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A journey into 2021 with the specific aim of approaching the question of how I might imagine my roleplaying hobby to develop this year. It’s a sketch of the possibilities and I am going to refrain from allowing the Worry to rise up and get in the way of the project: the goal, of course, is to give myself direction; to place myself upon the pathway towards better gaming; to imagine how I would like it to be. I know that the reality, when now catches up to this imagined future, that each moment will be both very different and far richer. Big thanks to Jason W, Jason C, and Brian for their supportive call-ins! "Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Call-ins and response to the Bonus Episode from December entitled, "Am I Stuck In A Loop"? Lots of good feedback in response to the original messages from Andy Goodman - thanks to Barney, Spencer, and Barry for taking the time to call-in. On top of that, I share a new piece of the great puzzle of life - the idea of The Cycle of Change. Big thanks once again to my friends, Andy Goodman included, for being honest with me and helping me to find my way back into the roleplaying hobby. Game on! "Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

This episode is about my first steps into trying a totally different way of roleplaying and being the Game Master. Now, when I say “totally different way” I mean totally different for me. There is perhaps nothing new here for the GM who is secure in their approach to roleplaying games. On the other hand, if you are - like me - a bit of an old grog who has never really grasped the so-called “New School” ways of doing things, then maybe you’ll be curious to find out how I got on when I dove headlong into the world of Monte Cook’s Cypher System. Game on! Thanks to Robert (aka Menion) for the call-in! "Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Hot on the heels of talking about my own vision for the kinds of roleplaying games I want to play came a rush of energy and enthusiasm to go out and make that vision become a reality. Of course, being human, with a bold vision comes big doubt. If there is something I can rely on in life it’s that I cannot rely on my level of motivation. That being said, and knowing full well that focus on motivation is not as useful as most people tend to think, I have noticed that three motivators give me a much-welcomed spike of motivation which can - for one night only - give me a boost of creative activity in my hobby. This episode I aim to share those motivators with you and basically ask you to give me a shot in the arm whenever you can remember to do so. Game on! Thanks to Larry, Jason, and Evil Jeff for the call-ins.  "Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Last time I shared my vision for approaching roleplaying games as a sacred imaginary birthright, a means to transcend - if only for a little while - the mundane rush of everyday life and replace it with worlds of wonder shared through collaboration with other human beings. Collectively, we have the ability to imagine and create for ourselves shared secondary worlds, inhabit them with characters whom we individually care about, and share their stories through the medium of the roleplaying game.  Building on this vision, today I want to explore some thoughts that have been bubbling under the hood as I have been wrestling with my diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I want to explore the Rules that I have - over a lifetime of gaming and roleplaying - constructed around the concept of being the Game Master. Many thanks to Derek and Josh for their valuable call-ins! Game on! My Thirteen GM Rules Compiled: 1. Playing games should be a positive and enlightening experience for everyone at the table 2. It is the gamemasters responsibility to make sure the players are having a good time 3. The GM needs to know everything about the game system and the game world before play begins 4. The GM should not force the players to play their predesigned adventure 5. The player is sovereign over their character 6. The GM should be prepared to handle any choice the players make 7. The GM should never look anything up at the table 8. Always make honest die rolls, no fudging be bound by the results 9. The monsters or opposition should always act in a rational and tactically understandable way 10. The game world needs to make sense to everyone at the table 11. Players expect you to be able to answer any question they ask 12. Players expect you to challenge them but ultimately to let them win 13. It's wrong to kill the player characters "I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Hailing from Portsmouth, Virginia, Christopher R. Rice is constantly writing, tinkering with, and running GURPS. A frequent contributor to Steve Jackson Games’ Dungeon Fantasy and Pyramid, if he's not writing for GURPS, he's blogging about it. His site “Ravens N' Pennies” is well-stocked with more GURPS goodies than you could shake a stick at. Christopher kindly agreed to come on the show back in November and talk about GURPS, GMing, and why GURPS is his go-to system. Thanks Christopher - it is a great interview! Game on! Ravens 'n' Pennies blog: ravensnpennies.com Christopher's Patreon: patreon.com/Ravenpenny Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Unscripted thoughts provoked by a very challenging call-in from Andy Goodman of the Expedition to the Grizzley Peak podcast. The calls triggered my anxiety which, it turns out, I was ready to notice and examine. I called Andy back and this bonus episodes shares the exchange. I then added further thoughts and invite your feedback. I realise that some listeners don't like call-in shows and also that some don't enjoy when I talk about myself and my mental health challenges either - this is probably not the episode for you. Many thanks to Andy for his valuable call-ins! Game on! Theme and incidental music by Jon from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Although I have been gaming for more than 40 years and podcasting for the past 2 years, in recent months I almost lost my hobby. I know that I am not alone in this experience because, in the weeks since I stopped making new episodes, I’ve received many emails and social media messages, not to mention audio call-ins, that bear witness to the fact that many people have lost their hobby to the vagaries of modern life. As I begin this fresh season, my eyes are set on a single goal: I want to run games that I feel proud of, that I enjoy, and with people whom I care about deeply. To say that I want to rediscover my love for the tabletop roleplaying hobby would not be an overstatement. Today, I want to lay out the beginnings of my way forward and invite you to join me in the quest. Big thanks to Derek and Jason for the call-ins! Here's to a great 2021 with Roleplay Rescue!  Game on! "I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

Publish and be damned, I say! Here's Season 8, Episode 0 (the "trailer"). The rough plan is that I will release Episode 1 on Saturday 2nd January 2021, kicking Roleplay Rescue back on the air to begin a fresh new year! Frankly, this is a little bit indulgent but heart-felt. It's been a few weeks in the making too but I think it sets things up for a positive ride forward. Thanks for believing, everyone! If you want to do me a favour, call in with some comments/questions so I've got content for the first few episodes in January. Especial thanks to John from Tale of the Manticore for his special contribution. Hope you enjoy it! Game on! "I Need A Roleplay Rescue" Theme and incidental music by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.podbean..com Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Buy Che Webster a Coffee. ko-fi.com/cwebster - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get donations from fans, with a 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page. (ko-fi.com)

A few people have been asking how I am doing since the close of Season 7 and, coincidentally, I finally got around to listening to this DM Diary episode from last week which answers that question quite well. I think it's a good episode for content too because in this episode you'll hear how my coming to terms with anxiety intersects with me being a GM.  For newcomers, the Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form an audio journal. At present, Patrons get these episodes via Patreon.com/rpgrescue but I have decided to share this one as a bonus for the main RPR podcast. I hope the Patrons won't mind and other listeners might find it interesting. Game on! Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Dear Diary Theme by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

In the last week that I was at work, I hopped onto Zoom for a chat with a member of the team responsible for updating a seminal science-fiction roleplaying game. David Soruco is one of the partners at 23rd Century Productions, LLC. His focus area is gaming rules including ship combat and general rules. He has been playing RPGs since the 70's. What I didn’t know is that he turned out to be one of the most pleasant and patient guests I have ever had the honour to interview.  This interview has been a joy to revisit and I offer it today as the last episode of Roleplay Rescue Season 7. David got me looking at what is, to my mind, a truly great science-fiction roleplaying game that I thoroughly encourage you to check out for yourselves. Game on! Battlelords Links: Preorder Charlie Foxtrot: A Battlelords Sourcebook on BackerKit: charliefoxtrot.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders Email: info@23rdcentury.net   Website: http://23rdcentury.net or http://battlelords.com   Facebook: https://facebook.com/Battlelords/  Instagram: https://instagram.com/battlelords_of_the_23rdcentury/… Twitter: https://twitter.com/BattlelordsRPG   YouTube: http://bit.ly/BattlelordsYouTube… Discord: https://discord.gg/srRY2Pn Roleplay Rescue Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD

Griff Morgan is a writer, director, and gamer whose collaboration on the “Secrets of Blackmoor” film - released in 2019 - has shone a bright light on the origins of roleplaying games rooted in the work of David Wesley and Dave Arneson.  About three weeks ago now, I hopped onto Skype for a chat with Griff, ostensibly to talk about Good versus Evil. As chance would have it, a few days earlier I had received my Backer’s .PDF of the Tonisborg draft - a bonus book that was part of the Kickstarter for Secrets of Blackmoor - and our conversation began by chatting about that project. I wanted to extract this part of the conversation and share it separately from the much longer discussion that came later. So, here it is… and I’ll be working on the second part of this to share in a few weeks time, pressures of work and life permitting. That’s the background. Here’s the interview. Game on! Secrets of Blackmoor: secretsofblackmoor.com Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

It is with a heavy heart that I announce I am pressing pause on RPR for the foreseeable future. Details are in this episode. Please bear with me. I hope everyone will understand. Be well and game on! Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Roleplay Rescue is primarily about encouraging the lapsed roleplaying game enthusiast - those of us who perhaps played Dungeons & Dragons sometime in the past - to come back to the gaming table. Today, my guest is just that: a lapsed roleplayer who has found a path back to play… but perhaps not by the traditional route. It’s a great honour for me to welcome one of the most creative minds in the community to tell us a little bit about himself and the fantastic project he’s been working on in recent months. This might just be the nudge someone needs to pick up some dice and roll ‘em.  Game on! Tale of The Manticore: taleofthemanticore.blogspot.com ToTM Podcast: taleofthemanticore.podbean.com Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Douglas H. Cole is the owner of Gaming Ballistic, the first licensed third-party publisher for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game and The Fantasy Trip, working in support of Steve Jackson Games’ popular roleplaying games. It’s simply terrific to welcome Doug back to the show… and this time it’s all about helping me to think through a specific issue I believe I might have solved with my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy campaign. Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

A short bonus episode in which I talk about where Roleplay Rescue is going plus take some call-ins from Frank T, Jason C, and Safer. To end, I share an ambition to get more voices onto the show, inviting folk to get in touch if they'd like an opportunity to shout about their favourite RPGs from the RPR rooftop. Thanks for listening! Game on!  Roleplay Rescue Theme and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD  Contact Details:  Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message  Email: hello@rpgrescue.com  Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue  Blog: roleplayrescue.com  MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")  Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue")  Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. This is the end... well, the last episode of the DM Diary... the end of this rambling mess. Game on!  Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

Brian Jamison’s “Gamemastering”, self-published in 2011, has had a major impact on me over the years. Initially, the book intrigued me and I tried to take the advice to heart. Doing so, I quickly ran into some genuine resistance from fellow gamers. This past week or so, I began to re-read it and re-visit it. It seems I am still niggled by the style and tone but I am also trying to mine the book for useful methodology. It’s really the first and only book on methodology that I have found useful thus far. Brian Jamison's "Gamemastering": gamemastering.info Roleplay Rescue Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD RPR Jingle No. 5 by John from Tale of the Manticore: taleofthemanticore.blogspot.com Thanks to Lee, John, Jason, and Spencer for the call-ins. Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Facebook Page: facebook.com/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow, we've made it to 50 episodes of this tripe, so that is some kind of an achievement. This week I have split it in to three halves: this is Part 3 which features chatter about manifestos, wanderings about why I can't game in the evenings, and some more ideas about RuneQuest. Special thanks to Barney D and Jason C for their contributions to this episode. Game on! Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat

The Roleplay Rescue Dungeon Master’s Diary features me, a microphone, and whatever gaming-related nonsense flows from my mind. This is recorded in short snippets throughout the week and then roughly edited together to form a diary of one man’s journey in gaming, shared week-by-week. It’s raw, glaringly personal, and not everyone’s cup of tea. Somehow, we've made it to 50 episodes of this tripe, so that is some kind of an achievement. This week I have split it in to two halves: this is Part 2 which features the post-Glorantha Games thoughts and a lovely call-in to round things out. Special thanks to Barney D for his contribution to this episode. Game on!  Dear Diary Theme Song and incidental music by TJ Drennon: patreon.com/TJD Contact Details: Voice Message: anchor.fm/rpgrescue/message Email: hello@rpgrescue.com Patreon: patreon.com/rpgrescue Blog: roleplayrescue.com MeWe Group: mewe.com/join/roleplayrescue (or search "Roleplay Rescue") Twitter: @ubiquitousrat