-- 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 0e, at least - Ghouls might not have been as powerful as they would, in later editions, become. Then, some call-ins regarding adversarial play (among which is a great example of adversarial play from Daniel over at Bandit's Keep) and a concept (new,...

-- 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 promised health and sanity update from me for folks who were listening and concerned as of last time around. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send...

-- 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 blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast⁠ ...or join the conversation on Spotify for...

-- 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 ally. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast⁠ ...or join the...

-- 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 remembering yesterday just as much as 1975. Then, following up, a note on my personal health, how it's been holding me back a bit from participating in the hobby like I want to, and what I'm doing about it to fix that problem. Like what you're...

-- 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 in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast⁠ ...or join the conversation on Spotify for...

-- 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 relevant to the OSR player experience. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on...

-- 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; and then, moving into alternative advancement: not alternative mechanisms, necessarily, but new ways to interpret and play out character advancement in your old school campaign. Like what you're hearing? Visit the...

-- 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 blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast⁠ ...or join the conversation on Spotify for...

-- 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 original game... and how it differs from what we think of when we say "role playing" today. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on...

-- 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 episodes in the podcast-verse! Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: ⁠https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/⁠ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on...

-- Description -- Exposition on the importance of gold for experience, and a quick glance into the method behind the madness. Simply put: Gold for XP is the Best Way to Be. Then some miscellaneous user calls - pacing, mapping, and adversarial preparation! Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast ...or join the...

-- 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: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Want to get in on the conversation, yourself? Send in a voicemail on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast ...or join the conversation on Spotify for...

-- 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 not! But I tried to group the calls by theme to keep the conversation cohesive. Listen on - and don't forget the map along the way! Passionate, as well, and want to get in on the conversation, yourself? New! Send in a voicemail on...

-- 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 the game, or do we care about the way it handles at the table? Then - some voicemail conversation: folks are interested in maps, drawing maps, and whether or not they should be taken away! Passionate, as well, and want to get in on the conversation,...

-- 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? Visit the blog: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Listen on and join the conversation! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/clerics-wear-ringmail/message ...or come hang out with the gang on...

-- 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 a new one; recorded this year and everything! - regarding these questions and more. Listen on and join the conversation! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/clerics-wear-ringmail/message Like what you're hearing? Visit the...

 -- 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 things up with some Plot & Story in the middle with Daniel Norton of Bandit's Keep. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Want to get in on the conversation? Hit me up on...

 -- 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 off with a handful of call ins - starting with crispy burned goblins and working our way through to tactics and reading the rules: listen on for my answer - how this referee handles corridor and room descriptions. Like what you're hearing? Visit the...

 -- 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 original books. Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Want to get in on the conversation? Hit me up on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/clerics-wear-ringmail/message ...or come hang out with the gang on...

 -- 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 get in on the conversation? Hit me up on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/clerics-wear-ringmail/message ...or come hang out with the gang on Discord: https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn And whatever you do, delve on!  -- Show Notes -- 00:00 -...

 -- 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 OctOSR episodes to contextualize! Like what you're hearing? Visit the blog: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/ Want to get in on the conversation? Hit me up on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/clerics-wear-ringmail/message ...or come hang out...

-- 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 - Intro 00:49 - Theme 01:19 - What is Plot? 04:25 - What is Narrative? 08:00 - What is the Living World? 14:41 - The Role of the Plot in the Campaign Game 16:26 - Call Ins: MindWeave James! 22:21 - Call Ins: Whole 'lotta Jason! 33:13 - Outro 33:52 - Theme &...

 - - 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/message Theme music by Michael Ramir C, courtesy of Mixkit.co (https://mixkit.co/).  - - Show Notes - -  00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Theme 01:23 - Expanding the (OSR) Anchorverse 04:01 - Community and Civility 06:52 - Main Topic: GUILDS and Why they will Ruin your Game 08:00 - Why do refs use guilds? 10:47 -...