-- Description --Ghouls - the iconic paralyzers and low-level party enders: capable of wrecking shop even on a mid level party! Or... are they? I revisit the rules as worded and cross reference them to concepts in Chainmail, revealing that in

Adversarial Play and Adversarial Prep, Revisited

Feb 28th, 2024 50m 27s

-- Description --Call in show - listeners debate the fine points of adversarial play, as well as toss in some tokens for how prep influences their games - or vice versa: how their games have influenced their prep. Then - at the end - a quick p

Confessions of a High Prep GM

Dec 31st, 2023 23m 24s

-- Description --Talking about prepping for your game. How much is too much? How much is too little? And how much can you learn from the mistakes of someone who has gone entirely off the deep end before?Like what you're hearing? Visit the bl

Adversarial Players

Dec 21st, 2023 31m 17s

-- Description --Having spent some time figuring out adversarial referees - what would then make a player an adversarial player? Exploring some experiences, ideas, and behaviors that may - or may not - make a player into an enemy instead of an

Did You Really?

Dec 6th, 2023 21m 55s

-- Description --"I've been playing for 45 years and we never played that way back in the day!"A common refrain for long-timers trying to discourage playstyles differing from their own, I explore the possibility that the arguer might be reme

Where Are You, Whispers?

Nov 23rd, 2023 39m 17s

-- Description --Happy Thanksgiving! Catch up and call in episode: talking about mercenaries, advancement, but mostly - maps, tokens, and VTTs.Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog:⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠Want to get

Maps & Minis

Aug 30th, 2023 36m 38s

-- Description --User feedback focused on the use of maps - in the campaign, in the dungeon, in real life, and in virtual - as well as the implications of maps and all of the above on hirelings and henchmen. Bit of a variety show - very releva

Beyond Advancement

Aug 23rd, 2023 34m 14s

-- Description --Listener feedback exploring character advancement - first, talking a bit about gold for XP, classic D&D, and how procedural generation facilitates OSR dungeon design and frees your mind to make more interesting experiences; an

Maps Aren't Real!

Jul 26th, 2023 23m 52s

-- Description --Vanishing Tower Jay is back to defend his honor! Spar once more with the metaphorical mapper: where he makes his case once more for maps as communication tools - not as physical artifacts!Like what you're hearing? Visit the

The Role Divide

Jul 19th, 2023 33m 8s

-- Description --There has always been a divide between Role Players and Roll Players - but what about Role Players and Players of a Role? This episode delves in to what "role playing" meant - or would have meant - to the original crew on the

Creative Railroading?

Jul 12th, 2023 32m 33s

-- Description --A call from the Pink Phantom posits a true conundrum. Does gold for XP create a creative railroad for player interaction? Listen on to hear my defense of Gold for XP as the ultimate de-railer.Then, some call ins on recent ep

The Importance of Gold for Experience

Jun 28th, 2023 19m 31s

-- Description --Exposition on the importance of gold for experience, and a quick glance into the method behind the madness. Simply put:Gold for XPis the Best Way to Be.Then some miscellaneous user calls - pacing, mapping, and adversari

Crunchy Feedback

Jun 21st, 2023 23m 9s

-- Description --Further discussion as requested and as recieved in prior episodes: what's more important - crunch or flow? Some insights and experiences from listeners. Part two of call-in/response.Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog:

Listeners Talk Mapping!

Jun 14th, 2023 25m 27s

-- Description --Stirred up some interest with the mapping episode! Y'all called in, so the conversation continues!Part one of three podcast episodes: so if you hear someone sounding like it's not their first call; it's probably because it's

Crunch... or Flow?

May 10th, 2023 51m

-- Description --New topic, new name, same spirit! Talking gaming, there is a perpetual debate between how many rules you need or how much crunch you prefer - but are we asking the wrong question? Do we actually care about the mechanics of th

Answers & Questions

May 3rd, 2023 34m 25s

-- Description --Finishing up the feedback from the call backlog - the last of the OctOSR and some new calls between then and now. Generating more questions than we answer, but that'll keep the conversation going!Like what you're hearing? V

Player Expectations, GM Metagaming, and Specializing your Character

Apr 12th, 2023 33m 15s

-- Description --What is the difference between building a character and building a character? What do your players expect out of you - out of your game - and how does it impact how you run? Several callers with several more calls - including

Adversarial Play

Mar 29th, 2023 31m 34s

-- Description --In a back and forth, conversational style exchange with author and artist Jeshields, we tackle adversarial play - ranging from DM to Player interacts to, more importantly, Player to Player and Human to Human.Also spicing thi

Tips to the Mapping Referee and Other Calls

Mar 22nd, 2023 31m 46s

-- Description --Mapping! An essential part of the OSR experience - by request, how do I - as a referee or game master - how do I describe rooms and hallways in an in-person or Theater of the Mind game so as to empower the mapper? Starting of

Henchmen, Combats, Battles, and Balance

Mar 15th, 2023 30m 46s

-- Description --Henchmen, Combats, Battles, and Balance! OSR and OSR-Adjacent commenters build on the OctOSR conversations surrounding several key topics which don't frequently function in the modern experience as they are written in the ori

OctOSR Response Conversations - Part 2

Mar 8th, 2023 33m 30s

-- Description --Further responding to calls and conversations between October of 2022 and today. Couple recurring heroes mixed in with a new voice!Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog:https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/Want to

OctOSR Response Conversations - Part 1

Mar 4th, 2023 33m 29s

-- Description --Finally an episode!Kicking off season three with responses to the massively successful OctOSR podcast and media drive from October of last year. Wide range of topics - some of which you may not even need to re-listen to the

Plots, Narratives, & the Living World

Dec 21st, 2022 34m 48s

-- Description --Responding to a thought by Daniel at Bandit's Keep regarding plot. Then, answering a couple call ins - old and new - by James of MindWeave and Jason of Nerd's Variety Cast.-- Show Notes --00:00 - Intro00:49 - Theme01:19 -

Why Guilds will Ruin your Game

Nov 9th, 2022 31m 33s

- - Description - -Answering a prompt from a friend of the show about guilds: why you should hate them too.Disagree? Drop me a voicemail! https://anchor.fm/clerics-wear-ringmail/messageTheme music by Michael Ramir C, courtesy of Mixkit.co (