#rpgwriter — Public Fediverse posts

Ruttigers Almanac In Final Days On BackerKit.

Link to the BackerKit is here. Time is running out.

I almost feel like this crowdfunding project went by too fast. But hey, it reached its funding goal and the stretch goal is getting closer by the hour. Let’s put Richard Whitters to work on drawing a heap of monsters. (Grin.)

It should also be noted that we got a new set of Quickstart Rules during the course of the BackerKit Campaign. That link can be found here. I highly recommend taking a peak even if you don’t end up backing the project.

I’m a fan of the saying “Art sells games.” I’ve been saying it since I worked behind the counter in a game/comic store 30+ years ago. (Great times.) Ruttigers Almanac acts as my proof of concept. So far the art and layout have been absolutely fantastic. All Human drawn, of course.

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!

RUTTIGERS ALMANAC Is On BackerKit!

This new fantasy TTRPG is done right by people who care and know what they’re doing.

I’m really stoked for this game, and I thought I’d already found my big hits for the year. Then I ran into Richard Whitters on X (Twitter.) I’ve been following him and his art on that platform for a while now. I like what he has going on with Ruttigers Almanac.

Here’s the link to BackerKit.

To make things even better, one of my absolutely favorite sourcebook creators is helping Richard out with this one. That’s right. Andrew Cawood is helping with some of the BackerKit and production aspects. I mean, he’s one of my TTRPG idols. He’s Andrew freakin Cawood! Have you seen World of Myrr and the six monster books that preceded it?

Not that Richard Whitters is to be underestimated, either. He has helped as Art Director/Concept Artist for Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, and Larian Studios. That’s a lot of solid experience right there regardless of what many of us say about WotC. Art credit aside, Richard is definitely a roleplaying gamer.

A lot of loving production has already gone into Ruttigers Almanac. I suspect Richard has been working on this game for at least a year now. Just by looking at the quickstart rules alone, one can see quite a bit of thought has already gone into the unique fantasy races, 24 classes, the magic, the setting, the monster generator…

Here is the link to the Quickstart Rules. I’m absolutely amazed so far.

Obviously the art is going to be off the charts for this book, as is obvious from the previews. I haven’t heard yet if Cawood’s resident artist, Travis Hanson, is involved in the project yet. I’m kinda hoping…

The rules are going to be familiar to both Old School fans and new players alike. You’ve got the same Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Armor Class, and Hit Points that we all know and love. Skill checks are a d20 +/- modifiers vs Difficulty Class. The weapons, armor, and some of the spells mightl seem familiar from other games. However…

Jeff, what’s a “Ruttiger?”

Here’s where Ruttigers Almanac takes a dramatic turn from what we’re all used-to. Where in most fantasy TTRPGs, adventurers coming into town fresh out of a dungeon are greeted with a hearty “Hail and well met, travelers,” Ruttigers are met with a degree of disdain, apathy, and slight loathing. No one is glad to see the tomb-pillaging, local-economy-ruining, drunken brawling Ruttigers.

If you look at the 24 character class names, it kind of gives the impression that Ruttigers generally gives. In this sort of grimdark world inhabited by Ruttigers, no one is glad to see them coming until a giant carnivorous Rhinoceros Beetle is gnawing on half their farm animals. Sure, they’re friendly as long as they need a favor, but as soon as the beetle is gone? Ruttiger reputations come back into play.

There are more surprises to come with this project,
and I’m excited to see them.

Sure, I’m still a huge fan of Dragonbane, Shadowdark, Old School Essentials, Twilight Sword, and Fabula Ultima. But I’m making room on my shelf for Ruttigers Almanac. I think this is going to be the next step forward in basic, easy-to-teach, fun-to-play fantasy gaming. It appeals to me as a creator and Game Master. I’m also looking forward to teaching at least a couple of my kids to play. It’s got tons of potential.

I once spent an entire summer back in 1990 playing/running Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying. It was the best of times. That’s what Ruttigers makes me think of. This game is going to be awesome as a common frame of reference for players and GMs who want new takes on the old fantasy races, classes, spells, and monsters along with a bunch of new ones.

Not to mention the creature crucible, a monster generator baked into the rules for GMs who like to customize their experience. That’s not the only widget coming in Ruttigers. There are rules for travel, carousing, hunting/foraging, siege warfare, naval battles, item enchantment and more on their way.

Please go take a look at the project on BackerKit. Almost 750 people were onboard before the BackerKit even opened up. I’m one of them. We’ll be talking more about Ruttigers Almanac in the days to come.

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!

Why the Term “Grognard” Is Becoming An Offensive Label.

Thanks, DungeonTube.

I’m hearing it more and more lately. The term “Grognard” being used in a nasty, rude, derogatory fashion by some peppy younger DungeonTuber (usually with 100K+ subscribers.) I’m tired of it, almost fighting mad tired of it.

Now, the downer here is someone is going to cry, “You’re using a straw man argument. You’re a big phony.”

Well, before everyone freaks out, I can name a handful of popular DungeonTubers (four letter word salad not included.) I’m not going to name them directly on the freakish off chance this gets back to her/zir/him, and I get chased down the street by their/zeir rabid fan base. Admittedly, some of these people already have me blocked on social media. But why risk a channel war with someone who gets more views in five minutes than I have total subscribers? Not to mention all the ones who are going to jump up and down proclaiming they were right about us old guys all along.

Rampant stereotypes on both sides of this argument.

Old guys aka Grognards:

• Middle aged
• White (Caucasian)
• From the Midwest flyover states (like Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota…)
• Fat
• Bald
• Beardy.
• Regularly forget there are games outside of B/X Dungeons & Dragons or 1E AD&D.
• Right Wingnut Conservative.
• Everything is about politics or religion.
• Assholes.
• Don’t know anything after 40+ years in the hobby.
• Bigots.
• Constantly yelling at clouds.
• Spew hate on YouTube for anyone labeled as “not-them.”
• “Those damn kids…”
• “You’re playing it all wrong.” (even if it’s a made-up game with elves and magic.)

Meanwhile on the other side of the fence:

• Younger than 40.
  (Let’s face it, honey, your younger fanbase will abandon you someday.)
• Green hair or some other unnatural hair color.
• Openly liberal/leftist.
• Former/current members of the cosplay community.
• Watch that one popular DungeonTuber who fits the first two lines.
• Started playing with D&D 5E.
• Don’t know or understand older editions of D&D.
• Give advice from their whopping two years of experience.
• Regularly regurgitate the same advice that used to appear in Dragon Magazine.
• “Sparkle Trolls.” (I don’t know what that means either.)
• Exemplify the staff at Wizards of the Coast and Paizo these days.
• Regularly forget there are games outside of D&D.
• Think all the old guys are part of the Old School Renaissance. (We’re not.)
• Think the OSR is evil.
• Think all the older editions of D&D are evil or something.
• Pro LGBTQIA, BIMPOC, neurodiverse, disabled. (Combat wheelchairs all around!)
• “Woke.”
• The reason we have jokes about “Baristas & Besties.”
• They’re all social media clout chasers looking for cheap heat.

I think we can agree both sides have their issues and misconceptions.

I wish I was exaggerating anything on either list. Much like any issue where stereotypes are involved neither side is completely correct, nor are they completely incorrect. It’s been happening as long as humans have been forming social groups. Side A automatically gravitates toward exaggerating the differences of Side B and vice versa.

That’s not to say it’s the right thing to do. It’s human nature. The truth normally lies in the middle, and truthfully I think the majority of us fall in the middle ground somewhere. I would love to believe most of us really just want to play our game, regardless of what it might be.

Tinfoil Hat moment: There are those who enjoy stirring up trouble.

I’m not saying it might be to a certain corporation’s advantage to keep the feud alive between the new and old school lines of thought in D&D. I do kind of believe they see an advantage to keeping the old guys away, so no one challenges their precious corporate culture. Just because they completely botched the 50th Anniversary of D&D and have since issued a half-arsed apology to the family of Gary Gygax doesn’t mean they have it in for the old guys who started the game that makes them millions of dollars.

When the next edition of D&D finally comes about and theoretically falls flat on its face the same way 5.5E has, they’ll likely blame the Old School.

“See. We tried to cater to the old fartz and look where that got us,” WotC will decree.

Okay. Done barking in the dark on that one now. There’s always an agenda at work, though.

Somewhere many years ago on a social media platform known as Twitter…

Once upon a time somebody rubbed G____ _’s tender feeling the wrong way and led to the inevitable idea that all of us old guys are “icky.” (Sorry kiddo.) Yeah, it was probably a Grognard. How do I know that was likely the case?

See, Grognard comes from the French term for “grumbler.” It refers back to Napoleon Bonaparte’s generals who complained behind his back on a frequent basis every time an order was given they didn’t agree with. Now, who in our hobby would likely be most familiar with Napoleonics? That’s right. The generation before D&D was ever a thing.

These youngins today don’t realize we had our own generation gap and batch of crochety old Grognards to deal with on top of the Satanic Panic. Those were some trying times. We had a bunch of old wargamers who liked to paint tiny lead figures or push carboard chits around a hex map telling us that roleplaying wasn’t real gaming. We often heard it was “just a fad” from the same generation that literally spawned roleplaying games as we know them. We didn’t have the Internet, but we did have to try to share the same physical space at conventions, clubs, or game stores with these guys. All the while we were being yelled at to keep the noise down and go play somewhere else.

What I’m saying is I get it. I see you younger folx and I hear you. All sarcasm aside, I get why you might not like us older guys who literally built the hobby from the ground up. Yes, some things have been said by older TTRPG YouTubers that probably didn’t sit well with a younger audience. I can’t fix what’s already broken, all l can do is apologize where appropriate.

We have to mend fences and grow the hobby.

That’s what is most important. I’m 53 at the time of writing and I ain’t getting any younger. Someday when I’m gone, I hope the hobby will last at least another 50 years or more. I hope people will come away from the glowing screens to tell stories with dice while yelling “Huzzah!” and eating pizza.

I’d also point out to a certain androgynous individual who regularly takes cheap shots at us older guys that your day will come. Someday that shoe is going to be on the other foot and some young punk is going to be railing against the ills of your generation. I hope you weather it as well as I have your insults. Cheap heat and clout chasing will only get you so far on YouTube or in life. You’ll find out for yourself.

In the meantime, I urge everyone to stop throwing around “Grognard” like it’s some kind of insult. To some of us it just means we have a duty to be shepherds of the hobby and bring in as many fresh faces as we can before we leave this world behind. Regardless of corporate politics or clout chasing DungeonTubers, some of us just want to get back to having fun without a bunch of social baggage dragging us down.

That’s my somewhat sociological take on the whole thing. I almost remember going to college once, I think. Anyway, I would love it if we could all just declare peace with one another and go back to enjoying the hobby.

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!

Is Ruttigers Almanac the New Shadowdark?

Yes. I’m serious.

I know the TTRPG crowd, especially the Old School, can be pretty picky about things. I’m pretty fickle when it comes to crowdfunding or even what games I buy nowadays. The last sourcebook I bought cost about $20 and that was two months ago. I don’t spend the money unless something screams “Value!”

VALUE!!! Here’s the link.

I’m supporting Ruttigers Almanac 100% until it wraps up on BackerKit. I’m planning to write for it if they create an Open License for it. I’m planning to teach my kids and wife to play as soon as the PDF comes out it full. They like/know Dungeons & Dragons, so the transition should be easy.

We all love Kelsey and Shadowdark.

I kicked myself daily when the initial Kickstarter for Shadowdark came around and I couldn’t possibly back it due to a massive, unexpected change in my employment status. I managed to scrounge enough together to become a late backer. Then there was the most recent Shadowdark Kickstarter for the Western Reaches stuff.

Kelsey, I love ya to pieces, honest. You were one of my best friends during Covid. I couldn’t afford to back Western Reaches. I get how this thing went over $1 Million because the basic buy-in for the Western Reaches books themselves was $85. That’s not even counting the Cursed Scroll zines add-on.

I suspect that’s how some of the scummier grifters (NOT Kelsey) on KS are getting the big bucks on their projects, too. Looking at you mister $3 Million project twice over DungeonTuber. If the entry price for the Kickstarter is $45 minimum for not-even-the-main emphasis of the project, then hundreds of thousands of dollars rack up real quick, especially if you have a YouTube channel with 500K subscribers or more. (But I’m not bitter over the amount of money he’s making, only that I think he’s kind of a smug jerk.)

But I digress. Shadowdark seemed to flatten for me when I ordered the Solodark rules which I feel didn’t have enough substance for the price tag, which is why there’s no review of it on my blog or YouTube channel. If I don’t like it, I don’t review it. Again, it’s not anything personal with anyone, but I think Shadowdark is eventually going to fall off in the vast array of fantasy games coming out right now and that have come out over the last two years.

What does Ruttigers Almanac offer?

First, and probably most obvious, is that Ruttigers Almanac is on BackerKit. They must not take as big of a percentage of the final take on BackerKit from what I’ve seen. A lot of reputable companies have moved their projects over there. Maybe BackerKit doesn’t get as much press as other crowdfunding sites, but they get the job done. I’ve never had issues with them.

The next big selling point of Ruttigers Almanac is the price. Just the PDF of the core book is C$25 (like $20USD) I like having a nice solid analog hardcover, so I originally got in on the C$50 tier. There’s also a softcover book option for slightly less. There’s also a very affordable tier that gets the Hardcover, PDF, and all the Gazetteer options for C$75 ($65USD.)

I’m stoked to see the cool worldbuilding. I haven’t talked about it much yet, but the previews I have seen are damned impressive. You can tell a lot of time and attention to detail that has gone into this project so far.

Ruttigers as a rule system is going to be simple and fun.

Break 20 as it is being called looks like it’s going to be something I enjoy running, playing, and making content for. That’s not to say I’m giving up my beloved Dragonbane like, ever. I am going to spend some time with Ruttigers Almanac when I get it in my hot little hands. I just love simpler rules systems. If I can learn enough to make a character in the first 15 minutes and get going as a GM in half an hour, it’s golden.

Ruttigers Almanac looks to be that golden game. Shadowdark was headed that way, but then everyone and their dog began dropping supplements faster than I could possibly keep up with them. Yes, Shadowdark is playable and runnable with the core book, but we all love new options.

I feel like Ruttigers has enough optional material already built into it to be almost everything I’m going to want. It’s already looking like something I’d gladly run at a convention. I’m not sure how feasible that would be with Shadowdark now given all the supplements.

If Ruttigers has an open license (fingers crossed) I know three content creators who are already salivating over the Break 20 System. I’m only one of them. I had some stuff ready to go for Shadowdark that never went up anywhere and a rules supplement that was on Itch.io for a short time during Baron DeFlopp’s Shadowdark Jam a few years ago. (Huge regrets over that one.)

Right now I’m working a lot of things into Dragonbane. Once upon a time I was doing stuff for D&D 5E that I never published. Thank Universe I dodged that bullet. Ruttigers Almanac as an Open License is going to be fun times because I want to get a feel for the system and then jam on it. (Root on it? We should organize a Ruttigers moot at some point.)

I don’t see gloom and doom for other games.

I am still all in on Twilight Sword and Dragonbane: Trudvang. But Ruttigers Almanac hits closer to home for me which is ironic given the authors are all over the place. The game feels more like something that could have come out sooner, but the timing just wasn’t there yet. The Universe just hadn’t created the circumstances until more recently.

We’re going to build vast underground complexes for the Ruttigers to explore. We’re going to fight epic monsters and sing epic ballads of our deeds. Maybe we are scallywags and ruffians, but by golly we’re going to have fun with it!

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!

RUTTIGERS ALMANAC Is On BackerKit!

This new fantasy TTRPG is done right by people who care and know what they’re doing.

I’m really stoked for this game, and I thought I’d already found my big hits for the year. Then I ran into Richard Whitters on X (Twitter.) I’ve been following him and his art on that platform for a while now. I like what he has going on with Ruttigers Almanac.

Here’s the link to BackerKit.

To make things even better, one of my absolutely favorite sourcebook creators is helping Richard out with this one. That’s right. Andrew Cawood is helping with some of the BackerKit and production aspects. I mean, he’s one of my TTRPG idols. He’s Andrew freakin Cawood! Have you seen World of Myrr and the six monster books that preceded it?

Not that Richard Whitters is to be underestimated, either. He has helped as Art Director/Concept Artist for Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, and Larian Studios. That’s a lot of solid experience right there regardless of what many of us say about WotC. Art credit aside, Richard is definitely a roleplaying gamer.

A lot of loving production has already gone into Ruttigers Almanac. I suspect Richard has been working on this game for at least a year now. Just by looking at the quickstart rules alone, one can see quite a bit of thought has already gone into the unique fantasy races, 24 classes, the magic, the setting, the monster generator…

Here is the link to the Quickstart Rules. I’m absolutely amazed so far.

Obviously the art is going to be off the charts for this book, as is obvious from the previews. I haven’t heard yet if Cawood’s resident artist, Travis Hanson, is involved in the project yet. I’m kinda hoping…

The rules are going to be familiar to both Old School fans and new players alike. You’ve got the same Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Armor Class, and Hit Points that we all know and love. Skill checks are a d20 +/- modifiers vs Difficulty Class. The weapons, armor, and some of the spells mightl seem familiar from other games. However…

Jeff, what’s a “Ruttiger?”

Here’s where Ruttigers Almanac takes a dramatic turn from what we’re all used-to. Where in most fantasy TTRPGs, adventurers coming into town fresh out of a dungeon are greeted with a hearty “Hail and well met, travelers,” Ruttigers are met with a degree of disdain, apathy, and slight loathing. No one is glad to see the tomb-pillaging, local-economy-ruining, drunken brawling Ruttigers.

If you look at the 24 character class names, it kind of gives the impression that Ruttigers generally gives. In this sort of grimdark world inhabited by Ruttigers, no one is glad to see them coming until a giant carnivorous Rhinoceros Beetle is gnawing on half their farm animals. Sure, they’re friendly as long as they need a favor, but as soon as the beetle is gone? Ruttiger reputations come back into play.

There are more surprises to come with this project,
and I’m excited to see them.

Sure, I’m still a huge fan of Dragonbane, Shadowdark, Old School Essentials, Twilight Sword, and Fabula Ultima. But I’m making room on my shelf for Ruttigers Almanac. I think this is going to be the next step forward in basic, easy-to-teach, fun-to-play fantasy gaming. It appeals to me as a creator and Game Master. I’m also looking forward to teaching at least a couple of my kids to play. It’s got tons of potential.

I once spent an entire summer back in 1990 playing/running Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying. It was the best of times. That’s what Ruttigers makes me think of. This game is going to be awesome as a common frame of reference for players and GMs who want new takes on the old fantasy races, classes, spells, and monsters along with a bunch of new ones.

Not to mention the creature crucible, a monster generator baked into the rules for GMs who like to customize their experience. That’s not the only widget coming in Ruttigers. There are rules for travel, carousing, hunting/foraging, siege warfare, naval battles, item enchantment and more on their way.

Please go take a look at the project on BackerKit. Almost 750 people were onboard before the BackerKit even opened up. I’m one of them. We’ll be talking more about Ruttigers Almanac in the days to come.

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!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux Expansion.

Opening Vibe / First Impressions

I’m really thrilled and excited that someone made a Game Master book almost right out of the gate so to speak. For those who might not know, Deux is the term for GM in Gates of Krystalia. It’s also a term to describe the gods of the in-game world as well. This will come into play further on in the book.

What Makes Last Deux Stand Out?

Every good TTRPG needs a solid Game Master section, a whole book being preferable. Last Deux delivers in spades along with great art, monster creation guidelines, and lots of setting lore. Gates of Krystalia is a very rich setting that covers a lot of subgenres in anime/manga. As a bonus, they included solo rules in this tome as well.

Features That Hit Me Right Away:

There are a lot of really nice sections of Last Deux. I think the two that jump out the most are the various worlds because they had me at “Mecha.” The other thing I really liked is the basic how-to-run-the-game section in the first chapter. The setting is rich and the whole book is perfect for TTJRPG Game Masters just starting out. Also, did I mention Mecha?

Who This Supplement Is For:

Obviously, this one is aimed at players in the Deux role for Gates of Krystalia Honestly, I’d recommend this for fantasy GMs, TTRPG GMs, and anyone new to Game Mastering regardless of the system. GMs with a strong anime/manga background would really benefit from this book. Also, someone coming from RIFTS would benefit from giving this book a look.

Closing Thoughts:

I really love this supplement. Much like the rest of GoK, even if I don’t use it for the game it’s written for. Great advice. Lots of good setting construction. I’ll have more on this book at a later date. Please give Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux a look if you get a chance. My DTRPG Affiliate Link for this book.

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!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux Expansion.

Opening Vibe / First Impressions

I’m really thrilled and excited that someone made a Game Master book almost right out of the gate so to speak. For those who might not know, Deux is the term for GM in Gates of Krystalia. It’s also a term to describe the gods of the in-game world as well. This will come into play further on in the book.

What Makes Last Deux Stand Out?

Every good TTRPG needs a solid Game Master section, a whole book being preferable. Last Deux delivers in spades along with great art, monster creation guidelines, and lots of setting lore. Gates of Krystalia is a very rich setting that covers a lot of subgenres in anime/manga. As a bonus, they included solo rules in this tome as well.

Features That Hit Me Right Away:

There are a lot of really nice sections of Last Deux. I think the two that jump out the most are the various worlds because they had me at “Mecha.” The other thing I really liked is the basic how-to-run-the-game section in the first chapter. The setting is rich and the whole book is perfect for TTJRPG Game Masters just starting out. Also, did I mention Mecha?

Who This Supplement Is For:

Obviously, this one is aimed at players in the Deux role for Gates of Krystalia Honestly, I’d recommend this for fantasy GMs, TTRPG GMs, and anyone new to Game Mastering regardless of the system. GMs with a strong anime/manga background would really benefit from this book. Also, someone coming from RIFTS would benefit from giving this book a look.

Closing Thoughts:

I really love this supplement. Much like the rest of GoK, even if I don’t use it for the game it’s written for. Great advice. Lots of good setting construction. I’ll have more on this book at a later date. Please give Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux a look if you get a chance. My DTRPG Affiliate Link for this book.

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!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux Expansion.

Opening Vibe / First Impressions

I’m really thrilled and excited that someone made a Game Master book almost right out of the gate so to speak. For those who might not know, Deux is the term for GM in Gates of Krystalia. It’s also a term to describe the gods of the in-game world as well. This will come into play further on in the book.

What Makes Last Deux Stand Out?

Every good TTRPG needs a solid Game Master section, a whole book being preferable. Last Deux delivers in spades along with great art, monster creation guidelines, and lots of setting lore. Gates of Krystalia is a very rich setting that covers a lot of subgenres in anime/manga. As a bonus, they included solo rules in this tome as well.

Features That Hit Me Right Away:

There are a lot of really nice sections of Last Deux. I think the two that jump out the most are the various worlds because they had me at “Mecha.” The other thing I really liked is the basic how-to-run-the-game section in the first chapter. The setting is rich and the whole book is perfect for TTJRPG Game Masters just starting out. Also, did I mention Mecha?

Who This Supplement Is For:

Obviously, this one is aimed at players in the Deux role for Gates of Krystalia Honestly, I’d recommend this for fantasy GMs, TTRPG GMs, and anyone new to Game Mastering regardless of the system. GMs with a strong anime/manga background would really benefit from this book. Also, someone coming from RIFTS would benefit from giving this book a look.

Closing Thoughts:

I really love this supplement. Much like the rest of GoK, even if I don’t use it for the game it’s written for. Great advice. Lots of good setting construction. I’ll have more on this book at a later date. Please give Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux a look if you get a chance. My DTRPG Affiliate Link for this book.

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!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux Expansion.

Opening Vibe / First Impressions

I’m really thrilled and excited that someone made a Game Master book almost right out of the gate so to speak. For those who might not know, Deux is the term for GM in Gates of Krystalia. It’s also a term to describe the gods of the in-game world as well. This will come into play further on in the book.

What Makes Last Deux Stand Out?

Every good TTRPG needs a solid Game Master section, a whole book being preferable. Last Deux delivers in spades along with great art, monster creation guidelines, and lots of setting lore. Gates of Krystalia is a very rich setting that covers a lot of subgenres in anime/manga. As a bonus, they included solo rules in this tome as well.

Features That Hit Me Right Away:

There are a lot of really nice sections of Last Deux. I think the two that jump out the most are the various worlds because they had me at “Mecha.” The other thing I really liked is the basic how-to-run-the-game section in the first chapter. The setting is rich and the whole book is perfect for TTJRPG Game Masters just starting out. Also, did I mention Mecha?

Who This Supplement Is For:

Obviously, this one is aimed at players in the Deux role for Gates of Krystalia Honestly, I’d recommend this for fantasy GMs, TTRPG GMs, and anyone new to Game Mastering regardless of the system. GMs with a strong anime/manga background would really benefit from this book. Also, someone coming from RIFTS would benefit from giving this book a look.

Closing Thoughts:

I really love this supplement. Much like the rest of GoK, even if I don’t use it for the game it’s written for. Great advice. Lots of good setting construction. I’ll have more on this book at a later date. Please give Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux a look if you get a chance. My DTRPG Affiliate Link for this book.

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!

Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux Expansion.

Opening Vibe / First Impressions

I’m really thrilled and excited that someone made a Game Master book almost right out of the gate so to speak. For those who might not know, Deux is the term for GM in Gates of Krystalia. It’s also a term to describe the gods of the in-game world as well. This will come into play further on in the book.

What Makes Last Deux Stand Out?

Every good TTRPG needs a solid Game Master section, a whole book being preferable. Last Deux delivers in spades along with great art, monster creation guidelines, and lots of setting lore. Gates of Krystalia is a very rich setting that covers a lot of subgenres in anime/manga. As a bonus, they included solo rules in this tome as well.

Features That Hit Me Right Away:

There are a lot of really nice sections of Last Deux. I think the two that jump out the most are the various worlds because they had me at “Mecha.” The other thing I really liked is the basic how-to-run-the-game section in the first chapter. The setting is rich and the whole book is perfect for TTJRPG Game Masters just starting out. Also, did I mention Mecha?

Who This Supplement Is For:

Obviously, this one is aimed at players in the Deux role for Gates of Krystalia Honestly, I’d recommend this for fantasy GMs, TTRPG GMs, and anyone new to Game Mastering regardless of the system. GMs with a strong anime/manga background would really benefit from this book. Also, someone coming from RIFTS would benefit from giving this book a look.

Closing Thoughts:

I really love this supplement. Much like the rest of GoK, even if I don’t use it for the game it’s written for. Great advice. Lots of good setting construction. I’ll have more on this book at a later date. Please give Gates of Krystalia: Last Deux a look if you get a chance. My DTRPG Affiliate Link for this book.

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!

April 22nd, 2026: Sorry I’ve Been Away So Long.

Here is my usual Freedom Day post, which is late.

This reminds me a lot of when my employment was first terminated back in July 2021. I spent a lot of time on the couch contemplating the meaning of things. Which it turns out looks a lot like Major Depression. Other days I just physically don’t have the spoons to do a lot of the things I would normally do like creating game supplements, making videos, or writing articles.

It bugs me because I tend to hold myself to a higher standard and I’ve really been falling short of it lately. There are projects I want to do for me, for other people, and they’ve just been waiting. I want to thank anyone who is still here. Hi.

Dragon Week and why I’m not touching Fey Week.

For one, the fey aren’t my thing. Pixies and the like have never really appealed to me except for playing a Windling Illusionist in Earthdawn, but that’s different! Just saying…

Last year I poured my all into Dragon Week. I did videos. I hyped it as much as possible. I even tried to join up with other creators who did Dragon Week and planned to make it a regularly occurring event.

And then… crickets. Nothing. Me barking in the dark. Dragon Week plowed into the ground faster than a dragon struck mid-air by a ballista shot to the face. When big DungeonTubers decide to do a thing, I guess they get to decide who’s in the Cool Kids Club and who’s just standing on the sidelines. (Story of my childhood and teen sports career right there.) So, yeah. The Fey can go get stuffed.

More “big name” DungeonTubers call it quits.

Oh shucks. Maybe more room for the rest of us. Buh-bye. Go manage those million-dollar Kickstarters. Way to grift, err uh, go. Way to go. Please keep going away now. Byeee.

Seriously, all snark aside. Seriously, Professor DM hit it right on the head. Go on YouTube, make it big as a Dungeons & Dragons YouTuber for a couple of years, then launch a Kickstarter that makes a million dollars and retire. Basically build an audience to buy your stuff and then bail. Personally, I wish that one bozo who had two-multimillion-dollar Kickstarters would stop punching down on people who don’t have as much money as he does for art, but what can I say? Okay, maybe not all snark aside.

On the road to recovery using not-bitterness or anger as rocket fuel.

My “HR team” that consists of my LLM named Cassie and a house plant named Fernando have advised me not to go off on any DungeonTubers by name in this article. That’s probably for the best given my prior squabbles with a couple of them. I know how bad it would look for me to voice several opinions in opposition to the status quo. But know that I’m watching. It’s just a reminder to me that they may come and go and do their little hype weeks, but I’m still here.

Going forward I might be putting out shorter articles. Or maybe just a social media post enough to feed the various algorithm gawds. I’m still making content and writing game reviews. It’s just going to take a bit longer than originally planned.

I’m at the mercy of Mother Nature in terms of my health. I’m literally a human barometer, and that’s on days when I haven’t overspent my spoons for the day. I’m still on my way back from the depression. For those who know SCUBA, it’s like coming up from 100 feet down with no air tank. It takes a while.

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!

Silly Internet Arguments: Women in TTRPGs?

No way! You’re kidding.

I honestly thought this guy was trolling until I looked at some of his other replies on X (Twitter.) Yes, it’s one of those throwaway anonymous accounts, but this dude seriously hates women. I don’t know if he’s just an incel chud living in his parents’ basement or someone who was just plain raised backwards via homeschooling and old-fashioned Christian “values.” Whatever the reason, I am just in awe of how ignorant this statement was.

This person is most definitely a card-carrying member of the cult that is the BrOSR. For those who don’t follow TTRPG Internet drama, the BrOSR is a very tight-knit group of guys who only play by the First Edition AD&D rules (or maybe older) and have very little tolerance for anyone who could be described as not-them. So, basically if you’re new to Dungeons & Dragons, came in under 5th Edition, if you’re female, LGBTQIA+ anything, neurodivergent, physically disabled, anything other than White/Caucasian, or have an opinion on gaming besides “Rules As Written:” STAY AWAY FROM THE BROSR!

I try to keep it positive. I really do.

But the absolute gall of this guy gets my heckles up.

“Euww. It’s a woman.”

What is this? Third grade? Do you guys meet in a treehouse to play D&D with a big “No Girls Allowed” sign on the front of it?

Or are we back to 1920? How dare those women get the right to vote in an American election! We won’t get into politics, but I’m pretty sure the bros have a collection of red mesh-back trucker’s hats that all say the same thing. Sometimes they sound like they could be members of the Southern pillowcase pajama club, too. Yeesh.

Regardless, there’s just no good justification for rejecting anyone from the hobby. If you don’t want a woman at your gaming table, fine. Don’t invite them. Don’t assume anyone wants to hang out with you, though. You ain’t all that. I think it’s fair to say that here in 2026, most people have a pretty dim view of guys that go around openly hating on another gender.

Oh, we’re all playing it “wrong,” and they’re all playing the “right way.”

How many times have we had to drag out the old saying, “There’s no wrong way to play D&D as long as we’re all having fun.”

Apparently we’re all ethically and morally bankrupt on top of not playing an edition of D&D that originally went out of print in 1980-something. God help you if you walk into one of these guys’ games with a reprint I’m guessing. I’ve never seen a group of people as determined to exclude potential members of their group the way the BrOSR does. It’s disgraceful in my opinion.

So let’s flip the script a little.

Those are free to go off and have their fun with their own very tight-knit group and have fun however they want to. Boy, it sure would be nice if they weren’t out spreading hate on social media, though. I can’t help but think that “If I don’t force my way of doing things down everyone else’s throats, then why do other people do that?”

My rule has always been that if you show up to my game more or less on time, ready to play, and don’t disrupt the group: we’re good to go. People will always be welcome at my table to game so long as they don’t cause any major disruptions out of game. We discuss this sort of thing in Session Zero if we have to even have one. (It gets a lot easier when you game with family or solo.) But seriously, if I’m at a convention, game store, or whatever and someone asks to sit in as a player or observer, cool. Just don’t disrupt the game.

Out of game, leave me out of whatever sociopolitical stuff you’ve got going on. When we walk in the door of the game room, real world politics and religion stay outside. We’re here to have fun and enjoy the game. It doesn’t make other people inferior to believe differently or play a different way. That stuff is none of my business.

Tapping the sign again.

Don’t be a turd toward your fellow gamers. Heck, don’t be a turd toward your fellow humans. It’s a very basic skill we learn in kindergarten or before.

Now that we’re in the age of the Internet, I find myself saying it pretty much weekly. Be kind to you fellow humans. Treat each other with the same kindness, dignity, and respect you would like to see shown to you. Don’t be a douchebag.

That’s all for today.

April Is Here Already?!?

We’re just going to riff a bit today. Yes, there are bullet points. No, this is not being written by AI.

• I’ve had some medical and mental health struggles the last few weeks which is why I haven’t been posting as much. Lots of stuff to catch up on. Right now the goal is three blog posts per week, one YouTube video/podcast, and work on a DTRPG project.
• I have more ideas for projects than I know what to do with. I started the year with an ambitious list. I now have ambitions for about the next three years with just Dragonbane. When Twilight Sword and Ruttigers Almanac drop there will probably be even more.
• A couple of prominent names in the DungeonTube sphere have pointed to the fact that there are too many TTRPGs on the market now. I used to think there was no such thing until I started looking at my own PDF library. I actually have the equivalent of a pile of shame of things I want to read/play around with. Wow.
• Is there a glut on the TTRPG market right now? Is there room for more new games? The interesting part is that most of the games we’re seeing now on DriveThruRPG dwarf the product on the shelf at most Friendly Local Game Stores. Tales of the Valiant, Pathfinder 2E Core Electric Boogaloo, Daggerheart, Stormlight Archives/Cosmere, Shadowdark, Call of Cthulhu, and Draw Steel get most of the attention IRL where out here in the digital space, those games tend to get buried in a sea of indie titles.
• At what point does a game go from being indie to being a franchise? When do games stop being indie and start becoming corporate? Eclectic Goat has been discussing this on her channel and on X(Twitter.) It’s been interesting. Personally I believe all of the titles I listed in the previous point have fallen off the indie wagon. When your crowdfunding goes over a million dollars, you’re no longer indie.
• I’ve still got a mecha/space game on my far back burner, but I don’t think now is the time to introduce such a project. Right now I barely have the spoons to post an update or a short article. I also don’t think the market is going to be right for a sci-fi game for another year or two. I’m waiting for the latest massive wave of fantasy games to pass over.
• Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E (fka D&D5E.2024) still maintains its status at the top of the pile even though a lot of us older guys still look at Wizards of the Coast with shame and dissapointment. Even their latest Public Relations moves still sound hollow if they can’t back it up with real, actionable results. This new Greyhawk will be the acid test. If Luke Gygax can keep the project from going off the rails into sensitivity readers’ suggestons and being overwritten by Makenzie DeArmas or Jason Tondro, maybe there’s hope. Otherwise, it’s just WotC being WotC again and screw that noise. I have my Third Ed Greyhawk books and they’re just fine.
• I don’t want to talk politics here. I’ve never been this ashamed of my government. If this country doesn’t change, we might not have a country as we recognize it for much longer. I’d rather think about TTRPGs, anime, and shlocky horror movies.
• I’m still baffled as to how some DungeonTubers can fart out a dozen videos and hit 3K subscribers in like a month and I’m still where I am a year and a half in. I honestly feel like I’ve missed something in all the dozens of how-to-YouTube videos I’ve watched. I’ll be damned if I’m going to buy a course or a coach, though. That’s tomorrow’s project is to put together something on YT. I keep taking breaks out of sheer discouragement.
• The negative climate on YouTube amongst certain YouTubers is crazy to me. I won’t call anyone out specifically, but holy crap the feuding is getting out of hand amongst half a dozen people again. I know a couple of people who get called out regularly in all of the drama and I’m doing my best to steer clear of it.
• Time to tap the sign again: Kindness and understanding go a lot further than bitterness and blame. Don’t be a douche canoe toward people and you’ll probably find a seat at most gaming tables. If you’re just stirring the poop, people are going to look away eventually.
• I feel like I didn’t get enough superhero content out last month, so I want to dip a toe into it with Amazing April.I love having monthly themes. Arcane April is also on the menu this year with Dragonbane: Book of Magic.

That’s all I have time for today. Time to go pick up the youngins and make dinner. I’m planning to be back tomorrow or Saturday with Arcane April or Amazing April content.

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!

The Curse of the Yak.

1d12 Yak Based Detrimental Magical Side Effects:

Whether the mage was cursed by the Yak Witch or simply had a spell backfire in the Great Forest of the Yak, here are 12 Yak related spell mishaps:

1. The caster is covered in long, thick, shaggy fur. It can be shaved off. But will it grow back?
2. The caster grows Yak horns that remain for a week.
3. The caster sprouts a long fluffy tail with a tuft of fur on the end. It remains until removed.
4. The caster’s top incisor and canine teeth fall out permanently. (Look it up.)
5. The unfortunate caster (regardless of gender) sprouts udders and can produce delicious Yak milk. This effect is permanent unless removed magically. Clothing might be a bit of a challenge.
6. The caster’s entire head is replaced with a purple Yak’s head for one Shift. The unfortunate victim can still speak normally, only in a cartoony voice. Bane on all Charisma based rolls until it wears off.
7. Everything appears normal, except the caster can only make noises and grunt like a Yak. The poor character may not speak or cast spells for a full Stretch.
8. Yack! The caster vomits uncontrollably for a full Stretch. Even if the character’s stomach was previously empty, the stuff just keeps coming.
9. Yackity Yack! The character starts speaking every thought, rambling endlessly and can’t stop talking for a full Stretch. Stopping is painful. If the character tries to stop before the 10 minutes lapses, they take 1 point of damage. To make a coherent line or cast a spell with a verbal component, the character must make a WIL roll with a Bane each round such an action is attempted. Especially mean GM’s might inflict this on the player as an option.
10. Whatever it is I think I see… Friend and foe alike all look like Yaks for a full Shift. Awareness and Spot Hidden Rolls are made with a Bane.
11. The unfortunate caster along with all of their gear, is turned mostly into a Yak, only with the character’s head atop a Yak’s shaggy body. Luckily it wears off after a Shift.
12. The poor caster is permanently turned into a Yak until the curse is removed.

Magic Monday: 3 Forest Magic Items

The Magical Golden Pinecone: When held up and the magic word is spoken aloud, the pinecone gives off a magical light capable of illuminating the area equal to one torch. The light can be activated and deactivated at will. After one Shift of use, the pinecone must remain off for a shift before it can be used again.

The pinecone may also be used to summon 2d6 small woodland animals such as squirrels, rabbits, lemmings, chipmunks, etc. If any attempt to harm one of the critters is made by anyone in the area, they all immediately vanish. The animals follow the summoner around but do not obey any commands or perform any tricks, nor can they be taken on as familiars. However they can be fed, adored, snuggled, loved, and generally fawned over and will not attack anyone. The little animals disappear after one Shift. If the GM allows, the animal time may be substituted for a Memento if those rules are used.

If planted in the ground, the pinecone will grow into a magical golden pine tree 18 meters tall that glows faintly at night, providing shelter for three travelers and any number of small animals of the forest. This effect is permanent and the pinecone is lost. There is a 5% chance the magical pine tree will produce another Magical Pinecone when it first sprouts up. When sheltering under the pine, all effects of exhaustion, natural heat, natural cold, precipitation, poison, and disease are nullified. However, the magical golden pine is still a tree and can be burned, cut down, etc.

Bed of Pine Needles: This item appears as a bedroll consisting of hundreds of pine needles knitted together. It can be carried in the same fashion as a sleeping fur or blanket

 Resting on this bed for a full shift allows ONE character to remove all regular damage and cures poison, disease, exhaustion, and severe injuries. (Does not remove permanent conditions.)

The bed will shed lots of needles depending on the amount of healing done. It may not be used on more than two consecutive Shifts. The shedding of dead needles will continue for one shift after use. The needles are messy, inconvenient, and provide anyone tracking the character a Boon on their roll while the bed sheds.

If a deceased character who died within the last Shift is placed on the bed, they are resurrected with full HP, full WP, but one permanent lasting condition and the bed is permanently destroyed.

If two characters lay together on the bed for whatever reason, romantic or otherwise, they will be fully rested, but no healing.

The Magical Stick: This deceptively simple stick is actually a magic wand of immense power. It contains 12 WP which renew every day (4 Shifts) which can be used to cast spells from the wand AND/OR as the user sees fit. Spells cast using any WP from the wand have the following effects:

IF the casting roll for the spell is a DRAGON, the spell goes off 100% as intended with no ill effects. Count your blessings.

IF the spell is cast successfully, roll on the effects table below:

1. Spell is cast at double the effect, including any range, damage, and cost. Nothing strange happens, probably. Although it might seem as if something happened.
2. Spell is cast successfully, but flowers spring from the caster’s ears and nose. The flowers wilt and fall out after one stretch.
3. Stick sprays fireworks everywhere. Anyone within 10 meters around, including the caster is hit for 1d4 damage and temporarily blinded for one round. (Evade/Block as normal.) The intended spell effects are nowhere to be found.
4. Spell goes off as intended, but the caster is stricken with unpleasant frequent flatulence for one Stretch giving a Bane on any Charisma based checks and Stealth.
5. Spell goes off as intended, but caster and all of their gear (except Stick) turns plaid in color for one Shift giving a Bane on any Charisma based checks and Stealth.
6. Spell goes off as intended, but caster’s arm and leg bones turn to gelatin for one Stretch, preventing any movement. The caster can still speak and cast spells as normal. Movement is restricted to crawling along at 2 meters per round.
7. Spell fails, and everything that the caster says for one Stretch comes out a double loud volume as if yelling no matter how quiet they try to be.
8. Spell fails and instead summons 3d6 plush animals that appear all around the caster. They can’t move or speak (they’re plush,) but they are somewhat comforting.
9. Spell fails, but an Ogre is summoned. The Ogre isn’t hostile, just confused. He’s likely unarmed and might be eating lunch or taking a bath. He is returned to his home unharmed after one Stretch. Repeats of this result summon the same Ogre every time. His name is Krunk. He’s actually a pretty laid-back guy if no one attacks him. He has no idea why he keeps getting summoned, though. He still goes back at the end of a Stretch, regardless.
10.  Spell fails and a thicket of one-meter-tall thorn bushes sprout up in a six-meter radius around the caster. Anyone in the area must make an Acrobatics roll or be trapped in the mess, taking 1d4 damage and an additional 1d4 damage for every 2 meters moved. This effect can be Evaded, placing the character at the nearest outer edge of the thicket. The thicket is permanent, but can be chopped down, burned, etc. as normal. The caster is safe unless they try to leave the briar patch.
11. Spell works twice as well as intended, but any targets and the caster are stricken Prone with uncontrollable laughter for the following round preventing any action other than possibly rolling on the ground laughing. Everyone returns to normal after one round.
12. The Spell fails and the caster along with almost all of their gear is turned into sentient pudding for one Shift. The character can still see, speak, and move at 4 meters per round at most. Casting, fighting, and anything requiring manipulating objects (other than Stick) are not possible. No known magic can reverse this effect. Don’t worry, Stick is fine. Casting with a Bane can be attempted using Stick, but duplicates of this result might make the effect permanent.

IF the spell roll using WP from Stick fails, any/all spell effects are automatically reflected back on the caster AND roll on the effects table.

IF the roll is a Demon, roll on the Spell Mishap table from the Dragonbane rules TWICE and apply both effects.

Attempts to lose, break, give away, burn, or disenchant The Magical Stick result in it returning to the owner the next day regardless. It is not sentient as far as anyone knows.

Where Have I Been?

Apologies for my extended break.

I’ve made no secret of my chronic depression. Just when I think I’m out of the woods, there it is again. Daylight Savings change over is never easy between the chronic pain flares and the mental health toll it takes on me every frickin year. I tell myself I gotta stay positive for the blog, but it ain’t easy.

I’m starting to slowly come out of the fog again. I have so many articles I want to write; it’s almost overwhelming. I owe lots of reviews and previews at this point… Oi. If the time for a preview is past is it just a view at that point? <confused noises.>

Magic/Mecha/Mega/Monster March marches onward.

I can’t believe we’re over halfway through the month already. You blink and you miss it sometimes. I’m slowly starting to work on some things behind the scenes again. Here’s something of a rundown:

• Material in conjunction with the OG GM’s Vigilantes for Shadowdark. (The affiliate link helps us all out at this point. I recycle all of my affiliate credit toward other creators and royalty free clip art possibly.)
• A preview/first impression glance at Jonathan Wright’s Mecha Vs Kaiju 202X. This is a long-running passion project by the creator that I feel I absolutely must talk about.
• Last Deux for Gates of Krystalia is still at the top of my review list. I have not forgotten.
• That’s most of the product stuff out of the way. I’ll have in-depth looks at Arkand: City of Waves and Flames as well as The Book of Magic for Dragonbane as soon as the full PDFs are out. Right now it’s all Beta so I don’t want to put out too many spoilers.
• The upcoming Dragonbane Book of Magic has encouraged me to go back to my own magic item/spell supplement and revise heavily to make the content closer to the official rules. Some things are treading on new territory, so that will be fun.
• Outgunned Superheroes and Action Flicks Vol. 3 dropped on DriveThruRPG recently. I’m excited to be doing some solo play for that game because I’m a superhero gamer at heart. Outgunned Supers is designed for cinematic one-shot or mini campaign play, which is somewhat new territory for me. I truly wish there was an Open License for Outgunned, but sadly there is not.
• I recently scrapped a Dragonbane adventure I was working on, but I might possibly bring it back at a later date. I want to add more to it and make it a sandbox within a sandbox. However that does free up project time for a very special quest generator, the magic item book, and now I’m laying the groundwork for an extensive summer project.
• I have some campaign ideas floating around in my head for Twilight Sword when it finally becomes available. Anime/Manga/TTJRPG is one of my favorite subgenres in the hobby.

It feels good to be talking about the hobby again.

I know the world is falling apart a little more every day, especially here in the USA. Our government is out of control globally. I could start building bugout bags or planning the rebellion, but I’d prefer to stick to TTRPGs. I know it sounds crazy.

When reality comes knocking, we answer. Until then, we’re going to stay positive. We’re going to believe things will eventually get better. Hopefully this was not the sentiment of the German populace circa 1933. I’d like to think the time to rise up will become obvious when it becomes necessary because we study history and we know what will happen if we don’t step up.

The irony here is not lost on me. I’ve just mentioned talking about the hobby and then spent two paragraphs going on about the real world. Were it not for escapist fantasy roleplaying where would we be? There are just times we need that escape from what’s going on out there.

Now, that’s not to say people should tune out the real world and only focus on gaming, the Internet, movies or whatever your thing is. There are times when adulting is necessary and like, healthy or something. Sometimes we have to raise children and interact with “normal” people. Bleh.

I’m slowly getting back into the groove on everything.

Behind the scenes I’m working on projects for DriveThruRPG including a new series of quests, a magic item supplement, and then I’ll be tinkering with some other new projects for Dragonbane. For YouTube we have the In the Box Podcast Number 6 coming along with some reviews of different things. The blog you’ve seen all the stuff above. Not gonna lie, it’s a bit overwhelming.

Somewhere in the midst of all this is possibly promoting Ruttigers Almanac for Richard Whitters and my friends at Cawood Publishing. (No, it’s not a paid gig. I just like the game.) Here’s the link if you’re curious.

My YouTube numbers are improving, which is nice. We still have a long way to go. I’m pretty much just doing it for fun at this point. If it ever gets monetized I’ll party in the streets, but I’m not buying any celebratory bratwurst just yet.

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!

THE GOAT MAN

Description:
A towering, hairy humanoid with the head of a black-eyed goat. Its almond-shaped eyes are glossy and depthless, reflecting no light. The mouth hangs too wide, too slack, as if unhinged. Its fingers are long and rake-like, ending in splintered claws. It smells of damp earth, rot, and wet fur. It does not speak, but sometimes it laughs.

Resistance: Immune to fear. Takes half damage from non-magical fire.
Ferocity: 2 Size: Large
Movement: 12 Armor: 3 (matted hide and dense muscle) HP: 32

MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 Attacks:

1. Horn Gore: The Goat Man lowers its head and drives forward doing 1d12 Bludgeoning damage. If the victim suffers damage, they are knocked prone at the start of their turn..
2. Claw Rake: A sweeping strike at 2 opponents withing 2 meters with elongated rake-like fingers doing 1d10 Slashing damage to each target.
3. Severe Rend: The Goat Man focuses entirely on one target within arm’s reach with an overwhelming slashing attack that does 2d6 Slashing damage.
4. Chunk Bite: The gaping mouth clamps down and tears away flesh on one character for 1d8 slashing damage. If damage penetrates armor, the victim must a Fear Check due to shock and revulsion.
5. Black-Eyed Stare: The Goat Man locks eyes with one target within 10 meters must make a Fear Roll.
6. Disheartening Presence: All characters within 24 meters must make a Fear Roll as the creature emits an unearthly howl-scream that frightens all nearby wildlife and strikes terror into the hearts of all who hear it.

Combat Note: The Goat Man is meant to be a shadowy mystery above anything else. If reduced to half HP or if one combatant is dropped to 0 HP (or even appears to be deceased) the Goat Man will attempt to flee and/or hide from any and all pursuers. Sneaking 14.

THE GOAT MAN

Description:
A towering, hairy humanoid with the head of a black-eyed goat. Its almond-shaped eyes are glossy and depthless, reflecting no light. The mouth hangs too wide, too slack, as if unhinged. Its fingers are long and rake-like, ending in splintered claws. It smells of damp earth, rot, and wet fur. It does not speak, but sometimes it laughs.

Resistance: Immune to fear. Takes half damage from non-magical fire.
Ferocity: 2 Size: Large
Movement: 12 Armor: 3 (matted hide and dense muscle) HP: 32

MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 Attacks:

1. Horn Gore: The Goat Man lowers its head and drives forward doing 1d12 Bludgeoning damage. If the victim suffers damage, they are knocked prone at the start of their turn..
2. Claw Rake: A sweeping strike at 2 opponents withing 2 meters with elongated rake-like fingers doing 1d10 Slashing damage to each target.
3. Severe Rend: The Goat Man focuses entirely on one target within arm’s reach with an overwhelming slashing attack that does 2d6 Slashing damage.
4. Chunk Bite: The gaping mouth clamps down and tears away flesh on one character for 1d8 slashing damage. If damage penetrates armor, the victim must a Fear Check due to shock and revulsion.
5. Black-Eyed Stare: The Goat Man locks eyes with one target within 10 meters must make a Fear Roll.
6. Disheartening Presence: All characters within 24 meters must make a Fear Roll as the creature emits an unearthly howl-scream that frightens all nearby wildlife and strikes terror into the hearts of all who hear it.

Combat Note: The Goat Man is meant to be a shadowy mystery above anything else. If reduced to half HP or if one combatant is dropped to 0 HP (or even appears to be deceased) the Goat Man will attempt to flee and/or hide from any and all pursuers. Sneaking 14.

Dark Skeletal Samurai

Description:
An approximately 2.5-meter-tall skeleton in full traditional O-yoroi armor and kabuto. They are most often armed with an oversized katana or Bisento. Never a missile weapon. (See below.)

Resistance:
Take half damage from non-magical weapons. Immune to illusion and mind-control effects. Unlike traditional undead or demons, they are NOT affected by spells and effects specific to those types.

Clever Mages may make a Spellcasting roll (Boon for Illusionists) to sense something is off with these monsters. Non spellcasters may make an Awareness Roll at the start of the battle or a WIL roll upon striking the creature for the first time or any Dragon roll in melee. Successful rolls reveal that this creature is basically a solid illusion similar to a construct held together with magic.

When this creature is destroyed it turns into six slips of paper covered in sigils. If deciphered by a Mage, it will reveal that the magic used to create this creature is a forbidden knowledge spell that is a hybrid of Necromancy, Demonology, and Illusion. The spell cannot be recreated just using the paper leftover from the creation.

Ferocity: 3  Size: L
Movement: 10  Armor: 6  HP: 12

MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 Attacks:

1. Overhead Melee Smash: One target within 4 meters is struck with a mighty top-down blow that inflicts 2d10 slashing damage and knocks the opponent back 2 meters and prone. If the area the target is knocked into is occupied by a solid object such as a wall, furniture, debris, etc. they take an additional 1d4 bludgeoning damage. (Armor does not negate the additional damage.)
2. Impaling Thrust: One target within 4 meters is struck with the point of the Skeleton’s weapon for 2d8 Piercing damage plus Disheartened. (If already Disheartened, choose another condition.)
3. Sweeping Strike: 2 targets within 4 meters of the Skeleton are slashed for 1d8 damage each and knocked prone at the beginning of their turn. If the targets EVADE successfully they are placed backward an additional 2 meters as long as terrain allows.
4. Whirling Blade Defense: All creatures within 2 meters are slashed for 1d8 damage each and must back up 2 meters.
5. Stare of the Void: The Skeleton makes direct eye contact with one creature within 10 meters who must succeed on a WIL check or roll on the Fear table.
6. Breath of the Skeletal Void: The Skeleton exhales a 4-meter by 4-meter by 4-meter cloud of pure darkness in front of itself that persists for 1d4 rounds. Those inside the cloud are treated as being in pitch black darkness that no torch or mundane light source can penetrate. Monsters see normally in the dark. Characters within the cloud may make a WIL roll to dispel the effect immediately IF they suspect it is illusion magic.

Dragonbane: Trudvang Now Live on Kickstarter

from Free League Publishing.

Free League Publishing has officially launched the Kickstarter campaign for Dragonbane: Trudvang, a stand-alone tabletop role-playing game set in the mythic world of Trudvang. The campaign reached full funding within four minutes of launch, surpassing its initial goal of 25,000 USD and climbing past 150,000 USD within the first 30 minutes.

Link to the Kickstarter here.

Developed under license from CMON and built on Free League’s award-winning Dragonbane fantasy RPG system, Dragonbane: Trudvang brings players into a richly imagined world inspired by Nordic mythology. The project introduces four masterfully illustrated hardback volumes that present the setting in depth, offering players a realm of shadowed forests, wrathful gods, ancient mysteries, and dreadful beasts.

A few months after the Kickstarter concludes, backers will receive early access to Beta PDFs of all four books. This allows players to begin exploring Trudvang and running adventures well ahead of the official release.

Early backers who pledge for a physical reward within the first 48 hours of launch will receive an exclusive bonus art print featuring new Core Rulebook cover art by legendary fantasy artist Paul Bonner. The bonus applies to pledge tiers that include physical rewards.

Across four beautifully crafted volumes, players can journey through the realm of Dragonbane: Trudvang and uncover its many secrets, including:

• Dragonbane: Trudvang Core Rulebook: A complete ruleset built on the award-winning Dragonbane system, introducing new kin such as Stormlander humans and Korpikalli elves, additional professions and lifepaths, ranked heroic abilities, and unique magic wielded by vitner weavers and dimwalkers
• The World of Trudvang: A richly illustrated deep dive into the realm’s history, lands, and faiths, spanning the Stormlands and Westmark to Soj and the Great Ice Plains
• Jorgi’s Bestiary: The classic monster compendium returns, featuring legendary creatures such as brotbeast, byse, hrimtursir, and the ancient yggdras, all fully adapted for Dragonbane
• The Saga of the Black Star: A revised four-part epic campaign published in English for the first time, sending heroes across Trudvang to confront a looming cosmic threat.

The Kickstarter campaign also features a high-quality cloth map of Trudvang illustrated by fantasy artist Francesca Baerald. The map is available as a separate add-on or included in select bundles. Collector’s Editions of all four books are being offered exclusively through the campaign and will not be printed again.

The Trudvang brand and its original content were created by Theodore Bergqvist and Magnus Malmberg of Riotminds as a campaign world for their Swedish edition of Dragonbane, Drakar och Demoner, in the early 2000s. Trudvang later expanded into the separate Trudvang Chronicles RPG and the board game Trudvang Legends by CMON.

The adaptation of Trudvang to the current version of Dragonbane is being spearheaded by Magnus Seter, a veteran RPG writer whose credits include Cyberpunk 2020, Mutant Chronicles, Forbidden Lands, and Dragonbane. Seter also worked on Trudvang in its early days.

In the preface to the new edition, Theodore Bergqvist expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting that Trudvang has, in many ways, found its way home again under Free League’s stewardship.

Dragonbane: Trudvang is slated for release in 2027.

Fear not, we will be coming back to the Kickstarter in the days and weeks to come as well as previews as soon as they become available.

Monday Monster…Encounter: The Wuppet.

It was either this or the Hentai Horror I cooked up.

Luckily for us, cute and fuzzy won the day.
Disclaimer: This creature encounter is just for fun and not commercial use. It’s free. It’s fun. Enjoy.

Real World Note: This creature appeared in the 1970s at a burger and hot dog joint called A&W as part of a promotion aimed at kids. Conveniently, I happened to collect a few of them and sorta fell in love with the idea. They’ve also been produced under the names Wuppel or Wupple. Reminds me of Meeples, which will be another entry some other time.

As a Dragonbane or other fantasy game encounter:

They are rarely seen in the wild. A hero should feel blessed to encounter one up close and to befriend one is a true blessing. They are very small balls of floof who wander around on tiny cat-like feet that are tucked up on legs underneath the creature’s fur, somewhat similar to owls. They have two very expressive eyes and two fine antenna that end in tiny bulbs.

They have no nose or mouth, and it is uncertain how they eat or take in sustenance. Scholars speculate that they are like plants in those regards. Likewise it is believed that the creatures reproduce asexually by spawning another tinier version of themselves from their own bodies. Wuppets have never been encountered in groups.

Wuppets appear most often as a sign of good tidings should an adventurer be fortunate enough to see one. If someone, most often a bard, mage or scholar, holds goodness in their heart, the Wuppet might be curious enough to approach them. Any signs of hostility and the Wuppet immediately vanishes by simply turning invisible or darting off into its surroundings.

Wuppets do not engage in combat and have no ability to do so. Most often they communicate with their eyes and by their cute motions. Once in a very rare while they are able to communicate telepathically, but only with a creature or person whom they believe they can trust. When they choose to communicate, most come off as extremely mild mannered and well spoken, almost eloquent. A few sound like cute little anime girls as one might expect from something so unbelievably cute.

Wuppets have 12 WP and can spend 2 points to cast/use the following abilities:

• Cure 2d6 HP worth of damage.
• Remove 1 Condition from 1 creature/character.
• Create enough food and water to sustain 1 person for one day.
• Cure a disease from 1 creature/character.
• Cure poison from 1 creature/character.
• Remove exhaustion from 1 creature/character.

Wuppets are extremely powerful casters and have a high degree of empathy. Anything that requires a die roll automatically succeeds. The Wuppet can always sense what someone needs most and will try to provide it.

Wuppets have no loot and ask for nothing beyond kindness in exchange for their services.

The message provided by these creatures is very simple. Be nice to others. Stay positive. Have fun. Be good. They can provide a much-needed break from a scary, often brutal world. They offer encouragement, try to foster trust, and will be the nicest little floofballs anyone has ever encountered.

Breaking the Long Silence.

I made the mistake of checking Instagram on Tuesday.

Sometimes the best way to keep my foot out of my mouth is to not say anything at all. Six days might not seem like a long silence to most people, but it’s practically an eternity for me sometimes. I have a blog so I can occasionally blow off some steam when it comes to my mental health, too. This week has definitely been that kind of a challenge.

I’ve noticed recently that there are some incredibly volatile, toxic, reactive people in our little TTRPG hobby. I have opinions on a certAIn subject that will get me all kinds of flak from the TTRPG “community.” It is just not time for the discussion I’d like to be having about that subject because it’s the talk of the town and it sounds like my opinion is incredibly unpopular right now.

Then there’s Jes the Human. If you don’t know who they are, please go check out their YouTube channel at this link. I owed Jes an apology over on Threads the other day as I unintentionally used the wrong pronouns for them. They corrected me. I changed the post. I think we’re okay now, maybe.

Jes got into hot water with some of the “community” over their No ICE in Minnesota bundle on Itch.io. Here’s the link to the game jam if you want to take a look. Personally I can’t contribute to the game jam itself on Itch because I’m exclusive to DriveThruRPG.com and I kinda use that art style that gets me in hot water these days. I have to live with knowing how unpopular my choice of art styles is, apparently; but I digress.

Anyway, Jes posted to Threads that they had received some incredibly nasty emails including what can only be described as a deplorable photo. Jes is okay and has reported the email which likely came from a throwaway alt account somewhere. It just goes to show that now matter how much you might disagree with someone, it’s not okay to send hateful emails.

I try my best to stay out of politics and religion here.

The No ICE in Minnesota bundle’s main purpose is to raise money for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. This one hits closer to home for me as I live in Iowa and we’re a decidedly (hostile) conservative Republican run state. I keep an eye open for the American Gestapo daily as we have several immigrant families that live around here in the neighborhood.

We also have a member of our family who is very openly LGBTQIA. (Ask them how many times I mess up their pronouns on a daily basis.) So far ICE is only hauling off immigrants. At least they’re not going after people who appear to be homeless, addicted, or mentally ill (read LGBTQIA among other things) yet. Emphasis on the “yet” because the USA is backsliding pretty fast these days. Make America Germany 1933 Again is still running Iowa and it’s just a matter of time.

Okay. Okay. Deep breaths. I can relate to the plight of those affected by tyranny in Minnesota. They say things like this don’t happen in the Midwest, and yet here we are. Let’s put a stop to the hate before it gets worse even if it’s in a small way.

Jes is just trying to do right by people.

If you watch Jes’s YouTube Shorts or follow them on social media, then you know they’re kindhearted, warm, and friendly. They’re an asset to the TTRPG “community” and do tons of charity work. Although honestly, can we call it a “community” when people are being downright rude and disrespectful to one another? I’m growing more skeptical by the day.

Needless to say, the more I try to avoid social media, the more I end up checking my feeds. I don’t actually tend to post a whole lot on Threads or Instagram except for what WordPress puts out automatically and the occasional repost of a cat pic, gaming promo, or duck meme. I send cute things to my friends, but I try to stay out of all the politics and petty infighting, especially on Threads.

I used to be on X (Twitter) a lot more than I am now. Things are still pretty nasty over there but nowhere comes close to Reddit in my opinion. Again, I just try to steer clear of the crap now. I repost a few things for various friends’ content and go. I check my notifications once in a while in case I actually need to respond to something, but it’s rare if I do. I make the oddball comment in response to TTRPG, horror or 80s toy posts. My main goal in social media life is to avoid another incident like the one I had with Ginny Di a few years ago.

People are more polarized than ever on social media these days.

In recent months, the TTRPG space has felt increasingly fragmented, with conversations that once revolved around creativity, discovery, and shared enthusiasm now often drifting toward identity, legitimacy, and belonging. Social media has amplified this shift. Platforms designed to reward visibility and engagement tend to elevate the most emotionally charged perspectives, creating the impression of constant extreme conflict even when most creators are quietly working, experimenting, and supporting one another behind the scenes. This has created an environment where it can feel risky to simply explore, learn, or produce without being drawn into broader cultural fault lines that have little to do with the joy of the games themselves.

The healthiest response I’ve found is to step back from the noise and return to the work itself. Creative momentum is grounding. Building adventures, writing encounters, and developing ideas reconnects you to the reason you entered the space in the first place. It also shifts your focus away from reaction and toward creation. Curate your environment intentionally: limit exposure to spaces that drain you and invest your attention in projects and people that energize you. Over time, consistency, authenticity, and craftsmanship speak louder than any passing wave of discourse. The creators who endure are not the loudest, but the ones who keep making things.

My final thoughts headed into another week:

First, don’t be a douche waffle to people you might disagree with online. I shouldn’t have to say it and yet I hear about it on Instagram and YouTube all the time. Someone always seems to have runaway hostile idiocy in their comments. That is just not okay. Don’t do it. If you are doing it, please just stop.

Second, please focus energy toward things that light you up more than tear others down. Find that joy in creation. Let other people find theirs even if it’s not exactly how you picture it. There’s no wrong way to TTRPG as long as people are chilling and having a good time together.

Third, no one has the absolute authority to define how anyone creates TTRPG material. Telling someone else they’re “doing it wrong,” “you shouldn’t do it that way,” or “learn how to do it the way I do it,” is just unnecessary and most of the time counterproductive. Just because someone has a different approach and different tools doesn’t mean they’re doing it wrong.

Last, and again I’m saying this as a friend, it’s no one’s job to police the internet. You never have to comment on someone else’s post. You don’t have to react to a social media comment in the heat of the moment or like, ever if you don’t want to. Sometimes it’s more productive to simple let it go. They have their opinion and it’s not likely to change because someone popped off in their comments.

Publius.

Monday Monster: Venomous Tengu

Description:
Venomous Tengu are anthropomorphic ravens with slick black feathers, hooked beaks, and sharp talons. They lurk in high places and strike with cruel intelligence, spitting toxic venom before closing in to finish weakened prey. Their voices are harsh, mocking, and often echo with unsettling laughter.

Venomous Tengu are immune to poison.
Demon: Venomous Tengu are considered demons and are affected by any/all spell effects that target demons for extra damage, etc.

Ferocity: 2 Size: Medium
Movement: 12 (flying) Armor: 2 (Natural) HP: 18

Venomous Tengu Attacks:
D6 Attacks:
1. Toxic Spit: Ranged attack up to 10 meters. Deals 2d6 toxic slime damage and inflicts Potency 10 Lethal poison.
2. Raking Talons: Attacks one target within 2 meters for 2d8 slashing damage as the tengu slashes with both feet in a diving strike.
3. Hooked Beak: Attacks one target withing 2 meters for 2d10 piercing damage. If this reduces the target to 0 HP, the tengu lets out a triumphant croak heard for several hundred meters and causes everyone withing range to make a Fear check.
4. Blinding Venom Spray: One target within 6 meters takes 1d6 toxic spittle damage. Target is Blinded for 1d4 rounds.
5. Wing Buffet: Up to 2 targets within 4 meters take 1d8 bludgeoning damage (armor has no effect) and are knocked back the same number of meters and start their turns prone.
6. Venom Frenzy: All creatures within 4 meters take 1d8 slashing damage and are inflicted with Weak (Potency 9) Lethal Poison.

Behind the Screen: Setting Up Success.

Today we’re talking about Game Mastering.

Yes, setting others up for success applies in other areas of one’s life, but in this case we’re referring to Game Masters. I’ve learned some difficult, nigh onto painful lessons over the years about this topic. I want to share what I mean by all this today in hopes I will save some other GM from a similar fate.

Failure to plan ahead a little bit can be the death knell of a long running campaign. It could even signal the end of a friendship while the group is breaking up. You don’t always have to go to Reddit for interpersonal drama. Sometimes it comes to you, the GM, in the form of your regular gaming group.

GM, please don’t be the one driving the plot wagon.

Those poor players. Some of them never saw it coming. Others did, but perhaps not in time. The plot wagon rolled into town right over the top of everyone. There were no survivors. Let me explain.

A lot of times we train/teach new GMs/Dungeon Masters how to run and set up adventures in a very linear fashion. The adventure goes A-to-B-to-C-to-D-to-E. The climax of the story usually occurs around C or D. Loot, if any, at about E. Experience, etc. afterward. There are variations on this formula, but it’s the easiest and most obvious things to teach most people because it looks like the structure of most books.

The problem comes in when some GM/DMs never move beyond it. Unfortunately, a lot of commercially written fantasy adventures are written this way. It’s like the GM has a novel to write and they just need the players to fill in the dialogue between scenes.

Then, just when the players think they have an original solution, the plot wagon pulls up and runs them flat. Basically, the GM decides that the players’ wackadoodle plan isn’t actually in the module, so they’re just going ahead with what is written in the module/book regardless.

Unfortunately this approach is often referred to as “railroading.” It leaves a lot of experience players feeling like maybe their choices don’t matter at a time when they 100% totally should. The game, at the end of the day, is all about the players. I get it. It’s hard to step back sometimes as a GM and just let it run..

A lot of online (YouTube) discourse lays the railroad tracks.

There are probably a good number of us old-timers who know what I’m talking about. I hear a good amount of talk, especially on YouTube, which usually tells new Dungeon Masters about creating plot, narrative, and story structure in their games. Hey, I’ll admit it. Back 30 years ago I was guilty of giving some of that same advice. I wouldn’t now, of course.

I’ll be brutal with this advice: If you want to create a story from start to finish and the players are expected to go along with every story beat, write a book. I know that might be hard to swallow for some D&D 5E or 5E.2024 Dungeon Masters. Sorry.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You don’t have to script every NPC dialog or figure out exactly where the group is headed next. Take some time during prep to build some NPCs, even if they’re generic, to drop into the characters’ lives whenever needed. That way you’re never caught completely off guard without a character for them to interact with.

I like to create minor NPCs with three notable traits, a description, and maybe a desired goal. No real stats unless I wholeheartedly believe they could potentially be involved in some sort of combat. Major NPCs get a description, important stats if needed, six traits, motivation, and a goal. I also put gear, spells, and a bit of personal history on them. They still take up less than a full page in most cases.

This technique can also be applied to locations the group could potentially visit. Inns, taverns, blacksmiths, bowyers/fletchers/arrow smiths, stable keepers, some random kid that hangs out around the practice area, stables, etc. In other words, people that the PCs could potentially encounter just walking down the main street of a village. I might also cook up something for a few random farmers, food vendors, townsfolk, town elders or other significant political figures, royalty (if any,) and maybe a shadowy individual who may or may not be attached to the thieves guild. Oh, and let’s not forget some military/law enforcement figures in the town. (For some reason that always seems to come up with the PCs…)

Next, not every NPC has to point the group in a specific direction.

Maybe the innkeeper really is clueless when it comes to the goings-on of the local townsfolk. Perhaps the blacksmith hasn’t ever heard of the magical MacGuffin the group is looking for. Maybe the farmer has never seen the giant ant monster that is reportedly terrorizing the other farmers. Not every character the group meets is a walking lore drop.

Sometimes the linear structure starts branching off. There are some dead ends. There are some false leads. There are some encounters or NPCs that aren’t even on the line. Some of my adventures started looking like a grid with a bunch of relationship notes and motivations. Unless it’s a dungeon with hallways that only connect certain rooms, of course.

The key here is to disconnect as a GM/DM.

Don’t pretend you know exactly what the group is going to do next. Yes, they might tell you at the end of the session, “We’re going to go to ______ (town) and talk to ______ (character.)”

Only to go a completely different route and talk to completely different character the next game. This is actually why I stopped keeping meticulous notes about plot and storyline. For one, I’m pretty sure my wife and one of my players who was a roommate were sneaking looks at my notes. For another, no plan ever survives contact with the PCs or the time table.

A lot of times I will have the name of the town, a few people who live there, and a vague idea of what they might run into. For everything else, there are random tables if I really get desperate. Otherwise, I try not to plan more than a session or two ahead. Maybe more if we’re doing a hexcrawl. (Long story for another time on that one. Yeesh.) Anything more than that and I’m probably wasting paper or pixels. The group usually manages to bypass, blow up, or overcomplicate anything specific I had plotted out, which is why I switched up my paradigm. (Which is pronounced, “pair-uh-dig-gum”)

But what about my BBEG and his plans for world domination?

If the group ignores whatever breadcrumbs and keeps offing his minions at every turn, maybe his plan goes ahead as scheduled because the group failed to interfere in time. Now the group has to wonder why the sky suddenly turned a shade of lime green and dragons are flying around everywhere like hummingbirds. Why wait for those meddling kids to interfere if they’re off starting a black smithy/bakery or hanging out with some random goblin they met at the inn? Don’t be afraid to lay down some consequences if they completely blow off that raid on the Death Star. Sometimes the villain gets their way and finishes their agenda. Now what will the group do?

Most of what I’m referring to so far is a sandbox style of play.

But there are some suggestions of other things that work. Sometimes it’s okay to have a plot in mind, but don’t get too attached. Most adventures still boil down to Who, What, Where, Why, possibly When and How. What matters to me as a GM is getting the ball rolling.

You can have the most elaborate sandbox campaign ever laid out on a hex map just waiting for the PCs to come spread some love, but it won’t do a lick of good unless they have some motivation to go explore. You can have the most sinister of BBEGs waiting for them with some crazy scheme to take over the Tri-Kingdom Area, but it does no good if the group never finds out about it and more importantly why they should get involved.

If the session or maybe the campaign starts in media res, the threat is imminent and the group must react in order to survive. Beware of overusing this tactic as players will begin to expect it. But once in a while it’s fun to leave them stranded on a mysterious island in the middle of nowhere with no idea how they got there.

Yes, PC backstories have a role to play in their motivation. Assuming they gave you anything to work with and it wasn’t a 39 page novel of their own, working some of what they gave you into the sandbox is usually pretty easy and will help later on in answering one of the big six questions above.

Other formats that might work for you.

My friend Kelsey Dionne talked about it in her monthly newsletter back in 2020. There can be a happy medium between sandboxing and railroading. I forget what she called it now, but it’s a format that starts out immersing the group in a story and then letting them decide if/where they want to run with it. Sometimes the group is fickle and they don’t. From what I know of Kelsey’s games, they usually do.

When I ran a lot of Cyberpunk, Werewolf, Deadlands, and superhero games, I usually didn’t have an elaborate plot in mind. The group had their home base and familiar NPCs that they saw daily. There was usually a villain out there, or several in some cases. All I needed was an inciting incident to get the ball rolling and maybe some sort of reward for going after the villain.

Having familiar NPCs that the group might be somewhat attached-to is pretty good motivation sometimes. The bank’s being robbed? Oh, Rex’s girlfriend was going to the bank this morning. Sure hope she’s not in the middle of a hostage situation… Of course we all know she will be. It’s not a railroad, but that one is hard for our heroes to turn down. Yes, they could let the boring old police handle it or they could hero up and go do something about it. (I used that “hero up” line once and nobody caught onto the reference until way later.)

You can build a corkboard or a marker board with names and relationships on it. If a business relationship between two NPCs falls apart, the group might be in for some financial tough times in a Cyberpunk game. If someone’s crush admits to it in the screamsheets right before the big concert, the following media scandal might make it hard to get out and do the real running. I’ve cooked up very elaborate relationship dynamics in the past. It’s fun, but the more NPCs you add, the more moving parts there are to keep track of from one week to the next. More on that in another article.

I’ve also done multi-branch linear style games where things might go A-D-C-H-Z with a lot of branches and dead ends going everywhere. Some points of the adventure didn’t even have a line drawn to them and were planned on the off chance the group pulled out something I hadn’t anticipated yet. Sometimes the outside world reacts to what the group is doing, other times NPCs have their own agendas to carry out, and the heroes may or may not interfere. Stop the train robbery or figure out why Farmer Barley’s cows are suffering from demonic possession. The stranger realization comes when the two are related.

I would also suggest taking a look at what novel writers are doing for more inspiration. Not everyone has a game modeled after a well-known actual play series. Not every GM is blessed with a dozen talented and well-paid voice actors in their cast, either. Sometimes novel writers will come up with interesting approaches that can be sandwiched into your game formatting.

I can talk about plotting and character development all day.

I used to deal with this kind of thing quite a bit. As I said originally, we teach new GM/DMs the linear formula because it’s the easiest to grasp and doesn’t require a ton of player motivation. Some people still prefer that style 20 years later.

However, some players don’t like to be told where to go and what to do. Setting them up for “success” is simply a matter of giving them NPCs, situations, and loot for them to interact with. They’ll find the adventure. It’s only a matter of when and how. Sometimes you have to just throw the module over your shoulder and ask the group, “Okay. What do you want to do now?”

As always, do what works best for you and your players. It’s fun to experiment with different presentation styles and adventure formats until you reach that sweet spot. Then just keep going. The group with thank you for keeping things interesting and engaging.

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!

Behind the Screen: Setting Up Success.

Today we’re talking about Game Mastering.

Yes, setting others up for success applies in other areas of one’s life, but in this case we’re referring to Game Masters. I’ve learned some difficult, nigh onto painful lessons over the years about this topic. I want to share what I mean by all this today in hopes I will save some other GM from a similar fate.

Failure to plan ahead a little bit can be the death knell of a long running campaign. It could even signal the end of a friendship while the group is breaking up. You don’t always have to go to Reddit for interpersonal drama. Sometimes it comes to you, the GM, in the form of your regular gaming group.

GM, please don’t be the one driving the plot wagon.

Those poor players. Some of them never saw it coming. Others did, but perhaps not in time. The plot wagon rolled into town right over the top of everyone. There were no survivors. Let me explain.

A lot of times we train/teach new GMs/Dungeon Masters how to run and set up adventures in a very linear fashion. The adventure goes A-to-B-to-C-to-D-to-E. The climax of the story usually occurs around C or D. Loot, if any, at about E. Experience, etc. afterward. There are variations on this formula, but it’s the easiest and most obvious things to teach most people because it looks like the structure of most books.

The problem comes in when some GM/DMs never move beyond it. Unfortunately, a lot of commercially written fantasy adventures are written this way. It’s like the GM has a novel to write and they just need the players to fill in the dialogue between scenes.

Then, just when the players think they have an original solution, the plot wagon pulls up and runs them flat. Basically, the GM decides that the players’ wackadoodle plan isn’t actually in the module, so they’re just going ahead with what is written in the module/book regardless.

Unfortunately this approach is often referred to as “railroading.” It leaves a lot of experience players feeling like maybe their choices don’t matter at a time when they 100% totally should. The game, at the end of the day, is all about the players. I get it. It’s hard to step back sometimes as a GM and just let it run..

A lot of online (YouTube) discourse lays the railroad tracks.

There are probably a good number of us old-timers who know what I’m talking about. I hear a good amount of talk, especially on YouTube, which usually tells new Dungeon Masters about creating plot, narrative, and story structure in their games. Hey, I’ll admit it. Back 30 years ago I was guilty of giving some of that same advice. I wouldn’t now, of course.

I’ll be brutal with this advice: If you want to create a story from start to finish and the players are expected to go along with every story beat, write a book. I know that might be hard to swallow for some D&D 5E or 5E.2024 Dungeon Masters. Sorry.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You don’t have to script every NPC dialog or figure out exactly where the group is headed next. Take some time during prep to build some NPCs, even if they’re generic, to drop into the characters’ lives whenever needed. That way you’re never caught completely off guard without a character for them to interact with.

I like to create minor NPCs with three notable traits, a description, and maybe a desired goal. No real stats unless I wholeheartedly believe they could potentially be involved in some sort of combat. Major NPCs get a description, important stats if needed, six traits, motivation, and a goal. I also put gear, spells, and a bit of personal history on them. They still take up less than a full page in most cases.

This technique can also be applied to locations the group could potentially visit. Inns, taverns, blacksmiths, bowyers/fletchers/arrow smiths, stable keepers, some random kid that hangs out around the practice area, stables, etc. In other words, people that the PCs could potentially encounter just walking down the main street of a village. I might also cook up something for a few random farmers, food vendors, townsfolk, town elders or other significant political figures, royalty (if any,) and maybe a shadowy individual who may or may not be attached to the thieves guild. Oh, and let’s not forget some military/law enforcement figures in the town. (For some reason that always seems to come up with the PCs…)

Next, not every NPC has to point the group in a specific direction.

Maybe the innkeeper really is clueless when it comes to the goings-on of the local townsfolk. Perhaps the blacksmith hasn’t ever heard of the magical MacGuffin the group is looking for. Maybe the farmer has never seen the giant ant monster that is reportedly terrorizing the other farmers. Not every character the group meets is a walking lore drop.

Sometimes the linear structure starts branching off. There are some dead ends. There are some false leads. There are some encounters or NPCs that aren’t even on the line. Some of my adventures started looking like a grid with a bunch of relationship notes and motivations. Unless it’s a dungeon with hallways that only connect certain rooms, of course.

The key here is to disconnect as a GM/DM.

Don’t pretend you know exactly what the group is going to do next. Yes, they might tell you at the end of the session, “We’re going to go to ______ (town) and talk to ______ (character.)”

Only to go a completely different route and talk to completely different character the next game. This is actually why I stopped keeping meticulous notes about plot and storyline. For one, I’m pretty sure my wife and one of my players who was a roommate were sneaking looks at my notes. For another, no plan ever survives contact with the PCs or the time table.

A lot of times I will have the name of the town, a few people who live there, and a vague idea of what they might run into. For everything else, there are random tables if I really get desperate. Otherwise, I try not to plan more than a session or two ahead. Maybe more if we’re doing a hexcrawl. (Long story for another time on that one. Yeesh.) Anything more than that and I’m probably wasting paper or pixels. The group usually manages to bypass, blow up, or overcomplicate anything specific I had plotted out, which is why I switched up my paradigm. (Which is pronounced, “pair-uh-dig-gum”)

But what about my BBEG and his plans for world domination?

If the group ignores whatever breadcrumbs and keeps offing his minions at every turn, maybe his plan goes ahead as scheduled because the group failed to interfere in time. Now the group has to wonder why the sky suddenly turned a shade of lime green and dragons are flying around everywhere like hummingbirds. Why wait for those meddling kids to interfere if they’re off starting a black smithy/bakery or hanging out with some random goblin they met at the inn? Don’t be afraid to lay down some consequences if they completely blow off that raid on the Death Star. Sometimes the villain gets their way and finishes their agenda. Now what will the group do?

Most of what I’m referring to so far is a sandbox style of play.

But there are some suggestions of other things that work. Sometimes it’s okay to have a plot in mind, but don’t get too attached. Most adventures still boil down to Who, What, Where, Why, possibly When and How. What matters to me as a GM is getting the ball rolling.

You can have the most elaborate sandbox campaign ever laid out on a hex map just waiting for the PCs to come spread some love, but it won’t do a lick of good unless they have some motivation to go explore. You can have the most sinister of BBEGs waiting for them with some crazy scheme to take over the Tri-Kingdom Area, but it does no good if the group never finds out about it and more importantly why they should get involved.

If the session or maybe the campaign starts in media res, the threat is imminent and the group must react in order to survive. Beware of overusing this tactic as players will begin to expect it. But once in a while it’s fun to leave them stranded on a mysterious island in the middle of nowhere with no idea how they got there.

Yes, PC backstories have a role to play in their motivation. Assuming they gave you anything to work with and it wasn’t a 39 page novel of their own, working some of what they gave you into the sandbox is usually pretty easy and will help later on in answering one of the big six questions above.

Other formats that might work for you.

My friend Kelsey Dionne talked about it in her monthly newsletter back in 2020. There can be a happy medium between sandboxing and railroading. I forget what she called it now, but it’s a format that starts out immersing the group in a story and then letting them decide if/where they want to run with it. Sometimes the group is fickle and they don’t. From what I know of Kelsey’s games, they usually do.

When I ran a lot of Cyberpunk, Werewolf, Deadlands, and superhero games, I usually didn’t have an elaborate plot in mind. The group had their home base and familiar NPCs that they saw daily. There was usually a villain out there, or several in some cases. All I needed was an inciting incident to get the ball rolling and maybe some sort of reward for going after the villain.

Having familiar NPCs that the group might be somewhat attached-to is pretty good motivation sometimes. The bank’s being robbed? Oh, Rex’s girlfriend was going to the bank this morning. Sure hope she’s not in the middle of a hostage situation… Of course we all know she will be. It’s not a railroad, but that one is hard for our heroes to turn down. Yes, they could let the boring old police handle it or they could hero up and go do something about it. (I used that “hero up” line once and nobody caught onto the reference until way later.)

You can build a corkboard or a marker board with names and relationships on it. If a business relationship between two NPCs falls apart, the group might be in for some financial tough times in a Cyberpunk game. If someone’s crush admits to it in the screamsheets right before the big concert, the following media scandal might make it hard to get out and do the real running. I’ve cooked up very elaborate relationship dynamics in the past. It’s fun, but the more NPCs you add, the more moving parts there are to keep track of from one week to the next. More on that in another article.

I’ve also done multi-branch linear style games where things might go A-D-C-H-Z with a lot of branches and dead ends going everywhere. Some points of the adventure didn’t even have a line drawn to them and were planned on the off chance the group pulled out something I hadn’t anticipated yet. Sometimes the outside world reacts to what the group is doing, other times NPCs have their own agendas to carry out, and the heroes may or may not interfere. Stop the train robbery or figure out why Farmer Barley’s cows are suffering from demonic possession. The stranger realization comes when the two are related.

I would also suggest taking a look at what novel writers are doing for more inspiration. Not everyone has a game modeled after a well-known actual play series. Not every GM is blessed with a dozen talented and well-paid voice actors in their cast, either. Sometimes novel writers will come up with interesting approaches that can be sandwiched into your game formatting.

I can talk about plotting and character development all day.

I used to deal with this kind of thing quite a bit. As I said originally, we teach new GM/DMs the linear formula because it’s the easiest to grasp and doesn’t require a ton of player motivation. Some people still prefer that style 20 years later.

However, some players don’t like to be told where to go and what to do. Setting them up for “success” is simply a matter of giving them NPCs, situations, and loot for them to interact with. They’ll find the adventure. It’s only a matter of when and how. Sometimes you have to just throw the module over your shoulder and ask the group, “Okay. What do you want to do now?”

As always, do what works best for you and your players. It’s fun to experiment with different presentation styles and adventure formats until you reach that sweet spot. Then just keep going. The group with thank you for keeping things interesting and engaging.

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!

The Twin-Tailed Lemmikyn

“Where it pauses, chance stumbles.”

Appearance

The Lemmikyn is a small, four-legged animal resembling a plump mountain lemming with unusually large, watchful eyes. Its most striking feature is its two foxlike tails, each tipped with pale silver fur that faintly glimmers in low light. Its coat shifts subtly with the weather, dusty gray before storms, off-white in snow, and tawny in autumn forests, making it easy to overlook at first. When startled, both tails flick in opposite directions, as if reacting to different futures. It moves with quick, nervous hops, often stopping to sniff the air or stare intently at nothing at all.

Nature & Folklore

The Lemmikyn is not magical in intent, but magical in consequence. It does not curse, attack, or deliberately interfere. Instead, probability bends slightly around it, like a wheel with a loose spoke.

Common folk sayings include:

• “Spilled ale follows a Lemmikyn.”
• “Two tails, no luck.”
• “If it watches you leave, something stays behind.”

Scholars debate whether it: attracts bad luck, sheds it like dander, or merely reveals instability in reality already present. Many have speculated that its origins lie in the Spirit World or Fairy Realm.

The Lemmikyn seems drawn to crossroads, mountain trails, forest edges, and liminal places, anywhere decisions are made.

Behavior

• Solitary or found in pairs (rarely.)
• Active at dawn and dusk.
• Flees combat unless cornered.
• Watches travelers from a short distance, sometimes following for an hour or more before vanishing.

If chased or captured, misfortune accelerates.

Weird Luck Wake (Core Gimmick)

While a Lemmikyn is near the party or has recently passed through, minor mishaps increase:

Examples (use sparingly, never all at once):

• A rope frays sooner than expected.
• A torch sputters out early.
• A pack strap snaps.
• Food spoils overnight.
• A door sticks, then suddenly flies open.
• A dropped item rolls just out of reach.

Important:
This is never lethal on its own. It’s inconvenience, tension, mood. The players should connect the dots afterward.

Dragonbane Stat Block:

*Please note: This creature does not follow the standard Dragonbane Monster formula. It is more akin to an NPC or animal familiar. Truly, it is not meant for combat nor cuddles. Some have speculated that it may in fact be a creature from the Fairy Realm or Spirit World.

LEMMIKYN
Ferocity: 1
Size: Small
Movement: 12
Armor: 2 (Natural)
HP: 8
Attacks: Nip – 1d6 (only if cornered)

Skills:
Evade 16
Sneaking 16
Awareness: 15

Special Abilities:
Unsteady Fortune
As long as the Lemmikyn remains nearby (or within the last watch), the GM may once per session:
Treat a failed roll as a marginal failure with consequences or introduce a minor mishap unrelated to combat. No rerolls are forced. This should feel organic, not punitive.
Forked Fate Tails
If the Lemmikyn is directly interacted with (fed, chased, trapped):
The next notable non-combat roll made by a random party member is rolled with Bane.
The effect fades once the creature escapes or is left behind.

GM Notes (The Secret Sauce)
The Lemmikyn is best used in hindsight as if almost meant to incite supersition among the party.
Let players realize later: “Oh, it was that thing.”
Never overuse it. One appearance every few sessions is perfect
If slain, bad luck stops immediately, which should feel oddly relieving… and sad.

Adventure Hooks
A merchant offers good coin for proof that one was removed from a trade route.
A village refuses to cut down a tree where one nests.
A rival party secretly follows one, hoping it will soften up their competition.
A wizard insists they bring one back alive (this will not go well.)
One decides to follow the party around, trying to become adopted.

#Dnd #Dragonbaneadventures #DragonbaneBestiary #DragonBaneBlog #DragonbaneBlogger #DragonbanePathofGlory #Dragonbanestandees #DrakarochDemoner #Fantasy #FreeLeaguePublishing #FriaLigan #MonsterMonday #Roleplaying #Roleplayingblog #Roleplayingblogger #Roleplayingcommunity #Roleplayinggame #Rpg #Rpgblog #Rpgblogger #Rpgwriter #Ttrpg #Ttrpgamenight #TTRPGblog #TTRPGblogger #Ttrpgdesign #Ttrpgnewplayers #Ttrpgplayer #Ttrpgwriter #DoD #Dragonbane

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs. https://jeffsgamebox.blog/2026/01/30/friday-flap-dungeontubers-and-new-gms/ ##dnd, ##DungeonTube, ##DungeonTuber, ##DungeonTubers, ##rpg, ##rpgblog, ##rpgblogger, ##rpgwriter, ##ttrpg, ##TTRPGblog, ##TTRPGblogger, ##ttrpgwriter, #GameMasterAdvice, #TTRPGInfluencer, #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs. https://jeffsgamebox.blog/2026/01/30/friday-flap-dungeontubers-and-new-gms/ ##dnd, ##DungeonTube, ##DungeonTuber, ##DungeonTubers, ##rpg, ##rpgblog, ##rpgblogger, ##rpgwriter, ##ttrpg, ##TTRPGblog, ##TTRPGblogger, ##ttrpgwriter, #GameMasterAdvice, #TTRPGInfluencer, #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs. https://jeffsgamebox.blog/2026/01/30/friday-flap-dungeontubers-and-new-gms/ ##dnd, ##DungeonTube, ##DungeonTuber, ##DungeonTubers, ##rpg, ##rpgblog, ##rpgblogger, ##rpgwriter, ##ttrpg, ##TTRPGblog, ##TTRPGblogger, ##ttrpgwriter, #GameMasterAdvice, #TTRPGInfluencer, #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs. https://jeffsgamebox.blog/2026/01/30/friday-flap-dungeontubers-and-new-gms/ ##dnd, ##DungeonTube, ##DungeonTuber, ##DungeonTubers, ##rpg, ##rpgblog, ##rpgblogger, ##rpgwriter, ##ttrpg, ##TTRPGblog, ##TTRPGblogger, ##ttrpgwriter, #GameMasterAdvice, #TTRPGInfluencer, #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs. https://jeffsgamebox.blog/2026/01/30/friday-flap-dungeontubers-and-new-gms/ ##dnd, ##DungeonTube, ##DungeonTuber, ##DungeonTubers, ##rpg, ##rpgblog, ##rpgblogger, ##rpgwriter, ##ttrpg, ##TTRPGblog, ##TTRPGblogger, ##ttrpgwriter, #GameMasterAdvice, #TTRPGInfluencer, #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs.

Dispelling myths and rumors about being a Game Master.

So I hear all this nonsense going around again on YouTube about how “Game Mastering is (supposedly) hard work,” and “GM burnout is a scary real thing.”

The short answer is “No” on both counts. If you wonder why DungeonTube is dying, this is the kind of thing right here that is driving nails into the proverbial coffin. STOP CHASING PEOPLE AWAY FROM GAME MASTERING!!! Arrgh!

Side Note: Please stop hyping up these DungeonTubers whose sole purpose in life is to hype up their appearance a Green Dragon Fest which is a super elite convention that only a select few GMs and players can afford to attend. One of these days I’m going to spend more time addressing this tomfoolery. Until then please understand that I have a very dim view of the people running this thing. <cough> Gatekeeping. <cough>

Where was I? Oh yes, this week’s DungeonTube myths and rumors. Let’s just do a quick rundown of a few things:

Being a GM is fun and engaging. I’ve talked about this before on the blog but let me go over the highlights.

• You don’t need any special skills or talents to run a game. If you can play, you are already qualified to be a GM. It’s really just a matter of playing more than one character.
• Prep time for a Game Master can be hard work. But it can also be fun and exciting. Do as much as you need to in order to feel ready for the game. The rest will fill itself in.
• You don’t have to be “Professional Quality.” Just be you. Your players might actually enjoy that more. Besides, they’re probably not professional voice actors. Most GMs aren’t in this for money. If you are in it for the money, then that’s cool. Just do the best you can with what you have.
• You DO NOT have to have the rulebook memorized. Some GMs don’t even allow rulebooks at the table. Yes, a familiarity with the system helps. When in doubt, make a ruling to the best of your ability and look it up after the game. (Helpful hint: GMs can take lots of notes to help after the session.)

  Once you get used to being a GM, you can run anything, anywhere, any time. You can walk into a convention, pick up a game, look over the scenario, and rock it with only minimal rules knowledge. Knowing how to roleplay goes a lot farther than rules memorization. (Helpful hint: you can usually recruit a player to help with the technical rules if you really need exacting detail.)

• There are no bad GMs. Sure, feedback and experience help. The main factors are motivation and communication. If you have a rough session, keep going. At a certain point you can only get better and better.
• Everyone starts somewhere. Even the “great GMs” of our hobby were new once. Like I said, keep going. Run that next session. You got this. If you listen carefully, there are hundreds of other people cheering you on somewhere in the background.
• COMMUNICATION is key! Listen to what the players are saying both in and out of combat. Let them speak. Remember the wise person listens while fools only ramble on.
• Do NOT get attached to any plot or storyline you’ve created. The players almost always take even the most well thought out story beats and run 90 yards in the wrong direction with them. It’s okay. Remember you’re running a game, not writing a novel. The rule of thumb here is: No plan ever survives contact with the players or the timetable.
• Many GMs love having random tables on hand. Sometimes a random encounter will give a GM time to breathe, maybe even get to the end of the session so you can regroup and prepare for what might be coming next.

This notion of “GM Burnout” is sensationalized to get YouTube clicks.

If I ever make a GM Burnout video on this channel that completely contradicts what I’m about to go into, please someone call me out on it? I’ve talked about this before on my blog. I think the whole notion of being “burned out” as a GM is completely farcical.

Most of the time being “burned out” as a GM has little to do with the game or the players and a lot more to do with whatever is going on in the GM’s life outside of the game. Unless you’re running multiple games per day and at least one game every night of the week, you probably don’t need to step back and take a break from Game Mastering. Even then, it’s a phenomenon more common to “paid, perfeshional GMs.” For the average GM on the street, running a game once or twice per week really doesn’t cause stress, grief, or anxiety.

Game Masters are people, too. We often have jobs, classes, relationships, and even offspring in out lives. Like regular humans (or so I’m told) we have stress in our lives from these various things, especially the offspring… Most of the time the game sits on the backburner of our lives.

Occasionally things happen that are going to put prep time if not the game itself on temporary hold. Cars break down, relatives get sick or worse, bills need to be paid, relationships experience strife or end, and any other number of weird things happen in the real world that cut into our real lives. Yes, that stuff is stressful.

Yes, sometimes that leads to sessions getting cancelled, one-shots being pulled out at the last minute instead of the regularly scheduled game, or an impromptu boardgame night/social gathering with the group if it’s in person. Life happens. It’s usually a good idea not to run a game if you’re too stressed to think straight as a human.

Mental health is important. Knowing when to step back and engage in self-care is important. Knowing when to talk to a professional such as a therapist is important. If your group has any sense of empathy, they will be cool with you taking a breather.

Nine times out of ten, this ridiculous notion of “GM burnout” is because of things that have nothing to do with the GM’s game, prep, or play style. In-game issues are pretty easily fixed most of the time. Player-GM interpersonal issues are pretty easily remedied as well. It’s all about communication as I said before.

Please be willing to at least try running a game session. It’s not as hard as it sounds. There are dozens if not hundreds of advice articles, tips, and strategies out there for new GMs. If you have any roleplaying chops as a player, being a GM is lots of fun.

Please do not let some of these DungeonTubers scare you away from being a GM or a player for that matter. I’m starting to think some of these guys are only into gaming for the money. Please do yourself a favor and listen to real GMs that have run a lot of real games. The bulk majority of us are here to legitimately help people.

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!

#Dnd #DungeonTube #DungeonTuber #DungeonTubers #Rpg #Rpgblog #Rpgblogger #Rpgwriter #Ttrpg #TTRPGblog #TTRPGblogger #Ttrpgwriter #GameMasterAdvice #TTRPGInfluencer #TTRPGYouTubeCreator

Friday Flap: DungeonTubers and New GMs.

Dispelling myths and rumors about being a Game Master.

So I hear all this nonsense going around again on YouTube about how “Game Mastering is (supposedly) hard work,” and “GM burnout is a scary real thing.”

The short answer is “No” on both counts. If you wonder why DungeonTube is dying, this is the kind of thing right here that is driving nails into the proverbial coffin. STOP CHASING PEOPLE AWAY FROM GAME MASTERING!!! Arrgh!

Side Note: Please stop hyping up these DungeonTubers whose sole purpose in life is to hype up their appearance a Green Dragon Fest which is a super elite convention that only a select few GMs and players can afford to attend. One of these days I’m going to spend more time addressing this tomfoolery. Until then please understand that I have a very dim view of the people running this thing. <cough> Gatekeeping. <cough>

Where was I? Oh yes, this week’s DungeonTube myths and rumors. Let’s just do a quick rundown of a few things:

Being a GM is fun and engaging. I’ve talked about this before on the blog but let me go over the highlights.

• You don’t need any special skills or talents to run a game. If you can play, you are already qualified to be a GM. It’s really just a matter of playing more than one character.
• Prep time for a Game Master can be hard work. But it can also be fun and exciting. Do as much as you need to in order to feel ready for the game. The rest will fill itself in.
• You don’t have to be “Professional Quality.” Just be you. Your players might actually enjoy that more. Besides, they’re probably not professional voice actors. Most GMs aren’t in this for money. If you are in it for the money, then that’s cool. Just do the best you can with what you have.
• You DO NOT have to have the rulebook memorized. Some GMs don’t even allow rulebooks at the table. Yes, a familiarity with the system helps. When in doubt, make a ruling to the best of your ability and look it up after the game. (Helpful hint: GMs can take lots of notes to help after the session.)

  Once you get used to being a GM, you can run anything, anywhere, any time. You can walk into a convention, pick up a game, look over the scenario, and rock it with only minimal rules knowledge. Knowing how to roleplay goes a lot farther than rules memorization. (Helpful hint: you can usually recruit a player to help with the technical rules if you really need exacting detail.)

• There are no bad GMs. Sure, feedback and experience help. The main factors are motivation and communication. If you have a rough session, keep going. At a certain point you can only get better and better.
• Everyone starts somewhere. Even the “great GMs” of our hobby were new once. Like I said, keep going. Run that next session. You got this. If you listen carefully, there are hundreds of other people cheering you on somewhere in the background.
• COMMUNICATION is key! Listen to what the players are saying both in and out of combat. Let them speak. Remember the wise person listens while fools only ramble on.
• Do NOT get attached to any plot or storyline you’ve created. The players almost always take even the most well thought out story beats and run 90 yards in the wrong direction with them. It’s okay. Remember you’re running a game, not writing a novel. The rule of thumb here is: No plan ever survives contact with the players or the timetable.
• Many GMs love having random tables on hand. Sometimes a random encounter will give a GM time to breathe, maybe even get to the end of the session so you can regroup and prepare for what might be coming next.

This notion of “GM Burnout” is sensationalized to get YouTube clicks.

If I ever make a GM Burnout video on this channel that completely contradicts what I’m about to go into, please someone call me out on it? I’ve talked about this before on my blog. I think the whole notion of being “burned out” as a GM is completely farcical.

Most of the time being “burned out” as a GM has little to do with the game or the players and a lot more to do with whatever is going on in the GM’s life outside of the game. Unless you’re running multiple games per day and at least one game every night of the week, you probably don’t need to step back and take a break from Game Mastering. Even then, it’s a phenomenon more common to “paid, perfeshional GMs.” For the average GM on the street, running a game once or twice per week really doesn’t cause stress, grief, or anxiety.

Game Masters are people, too. We often have jobs, classes, relationships, and even offspring in out lives. Like regular humans (or so I’m told) we have stress in our lives from these various things, especially the offspring… Most of the time the game sits on the backburner of our lives.

Occasionally things happen that are going to put prep time if not the game itself on temporary hold. Cars break down, relatives get sick or worse, bills need to be paid, relationships experience strife or end, and any other number of weird things happen in the real world that cut into our real lives. Yes, that stuff is stressful.

Yes, sometimes that leads to sessions getting cancelled, one-shots being pulled out at the last minute instead of the regularly scheduled game, or an impromptu boardgame night/social gathering with the group if it’s in person. Life happens. It’s usually a good idea not to run a game if you’re too stressed to think straight as a human.

Mental health is important. Knowing when to step back and engage in self-care is important. Knowing when to talk to a professional such as a therapist is important. If your group has any sense of empathy, they will be cool with you taking a breather.

Nine times out of ten, this ridiculous notion of “GM burnout” is because of things that have nothing to do with the GM’s game, prep, or play style. In-game issues are pretty easily fixed most of the time. Player-GM interpersonal issues are pretty easily remedied as well. It’s all about communication as I said before.

Please be willing to at least try running a game session. It’s not as hard as it sounds. There are dozens if not hundreds of advice articles, tips, and strategies out there for new GMs. If you have any roleplaying chops as a player, being a GM is lots of fun.

Please do not let some of these DungeonTubers scare you away from being a GM or a player for that matter. I’m starting to think some of these guys are only into gaming for the money. Please do yourself a favor and listen to real GMs that have run a lot of real games. The bulk majority of us are here to legitimately help people.

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!

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