# Episode 73: Merely an Engsvanyáli Garderobe **URL:** \ **Category:** Improvised Radio Theatre with Dice\ **Created:** [1 January 2019 10:38 UTC](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/episode-73-merely-an-engsvanyali-garderobe/307 "2019-01-01T10:38:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RogerBW](https://discussion.tekeli.li/user_avatar/discussion.tekeli.li/rogerbw/32/3_2.png) [@RogerBW](https://discussion.tekeli.li/u/RogerBW)\ **Post date:** [1 January 2019 10:38 UTC](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/episode-73-merely-an-engsvanyali-garderobe/307/1 "2019-01-01T10:38:26Z")
[https://tekeli.li/podcast/irtd\_073.mp3](https://tekeli.li/podcast/irtd_073.mp3) This month, Mike and Roger search for secret doors, are intimidated by some but not all “large” campaign settings, and consider how to do cultural appropriation with respect. We mentioned: [Warhammer FRP at the Bundle of Holding](http://bundleofholding.com/presents/WFRP1E) (alas, it _doesn’t_ include the Sorcery book, but all of _The Enemy Within_ is there), [Doctor Who at the Bundle of Holding](http://bundleofholding.com/presents/DoctorWho), [The Queer Feet](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Innocence_of_Father_Brown/The_Queer_Feet), [Glorantha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glorantha), [Tékumel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A9kumel), [Malaclypse the Younger](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Principia_Discordia), [King of Dragon Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Dragon_Pass), [Uresia: Grave of Heaven](http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/uresia.htm), [Harnmaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A2rnMaster), [Traveller](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_%28role-playing_game%29), [the Esoteric Order of Roleplayers and two separate runs of Bluebeard’s Bride](http://esoteric-rp.blogspot.com/search/label/bluebeard%27s%20bride), [the X-Card](https://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg), [the Elven Politics thread](http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=160533) and [the discussion of Vampire society](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/i-failed-my-resolve-check-and-bought-vampire-5th-ed/275). Here’s our [tip jar](https://paypal.me/RogerBW/). Music by Kevin MacLeod at [incompetech.com](http://incompetech.com). ---
**Author:** ![BigJackBrass](https://discussion.tekeli.li/user_avatar/discussion.tekeli.li/bigjackbrass/32/4_2.png) [@BigJackBrass](https://discussion.tekeli.li/u/BigJackBrass)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2019 11:26 UTC](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/episode-73-merely-an-engsvanyali-garderobe/307/2 "2019-01-03T11:26:04Z")
Regarding concealed doors and problems to be solved by the player rather than the character, one of my _Tunnels & Trolls_ games involved handing the players one of those little sliding tile puzzles, onto which I had stuck a drawing of the door. The scrambled image was exactly what their characters could see on the wall and the door could only be opened when the puzzle was solved. Since I detest dealing with puzzle rooms myself I tend not to pull this sort of stunt these days. ---
**Author:** ![BigJackBrass](https://discussion.tekeli.li/user_avatar/discussion.tekeli.li/bigjackbrass/32/4_2.png) [@BigJackBrass](https://discussion.tekeli.li/u/BigJackBrass)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2019 12:24 UTC](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/episode-73-merely-an-engsvanyali-garderobe/307/3 "2019-01-03T12:24:32Z")
Concerning language and introducing it to players, I rather like the method Professor Barker used, especially in his novels, of combining a Tsolyáni word with an English one to provide immediate context and familiarity. Thus we have references to _Dná_-flour, _Dná_-grain beer, tiny _Drí_-ants, a _Hmélu_-calf and so on. You may not be able to identify _Dná_-grain and know how it differs from another type, but as a player you instantly grasp roughly what is being discussed. It lets you pepper the conversation (or spice it up with hot _Hlíng_-seed, if you prefer) without everyone struggling to remember what the words mean. ---
**Author:** ![RogerBW](https://discussion.tekeli.li/user_avatar/discussion.tekeli.li/rogerbw/32/3_2.png) [@RogerBW](https://discussion.tekeli.li/u/RogerBW)\ **Post date:** [3 January 2019 18:18 UTC](https://discussion.tekeli.li/t/episode-73-merely-an-engsvanyali-garderobe/307/4 "2019-01-03T18:18:01Z")
One of the minor revelations on my path away from dungeon-bashing was that telling the players to solve a puzzle may be fine as a game, but it’s not at all a simulation: we may be able to determine how good each character is at the 15-puzzle, but we can’t tune our own abilities to match.