The Fate of the World, and pudding. Roland Drewelow and Gray Guardians (Episode 275)

The Fate of the World, and pudding. Roland Drewelow and Gray Guardians (Episode 275)

Author: Tabletop Journeys May 8, 2026 Duration: 47:43

🎲 What happens when you combine The Golden Girls, Stephen King, Riker in Frame of Mind, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer?


That's the brilliant premise behind Gray Guardians, a TTRPG unlike anything you've seen at your table. This week, the crew sits down with designer Roland Drewelow (Thethiyan Games) for a deep dive into one of the most creative, accessible, and laugh-out-loud fun indie RPGs to hit the scene.

Whether you're a seasoned dungeon delver or picking up your first set of dice, Gray Guardians is built to meet you where you are, and that's exactly what makes it special.


🏠 In this episode:

The wildly inspired premise behind Gray Guardians and the films that sparked it (Bubba Hotep, anyone?)

How Roland's Difficulty Dials let you tune the crunch level for ANY table, from total newbies to hardcore tacticians

Why the words on your character sheet matter more than you think

Senior Moments on a nat 1: because sometimes you can open the door... but your shirt gets caught in it 👴

The Gossip Points economy, the only currency that truly matters

A denture-dropping bestiary

How Gray Guardians could work as a one-shot inside your existing campaign

Roland's upcoming projects: Blackwater Creek (moonshine, time travel, trailer parks) and Hurly Burly (a nonviolent summer camp RPG with a magic VCR and the most unsettling clown in gaming)


This one's got heart, humor, and the kind of game design philosophy we love here at Tabletop Journeys. Story-first, player-friendly, and dripping with thematic flavor. Don't miss it. 🎙️


🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned in the Episode

🎮 Gray Guardians by Thethiyan Games:

itch.io: https://thethiyan-games.itch.io/gray-guardians

DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/34045/thethiyan-games


And remember:

✅ Like

✅ Subscribe

✅ Ring the Bell to never miss an Episode


🗺️ Tabletop Journeys Links:

Patreon: patreon.com/ttjourneys

Bluesky: @ttjourneys.bsky.social

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ttjourneys

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ttjourneys

Website: https://ttjourneys.com/

Email: podcast@ttjourneys.com


#DnD #TTRPG #DnD2024 #TabletopJourneys #DrHomebrew #IndieRPG #GrayGuardians #TabletopGaming #PodcastInterview #GameDesign #OneShot #NursingHome #RulesLight #AccessibleGaming #TabletopRPG


Three longtime friends, with a combined century of experience around the gaming table, invite you into their ongoing conversation. Tabletop Journeys is a podcast born from decades of shared history, not just as gamers but as people who have spent a lifetime thinking deeply about the worlds we create together. You’ll hear the easy, often hilarious dynamic of a group that has played in and run every kind of tabletop and live-action roleplaying game imaginable. Their discussions are the kind that usually happen late at night, after the dice are put away, where ideas get pulled apart, rebuilt, and passionately debated. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in one of those living rooms, listening in as they dissect everything from game mechanics and storytelling techniques to the unexpected life lessons found in collaborative imagination. It’s less a formal review show and more a chronicle of a lifelong journey through games, packed with the kind of insight and friendly argument that only comes from truly knowing your fellow travelers. Tune into this podcast for a natural, deep, and often very funny exploration of why we play.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Tabletop Journeys
Podcast Episodes
🧪 Dr. Homebrew's Tabletop Autopsy | Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:48
Noble Knight Games' annual clearance sale struck again — and this time Dr. Homebrew walked away with something much bigger than planned. 📦 This week on Tabletop Autopsy, we're cracking open he Age of Legends and Last Kni…
You DON’T Need to Know Trek to Play STA? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:02
# OtRP (S2 Ep 23) –“You DON’T Need to Know Trek to Play STA?”What if one of the biggest barriers to growing Star Trek Adventures… is us?This week on On the Right Path, Lewanika tackles a conversation that started online…
Talking Trek with Ensign Inara Osho [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:09
A Preservations Season 3 Bonus EpisodeTalking Trek with Ensign Inara Osho | Star Trek: Preservations (S3 Bonus Episode)Join us in the ready room as we introduce Ensign Inara Osho, the newest member of the Dilamus Christi…
Prep Less, Teach Better: Convention D&D for New Players [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:55
Prep Less, Teach Better: Convention D&D for New PlayersRunning D&D for new players does not require hours of prep.At Rising Phoenix Game Con 2026, I put the TTJ approach to the test with a mixed table of new and experien…
Running STA the TTJ Way | Rising Phoenix 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:14
This is your STA Convention Diary + GM Breakdown. What does it actually take to run Star Trek Adventures at a convention and make it hit?Episode Highlights:⚡Running STA the TTJ Way⚡Sour Deals breakdown (STA 2E Starter Se…
OtRP (s2 Ep20) -Grimly we Tread Into the Dark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:10
Grim, gritty, and unapologetically dark… today we crack open one of the most atmospheric 5E-compatible settings on the market.In this episode of Tabletop Journeys Presents: On the Right Path, we dive into Grim Hollow: Tr…
STA: Where Everything's Better the Second Time Around [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:15
OtRP (S2 Ep 19) – "Everything's Better the Second Time Around."===========================What comes after first contact… is where the real story begins.In this episode of On the Right Path, we take a second look at the…
How we make custom monsters (Episode 272) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
Ever stare at a blank stat block and wonder where to even start? In this episode of Dr. Homebrew, we pull back the curtain on the monster-building framework we use here at Tabletop Journeys. It's a rules-first, narrative…
Talking Star Trek Preservations with Lt. Neelan - (S3 Bonus Ep) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
Talking Star Trek Preservations with Lt. Neelan (S3 Bonus Ep)Go behind the scenes of Star Trek: Preservations as we sit down with Lt. Neelan for a deep dive into Season 3. This bonus episode explores the character’s evol…