The Good Friends of Jackson Elias

We’re back and we’re loading our shotguns, lighting a bundle of dynamite and laying waste to everything we see. This is our look at the role of violence in Call of Cthulhu. Boom! Main Topic:... The post Violence in Call of Cthulhu appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re eyeing each other suspiciously, freezing our bollocks off and watching in dismay as our blood sample runs screaming out the door. This is our look at John Carpenter’s 1982 science fiction/horror masterpiece, The Thing.... The post The Thing appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

This year saw the first Tabletop Gaming Live event at Alexandra Palace, London. While its focus is mainly on board games and war games, there was some RPG presence. Chaosium were in attendance, offering demo... The post Special: Tabletop Gaming Live 2018 appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re staring at the players with frightened eyes, peeling our tongues from the roofs of our mouths and drowning in flop sweat. This is our look at the role of improvisation in... The post Improvisation in RPGs appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re learning hideous secrets from Nyarlathotep, Messenger of the Outer Gods, signing his black book and hoping we recognise him next time we meet him. He can be difficult to pick out... The post Mythos Deities: Nyarlathotep appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re discussing all the nifty Cthulhu-related stuff that happened at Gen Con 2018 (and one non-Cthulhu thing). Well, I say “we”, but this largely means Paul, as he’s the only one of... The post Gen Con 2018 appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re tripping over our feet, dropping our only torch and entirely failing to save the day. This is our look at the role of failure in RPGs. Or at least that’s what... The post The Joy of Failure appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

In episode 137 we discussed Nathan Ballingrud‘s short story Wild Acre. A few days ago, Mr Ballingrud generously took some time to record an interview with us. We discuss Wild Acre and its themes of trauma, as well as... The post Special: Nathan Ballingrud Interview appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re checking the undergrowth for sinister shapes, getting ready to run for our lives and preparing to deal with the consequences. This episode is our discussion of Nathan Ballingrud’s short story, Wild Acre.... The post Wild Acre appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re building on last episode‘s discussion of the theme of mental illness in Lovecraft’s work. This time, we turn our attention to the role of insanity in Call of Cthulhu. Obviously, Call of Cthulhu... The post Insanity in Call of Cthulhu appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re tackling a potentially contentious subject. If you spend much time on gaming forums or social media, you may have stumbled across debates about whether mental illness is a fit subject for gaming.... The post Insanity in Lovecraft appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

Would you like a peek behind the new Masks of Nyarlathotep? After last episode‘s spoiler-free discussion of the classic campaign, this time we’re revealing all. Mike Mason and Lynne Hardy from Chaosium join Paul Fricker and Scott... The post Masks of Nyarlathotep (part 2) appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re excavating ancient horrors, dragging them up into the light and revealing them to a trembling world. This is our spoiler-free discussion of the new edition of Masks of Nyarlathotep, with all four of... The post Masks of Nyarlathotep (part 1) appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re dangling shiny things in front of our players, making encouraging noises and trying to direct their attention back to the game. This is our discussion of player engagement, specifically what engages... The post Player Engagement appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re strapping on our headlamps, checking our harnesses and spelunking like our lives depended upon it. This is our look into subterranean spaces in Call of Cthulhu and Lovecraft. From his work,... The post Subterranean Spaces in Call of Cthulhu appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re lost in the woods. There seem to be some familiar landmarks, however. If we look to the left, there’s The Blair Witch Project. Over there on the right is The Wicker... The post The Ritual appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re counting our shells, holding our breath and searching for somewhere to hide until dawn. This is our look at the subgenre of survival horror. While we might normally associate survival horror... The post Survival Horror appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re chasing our tails, trying to lick our nether regions and hissing at anyone who looks at us funny. Meow. This is our look into the role of cats in Call of... The post Cats in Call of Cthulhu and Lovecraft appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re splitting our sides, busting a gut and otherwise rupturing ourselves in the pursuit of comedy. It’s rare to find a gaming table where no one is laughing, even if the subject... The post Comedy in RPGs appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re touching up our greasepaint, frolicking with wild abandon and preparing for our unspeakable transformation. This episode is our look at Thomas Ligotti’s weird tale The Last Feast of Harlequin. While Ligotti may... The post The Last Feast of Harlequin appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back, standing atop Sentinel Hill, chill wind whipping under our robes, shrieking until our lungs hurt. Damn, that wind’s cold! This is our discussion of Yog-Sothoth, the All-in-One, the Gate, the Key, the Lurker... The post Mythos Deities: Yog-Sothoth appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re baring all. The most common thing people seem to ask writers is “Where do you get your ideas?” Apparently, “By eating the brains of more talented writers” isn’t as helpful an... The post Inspiration and Development appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re erecting monstrous effigies, playing deadly games and proclaiming that The post The Wicker Man appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back and we’re hiding in the hedgerows, weaving twisted little corn dollies and performing unspeakable acts of Morris dancing. This episode is our discussion of the very British subgenre of folk horror. In particular,... The post Folk Horror appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .

We’re back with another special recording to tide you over during that long, bleak fortnight between regular episodes. This time, we’re coming to you from MK LitFest 2017, the first ever Milton Keynes literary festival. We... The post Special: Milton Keynes LitFest 2017 appeared first on Blasphemous Tomes .