Keep off the Borderlands

"It's about RPGs and stuff" ~ Free Thrall
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Welcome to Keep off the Borderlands. Initially a podcast documenting my return to table top roleplay gaming following a thirty-year hiatus. Currently searching for excuses for why I haven't GM'd yet. You can leave me an audio message here or via Speakpipe at https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands Email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/FreeThrall and join the podcast Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/FreeThrall/ freethrall.substack.com

  1. 6 days ago

    Housekeeping (Backrooms, Severance, Matango, Cold City/Hot War) (E330)

    There’s a whole host of stuff mentioned in this episode. First, there’s some Movie Monday feedback from Jason Connerley, then I speak a little bit about the possibility of recreating Kane Parson’s Backrooms (2026) at the gaming table. Here’s Bob World Builder talking about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBPaGuWnNmg Ben Stiller's Severance, my new favourite thing. A few things I picked up recently from Beyond Cataclysm; Donn Stroud’s Ruination Pilgrimage bundle and Eely Moon’s The Fangwitch’s Falls. Here’s the Quinns Quest review of Jeremy Strandberg’s Stonetop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH5-uQj4uOA Here’s Cody Barr’s Zones, perfect for solo play. Find tips for playing solo at Legends & Dice Cafe https://youtu.be/K0tT1ZKlPJU?is=ZM_A301Gk6psNdvN Ishirō Honda's Matango recommended by Roy Vieira as inspiration for TerrorFormed https://free-thrall.itch.io/terrorformed You can here The Good Friends of Jackson Elias discussing it here https://open.spotify.com/episode/2UxRstQ6aPeUu8ySe4Uxsu?si=VB0CSTulSKKlElAtIXfo8w&utm_source=copy-link Here's a better picture than the one I took of Jon Hodgson's Cold City/Hot War 2nd edition slipcase from Handiwork Games. Honourable mentions: Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu, Andy Goodman's Grizzly Peaks Radio, Goblin Archive's Liminal Horror, Pawel Kicman's Corp Borg, Chris Lowery's Mörk Org, William Hope Hodgson's The House on the Borderland. Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ In honour of the legend that is Tim Curry, who sadly passed on last month, I’ve chosen the comedy mystery Clue from 1985, directed by Johnathan Lynn. That episode will air on the 28th of September, so please submit your message by the 26th to ensure you can be included in the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  2. 30 Aug

    Movie Monday: House II: The Second Story (E329)

    This month’s Movie Monday was a little out of left field: 1987’s House II: The Second Story, directed by Ethan Wiley. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Honourable mention: Safer Fantasy Crafting (podcast) In Praise of Shadows: House: Anatomy of a Franchise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=His-f25qcmQ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ In honour of the legend that is Tim Curry, who sadly passed on 25th, I’ve chosen the comedy mystery Clue from 1985, directed by Johnathan Lynn. That episode will air 28th of September, so submit your message by the 26th please, to ensure you can be included in the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  3. 19 Aug

    He-Man and the Argonauts and #RPGaDay2026 (E328)

    Well, it’s been a while since I’ve put out, thanks to a challenging few weeks. I’m catching up with some #RPGaDay2026 news and a few messages I’ve received since my last episode. Find out more about #RPGaDay2026 on Anthony Boyd’s Casting Shadows blog https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/07/01/rpgaday2026-starts-august-1st/ Discover how Mirke the Meek, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety, and Riley of Diegetic Advancement are tackling #RPGaDay2026 here https://podbypost.com/nerds/rpg-a-day-2026 The first message is from The Southwest London Sofa Gang with a late entry for the Jason & the Argonauts episode, followed by some feedback for that episode from Joe Richter of Hindsightless, Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, and Goblin’s Henchman, who also has some thoughts regarding June’s film Gary Goddard’s Masters of the Universe (1987). Honourable mention: The Odyssey dir. Christopher Nolan (2026) Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for August is 1987’s House 2: The Second Story, directed by Ethan Wiley. The episode airs on August 31, so please submit your message by August 29 to ensure you can be added to the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  4. 26 Jul

    Movie Monday: Jason and the Argonauts (E327)

    Welcome to another Movie Monday, and with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube) B. J. Taylor of The Arcane Alienist (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Mirke the Meek (podcast) M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis (podcast) and The War of Independence (Youtube) Honourable mentions: Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom by Claudia Mills, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan The GMologist presents… 300 Greek-inspired Table Top Roleplaying Clydesdale: Saving the Greatest Horse savingthegreatesthorse.com Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ The movie for August is 1987’s House 2: The Second Story directed by Ethan Wiley. That episode will air August 31st, so submit your message by the 29th please, to ensure you can be added to the episode. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  5. 14 Jul

    Between the Borderlands: Post Masters of the Universe (E326)

    This is a re-upload as I’d initially used the wrong audio file. This episode consists of a late entry for June’s Movie Monday from The South West London Sofa Gang (James Knight aka Lothar the Lame, Tyranner the Dwarf, and Ellen the Elf) plus some Masters of the Universe feedback for Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Jason Connerley of Nerds RPG Variety Cast. Here’s a link to Metal World: The Rough Cut https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/257412/metal-world-the-rough-cut Check of the Cerebravore review of Masters of the Universe (2026) Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. The episode will air on July 27th, so please send in your submissions by the 25th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands Follow me on Bluesky @freethrall.bsky.social You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  6. 28 Jun

    Movie Monday: Masters of the Universe (E325)

    This month’s movie was Masters of the Universe (no, not that one). Directed by Gary Goddard and released in 1987, this starred Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, and Courteney Cox, of all people. This episode features contributions from: (in order of appearance) Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast (podcast) Joe Richter of Hindsightless (podcast) Goblin’s henchman (podcast, blog) and the UmberBulk of the Southwest Sofa Crew Mirke the Meek (podcast) Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, YouTube) Lex Mandrake of Dank Dungeons (YouTube, itch) Honourable mentions: Lifeforce dir. Tobe Hooper (1985), John Blanche (1948 - June 2026) Check of the Cerebravore review of Masters of the Universe (2026) If there’s still time, you can back James Spahn’s Blades of Power here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/retroquest?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ With Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey looming over the horizon, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to visit the ancient Greece of 1963 and the Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts, directed by Don Chaffey. That episode will air on July 25th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  7. 23 Jun

    Between the Borderlands: Remainders & a Reminder (E324)

    In this episode, Karl Rodriguez of The GMologist Presents… (podcast, Youtube) catches up on a few Movie Monday episodes. Honourable mentions: Sinbad, Ray Harryhausen, Buckaroo Banzai, Westworld, HBO, Michael Crichton. The movie for June is 1987’s Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

  8. 30 May

    Off-World Offcuts (Bonus Blade Runner Chat) (E323)

    Thanks to some great feedback and some more of that awesome Barney Dicker chat to share, this episode is basically a second instalment of Movie Monday: Blade Runner. But before the Blade Runner chat, I respond to a message from M. W. Lewis of The Worlds of M. W. Lewis concerning April’s movie Michael Crichton’s Westworld. Then it’s onto some Blade Runner feedback from Jason Connerley of Nerd’s RPG Variety Cast, Joe Richter of Hindsightless, and Goblin’s Henchman, before rounding things off with more of my chat with Barney Dicker of Loco Ludus. Honourable mentions: 2001: A Space Odyssey dir. Stanley Kubrick, Dark Star dir. John Carpenter, Westworld (TV series), Masters of the Universe dir. Travis Knight, Legend dir. Ridley Scott, Edge of Tomorrow dir. Doug Liman, Minority Report dir. Steven Spielberg, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, Alien dir. Ridley Scott, The Long Tomorrow by Dan O’Bannon and Moebius, The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, Blade Runner 2049 dir. Denis Villeneuve Read Barney’s “Stroboscopic Revelations in Blade Runner” here https://www.academia.edu/36398665/_Stroboscopic_Revelations_in_Blade_Runner_PhotoResearcher_No_29_2018_ Find the Movie Monday Letterboxd list here https://letterboxd.com/the39thman/list/movie-monday-1/ So, from the sublime to the ridiculous. The movie for June is 1987’s Masters of the Universe, directed by Gary Goddard and starring Dolph Lundgren. That episode will air on June 29th, so please send in your submissions by the 27th if you’d like to be included in the show. Send submissions to ⁠spencer.freethrall@gmail.com⁠ or look me up on Discord as FreeThrall Also, be sure not to miss my other movie podcast, With Wife and I. Isla and I take turns choosing movies to watch together, then share our thoughts with anyone who cares to listen. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts. “Warning” by Lieren of Updates From the Middle of Nowhere Leave me an audio message via ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands You can find me in a bunch of other places here ⁠https://freethrall.carrd.co⁠ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit freethrall.substack.com

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About

Welcome to Keep off the Borderlands. Initially a podcast documenting my return to table top roleplay gaming following a thirty-year hiatus. Currently searching for excuses for why I haven't GM'd yet. You can leave me an audio message here or via Speakpipe at https://www.speakpipe.com/KeepOffTheBorderlands Email me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com You can also follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/FreeThrall and join the podcast Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/FreeThrall/ freethrall.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    "It's about RPGs and stuff" ~ Free Thrall
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    330
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Free Thrall
  • Show Website
    Keep off the Borderlands

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