The GROGNARD Files Podcast: "Arion Games and Other RPGs" (with Graham Bottley)

Date: October 31, 2025
Host: Dirk the Dice
Guests: Graham Bottley (Arion Games), Judge Blythe
Theme: Celebrating retro and contemporary RPGs, focusing on Arion Games’ history, Fighting Fantasy, Maelstrom, and recent gaming experiences.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the enduring appeal of classic RPGs—especially Fighting Fantasy and Maelstrom—through a long-form chat with Graham Bottley of Arion Games, marking the publisher’s 20th anniversary. Afterward, hosts Dirk and Blythe reflect on a September crammed with RPG sessions, conventions, and face-to-face play, sharing insights and laughs on new games, ongoing campaigns, and the social heart of gaming.

1. Arion Games: History, Legacy, and Design

Guest: Graham Bottley (starts ~[02:20])

Origins of a Gamer ([02:42]–[04:31])

• Graham’s love for fantasy began at age 9; his father brought home Forest of Doom, sparking an obsession with gamebooks and eventually leading to the Red Box D&D set.
• Quote: “With a novel I’d always expanded the universe within my own brain... all of a sudden I had the option to go further with these game books.” – Graham ([03:25])

The Appeal of Fighting Fantasy ([05:21])

• Early adventures resonated due to archetypal designs: dungeon crawls (Warlock of Firetop Mountain), wilderness (Forest of Doom), urban (City of Thieves).
• Artwork (Russ Nicholson, John Blanche) crucially shaped the line’s unique atmosphere.
• Quote: “If I pick up Shamutanti Hills now and... look at the picture... I am still sat on the floor of my parents house with... the wrestling on the TV, going through the Shamutanti Hills. It is embedded in my brain.” – Graham ([06:55])

The Distinction of the Sorcery! Series ([07:32]–[10:34])

• Sorcery! felt “more grown up, a bit secretive,” using unusual art and narrative structures, partly inspired by Steve Jackson's time in Nepal.
• “It was like watching the blockbuster film... you can’t wait for [the sequel].” – Graham ([08:53])

Founding Arion Games & Reviving Advanced Fighting Fantasy ([10:37]–[14:54])

• Arion Games began with paper miniatures, then moved into RPGs, picking up the AFF license in 2010.
• Early publishing challenges: print vs. PDF, partnership with Cubicle 7, then moving in-house.
• “We’re working on the 34th book in the series... plus a whole load of PDF adventures and paper miniatures... It just snowballed from there.” – Graham ([13:49])

Translating Gamebooks to RPGs ([14:54]–[19:02])

• The original AFF RPG’s high randomization (D6+6 for skill) great for solo play, but problematic for group balance.
• No “real” armor system originally, reflecting Russ Nicholson’s scrap armor illustrations; introduced in new editions for modern sensibilities.
• “If you’re going to take it as an RPG on its own, I think it just needed that little bit of extra work.” – Graham ([18:55])

Linear Adventure Design—Updating for RPGs ([19:16]–[21:40])

• Criticisms that some adaptations (e.g., Crown of Kings) are too linear.
• New modules now include branching, random dungeon generators to provide replay and unpredictability.
• Latest release: Eye of the Dragon hardcover, with innovative dungeon mechanics ([21:27]).

Maelstrom: A Historical, Innovative RPG ([21:49]–[26:59])

• Maelstrom, written by 14-year-old Alex Scott, sold massively due to its fighting fantasy-style branding.
• Innovations: mundane professions, lethal combat, probability-based magic, real-world herbology adapted to gameplay.
• “It was quite an innovative role playing game... you could be a butcher, or a grocer... not just fighter, mage, champion.” – Graham ([23:11])

Online Community & Arion’s Future ([29:08])

• Active communities on Facebook and Discord. Fighting Fantasy’s recognition spans generations.
• Graham hopes to continue publishing well past retirement: “By the time I do retire... we could have 120,130 different RPG books, different lines, all sorts of different stuff.” ([30:17])

2. Super September: Recap of an RPG-packed Month

Hosts: Dirk & Blythe (starts ~[31:08])

Why So Much Gaming? ([31:32]–[33:10])

• September felt especially busy due to seasonal routines and regular groups restarting.
• Dirk: “This hobby is a winter hobby because it’s indoors.” ([32:29])

New Game Spotlights ([35:27])

The Hidden Isle ([35:32]–[42:52])

• Indie RPG set in a magical, alternate 16th-century Europe.
• Forged in the Dark-based but uses tarot cards for both scenario hooks and conflict resolution.
• Mechanics in Brief:
  • Tarot cards determine scenario and success/failure in actions.
  • Players each have fortune cards to help one another.
• “It seemed a bit simpler than Blades in the Dark... more like a conventional roleplaying game.” – Blythe ([36:30])
• Blythe bought the rulebook immediately after their session ([42:10]).

Blade Runner RPG ([42:55]–[51:05])

• Free League’s adaptation—stylish, evocative, but tightly focused on being police procedural, not outlaw replicant escapades.
• “As player characters... you’re working in conjunction with the UN... making sure replicants behave themselves.” – Dirk ([44:32])
• Discussion of shift-based time mechanics: resource (time) management creates procedural tension and forces players to split up ([48:38]).
• Both agree the game is best in campaign play, not one-shots: “One shots, you just get 2/3 of the game... a schooner of a game.” – Blythe ([47:32])

Campaigns: Ongoing and Returning ([51:22]–[61:44])

• Pirates Campaign: Ongoing Traveler game, now “season four,” with the crew facing a 10-million-credit bounty each from GD Car, a megacorporation ([53:15]).

  • “I think putting a price on your head is a totally reasonable thing that they would do.” – Blythe ([53:13])
  • Ship debates: practical trade-offs vs. emotional attachment to signature vessels ([55:08]).

• The Borella’s Connection: A lengthy Fall of Delta Green investigative campaign, slow-paced due to the depth and detail of realistic, complex settings like Saigon.

  • “There are a lot of layers... that slows it down, but increases the sense of alienation you feel.” – Dirk ([59:55])
  • “Ken Hite’s got us hostage in two campaigns!” – Blythe ([61:34])

In-person Play and Conventions ([61:54]–[66:06])

• More face-to-face gaming after online-dominant years rejuvenated their enthusiasm.

• At Glorantha Games convention, Dirk observed the challenges of teaching RPGs to complete newcomers: “It was really startling to think... there’s a lot to cover in this very short time.” ([64:22])

• Planescape/5e D&D ([66:11]–[73:33]):

  • Planescape rationalizes D&D’s “kitchen sink” fantasy by giving a logic to its variety.
  • Anecdotes about comic wild magic mishaps highlight the difference in gameplay feel between D&D and DCC.
  • “It always descends as a weirdly tactical game, doesn’t it? That’s the thing with it.” – Blythe ([69:33])
  • DCC: Fumbles and spell misfires are seen as fun and thematic, compared to D&D’s sometimes frustrating consequences ([71:04]–[73:25]).

Reflections on Gaming Volume—Can You Have Too Much? ([76:50]–[82:45])

• Acknowledging partner fatigue and the risk of burnout from excessive play or prep, but emphasizing the importance of good company and balancing GMing vs. playing.
• Quote: “That is the essence of it, isn’t it? The idea that you’re just playing with people who are good players and you’re familiar with as well.” – Blythe ([78:30])
• “Can you have too much of a good thing? Only if you let it take over.” – Dirk ([82:04])

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Art and Nostalgia: “You look at those pictures and I imagine there’s many, many, many people my age who if you showed them one of those pictures now, it would give them an immediate flashback...” – Graham ([06:47])

• Gamebook to RPG Challenge: “If you’ve got Bob whose character has 12 skill and 22 stamina, and then you’ve got Rob with 7 skill and 14 stamina, Bob is doing everything... and it gets boring.” – Graham ([15:17])

• Maelstrom’s Design: “To put out a candle is a really easy spell, because candles blow out all the time... making a coin levitate off a table is almost impossible.” – Graham ([24:26])

• Transitioning Hobby Generations: “I meet people at conventions who look about 22 and they say, ‘Oh, I’ve got the game books.’ And I’m like, how? You’re far too young!” – Graham ([29:48])

• Roleplaying as Social Glue: “What you can’t eliminate from role playing games—it is a social experience. And that counts for a lot.” – Blythe ([79:43])

• On over-scheduling: “Can you have too much of a good thing? Only if you let it take over... you’ve got to determine the bits you like about it to make sure you’re doing more of that.” – Dirk ([82:04])

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:20] – Open Box: Interview with Graham Bottley begins
• [05:21] – Enduring Appeal of Fighting Fantasy
• [10:37] – From Paper Minis to Advanced Fighting Fantasy (AFF)
• [14:54] – Challenges Adapting Gamebooks for RPGs
• [21:49] – Maelstrom and Gaming Innovation
• [29:08] – Building/Supporting Community
• [31:08] – Super September: Hosts recount a packed month
• [35:32] – Hidden Isle Review (Tarot-based RPG)
• [42:52] – Blade Runner RPG: Police, Investigations, and Campaign Play
• [51:22] – Active Campaigns: Traveler, Fall of Delta Green
• [61:54] – Conventions, In-person Play, Onboarding New Gamers
• [66:06] – 5e Planescape; comparing to DCC play
• [76:50] – Can You Have Too Much RPG? Gaming burnout and joy
• [82:45] – Episode Wrap-Up

5. Conclusion & Tone

The episode blends deep nostalgia for classic British RPGs with practical discussions of modern play styles and game design. Guests speak with humor, warmth, and enthusiasm, weaving in memories, detailed reflections, and reviews in a friendly, conversational style that welcomes both seasoned grognards and curious newcomers.

For more:

• Visit Arion Games’ store (link in show notes)
• Look forward to upcoming "Dirk’s Dossier” episodes, including discussions on running gladiatorial campaigns

(End of summary. The summary covers all salient topics, uses selected quotes with timestamps, and maintains the podcast’s informal and engaging tone.)