system. While a full review of that game is beyond the scope of this immediate discussion, one thing always stood out to me: … Continue reading Adding Essence To Mykovnia
I was listening to Jason Hobbs' "Random Screed" when I heard him talk about a desire to play some science-fiction stuff. Given that it was early - I had just arrived at school, around 7am - I shot him a quick Anchor message and thought little of it. This morning, listening to his latest episode, … Continue reading Science Fiction… With Big Guns
It's hard to believe that I have been feeling blocked for the past three weeks, especially when two of those weeks were away from work enjoying some "non-contact time" (what non-teachers call "holiday") at home. But this has been my experience: blocked... at least, until this morning. This morning, spurred by some words that were … Continue reading Playing To Teach A Friend
When I interviewed GURPS Line Manager Sean "Dr Kromm" Punch back in April, he said something that resonated with me strongly and has stuck with me ever since. Roughly paraphrasing, Sean outlined his belief that the main difference between GURPS and most other roleplaying games revolves around the idea of the prescriptive versus the descriptive. … Continue reading Taking The D100 Prescription
I missed writing for the blog on Saturday - sorry about that. To tell the truth, I am rather ironically experiencing some of the work-induced, invasive, and destructive feelings that inspired the podcast in the first place. I’m a high school teacher and, contrary to popular belief, we don’t just work from 9 until 3.30 … Continue reading Feeling Overloaded
We moved into our present home in 1998 and stashed a load of boxes in one corner of the top room to unpack later. Recently my wife and I visited that corner, uncovering those old boxes. The first stuff we found was a mix of really old treasures and accumulated bits that date back to … Continue reading The Star Frontiers Exercise Book
If you’ve ever been to my house, talked to me about gaming, read my blog for any length of time, or listened to my podcast you’ll know this is true: I have a problem when it comes to buying game books. The stacks in my “hobby room” – the space dedicated to housing the rat … Continue reading I Have Enough Books
If there has been one good thing to arise from this dreadful pandemic it has been the realisation within that we were all too hurried and harried in the time before. I have been forced to slow down. To stop. I have learned to sit in silence and to enjoy the time I have with … Continue reading Inspired by Amazing Adventures 5e
Yesterday, I dug out my physical rules for Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying (RMFRP). In so doing, I was struck by some pretty interesting thoughts and impressions. In my quest to inhabit and develop my fantasy Otherworld, as discussed in earlier posts and on the podcast, I found myself confronted with an unexpected desire to draw liberally … Continue reading The Road goes ever on and on…
