The Vintage RPG Podcast

We'll be back. But not before a nice, long vacation. After just shy of 363 episodes in eight years, the Vintage RPG Podcast is going to take a hiatus. For lots of reasons, many of which we explain in this episode (along with some general kvetching about the state of the contemporary internet; that article about ad calls on news sites can be found here , hat tip to Robert McNees). But honestly, mos...

Two legendary artists, one head-to-head infernal adventure.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, two of the most metal artists around, Arik Roper and Skinner, chat about The Black Spire Pact . That's a player-versus-player gamebook by Max Moon and Janaka Stucky, with Arik illustrating the wizard book and Skinner handling the demon lord. We also talk about art, fantasy, games, life, hallucinogens...

Yes, meat sorcery!  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we're theoretically talking to Tiger Wizard about Abattoir Hymnal , his collaboration with Donn Stroud for Demon Month. In practice, we wind up talking about a lot of other stuff too! * * * Back Abattoir Hymnal on Backerkit now! Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monste...

Oh wait, this is supposed to be a podcast about roleplaying games?  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we're talking local news, Daniel Cohen books, new phones and more, pretty much everything but RPGs. Sometimes that happens! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground is for sale now...

In which I make the baseless argument that this is the first Monster Manual .  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we're going back in time to 1887 to check out J.W. Buel's unhinged tome of natural history,  Sea and Land . 800 pages, with 300 illustrations depicting the natural world at its hungriest. A glorious thing. * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all...

Ninjas, ninjas, ninjas, they're all Stu wants to talk about these days.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we're dodging shuriken in order to keep talk about shinobi, both generally and somewhat specifically regarding the Night of the Ninja RPG. Also a follow-up on the Worlds of TSR art book and a plug for Graham Barey's excellent graphic novel/Troika supplement Black Orb . * * * Links! Games...

Art & Arcana? Pffft, go back to the source!  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we pull the TSR art books off the shelf. That's The Art of Dragon Magazine , The Art of the Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Game , The Art of Dragonlance and The Art of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Game . That's a lot of art! And one more to come! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! Th...

Troooooooooll!  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we check out Trollpak, Chaosium's boxset that explores the nature of RuneQuest's trolls. It's a thoughtful approach to a "monstrous" species that sharply contrasts with most games of the period, and a lot of games now, even. Plus: An update on Spellbinders! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool k...

Of stock lists and ancient history.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we explore Castle Thrax and the Spellbinders' treasure. That is, Spellbinders Games, a shop in Akron that published Castle Thrax , also had a lot of interesting titles in their stock list that don't seem to exist. Or do they? We'd like to know! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all th...

Another collection of chit-chats.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we rummage through the grab bag again. We discuss Lite-Brite, Tony Bath's 1975 article "Fantasy Gaming," Aaron Trammell's The Privilege of Play , Dungeon Crawler Carl and doanes, among other things. * * * Check out Stu's essay on the inevitability of RPGs . Or skip right to the PDF of Tony Bath's "Fantasy Gaming" article. * *...

Exploring a country still all mystery. This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we venture to  Mythic Britain & Ireland , a Vaesen sourcebook by Graeme Davis. A labor of love, the book presents all you need to run a game of Vaesen in the British Isles, including scenarios, monsters and mystery seeds. But in addition to being an RPG book, it also works as an introduction to the landscape of folklore t...

If the lights go out, you're dead.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we check out Shadowdark, a recent hack that brings the old school feel to 5E. Pack extra torches! [I think it was Epidiah Ravachol who I saw recently saying "D&D and its shadows] * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the...

All the news after the apocalypse that's fit to print. This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we check out The End Times, a monthly newspaper from 12 years after the end of the world as we know it. From the minds of Benjamin Percy and some guy named Stephen King. * * * Get a digital subscription to The End Times ! Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids...

There can be only one. This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we chat about the original  Highlander film. Also on tap: Delta Green: The Conspiracy and the recently released adventures for the same. And some other stuff that I've forgotten! It'll be a surprise! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Hole...

Stu's got more plastic flotsam from the 1980s. This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we take a look at Stu's new(ish) to him plastic tile puzzles from Imperial Toys, featuring gorgeous ripped-off art and bright colors (you'll have to wait until 2027 to see them on the feed, sorry). Also, D&D sliding tile puzzles and the face of the warrior fighting the dragon on the famous Elmore cover painting fo...

What does an RPG sound like? This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we take a look at some bands that seem to draw inspiration from tabletop roleplaying games. On tap:  Hällas , Slough Feg , Shadowland , Castillo , Lost Legion and Castle Rat . * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground is...

Catchin' up on some TV and movies.  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we chat about the use of Dungeons & Dragons in Stranger Things , the continuing appeal of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films and discovering the original TV movie version of Woman in Black .  * * * Read Stu's essay on the Woman in Black films ! Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the...

Can you defeat the tower before the tower defeats you? This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we check out Milton Bradley's legendary  Dark Tower board game from 1981. One of the most powerful examples of fantasy's moment in the mainstream limelight, the electronic game is actually pretty fun to play, too! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids a...

Santa did what ?!  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we reveal the secret origin of Santa Claus, as told by Seabury Quinn in the novella Roads (1948). Saying more than that would spoil the fun. Ho, ho, ho? That's it for this year. We hope you have a most excellent holiday season! We'll be back January 12. * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool ki...

Just what is  a monster? This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we're talkin' monsters. The best thing to talk about! Specifically, we're talking about the changing definition of monsters over the last several centuries. Laying the groundwork for future episodes about monsters? Maaaaaybe! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book...

So nice, we recorded it twice (because we lost the first recording). This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we talk to Tiger Wizard and Joey Royale about their entry for Mausritter Month. What happens at the circus while the humans are asleep? Find out in  Tails from the Nightmarket ! * * * Tails from the Night Market  is live on Backerkit now, as part of the larger Mausritter Month . Lots of cool...

It's another one of them there pot-pour-ee episodes. This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, the main game-related topic is the HPL Historical Society's new Call of Cthulhu scenario The Spark Devil . Other topics include how angry Stu is about the horror film Loop Track , excitment for Predator: Badlands and more! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool...

Cows, cavemen, monsters and more. No, it isn't a Monster Manual!  This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we go to  The Far Side , Gary Larsen's legendary comic strip and a staple of '80s absurdity. Plus: brown corduroy! * * * Instagram? Old news. Join the Vintage RPG Newsletter ! That's where all the cool kids are now! Stu's book, Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground is for sale now! Buy it !...

It belongs in a museum! Oh, wait, that doesn't work here... This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we check out  Thousand Year Old Campfire , also known as Old Morris Cave: A Continuous Use Campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park . A descendant of Thousand Year Old Vampire , this game examines presence, absence and time through the excavation of an archaeological site. It's less emotionally charged...

Send in the clones! This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, Jessica Fletcher guest stars in a very special episode about Murder, She Wrote: A Board Game of Strategy and Pursuit . In fact,  six Jessica Fletchers have shown up. Join us, as we dig into a surprisingly decent retro board game based on one of our favorite old shows (sad there's no Magnum board game, though, for real). * * * Instagram? Old...