Pull Up a Chair: Notes From the Long Table is Here
After more than a decade away from face-to-face gaming, I'm back at the table. And I'm taking notes.
Notes From The Long Table is my new podcast about old-school tabletop roleplaying games, specifically Old School Essentials and the broader Old School Renaissance. But it's not a review show, an actual play, or a how-to guide. It's something different: genuine notes from someone actively running games, thinking through why rules work the way they do, and rediscovering what makes tabletop gaming special after years away.
Think of it as pulling up a chair by the fire with a warm drink while we talk about the games we love, the stories we tell, and the choices that make those stories matter.
What This Show Actually Is
Every episode of Notes From The Long Table follows a consistent structure:
- Journal Notes: The main content: philosophy, analysis, and ideas about game design
- Table Notes: Updates from actual games I'm running (currently following the Hobby Night crew through a funnel adventure)
- Scrap Notes: Occasional deep dives into specific topics
- Final Notes: Wrap-up and calls to action
The format gives you both theory and practice, philosophy and proof. I'm not just talking about gaming. I'm actively running two groups and sharing what I learn along the way.
The Journey So Far
The first four notes lay the foundation:
Note 001: "OSE Can You See?" tells the origin story. How D&D split into Basic and Advanced editions in the late '70s, creating two different games sold under the same name. One light and improvisational, one dense and restrictive. I explain why that split matters, how I found my way back to gaming after a decade-long hiatus, and why Old School Essentials became my system of choice. You'll also meet Tim, my co-conspirator, and the Hobby Night group at my church where we're running the funnel adventure Tangled for a mixed group of kids and adults.
Note 002: "No E-N in Sight" explores the landscape of the Old School Renaissance. Why do 500 different OSR games exist? How are they different? What happened to Basic D&D after it got overshadowed by Advanced D&D? We trace the path from BECMI through the Rules Cyclopedia to the modern OSR's "rulings, not rules" philosophy. You'll learn why Gary Gygax created Advanced D&D as tournament rules, and why that decision shaped the hobby for decades. The Table Note introduces Tangled and explains why funnel adventures are perfect for teaching both new players and new referees.
Note 003: "Dead Weight" examines how death mechanics shape everything else in your game. I compare 5th Edition's elaborate death-saving-throw system with Old School Essentials' brutal simplicity. But this isn't about one system being "better", it's about understanding what each approach offers. Safety rails versus sharp edges. Resilience versus consequence. Recovery versus risk. The Table Note shows this in action as the Hobby Night crew faces the portcullis trap at Tangled's entrance, where one wrong move means instant death.
Note 004: "Not in the Facade!" presents the central philosophy: rules should be scaffolding, not facade. Scaffolding gives you tools to build your own stories. Facade presents a story already decided. I explore why some modern games try to curate your experience, why that limits creativity, and why Old School Essentials deliberately leaves space for your table to make something unique. The Hobby Night crew pushes deeper into the ruins, facing animated corpses and mysterious eyes in the darkness, proving that minimal rules create maximum creativity.
What Makes This Show Different
It's Genuinely Thoughtful. I'm not rushing to pump out content or chasing algorithms. Each note takes the time it needs to develop ideas properly, build arguments carefully, and connect concepts across episodes. This is slow media for people who want to actually think about the games they play.
It's Honest About Limitations. I'm not an expert pretending to have all the answers. I'm someone learning OSE alongside my players, making mistakes, and figuring things out as we go. When I'm uncertain, I say so. When I disagree with common wisdom, I explain why and acknowledge I might be wrong.
It Balances Theory and Practice. Every philosophical point is grounded in actual play. When I talk about death mechanics creating meaningful consequences, you hear about the portcullis trap. When I discuss rules as scaffolding, you watch players solve problems creatively with minimal guidance. Theory without examples gets dry; play reports without context get boring. You get both, one a compliment to the other.
It Respects Different Play Styles. I have strong opinions about what works for my tables, but I'm not trying to convert anyone. Modern D&D works great for millions of players. If you love it, wonderful! Keep playing it. I'm just explaining why I've chosen a different path, and what that path offers to those who might be curious.
It's Unpolished and Unapologetic. I'm explicit about this from Note 001: these are genuine notes, not highly-produced media. The audio is clean enough to understand easily, but I'm not obsessing over perfect production. The content matters more than the packaging. Think "notes scribbled on napkins" rather than "exquisite letterhead."
Who This Show Is For
You'll love this if you:
- Are curious about Old School Essentials or OSR gaming in general
- Enjoy thinking about why games work the way they do
- Value substance over production polish
- Want to hear from someone actually running games, not just theorizing
- Appreciate when people acknowledge nuance instead of making absolute claims
- Miss the improvisational freedom of early D&D
- Are tired of games that try to tell you what story to tell
This probably isn't for you if you:
- Need tightly-edited, fast-paced content
- Require pristine audio production
- Want purely entertainment without analysis
- Love modern D&D exactly as-is and can't handle thoughtful criticism
- Have zero interest in old-school gaming approaches
- Prefer tactical optimization guides over design philosophy
How to Listen
Notes From The Long Table is available exclusively on Buy Me a Coffee.
There's no RSS feed, no presence on podcast aggregators. This is intentional—it's a sanity clause that lets me focus on making episodes rather than managing distribution. Older notes may be publicly available from time to time, but current notes require a subscription.
Episodes come roughly monthly (the main game group meets once a month), and they're as long as they need to be. Some may be quite long, others quite short. They're always what I feel is adequate to the material.
Start with Note 001: "OSE Can You See?" If that clicks with you, if my voice, pacing, and approach work for you, continue through Notes 002-004. By the end of the fourth note, you'll have a complete understanding of the show's philosophy and whether it's for you.
The Invitation
Here's what I'm offering: thoughtful analysis of old-school gaming from someone actively at the table, building arguments carefully across multiple episodes, grounding philosophy in actual play, and respecting your intelligence enough to acknowledge nuance and complexity.
I'm not trying to be everything to everyone. This is a specific kind of show for a specific kind of listener: someone who values depth over speed, substance over polish, and genuine exploration over hot takes.
If that's you, pull up a chair. Grab a warm drink. Let's talk about the games we love and the stories we tell together.
Listen to Note 001: "OSE Can You See?"
Want to share your own OSR experiences? Join the conversation on Discord or comment directly on Buy Me a Coffee. Your thoughts might inspire future notes.