326: We Are the Horror, with Ericka Skirpan
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
Release Date: 11/17/2025
332: Religious Horror, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re trying to muster up some faith. Sure, we understand that the Mythos is utterly indifferent to crucifixes and holy water, but maybe we can still find some comfort in religion. But we’re also worried that the wrong kind of belief could end up doing more harm than good, especially if it all turns a bit fanatical. Maybe religious horror is more complicated than just muttering a few prayers and hoping for the best. We haven’t got a prayer, have we? Main Topic: Religious Horror From vampire hunters wielding crucifixes to Taoist priests battling jiangshi with talismans,...
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331: Connecting Call of Cthulhu Scenarios, with Zach Reeves
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re stringy Main Topic: Connecting Scenarios in Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is famous for its epic published campaigns. We’ve all played elaborate treks around the world, punching eldritch evil in the face. But what about the less formal approach where we string together often unconnected adventures into an ad hoc campaign? How do we adapt scenarios to this approach? What are some of the possible pitfalls? And are there any specific tips we’ve picked up over the years? Our Guest Host We are delighted to welcome Zach Reeves to The Good Friends of Jackson...
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330: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu, with Paula Deming
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re blurry. Sure, your camera phone might have all the pixels, but we remain resolutely out of focus. You don’t get to maintain your status as a cryptid by being discernible. Mothman would never speak to us again. And before you complain, do you really want a clear picture of the Michigan Dogman’s notorious genitals? Actually, on second thoughts, don’t answer that one. Main Topic: Cryptids and Call of Cthulhu Call of Cthulhu is full of strange creatures that live in the dark corners of the world, only occasionally encountered by unlucky humans. But how does...
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329a: Just One More Thing - sample episode
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
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329: Cthulhu and Board Games, with Paula Deming
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re wiping ichor off our meeples. Cthulhu and board games can be a messy combination, but also a popular one. Cynics may tell you that this is because Cthulhu is in the public domain, so anyone can slap his tentacles on a game for a bit of brand recognition. We prefer to think the truth is more insidious than that, however. Every die roll, every card played, every token moved towards its inevitable doom is done in Cthulhu’s most terrible name, the terrible luck of the players and the curses they utter when they lose sustaining him deep beneath the waves. Plus, they’re...
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328d: The Great God Pan 4
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are wrapping up our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , and , and . You can find the first three parts in your podcast feed, or right here on this very server. So invoke the name of Nodens, practice your knots, and dive into Queer Street with us. , arranged by Jon Fylling, is licenced under the . If you would like to read along at home,...
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328c: The Great God Pan 3
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , and , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for the conclusion at 22:30 GMT on Thursday the 18th of December. So shake the cobwebs loose with a bracing night-time walk, brush up on your Latin, and do try not to dwell on those unsettling illustrations. , arranged by...
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328b: The Great God Pan 2
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We are continuing our festive ghost story reading of “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , Brian Murphy, , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you have time to join us for part 3 at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday the 15th of December. We shall be continuing at the same time on Thursday the 18th. So put down those Chinese boxes, open up a good bottle of chianti, and listen to our tale of...
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328a: The Great God Pan 1
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
It is time once again for us to all gather around the virtual hearth for another festive ghost story reading. This year, we present “The Great God Pan” by Arthur Machen, a weird tale of mad science, supernatural horror, and very human revenge. This reading has been organised by good friend of the Good Friends, Mike Perceval-Maxwell (host of ), taking place on . Mike is joined by guest readers , , , , , and . If you’re reading this shortly after release, you just have time to join us for part 2 at 22:30 GMT on Tuesday the 16th of December. We shall...
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328: The Birds, with Ross Bryant
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias
We’re back and we’re watching the skies. You never know when some gannet might decide to kamikaze its way into your skull, or a mob of hawks take exception to your woodwork and peck it to splinters. We’ve decided to turn to two experts for advice, but their approaches don’t really mesh. Daphne du Maurier would have us hunker down and wait for the inevitable, while Alfred Hitchcock favours stalking your love interest, barely even addressing the avian threat. We’re beginning to think these so-called experts are for the birds. Main Topic: The Birds The Birds is one of Alfred...
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We’re back and we’re scaring ourselves.
Main Topic: We Are the Horror
Most tabletop horror games revolve around the struggle between the player characters and one or more external antagonists. The concept of a “Big Bad Evil Guy” is at the heart of most of our gaming experiences. But what happens when we take all that away? How might games work when the horror comes from the interactions between the PCs? And what are some of the possible pitfalls of this approach?
Our Guest Host
We are delighted to welcome Ericka Skirpan back as our guest host for this episode! Ericka is a LARP creator, consultant, and facilitator. She writes extensively about LARPs at The Space Between Stories. Currently, Ericka is working with Mooney Bin Entertainment on LARPs such as “Conscience” and “Dresden Files 1923”.
You can find Ericka’s article “LARPing Made me a Stronger Person” in Scientific American. She has also written for 7th Sea, Vampire: The Requiem, and Changeling: The Dreaming.
Links
Things we mention in this episode include:
- Conflict and Secrets at the Gaming Table
- Psychological horror
- PVP
- D&D
- The Descent (2005)
- Alien (1979)
- Hot War
- Psycho (1960)
- “The Lord of Lies” by Atropos Games
- Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
- Jack Parsons
- Unknown Armies
- The Divide (2011)
- “Ten” – Japanese Call of Cthulhu scenario
- Saw (2004)
- RPG Reanimators
- Cults
- “1942” LARP
- Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
- “The White People” by Arthur Machen
- “Conscience” by Mooney Bin Entertainment
- David Cronenberg
- Alien: Earth
- “Miskatonic University” by Chaos League
- Yog-Sothoth
- Dystopia Rising
- “House of Craving” by Participation Design Agency
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
- Ghostwatch
- The Lighthouse (2019)
- Bug (2006)
- Folie à deux
- Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)
- Hannibal
- Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Hannibal by Thomas Harris
- Jakob’s Wife
- The Outer Limits nineties revival
- Old Gods of Appalachia
- “Monstrosity” by Sinking Ship Creations
- “The Wait” by Stan Stanley
- Into the Darkness
- In This Place by Kent Blue
- Cold City
- Mage: the Awakening
- Body horror
- Bleed
- “Educement” in The Blasphemous Tome issue 10
- Westworld
- The Dresden Files
News
Matt at Dragonmeet
29th of November
Christmas Story Reading
The Great God Pan
15th-18th, 22:30 GMT
Podcast release
Matt and Scott at Illusion Con
Panels
Blasphemous Tome Issue 14
The recent livestream Scott did with Bridget Jeffries and Graham Walmsley on Symphony Entertainment’s Twitch channel was also recorded and can be found below. This was a completely improvised freeform game based on audience suggestions, and it was very strange indeed.
