As I’ve previously noted, my Blades in the Dark games require low amounts of preparation. One of the reasons that can work is that I try to have reusable prep. When a score comes up, or when free play gets dangerous, I need to have a list of dangers (complications, consequences, etc.) already handy. These … Continue reading Dangers and complications for Blades in the Dark
The Trophy Kickstarter is almost done, although it may have concluded when you read this, and it has succeeded wildly! I will be writing part of the megadungeon in it, which is the first time I’ve done anything remotely professional in tabletop RPGs. Go support it, or check out the Trophy site for more info. … Continue reading A Litany in Scratches: Trophy Gold Conversion
As my first full season of Blades in the Dark comes to a close, I took some time to write down my thoughts on John Harper's fantastic game. For clarity, this represents only my personal opinion, and on balance this remains one of my very favorite role-playing games in both mechanics & setting. I will … Continue reading Lessons Learned in the Dark
This is a ritual I created together with my friend Jessie, a player in my Blades in the Dark campaign, for her Whisper character "Aleizabel" ("Eyes"). "White Ghosts Walk in a Row" by Florence Harrison 1. What does the ritual do and how is it weird? The ritual wards the caster and someone else from … Continue reading Ritual: Ghost Ward
I recently ran Trophy Dark using the incursion "The Giant's Carcass". If you just want to watch the actual play, it's embedded further down in this post. First, though, a few words about the game. Thoughts on Trophy Dark Trophy Dark is a one-shot game with very light rules and very dark themes, published by … Continue reading Running Trophy Dark: A Giant’s Carcass
Photo by Anika Huizinga on Unsplash When somebody tells you "this space is closing down", there are basically two things you can do. You can fight it, or you can accept it. There are a million variations on those themes, but at some point you have to pick one. Even if it feels like absentee … Continue reading My final statement on Variant Roles
In 2020, I will be doing more of my streaming and other game content creation independently. This includes playing computer and tabletop games online as well as publishing games and adventures and similar materials in a more accessible, usable fashion. Whenever I start something like this, I find the natural project planning model helpful. I … Continue reading 2020 Planning
