#rpgaday2026 — Public Fediverse posts

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #ShadowDark #Ironsworn #Ensemble

Every resolution system in a TRPG is really answering one of two questions: what happens next, or what the fuck is that? I took ShadowDark, Ironsworn, and Ensemble apart to show you which is which.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+08+-+Resolve

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #VampireTheMasquerade #BladesInTheDark #MorkBorg

Mercy is a quality overrated. The stuff that's moving wants to kill you, and the people who want padding don't speak with their wallets. The strong provide mercy; the weak just talk about it.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+07+-+Mercy

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #VampireTheMasquerade #BladesInTheDark #MorkBorg

Mercy is a quality overrated. The stuff that's moving wants to kill you, and the people who want padding don't speak with their wallets. The strong provide mercy; the weak just talk about it.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+07+-+Mercy

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #VampireTheMasquerade #BladesInTheDark #MorkBorg

Mercy is a quality overrated. The stuff that's moving wants to kill you, and the people who want padding don't speak with their wallets. The strong provide mercy; the weak just talk about it.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+07+-+Mercy

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #Community #SocialMedia #Discourse

Reach isn't the problem. Grasping is. Everyone's out here shilling for the blessing of the masses, but the love of reach is the root of all evil. Reach out, sure. Just don't grab.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+06+-+Reach

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #Community #SocialMedia #Discourse

Reach isn't the problem. Grasping is. Everyone's out here shilling for the blessing of the masses, but the love of reach is the root of all evil. Reach out, sure. Just don't grab.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+06+-+Reach

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #Community #SocialMedia #Discourse

Reach isn't the problem. Grasping is. Everyone's out here shilling for the blessing of the masses, but the love of reach is the root of all evil. Reach out, sure. Just don't grab.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+06+-+Reach

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #Community #SocialMedia #Discourse

Reach isn't the problem. Grasping is. Everyone's out here shilling for the blessing of the masses, but the love of reach is the root of all evil. Reach out, sure. Just don't grab.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+06+-+Reach

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #Community #SocialMedia #Discourse

Reach isn't the problem. Grasping is. Everyone's out here shilling for the blessing of the masses, but the love of reach is the root of all evil. Reach out, sure. Just don't grab.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+06+-+Reach

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2026 #GM #GMLess

Some burdens are worth carrying. Some you put down and walk away from. The trick is knowing which is which — and the traditional GM shouldn't have to carry all of them.

https://grimtokens.garden/Articles/RPG+a+Day/2026/RPGaDay+2026+-+05+-+Burden

#RPGaDAY: Day 13 – Strain (Associates; Distance; WILD)

https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/13/rpgaday-day-13-strain-associates-distance-wild/

#RPGaDAY: Day 11 – Tact (Associates; Grace; WILD)

https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/11/rpgaday-day-11-tact-associates-grace-wild/

#RPGaDAY: Day 10 – Secret (Associates; Fair; WILD)

https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/10/rpgaday-day-10-secret-associates-fair-wild/

RPGaDay2026 Day 9: Privilege.

“Silver is for peasants” – Lord Reginald Archibald III.

Once a knight of virtue and valor, then a money lender followed by a brief stint as and exchequer, now lord regent of the town of Lunae where he is treated as royalty. “Old Reggie” rarely leaves his manor at the center of town where he is waited-on 24/7, truly a mallard of privilege. He has never bothered to marry or have offspring because then he would have to share his wealth with someone and children are expensive.

The only time Lord Reginald Archibald III bothers to sully himself dealing with the peasants is when someone fails to pay what is owed or taxes. He once negotiated with a baron for admittance to Lunae but cast that ruffian to the outskirts of town for being too poor. Ironically that same baron was the very man who gave Reginald his start. His trusted seneschal, Rupert, now deals with such matters so long as they are to Archibald’s liking.

[Dark Secret: Reginald occasionally commits hostile takeovers or has his rivals murdered outright, usually by using assassins no one can trace back to him. He acquired the town’s brothel, the Tired Boar Inn, and the town’s exchequer this way. Crossing or betraying this mallard usually leads to a visit from his thugs.]

His two biggest fears in life are vampires and becoming poor. He is utterly paranoid of both which is why he keeps to himself and knows everyone in his household extremely well. He regularly tests his night staff to make sure they are not vampires or under the influence of a vampire. Unfortunately interacting with the peasants is just something that happens sometimes.

Adventurers coming into Lunae are usually viewed as a threat or trouble. The town guard are 100% unshakably loyal to Lord Archibald. Most of the businesses and shops are owned or owe taxes to the Lord. Most of the townsfolk are very careful how they speak about him. Artisan, Mariner, Merchant and possibly Knight characters should be especially wary of wandering into Lunae because Lord Archibald’s guard will likely escort the group to meet Rupert.

The Lord wants a percentage of any coin earned while the group is in town and charges an additional “Adventurer’s Fee” of 1 GP each for access to the town’s services such as the armorer, blacksmith, stables, and of course, the apothecary. He does fancy Bards and Scholars and will work out a deal to keep them around so long as they sing his praises and listen to his long-winded stories about all of his various exploits.

“If one didn’t know better, you’d swear I have a private pond where I swim in gold coins. Preposterous!” –Lord Reginald Archibald III.

RPGaDay2026 Day 7: Mercy.

Dorvin, the village apothecary for Dragonbane RPG.

Once upon a time there lived an Orc named Dorvin the Mad who ran with a tribe of embittered mercenaries-turned-bandits along the Timber Road. Betrayed by humans on more than one occasion, the bandits of Dorvin’s Missing Tooth Tribe were ruthless attacking traders and loggers all up and down the road, even attacking fellow Orcs in the logging town to the north once.

One day Dorvin’s troop attacked a caravan bound for the human settlement of Pinehold, and he was struck down by a lucky crossbow shot from one of the guards. His fellow orcs promptly abandoned him and fled. The caravan guard beat Dorvin senseless, laughing as they went. A thin young lady hopped down from the carriage and approached them.

Her name was Sella Fenroot. With a simple wave of her hand and a bright, cheerful smile she convinced them to stop. She then convinced the guard to drape Dorvin over his horse, and they continued on to Pinehold.

Sella had Dorvin taken to the village apothecary, a doddering elder gentleman named Alton who immediately took the orc into his cottage to treat his wounds. Dorvin pulled through, but it was uncertain for several days while the apothecary did all he could. When Dorvin awoke, he was surprised by his surroundings and even more by his caretaker. Sella even dropped by to check on him and receive overwhelming thanks.

Making amends for prior bad deeds.

Dorvin remembers most of his life before the severe beating that landed him in Pinehold. He has no need to battle any more. He saw that bloodshed was not a means to an end. Alton was not long from retiring and wanted to spend more time tending his garden, so he agreed to teach Dorvin the ways of the apothecary.

Dorvin’s battle axe now hangs on the wall of the new apothecary’s shack Dorvin built for himself. He is becoming a welcome member of Pinehold and has learned much from Alton. Most of the town now comes to him with their minor maladies and he still consults Alton with cases he can’t cure on his own. He appreciates Sella and speaks to her often.

Dorvin, NPC Apothecary.
HP 18. WP 12
Skills: Axes 15, Bushcraft 14, Healing 12, Hunting & Fishing 12, Alchemy 10.
Knows the following Alchemy Recipes (Book of Magic.)
Herbal Concoction, Medicinal Water, Antidote, Healing Draught.
On any given day he has enough material on hand to brew two potions.

Dorvin will go to great lengths to avoid conflict with the group. He rarely charges more for potions than what he needs for flasks and components.

When entire civilizations have been consumed and reside in the _Belly of the Beast_, your survival depends on how far you can **reach** into the bowels of the World Eater to scavenge. Mechanical instincts push characters to better rewards in deeper, worse, places.

https://www.sigilstonepublishing.com/belly-of-the-beast-rpg/

#RPGaDay2026 #BellyOfTheBeast

RPGaDay2026 Day 6: Reach.

Hacks. Hero or Menace?

Continuing with RPGaDay2026 we have another superhero for the Reformed Cinematic Universe.

Character Name: Marlon Johnson.
Codename: Hacks.
Team: The Reformed.
Powers: Cybernetic Interface, Teleportation.
Incarcerated For: Breaking and Entering, Burglary, Computer Crimes, Hacking, various minor charges.

Marlon Johnson was a victim of circumstance originally. He was a fairly average high school kid living in inner city Detroit when a freak bolt of lighting struck him and the laptop he was using through an open window. Somehow Marlon survived even though the house was destroyed and his laptop. No one else was home at the time.

Desperate to get a new laptop and get into a decent college, Marlon began planning thefts of the components he would need to build a new computer. That’s when he discovered his unique ability to interact with various electronic devices using just his mind. Soon electronics stores were missing high dollar inventory with no indication of anything on camera or alarms triggered.

Then Marlon got a little too cocky. He thought he found the perfect bank. He had the cameras shut down, the alarms disabled, and the vault unlocked in the First National Bank. He confidently walked through the front door with two empty duffel bags ready to steal his college tuition. He didn’t count on the branch manager working late. Before Marlon could finish filling the second bag, police had the building surrounded.

Walking out of the vault with money in hand, Marlon was staring down the barrels of guns held by several angry looking police officers. Marlon wished to be anywhere, but where he was. He thought about his favorite burger restaurant. He remembered his favorite booth where he hung out with his brother and friends. Just as he was putting the first bag on the floor, POOF! He was in the restaurant, money still in hand.

Marlon managed to erase the police body cam footage from the incident as soon as he got home through the second use of his teleportation. He learned that the power has a range that becomes progressively shorter each time he used it and the power itself was becoming exhausting with each use. Marlon breathed easy knowing he was set for life, and no one could stop him.

Unfortunately for Marlon, his brother got messed up with the wrong gang. Tragedy struck as his parents were gunned down in front of the house, and police showed up asking a lot of questions. Marlon managed to hide his ill-gotten gain in the attic, but freeing his brother from federal custody was another issue entirely.

What Marlon didn’t know is that his brother’s incarceration was mostly to bait him into using his powers one last time. The Unknown Detective had experience dealing with teleporters and cyber criminals. It didn’t take him long to sus out Marlon and his brother. His family’s death was an unintended side effect of angering a violent gang who were later brought to custody by the Unknown Detective.

Marlon’s brother was later released and found not guilty due to a technicality. Marlon teleported himself directly into a holding cell where the Detective slapped nullifying isolation cuffs on his wrists as soon as he appeared. Marlon was later sentenced and sent to the Fresno Nevada Correctional Facility for Metahumans where he met Jack Kingston and agreed to help the team in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Marlon has turned out to be one of the team’s most powerful assets. He can control communications, hack into almost any facility that has a computer, teleport into any room he has seen or can see through various camera systems. He once even grounded a helicopter before a notorious gangster could escape arrest.

He has a crush on his teammate, Charade. Jack does not approve of any fraternization on the team, but Marlon frequently messages Charade and they spend a lot of time together when Jack isn’t looking. He also sneaks out for pizza and burgers after lights out. So far he hasn’t gotten caught nor has he committed any crimes while working with The Reformed.

Marlon does still bear a grudge against The Unknown Detective and has been trying to track down the mystery masked man for a showdown. Luckily, Detective keeps a low profile and lives completely off the grid.

Hacks came up for this prompt because his reach extends far and wide due to his ability to see anywhere with a camera on the internet and usually teleport there. Hacks is what has been classified as a “serial teleporter” because he has to make multiple jumps to cover long distances. If pushed too hard, repeated rapid teleportation has landed him in the hospital with nosebleeds, dehydration, severe exhaustion, and a seizure on one occasion. Luckily he is not a criminal at heart and Jack is hoping to reign him in to make Hacks a force for good.

All characters mentioned in this post are fictional. Any semblance to real world individuals living or deceased is purely unintentional. Photo courtesy of Pexels.

I say it every year, but I think 2026 bears repeating it. This year I intend to write more, read more, and discuss cool TTRPGs as well as supplements. Most of all, let’s just have more fun. Let’s explore. Let’s save the kingdom from the evil warlord. Let’s discuss all the fun stuff in gaming that we love.

With the world in the state it finds itself in today, please be kind. Please be considerate to one another even if we don’t agree. Lastly, please pursue the thing that brings you the most joy without harm to others. Thank you!

RPGaDay2026 Day 5: Burden.

“With great power comes great responsibility or something.” –Someone’s Uncle.

Elmer “the Great” has to forever live thinking he turned his best friend into a chicken.

Name Elmer.
Origin: Heir. Great grandson of the famous Wizard, Xoltar.
Kin: Huma
Way of Magic.

Elmer was practicing magic secretly in his barn for years because his family did not want him to grow up to be a mage. Elmer, having learned of his grandfather, decided he was going to be a great Champion someday and began learning the arcane arts.

Elmer’s best friend, Stan, was watching him one day and dared him to cast a spell. Elmer cast what he thought was an exciting spell and when the smoke cleared there was a chicken where Stan once stood. Stan of course dipped out through the back door of the barn with all of the smoke and confusion. Then Stan got distracted by farm chores and laying in the hot sun by the pond.

Meanwhile, Elmer, firmly believing Stan had been transformed into a chicken, panicked and cast more spells trying to cure his chicken of the curse he thought he had placed. After several failed attempts, Elmer collected his prized possessions, Stan the Chicken, and headed out on the open road knowing that his parents and Stan’s father would be furious.

Elmer wants to be a Champion like his great grandfather and learn how to “fix” Stan along the way.

I say it every year, but I think 2026 bears repeating it. This year I intend to write more, read more, and discuss cool TTRPGs as well as supplements. Most of all, let’s just have more fun. Let’s explore. Let’s save the kingdom from the evil warlord. Let’s discuss all the fun stuff in gaming that we love.

With the world in the state it finds itself in today, please be kind. Please be considerate to one another even if we don’t agree. Lastly, please pursue the thing that brings you the most joy without harm to others. Thank you!

#RPGaDAY: Day 5 – Burden (Intellect; Woe; Vagabonds of Dyfed)

https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/05/rpgaday-day-5-burden-intellect-woe-vagabonds-of-dyfed/

All the meanings of **charm** come to play in _Pasión de las Pasiones_, a PbtA simulation of telenovelas. The playbooks and moves in _Pasión_ provide their own system geared towards melodrama, excitement, and romance, with sessions of play intended to act as episodes in an epic telenovela, guided by one of several “playsets”, each with its own hooks and advantages.

https://magpiegames.com/collections/pasion-de-las-pasiones-1/products/pasion-de-las-pasiones-core-rulebook

#RPGaDay2026 #Pasión

#RPGaDAY: Day 4 – Charm (Intellect; Grace; Vagabonds of Dyfed)

https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/08/04/rpgaday-day-4-charm-intellect-grace-vagabonds-of-dyfed/

Social grace, emotional restraint, and **poise** create the center of _Good Society_, a Jane Austen roleplaying game. One player can act in a facilitator role, the closest this game has to a GM, but this role isn’t required. Play is diceless, supported by custom cards. Players create webs of connections to secondary characters. I missed this original Kickstarter, but they appear… poised… to kickstart a second edition soon.

https://storybrewersroleplaying.com/good-society

#RPGaDay2026 #GoodSociety #JaneAustin