The Whispering GM

CWR
  • 5.0 (1)
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Reviews, Rants, and Old School Gaming

  1. 4d ago

    Emergent Play and Hooking your Players

    -- Description -- An emergent narrative game can be beautiful - with players choosing their own motivations, with the characters planning and executing their own ambition, and with the dice deciding the outcomes. But an emergent table is a cultivated experience: one not everyone has figured out how to manage - and not one in which everyone has been able to play! What is the problem blocking a table from an emergent game style - and what can you do to fix it? 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 come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠(https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn) -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - The Problem of Engagement 02:20 - What is "Emergent Play"? 06:53 - Leveraging Player Motivation - not Player Character Motiviation 08:58 - Crafting Player Hooks 13:47 - Ongoing Engagement 17:54 - Counterpoint: Why Play an Adventure Game if you Don't Want to Adventure? 20:05 - Pitfalls to Avoid 30:35 - Immediate Engagement: Starting Your Campaign 38:12 - In Conclusion 38:53 - Benediction: Streets of Lima 56:09 - Outro 57:14 - Theme -- Links -- * Nobleshield on X: (https://x.com/Nobleshield/status/2076759240283435166) * Don't Fudge the Dice (In Defense of the Screen): - YouTube: (https://youtu.be/vSyPOM-qw3E?si=BUCTfOlvra0-dZOR) - Spotify: (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ulS8YKmSqQFjrT3KWEgaR) * Purple Druid (Wargame Culture): - Substack: (https://substack.com/@wargameculture) - YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/@WargameCulture) * Best Diablo: (https://www.gog.com/en/game/diablo) * Treasure Planet: (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133240/)

    Emergent Play and Hooking your Players

  2. May 30

    Paid Game Mastering

    -- Description -- Paid Game Mastering: brilliant? Foolish? Or just ... odd: a peculiarity of our times. 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 come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠(https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn) -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Theme 00:46 - I Don’t Hate It, but I Also Don’t Get It 07:55 - Concerns I would Have if Paying for a GM 16:24 - How about YOUR experiences? 17:15 - Personal Update and Benediction 20:48 - Outro

    Paid Game Mastering

  3. Mar 7

    Bags of Holding

    -- Description -- The Bag of Holding: a classic staple of D&D, a common article sought after by parties on far-afield parties, and a short circuit around one of the core elements of the game: management of inventory and encumbrance. But is it actually a bad item - or have we, as referees, simply been including it wrong? 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 come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠(https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn) -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:12 - Theme 00:40 - What is the Bag of Holding - and where did it come from? 03:35 - Why a player would want one 07:27 - What's wrong with the Bag of Holding? 11:55 - But where does the Bag of Holding belong in the game? 17:30 - Benediction and Theme

    Bags of Holding

  4. Jan 31

    OSR Tourists

    -- Description -- Tourists in the OSR ecosystem: who are they, why are they here, and is it really appropriate to use the term "Tourist" as an insult? 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 come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠(https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn) -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:20 - Theme 00:43 - Defining OSR and RPG Tourism 02:57 - Who is Not a Tourist 05:50 - Are Tourists a Bad Thing? 10:36 - The real threat: Transplants 12:44 - A Call for Transparency 13:42 - Call In: Riley of Diagetic Advancement on Moldvayan Revisionism 16:00 - ... Filling the Gaps in our Knowledge 17:54 - ... Keeping the Game Going 18:54 - ... Relative Digestibility 19:18 - ... Leaking In 20:26 - Call In: Hobbs, Himself! On Bronze Age gaming 20:50 - ... Blood & Bronze 25:24 - Benediction 27:00 - Outro and Theme -- Links -- Diagetic Advancement: (https://open.spotify.com/show/35GgOCNa3LyucnrDdw0sbv)Jason "Dulcet Tones" Hobbs: - Twitch: (https://m.twitch.tv/hobbs665/home) - Hobbs & Friends: (https://hobbsnfriends.com/) - Random Screed: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/random-screed/id1328949901)Blood and Bronze: (https://bloodandbronze.com/)

    OSR Tourists

  5. Jan 14

    Moldvayan Revisionism

    -- Description -- Moldvayan Revisionism: one of the most damaging poxes and plagues of the modern OSR! But not really. ;-) In this episode, I speak to the propensity of B/X to fungate outwards into other games, how it can impact your experience and social media, and weigh whether or not it's a negative force on the hobby. 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 come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠(https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn) -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:12 - Theme 00:35 - What is Moldvayan Revisionism? 05:03 - Revisionism vs. Plugging Holes 09:22 - Where did it Come From? Where can it be found? 16:32 - Is Moldvayan Revisionism actually a bad thing? 20:06 - No Call-Ins This Episode :-( 22:23 - Benediction and Outro -- Links -- * Ray Otus - Plundergrounds (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plundergrounds/id1436755110) * Gary on Prime Requisite: (https://www.enworld.org/threads/q-a-with-gary-gygax.22566/page-814#post-3776101)

    Moldvayan Revisionism

  6. 12/31/2025

    Lessons on God in Gaming

    -- Description -- DragonRaid was an attempt to connect with RPG enthusiasts and to use that connection to educate and increase their faith. What did it do right? What did it do wrong? What can we do - as Christian gamers - to ensure our tables are authentic both to the game, itself, and to our identities in Christ? 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 Podcasters: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-whispering-gm/message⁠ ...or come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Theme 00:22 - Mirke the Meek - DragonRaid?!? 02:35 - What is DragonRaid? 07:27 - Does (or Did) DragonRaid Succeed or Fail? 16:50 - Will I be playing DragonRaid? (Spoiler: No.) 20:52 - Does Losing Diminish God? 26:19 - Gratitude and Direction 29:33 - Benediction and Theme -- Links -- * Mirke the Meek Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3C2sM7eSEd6uZoyXlLc0Yo Itch.IO: https://mirkethemeek.itch.io/ * Ode to '74: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/2023/10/ode-to-74.html * Chubby Funster, Cognitive Load: https://youtu.be/M7h0VaWM3fM

    Lessons on God in Gaming

  7. 12/10/2025

    Salted Gaming - Flipping and Turning, No. 5

    -- Description -- Product Review: Flipping & Turning Magazine, No 5: Nautical gaming for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition, or other OSR-compatible system, in the age of (or spirit of the age of) sail. 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 Podcasters: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-whispering-gm/message⁠ ...or come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:23 - Theme 00:45 - Art and Authorship 04:44 - New Rules 12:01 - Articles and Coupons 15:49 - Adventure Scenarios 20:39 - Availability and Apology 27:27 - Benediction & Outro -- Links -- Smoldering Dung Games Website: https://www.smolderingdunggames.com/Amazon Back Catalog: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY2GH54B?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbkGrogTalk Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/grogtalkGrogCon Podcast Official: https://www.grogcon.com/podcast/GrogTalk Discord: https://discord.gg/AfXtmjnPulsipher Games: https://www.pulsipher.net/

    Salted Gaming - Flipping and Turning, No. 5

  8. 11/26/2025

    Calls from the Bronze Age

    -- Description -- Continuing discussions of the Bronze Age from a gaming perspective. What some of its strengths are and how it fits into an OSR 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 SpeakPipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/WhisperingGMPodcast⁠ ...or join the conversation on Spotify for Podcasters: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-whispering-gm/message⁠ ...or come hang out with all of us on Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/kQnrK4YCCn -- Show Notes -- 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - Theme 01:01 - Ben Gibson of Coldlight Press: the Bronze Age as the Perfect D&D Setting 06:12 - PizzaReady: Mazes and Minotaurs 09:23 - ... Malazan as a Modern Fantasy Western 12:04 - ... Mixed Technology Levels among Civilizations 15:31 - ... Civilization as a New Thing rather than Ancient and Forgotten 17:49 - ... On Law and Chaos 20:50 - Benediction 23:30 - Outro -- Links -- * Coldlight Press: https://coldlightrpgpress.weebly.com/ - Adventure Site Contest: https://coldlightrpgpress.weebly.com/home/adventure-site-contest-winners - Drive Thru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/11446/Coldlight-Press * Clark Ashton Smith - Zothique Review: https://clericswearringmail.blogspot.com/2023/07/n-spiration-zothique-final-cycle.html - On Eldritch Dark: http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/ * Mazes & Minotaurs: http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html * The 13th Warrior: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_13th_Warrior * Ricky Pope: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FuApkccHeoQtAqbYyQl97 * Storytelling Ron: https://www.youtube.com/@StorytellingRon

    Calls from the Bronze Age
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About

Reviews, Rants, and Old School Gaming

Information

  • Creator
    CWR
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © CWR
  • Show Website
    The Whispering GM