Merely Roleplayers
Web <link> from RSS feed:
https://foggyoutline.com/roleplayers-episodes/
Database link:
https://foggyoutline.com/roleplayers-episodes/
RSS Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Creator: Foggy Outline
Synopsis:
Where theatrical people play roleplaying games. Each season our players part-improvise a story in a new genre, with roleplaying game rules providing surprising twists and turns. Jump in at the start of any season! The story continues every other Tuesday; on the Tuesdays in between, Backstage episodes shed light on the game and storytelling mechanics behind the scenes.
Completion status: Partial
Not tagged: [Format] [Continuity] [Voices] [Genre] [Maturity] [Creator demographics] [Character demographics] [Country of origin] [Transcript] [Content warnings]
Click here to update these tags.
Episodes:
Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Five: Test your smoke alarms and check your boiler regularly. Otherwise your home can really hurt you.
Coming next on 26 November – Vigil: Tailor Made, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Meet actual play podcasters and see some live recordings at the Dragonmeet PodcastZone in London on 30 November.
Back the Slayers Survival Kit and Hunter’s Journal, two new Monster of the Week books.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to OMEN Investigations, a comedy horror podcast starring three secret agents as they travel the world fighting monsters, ghosts, aliens and other paranormal perils.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Mirage by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 29 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Five: As the innocents evacuate, hostilities escalate. The walls are closing in.
Coming next on 12 November – Vigil: Tailor Made, Act 4
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Nominate your favourite podcasts for the 2024 Discover Pods Awards. Merely Roleplayers is eligible under Fiction and I Need A Miracle, the scripted audio drama Matt wrote, is eligible for Best New Podcast of 2024.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Peggy, the Crooked (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Peggy: grifter, scion, Crooked. Ellie builds her new character along with an identity parade of supernatural villains.
Coming next on 29 October – Vigil: Tailor Made, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Five: Search this house from bottom to top!
Coming next on 22 October – Peggy, the Crooked (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Peggy Tailor: The prodigal daughter of a local family that dabbles in fey frolicking and organised crime, back in town to lay low after a grift gone horribly wrong.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Peggy Tailor, the Crooked
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Woven together (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 08 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000
The cast work out how everyone’s connected to Ellie’s new character.
Coming next on 15 October – Vigil: Tailor Made, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as ???
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 01 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act One of Five: Welcome to Tailors’ Haunt. Everyone who should live here is gone, and everyone you might want gone can’t leave.
Coming next on 8 October – Woven together (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, drug use, gunfire, and gory fantasy violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: A once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Recently lifted.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as ???
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
with Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Retracing our steps (Labyrinth Backstage)
Tue, 17 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000
What chambers of the Queen’s Labyrinth did we leave unexplored? Join us backstage for a look back at this production.
Coming next on 1 October – Vigil: Tailor Made, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act 5 of 5: The Goblin Queen’s Castle. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, we have fought our way here to take back what was stolen.
Coming next on 17 September – Retracing our steps (Labyrinth Untold)
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Goblin Queen Natalie Winter also plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games on Twitch with Roll Together! Find her as the Dungeon Master of Nexus and Nexus Revolutions, using fantasy to send up sci-fi, or playing Elodie Fogg in Roll Together’s ongoing steampunk campaign, Chronicles of Aeodrun.
Vigil returns on 1 October, and the first 5 Vigil mysteries (Playtime, Cold Snap, Tourist Trap, Bad Dog, and Quarry) are part of the Supernatural TTRPG Bundle: $20 for 60+ spooky digital games by 50 independent roleplaying game creators, available until 21 September.
Matt wrote a new show called I Need A Miracle, where each episode is a prayer, some prayers are answered, and a prayer granted can upend the world. Episode 1 premieres on 29 August. Or get all 12 episodes on 29 August by subscribing to Apollo+.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Clangers untold (Labyrinth Backstage)
Tue, 03 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Follow us around a few of the wrong turns, blind alleys and dead ends that we cut from this production.
Coming next on 10 September – Labyrinth Untold, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 27 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act 4 of 5: The Goblin City. Shadows are illegal and opera is mandatory. Just don’t make a scene.
Coming next on 3 September – Clangers untold (Labyrinth Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Matt wrote a new show called I Need A Miracle, where each episode is a prayer, some prayers are answered, and a prayer granted can upend the world. Episode 1 premieres on 29 August. Or get all 12 episodes on 29 August by subscribing to Apollo+.
Goblin Queen Natalie Winter also plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games on Twitch with Roll Together! Find her as the Dungeon Master of Nexus and Nexus Revolutions, using fantasy to send up sci-fi, or playing Elodie Fogg in Roll Together’s ongoing steampunk campaign, Chronicles of Aeodrun.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 20 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Can any world survive a benevolent god? I Need A Miracle premieres on 29 August.
Coming next on 27 August – Labyrinth Untold, Act 4
Programme notes
Every episode is a prayer. Some prayers are answered. And a prayer granted can upend the world.
I Need A Miracle is the first scripted podcast series from Foggy Outline, created and written by Merely Roleplayers’ Matt Boothman, and produced by multi-award winning Wireless Theatre.
Listen and follow at foggyoutline.com/ineedamiracle
Credits
The trailer features the voices of:
– Annette Badland
– David Holt
– Matt Boothman
Music by Katharine Seaton
Sound design by Sarah Buchynski
Cover art by Dionysis Livanis
Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act 3 of 5: The Land of Yore. Between a pot and a fart place. Stink forever or stay forever.
Coming next on 20 August – I Need A Miracle
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Goblin Queen Natalie Winter also plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games on Twitch with Roll Together! Find her as the Dungeon Master of Nexus and Nexus Revolutions, using fantasy to send up sci-fi, or playing Elodie Fogg in Roll Together’s ongoing steampunk campaign, Chronicles of Aeodrun.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Traits and flaws (Labyrinth Backstage)
Tue, 06 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Character creation continues: what about each of our denizens could help or hinder us on our journey?
Coming next on 13 August – Labyrinth Untold, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act 2 of 5: The Hedge Maze. This topiary can only be described as wild.
Coming next on 6 August – Traits and flaws (Labyrinth Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Goblin Queen Natalie Winter also plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games on Twitch with Roll Together! Find her as the Dungeon Master of Nexus and Nexus Revolutions, using fantasy to send up sci-fi, or playing Elodie Fogg in Roll Together’s ongoing steampunk campaign, Chronicles of Aeodrun.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Kicking off character creation with the important question: what flavour of Labyrinth Muppet do we all want to be?
Coming next on 30 July – Labyrinth Untold, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act 1 of 5: The Stone Walls. The Goblin Queen is displeased to find four of her denizens outside the Labyrinth.
Coming next on 23 July – Kin (Labyrinth Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains memory loss and dead animals.
Goblin Queen Natalie Winter also plays Dungeons & Dragons and other games on Twitch with Roll Together! Find her as the Dungeon Master of Nexus and Nexus Revolutions, using fantasy to send up sci-fi, or playing Elodie Fogg in Roll Together’s ongoing steampunk campaign, Chronicles of Aeodrun.
Credits
GOBLIN QUEEN: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Linda
Ellie Pitkin as Sir Barold von Branwick
Strat as Winkle
Matt Boothman as Gundle
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth The Adventure Game by Ben Milton (adventure) and Jack Caesar (rules), published by River Horse
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SEASON PLANNED BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000
The cast look back at the fever dream that was Dream Big and consider the consequences they’ve inflicted on the next set of players.
Coming next – Labyrinth Untold, an odyssey in 5 acts
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Of Dice and Them, where Jack, Ralph, Lou, Tove and Bambi laugh in each other's faces and try to get through a session where no one beefs it. Contains frustrated swearing, light-hearted DM bullying, and far too much owl-based combat.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 18 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Four: Who should inherit the power of giants? The giant of ambition or the giant of heart?
Coming next on 25 June – Dream diary (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Of Dice and Them, where Jack, Ralph, Lou, Tove and Bambi laugh in each other's faces and try to get through a session where no one beefs it. Contains frustrated swearing, light-hearted DM bullying, and far too much owl-based combat.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Ritual by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Dear Mick & co (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Persephone Byron is gone from this time, but her words to her friends remain.
Coming next on 18 June – Vigil: Dream Big, Act 4
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players!
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 04 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Four: Mick has a new rival for the giant’s favour, and she’s got something shocking planned.
Coming next on 11 June – Dear Mick & co (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players!
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Ritual by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Mick, the Mundane Chosen (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 28 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Mick: bricklayer, neighbour, Mundane … and now Chosen. Mick started life as an everybloke; can he stay down-to-earth as the champion of giant-kind?
Coming next on 4 June – Vigil: Dream Big, Act 3
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 21 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Four: The owner of the severed arm is in town hoping to witness something earth-shattering.
Coming next on 28 May – Mick, the Mundane Chosen (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Nominations are open for the CRIT Awards 2024!
In case you’d like to nominate us but you’re not sure what we’ve done that’s eligible, here’s a post that lists it all, along with any links you’ll need for your nominations.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Ritual by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 14 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Brier’s new crew gatecrashes the usual chat about how the main characters know each other.
Coming next on 21 May – Vigil: Dream Big, Act 2
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 07 May 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Act One of Four: Mick struggles to wake from a nightmare, and the earth under Sherrydown shakes.
Coming next on 14 May – Dream team (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production includes a natural disaster, fantasy violence, blood, and dismemberment (the dismemberment is not bloody).
Nominations are open for the CRIT Awards 2024! Merely Roleplayers is eligible for Best Podcast, Matt Boothman for Best Podcast Host and Best Game Master – Indie, and the following series are eligible for Best Series (which also means the characters in these series are eligible for Best NPC or Best Villain, and the players are all eligible for Best Player – Indie):
- Main House: Vigil: The Great Fire, Vigil: Chief/Exec, Vigil: Fear Itself
- Studio: Falling Cadence, The Queen’s Dead, The Office Party
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Melody Bantham: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Dave as Mick Mason, the Mundane
Helen Stratton as Melody Bantham, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000
It’s only going to take one song to get everyone to stand up and take notice, and then your career will open wide in front of you. You all work so perfectly together. How hard can it be?
Coming next on 7 May – Vigil: Dream Big, Act 1
Programme notes
This episode contains strong language, underage drinking, references to drugs, and friend group infighting.
Throw us a rose emoji on Instagram or Tumblr if you enjoyed this production! Or leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
For behind the scenes updates (including what’s coming up after Vigil: Dream Big), subscribe to the Foggy Outline newsletter.
Credits
FACILITATOR: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
On vocals, Matt Boothman as Skinny Steve
On lead guitar, Strat as Jimmy Danger
On the keys, Ellie Pitkin as Pixie Dust
On rhythm guitar, Josh Yard as Sludge
On the bass, Natalie Winter as Spacy Stacy
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Wonders by Alex Flanigan, published in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst, inspired by Horse Elevator
SEASON PLANNED BY: Strat
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @merelyroleplayers
Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Before getting thrown face-first into school, cling to your final summer break with family and defend your childhood fort from dangers that are definitely not allegories for adulthood!
Coming next on 23 April – Wonders, a microgame
Programme notes
This episode contains child endangerment and harm to children (not described in detail), themes of growing up, and divorce.
Credits
FACILITATOR: Natalie Winter
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Max, aged 10 ¾
Strat as Billy, aged 10 ½
Ellie Pitkin as Cara, aged 12
Josh Yard as Sam, aged 14
Matt Boothman as Ani, aged 8
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Summer Break by Joey Barranco, published in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst, inspired by Horse Elevator
SEASON PLANNED BY: Strat
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @merelyroleplayers
Tue, 09 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Go inside the writers’ room of your favourite canine adventure show, then join four lost dogs as they trick, trial and treat their way home.
Coming next on 16 April – Summer Break!, a microgame
Programme notes
This episode contains strong language, animal endangerment, and animal attacks.
Credits
FACILITATOR: Strat
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Kevin
Josh Yard as Enzo
Natalie Winter as Peppercorn
Matt Boothman as Wallaby
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Hero Dog Saves Town by Alex Roberts and Wild Rovers by Shanna Germain, published in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst, inspired by Horse Elevator
SEASON PLANNED BY: Strat
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @merelyroleplayers
Event Planning in Zero G, a microgame
Tue, 02 Apr 2024 04:00:00 +0000
Some of the galaxy’s (best?) event planners have gathered to plan the celebration for the Gantrofax’s final moulting. Of course, we have limited time and budget. Everything is fine, though. Happy moulting!
Coming next on 9 April – Good Dogs, a microgame duo
Programme notes
This episode contains strong language, workplace burnout, and speculation about a fictional genocide (that does not happen).
Credits
FACILITATOR: Ellie Pitkin
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Madame Flux
Josh Yard as Chef Octo-Ramsey
Natalie Winter as Dee-mar the Vee-spar
Strat as DJ Clorox
Matt Boothman as Gravalax the Living Company
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Event Planning in Zero G by Jenn Martin, published in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst, inspired by Horse Elevator
SEASON PLANNED BY: Strat
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @merelyroleplayers
Tue, 26 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000
It’s time to push the boundaries of modern medicine, and maybe to make out with a bitter rival in the on-call room!
Coming next on 2 April – Event Planning in Zero G, a microgame
Programme notes
This episode contains medical situations, medical malpractice, gross medical mouth noises, drug misuse, gun violence, and bawdy British humour of the knickers-down variety.
Credits
FACILITATOR: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Dr Artery Hartwell and Penny
Natalie Winter as Dr Miranda Anderson and Steph O’Scope
Strat as Dr Henry Mole and Chris Wandsworth
Ellie Pitkin as Dr Cynthia Cutting and Marjorie Hartwell
Matt Boothman as Dr Achilles Miles and Jonathan Blackhead
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Heartbeats by Keith Baker and Jenn Ellis, published in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst, inspired by Horse Elevator
SEASON PLANNED BY: Strat
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @merelyroleplayers
Fan Fic Mish Mash, Act 2 (live at Dragonmeet 2023)
Tue, 19 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000
The staff and customers pool their talents to rid the Coffee Shop Hey, You! of the rowdy Suits.
Coming next on 26 March – Heartbeats, a microgame
Programme notes
Interstitial, 2nd edition is on Kickstarter
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Alexander Pankhurst as Morgana Le Fay
Natalie Winter as Jemima Puddle-Duck
Strat as Tom Thumb
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined by Riley Hopkins
MUSIC: In The Dark – Flashes by Bix Beiderbeck, performed by Jess Stacy, provided by the Open Music Archive
RECORDED AND ENGINEERED BY: Kristian Mitchell-Dolby
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
COMMISSIONED BY: Mira Manga and Fiona KT Howat for the Dragonmeet Podcast Zone 2023
Find us
Fan Fic Mish Mash, Act 1 (live at Dragonmeet 2023)
Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Some badly behaved new customers are ruining the vibe at the Coffee Shop Hey, You!
Coming next on 19 March – Fan Fic Mish Mash, Act 2 (live at Dragonmeet 2023)
Programme notes
Interstitial, 2nd edition is on Kickstarter
Book to play Spindlewheel or The Hunted with Matt at Airecon on 15 and 16 March
Catch up on the two-part game of Heart: The City Beneath that Matt ran for Actual Play UK
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Alexander Pankhurst as Morgana Le Fay
Natalie Winter as Jemima Puddle-Duck
Strat as Tom Thumb
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined by Riley Hopkins
MUSIC: In The Dark – Flashes by Bix Beiderbeck, performed by Jess Stacy, provided by the Open Music Archive
RECORDED AND ENGINEERED BY: Kristian Mitchell-Dolby
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
COMMISSIONED BY: Mira Manga and Fiona KT Howat for the Dragonmeet Podcast Zone 2023
Find us
Deep breaths (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 05 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000
And relax. The cast calm down and look back on Vigil: Fear Itself. Whose fears came to pass, and what’s left to be afraid of for next time?
Coming next on 27 February – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
If you enjoyed this production, throw us a rose emoji! We’re @merelyroleplayers on Instagram and Tumblr.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 27 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Five of Five: Fire. Smoke. Shadow. No one walks through that and returns unchanged. Same goes for getting what you’ve always wanted.
Coming next on 5 March – Deep breaths (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
If you enjoyed this production, throw us a rose emoji! We’re @merelyroleplayers on Instagram and Tumblr.
Going to Airecon ‘24? You could play Spindlewheel or The Hunted with Matt. Only a few spaces left for each game!
Part 1 of Heart: The City Beneath is available to watch on Twitch. Matt’s the GM and the players descending into the depths of their twisted desires are Maddy and Zack from Realms of Peril & Glory, Dan from Brit Twits, and Fiona from What Am I Rolling? Tune in to @actualplayuk on Twitch at 8pm GMT on Friday 8 March for part 2.
Interstitial, the roleplaying game we used for our Dragonmeet 2023 live show, is crowdfunding a new and improved second edition. Act out crossover fanfic with your friends around the table.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Vicious cuts (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Fear cuts deep. Let’s take a break from that and drink of the deep well of clips we cut from this production.
Coming next on 27 February – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Of Dice and Them, where Jack, Ralph, Lou, Tove and Bambi they laugh in each other's faces and try to get through a session where no one beefs it. Contains frustrated swearing, light-hearted DM bullying, and far too much owl-based combat.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Five: Cameron and Jess get their first taste of Fairyland. The mortals and Graham all get their targets in sight.
Coming next on 20 February – Vicious cuts (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Of Dice and Them, where Jack, Ralph, Lou, Tove and Bambi they laugh in each other's faces and try to get through a session where no one beefs it. Contains frustrated swearing, light-hearted DM bullying, and far too much owl-based combat.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
with additional voices by Natalie Winter
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 30 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Five: The Conductor warns Cam and Jess about the perils awaiting in Fairyland. As if the journey aboard the ghost train wasn’t perilous enough.
Coming next on 13 February – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 4
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Billowing Hilltop: Dungeons and Dragons played by ancient British idiots. Expect some silly voices, rules mongering and a lot of laughs plus the occasional terrible song.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Dear Graham & co (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Persephone Byron is gone from this time, but her words to her friends remain.
Coming next on 30 January – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Deck of Many Aces, an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the Deck of Many Things, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Five: Cameron takes charge of the itinerary, as the trio leaves town to neutralise the threat to Kit and Jess.
Coming next on 23 January – Dear Graham & co (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Deck of Many Aces, an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the Deck of Many Things, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
with Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Common fears (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000
What past experiences do our three main characters share? What can they cling to in comfort when terror closes in all around?
Coming next on 16 January – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 02 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000
Act One of Five: Jess’s haunting friend Kit gives her a fright, and it turns out the good guys aren’t the only ones who can join forces and pool resources.
Coming next on 9 January – Common fears (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, gun violence, strong language, family tragedy and malicious fearmongering.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Thorne Files, a fellow Monster of the Week actual play podcast detailing the exploits and mysteries explored by agents of Thorne Investigations, a paranormal investigations agency, in 1952.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
ADDITIONAL VOICES: Natalie Winter and Josh Yard
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
After party (Office Party Backstage)
Tue, 05 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000
The players and their Guide talk Quest, Bureautopia and the unseen lands they could have trod.
Coming up in the Main House on 2 January – Vigil: Fear Itself, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka The Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 28 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000
The Bureautopians’ ultimate quest: take responsibility and commit to your goals by saving Murawai from total destruction.
Coming next on 5 December – After party (Office Party Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
We’re doing a live show at Dragonmeet 2023!
FAN FIC MISH MASH: Heroes you know in a story you don’t. Matt Boothman, Alexander Pankhurst, Natalie Winter and Strat improvise public-domain fan fic in real time, live on stage, using the roleplaying game Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined by Riley Hopkins.
10:30-12:00, Pouilly room (on the Mezzanine), Saturday 2 December, Hammersmith Novotel, London. Your Dragonmeet ticket covers our live show, but make sure you turn up in time to secure a seat!
Matt was in a Dragonmeet live show last year, playing Jason Statham’s showbiz agent in a game of Jason Statham’s Big Vacation by Grant Howitt, hosted by The D20 Future Show. The audio from that live show is finally available to listen at home - look for Jason Statham Live Parts 1 and 2 on The D20 Future Show podcast.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
The shredder (Office Party Backstage)
Tue, 21 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Enjoy some gags, flubs and out of character moments that we had to cut from the main acts to make efficiency savings.
Coming next on 28 November – The Office Party, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka The Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 14 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000
The Bureautopians’ fourth quest: practise creative problem-solving by rescuing Michaela from a vampire pirate stronghold.
Coming next on 21 November – The shredder (Office Party Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
We’re doing a live show at Dragonmeet 2023!
FAN FIC MISH MASH: Heroes you know in a story you don’t. 10:30-12:00, Pouilly room (on the Mezzanine), Saturday 2 December, Hammersmith Novotel, London. Your Dragonmeet ticket covers our live show, but make sure you turn up in time to secure a seat!
See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 31 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000
The Bureautopians’ third quest: support others’ development by breaking Sir Ansellus the Daring’s chicken curse.
Coming next on 14 November – The Office Party, Act 4
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
On Friday 10 November at 8pm UK, Matt is running a game of Heart: The City Beneath by Grant Howitt and Chris Taylor, streaming live on the Actual Play UK Twitch channel, with Maddy and Zack from Realms of Peril & Glory, Fiona from What Am I Rolling?, and Dan from Brit Twits.
Speaking of Realms of Peril & Glory, they’re through to the semi-finals of this year’s Audio Verse Awards! Go give them your vote!
Hear Driving The Point Home, a short story Matt wrote about a sword, in Of The Sword, an anthology podcast that released a story about a sword every day in September 2023.
Hear Marta Da Silva (Harper in our Main House production, Vigil) as Val in the final season of The Silt Verses.
See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow aka Night Gannet, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
with Matt Boothman as Sir Ansellus the Daring, High Warden of Altarwood Keep
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 17 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000
The Bureautopians’ second quest: demonstrate attention to detail by uncovering the secrets of Quilla village.
Coming next on 31 October – The Office Party, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
Hear Driving The Point Home, a short story Matt wrote about a sword, in Of The Sword, an anthology podcast that released a story about a sword every day in September 2023.
Hear Marta Da Silva (Harper in our Main House production, Vigil) as Val in the final season of The Silt Verses.
See Josh, our Guide to The Office Party, in Titanic the Musical from 23 November at the Bridewell Theatre, London.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder aka the Living Shadow, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
with Matt Boothman as Sir Ansellus the Daring, High Warden of Altarwood Keep
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Team building (Office Party Backstage)
Tue, 10 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000
The players create their dull Bureautopian characters – and the questing heroes they will discover within themselves.
Coming next on 17 October – The Office Party, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Four Bureautopians embark on their first quest: to enhance their personal development with team building exercises in a faraway land.
Coming next on 10 October – Team building (Office Party Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence and themes of colonialist exploitation.
Credits
GUIDE: Josh Yard
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Bess, the Invoker
Chris Starkey as Neville Flounder, the Spy
Strat as Jerome Picklepants, the Wizard
Dave as Josh, the Magician
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Quest by The Adventure Guild
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Exit interview (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 26 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Time for a retro on what we achieved this quarter, so we can set SMART goals for our return to market.
Coming up in the Studio on 3 October – The Office Party, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Trolls of the Two Tonne Bridges, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast, currently playing through the Tomb of Annihilation campaign. Expect adventure, laughs and the occasional dinosaur. And zombies. And zombie dinosaurs.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 19 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Five of Five: The appointed hour is nigh, for the humble and lowly to Attack and Dethrone Gods.
Coming next on 26 September – Exit interview (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
If you enjoyed this production, throw us a rose emoji! We’re @merelyroleplayers on Instagram and Tumblr, and the cast are on Instagram @winternatters, @nanaluvren and @joshyard.
Follow Marta to The Silt Verses season 3, where she’s entering her villain era as Val, the reality-bending saint of The Last Word.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Trolls of the Two Tonne Bridges, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast, currently playing through the Tomb of Annihilation campaign. Expect adventure, laughs and the occasional dinosaur. And zombies. And zombie dinosaurs.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Virtutes Instrumenti and Right Behind You by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); pigeons taking off by glaneur de sons on Freesound (CC BY 3.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 12 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Not every bit of audio makes it to the higher plane of existence that is a full story act. But not everything left behind deserves to be forgotten. Which is a roundabout and thematic way of saying these are some out-takes and bloopers from Vigil: Chief/Exec.
Coming next on 19 September – Vigil: Chief/Exec, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 05 Sep 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Five: Canst it be truly a sin to destroy a God? For when God is no more, who remaineth to name the deed a sin?
Coming next on 12 September – Left behind (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Driving the Point Home, written by Matt Boothman, is out on 19 September as part of the daily sword-based micro-fiction podcast Of The Sword.
The Foggy Outline newsletter is bringing you a new instalment of a serial story on the second Friday of every month – subscribe free to get part 3 on 8 September.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Virtutes Instrumenti and Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); pigeons taking off by glaneur de sons on Freesound (CC BY 3.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Replay: Codename Mosaic (Backstage)
Tue, 29 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Let’s head undercover to investigate the secret plots and machinations behind our globetrotting spy production, Codename: Mosaic.
Coming next on 5 September – Vigil: Chief/Exec, Act 4
Programme notes
Replay is a Backstage strand where Josh takes an in-depth look back at all our past productions, revisiting the memorable moments and asking the unanswered questions.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode.
Credits
COMPERE: Josh Yard
WITH: Matt Boothman
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Josh Yard and Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 22 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Five: The Messenger, the King, the Queens, the armies, stand now all arrayed, their true faces revealed as the flames rise high.
Coming next on 29 August – Replay: Codename Mosaic (Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Cybertopia, an actual play podcast using the indie RPG of the same name, run by its creator with a rolling cast of a variety of members from the tabletop community. Set in a near future sci-fi world, the player characters take the form of corporate agents working on clandestine missions to protect their business's interests and reputation.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: pigeons taking off by glaneur de sons on Freesound (CC BY 3.0); Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Dear Renko & co (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Persephone Byron is gone from this time, but her words to her friends remain.
Coming next on 22 August – Vigil: Chief/Exec, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Deck of Many Aces, an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the Deck of Many Things, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 08 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Five: And the King said unto the scurrying interlopers, Kneel before mine throne and let me know mine enemy.
Coming next on 15 August – Dear Renko & co (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Congratulations to all the winners of the first annual CRIT (Creator Recognition in TTRPG) Awards! Including:
Friend of the show Tib Winterfield’s award-winning newsletter, Loremasters
Award-winning Twitch channel Girls Run These Worlds, featuring friend of the show and past guest Fiona Howat as a regular game master
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to Deck of Many Aces, an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the Deck of Many Things, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: pigeons taking off by glaneur de sons on Freesound (CC BY 3.0); soaring clouds by bruce956 on Freesound (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 01 Aug 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Who’s in charge here? We figure out who’s related and who reports to whom among our main characters.
Coming next on 8 August – Vigil: Chief/Exec, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Monster’s Playbook, another actual play Monster of the Week podcast, where the real world crashes into the paranormal over and over and over again.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 25 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act One of Five: And lo, on the eve of the mayoral election, a messenger did appear to the good folk of Sherrydown.
Coming next on 1 August – Org chart (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence, drug use, sex references and authoritarian coercion.
Don’t miss the epilogue at the very end of the episode!
Luvvie alert! We simply must introduce you to The Monster’s Playbook, another actual play Monster of the Week podcast, where the real world crashes into the paranormal over and over and over again.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: Proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: pigeons taking off by glaneur de sons on Freesound (CC BY 3.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
The wake (Queen's Dead Backstage)
Tue, 18 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000
The cast talks generational games and the joy of petty grudges. Matt talks to Ursidice, designer of Court of the Lich Queen, about what’s next for the game.
Coming up in the Main House on 25 July – Vigil: Chief/Exec, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains political infighting, blood & guts, death & doom.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Credits
Representing the Skeletal Duchy: Fiona Howat
Representing the Draugr Earldom: Naomi Clarke
Representing the Wraithlight Dominion: Matt Boothman
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Court of the Lich Queen (beta) by Ursidice
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000
The day of the prophesied Dawn is at hand. As light and life threaten the Lich Queen’s dominion, her dread courtiers must stand together – or fall apart.
Coming next on 18 July – The wake (Queen’s Dead Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains political infighting, blood & guts, death & doom.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Credits
Representing the Skeletal Duchy: Fiona Howat
Representing the Draugr Earldom: Naomi Clarke
Representing the Wraithlight Dominion: Matt Boothman
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Court of the Lich Queen (beta) by Ursidice
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 27 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Tension builds between the Lich Queen’s dread courtiers as their realms crumble around them. The Wraithlight Dominion proposes a quest.
Coming next on 11 July – The Queen’s Dead, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains political infighting, blood & guts, death & doom.
Vote for Merely Roleplayers to win Best Storyline in an Actual Play and Ernie Bering to win Best Non-Player Character (NPC) in the CRIT (Creator Recognition in TTRPG) Awards 2023!
See Matt make his streaming debut as a snake lawyer in I’m Not Lion on Actual Play UK, with Maddy and Zack from Realms of Peril & Glory, Natalia from Trolls of the Two Tonne Bridges, and Jordan from Modified Roll! Watch on Twitch or, if it’s gone from Twitch by the time you see this, find it on Youtube.
Our promo this episode is for Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players!
Credits
Representing the Skeletal Duchy: Fiona Howat
Representing the Draugr Earldom: Naomi Clarke
Representing the Wraithlight Dominion: Matt Boothman
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Court of the Lich Queen (beta) by Ursidice
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Bad blood (Queen's Dead Backstage)
Tue, 20 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000
A tourist’s guide to the realms of death, and a brief history of the debts and grudges that make sessions at court so lively.
Coming next on 27 June – The Queen’s Dead, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains political infighting, blood & guts, death & doom.
Our promo this episode is for The Secret of St Kilda, an audio drama by Haggis and Dragons Productions. Follow Lockie, a charismatic con man who escapes to St Kilda with the promise that this time he’ll change his ways. Unfortunately the island and its unusual inhabitants have other ideas. He seeks redemption and they seek a saviour, but you know what they say – no change without sacrifice.
Credits
Representing the Skeletal Duchy: Fiona Howat
Representing the Draugr Earldom: Naomi Clarke
Representing the Wraithlight Dominion: Matt Boothman
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Court of the Lich Queen (beta) by Ursidice
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000
One year before the Dawn prophesied to end the reign of death, the Lich Queen’s dread courtiers make plans to prevent it – even though it might mean working together.
Coming next on 20 June – Bad blood (Queen’s Dead Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains political infighting, blood & guts, death & doom.
Vote for Merely Roleplayers to win Best Storyline in an Actual Play and Ernie Bering to win Best Non-Player Character (NPC) in the CRIT (Creator Recognition in TTRPG) Awards 2023!
Our promo this episode is for The Secret of St Kilda, an audio drama by Haggis and Dragons Productions. Follow Lockie, a charismatic con man who escapes to St Kilda with the promise that this time he’ll change his ways. Unfortunately the island and its unusual inhabitants have other ideas. He seeks redemption and they seek a saviour, but you know what they say – no change without sacrifice.
Credits
Representing the Skeletal Duchy: Fiona Howat
Representing the Draugr Earldom: Naomi Clarke
Representing the Wraithlight Dominion: Matt Boothman
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Court of the Lich Queen (beta) by Ursidice
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Burning questions (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 06 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000
We look back over the bridges we’ve burned and the unexplored waters that await us.
Coming next on 13 June – The Queen’s Dead, Act 1
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 30 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Five of Five: In which the full might of the Great Fire, the Searing Tongue, the Smothering Haze, is unleashed on Sherrydown.
Coming next on 6 June – Burning questions (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
As the curtain falls on this production, throw us a rose emoji on any of our social media accounts – Instagram, Tumblr or Twitter! 🌹
While you’re on our Instagram, check out The Feed: our now-complete actual play of Unreal, the video-journalling game of weirdness in the Big Brother house, by Josh Fox of Black Armada Games.
Natalie Winter, Strat and Helen from Merely Roleplayers joined Fiona from What Am I Rolling? for a two-part livestreamed game of the The Between, a horror mystery against the backdrop of Victorian London, run by the game’s designer, Jason Cordova. All four parts are now available on the What Am I Rolling? podcast (for real this time).
Nominate for the Creator Recognition in TTRPG (CRIT) Awards by 1 June.
Our promo this episode is for the Fiction Podcast Weekly, your source for audio drama and fiction podcast news, resources and opportunities.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 16 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Five: In which Percy discovers that even the best laid plan never survives contact with the enemy.
Coming next on 30 May – Vigil: The Great Fire, Act 5
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
Nominate your favourite roleplaying game people and products for the Creator Recognition in Tabletop Roleplaying Games (CRIT) Awards by 1 June! If you like, you can even nominate us. Vigil: Quarry and Monumental Exit are both eligible in various categories – check our Tumblr and Instagram for details and nominate here.
Our promo this episode is for Cybertopia, an actual play podcast using the indie RPG of the same name, run by its creator with a rolling cast of a variety of members from the tabletop community. Set in a near future sci-fi world, the player characters take the form of corporate agents working on clandestine missions to protect their business's interests and reputation.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Gathering Darkness and Ritual by Kevin MacLeod (both CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Replay: Let's Get Gideon (Backstage)
Tue, 09 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Join us for an incredulous look back at the arts of crime, business and seduction, as we remind ourselves why we first said: hey. Let’s Get Gideon.
Programme notes
Replay is a Backstage strand where Josh takes an in-depth look back at all our past productions, revisiting the memorable moments and asking the unanswered questions.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode.
Credits
COMPERE: Josh Yard
WITH: Matt Boothman
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Josh Yard and Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 02 May 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Five: In which the hunters take a pawn or two, and move into position for checkmate.
Coming next on 9 May – Replay: Let's Get Gideon (Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
By some counts, this is our 250th episode! If you’ve enjoyed any of those 250 episodes, would you be willing to leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, or wherever you listen?
Pitch submissions are open until 15 May for Interactive Soup, a community funding event for interactive performance taking place in London on 13 June. How would you use £200-£250 to benefit an interactive performance, or the interactive performance community?
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Ritual by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 18 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Five: In which Percy names the battlefield, and Mick marshals his strength for a skirmish.
Coming next on 2 May – Vigil: The Great Fire, Act 3
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
April is Adopt A Listener month! Find someone who says “podcasts aren’t my thing,” and give them a thoughtful recommendation. Something that will get them hooked.
Natalie Winter, Strat and Helen from Merely Roleplayers joined Fiona from What Am I Rolling? for a two-part livestreamed game of the The Between, a horror mystery against the backdrop of Victorian London, run by the game’s designer, Jason Cordova. Both parts are now available on both the What Am I Rolling? Youtube channel and the podcast.
The Feed continues on our Instagram: @merelyroleplayers
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Gathering Darkness by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 11 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000
We rub our characters together to create some sparks.
Coming next on 18 April – Vigil: The Great Fire, Act 2
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a narrative-driven actual play podcast that combines equal parts comedy and horror with crisp production value and original scoring. Season 2 of Monster Hour steps through the looking glass and into surreal suburban town of Somewhere (USA?). Join Claire, Duncan, and Max as they navigate a rambunctious community, fiendish bureaucracy, outlandish adversaries, and plenty of entropic horrors in this Absurdia actual play.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 04 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000
Act One of Five: In which Persephone Byron’s centuries-spanning cold war begins heating up for the final clash.
Coming next on 11 April – Kindling (Vigil Backstage)
Programme notes
This production contains violence (including gun violence), possession, and death by fire.
The Feed continues on our Instagram: @merelyroleplayers
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a narrative-driven actual play podcast that combines equal parts comedy and horror with crisp production value and original scoring. Season 2 of Monster Hour steps through the looking glass and into surreal suburban town of Somewhere (USA?). Join Claire, Duncan, and Max as they navigate a rambunctious community, fiendish bureaucracy, outlandish adversaries, and plenty of entropic horrors in this Absurdia actual play.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick Mason: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Percy Byron, the Exile
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Chris MacLennan as Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Gathering Darkness by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Sentencing (Falling Cadence Backstage)
Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000
The cast rounds up the loose ends of this convoluted case.
Programme notes
This production contains violence, intimidation by police, and offscreen murder.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Credits
STARRING:
Vikki Weston as Cadence Fairchild, PI
Ellie Pitkin as Camilla Parnell
Alexander Pankhurst as Reginald Skinner
Helen Stratton as Stella Sylvester
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fate (Condensed), published by Evil Hat Productions
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Cadence Fairchild, PI, finds herself at the centre of a devious house of cards. Can she bring it all down without falling along with it?
Programme notes
This production contains violence, intimidation by police, and offscreen murder.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode. Don’t forget to tell us what name and pronouns to use for you!
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by game master Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Lately those groups of players have mostly been us! Matt Boothman, Natalie Winter, Alexander Pankhurst and Strat joined Fiona on the podcast for a two-part game of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast (both episodes now available). And Nat, Strat and Helen joined Fiona on Twitch for a two-part livestreamed game of the The Between, a horror mystery against the backdrop of Victorian London, run by the game’s designer, Jason Cordova; the audio from part 1 of the stream just hit the podcast feed this weekend.
Credits
STARRING:
Vikki Weston as Cadence Fairchild, PI
Ellie Pitkin as Camilla Parnell
Alexander Pankhurst as Reginald Skinner
Helen Stratton as Stella Sylvester
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fate (Condensed), published by Evil Hat Productions
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Replay: A Town Called Amnesty (Backstage)
Tue, 14 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Let’s relive the mystery, the tension, and the carnage we found back when we rolled into A Town Called Amnesty.
Programme notes
Replay is a Backstage strand where Josh takes an in-depth look back at all our past productions, revisiting the memorable moments and asking the unanswered questions.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode.
Credits
COMPERE: Josh Yard
WITH: Matt Boothman
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Josh Yard and Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 07 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000
A body in the back room. A mysterious figure fleeing the scene. What’s a newbie PI to do but give chase?
Programme notes
This production contains violence, intimidation by police, and offscreen murder.
Matt, Strat, Alexander Pankhurst, and Natalie Winter from Merely Roleplayers are recent guests on What Am I Rolling?, joining host Fiona for a game of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast: a slice-of-life tabletop RPG about a heartless witch, a peaceful house, and all the folks who have made their home inside. Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast uses pre-set characters, quick-play chapters, and an adaptable ruleset unlike anything else out there.
Tickets are now on sale for the first Interactive Soup of 2023, on Tuesday 14 March at Theatre Deli Leadenhall, London. Interactive Soup is a quarterly dinner, networking and community funding event supporting interactive performance. Find out more and get your tickets!
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, content creator interviews and game master/player guides.
Credits
STARRING:
Vikki Weston as Cadence Fairchild, PI
Ellie Pitkin as Camilla Parnell
Alexander Pankhurst as Reginald Skinner
Helen Stratton as Stella Sylvester
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fate (Condensed), published by Evil Hat Productions
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
The line-up (Falling Cadence Backstage)
Tue, 28 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000
The players create their characters’ high concepts and decide what they’re great at.
Programme notes
This production contains violence, intimidation by police, and offscreen murder.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a narrative-driven actual play podcast that combines equal parts comedy and horror with crisp production value and original scoring. Season 2 of Monster Hour steps through the looking glass and into surreal suburban town of Somewhere (USA?). Join Claire, Duncan, and Max as they navigate a rambunctious community, fiendish bureaucracy, outlandish adversaries, and plenty of entropic horrors in this Absurdia actual play.
Credits
STARRING:
Vikki Weston as Cadence Fairchild, PI
Ellie Pitkin as Camilla Parnell
Alexander Pankhurst as Reginald Skinner
Helen Stratton as Stella Sylvester
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fate (Condensed), published by Evil Hat Productions
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Cadence Fairchild’s first big case washes up on her doorstep one rainy night in Fosshythe.
Programme notes
This production contains violence, intimidation by police, and offscreen murder.
Tickets are now on sale for the first Interactive Soup of 2023, on Tuesday 14 March at Theatre Deli Leadenhall, London. Interactive Soup is a quarterly dinner, networking and community funding event supporting interactive performance. Find out more and get your tickets!
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a narrative-driven actual play podcast that combines equal parts comedy and horror with crisp production value and original scoring. Season 2 of Monster Hour steps through the looking glass and into surreal suburban town of Somewhere (USA?). Join Claire, Duncan, and Max as they navigate a rambunctious community, fiendish bureaucracy, outlandish adversaries, and plenty of entropic horrors in this Absurdia actual play.
Credits
STARRING:
Vikki Weston as Cadence Fairchild, PI
Ellie Pitkin as Camilla Parnell
Alexander Pankhurst as Reginald Skinner
Helen Stratton as Stella Sylvester
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fate (Condensed), published by Evil Hat Productions
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 14 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000
We look back at Vigil: All Aboard, and imagine what lies down the track for our fellow travellers.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: a US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 07 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Act Five of Five: In which we reach the end of the line, penalty fares apply, and not everyone makes the return trip.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Catch Natalie Winter, Helen Stratton, and Strat on the What Am I Rolling? Twitch channel! They joined Fiona, the channel’s regular game master, for a game of The Between, horror mystery against the backdrop of Victorian London, run by its designer, Jason Cordova.
The Feed series 2 continues on our Instagram: @merelyroleplayers
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly RPG one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG game style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Wizardtorium by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Kit, the Spirit (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 31 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Friend, guide, idol. Trickster, whisperer, manipulator. Ellen and Matt discuss Kit and how to navigate roleplaying an unhealthy relationship.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: a US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Act Four of Five: In which the Conductor takes the lead, and it becomes clear who laid the rails - and where they end.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
The Feed 2 has begun on Instagram! It’s a game of Unreal by Josh Fox, a game about housemates in a Big Brother house where something is wrong, played by posting diary room videos. This series stars Matt and Alex from Merely Roleplayers; Fiona from What Am I Rolling?; Quinn from Monster Hour; Adam from Snyder’s Return; game designer Chloe Mashiter; and streamer The RPG Plot Doctor. To catch every update and piece together the mystery of what’s going on in the house, follow our Instagram (and turn on notifications!)
And you can watch all of the original series of The Feed on our Youtube channel.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Wizardtorium and Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Harper, the Searcher (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 17 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Harper: student, realmwalker, Searcher. Harper’s not about that supernatural life, but weirdness just seems to stalk her like a shadow.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Our promo this episode is for Deck of Many Aces, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the “Deck of Many Things”, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: a US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 10 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Act Three of Five: In which the journey proves more pleasant than the destination, and a passenger tries their luck behind the wheel.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Our promo this episode is for Deck of Many Aces, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play podcast made by actual asexuals and aromantics! Follow four heroes as they adventure through a fantasy world on the cusp of a technological revolution, augmented by magic. Each character's fate is tied to one of the 22 cards in the “Deck of Many Things”, a D&D magical object based on a tarot deck.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: soaring clouds by bruce965; Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeod; Train Wheels Ride Outside Thailand by YOH on freesound.org; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Calistarius, the Expert (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 03 Jan 2023 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Cal: horror writer, library sponsor, Expert. Sherrydown’s supernatural goings-on are fodder for Cal’s novels - if he can avoid becoming a cautionary tale himself.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: a US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 13 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000
Act Two of Five: In which Sherrydown’s train station sees more arrivals, departures, and missed connections than it has in years.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Our promo this episode is for Firebreathing Kittens, an actual play Dungeons and Dragons oneshot podcast with a season-long plot. Each episode’s adventure has a standalone microplot like CSI or Doctor Who, so you can jump in at any point. Listen to these episodes in any order, and skip any you don’t enjoy. The cast rotates. Join them as they solve detective mysteries, attempt comedic banter, explore, and enjoy friendship.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: soaring clouds by bruce965; Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeod; Train Wheels Ride Outside Thailand by YOH on freesound.org; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 06 Dec 2022 05:00:00 +0000
We meet our fellow travellers and discover their shared origins.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: a US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 29 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000
Act One of Five: In which Sherrydown wakes at the witching hour; an old way opens for a sisterly reunion; and Harper opens a new case.
Programme notes
This production contains persistent peril; exploitative relationships, including manipulation and coercion; sibling tragedy; mind control, loss of memory and self; and violence, including blood and gun violence.
Matt’s playing Jason Statham’s Big Vacation in front of a live studio audience in London on Saturday 3 December. It’s been organised by The D20 Future Show as part of the Podcast Zone at Dragonmeet, which is at the Novotel in Hammersmith. Come watch Matt and the rest of Jason’s entourage run about making sure Jason has a nice holiday, in Beaujolais on the Mezzanine floor at 10am.
The second Interactive Soup is on Tuesday 6 December at Theatre Deli Leadenhall. Tickets cost £5, which goes in the pot, and get you a bowl of soup and a vote on how to spend the pot. Come along and help fund something that’ll help out the interactive performance community.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: A twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Gwynned: A former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Calistarius Softbinding: A local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Harper: A US exchange student trying to sever her ties to the Shadow realm she sometimes enters through revolving doors.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Marta da Silva as Harper, the Searcher
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Replay: Five Stage a Rescue (Backstage)
Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000
New theatre, new mystery, new players. Let’s head back to the seaside where Five Stage a Rescue.
Programme notes
Replay is a Backstage strand where Josh takes an in-depth look back at all our past productions, revisiting the memorable moments and asking the unanswered questions.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode.
Credits
COMPERE: Josh Yard
WITH: Matt Boothman
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Josh Yard and Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Encore (Monumental Exit Backstage)
Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000
The cast of Monumental Exit look back and talk GMless games, improvisation, and whether the characters of this production deserved their fates.
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, fire, and death.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring Dungeons & Dragons actual play (where a misfit band of ‘heroes’ take on adventures across the multiverse), interviews and Dungeon Master/player guides.
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 08 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000
A geriatric crowd fills the Beanstalk Show Club for a gig that’s sure to go down in rock’n’roll history.
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, drug use, fire, and death.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring Dungeons & Dragons actual play (where a misfit band of ‘heroes’ take on adventures across the multiverse), interviews and Dungeon Master/player guides.
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Key change (Monumental Exit Backstage)
Tue, 01 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000
With all the pieces in place for the final act, the cast finds out some new complications that are sure to upset the board.
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, fire, and death.
Our promo this episode is for Adventurers Anonymous, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play where six players drink cocktails and seek a glorious death. Check it out if if you like your plot lines thin and crispy, and your language to be saltier than a sailor's beard.
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 25 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Everything’s ready for Bilbo’s swansong at the Beanstalk, but one roadie’s vendetta against the venue owner threatens to stain his perfect farewell.
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, drug use, fire, and death.
On 27 October, it’s five years since we released our first episode! Say congrats on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or Youtube!
Monumental Exit’s Mike Sherpa, Alexander Pankhurst, comperes Top and Bottom Comedy on 2 and 23 November at the Book Club, London. See 10 up and coming comedians in one evening for £3.
Our promo this episode is for Adventurers Anonymous, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play where six players drink cocktails and seek a glorious death. Check it out if if you like your plot lines thin and crispy, and your language to be saltier than a sailor's beard.
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Jam session (Monumental Exit Backstage)
Tue, 18 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000
The cast of Monumental Exit jam on the Fiasco playset ‘When the Music Stopped’ until they find their characters.
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, fire, and death.
Our promo this episode is for Re: Dracula, a bite-sized audio adaptation of the horror classic Dracula. Re: Dracula is currently crowdfunding, and they need your help to reach their goal!
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 11 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000
After 67 years, Bilbo Biltong’s quitting the band. Somewhere out there is a star worthy of stepping into his well worn shoes - but where?
Programme notes
This production contains lewd and possibly blasphemous imagery, fire, and death.
Marta da Silva (The First Nova, The Lost Andromeda Ward Christmas Special) is appearing in Port Saga, the first scripted Vampire: The Masquerade audio drama, currently in its second season. Shocked by his sire’s murder, young vampire Titus Reed returns to the city of his embrace only to discover an old friend has confessed to the crime.
Our promo this episode is for Re: Dracula, a bite-sized audio adaptation of the horror classic Dracula. Re: Dracula is currently crowdfunding, and they need your help to reach their goal!
Credits
STARRING:
Josh Yard as Bilbo Biltong
Natalie Winter as Sue Sherpa
Alexander Pankhurst as Mike Sherpa
Matt Boothman as Gregg Nevin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Fiasco (classic edition) by Jason Morningstar, published by Bully Pulpit Games
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 04 Oct 2022 04:00:00 +0000
We look back at Vigil: Quarry. Did we truly stop the danger or just put it off until later?
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
Our promo this episode is for Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players! www.lightandtragic.com/Merely
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 27 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Quarry, Act Four of Four: In which the Hunt is at bay; a hound bites its master; and a mentor has nothing more to teach.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
If you enjoy Vigil, you should check out the Sherrydown Enquirer, a Monster of the Week mystery scenario and Sherrydown lore zine. Each issue contains a mystery for use with the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, for the roleplayers among you; and some juicy history and information about the Sherrydown setting, for fans of Vigil. Buy every issue at https://merelymatt.itch.io
Come to the first Interactive Soup at Theatre Deli Leadenhall, London on Tuesday 4 October. Tickets are £5 and include homemade soup and a vote. Five people pitch ideas, and the pitch with the most votes gets the night’s ticket money. Pitch submissions are open until 11:59pm on 20 September, and tickets are available until they sell out.
Our promo this episode is for Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts: epic audio adventures that reimagine Shakespeare’s timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of award-winning actors. Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, created specifically for the podcast form by some of America’s most exciting playwrights, directors and composers, and performed by stage and screen’s best.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 20 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Let’s go back to where this all started - with the slow-burn spookiness of Ariadne.
Programme notes
Replay is an all-new Backstage strand where Josh takes an in-depth look back at all our past productions, revisiting the memorable moments and asking the unanswered questions.
Got a question about any past production from Parallax onwards? Email it to merelyroleplayers@gmail.com (either as text or as an attached audio file) and it could be featured in a future Replay episode.
Credits
COMPERE: Josh Yard
WITH: Matt Boothman
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Josh Yard and Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 13 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Quarry, Act Three of Four: In which Brier plays both sides; the pull of blood works both ways; and things come to a head at Sherrydown Library.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
Are you involved in interactive performance in any way? Could you put a bit of cash to good use? Come to the first Interactive Soup at Theatre Deli Leadenhall, London on Tuesday 4 October. Tickets are £5 and include homemade soup and a vote. Five people pitch ideas, and the pitch with the most votes gets the night’s ticket money. Pitch submissions are open until 11:59pm on 20 September, and tickets are available until they sell out.
Our promo this episode is for Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts: epic audio adventures that reimagine Shakespeare’s timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of award-winning actors. Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, created specifically for the podcast form by some of America’s most exciting playwrights, directors and composers, and performed by stage and screen’s best.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 06 Sep 2022 04:00:00 +0000
We create some more lore about ghouls, especially the specific one Cameron is bent on destroying.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
Our promo this episode is for The Secret of St Kilda, an audio drama by Haggis and Dragons Productions. Follow Lockie, a charismatic con man who escapes to St Kilda with the promise that this time he’ll change his ways. Unfortunately the island and its unusual inhabitants have other ideas. He seeks redemption and they seek a saviour, but you know what they say - no change without sacrifice.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 30 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Quarry, Act Two of Four: In which the hounds of the Hunt are revealed; the Hunt keeps recruiting; and Brier makes a mess of Melodies.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
Are you involved in interactive performance in any way? Could you put a bit of cash to good use? Come to the first Interactive Soup at Theatre Deli Leadenhall, London on Tuesday 4 October. Tickets are £5 and include homemade soup and a vote. Five people pitch ideas, and the pitch with the most votes gets the night’s ticket money. Get on the mailing list to find out when pitch submissions open and when tickets go on sale.
Our promo this episode is for Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts: epic audio adventures that reimagine Shakespeare’s timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of award-winning actors. Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, created specifically for the podcast form by some of America’s most exciting playwrights, directors and composers, and performed by stage and screen’s best.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 23 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000
We establish some connections between the characters, and learn more about Melody’s tattoos.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, a Dungeons & Dragons actual play. Season 2 started recently with a new Dungeon Master and new players - it’s a great place to jump aboard!
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 16 Aug 2022 04:00:00 +0000
Quarry, Act One of Four: In which a determined hunter sharpens his blade; a reluctant hunter comes to town; and the hunt marks its quarry.
Programme notes
This production contains blood, gore, and references to childhood trauma.
While we were off the air here on the podcast feed, we put on a whole production on Youtube! The Feed is a slow-burn comic horror mystery set in a Big Brother house where something is very wrong, told entirely through diary room videos. Add the playlist
If you enjoy Vigil, you should check out the Sherrydown Enquirer, a Monster of the Week mystery scenario and Sherrydown lore zine. Each issue contains a mystery for use with the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, for the roleplayers among you; and some juicy history and information about the Sherrydown setting, for fans of Vigil. Issue 1: Playtime, issue 2: Cold Snap, and issue 3: Tourist Trap are all available, and issue 4: Bad Dog is coming soon. Buy every issue on itch.io
Ryne is a new roleplaying game about life in the footsteps of gods, designed by Furtive Shambles, as played on These Flimsy Rituals. You have just a couple of days left to back Ryne on Indiegogo!
Our promo this episode is for Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts: epic audio adventures that reimagine Shakespeare’s timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of award-winning actors. Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, created specifically for the podcast form by some of America’s most exciting playwrights, directors and composers, and performed by stage and screen’s best.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Cameron Jarvis: An intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Melody: The owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Brier: A mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Christopher Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Helen Stratton
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Mirage by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 22 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000
Announcing The Feed, a new Studio production - and Merely Roleplayers’ first video series!
In The Feed, seven contestants enter the house for a new series of the hit reality TV programme Big Brother. But they’ll soon discover that the reality is much, much stranger than they signed up for…
Programme notes
Watch The Feed on the Merely Roleplayers Youtube channel
Credits
THE FEED is a Studio production by Merely Roleplayers, starring:
Matt Boothman as Malcolm
Ellen Gould as Jake
Josh Yard as Henry
To create THE FEED, we’re playing Unreal, an asynchronous video journaling game by Josh Fox of Black Armada Games.
To get Unreal, support Black Armada on Patreon - or find more Black Armada games on Itch.
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
After Andromeda (Andromeda Xmas Backstage)
Tue, 11 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000
Un-broadcast interview footage from the doomed documentary ‘The Making of The Andromeda Ward’ sheds light on the programme’s cancellation.
Programme notes
This production contains comic body horror, including mistreatment of human remains.
Credits
STARRING:
- Helen Stratton as Hetty Braithwaite, playing Jemima Jones
- Chris MacLennan as Judd Talisker, playing Rhys Haplock, radiologist
- Ellen Gould as Avril Sterling-Bow, playing Nancy Kent
- Strat as Riff Redgrave, playing Bret Buckingham
- Marta da Silva as Arizona Muse, aka Dante, playing S. D. Nymm
- Matt Boothman as Ron Barnes and Julian Smurmbley
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: The Andromeda Ward, by Chloe Mashiter and illustrated by Gerald MacDermott, supplemented by the Script Change consent and safety toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Marta da Silva and Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The Lost Andromeda Ward Christmas Special, Act 2
Tue, 04 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000
The Lost Andromeda Ward Christmas Special, Act 2 of 2: What will it cost our heroes to outwit the hyperintelligent slime? And will Jésus have a merry birthday?
Programme notes
This production contains comic body horror, including mistreatment of human remains.
Our promo this episode is for The Secret of St Kilda, an audio drama by Haggis and Dragons Productions. Follow Lockie, a charismatic con man who escapes to St Kilda with the promise that this time he’ll change his ways. Unfortunately the island and its unusual inhabitants have other ideas. He seeks redemption and they seek a saviour, but you know what they say - no change without sacrifice.
Credits
STARRING:
- Helen Stratton as Hetty Braithwaite, playing Jemima Jones
- Chris MacLennan as Judd Talisker, playing Rhys Haplock, radiologist
- Ellen Gould as Avril Sterling-Bow, playing Nancy Kent
- Strat as Riff Redgrave, playing Bret Buckingham
- Marta da Silva as Arizona Muse, aka Dante, playing S. D. Nymm
- Matt Boothman as Ron Barnes and Julian Smurmbley
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: The Andromeda Ward, by Chloe Mashiter and illustrated by Gerald MacDermott, supplemented by the Script Change consent and safety toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Marta da Silva and Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Production hell (Andromeda Xmas Backstage)
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000
The documentary ‘The Making of The Andromeda Ward’ was never broadcast, but some of the interview footage can still be found in dusty corners of the internet.
Programme notes
This production contains comic body horror, including mistreatment of human remains.
Credits
STARRING:
- Helen Stratton as Hetty Braithwaite, playing Jemima Jones
- Chris MacLennan as Judd Talisker, playing Rhys Haplock, radiologist
- Ellen Gould as Avril Sterling-Bow, playing Nancy Kent
- Strat as Riff Redgrave, playing Bret Buckingham
- Marta da Silva as Arizona Muse, aka Dante, playing S. D. Nymm
- Matt Boothman as Ron Barnes and Julian Smurmbley
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: The Andromeda Ward, by Chloe Mashiter and illustrated by Gerald MacDermott, supplemented by the Script Change consent and safety toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Marta da Silva and Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The Lost Andromeda Ward Christmas Special, Act 1
Tue, 21 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000
The Lost Andromeda Ward Christmas Special, Act 1 of 2: A slippery adversary interrupts preparations for a significant birthday at Bristol General Hospital.
Programme notes
This production contains comic body horror, including mistreatment of human remains.
Credits
STARRING:
- Helen Stratton as Hetty Braithwaite, playing Jemima Jones
- Chris MacLennan as Judd Talisker, playing Rhys Haplock, radiologist
- Ellen Gould as Avril Sterling-Bow, playing Nancy Kent
- Strat as Riff Redgrave, playing Bret Buckingham
- Marta da Silva as Arizona Muse, aka Dante, playing S. D. Nymm
- Matt Boothman as Ron Barnes and Julian Smurmbley
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: The Andromeda Ward, by Chloe Mashiter and illustrated by Gerald MacDermott, supplemented by the Script Change consent and safety toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Marta da Silva and Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Green room (Andromeda Ward Xmas Special Backstage)
Tue, 14 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Only six episodes of The Andromeda Ward were ever broadcast. These newly resurfaced backstage recordings may reveal what went wrong with the infamous lost Christmas special.
Programme notes
This production contains comic body horror, including mistreatment of human remains.
Credits
STARRING:
- Helen Stratton as Hetty Braithwaite, playing Jemima Jones
- Chris MacLennan as Judd Talisker, playing Rhys Haplock, radiologist
- Ellen Gould as Avril Sterling-Bow, playing Nancy Kent
- Strat as Riff Redgrave, playing Bret Buckingham
- Marta da Silva as Arizona Muse, aka Dante, playing S. D. Nymm
- Matt Boothman as Ron Barnes and Julian Smurmbley
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: The Andromeda Ward, by Chloe Mashiter and illustrated by Gerald MacDermott, supplemented by the Script Change consent and safety toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Marta da Silva and Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
[IPM feed drop] RPG: Dust Wardens - Entanglement
Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Originally published by International Podcast Month and shared with permission. Every September, International Podcast Month releases an all-new podcast episode every day. Find all the September 2021 episodes at internationalpodcastmonth.com.
Dust Wardens is a Powered by the Apocalypse system which uses tarot cards instead of dice to determine outcomes. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where covens roam the land, bound to one another by a magic called limerence. In this story, three intrepid chroniclers strive to document magical changes to the land, but arrive at their next destination with enough time to warn the people of what is to come. Now they must use their knowledge to help a thriving community avoid a terrible fate.
Content Warning
Possible Claustrophobia (underground spaces)
Credits
GM and editor - Ursula (Queer Dungeoneers)
Archie - Matt (Merely Roleplayers)
Kieran – Kelly (Tabletop Titties, Drinking and Screaming)
Rowan – Justen (The Babylon Podject, The Compleat Discography)
Music: 'Borough,' 'Palladian,' 'Roadside Bunkhouse,' 'Illa Villardo,' 'Cicle DR Valga,' and 'Glass Beads' by Blue Dot Sessions
Game: Dust Wardens is by Nora Blake
IPM
Find transcripts on our website: internationalpodcastmonth.com/transcripts
Follow us on Twitter: @podmonth
Support us:
Via Ko-Fi
Via Paypal.me
The IPM theme was composed by Benny James. The IPM logo and art assets were created by Mathias Grelli.
The IPM Organizational Team include Cole Burkhardt, Tess Cocchio, and Therin Stapp.
Lights Out (live at the London Horror Festival 2021)
Tue, 30 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000
No one knows what happened to the Blackout Four - only that none of them survived that final dark night. Merely Roleplayers hope to reconstruct the events of that night, live on stage.
Part seance, part crime scene reconstruction, part roleplaying game, Lights Out is a fight against fate to seize a glimmer of hope - before the dark draws in.
Programme notes
This production contains darkness and tragic death.
This premiere performance of Lights Out took place at the Pleasance Theatre, London, for the London Horror Festival 2021. The recording is by Andrew Crane.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Helen Stratton as Agnes Jones
Alexander Pankhurst as Freddy Harrison-Wood
Natalie Winter as Kate Walker
Richard Stratton as Harry Bleasdale
Matt Boothman as The Darkness
SOUND DESIGN BY: Andrew Crane
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
For full credits and more information about Lights Out, visit foggyoutline.com/lightsout
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Public enquiry (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 23 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000
We look back at Vigil: Bad Dog. What did we achieve? What could have been different? And what does it all mean for the future of Sherrydown?
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a grimcamp Monster of the Week actual play set in the town of Firmament, Colorado.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 16 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Bad Dog, Act Five of Five: In which a community joins hands against unfathomable powers; and two cunning women receive unwelcome offers.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Our next Studio production will be Andromeda Ward Xmas, a festive paranormal hospital melodrama in two acts. We’ll be playing The Andromeda Ward by Chloe Mashiter, illustrated by Gerald MacDermott.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a grimcamp Monster of the Week actual play set in the town of Firmament, Colorado. Catch up now while the final arc is ongoing!
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Dragon and Toast, Mirage and Gathering Darkness by Kevin MacLeod; Velocity by Lilo Sound; pigeons taking off by Glaneur de sons; Ancient Basement and Forbidden Resurrection by Tim Kulig; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 09 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Not everyone in Sherrydown is an ageless, magical monster slayer. Let’s meet some of the town’s ordinary folks.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Our promo this episode is for Upriver, Downriver, a tarot-inspired pastoral fantasy roleplaying game about sailing a ship on a magical river. Created by Ella Watts and Max Briar in association with MacGuffin & Company, Upriver, Downriver is currently on Kickstarter.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 02 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Bad Dog, Act Four of Five: In which a problem is not so much solved as displaced; the village green is vandalised; and Percy leverages her reputation.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
A Spy in the Stalls calls Lights Out, our first stage show, “thrillingly unconventional” and “absolutely worth your time”.
Our promo this episode is for Upriver, Downriver, a tarot-inspired pastoral fantasy roleplaying game about sailing a ship on a magical river. Created by Ella Watts and Max Briar in association with MacGuffin & Company, Upriver, Downriver is currently on Kickstarter.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Soaring, Dragon and Toast, Long Note Two and Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeod; soaring clouds by kangaroovindaloo; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 26 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Maiden, mother, crone. Past, present, future. We establish some lore about Gwynned’s mistress, the triple goddess Morrigan.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, a film podcast hosted by a filmmaker and a film academic, diving deep into a single film each episode.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 19 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Bad Dog, Act Three of Five: In which the occupation of Sherrydown expands; archaeological fraud is mooted; and hounds and ravens make their voices heard.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Saturday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod; soaring clouds by kangaroovindaloo; pigeons taking off by Glaneur de sons; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Wizard theory (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 12 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000
We come up with some background about magical organisations in Vigil’s England, some of which will be highly relevant to Bad Dog.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Sunday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
Our promo this episode is for Birdwatching by Miranda Barrett, another London Horror Festival 2021 production.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 05 Oct 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Bad Dog, Act Two of Five: In which a threat is named; a girl ignores a warning from her elders; and Gwynned (among others) is made to feel unwelcome.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Sunday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
Our promo this episode is for Birdwatching by Miranda Barrett, another London Horror Festival 2021 production.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod; bing-bong by Timbre (Freesound.org); and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Common ground (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 28 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000
We establish some connections between the characters, including Vigil’s first canon ship.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Sunday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, interviews and guides for gamemasters and players.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 21 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Bad Dog, Act One of Five: In which local youths are hounded from their usual haunts; their elders rush to investigate; and a romantic trip is interrupted.
Programme notes
This production contains drug use, gross tentacles, and fantasy violence with some injury detail.
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Sunday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Enter EARLYBIRD at checkout before 24 September for a discount, or book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
If you’ve got a scary spoken word piece you’d like to perform at the Scare Slam, you can sign up until 25 September.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a roleplaying game podcast featuring actual play, interviews and guides for gamemasters and players.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is negotiating a new relationship with her mistress.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Dragon and Toast, Mirage, Long Note Two, and Virtutes Instrumenti by Kevin MacLeod; soaring clouds by kangaroovindaloo; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Space wisdom (First Nova Backstage)
Tue, 14 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000
The cast reflect on their favourite moments, what it was like to share the gamemaster responsibility, and some theories and questions about what happened after the story finished.
Programme notes
Tickets are now on sale for Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, at 8:30pm on Saturday 24 October at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Enter EARLYBIRD at checkout before 24 September for a discount, or book Lights Out and the Scare Slam at the same time for a combo discount.
If you’ve got a scary spoken word piece you’d like to perform at the Scare Slam, you can sign up on the Blackshaw website.
September is International Podcast Month. Follow International Podcast Month in your podcast app for new episodes nearly every day, including Dust Wardens, a roleplaying game actual play featuring Matt as a player.
The Researcher is a playbook for galactic 2nd edition, inspired by characters like Lyntel'luroon, Eno Cordova, and Doctor Aphra. Matt wrote it and you can buy it to create and play your own galactic Researcher!
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG style or system.
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 07 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000
The crew of the Mustang Sally make an important discovery on the Trinary Noon. Can they use what they learn to save the galaxy, or will the Mandate prove too relentlessly interminable to overthrow?
Programme notes
Save the date: Lights Out, the first Merely Roleplayers stage show, is at 8:30pm on Saturday 24 October, at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, as part of the London Horror Festival. It’s the second half of a double bill with The Scare Slam at 6:30pm. Tickets aren’t on sale yet but when they are, we’ll post to our Twitter (@MerelyRoleplay) and Matt’s newsletter.
If you’ve got a scary spoken word piece you’d like to perform at the 6th annual Scare Slam, you can sign up on the Blackshaw website.
September is International Podcast Month. Follow International Podcast Month in your podcast app for new episodes nearly every day, including Dust Wardens, a roleplaying game actual play featuring Matt as a player.
The Researcher is a playbook for galactic 2nd edition, inspired by characters like Lyntel'luroon, Eno Cordova, and Doctor Aphra. Matt wrote it and you can buy it to create and play your own galactic Researcher!
Our promo this episode is for Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players! www.lightandtragic.com/Merely
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Idle dreaming (First Nova Backstage)
Tue, 31 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Our cast describe the people their characters have relationships with, choose the desires for each of the game’s four pillars, and finally do a little idle dreaming to set the scenario for this season’s story.
Programme notes
The Researcher is a playbook for galactic 2nd edition, inspired by characters like Lyntel'luroon, Eno Cordova, and Doctor Aphra. Matt wrote it and you can buy it to create and play your own galactic Researcher!
Our promo this episode is for Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players!
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 24 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000
As Mandate troopers descend on the crew of the Mustang Sally, Revan and Val attempt to neutralise the threat while the others begin to unlock the mysteries of the ominous Trinary Noon.
Programme notes
The Researcher is a playbook for galactic 2nd edition, inspired by characters like Lyntel'luroon, Eno Cordova, and Doctor Aphra. Matt wrote it and you can buy it to create and play your own galactic Researcher!
Our promo this episode is for Realms of Peril & Glory. Journey through hilarious galaxies, adventure-filled worlds and mysterious continents! Experience thrilling tales weaved at the table using a variety of roleplaying game systems, by a rotating panel of Game Masters and Players! www.lightandtragic.com/Merely
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Our space family (First Nova Backstage)
Tue, 17 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Our cast introduces the space characters they’ve created, which playbooks they’ll be using, and how the characters are connected.
Programme notes
The Researcher is a playbook for galactic 2nd edition, inspired by characters like Lyntel'luroon, Eno Cordova, and Doctor Aphra. Matt wrote it and you can buy it to create and play your own galactic Researcher!
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, a film podcast hosted by a filmmaker and a film academic, diving deep into a single film each episode.
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 10 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000
The crew of the Mustang Sally attempt to put their damaged ship back together after an encounter with the Mandate, when they stumble upon an ominous space-shipwreck that just has to be explored.
Programme notes
A few of the Merely Roleplayers cast are joining Sabotage the DM on Twitch for a Total Party Knockout! See them take on impossible odds live today (Tuesday 10 August) at 7pm UTC+1, or check back later for the replay.
Natalie Winter’s production company Ragged Foils presents Jam Tart/Lemon Kurd, a double bill of monologues featuring women celebrating new life, love, and learning to see the world differently in their later years. Watch on demand as part of the Camden Fringe Digital Festival until 29 August.
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, a film podcast hosted by a filmmaker and a film academic, diving deep into a single film each episode.
Credits
STARRING:
Matt Boothman as Esko Triff, the Researcher
Josh Yard as Olwyn Callahan XVI, the Diplomat
Strat as Val Waldrin, the Scoundrel
GUEST STARRING:
Fiona Howat of What Am I Rolling? and The DM’s Book Club as Jodie Schutte, the Ace
AND INTRODUCING:
Marta da Silva as Revan, the Defector
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: galactic (2nd edition), designed by riley rethal
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Customer experience (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 03 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Matt and the players look back at Vigil: Tourist Trap.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Our promo this episode is for The Secret of St Kilda, an audio drama by Haggis and Dragons Productions. Follow Lockie, a charismatic con man who escapes to St Kilda with the promise that this time he’ll change his ways. Unfortunately the island and its unusual inhabitants have other ideas. He seeks redemption and they seek a saviour, but you know what they say - no change without sacrifice.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 27 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000
A tacky souvenir shop is wrecking the high street - literally. Not everyone will still be standing after this fight.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Stay tuned to Merely Roleplayers for The First Nova, a star fantasy in three acts, opening in the Studio on 10 August.
The First Nova features a guest appearance by Fiona Howat from the What Am I Rolling? podcast. We were guests on What Am I Rolling? in 2020, playing Sleepaway. In case you missed it, here’s the first episode.
If you’ve enjoyed Vigil: Tourist Trap, tell a friend, or leave us a rating and review on Podchaser or Apple Podcasts.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Sings in the Fields by Rafael Krux; car alarm, distant by Jonathan Shaw; Somethin’s Up Downtown and Go! by Brian Holtz; Jazzy Comping 1 by Agnese Valmaggia; Velocity by Lilo Sound; Backbay Lounge, Onion Capers and Wizardtorium by Kevin MacLeod; Alexis by Luca Fraula; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Jess, the Spooky (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 20 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Jess: shift worker, tarot reader, Spooky. Jess has always known she’s bigger than Sherrydown - and her new spirit guide is ready to help her prove it.
Join Ellen as she fills in Jess’ character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Dave and Josh.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Our promo this episode is for The D20 Future Show, where Richard and his team play the RPG D20 Future (based on D20 Modern) and are ... well, sometimes they are idiots.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 13 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Following the food truck ordeal, the team reconvenes to formulate their next move (and leave Amazement Park some damning reviews). A trap is set, but an unseen somebody has a different plan.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Natalie Winter (Gwynned in Vigil: Cold Snap) was on Talk Together, an interview show on the Roll Together network. Check out the interview on Twitch or Youtube.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Alexis by Luca Fraula; Wizardtorium by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Kincaid, the Professional (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Kincaid: sceptic, agent, Professional. A disgraced special agent kicked down to a bullshit basement detail, he just wants an easy life, but how long can his scepticism hold out?
Join Chris as he fills in Kincaid’s character sheet with help from compere Matt and fellow hunters Nat and Alex.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum. Now that Space Jam: A New Legacy has a release date and a trailer, Chris and Cal are up against the clock to fashion a cohesive cinematic universe out of Looney Tunes, which was never meant to be one.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 29 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Gunshots echo through Amazement Park as the hunters force Jess’s thief to show its true face. But this is just a rehearsal for the true battle to come...
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Tickets are now on sale for Trouble at Sea: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, on Saturday 3 July in the Big Top in King George’s Park, Wandsworth.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Sings In The Fields by Rafael Krux; Darkest Child and Cool Rock by Kevin MacLeod; Ford Transit boulevard by LG; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Melody, the Constructed (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 22 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Melody: hipster, ambivert, 200 year-old construct. Having escaped her creator, this well-meaning café owner has a tendency to come apart at the seams.
Join Helen as she fills in Melody's character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Vikki and Chris.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Our promo this episode is for A Rendezvous with Destiny, an actual play podcast of Onyx Path's Scion, set in a fictionalised Washington, DC.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 15 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Pulling the thread on the identity theft mystery leads our hunters to the fabulous Sherrydown Amazement Park. What horrors await them there and, possibly more importantly, why isn't it open at the weekend?
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Tickets are now on sale for Trouble at Sea: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, on Saturday 3 July in the Big Top in King George’s Park, Wandsworth.
Wandsworth residents can apply for a free writing workshop on Monday 28 June, also in the Big Top.
Replay the Rebel Roleplayers Roundtable (featuring Ellie Pitkin and Alexander Pankhurst) and Dead Of Night (featuring Alexander Pankhurst and Natalie Winter) from Sabotage the DM’s 7 Days of Sabotage event.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Wizardtorium by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The social network (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 08 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Matt meets our new band of hunters as they explore their connections to one another, and to the pride of Brackshire - the picturesque Sherrydown.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 01 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000
When the residents of idyllic Sherrydown fall foul to a series of strange anomalies with their personal data, an unlikely team of concerned citizens assembles to investigate.
Programme notes
This production contains mild body horror, fantasy violence - including gun violence - and abusive relationship dynamics.
If you enjoyed Vigil: Cold Snap, our previous Main House production, you should pick up The Sherrydown Enquirer 2: Cold Snap, a Monster of the Week mystery scenario and Sherrydown lore zine. It contains Cold Snap, a mystery for use with the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, for the roleplayers among you; and some juicy history and information about the Sherrydown setting, for fans of Vigil. Buy The Sherrydown Enquirer 2: Cold Snap on itch.io.
Sherrydown is twinned with Waterdeep, city of splendours, home of the Great Game, the Neverember Enigma! Sherrydown Town Council unfortunately does not recommend that townsfolk take part in the Great Game themselves. As a safe alternative, why not support our town’s favourite contestants, the Waterdeep Mallrats? Cheer them on every Monday at 19:00 UTC+1 on twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Jess Butterworth: a twenty-something shift worker, Sherrydown born and bred. While working the tarot tent at Amazement Park, she was approached by Kit, a being claiming to be her spirit guide.
Melody: the owner of Melodies, the cosy cafe and vinyl shop on Market Street. Melody is an ageless patchwork person animated by music, who fled her creator ages ago and has owned a music shop on this spot ever since.
Calistarius Softbinding: a local horror writer with a cult following, who sponsored the construction of a whole new wing of Sherrydown’s library. Calistarius Softbinding is a nom de plume.
Ed Kincaid: a once promising, now disgraced MI5 agent assigned to investigate the more … esoteric threats reported to the national security hotline.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellen Gould as Jess Butterworth, the Spooky
Helen Stratton as Melody, the Constructed
Chris Buxey as Calistarius Softbinding, the Expert
Chris MacLennan as Ed Kincaid, the Professional
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC INCLUDES: Go! by Brian Holtz; Velocity by Lilo Sound; Wizardtorium and Backbay Lounge by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The fallout (Ghost Recall Backstage)
Tue, 25 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000
After an intense in-character debrief, it’s time for a much more relaxed and friendly out-of-character debrief.
Programme notes
This production contains reported violence.
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum. Now that Space Jam: A New Legacy has a release date and a trailer, Chris and Cal are up against the clock to fashion a cohesive cinematic universe out of Looney Tunes, which was never meant to be one.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Agent Pigeon
Vikki as Agent Anvil
Strat as Agent Tanktop
Helen Stratton as Agent Banks
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Mission: Accomplished!, designed by Jeff Stormer
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman and Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Codename Mosaic: Ghost Recall, Act 2
Tue, 18 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000
The debriefing call is running long and nerves are starting to fray. Who will take credit for sinking the Consultancy, and who will be scapegoated for the Service’s leaks?
Programme notes
This production contains reported violence.
You can catch some of the Merely Roleplayers cast on Twitch this week, as part of seven straight days of streams to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Sabotage the DM:
Friday 21 May, 6-8pm UTC+1: Ellie Pitkin (Agent Pigeon, Persephone Byron) and Alexander Pankhurst (Soft Skull, Graham) are taking part in the Rebel Roleplayers Roundtable
Sunday 23 May, 6-11pm UTC+1: Alex and Natalie Winter (Gwynned, Souper-Man) are appearing in an actual play of Dead of Night
Tune in, and see the full schedule for the week, at twitch.tv/sabotagetheDM
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum. Now that Space Jam: A New Legacy has a release date and a trailer, Chris and Cal are up against the clock to fashion a cohesive cinematic universe out of Looney Tunes, which was never meant to be one.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Agent Pigeon
Vikki as Agent Anvil
Strat as Agent Tanktop
Helen Stratton as Agent Banks
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Mission: Accomplished!, designed by Jeff Stormer
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman and Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Codename Mosaic: Ghost Recall, Act 1
Tue, 04 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Four Service agents have survived a mission aboard the Consultancy’s marine hover-fortress. Now comes the real ordeal: surviving a conference call with the higher-ups.
Programme notes
This production contains reported violence.
Check out other games by Jeff Stormer, like Anyone Can Wear The Mask and When You’re Here You’re Family, at jeffstormer.com
Our promo this episode is for Sabotage the DM. Check out their regular Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon Heist campaign on Mondays at 19:00 UTC+1, and tune in from 17 May for a week of streams for the channel’s one year anniversary, all at twitch.tv/SabotageTheDM
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Agent Pigeon
Vikki as Agent Anvil
Strat as Agent Tanktop
Helen Stratton as Agent Banks
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Mission: Accomplished!, designed by Jeff Stormer
MUSIC BY: Matt Boothman and Alexander Pankhurst
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Warming down (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 27 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Matt and the hunters reflect on their first hunt together.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring Dungeons & Dragons actual play (where a misfit band of ‘heroes’ take on adventures across the multiverse), interviews and Dungeon Master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 20 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Imbued with divine flame and each carrying the mantle of the forest guardian, the hunters battle against the Winter King. Whatever happens, this isn’t going to be a quick thaw.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Coming soon:
CODENAME MOSAIC: GHOST RECALL opens in the Studio on 4 May! It’s a follow-up to Codename: Mosaic, one of our Blackshaw Saga productions, and uses Mission: Accomplished!, the roleplaying game of super-spies and office meetings by Jeff Stormer.
VIGIL: TOURIST TRAP opens in the Main House on 1 June! Follow us on Twitter @MerelyRoleplay to meet the characters before we raise the curtain.
Review Merely Roleplayers on Podchaser before 30 April and Podchaser will donate 25 cents to Meals on Wheels America.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring Dungeons & Dragons actual play (where a misfit band of ‘heroes’ take on adventures across the multiverse), interviews and Dungeon Master/player guides.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: soaring clouds by bruce965; Ritual and Vulcan by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Jinny, the Spellslinger (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Jinny: local business owner, devotee of the natural world, spellslinger. Jinny has had many names and has lived many lives. She uses her centuries of arcane knowledge to draw power from the earth beneath her feet, manipulate the elements, and fleece tourists for every penny they have. As owner and operator of the Grove of Oddities, Jinny is a well respected resident of Sherrydown and a true force of nature.
Join Josh as he fills in Jinny’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Dave and Ellen.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for The DM’s Book Club, a weekly podcast where Fiona and Ryan read about some Dungeons and Dragons and discuss how they might include it in their roleplaying campaigns.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 06 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000
The Winter King is after a rematch. Our hunters prepare to take a stand and drive back an oncoming ice age.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Congratulations to Ben Newbon for spotting Ellie’s cameo in Act 4! Follow Ben on Twitter @BenNewbon.
Review Merely Roleplayers on Podchaser before 30 April and Podchaser will donate 25 cents to Meals on Wheels America.
Subscribe to Matt’s free monthly newsletter before Friday 9 April for previews of the next Studio production and the work in progress Upstaged! roleplaying game.
Our promo this episode is for The DM’s Book Club, a weekly podcast where Fiona and Ryan read about some Dungeons and Dragons and discuss how they might include it in their roleplaying campaigns.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: soaring clouds by bruce965; Virtutes Instrumenti, Dragon and Toast, and Ritual by Kevin MacLeod; Traveler’s Notebook by Rafael Krux; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Gwynned, the Divine (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 30 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000
Meet Gwynned: shieldmaiden, banished warrior, divine. Gwynned was a holy warrior, a trusted shieldmaiden of the triple-goddess Morrigan. After defying her mistress she was banished to a lifetime of the mundane (in a somewhat different form) and now uses her divine skills to protect her new home. But she’d better keep her head down so as not to risk catching the attention of the Morrigan once more.
Join Nat as she fills in Gwynned’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Strat and Alex.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for Rendezvous with Destiny, an actual play podcast of Onyx Path's Scion, set in a fictionalised Washington, DC.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 23 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000
The hunters and National Trust bystanders take shelter in Brier’s tree. As the frost creature arrives memories of an ancient battle are rekindled and Gwynned attracts unwanted attention.
Programme notes
This episode contains fantasy violence and a brief mention of giant insects.
Save the date! Blackshaw Theatre’s next live production, Trouble At Sea: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, will be on Saturday 3 July as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe. It’s a sequel to Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, which you can enjoy for free on the Blackshaw Arts Hour podcast. Trailer includes The Show Must Be Go! by Kevin McLeod.
Our promo this episode is for Rendezvous With Destiny, an actual play of the Scion roleplaying game by Onyx Path, set in a strange new world where every myth and monster turns out to be real.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ADDITIONAL VOICES BY: Ellie Pitkin
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: soaring clouds by kangaroovindaloo; Berserker by Alexander Nakarada; Ritual, Virtutes Instrumenti and Right Behind You by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Brier, the Monstrous (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 16 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Brier: forest guardian, National Trust manager, monstrous. For as long as the Rosebrier Forest has existed, so has Brier. A shapeshifting fae guardian with a penchant for mischief, they are a generally benevolent fairy - just don’t accept a ride from them when they’re a horse.
Join Strat as he fills in Brier’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Chris and Ellie.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for OMEN Investigations, a comedy horror podcast starring three secret agents as they travel the world fighting monsters, ghosts, aliens and other paranormal perils.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
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On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 09 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Our hunters become the hunted and a creature of ice and snow stalks ominously towards Brier’s tree. The race is on to beat it there, but it’s not going to be easy.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Save the date! Blackshaw Theatre’s next live production, Trouble At Sea: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, will be on Saturday 3 July as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe. It’s a sequel to Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery, which you can enjoy for free on the Blackshaw Arts Hour podcast.
Our promo this episode is for OMEN Investigations, a comedy horror podcast starring three secret agents as they travel the world fighting monsters, ghosts, aliens and other paranormal perils.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: soaring clouds by bruce965; Floating in the Midnight Breeze by FoolBoyMedia; wolf & dog aggressive by EminYILDIRIM; Dragon and Toast by Kevin MacLeod; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Cameron, the Wronged (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 02 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Cameron: orphan, trained hunter, wronged. Something terrible happened to Cameron as a young boy that left a scar too deep to fully heal. Now wherever he goes so does his trusty axe, and behind him he leaves a trail of slain enemies.
Join Chris as he fills in Cameron’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Strat and Ellie.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 23 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Two members of the fae court have been brutally murdered, but by whom and for what reason? The hunters start their investigation while on the other side of the forest something ancient, cold and malevolent awakes.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling?, a twice-monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast, hosted by gamemaster, Fiona. Every month, Fiona takes a brand new group of players and runs them through a one-shot adventure, testing out a different RPG style or system.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: dark ambience by Patrick Lieberkind; Virtutes Instrumenti and Mirage by Kevin MacLeod; horse on turf, start into gallop from BBC Acropolis (RemArc licence); Wintersong and Tranquil Fields Tense by Alexander Nakarada; bird whistling, single, robin A by Jonathan Shaw; birds flapping wings EQed by juskiddink; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Ancient history (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 16 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Matt and our new team of hunters get to know each other and their place in the history of Sherrydown.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a grimcamp Monster of the Week actual play set in the town of Firmament, Colorado.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 09 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000
Early morning sunlight streams down through the foliage of the Rosebrier Forest while a gentle breeze dances around The Grove of Oddities, carrying with it the scent of blood.
Programme notes
This production contains fantasy violence.
If you enjoyed Vigil: Playtime, our first Main House production, you should pick up The Sherrydown Enquirer 1: Playtime, a Monster of the Week mystery scenario and Sherrydown lore supplement. It contains Playtime, a mystery for use with the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, for the roleplayers among you; and snippets of history and information about the Sherrydown setting, for fans of Vigil. Buy The Sherrydown Enquirer 1: Playtime on itch.io.
Our promo this episode is for Monster Hour, a grimcamp Monster of the Week actual play set in the town of Firmament, Colorado.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Brier: a mischievous shapeshifting púca, the fae guardian of Sherrydown’s Rosebrier Forest.
Gwynned: a former shieldmaiden of the triple goddess Morrigan. For the crime of saving a mortal man from the Morrigan’s cruel whim, the goddess exiled Gwyn to live as a duck, overlooked by mortals. Recently freed from the curse, Gwyn is trying to do good without attracting her mistress’s attention.
Cameron Jarvis: an intense young man, obsessed with monster hunting since his parents and sister were killed by ghouls while camping outside Sherrydown.
Jinny Greenteeth: proprietor of the Grove of Oddities, a tacky Sherrydown tourist attraction. In a past life, Jinny was branded a witch after a series of drownings in her Lancashire village.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Strat as Brier, the Monstrous
Natalie Winter as Gwynned, the Divine
Chris Starkey as Cameron Jarvis, the Wronged
Josh Yard as Jinny Greenteeth, the Spellslinger
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: dark ambience by Patrick Lieberkind; Virtutes Instrumenti and Mirage by Kevin MacLeod; horse on turf, start into gallop from BBC Acropolis (RemArc licence); Wintersong and Tranquil Fields Tense by Alexander Nakarada; bird whistling, single, robin A by Jonathan Shaw; birds flapping wings EQed by juskiddink; and may include others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The hangover (Dr Magnethands Backstage)
Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000
The drunk AF cast share the superpowers they didn’t get a chance to use in the game and reflect on a job well done (they’re way too drunk to be discerning).
Programme notes
This production contains gross bodily humour, cartoon violence, and alcohol.
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, purveyors of chaotic homebrew RPG bontent with a focus on storytelling.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Jeff Goldblum
Alexander Pankhurst as Soft Skull
Vikki as Bubblewrap Man
Dave as The Penguin of Constant Remorse
Chris Starkey as Butterscotch Cannon
Natalie Winter as Souper-Man
Strat as Miss Sellanious
Helen Stratton as Super Static Man
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Dr Magnethands, designed by Grant Howitt
MUSIC: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGNER: Natalie Winter
EDITOR AND PRODUCER: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 26 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000
After dispatching some of Dr Magnethands’ most dastardly minions, the heroes set off to her super-secret space base to put a stop to her plans for world domination once and for all… oh, and everyone is very drunk.
Programme notes
This production contains gross bodily humour, cartoon violence, and alcohol.
If you enjoyed Vigil: Playtime, our first Main House production, you should pick up The Sherrydown Enquirer 1: Playtime, a Monster of the Week mystery scenario and Sherrydown lore supplement. It contains Playtime, a mystery for use with the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, for the roleplayers among you; and snippets of history and information about the Sherrydown setting, for fans of Vigil. Buy The Sherrydown Enquirer 1: Playtime on itch.io.
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, purveyors of chaotic homebrew RPG content with a focus on storytelling.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Jeff Goldblum
Alexander Pankhurst as Soft Skull
Vikki as Bubblewrap Man
Dave as The Penguin of Constant Remorse
Chris Starkey as Butterscotch Cannon
Natalie Winter as Souper-Man
Strat as Miss Sellanious
Helen Stratton as Super Static Man
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Dr Magnethands, designed by Grant Howitt
MAIN THEME BY: Alexander Pankhurst
CLOSING THEME BY: Ellie Pitkin and Chris Starkey
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rhythmic tense ambience by luciolepri; No Frills Salsa by Kevin MacLeod; castanets, multi, A by Jonathan Shaw; gore slush slime sounds by Vlatko Blažek; electric by Sergenious; Chee Zee Cave by Kevin MacLeod; Mesmerize by Kevin MacLeod; boiling water, large, A by Jonathan Shaw; Fanfare for Space by Kevin MacLeod; and others made available to use without attribution.
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Drunk in luvvie (Dr Magnethands Backstage)
Tue, 19 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000
The cast reminisce about times they’ve participated in what the theatre world refers to as a “wet run” while they come up with their eight suggestions for the game they’re actually supposed to be playing... oh, and Matt explains how the game works.
Programme notes
This production contains gross bodily humour, cartoon violence, and alcohol.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Jeff Goldblum
Alexander Pankhurst as Soft Skull
Vikki as Bubblewrap Man
Dave as The Penguin of Constant Remorse
Chris Starkey as Butterscotch Cannon
Natalie Winter as Souper-Man
Strat as Miss Sellanious
Helen Stratton as Super Static Man
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Dr Magnethands, designed by Grant Howitt
MAIN THEME BY: Alexander Pankhurst
CLOSING THEME BY: Ellie Pitkin and Chris Starkey
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 12 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000
A team of extraordinary heroes is the only thing that stands between evil mastermind, Dr Magnethands, and total world domination... oh, and everyone is drunk.
Programme notes
This production contains strong language, gross bodily humour, cartoon violence, and alcohol.
Our promo this episode is for Snyder’s Return, a UK based tabletop roleplaying game podcast featuring 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons actual play (where a misfit band of ‘heroes’ take on adventures across the multiverse), interviews and game master/player guides.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Jeff Goldblum
Alexander Pankhurst as Soft Skull
Vikki as Bubblewrap Man
Dave as The Penguin of Constant Remorse
Chris Starkey as Butterscotch Cannon
Natalie Winter as Souper-Man
Strat as Miss Sellanious
Helen Stratton as Super Static Man
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Doctor Magnethands, designed by Grant Howitt
MAIN THEME BY: Alexander Pankhurst
CLOSING THEME BY: Ellie Pitkin and Chris Starkey
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX AND MUSIC INCLUDES: thrill announcement by Goran Andrić-Agi; Eyes Gone Wrong by Kevin MacLeod (looped); Dublin Zoo ambience by iamaviolin; Magellanic penguin by soundbytez; supermarket ambience by AJ170193; bamboo chimes by Jonathan Shaw; footswitch sound by Nightwatcher98; pneumatic drill by acclivity; digging in rubble by ryanlouis; woodpecker by L. Taylor; ninja sticks fighting by CyrileneRossouw; Crossing the Chasm by Kevin MacLeod; horror fleshy impale impact with remains falling by the University of Oregon Cinema Studies Program SFX library; pocket by Pocosebas; microwave by Poyekhali; gore slush slime sounds by Vlatko Blažek; Fanfare for Space by Kevin MacLeod; rhythmic tense ambience by luciolepri; radar blip by KynikossDragonn; slide whistle maestro by Lucy Bennett; and may include other sounds covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Playtime's over (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 29 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000
The hunters look back on their adventures in the classroom and their battles against the playtime monsters.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for O.M.E.N. Investigations. They’re fellow members of the UK Tabletop RPG Podcasters community, and also playing Monster of the Week this season! Check them out if you want some much sillier monster hunting action.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 22 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Despite Graham’s magical mishap, the hunters make haste to capture the villain responsible for the playtime monster before another school day begins.
Programme notes
This episode contains loss of agency and a brief description of a recently self-inflicted wound.
The town of Sherrydown is twinned with Whispering Pines, the not-so-ordinary summer camp for those hazy days and chilled summer nights. Campers laughing, fireflies glowing, campfires crackling long into the night, and a gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always asking, “What do you do next?” You can find out more about Whispering Pines and meet some of its eccentric camp counselors in the Sleepaway one-shot on What Am I Rolling? : a twice monthly RPG one-shot podcast.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rain and final thunder clap by reinsamba; night rain on car by Relax Sleep ASMR; shutting van sliding door by Alastair Cameron; Long Note Two by Kevin McLeod; fire embers large campfire by Dynamicell; and may include others covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Graham, the Summoned (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 15 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Graham: accountant, 100% certified “human male”, Summoned. Excel specialist and hat connoisseur Graham is here to help you with all of your accountancy and administrative needs. If you’re lucky, he may join you down the local establishment for a pint of alcoholic refreshment and a friendly chat about being a human being.
Join Alex as he fills in Graham’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Nat and Strat.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for The Adventurer’s Guild, home of Mercs & Monsters, Heroes of Cypher, and more to come.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 08 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000
As Mick, Percy and Graham engage in a bloody battle with the playtime monster, Renko makes a surprising discovery in the school staffroom.
Programme notes
This episode contains bloody violence, including gun violence, and detailed tentacular imagery.
Watch Jack and the Beanstalk, a semi-improvised panto created for streaming and incorporating roleplaying game elements, at 20:00 UTC on 11 & 12 December at twitch.tv/rollflipstream
The town of Sherrydown is twinned with Whispering Pines, the not-so-ordinary summer camp for those hazy days and chilled summer nights. Campers laughing, fireflies glowing, campfires crackling long into the night, and a gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always asking, “What do you do next?” You can find out more about Whispering Pines and meet some of its eccentric camp counselors in the Sleepaway one-shot on What Am I Rolling? : a twice monthly RPG one-shot podcast.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rain and final thunder clap by reinsamba; wind, realistic, A by Jonathan Shaw; zombie bite 1 by Seth Talley; Long Note Two by Kevin McLeod; fire embers large campfire by Dynamicell; warm flesh in a mechanical meat grinder by newlocknew; and may include others covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Renko, the Flake (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Renko: DoOm operative, investigative genius, Flake. Renko is no stranger to mystery - it comes with the territory after all. But has she bitten off more than she can chew in the sleepy and seemingly-friendly town of Sherrydown?
Join Vikki as she fills in Renko’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow hunters Chris and Helen.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for The Unexplored Places. Jump straight into Tango Sector, or go back and enjoy their first story: Deliverance, Ohio, told using Monster of the Week.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 24 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Chaos ensues when Percy and Graham, left to their own devices at the school, attempt an experiment to manifest the playtime monster.
Programme notes
This episode contains violence, including blood and injury detail.
Vote for the final, ultimate winners of the Audio Verse Awards 2020
Leave Merely Roleplayers a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser
The town of Sherrydown is twinned with Whispering Pines, the not-so-ordinary summer camp for those hazy days and chilled summer nights. Campers laughing, fireflies glowing, campfires crackling long into the night, and a gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always asking, “What do you do next?” You can find out more about Whispering Pines and meet some of its eccentric camp counselors in the Sleepaway one-shot on What Am I Rolling? : a twice monthly RPG one-shot podcast.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rain and final thunder clap by reinsamba; boiling water, large, A by Jonathan Shaw; eel splashing 2 by mystiscool; dragon roar by veroma; sword slice by Black Snow Productions; fire embers large campfire by Dynamicell; zombie bite 1 by Seth Talley; broken egg squelch by d.n.audio.uk; and may include others covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Percy, the Exile (Vigil Backstage)
Tue, 17 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Meet Percy: time traveller, illegitimate daughter of Lord Byron, Exile. What strange forces have brought Percy to the small, sleepy town of Sherrydown and why does the year 1666 send a shiver down her spine?
Join Ellie as she fills in Percy’s character sheet with help from compère Matt and fellow players Chris S and Strat.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, our fellow members of the UK Tabletop RPG Podcasters community.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 10 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000
After a surprising revelation from Mick’s niece, Pippa, the hunters head to the primary school to conduct their investigation.
Programme notes
This episode contains dried blood and scarred arms.
The Ragged Scratch Podcast, hosted and produced by our sound designer Natalie Winter, returns for season 3 on 19 November. Add it to your podcast app for 12 new work-in-progress audio dramas and interviews with the creators.
Compère Matt’s monthly email newsletter usually includes some backstage Merely Roleplayers bits and pieces, along with updates about game things and theatre things he’s working on. The next one goes out on 13 November - sign up now so you won’t miss it.
The town of Sherrydown is twinned with Whispering Pines, the not-so-ordinary summer camp for those hazy days and chilled summer nights. Campers laughing, fireflies glowing, campfires crackling long into the night, and a gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always asking, “What do you do next?” You can find out more about Whispering Pines and meet some of its eccentric camp counselors in the upcoming Sleepaway Oneshot on What Am I Rolling? : a twice monthly RPG one-shot podcast.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rain and final thunder clap by reinsamba; night rain on car by Relax Sleep ASMR; Ford Transit boulevard by LG; van on gravel by Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama; Medusa by Kevin MacLeod; Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod; electric short-circuit 50Hz by Sergenious; shutting van sliding door by Alastair Cameron; dragon roar by veroma; boiling water, large, A by Jonathan Shaw; eel splashing 2 by mystiscool; and may include others covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Compère Matt and the cast of Vigil: Playtime introduce their characters and come up with their connections to one another - and to the town of Sherrydown itself.
Programme notes
This episode's promo contains strong language.
Our promo this episode is for Infinite Deer. Their new season started on 19 October, so this is a great time to jump aboard.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Instagram @MerelyRoleplayers
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 27 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000
The arrival of an unexpected traveller and a bloody disappearance at the local primary school spell trouble for the residents of the sleepy town of Sherrydown.
Programme notes
This episode contains implied offstage child endangerment.
Vote for Merely Roleplayers in the Audio Verse Awards before 31 October. We’re currently through to the penultimate round of the awards. Voters choose their top ten podcasts in each award category, to narrow each category down to ten finalists for the final round. The form might take 10-15 minutes to complete, so we super appreciate anyone who takes the time! You can find us under Improvised Production.
The town of Sherrydown is twinned with Whispering Pines, the not-so-ordinary summer camp for those hazy days and chilled summer nights. Campers laughing, fireflies glowing, campfires crackling long into the night, and a gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always asking, “What do you do next?” You can find out more about Whispering Pines and meet some of its eccentric camp counselors in the upcoming Sleepaway Oneshot on What Am I Rolling?: a twice monthly RPG one-shot podcast.
Dramatis personae and other definitions
Renko: A DoOm agent assigned to Sherrydown, furloughed since the office closed.
Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron: A Victorian monster hunter and half-sister of Ada Lovelace. Percy tried to time travel from 1852 to 1666 to stop the summoning of an apocalyptic demon, but something went wrong, and she landed in present-day Sherrydown instead.
Mick: Sherrydown’s favourite builder and bricklayer. His life has been getting weirder since he dug too deep and hit a leyline.
Graham: The demon equivalent of an accountant, summoned to Earth in error and now trying to make the best of it. He is destined to bring about the Apocalypse.
Department of Omissions (DO, DoOm): The UK government department tasked with preventing harm to citizens from supernatural phenomena. Severely defunded under Tory austerity policies and currently prioritising major urban population centres.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: A historic English market town. One of the first towns to lose its DoOm office.
Omission effect: The rejection of certain beings and phenomena by long-term memory. Can be suppressed by concentration, mnemonic techniques, hypnosis, trauma, or the light of the full moon.
Credits
COMPERE: Matt Boothman
STARRING:
Ellie Pitkin as Persephone ‘Percy’ Byron, the Exile
Alexander Pankhurst as Graham, the Summoned
Vikki as Renko, the Flake
Dave as Mick, the Mundane
ROLEPLAYING GAME SYSTEM: Monster of the Week, designed by Michael Sands
MUSIC BY: Alexander Pankhurst
SOUND DESIGN BY: Natalie Winter
SFX INCLUDES: rain and final thunder clap by reinsamba; night rain on car by Relax Sleep ASMR; Ford Transit boulevard by LG; van on gravel by Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama; stop engine by Henrique Moreira; lightning crash by NoiseNoir; pistols/handguns manipulated and toyed with by IlDucci; interior - small moden office atmosphere by BBC Acropolis; mechanical keyboard typing by GeorgeHopkins; subdued classroom atmosphere with children reading (rec. London) by BBC Acropolis; electric school bell - 1980 (3C9, reprocessed) by BBC Acropolis; and various others covered by the Creative Commons 0 attribution licence
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Matt Boothman
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Your worst nightmares: Vigil, now playing in the Main House
Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000
Now playing in the Merely Roleplayers Main House: Vigil.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: a picturesque English market town with a failing high street, a struggling council, and a no doubt rich history that no one remembers. The Department of Omissions did its job keeping Sherrydown's wards strong and its fae community appeased. But the Department hasn't fared well under austerity. Now Sherrydown has to fend for itself. Power to the people...?
The story is told using the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, published by Evil Hat.
Stay tuned for Act One of Vigil next week, just in time for Hallowe’en!
Vigil theme by Alex Pankhurst
[IPM feed drop] RPG: Beam Saber
Tue, 06 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000
Originally published by International Podcast Month and shared with permission. Every September, International Podcast Month releases an all-new podcast episode every day. Find all the September 2020 episodes at internationalpodcastmonth.com.
——-
Content Warning
Violence
The Game
Beam Saber is a game about the pilots of powerful machines in a war that dominates every facet of life. They are trying to do their time and part and get out physically and mentally intact. The organizations that perpetuate The War through all of known space are too incomprehensibly huge to take down. There is no ‘winning’ The War, there is only surviving it. Hopefully, you can make things a bit better before you move on.
No one Faction controls Earth. While it has little strategic value, essentially a backwater planet, the symbolic value for morale is unimaginable. The actual home of humanity. Every faction wants it, but none of them are willing to cede other territory to gain control of it. The result is the current standoff. Every Faction has a space elevator, but there’s still one left unclaimed. It belongs the Independents. Lately travelers between Fort Jovanol and Journey City have been experiencing raids by an unnamed squad. Our intel points to a Jovangellian Squad called The Raccoons. The Empire denies any knowledge of their activity, but they have taken no action to secure the territory. Recon has tracked them to an old armory. The Warning Shots, a group of emissaries under the charge of an old soldier named Chip Canticle, have been given the task to convince the Raccoons to stop their raiding of caravans.
The Players
Christine of Unexplored Places – Antiquity Hardt
Joshua of Tabletop Comics – Sarge
Matt of Merely Roleplayers – Parris Eltree
The GM
IPM
Find transcripts on our website: internationalpodcastmonth.com/transcripts
Follow us on Twitter: @podmonth
Support us:
Via Ko-Fi
Via Paypal.me
The IPM theme was composed by Benny James
This town's done for: Vigil opens the Main House this Hallowe'en
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000
Coming soon to the Merely Roleplayers Main House: Vigil.
Sherrydown, Brackshire: a picturesque English market town with a failing high street, a struggling council, and a no doubt rich history that no one remembers. The Department of Omissions did its job keeping Sherrydown's wards strong and its fae community appeased. But the Department hasn't fared well under austerity. Now Sherrydown has to fend for itself. Power to the people...?
The story is told using the roleplaying game Monster of the Week by Michael Sands, published by Evil Hat.
Stay tuned for Act One of Vigil in Hallowe'en week 2020.
Vigil theme by Alex Pankhurst
Pub ambience by Erdie
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000
In an infinite universe, across multiple timelines, we were never going to be able to witness everything. Here’s a selection of stuff we had to leave out.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
The Ultimate Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000
All three ensembles look back at the path we charted through the infinite possibilities of Deja Vu.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Dames and Dragons, a tale about banding together with your friends to battle gods who are terrible people and even worse parents, told using Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 04 Aug 2020 04:00:00 +0000
As the curtain falls on this, the company’s final act, they’ll have to decide what a new reality holds before heading off to their post-show drinks at the pub.
Programme notes
Thank you for tuning in to this final Act of the Blackshaw Saga.
After next week’s Backstage episode, Merely Roleplayers is taking a few weeks off to prepare for our next chapter - but stay tuned for some surprise bonus episodes!
We’ll be back the week of Hallowe’en with the beginning of our first Main House production: Vigil. Small towns are being left behind after cuts to the Department of Omissions, the agency meant to protect the public from things that go bump in the night. In Sherrydown, one neglected market town, a band of misfits have stepped in to protect their neighbours now that the government can’t or won’t. They’re absolutely not sanctioned, not all of them are strictly speaking competent, but they’re the only ones who can help - and that makes it their responsibility.
Also coming up in our Studio: Dr Magnethands (a very, very silly superhero story) and Codename Mosaic: Ghost Recall (revisiting the agents from Codename: Mosaic as they deal with their deadliest foes yet: accountability and oversight).
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Strat, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 28 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Strat’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Ariadne, A Town Called Amnesty, Codename: Mosaic, Parallax Inverted, Upstaged! and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast and our friends from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 21 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The beleaguered ensemble are taking fire from all fronts. They’ll need to fight, but their theatrical skills could be their biggest asset in the final showdown.
Programme notes
Remember how Blackshaw Theatre Company is a real theatre company? We’re still working in London, even in lockdown!
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, fellow members of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters Discord community, and face-to-face acquaintances from Dragonmeet 2019!
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Helen, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 14 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Helen’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in A Town Called Amnesty and Codename: Mosaic.
Programme notes
Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen, the space opera roleplaying game we used in Parallax, is available from DriveThruRPG.
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 07 Jul 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The ensemble attempt to form allegiances with old enemies, but are everyone’s motives exactly what they seem?
Programme notes
The Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have come up with a plan to defend our theatres from more closures and redundancies. They’ve submitted the plan to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, but we need to help them make it a priority for the government. If you’re in the UK, and you like theatre like we like theatre, please consider writing to your MP and asking them to pay attention to the plan and make sure we still have a place to see and stage creative performance after lockdown. WriteToThem.com makes it easy.
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Ellen, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 30 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Ellen’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Upstaged! and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, a fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 23 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The ensemble are reunited and ready to save reality, but they’ll need to try out a few different boats to find one that’s suitable for their final voyage.
Programme notes
Black Lives Matter protests, petitions and other resources
Matt was on an episode of the Rolistes podcast!
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, a fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Nat, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 16 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Nat’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Upstaged!, The Cloudskipper’s Captain and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for The GM & Me, a duet play podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community on Discord.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 09 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The third ensemble have been waiting in the wings. Now that they’ve finally made their entrance, they must bring themselves back to reality to have any hope of saving it.
Programme notes
Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality: get 700+ video and tabletop games for as little as $5, with all proceeds split evenly between the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Community Bail Fund
Black Lives Matter protests, petitions and other resources
Friends in the UK, write to your MPs and councillors to defend racial justice and the right to protest
Our promo this episode is for The GM & Me, fellow member of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. It’s a one-player, one-gamemaster podcast showcasing a variety of roleplaying games.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Vikki, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 02 Jun 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Vikki’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Ariadne, Five Stage a Rescue, Codename: Mosaic, Parallax Converging, Parallax Inverted and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, an in-depth movie discussion programme on Kaiju FM.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 26 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The company seek an audience with a higher power. The fate of everything they’ve ever known rests on their performance. And one of them’s let a heckler in…
Programme notes
PodUK Goes Digital is happening on Saturday 30 May, at 12-8pm UK time on Twitch, Discord and other venues. Look out for our trailer as part of the virtual Podcasters’ Promenade! Full details at podcastconvention.uk.
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, a Kaiju FM show discussing movies in depth from a production and academic appreciation point of view.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Starkey, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 19 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Starkey’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Five Stage a Rescue, Parallax Inverted, The Cloudskipper’s Captain and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Dames and Dragons, a tale about banding together with your friends to battle gods who are terrible people, told using Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 12 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000
When the curtain closes, will the company be left to watch the world unravel, or in a position to weave something new?
Programme notes
Check out Blackshaw Theatre Company’s audio drama productions at the Wandsworth Arts Fringe In Your Living Room festival:
Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery by Richard Stratton
Audience with the Ghost Finder by M. J. Starling (that’s an old pen name of Matt’s!)
The Final Adventure of Frankie Fightwell by Chris Buxey
Black Shuck by Duncan Hands
Great Expectations, adapted from Charles Dickens’ novel in association with Cyphers Theatre
Our promo this episode is for Dames and Dragons, a tale about banding together with your friends to battle gods who are terrible people, told using Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Chris, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 05 May 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Chris’s previous appearance on Merely Roleplayers, in Let’s Get Gideon.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum, with past player and compere Chris MacLennan. Along with Cal Noble, Chris has committed to constructing a cohesive cinematic universe out of something that was never meant to be one: Looney Tunes, from the early 20th century all the way to Space Jam.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 28 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The curtain is open. On the other side, an audience awaits with the ones who wrecked the world. But from the moment their pods land, the new ensemble faces fierce competition.
Programme notes
Check out The Isolation Sessions on the Ragged Scratch podcast.
Review us on Podchaser - for every review you write on the site until 20 April, Podchaser will donate 25 cents to Meals on Wheels.
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum, a Kaiju FM show where Chris and Cal try to make a cohesive cinematic universe out of something that was never meant to be one: Looney Tunes.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Dave, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Dave’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Five Go Adventuring, Crash Bang Wallop What a Heist, Parallax Core, Parallax Converging and The Survival Island. That’s definitely what they were called.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling, a twice monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 14 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000
Embattled and desperate aboard the Air Errol, the company race to send their friends on to safety.
Programme notes
Watch the National Theatre’s production of Jane Eyre on Youtube until Thursday 16 April
Watch the Globe Theatre’s production of Hamlet on Youtube until Sunday 19 April
Look out for weekly new monologues by Philip Ridley on Tramp Theatre’s Youtube channel
Find audio dramas like Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery by Richard Stratton and The Final Adventure of Frankie Fightwell in the Blackshaw Arts Hour podcast feed
Check out The Isolation Sessions on the Ragged Scratch podcast
Our promo this episode is for Seasons of Skyrend, a weekly custom Dungeons & Dragons podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Alex, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:00:00 +0000
A look back at Alex’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Ariadne, A Town Called Amnesty, Parallax Converging, The Cloudskipper’s Captain and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling, a twice monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 31 Mar 2020 04:00:00 +0000
The company zero in on their missing friends, in a perilous high-altitude rescue not even their unparalleled experiences could have prepared them for.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for What Am I Rolling, a twice monthly roleplaying game one-shot podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Ellie, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 24 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000
A look back at Ellie’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Ariadne, Five Stage a Rescue, A Town Called Amnesty, Let’s Get Gideon, Codename: Mosaic, Parallax Core, Parallax Converging, Upstaged! and The Cloudskipper’s Captain.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for Darker Days Radio, a horror-focused roleplaying game programme and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 17 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000
To save the future, the company must learn to call on their past. Trouble is, it’s an all-or-nothing proposition - you can’t bring back the good bits without the bits that haunt you...
Programme notes
Listen to Some Treachery: A Miss McSkimming Mystery on The Blackshaw Arts Hour podcast.
Trouble at Sea: A Miss McSkimming Mystery is at the Bedford in Balham, south London on Sunday 10 May. It’s a Blackshaw Theatre Company production, written by Richard Stratton and starring Natalie Winter. Find out more here - tickets on sale soon!
Listen to seasons 1 and 2 of the Ragged Scratch podcast - and if you like what you hear, consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Our promo this episode is for Darker Days Radio, our colleagues from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Josh, A Retrospective (Deja Vu Backstage)
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000
A look back at Josh’s past appearances on Merely Roleplayers, in Let’s Get Gideon and Prospero & Viola.
Programme notes
Our promo this episode is for O.M.E.N. Investigations, our unsettling colleagues from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 03 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Somehow, Blackshaw Theatre Company find themselves in all the wrong places at all the wrong times. Has someone been pulling the strings from behind the scenes?
Programme notes
Did you meet Matt and Alex at PodUK? The convention (not a conference) was organised by Rocksalt Events, and the Kaiju FM podcast collective kindly shared their space in the Podcasters’ Promenade with us.
Our promo this episode is for O.M.E.N. Investigations, our unsettling colleagues from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Ellie Pitkin, Alex Pankhurst, Josh Yard and Dave; Chris Starkey, Chris Buxey and Chris; Helen Stratton, Ellen Gould, Natalie Winter and Strat as themselves (sort of) (various)
SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES BY Ellie Pitkin as Nia and The Space Jam Continuum podcast’s Chris MacLennan as CANDICE
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt Boothman, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
MUSIC BY Matt Boothman
EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Matt Boothman
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 25 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000
And the extraordinary shall inherit the world.
Credits
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Fly Away Home (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 18 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000
Just tell us as clearly as you can, in your own words. What happened to you on that island?
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends and fellow members of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. There’s a sinister ritual building in Marsh Haven, and only a couple of misfit kids and their ‘Book Club’ can stop it…
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000
What else could it cost the castaways to escape the island?
Programme notes
Beam Saber is a Forged In The Dark game about the pilots of powerful machines in a war that dominates every facet of life. They are trying to do their part, then get out physically and mentally intact. There is no “winning” The War, there is only surviving it. Hopefully you can help others get out too. You can pledge on Kickstarter from Monday 2 March.
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends from the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Ellen the Maker (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000
She planned to play it safe. In the wilderness, she’ll learn to live dangerously. Get to know Ellen as she completes her character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, fellow member of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. They play various roleplaying game systems, but always with the principle of giving the players total free rein to act as they like.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000
The tables turn as the castaways begin to unlock the secrets of the island.
Pod UK is at Millennium Point, Birmingham, UK on 1 February 2020. We’re on tables 7 & 8 of the Podcasters’ Promenade alongside Kaiju FM. Get tickets here.
The Ragged Scratch Podcast by Ragged Foils Productions returns this February. Become a Patreon patron and subscribe to the podcast.
Our promo this episode is for Penance RPG, a fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Stratastic! Master of Mystery (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000
He mystifies his audience with misdirection. In the wilderness, he'll learn the true meaning of mystery. Get to know Strat as he completes his character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for The GM & Me, fellow member of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. It’s a one-player, one-gamemaster podcast showcasing a variety of roleplaying games.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 14 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000
The island is taking its toll on the castaways, body and mind. Who can endure and who will fall?
Check out all the winners of the latest Audio Verse Awards.
The next London Tabletop Industry Networking event is on 31 January. Get tickets on Eventbrite.
Pod UK is at Millennium Point, Birmingham, UK on 1 February 2020. Get tickets here. We’re tabling alongside Kaiju FM.
Our promo this episode is for The GM & Me, a duet play podcast and fellow member of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters community on Discord.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Firebug Dave (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000
He was always comfortable around fire. In the wilderness, he’ll have to take care not to get burned. Get to know Dave as he completes his character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, the movie discussion podcast from our good friends at Kaiju FM. Each episode, Rob and Sam deep-dive into a movie from the perspective of art, craft and critical analysis.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Someone’s missing. Still? Again? The castaways return to the steamboat, hoping to find a trail.
Pod UK is at Millennium Point, Birmingham, UK on 1 February 2020. Get tickets here.
We’re tabling alongside Kaiju FM.
Our promo this episode is for The Prestige, a Kaiju FM show discussing movies in depth from a production and academic appreciation point of view.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Stark, Charmer (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 24 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000
His singing voice is his living. In the wilderness, it could be what keeps him alive. Get to know Starkey as he completes his character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for Dames and Dragons, a funny and heartwarming epic about gods being awful and hot guys being untrustworthy (but still so, so hot).
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 17 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000
The tempting waters of the lake beckon the castaways close. But could a dive prove deadly?
Listen to Merely Roleplayers season 4: Let’s Get Gideon
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Mat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Analytical Vikki (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000
She’s a logistical mastermind, a champion at Suitcase Tetris. In the wilderness, mysteries will test her puzzle-loving brain. Get to know Vikki as she completes her character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, fellow members of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. They play Dungeons & Dragons and, as is appropriate, spend a lot of time in taverns.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 03 Dec 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Day two on the island. The castaways have the lay of the land, and they know what they need. But dangers and diversions await...
Submissions are now open for season 2 of the Ragged Scratch Podcast, the audiodrama new writing showcase created and hosted by the Prospero’s Natalie Winter. You can get involved as a writer, voice actor, or director.
Ragged Foils website: https://www.nataliewinter.co.uk/raggedfoils
@RaggedFoils on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raggedfoils
Ragged Foils on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/raggedfoils
Our promo this episode is for Modified Roll, fellow members of the UK & Ireland TTRPG Podcasters Discord community, and now face-to-face acquaintances from Dragonmeet 2019! https://www.modifiedroll.com/
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Twitter https://twitter.com/merelyroleplay
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/merelyroleplayers
Ready or Nat (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 26 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000
The kids’ club taught her hide-and-seek. In the wilderness, she’ll seek bigger game. Get to know Nat as she completes her character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum podcast on Kaiju FM. Space Jam is the Avengers Endgame of the Looney Tunes cartoons, and Chris and Cal analyse the complex continuity that leads us there.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Someone’s missing. The castaways strike out in pursuit, but will their preparations be enough?
If you want more background to some of the mysteries of the island, it’s worth listening back to season 3, A Town Called Amnesty, and season 6, Parallax.
Dragonmeet is in Hammersmith, London on Saturday 30 November. Matt’s running a session of Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen in the evening gaming session - if you want to play, you can reserve a place at the table with a £2 donation to Vision Rescue (click Book Tickets, scroll to Evening Games and choose The Uncharted Territories). Or if there are spaces left on the day, just ask the staff where to sign up for games when you arrive at the convention.
Our promo this episode is for The Space Jam Continuum on Kaiju FM. When Cal and Chris started documenting the complex Looney Tunes continuity leading up to Space Jam, they had no idea those pesky basketball aliens were coming back in 2020. Now they need to get their findings in front of Space Jam 2 star LeBron James as a matter of urgency. Track their efforts on Twitter with the hashtag #HelpUsHelpLeBron.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Alex the Human Barometer (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000
He was always sensitive to a change in the air. In the wilderness, he could be the only warning of oncoming storms. Get to know Alex as he completes his character sheet.
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends and fellow members of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. There’s a sinister ritual building in Marsh Haven, and only a couple of misfit kids and their ‘Book Club’ can stop it…
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 05 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000
The castaways turn their attention to the second of the three Ss, sustenance, but the island won’t surrender its bounty easily.
Alexander Pankhurst - of the Viola - has some stand-up comedy dates coming up in London. See when and where he’s performing, and RSVP, at alexanderpankhurst.com.
Voting is now open for the Discover Pods Awards. Cast your vote before 18 November.
Season 1 of the Ragged Scratch podcast by Ragged Foils Productions is now complete. It’s an audio drama new writing night in podcast form, full of new and experimental work. Natalie Winter - of the Prospero - is the host and creator, and there’s a piece by Matt in episode 5.
Our promo this episode is for Brits On Bikes, our friends and fellow members of the UK & Ireland Tabletop RPG Podcasters community. There’s a sinister ritual building in Marsh Haven, and only a couple of misfit kids and their ‘Book Club’ can stop it…
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Josh of the Jungle (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 29 Oct 2019 05:00:00 +0000
He always felt invisible in the chorus line. In the wilderness, he’ll learn how to truly disappear. Get to know Josh as he completes his character sheet.
After this, listen to the Ragged Scratch podcast by Ragged Foils Productions! It’s an audio drama new writing night in podcast form, full of new and experimental work. Nat is the host and creator, and there’s a piece by Matt in an upcoming episode.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Reunited, the castaways are confronted with something that defies explanation. Is this really just an ordinary island?
We’re nominated for two Audio Verse Awards: Best Improvised Production and Best Player Director (for Matt)! Vote for us and your other audiodrama favourites before 31 October at audioverseawards.net
After this, listen to the Ragged Scratch podcast by Ragged Foils Productions! It’s an audio drama new writing night in podcast form, full of new and experimental work. Nat - of the Prospero - is the host and creator, and there’s a piece by Matt in an upcoming episode.
Alex - of the Viola - has some stand-up comedy dates coming up in London. See when and where he’s performing, and RSVP, at alexanderpankhurst.com
AdventureX, the narrative games convention, is at the British Library on 2-3 November. Matt will be there, attending talks and making friends. Watch @MerelyMJ on Twitter and @merelymatt on Instagram for updates.
Content notes for this episode
* Despair, loss of hope
* Description of human remains that have suffered violence
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Viola Pursues (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The castaways from the Viola establish what led them to follow in the Prospero’s wake.
After this, listen to the Ragged Scratch podcast by Ragged Foils Productions! It’s an audio drama new writing night in podcast form, full of new and experimental work, roughly produced and full of potential. Nat is the host and creator, and there’s a piece by Matt in an upcoming episode.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat and Josh as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 08 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The cruise ship Prospero founders in stormy seas. A year later, the Viola follows in its wake. A remote island offers the survivors refuge - but it’s not without its dangers…
We’re nominated for two Audio Verse Awards: Best Improvised Production and Best Player Director (for Matt)! Vote for us and your other audiodrama favourites at audioverseawards.net
Until 22 October, you can also nominate us for the Discover Pods Awards, either for Best Audio Drama Or Fiction Podcast, or for Best Overall Podcast 2019.
Content notes for this episode
* Drowning-based danger
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Prospero Awaits (Prospero & Viola Backstage)
Tue, 01 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Matt introduces the concept of this season and the roleplaying game rules we'll use to improvise our story.
Come to Blackshaw Theatre Company’s annual Scare Slam at the Pleasance Theatre, London on 11 October! Tickets are on sale now - get yours from the Pleasance box office.
Season credits
STARRING Strat, Starkey, Nat, Josh, Ellen, Vikki, Alex and Dave as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
IN ASSOCIATION WITH Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
Find us
On Twitter @MerelyRoleplay
On Facebook at Merely Roleplayers
Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Extraordinary. Powerful. Wronged.
STARRING
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
CREATED AND HOSTED BY
Matt (@MerelyMJ)
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
PLAYING All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Shipping the Sails (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 17 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Where else could the winds have taken us, if we'd set our sails a little different?
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Missing Roll Player Found (missingrollplayerfound.com)
The Cloudskipper's Captain, Act Five
Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The Cloudskipper's next voyage may be its last. And wherever it leads, it'll change its crew's lives forever.
This season contains swashbuckling violence, threats of torture, and exploitation of a character with impaired mental functioning.
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
Alex the Lookout (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Alex builds his role as ship's lookout. His eye sees far, but it don't always alight on the right things...
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: 20-Sided Adventures (the20sa.podbean.com)
The Cloudskipper's Captain, Act Four
Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The crew stirs up a hornet’s nest in Grimspire. It’s anyone’s guess who’ll make it back to sea in one piece.
This season contains swashbuckling violence, threats of torture, and exploitation of a character with impaired mental functioning.
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Strat
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Modified Roll (www.modifiedroll.com)
Starkey the Deck-Rat (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 20 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Starkey builds his role as the ship's jack-of-all-trades. With the Cap'n as he is, the Cloudskipper don't float without our Starkey...
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
The Cloudskipper's Captain, Act Three
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Revelations aboard the Cloudskipper present the junior crew with a choice: the Captain, or treasures unknown?
This season contains swashbuckling violence, threats of torture, and exploitation of a character with impaired mental functioning.
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Writers, directors and voice actors, get involved with the first Ragged Scratch podcast - a new writing showcase for audio drama in development - before 22 August: https://twitter.com/RaggedFoils/status/1156819368925442048?s=20
Promo: Brits on Bikes (twitter.com/brits_bikes)
Nat the Netmaker (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 06 Aug 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Nat builds her role as maintainer of the Cloudskipper's lightning nets. Like bottled lightning, this one is - quick to anger and full of secrets...
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Dice Girls (www.thedicegirlspodcast.com)
The Cloudskipper's Captain, Act Two
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000
It’s time for all hands to choose sides, as a deadly conflict erupts on the deck of the Cloudskipper.
This season contains swashbuckling violence, threats of torture, and exploitation of a character with impaired mental functioning.
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, and Powered by the Apocalypse
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Buy ETHERBORN on Steam, Switch, XboxOne, PS4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L9H7A1d-pM
Promo: Voices at Play (ttrpg-voices.com)
Ellie the Cook (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 23 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Ellie builds her role as ship's cook. She's suspiciously well dressed under that apron, but why would a highborn lady be crewing a lightning trawler?
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (www.kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
The Cloudskipper's Captain, Act One
Tue, 16 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The Cloudskipper sails the sky-sea, laden with lightning. But as the junior crew soon find, that's not the most valuable cargo aboard...
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Dames and Dragons (www.damesanddragons.com)
Billy the Resistor (The Cloudskipper's Captain Backstage)
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Afore ye hear our tale, ye have to know something of our land, our vessel the Cloudskipper - an' our dear Cap'n Billy.
STARRING Ellie, Alex, Starkey and Nat
HOSTED BY Strat
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Strat, using the Powered by the Apocalypse engine
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Adventure Incorporated (adventureinc.podbean.com)
Tue, 02 Jul 2019 04:00:00 +0000
When you're extraordinary, you can't help but attract hangers-on and haters.
STARRING
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
CREATED AND HOSTED BY
Matt (@MerelyMJ)
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
PLAYING All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
The get-out (Upstaged! Backstage)
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Could the contest have turned out differently? Would we want that?
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen and Strat
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Missing Roll Player Found (missingrollplayerfound.com)
Tue, 18 Jun 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Nationals! Here against all the odds, can the company stick the landing?
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen, and Strat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
Meet the judges (Upstaged! Backstage)
Tue, 11 Jun 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The company introduce us to their alter egos: the judges of Upstaged!
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen and Strat
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: 20-Sided Adventures (the20sa.podbean.com)
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 04:00:00 +0000
After taking a bath in the first round, the company struggle to keep their heads above water.
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen, and Strat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Matt mentions these podcasts and networks in the intro:
Promo: Modified Roll (www.modifiedroll.com)
The stakes (Upstaged! Backstage)
Tue, 28 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Why would a small theatre company want a big cash prize? Silly question. Here's a better one: why can't they afford to lose?
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen and Strat
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
Tue, 21 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Unsporting behaviour and technical difficulties threaten to derail the big performance.
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen, and Strat as themselves (sort of)
Nat is on Twitter @WinterNatters and appears in these recent and forthcoming games:
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Brits on Bikes (twitter.com/brits_bikes)
What's my motivation? (Upstaged! Backstage)
Tue, 14 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The company fill in their character sheets and talk about what sort of story they want to tell this season. #KeepItInCrufts
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen and Strat
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt, based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Dice Girls (www.thedicegirlspodcast.com)
Tue, 07 May 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The company enter a nationwide theatre competition. If they lose, so do all the local schoolchildren!
STARRING Ellie, Nat, Ellen, and Strat as themselves (sort of)
HOSTED BY Matt
GAME DESIGNED AND RUN BY Matt based loosely on Simple World by Avery Alder
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Voices at Play (ttrpg-voices.com)
Tue, 30 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Don't worry, it's all supposed to be all right this time.
STARRING
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
CREATED AND HOSTED BY
Matt (@MerelyMJ)
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
Back Down to Earth (Parallax Inverted Backstage)
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Did it all turn out as prophesied?
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Chris S.
HOSTED BY Chris M.
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 16 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000
The crew of the Bad Moon Rising contemplate a leap of faith.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Starkey
WITH Ellie
HOSTED BY Chris MacLennan
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
See work-in-progress art for the new edition of Impulse Drive by Claudia Cangini: twitter.com/claudiacangi
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (www.kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Stratos the Mystic (Parallax Inverted Backstage)
Tue, 09 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Strat chooses his character options and designs Mystic Weapons for himself and his mentor.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Chris S.
HOSTED BY Chris M.
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 02 Apr 2019 04:00:00 +0000
Matt and his mystic advisors play good negotiator, bad negotiator with the crew of the Slow Loris.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Starkey
HOSTED BY Chris MacLennan
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Hear Matt's guest appearance on Triple Feature: http://www.kaiju.fm/triple-feature/
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Dames and Dragons (www.damesanddragons.com)
Matt the Hound (Parallax Inverted Backstage)
Tue, 26 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Matt chooses his character options and puts his good name in Star-Key's hands.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Chris S.
HOSTED BY Chris M.
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Vikki's theory puts the crew in a spin. Best hope no one nefarious takes advantage of the situation.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Starkey
HOSTED BY Chris MacLennan
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Hear Matt's guest appearance as Bag'ra the half-orc baker on the Formal Gamer podcast: https://formalgamer.com/2019/02/25/bonus-episode-2018-dragonmeet-episode-1/
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
Mystic Star-Key (Parallax Inverted Backstage)
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Starkey chooses his character options, then looks upon his creation with a certain horror.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Chris S.
HOSTED BY Chris M.
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 05 Mar 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Vikki adjusts to her new surroundings, and finds them stranger than she could have imagined.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Starkey
HOSTED BY Chris MacLennan
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Modified Roll (www.modifiedroll.com)
Bad Moon Rising (Parallax Inverted Backstage)
Tue, 26 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000
1. Buy retired military vessel at auction
2. Install jacuzzi and ping pong table
3. Hire loyal mercenary misfits
4. ???
5. Profit!
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Chris S.
HOSTED BY Chris M.
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (blackshawtheatre.wordpress.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Something is awake at the centre of the galaxy. Also, something here could be worth money. Cue the crew of the Bad Moon Rising.
STARRING Matt, Vikki, Strat and Starkey
WITH Ellie
HOSTED BY Chris MacLennan
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (www.kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Aftermath (Parallax Converging Backstage)
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Let's take time to contemplate what we've learned, celebrate what we've achieved, and reflect on what went wrong.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: DnD RAW (dndraw.com)
Tue, 05 Feb 2019 05:00:00 +0000
The centre of the galaxy. The heart of enemy territory. For some, perhaps, the end of a journey.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Dames and Dragons (www.damesanddragons.com)
The Galaxy (Parallax Converging Backstage)
Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Meanwhile, throughout the galaxy, life goes on. But what does that look like?
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tabletop Potluck (tabletoppotluck.libsyn.com)
Tue, 22 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000
The crew race against time - and Rukuktu - to complete the Protomatter Drive.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: How the Quest was Won (roguehexagon.com/howthequestwaswon)
Alex the Outsider (Parallax Converging Backstage)
Tue, 15 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Alex chooses his character options and we get a disturbing glimpse behind the scenes of Conc Street, the galaxy's most popular soap.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
Parallax Converging, Act Three
Tue, 08 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Alex braves the anomaly in search of answers - and what he finds tests the limits of his robot brain.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
Vikki the Tempest (Parallax Converging Backstage)
Tue, 01 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000
Vikki chooses her character options: a pinch of Wolverine, a scoop of Naomi Alderman's 'The Power', and a smidge of River Tam.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Epic Endings (epicendings.podbean.com)
Tue, 25 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000
In the wake of the anomaly's festive transformation, tensions ignite aboard Zoylee Station.
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Chaotic Goodness (www.chaoticgoodnesspodcast.com)
Hooked (Parallax Converging Backstage)
Tue, 18 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000
The crew catalogues all the hang-ups that could impair their judgement on a mission. Foreshadowing? We'll find out...
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
Tue, 11 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000
A strange spatial anomaly could hold the key to the crew's mission. But what else could its appearance mean?
Starring Ellie, David, Vikki and Alex
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (www.kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
What Next? (Parallax Core Backstage)
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Before we plunge ahead into the unknown, we should consider how we made it to where we are.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Plane Shift (planeshiftpodcast.podbean.com)
Tue, 27 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000
A run-in with the Core Conclave leaves the crew battered. But could there be a way to strike back...?
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: The Redacted Files (www.theredactedfiles.com)
Ellie the Intellect (Parallax Core Backstage)
Tue, 20 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Ellie establishes her space expertise and her ... let's call it mentor relationship to David.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: DnD RAW (dndraw.com)
Tue, 13 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Conflict comes to Quarran's World, as betrayals from David's past complicate things for the crew.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: Dames and Dragons (www.damesanddragons.com)
David the Scoundrel (Parallax Core Backstage)
Tue, 06 Nov 2018 05:00:00 +0000
David chooses his character options and we learn why Meredith Penwhistle wants his hide.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tabletop Potluck (tabletoppotluck.libsyn.com)
Tue, 30 Oct 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Ellie and David are all that stands between the whistleblower Swik Tak Lang and the retribution of the Core Conclave. But what did Swik discover?
No animals were harmed in the making of this episode
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen
Promo: How the Quest Was Won (roguehexagon.com/howthequestwaswon)
The Wren & the Warbler (Parallax Core Backstage)
Tue, 23 Oct 2018 04:00:00 +0000
The Wren's seen better days, but she's home. She's not much to look at - but maybe we don't want people looking...
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Seasons of Skyrend (skyrendpodcast.com)
Tue, 16 Oct 2018 04:00:00 +0000
The crew of the Wren just need a simple job to make ends meet. But no job's ever simple when you're on the Core Conclave's hit list...
This season we're playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen. Impulse Drive is on Kickstarter right now! Get a PDF or a bound copy of the rulebook, and help push the game towards stretch goals like new ships, decks of cards, and more art for the book.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
The Core (Parallax Core Backstage)
Tue, 09 Oct 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Welcome to the galaxy. Travel the stars! Meet strange and wonderful new people! And trust the Core Conclave. Their mighty Simulation sees what's best for us all.
This season we're playing Impulse Drive by Adrian Thoen. Impulse Drive is on Kickstarter right now! Get a PDF or a bound copy of the rulebook, and help push the game towards stretch goals like new ships, decks of cards, and more art for the book.
Starring Ellie and David
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Chaotic Goodness (www.chaoticgoodnesspodcast.com)
Tue, 02 Oct 2018 04:00:00 +0000
This is the story of two ordinary people who decided to be extraordinary.
Starring:
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
Debrief (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 25 Sep 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
The Service wants to know how the mission went down. The agents want to know what was kept from them. Let's get into this.
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Tue, 18 Sep 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
With Mosaic seemingly within their grasp, a change of orders complicates things for the company.
Starring:
Ellie as Pigeon
Vikki as Anvil
Strat as Tanktop
with Chris as Foxglove
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a spy-fi version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Tanktop (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 11 Sep 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Strat, aka Agent Tanktop, fills in his character sheet and just about resists the lure of a laser watch.
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Chaotic Goodness (www.chaoticgoodnesspodcast.com)
Tue, 04 Sep 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Mosaic revealed! The company uncovers the full horrifying extent of their target's operation. Can they blow it wide open? Or will it drive them apart?
Starring:
Ellie as Pigeon
Vikki as Anvil
Strat as Tanktop
with Chris as Foxglove
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a spy-fi version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: Tails from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
Foxglove (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 28 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Chris, aka Agent Foxglove, fills in his character sheet and - wait, where'd he go?
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
Tue, 21 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
The company debriefs a volatile Agent Gossamer - and launches a risky two-pronged infiltration, deep behind enemy lines.
Starring:
Ellie as Pigeon
Vikki as Anvil
Strat as Tanktop
with Chris as Foxglove
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a spy-fi version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Pigeon (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 14 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Ellie, aka Agent Pigeon, fills in her character sheet and submits a formal request for a chase scene.
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Loremasters (www.kaiju.fm/shows/loremasters)
Tue, 07 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
The company land in Dubai on the trail of Agent Gossamer. But is she asset, ally - or enemy?
Starring:
Ellie as Pigeon
Vikki as Anvil
Strat as Tanktop
with Chris as Foxglove
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a spy-fi version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: The Redacted Files (www.theredactedfiles.com)
Anvil (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 31 Jul 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Vikki, aka Agent Anvil, fills in her character sheet and reveals her secret agent fave.
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Aero-Girl Adventures (aerogirladventures.podbean.com)
Tue, 24 Jul 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
A rash of inexplicable betrayals leave the Service's agents not knowing who to trust. Our company of covert operatives must fill in the blanks - and reveal the mysterious Mosaic...
Starring:
Ellie as Pigeon
Vikki as Anvil
Strat as Tanktop
with Chris as Foxglove
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a spy-fi version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Briefing (Codename: Mosaic Backstage)
Tue, 17 Jul 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: bloody violence
Before they're activated by the Service, our company needs a thorough security screening. What kind of agents will they decide to be?
Starring Ellie, Vikki and Strat from Blackshaw Theatre Company, and Chris from The Space Jam Continuum podcast
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Tue, 10 Jul 2018 04:00:00 +0000
This is the story of two ordinary people who decided to be extraordinary.
Starring:
Ellie as Nia
Vikki as Marlowe
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing All Outta Bubblegum by Jeffrey Grant and Michael Sullivan
Post-Show Q&A (Let's Get Gideon Backstage)
Tue, 03 Jul 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this season: blood (no bloody violence, but frequent discussion of blood)
So many questions.
With Ellie Pitkin, Chris Buxey, David Turnbull, and Josh Yard
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Loremasters (kaiju.fm/shows/loremasters)
Tue, 26 Jun 2018 16:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this season: frequent discussion of blood
Forced onto the back foot, the company races to get Gideon - before Gideon and his inner circle get them back...
Starring Ellie Pitkin, David Turnbull, Chris Buxey and Josh Yard as themselves
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a heist version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: Shattered Worlds RPG (shatteredworlds.libsyn.com)
Tricks of the Trade (Let's Get Gideon Backstage)
Tue, 19 Jun 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this season: blood (no bloody violence, but frequent discussion of blood)
This crew are genuine professionals. Well, maybe some of them are just lucky. What tricks do they all have up their sleeves? And will they be enough to pull a win out of this mess they're in?
With Ellie Pitkin, Chris Buxey, David Turnbull, and Josh Yard
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum)
Tue, 12 Jun 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this episode: discussion of blood, description of a blood transfusion, brief mention of needles
They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. As the company finally come face to face with Gideon Gilchrist himself, things start to unravel dangerously...
Starring Ellie Pitkin, David Turnbull, Chris Buxey and Josh Yard as themselves
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a heist version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: Tales from the Dark Dragons Inn (tailsfromthedarkdragonsinn.co.uk)
The Company (Let's Get Gideon Backstage)
Tue, 05 Jun 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Let's open the sealed dossiers on our company of (con) artists. What are they good at? How did they get that way? And what are they hiding from one another?
With Ellie Pitkin, David Turnbull, Chris Buxey and Josh Yard
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Chaotic Goodness
Tue, 29 May 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this season: frequent discussion of blood
The only way to get Gideon is through his nutritionist, Maxine McQuaid. Can the company's cover stories hold up long enough to meet their mark?
Starring Ellie Pitkin, David Turnbull, Chris Buxey and Josh Yard as themselves
Created and hosted by Matt Boothman (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Playing a heist version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: The Prestige (kaiju.fm/the-prestige)
The Plan (Let's Get Gideon Backstage)
Tue, 22 May 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warning for this season: blood (no bloody violence, but frequent discussion of blood)
Meet Gideon Gilchrist, billionaire arts exclusivist - and Blackshaw Theatre Company, (con) artists extraordinaire. The company surveil their mark and lay the groundwork of their master plan.
With Ellie Pitkin, Chris Buxey, David Turnbull, and Josh Yard
Created and hosted by Matt (@MerelyMJ)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Broadswords (thebroadswords.com)
Post-Show Q&A (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 08 May 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Just how much do the company regret not buying that wagon-mounted Gatling gun? And will they want to know the names of all the folks they killed?
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Prestige (www.kaiju.fm/the-prestige/)
A Town Called Amnesty, Act Five
Tue, 01 May 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: gun violence, blood, death
It's deputy vs deputy as the battle of Amnesty escalates. How much of this town's going to be left, after the law's done cleaning it up?
Starring:
Ellie Pitkin as Ellie West-Desperado
Alexander Pankhurst as Alex Lawman
Helen Stratton as Helen Stetson
Richard Stratton as Strat Stetson
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing a Wild West version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Signature Moves (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 24 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Just exactly what are these four jokers capable of, push comes to shove?
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Space Jam Continuum (www.kaiju.fm/the-space-jam-continuum/)
A Town Called Amnesty, Act Four
Tue, 17 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: gun violence, blood, death
Cornered in the midst of a conflict they want no part of, the company plans their getaway. But given the situation, that getaway ain't exactly going to be clean.
Starring:
Ellie Pitkin as Ellie West-Desperado
Alexander Pankhurst as Alex Lawman
Helen Stratton as Helen Stetson
Richard Stratton as Strat Stetson
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing a Wild West version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: Legion of Renob (legionofrenob.com)
Frontier Morality (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 10 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000
We kept the mic running through our break, as the players debated the best route through or out of this morally stodgy situation.
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Dames and Dragons (www.damesanddragons.com)
A Town Called Amnesty, Act Three
Tue, 03 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: gun violence, blood, death
Enter the rumoured Posse from Purity. They got a powerful hunger for justice and some of 'em are plain itching for a showdown.
Starring:
Ellie Pitkin as Ellie West-Desperado
Alexander Pankhurst as Alex Lawman
Helen Stratton as Helen Stetson
Richard Stratton as Strat Stetson
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing a Wild West version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
Promo: Seasons of Skyrend (skyrendpodcast.com)
The Armoury (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 04:00:00 +0000
With 100 dead presidents in hand, the company tools up for their trip into town.
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: The Redacted Files (www.theredactedfiles.com/)
A Town Called Amnesty, Act Two
Tue, 20 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: gun violence, blood, death
The company gets wind of trouble at the tin mine, and learns the law's a fragile thing out on the frontier; sometimes to uphold it, you gotta undermine it a little.
Starring:
Ellie Pitkin as Ellie West-Desperado
Alexander Pankhurst as Alex Lawman
Helen Stratton as Helen Stetson
Richard Stratton as Strat Stetson
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing a Wild West version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
The Stoic, The Sly, The Wild and The Just (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000
The company decides just how wild they all are. Who's the strong, silent type and who'll be quick on the draw?
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Promo: Loremasters (www.kaiju.fm/shows/loremasters/)
A Town Called Amnesty, Act One
Tue, 06 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Content warnings for this season: gun violence, blood, death
Four strangers ride on into a town that's stranger still. They're on the hunt for a dangerous outlaw - and they might not be the only ones.
Starring:
Ellie Pitkin as Ellie West-Desperado
Alexander Pankhurst as Alex Lawman
Helen Stratton as Helen Stetson
Richard Stratton as Strat Stetson
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Playing a Wild West version of Simple World by Avery Alder (buriedwithoutceremony.com/little-games)
The Prologue (A Town Called Amnesty Backstage)
Tue, 27 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Let's start at the beginning for once in our lives. Who in tarnation are these four, and what is it they're about? (Not sponsored by Bounty.)
With Ellie Pitkin, Helen Stratton, Richard Stratton, and Alexander Pankhurst
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Content note: child endangerment
Just when they thought they were home free, the company find themselves in a desperate race back to the summit, as the storm hits shore and some dangerous goods look set to hit the streets…
Starring Ellie Pitkin, Vikki Weston, David Turnbull and Chris Starkey as themselves
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
Ellie (Five Stage a Rescue Backstage)
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Ellie fills in her character sheet and we collectively run the risk of jumping the proverbial goose.
With Ellie Pitkin, Vikki Weston, David Turnbull, and Chris Starkey
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:00:00 +0000
Content note: child endangerment
There are some proper wrong ‘uns conducting dastardly deeds out of the Ferris Theatre. Who’d have guessed? It’ll take all the company’s pluck, wiles and common sense to take them on.
Starring Ellie Pitkin, Vikki Weston, David Turnbull and Chris Starkey as themselves
Created and hosted by Matt (@merelymj)
In association with Blackshaw Theatre Company (www.blackshawonline.com)
facebook.com/MerelyRoleplayers