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The GROGNARD Files
by The GROGNARD Files
The GROGNARD RPG files is a podcast that looks at RPGs from 'back in the day and today'. Each episode concentrates on the original rules of a featured game, our experiences of playing the game, PLUS excellent contributions from @dailydwarf selecting highlights from the halcyon days of White Dwarf magazine.
Episodes
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Bunnies & Burrows RPG
Join us as we disappear down the rabbit hole of another vintage RPG classic: Bunnies and Burrows. In this episode Dirk and, resident rules lawyer, Judge Blythy look over Bunnies and Burrows and talk about their experience of playing it. There is a difference of opinion. In the closing time…
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The Price of Freedom RPG (with Malcolm Craig)
In this episode we are joined by Games designer Malcolm Craig, to look at the role-playing game (RPG) The Price of Freedom, by West End Games. This is a game that created a great deal of controversy when it was released. We look at the flame war that took place in White Dwarf. Malcolm and I met…
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The Pirates of Drinax, Traveller RPG (with Matthew Sprange)
In this episode, we talk about The Pirates of Drinax, the epic sandbox campaign created by Gareth Hanrahan, developed and published by Mongoose Publishing. Matthew Sprange from Mongoose talks about the project and Traveller in general. Judge Blythy reflects on running the campaign with some...
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Chaos in RPGs and beyond (with Tomas Rawlings)
In this episode, we are in Manchester Central Library talking to GROGSQUAD member Tomas Rawlings. He has a long history of working in video games, but he also has many interesting thoughts on role-playing games and he’s currently writing a book about the evolution of Warhammer 40k. In our...
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The GROGGIES Review of 2025 (with Kalum)
In this episode, Kalum from the Rolistes Podcast is in the zoom of role-playing rambling to talk about French speaking RPGs. He has spoken about Nephilim elsewhere and he tells us more in this episode. He’s also Kickstarting his game The Magic of Inventorying which will be familiar to attendees…
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Five Items that Made Chaosium (with Rick Meints)
Chaosium is celebrating 50 years since the company was founded by Greg Stafford. Their games have always been at the core of what we play, so it was great to have more time with returning guest, Rick Meints. Rick is the president of Chaosium, perhaps more importantly, he is the Head of the...
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Dirk’s Dossier – More Gladiator Chat and more
Do you need a companion as you wash up after a big day of festivities? Here you go. What do YOU do with your left overs? Here at the GROGNARD files, we don’t like them going to waste. We like to splice them together to create a treat for Patreons. Given it is the season to be jolly, we are giving...
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Swedish RPGs (with Magnus Seter)
In this episode Dirk talks to Magnus Seter about Outside the Box, How Sweden Conquered The World of Role-Playing Games. Learn the fascinating story of how RPGs reached Sweden and were transformed by the play culture. Thanks to Fandrake, the publisher of Outside the Box, we have books to giveaway....
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Arion Games and other RPGs (with Graham Bottley)
September and October have been replete with gaming sessions. Can you have too much of a good thing? That’s the question we ask this episode. Dirk is joined in the Zoom of Role-Playing Rambling by Graham Bottley from Arion Games, which is celebrating 20 years publishing games and supplements. It...
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Dungeon Crawl Classics Continued (Ep.85)
This time we return to the topic of Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) with Judge Blythy, our resident zealot. Appendix G, our never-ending list of influences, expands with the wonderful Swords Series from Fritz Leiber nominated by Dave Paterson. We talk about our preparation for a busy September of...
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10 Years of The GROGNARD Files
It was 10 years ago today, that we first came out to play! In this episode we jump every shark in sight by reflecting on the past ten years of the podcast. We invited listeners to ask us anything, as long as it was looking back over the past 10 years, so we could lean back in our armchairs and...
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Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (with Brendan LaSalle)
In this GROGPOD, Judge Blythy talks about his initiation into the cult of DCC. We look at what makes it work. Goodman Games, the publisher of DCC, is hosting DCC Day on 19th July 2025. We are joined by Brendan LaSalle who talks about DCC and his futuristic variant, XCrawl Classics where you can...
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Ars Magica RPG (with Adrian Tchaikovsky) Ep 82
In this episode, we continue our examination of magic in Role-Playing Games with a look at Ars Magica with Science Fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky. He talks to us about the setting, the rules and the way that magic works in the game. We haven’t had chance to play it yet, so Dirk and Blythy meet...
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Scarred by Magic in the 70s & 80s (with Stephen Brotherstone)
Returning guest Stephen Brotherstone, co-author of the Scarred for Life series of books and shows, joins us in the zoom of Role Playing Rambling to examine the witchcraft and horrors that haunted our childhood years. You can see Ste as his show is on the road during 2025 and the latest volume of...
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More Magic in RPGs (with China Miéville)
Magic in RPGs is a continuing obsession for Dirk the Dice and Blythy in this latest episode of the podcast. We talk about Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) and Powers and Perils (Pee & Pee) and marvel at how we played in the early 2000s, when we didn’t know any better and were more willing to...
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Magic in RPGs (with Stu Horvath) Ep.79
It’s a kind of magic, in RPGs. This time we are joined by Stu Horvath, podcaster (Vintage RPG Podcast) and writer, who talks about his book Monsters, Aliens and Holes in the Ground, which takes us decade by decade through the history of RPGs. He also contributes to our discussion about magic in...
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Sanction RPG (with Paul Baldowski) Ep 78
This time we are talking about GROGMEET our annual Role Playing Games meet up in Manchester. We were joined by game designer, publisher and entrepreneur Paul Baldowski who talks about Dangerous Journeys, PBMs and his game Sanction. Blythy shares his experiences and how we played Gatsby and The...
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2024: A Year in RPGs Ep. 77
Join us in the Room of Role-Playing Rambling as we investigate the highs and lows of role-playing in 2024. Thanks for supporting us. Why not consider tipping a couple of coins in the beret over at Patreon. The post 2024: A Year in RPGs Ep. 77 first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.
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Rivers of London RPG (with Ben Aaronovitch) Ep76
This GROGPOD features a special recording of an interview with writer Ben Aaronovitch, the creator of The Rivers of London series of books. An RPG has been developed by the team at Chaosium. Ben talks about the project, his formative years in gaming and gives insight into his creative process.…
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1984: A Year in RPGs Ep75 Pt2
Following Part 1, we are now ready to open the spurious envelopes on our 1984 experiences. We also issue a challenge to listeners to help us discover new enthusiasms. At Daily Dwarf returns with an overview of what was happening in the pages of White Dwarf. Please pass on The GROGNARD files to…
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1984: a year in RPGs (with Bob Fischer) Ep75 Pt 1
Welcome to the zoom of role-playing rambling where we are looking backwards to look forwards. This time we are transporting you back to the heady days of 1984. We are joined by the fabulous Bob Fischer who shares the highlights from his 1984 diaries. Judge Blythy, our resident rules lawyer, joins...
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Flashing Blades RPG Ep. 74
En garde! Yes, this time we are investigating the worlds of 17th Century Europe and asking, “is this the true mode of all fantasy role-playing high-adventure?” We are joined by Graham Kinniburgh, who tells us about his Oscar night triumph with An Irish Goodbye and what it was like being at The...
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Bestiaries in Role Playing Games (with Tomas Harenstam)
Welcome to the third and final part of our Monsters in Role Playing Games (RPGs) episode. This time we are joined in the Room of Role Playing rambling by Tomas Harenstam from Free League. He talks about his formative years in Swedish role playing and how to create a great Bestiary. Dirk and…
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More Monsters in RPGs Ep 73 Pt 2
We continue to explore the worlds of monsters in role-playing games (RPGs). In this episode, we are joined by James Holloway, from the Monster Man podcast. He adds a new entry into the ever expanding Appendix G. Judge Blythy and Dirk talk about the famous monsters of Hollywood and beyond and...
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Monsters in RPGs Ep.73 Pt.1
This time we are looking at bestiaries from our book shelves. We talk about: Numenera, Forbidden Lands, Call of Cthulhu, Dragon Warriors, 13th Age, Vaesen, This was at the request of GROGSQUADer China Miéville who Dirk talked to at an RPG Symposium earlier this year. Next time, James Holloway,...
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Cyberpunk RPG Ep.72
Image by Lee Williams 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...
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80s Computers and RPGs Ep71 Pt2
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…
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ZX Spectrum Games (with Dan Whitehead) Ep.70 Pt. 1
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...
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ThunderPhase! TTRPG Questions and Answers Ep.70 Pt.2
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...
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White Dwarf RPG Covers (with ThunderPhase) Ep. 70 Pt. 1
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,...
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Traveller RPG Revisited (with Marc Miller) Ep 69
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…
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Five Room Dungeons (with Johnn Four) Ep. 68
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...
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Review of 2023 in RPGs (with Gaz Bowerbank)
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…
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Cults of Cthulhu (with Mike Mason) Ep 66
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...
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Glorantha (with Jeff Richard)
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…
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Michael Moorcock Ep. 64
Behold the man! Michael Moorcock joins us in the room of role-playing rambling to talk about memoir, the multiverse, movies and much more. I recommend Sanctom Secorum and Appendix N Bookclub interviews too. I have appeared on Breakfast in the Ruins talking about Letters from Hollywood. I…
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Liminal Inspirations Ep.63 (Part 2)
In this episode, we continue looking for inspiration from urban horror/fantasy. C.K. McDonnell joins the book club to talk about his career and his series of novels set in Manchester, The Stranger Times, about a newspaper covering the supernatural. There are three books in the series, with…
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Liminal (with Paul Mitchener) Ep.63 (Part 1)
Welcome to the world of Liminal. Dirk and Blythy are in the throes of discovering a world where the ordinary and extraordinary interact. Joining us in the Room of Role-Playing Rambling is the creator of Liminal, Paul Mitchener who has provided an insight into the game and its influences. Support...
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Call of Cthulhu Ep.2 (Part 2) – REMASTERED
Another repeat! This the next in the ongoing campaign to remaster the files from the early GROGPODs. Some of the early ones are difficult to hear, so this has been equalised. It does result in some strange gaps and distortions, but nothing too distracting I hope. The roll of dice are missing from...
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UK Games Expo Report 2023
It’s that time again! We went on the road in a charabanc and headed to England’s 4th City, Birmingham, for the UK Game Expo 2023. We report on the games we played, the people we saw and the stuff we bought in a spectacular weekend. Learn how we became Pookie Porters carrying his impressive haul,...
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Tale of the Manticore (with Jon Cohen) ep.62
Join Dirk the Dice, climbing to the top of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh for an episode that we used to label ‘extra’ but who cares if they have an episode number? Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore joins us to share his First, Last and Everything. He mentions Mythic and The Quiet Year in a...
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Call of Cthulhu Ep.2 (Part 1) – REMASTERED
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. This is a remastered version of episode 2 (part 1) with some additional edits and the levels balanced and an extra segment reflecting on the episode eight years later. Open Box – reliving the memories of playing the game for the first time and the…
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Star Frontiers Ep 61 (Part 2)
Still Dirk. Star Frontiers returns. This time we are looking at the adventures that were created for the game. Dark Side of the Moon and Face of the Enemy were very sophisticated modules produced by TSR. Wayne Peters joins us to talk about Space 1999 and add it to the every-expanding Appendix G.…
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Star Frontiers (with Ben Riggs) Ep.61 (Part 1)
Join the Galactic Legions with Dirk and Blythy as we explore Star Frontiers. Introduction: An apology for the misreading of the shrine last time. The background to Star Frontiers as a setting explained. Book Club: Ben Riggs joins Dirk in the Zoom of Role-Playing Rambling to talk about the history...
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Dangerous Games (with Joseph Laycock) Ep.60
Introduction: We look at the Satanic Panic in this episode. We have touched on it before, during our interview with Tim Harford. We are part of the Scarred for Life generation, so were met with mild bemusement rather than a moral panic. I somehow manage to croak through this … apologies … normal...
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Vaesen (and Moviedrome with Hypnogoria) Ep.59
INTRO – What was one of the triggers that stopped me playing back in the day? The discovery of cult movies. In this episode we explore the late night television schedules in the form of Moviedrome. Starburst Memories: 4.15 – we are joined in the room of rambling by Mr Jim Moon of the Hypnogoria...
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Review of 2022 (with Bud’s RPG Reviews) Ep 58
It has been another incredible year for The Armchair Adventurers. We review the experiences that we have had with games old and new and reflect upon the year in general. There may be some irrelevant Beatles chat too. INTRO – A new review and a breakdown of what to expect in the latest issue...
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Into the Odd RPG at GROGMEET22 (with Chris McDowall) Ep. 57
At GROGMEET22 we had a great gaming experience with members of the GROGSQUAD. In this podcast we look back on some of the highlights. Introduction to Chris McDowall. Chris talks about his formative years as a gamer and the influences on his design choices. 12:00 A GamesMaster Prepares – Dirk and...
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SwordBearer RPG Ep.56
This is the GROGPOD naked. There’s no interviews or GROGSQUAD sections, it is just Dirk and Blythy talking bobbins. Swordbearer was a game that we played a lot for a brief period. We liked it, but for some reason it didn’t connect and become a game that did not stick in our repertoire. Why not?...
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Savage Worlds (with Christian Nommay) Ep55 (Part 2)
This is the second part of our episode all about Savage Worlds. This time we look at some of the settings that we have enjoyed playing in over the past few years. 3.15 Titan Effect, interview with Christian Nommay. The new Declassified edition is available on Drive Thru RPG 24.43 The GamesMasters...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The GROGNARD RPG files is a podcast that looks at RPGs from 'back in the day and today'.
Each episode concentrates on the original rules of a featured game, our experiences of playing the game, PLUS excellent contributions from @dailydwarf selecting highlights from the halcyon days of White Dwarf magazine.
HOSTED BY
The GROGNARD Files
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The GROGNARD Files have?
The GROGNARD Files currently has 153 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The GROGNARD Files about?
The GROGNARD RPG files is a podcast that looks at RPGs from 'back in the day and today'. Each episode concentrates on the original rules of a featured game, our experiences of playing the game, PLUS excellent contributions from @dailydwarf selecting highlights from the halcyon days of White Dwarf...
How often does The GROGNARD Files release new episodes?
The GROGNARD Files publishes regularly with 153 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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You can listen to The GROGNARD Files on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The GROGNARD Files?
The GROGNARD Files is created and hosted by The GROGNARD Files.
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