RPG Blokes

The second part of out two part Session Zero, with Lore By Night. 
The transition from regular blokes to blood-drinking fledglings is almost complete, and now we have our fully created characters. 
Next stage is to fish out our backgrounds, hone our personalities, and establish how we all know each other, and what motivates us to stay together.
Cue the dark, gritty music scene of Chicago, where Eddie Monday (Stephen) is attempting to revive his glory days with an emotional, high-energy acoustic set for his band, Heart Kills Boy.
While Flapjack (Mark) handles the cash and manages his hunger backstage, and Raziel (Barry) tries to completely disappear under the radar as a casual bottle collector, Sam Slade (Jon) is putting his Nosferatu PI skills to use tracking an underage runaway. 
Pour yourself a drink, turn the lights down, and let’s slice and dice!
Learn more about Lore By Night 
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SOCIALS 
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lorebynightvtm.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lore_by_night_vtm/
Discord: https://t.co/emGOep5ChY?amp=1 
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DTRPG Affiliate 
?affiliate_id=2794531 
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Support the show
Sign up to RPG Blokes Live Play and gain access to all our adventures. 
Check us out on our official Website. 
https://www.rpgblokes.com
Join Our Discord Community and continue the conversation with us. 
https://discord.gg/JyVcd8PNHn

In this episode of RPG Blokes, we discuss the essential concept of player agency and its role in enriching role-playing games. Mark, along with hosts Steven, Jon, and Barry, explore how meaningful choices drive player engagement and narrative depth. We tackle the fluctuations of agency in campaigns, the illusion of choice, and the balance DMs must maintain between narrative direction and player input. 
We also highlight the importance of session zero for aligning player desires with campaign goals and how DMs can integrate player decisions within pre-written adventures. Ultimately, we emphasize that fostering player agency enhances cooperative storytelling, leading to more memorable gaming experiences.
Support the show
Sign up to RPG Blokes Live Play and gain access to all our adventures. 
Check us out on our official Website. 
https://www.rpgblokes.com
Join Our Discord Community and continue the conversation with us. 
https://discord.gg/JyVcd8PNHn

Little Mark is back from Milwaukee! He survived the customs drama, the flight, and the white-knuckle terror of transporting painted minis across the Atlantic in a Tupperware box. We’re dissecting his Golden Demon journey—from the high-stakes judging sifts to the crushing reality of tiny paint flaws that can knock you out of the running.
Whether you're a seasoned display painter or just a bloke who loves some hobby banter, tune in for an unfiltered look at what it takes to compete at the top level. We're talking perfectionism, competitive construction, and why, sometimes, the act of trying really is the greatest reward. Come along for the laughs—and maybe a bit of professional jealousy.
Support the show
Sign up to RPG Blokes Live Play and gain access to all our adventures. 
Check us out on our official Website. 
https://www.rpgblokes.com
Join Our Discord Community and continue the conversation with us. 
https://discord.gg/JyVcd8PNHn

Time for an origin story. Our origin story! 

Gamebooks and the Fighting Fantasy Series in particular were very much responsible for our discovery of RPGs, and in today's episode we're incredibly pleased to have welcomed Jonathan Green joining us. One of the true titans of the Game Book industry.
Jonathan discusses what defines a gamebook, distinguishing branching stories with a problem to solve from simple choose-your-own-adventure formats. He looks at the history and appeal of Fighting Fantasy, including its role in combining fantasy, role-playing, and interactive fiction, and explains why the books attracted children through accessibility, brevity, and reader agency.

He also talks about the importance of cover art and interior illustration, and how printing changes affected artistic style. Jonathan describes his path into writing, from childhood book-making to his first published game book, Spellbreaker, and then outlines his later work on Game Books, role-playing material, and adaptations of public-domain works.

The interview ends with his more recent projects and his view that good gamebooks need meaningful choices, fairness, and a playable structure. He contrasts this with role-playing games, which allow broader freedom.

This episode is also available to watch on Video at;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUJmJ8pBkk

You can visit Jonathan online at the following places.

https://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=613290139

Fighting Fantasy Fest, on Saturday 5th September 2026
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fighting-fantasy-fest-6-tickets-1985538518157
Support the show
Sign up to RPG Blokes Live Play and gain access to all our adventures. 
Check us out on our official Website. 
https://www.rpgblokes.com
Join Our Discord Community and continue the conversation with us. 
https://discord.gg/JyVcd8PNHn

In this episode of RPG Blokes, we sit down with Little Mark for a crucial check-in before he boards a British Airways flight with a Tupperware box full of custom-painted miniatures destined for the world-famous Golden Demon competition. Having clocked over 300 hours on a single centerpiece model alone—the legendary Knights Panther—Mark gives us the direct low-down on the intense strain of high-level hobby competition. We dive deep into his tactical decision to lean heavily into classic, nostalgia-driven Old World imagery inspired by the iconic 1990s White Dwarf covers and the legendary art style of John Blanche.
Visit our Discord channel to see images of the painted miniatures discussed. 
Support the show
Sign up to RPG Blokes Live Play and gain access to all our adventures. 
Check us out on our official Website. 
https://www.rpgblokes.com
Join Our Discord Community and continue the conversation with us. 
https://discord.gg/JyVcd8PNHn