In this episode, we are in Manchester Central Library talking to GROGSQUAD member Tomas Rawlings. He has a long history of working in video games, but he also has many interesting thoughts on role-playing games and he’s currently writing a book about the evolution of Warhammer 40k.

In our discussions we talk about how developments within Games Workshop shaped the nature of chaos and its popularity as an aesthetic.

You can read more from Tomas at his substack.

Judge Blythy get’s into the pub to face a chaotic Games Master’s Screen to talk about how chaos manifests in role-playing games.

Dirk has been on the Smart Party talking about Blades 68.

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The post Chaos in RPGs and beyond (with Tomas Rawlings) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

In this episode, Kalum from the Rolistes Podcast is in the zoom of role-playing rambling to talk about French speaking RPGs. He has spoken about Nephilim elsewhere and he tells us more in this episode.

He’s also Kickstarting his game The Magic of Inventorying which will be familiar to attendees of virtual GROGMEET.

Blythy and Dirk review their year in role-playing and give out GROGGIE awards.

Caroline Munro has revised her memoir.

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The post The GROGGIES Review of 2025 (with Kalum) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

Chaosium is celebrating 50 years since the company was founded by Greg Stafford. Their games have always been at the core of what we play, so it was great to have more time with returning guest, Rick Meints.

Rick is the president of Chaosium, perhaps more importantly, he is the Head of the Department of Nostalgia, the custodian to the extensive, if chaotic, archive of the company. He started as a collector, and ended up heading the company.

We set him the challenge of finding five items from the archive that represent the development of the company over fifty years. What products are the milestones of progress in the history of Chaosium?

There are some unexpected items in there. Let us know what you think.

The interview was recorded in front of an audience as part of GROGMEETish in November. In the room of role-playing rambling, I’m joined by resident rules-lawyer Judge Blythy to review GROGMEETish. We also talk about NPCs or Games Master Characters and how to handle a ‘cast of 1000s’.

The advert is for Eldritch Stories from Mason and Fricker.

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Dirk

The post Five Items that Made Chaosium (with Rick Meints) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.