James Holloway: monsterman.org

Hodag did the suspect illustrations for The Booklet of Bounties, and they look great!

World War III: The twentieth century's most important war? From 1945 onwards, it was a war that never broke out that occupied the minds of millions of people around the world. During the Cold War era, World War Three remained an apocalyptic fantasy, but it was a fantasy with enormous impact, relevance, and resonance. Facing this ‘spectre of ever greater annihilation’ politicians, officials, military leaders, and 'boffins' all pored over its implications, planned for its outcomes, and wrestled with the morality of it all. The global public consumed ideas about a third major twentieth century conflagration through an untold number of novels, comics, films, plays, artworks, news media articles, and games. This talk will cover the imaginary of World War III more generally, and then focus on how analogue games approached this topic and what this can add to our understanding of the twentieth century.

Better Dead Than Red: RPGs and the invasion of America Since the founding of the United States 250 years ago, fears of subversion and invasion by foreign powers have waxed and waned, but have never gone away. The 1980s saw the emergence of RPGs and board games that explicitly dealt with this threat, either literally or metaphorically. What do we make of these games as historical objects and how do we analyse them within their historical context. This talk by Malcolm Craig will invite you to consider games like Freedom Fighters, Year of the Phoenix, and the infamous Price of Freedom, and think about what they tell us about the United States in the era of Ronald Reagan.

They're not up on the site yet, but I'll be giving 2 talks at @conpulsion.bsky.social in Edinburgh on April 11/12:

11th: 11.30-12.30: World War III: The 20th century's most important war?

12th: 15.30-16.30: Better Dead Than Red: RPGs & the invasion of America

More on the talks in the images below

Monster Man: Episode 613: Elf, High (Silvanesti) and Elf, Wild (Kagonesti) Some regular old high elves and some pretty-much-regular old wood elves feature in today's episode! If you're enjoying the show, why not consider ? You'll get access to lots of new bonus content,...

We're grinding our way through the elves of Krynn with an episode that bumps up a bit against the limitations of the monster-book format.

monsterman.libsyn.com/episode-613-...

Friends! Do you have a favourite tool for randomly generating monsters, preferably one that creates interesting scenario or narrative results? If so, please recommend it to me. Thanks!

It Is Still Dark of Night cassette. Of Sleeping Bears. Midnight of the Century. Evocative black and white. A lone figure scrambles over a rocky shoreline, wearing a light-coloured coat with the Oroboro logo on it, a circle with a tick at the midnight position.

It Is Still Dark of Night cassette. Red tape, opened case.

It Is Still Dark of Night cassette showing inner liner. Red tape.

It Is Still Dark of Night cassette showing inner liner, opposite site. Red tape.

The Midnight of the Century soundtrack cassettes have arrived, featuring @ofsleepingbears.bsky.social’s killer ambient synth companion EP It Is Still Dark of Night.

Midnight of the Century is a ‘90s serial killer investigation #TTRPG inspired by Millennium and Twin Peaks.

Poster for international women's day, 10% off, use code IWD. Offer ends 10th March. Only use on bad squiddo products. Cool poster of some of our art by Martin Whitmore and some painted minis.

Oi oi it's #IWD26 & I'm a woman and I make little cast metal women! Use code IWD26 in the shop to get 10% off AND write a suggestion in the order notes - most popular will get made next! Wahey!

*10% off applies to Bad Squiddo products only but you can still add backdrop books etc to the same order

I'll message you!

It is not, perhaps, very efficient, but I am going to Lead and Steel in Sheffield next month. A little exposure to the part of the hobby I enjoy so much will help keep morale high. I hope I will see some of you there!

Fehérlófia (Son of the white mare)/2 YouTube video by anonanastan

Here's the final dragon fight, just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmJR...

Monster Man: Special Episode: Son of the White Mare Patreon backer Michael brings you this special episode all about the monsters of a classic Hungarian animated film! If you're enjoying the show, why not consider ? You'll get access to lots of ne...

Patreon backer @nightnoon.games brings us this special episode all about the monsters of a classic Hungarian animated film!

monsterman.libsyn.com/special-epis...

I don't know about planes, but it would make sense. Also if there is a flag on either side of the plane, then if the canton is forward in both cases you can imagine they are the two sides of the same flag.

I mean, I don't think they wear them on an olive t-shirt, though.

That is actually what it's supposed to look like. The flag on the right sleeve military uniforms is worn with the blue canton forward and is therefore "backward." The idea is that it looks like the flag is being carried on a flagpole.

Monster Man: Episode 612: Dwarf, Zakhar and Elf, High (Qualinesti) We finish up the dwarves of Krynn in today's episode! Also: we start the elves of Krynn.  If you're enjoying the show, why not consider ? You'll get access to lots of new bonus content, incl...

We're back in Krynn today, with the last of the dwarves and the first of the elves! One of these is a big departure from the traditional image of the type, and the other one ... isn't.

monsterman.libsyn.com/episode-612-...

Wanted: Belladonna Mortsafe by James Holloway A bounty-hunting scenario maker for Troika!

The Booklet of Bounties is kind of a spiritual successor to Wanted: Belladonna Mortsafe, a pamphlet adventure I wrote for Troika! You roll up a fugitive, her allies, some locations, etc. It's PWYW, and if WYW to P is 0, I endorse that.

james-holloway.itch.io/mortsafe

Hi, Rainbow!

A cludbur sentinel responds to one of the ever-present threats of the marsh.

#shivershield #fantasywargames #miniaturewargaming #ttrpg #fantasyminiatures #paintingminis #minipainting #wargamesterrain #folkhorror #miniwargames #wargames #wargaming #mordheim #frostgrave #tabletop #warcry #warhammer

Possibly a lot of cons are near the sea because the boom of consumer air travel has left British seaside resort towns with quite a lot of hotel space and not huge crowds, which makes them affordable to run events in.

'Why Do We Tell Stories?' An Introduction to Actual Play Dr. Emily Friedman (Auburn University) will provide an introduction to the power of Actual Play for audiences and creators across the globe

Worlds collide, as @friede.bsky.social addresses my friends at the University of Edinburgh's History and Games Lab on 12th March! Sign up here:

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/why-do-we-...?

I have a great fondness for those LJN toys. I was going to say it is a struggle not to start collecting them, but that's me and a lot of things.

Get more from James Holloway on Patreon creating MONSTER MAN podcast

Periodically, I remind you that my Patreon tier levels are absurdly cheap (& will probably go up this year). Give me $2 a month and get over 200 episodes of Patron Deities, my podcast about myths & religions of the world as sources for RPGs! (I know, needs new banner.)

www.patreon.com/c/monsterman

The Booklet of Bounties by James Holloway A zine of fantasy fugitives and bounty-hunting scenario seeds.

My latest zine, The Booklet of Bounties, is now available digitally from my Itch store! It's full of tables and writing prompts for quickly creating bounty-hunting scenarios, and has great art from @hodagrpg.bsky.social and @toadlett.bsky.social!

james-holloway.itch.io/the-booklet-...

Monster Man: Special Episode: Worldbuilding with Elites Patreon backer Luke brings you this special episode all about those special monsters and what you can learn from them. If you're enjoying the show, why not consider ? You'll get access to lots of...

Patreon backer Luke brings you this special episode all about the most important monsters and what we can learn from them.

monsterman.libsyn.com/special-epis...

Photo of a toy package advertising "Grow Your Own Gorilla Egg," with an illustration of gorillas emerging full-grown from eggs.

Almost certain this isn't how it works.

I will drop my local library an email to see if they want anything. They do have game nights, although I'm not aware that they have an RPG group. There's also an RPG night at my favourite pub; I could shoot a few over there.

If you know of one that would like some, I will send 'em over!

Oh, I should add: I am in the UK.

I don't know how a good cause would benefit from a bunch of niche fantasy RPG zines, but if you know of a good cause that would like some they're very welcome to them.

Stacks of copies of three zines: The Guide to Grunts, the Tome of Tombs and The Magonium Mine Murders.

During my huge office clearout and reorganisation, I found these old stacks of zines that are a little scuffed. They're in pretty good shape, just a wee bit too bent or marked for me to sell (I am finicky about it). Anybody want one? Perhaps you have surplus zines you'd like to swap?

The Primer is included in the No Ice in Minnesota bundle running on Itch for the next 15 days. If you get it in the bundle, you also unlock the full hardcover PDF when it releases in March. So there’s no better time to get a killer game and raise money for a crucial cause!

itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...