#ttrpgdesign — Public Fediverse posts

Wrote a blog post where I convinced myself that I have too many projects

https://pennylescroche.codeberg.page/posts/status-update-july-2026/

#webcomic #gamedev #ttrpg #ttrpgDesign #blog

Wow, a year and three days before I actually continued this thread. Amazing. (#ADHD 😆 )

So continuing on, here's some actual information about the game, starting with some high-level design features:

Universality: The system is "setting agnostic", and can be used with any setting, existing or created by you.

Creativity: The system includes a large toolset for you to create or adapt your perfect setting, in any genre and any level of detail you desire.

Setting Scalability: SpaceCraft can be used for games that take place in a single neighborhood (or even a large building), or span multiple galactic clusters. Players can play micronized beings to Lovecraftian Outer Gods, larger than planets. Characters can be ordinary people with nothing special about them except their story (during game and/or backstory), or any level up to demi-gods.

Rules Scalability: The rules are designed to work as much the same at any scale as possible. The combat rules for fist-fights are fundamentally the same as hurling black holes at nearby galaxies. The rules for doing parkour through an office building are basically the same as racing a spaceship through an asteroid belt. The rules for perception work the same whether you're looking for clues in a dark apartment, or observing astronomical phenomena in a distant galaxy. This makes the system much easier to learn. Different situations will also have add-on rules that add realism.

Play Style Choice: The Choose-Roll-Calculate (CRC) system gives GMs and Players the flexibility to make quick, arbitrary choices, roll randomly, or calculate outcomes for more realistic and immersive play.

Detail when you want it, speed when it counts: By default the rules tend towards "crunchy" for tools used outside of game time, such as character creation and world building, and speedy for rules used in game, such as combat. But in both cases there are options to speed up the crunchy and flesh out the speedy, depending on your situation and play style.

2/x
#ttrpg #ttrpgDesign

Wow, a year and three days before I actually continued this thread. Amazing. (#ADHD 😆 )

So continuing on, here's some actual information about the game, starting with some high-level design features:

Universality: The system is "setting agnostic", and can be used with any setting, existing or created by you.

Creativity: The system includes a large toolset for you to create or adapt your perfect setting, in any genre and any level of detail you desire.

Setting Scalability: SpaceCraft can be used for games that take place in a single neighborhood (or even a large building), or span multiple galactic clusters. Players can play micronized beings to Lovecraftian Outer Gods, larger than planets. Characters can be ordinary people with nothing special about them except their story (during game and/or backstory), or any level up to demi-gods.

Rules Scalability: The rules are designed to work as much the same at any scale as possible. The combat rules for fist-fights are fundamentally the same as hurling black holes at nearby galaxies. The rules for doing parkour through an office building are basically the same as racing a spaceship through an asteroid belt. The rules for perception work the same whether you're looking for clues in a dark apartment, or observing astronomical phenomena in a distant galaxy. This makes the system much easier to learn. Different situations will also have add-on rules that add realism.

Play Style Choice: The Choose-Roll-Calculate (CRC) system gives GMs and Players the flexibility to make quick, arbitrary choices, roll randomly, or calculate outcomes for more realistic and immersive play.

Detail when you want it, speed when it counts: By default the rules tend towards "crunchy" for tools used outside of game time, such as character creation and world building, and speedy for rules used in game, such as combat. But in both cases there are options to speed up the crunchy and flesh out the speedy, depending on your situation and play style.

2/x
#ttrpg #ttrpgDesign

Anyone else taking part in the one page rpg jam (https://itch.io/jam/one-page-rpg-jam-2026)? Happy to look through anyone's submission and give feedback or help playtest :)

#ttrpg #ttrpgdesign #onepagerpgjam

Hmm, this dungeoneering procedure I've designed is pretty cool, but a bit too complicated.

<introduces further complications>

Ah, much better!
#ttrpgDesign

Hmm, this dungeoneering procedure I've designed is pretty cool, but a bit too complicated.

<introduces further complications>

Ah, much better!
#ttrpgDesign

Spent some time organizing some design ideas I had for example adventures.

Now I have some gaming with friends this evening.

#ttrpgdesign

Spent some time organizing some design ideas I had for example adventures.

Now I have some gaming with friends this evening.

#ttrpgdesign

That Conversation I Don’t Want To Have.

That conversation I never wanted to freakin have.

I’ve been sitting on this article for months. The first draft was well over 3,000 words, and the second draft wasn’t much shorter. Every time I started writing, I got angry, and every time I got angry, the article got longer. Somewhere along the way I realized I wasn’t really writing about AI anymore. I was writing about frustration, disappointment, and feeling like I had to defend my existence as a creator.

So let’s try this one more time.

Once upon a time, tabletop roleplaying games were built on newsletters, fanzines, pamphlets, and whatever else people could scrape together. Folks typed things up on typewriters, ran them through photocopiers, stapled them together, and shared them with anyone at the wargaming club willing to read them. The hobby wasn’t built by publishing companies; it was built by enthusiastic weirdos with fantastic ideas.

Fantasy art wasn’t readily available, and layout software didn’t exist. Nobody was arguing about AI because most of us were trying to figure out how to get enough copies made before the local copy shop closed or we got kicked out of the public library (Yes, that really happened.) The important thing was the idea; the adventure, the setting, the monster, the game.

Somewhere along the line, things changed.

Today, fantasy art is everywhere, layout software is available to almost anyone with a computer or a phone, and publishing has never been easier. Yet somehow the barriers to entry feel higher than ever. If you release a product today without art, if your cover isn’t eye-catching, or if your layout isn’t polished, people notice. Art has become an expectation.

I listened to a popular DungeonTuber the other day railing against typos and grammatical errors the other day. The same guy regularly doubles down against AI tools. Do you see where this causes me some cognitive dissonance?

That brings me to the problem.

I have quietly come to loggerheads with people I admire over AI art. I’ve watched creators get absolutely roasted for using it. I’ve watched friendships fracture, and I’ve watched communities divide themselves into camps that seem increasingly unwilling to listen to each other. I’ve mostly kept my mouth shut—not because I don’t have opinions (trust me, I do), but because I knew the moment I opened my mouth someone would assume I was attacking artists.

I’m not. Not even a little.

I think artists should be paid, and I think artists deserve respect. I think artists create things I could never create. I also think reality exists, and reality is where this discussion gets complicated.

I’m a small creator. I’m not running million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns, getting convention appearance fees, or selling tens of thousands of copies of products. I’m a guy trying to make third-party Dragonbane supplements at three in the morning while dealing with chronic pain, depression, family obligations, and whatever fresh disaster life has decided to throw at me this week.

Have you seen what professional fantasy art costs these days? Holy shit.

Good artists deserve every penny they earn. The problem isn’t the artist; the problem is that many small creators simply can’t afford those prices. A custom cover can easily cost hundreds of dollars, and interior artwork can climb into the thousands. That’s before layout, editing, promotion, or anything else enters the equation.

People often tell me to use stock art. Okay. Please show me where I can find stock art for a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex with gorilla arms, vulture wings, and a venomous tail. I’ll wait.

If I need a castle, a mountain, or a goat, stock art is wonderful. If I need a bizarre monster that exists only in the twisted recesses of my brain, the options become a lot more limited. That’s where AI entered my workflow; not because I hate artists, want artists to starve, and not because I’m trying to replace anyone. It’s because AI solved a problem that otherwise had no practical solution.

The choice wasn’t AI art versus commissioned art. The choice was AI art versus no art, and that’s a very different conversation.

There’s another aspect of this discussion that gets overlooked constantly: accessibility.

My friend, The OG GM, has dyslexia and other neurological challenges that can make writing and formatting difficult, which is a well-known fact to his friends, family, and strangers on the Internet. AI helps bridge some of those gaps. Sometimes it helps with spelling, sometimes it helps organize thoughts, and sometimes it helps transform rough ideas into something easier to work with. I help when I can, too. For free because that’s what friends do. Sometimes I wish I could help more.

What I’ve discovered is that a lot of neurodivergent people use AI in similar ways. They use it to reduce decision fatigue, organize schedules, draft emails, answer messages, summarize information, and break overwhelming tasks into manageable pieces. AI doesn’t make ADHD, or Autism disappear. It doesn’t magically solve anxiety, depression, dyslexia, or executive dysfunction. What it can do is remove a few obstacles and reduce a little friction, and for some people, that’s a bigger deal than critics seem willing to acknowledge.

Now before anyone starts sharpening pitchforks, let’s address the obvious concerns.

Some artists are losing work, and that’s real. Some companies are absolutely using AI to cut costs, and that’s real too. Some people are flooding storefronts with low-effort junk generated in five minutes. I’ve seen it, and you’ve seen it. Pretending those things aren’t happening would be dishonest. Likewise, concerns about energy usage and infrastructure deserve discussion. Every major technological shift comes with consequences, and none of those concerns are imaginary.

What frustrates me is the lack of nuance. The conversation often feels like it has only two positions: either AI is the greatest thing ever invented, or AI is destroying creativity forever. Reality rarely works that way. Most people end up somewhere in the middle. Most people aren’t trying to destroy art or artists; they’re simply trying to solve problems using the tools available to them.

The thing that concerns me most isn’t the technology; it’s the growing divide inside the TTRPG hobby. Communities are splitting apart, conventions are debating policies, creators are choosing sides, and people who probably agree on ninety percent of everything else suddenly can’t stand each other because of one issue. That’s sad, especially in a hobby built on imagination and collaboration.

The truth is AI isn’t going away. Search engines use it, Microsoft Word uses it, WordPress uses it, customer service departments use it, and my dentist’s office uses it after hours. Most people interact with AI every day whether they realize it or not. Technology changes, people adapt, and nobody is rushing to bring back eight-track tapes or demanding a return to typewriters. The world keeps moving forward.

That doesn’t mean every technological change is good, but it does mean some of them become permanent. Sewing machines still exist, but they don’t closely resemble the ones from a hundred years ago.

My position is pretty simple.

Creators who want to make everything by hand should absolutely do so. Creators who want to hire artists should absolutely do so. Customers should absolutely support the creators they believe in. I have no interest in telling anyone what tools they should use; I just want the same courtesy in return.

I’ve been in this hobby for decades. I’ve written for small publications, and I’ve watched entire eras of gaming come and go. The one thing I’ve always loved about tabletop roleplaying games is that anyone could create something. Anyone could write an adventure, build a world, invent a monster, and contribute. That spirit is worth protecting.

You don’t have to agree with my choices. You don’t have to like AI, and you don’t have to use it. But I do believe people should be free to create using the tools available to them, especially when those tools help overcome barriers that might otherwise prevent them from creating at all.

At the end of the day, I’d rather spend my time creating worlds than fighting culture wars. The hobby is big enough for all of us, or at least I’d like to believe it is.

That Conversation I Don’t Want To Have.

That conversation I never wanted to freakin have.

I’ve been sitting on this article for months. The first draft was well over 3,000 words, and the second draft wasn’t much shorter. Every time I started writing, I got angry, and every time I got angry, the article got longer. Somewhere along the way I realized I wasn’t really writing about AI anymore. I was writing about frustration, disappointment, and feeling like I had to defend my existence as a creator.

So let’s try this one more time.

Once upon a time, tabletop roleplaying games were built on newsletters, fanzines, pamphlets, and whatever else people could scrape together. Folks typed things up on typewriters, ran them through photocopiers, stapled them together, and shared them with anyone at the wargaming club willing to read them. The hobby wasn’t built by publishing companies; it was built by enthusiastic weirdos with fantastic ideas.

Fantasy art wasn’t readily available, and layout software didn’t exist. Nobody was arguing about AI because most of us were trying to figure out how to get enough copies made before the local copy shop closed or we got kicked out of the public library (Yes, that really happened.) The important thing was the idea; the adventure, the setting, the monster, the game.

Somewhere along the line, things changed.

Today, fantasy art is everywhere, layout software is available to almost anyone with a computer or a phone, and publishing has never been easier. Yet somehow the barriers to entry feel higher than ever. If you release a product today without art, if your cover isn’t eye-catching, or if your layout isn’t polished, people notice. Art has become an expectation.

I listened to a popular DungeonTuber the other day railing against typos and grammatical errors the other day. The same guy regularly doubles down against AI tools. Do you see where this causes me some cognitive dissonance?

That brings me to the problem.

I have quietly come to loggerheads with people I admire over AI art. I’ve watched creators get absolutely roasted for using it. I’ve watched friendships fracture, and I’ve watched communities divide themselves into camps that seem increasingly unwilling to listen to each other. I’ve mostly kept my mouth shut—not because I don’t have opinions (trust me, I do), but because I knew the moment I opened my mouth someone would assume I was attacking artists.

I’m not. Not even a little.

I think artists should be paid, and I think artists deserve respect. I think artists create things I could never create. I also think reality exists, and reality is where this discussion gets complicated.

I’m a small creator. I’m not running million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns, getting convention appearance fees, or selling tens of thousands of copies of products. I’m a guy trying to make third-party Dragonbane supplements at three in the morning while dealing with chronic pain, depression, family obligations, and whatever fresh disaster life has decided to throw at me this week.

Have you seen what professional fantasy art costs these days? Holy shit.

Good artists deserve every penny they earn. The problem isn’t the artist; the problem is that many small creators simply can’t afford those prices. A custom cover can easily cost hundreds of dollars, and interior artwork can climb into the thousands. That’s before layout, editing, promotion, or anything else enters the equation.

People often tell me to use stock art. Okay. Please show me where I can find stock art for a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex with gorilla arms, vulture wings, and a venomous tail. I’ll wait.

If I need a castle, a mountain, or a goat, stock art is wonderful. If I need a bizarre monster that exists only in the twisted recesses of my brain, the options become a lot more limited. That’s where AI entered my workflow; not because I hate artists, want artists to starve, and not because I’m trying to replace anyone. It’s because AI solved a problem that otherwise had no practical solution.

The choice wasn’t AI art versus commissioned art. The choice was AI art versus no art, and that’s a very different conversation.

There’s another aspect of this discussion that gets overlooked constantly: accessibility.

My friend, The OG GM, has dyslexia and other neurological challenges that can make writing and formatting difficult, which is a well-known fact to his friends, family, and strangers on the Internet. AI helps bridge some of those gaps. Sometimes it helps with spelling, sometimes it helps organize thoughts, and sometimes it helps transform rough ideas into something easier to work with. I help when I can, too. For free because that’s what friends do. Sometimes I wish I could help more.

What I’ve discovered is that a lot of neurodivergent people use AI in similar ways. They use it to reduce decision fatigue, organize schedules, draft emails, answer messages, summarize information, and break overwhelming tasks into manageable pieces. AI doesn’t make ADHD, or Autism disappear. It doesn’t magically solve anxiety, depression, dyslexia, or executive dysfunction. What it can do is remove a few obstacles and reduce a little friction, and for some people, that’s a bigger deal than critics seem willing to acknowledge.

Now before anyone starts sharpening pitchforks, let’s address the obvious concerns.

Some artists are losing work, and that’s real. Some companies are absolutely using AI to cut costs, and that’s real too. Some people are flooding storefronts with low-effort junk generated in five minutes. I’ve seen it, and you’ve seen it. Pretending those things aren’t happening would be dishonest. Likewise, concerns about energy usage and infrastructure deserve discussion. Every major technological shift comes with consequences, and none of those concerns are imaginary.

What frustrates me is the lack of nuance. The conversation often feels like it has only two positions: either AI is the greatest thing ever invented, or AI is destroying creativity forever. Reality rarely works that way. Most people end up somewhere in the middle. Most people aren’t trying to destroy art or artists; they’re simply trying to solve problems using the tools available to them.

The thing that concerns me most isn’t the technology; it’s the growing divide inside the TTRPG hobby. Communities are splitting apart, conventions are debating policies, creators are choosing sides, and people who probably agree on ninety percent of everything else suddenly can’t stand each other because of one issue. That’s sad, especially in a hobby built on imagination and collaboration.

The truth is AI isn’t going away. Search engines use it, Microsoft Word uses it, WordPress uses it, customer service departments use it, and my dentist’s office uses it after hours. Most people interact with AI every day whether they realize it or not. Technology changes, people adapt, and nobody is rushing to bring back eight-track tapes or demanding a return to typewriters. The world keeps moving forward.

That doesn’t mean every technological change is good, but it does mean some of them become permanent. Sewing machines still exist, but they don’t closely resemble the ones from a hundred years ago.

My position is pretty simple.

Creators who want to make everything by hand should absolutely do so. Creators who want to hire artists should absolutely do so. Customers should absolutely support the creators they believe in. I have no interest in telling anyone what tools they should use; I just want the same courtesy in return.

I’ve been in this hobby for decades. I’ve written for small publications, and I’ve watched entire eras of gaming come and go. The one thing I’ve always loved about tabletop roleplaying games is that anyone could create something. Anyone could write an adventure, build a world, invent a monster, and contribute. That spirit is worth protecting.

You don’t have to agree with my choices. You don’t have to like AI, and you don’t have to use it. But I do believe people should be free to create using the tools available to them, especially when those tools help overcome barriers that might otherwise prevent them from creating at all.

At the end of the day, I’d rather spend my time creating worlds than fighting culture wars. The hobby is big enough for all of us, or at least I’d like to believe it is.

I've been on this Ars Magica trip lately. The first edition I ever saw was the 2nd and it opened spaces. The later ones where massive turn offs. The 2nd ed rekindled my curiosity as I read it again lately.

Having gotten and read the supplement "Order of Hermes", even though it's not one of the later humongous and dense ones, I once more felt it was a slog.

It's a game with so much potentail that drowns in bummers as it gets detailed.

#ArsMagica #MindBlown #MythicEurope #ttrpgDesign

I've been on this Ars Magica trip lately. The first edition I ever saw was the 2nd and it opened spaces. The later ones where massive turn offs. The 2nd ed rekindled my curiosity as I read it again lately.

Having gotten and read the supplement "Order of Hermes", even though it's not one of the later humongous and dense ones, I once more felt it was a slog.

It's a game with so much potentail that drowns in bummers as it gets detailed.

#ArsMagica #MindBlown #MythicEurope #ttrpgDesign

I've been on this Ars Magica trip lately. The first edition I ever saw was the 2nd and it opened spaces. The later ones where massive turn offs. The 2nd ed rekindled my curiosity as I read it again lately.

Having gotten and read the supplement "Order of Hermes", even though it's not one of the later humongous and dense ones, I once more felt it was a slog.

It's a game with so much potentail that drowns in bummers as it gets detailed.

#ArsMagica #MindBlown #MythicEurope #ttrpgDesign

I've been on this Ars Magica trip lately. The first edition I ever saw was the 2nd and it opened spaces. The later ones where massive turn offs. The 2nd ed rekindled my curiosity as I read it again lately.

Having gotten and read the supplement "Order of Hermes", even though it's not one of the later humongous and dense ones, I once more felt it was a slog.

It's a game with so much potentail that drowns in bummers as it gets detailed.

#ArsMagica #MindBlown #MythicEurope #ttrpgDesign

I've been on this Ars Magica trip lately. The first edition I ever saw was the 2nd and it opened spaces. The later ones where massive turn offs. The 2nd ed rekindled my curiosity as I read it again lately.

Having gotten and read the supplement "Order of Hermes", even though it's not one of the later humongous and dense ones, I once more felt it was a slog.

It's a game with so much potentail that drowns in bummers as it gets detailed.

#ArsMagica #MindBlown #MythicEurope #ttrpgDesign

A lot has been done on Edict RPG lately.

The character progression systems are pretty unique now instead of a standard leveling system.

The list of monster origins (categories) has been updated to be extremely flavourful.

One of the actions on the action sheet got replaced with something far cooler.

There are some interesting things you can gain from deals made with a fae.

I need to finish adding rituals and then I'll run another playtest.

#ttrpg #edict #ttrpgdesign

A lot has been done on Edict RPG lately.

The character progression systems are pretty unique now instead of a standard leveling system.

The list of monster origins (categories) has been updated to be extremely flavourful.

One of the actions on the action sheet got replaced with something far cooler.

There are some interesting things you can gain from deals made with a fae.

I need to finish adding rituals and then I'll run another playtest.

#ttrpg #edict #ttrpgdesign

A lot has been done on Edict RPG lately.

The character progression systems are pretty unique now instead of a standard leveling system.

The list of monster origins (categories) has been updated to be extremely flavourful.

One of the actions on the action sheet got replaced with something far cooler.

There are some interesting things you can gain from deals made with a fae.

I need to finish adding rituals and then I'll run another playtest.

#ttrpg #edict #ttrpgdesign

A lot has been done on Edict RPG lately.

The character progression systems are pretty unique now instead of a standard leveling system.

The list of monster origins (categories) has been updated to be extremely flavourful.

One of the actions on the action sheet got replaced with something far cooler.

There are some interesting things you can gain from deals made with a fae.

I need to finish adding rituals and then I'll run another playtest.

#ttrpg #edict #ttrpgdesign

A lot has been done on Edict RPG lately.

The character progression systems are pretty unique now instead of a standard leveling system.

The list of monster origins (categories) has been updated to be extremely flavourful.

One of the actions on the action sheet got replaced with something far cooler.

There are some interesting things you can gain from deals made with a fae.

I need to finish adding rituals and then I'll run another playtest.

#ttrpg #edict #ttrpgdesign

My #ttrpgDesign process is about 85% staring at a half-filled random table until I suddenly get an idea for a mechanic that will work with it.

My #ttrpgDesign process is about 85% staring at a half-filled random table until I suddenly get an idea for a mechanic that will work with it.

RE: https://dice.camp/@AdamMakesTTRPG/116681555799835956

If you'd like to have statblocks for existing D&D monsters at new levels of play, check out this supplement!

I am on of the writers on this project 📝 A couple of the monsters I designed include an aboleth egg and a corrupted decaton! 🤖 #ttrpgDesign #DnD #ttrpg

RE: https://dice.camp/@AdamMakesTTRPG/116681555799835956

If you'd like to have statblocks for existing D&D monsters at new levels of play, check out this supplement!

I am on of the writers on this project 📝 A couple of the monsters I designed include an aboleth egg and a corrupted decaton! 🤖 #ttrpgDesign #DnD #ttrpg

Homebrew Is Good, Actually.

Contrary to popular DungeonTube opinions.

Once upon a time in a small town in rural Iowa, lived a small group of Dungeons & Dragons players along with their humble Dungeon Master. We didn’t know what the Hell “homebrew” even really was yet because none of us were beer drinkers and the word hadn’t been applied to the TTRPG space yet. Before the Internet boom of the late 1990s-early 2000s, early players of D&D and Traveller used “homebrew” interchangeably with phrases like “house rules” or “variant systems.”

It was pretty widely accepted that if you joined someone else’s game, you agreed to abide by their house rules without question. Otherwise you were probably shown the door. The same applied to game clubs and other common spaces. Most of the time it was little things like what to do if your die rolls of the table or if your die landed at a funny angle between two numbers (cocked.) I knew one gent in college that had a 20+ page handwritten document that he photocopied because he had added so many things to Basic D&D over the years. But nothing was too wild until more recently with the advent of D&D 5E/5.5E.

Without getting too historical, D&D 3E with the OGL is where homebrew got stickier.

Suddenly everyone and their dog was making D&D content. Most companies were thriving on it in some fashion. There were D20 variations on every game imaginable and references to those core books for everything else. I kinda loved it, personally.

Designers and writers were cranking out lots of material, often from boxes and binders built around other D&D campaigns. I’m guilty of that in a roundabout way even now when I dive into my notes for old magic items and spells to convert to Dragonbane. Homebrew was the business we were in and business was good. It still stands today as kind of good, but things changed.

Even back in the D&D 3E/3.5 era, DMs had to be careful with what they allowed into their campaign. Some sourcebooks started coming out with their own class, skill, feat, and spell variants that went wildly off the rails in terms of game balance. I seem to recall something about a Level 5 Barbarian dual-wielding two handed swords and a witch class that made me want to cry sometimes. Although we were mostly blaming the players for dredging stuff up out of third-party content or DMs (like me) for being dumb enough to say “yes” to it. Yeah, I’m guilty of allowing too much added stuff into my 3.5 campaign.

Back in the BECMI era, we homebrewed everything.

It wasn’t “Greyhawk” or “Forgotten Realms.” It was Jeff’s World this weekend, or Travis’ World on Sunday morning. Everything was unique to the Dungeon Master. We didn’t even name the plane or the realm or whatever.

Later on one of us grabbed the Greyhawk box and then someone else bought Forgotten Realms because Waterdeep looked cool. Pretty soon we were exploring some published settings, but for the most part it was still homebrew with different labels. I got into Kara Tur pretty heavily right before 2nd Ed AD&D came out.

We did dip into a few published modules here and there. X1: Isle of Dread and Tomb of Horrors topped the list. I also ran a few things out of Polyhedron and later Dungeon Magazine. But probably 90% of the rest of our adventures were created by whoever was running the game that day.

I had a whole series where one of our players had to delve into five different dragon lairs to obtain Dragon Slayer swords and eventually went up against Tiamat herself long, long before 5E came about. All of the dragons’ lairs were drawn on brown grocery bags and we used whatever lead minis we had at the time for the characters. It was a hoot back then. Those dragons were tough.

So what happened to give “homebrew” a negative connotation?

First of all, I think the company entrusted with the Dungeons & Dragons game basically decided they only wanted people buying official or at least licensed adventures (via the DungeonMastersGuild.com or D&D Beyond, through which they receive a hefty cut of the profits.) It hasn’t stopped everyone and their dog from slapping the “Made for 5E” label on their products thanks to the Open Game License, but that mostly acts as a marketing tool for the third-party publishers. Like it or not, D&D is still the world’s most easily recognizable roleplaying game.

Wizards of the Coast just wants to make sure they are monetizing the players and DMs as much as possible and rake in the profits for their Reptilian Overlords at Hasbro. (It’s my tinfoil hat theory. Back off! Bwah ha-ha-ha.) In all seriousness, it is kinda their purpose as a corporation to make money for the stockholders, etc. Sometimes it’s just a matter of how ethically they go about it or don’t.

DungeonTubers remain WotC’s number one source of public relations these days. It’s pretty much in those YouTubers’ hands to make sure they play nice with WotC and discourage players from creating much of anything for themselves. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that those same DungeonTubers who have their own million-dollar Kickstarters that they would rather see people invest in rather than create their own D&D content. (But I’m not bitter.)

No joke, I see popular DungeonTubers attaching their name to any given 5E crowdfunding project and the profits double, triple or more seemingly overnight. There’s this one guy out there who loves to punch down on anyone using AI, much less homebrew, who has two separate multimillion-dollar crowdfunded products. Do you really think he wants any of us creating our own worlds, monsters, or other content? Hell no. And I’m sure other DungeonTubers are rolling in royalties or affiliate money.

There’s been a major push since late 2022 and January 2023 to go back to “homebrew.”

Disappointment with official 5E products and the Great D&D OGL Debacle of 2023 lead to many of us breaking off from wanting to make third-party content for D&D. Some returned to the Old School Renaissance/Revival/Re-whatever-this-week. Others broke off and started making stuff for other games entirely, such as my beloved Dragonbane.

WotC can’t monetize D&D players and DMs making their own unofficial content at home. I find it incredibly ironic that the hobby went from the largest company in the industry encouraging creativity to being the company who almost actively discourages it the most. We are talking about the company that put player-facing Bastion rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide for 5.5E.

I sense a degree of irony on DungeonTube nowadays.

The core of the old guard DungeonTubers seem to have split three ways. A few, like the Professor (DM) have turned to their own projects and crowdfunding campaigns. Others have gone back to shilling for WotC/Hasbro. One guy literally went from worldbuilding tips to “This new D&D Starter Set is just the bestest thing ever.” Other DungeonTubers have quit almost entirely to go run their crowdfunding campaigns. (Buh-byeee.)

Then there’s a beautiful new wave of DungeonTubers coming up. Most of them have 1,000-3,000 subscribers with some upwards of 10K. They have gone back to creating monsters, dungeons, and encounter experiences. Some are sounding a lot like the “big names” did in 2019 or 2020. It gives me hope for the future in that area.

I know this one young lady in particular who I feature around here regularly who is what I would call the epitome of a homebrew creator. She has her own world. She has a very unique campaign. She fights the good fight for creativity and ingenuity at every turn. I got the impression she doesn’t spend tons of time with the rulebooks and can fly quite well by the seat of her pants when it comes to rulings. Gotta love Knigobi. I hope she keeps going that way.

There are some who still insist on being spoon-fed adventures.

If published adventures, prepackaged modules, and prebuilt campaign worlds are your thing, I think it’s safe to say Wizards of the Coast will always have you covered. A great deal of content is soon to be locked safely behind a paywall on D&D Beyond if it isn’t already. There’s also the DMsGuild.com for as long as it remains viable.

Honestly, no shade on people who want their official content or as close to it as possible. I still dip into the AD&D Book of Lairs 1 and 2 for one-off encounters even in games that aren’t D&D. I try to pattern the way I do adventures after the content in those two books. They are really well written. I doubt anything since 2014 will truly measure up to my standards the way those two books do.

Truly there is so much D&D content out in the world from the thousands upon thousands of modules, magazine articles, xeroxed black & white notes, and third-party materials that you could run a different published adventure every day and never run out through multiple campaigns and multiple characters.

There are some DM/GMs out there in the world who don’t want to come up with all their own material, write it, prep it, and run it for whatever reason. Some people have real anxiety around creating their own game materials. It’s good to have official or even unofficial content for them to use. That’s a major plus.

There are also some DM/GMs I know who can write a vague three word note on a dinner napkin with a Sharpie and run an entire six-hour long convention game on it. The funny part is, his players were begging for more the next day. They even showed up at his other sessions and begged him to run more of the adventure afterward. He was just that good. Homebrew improv at its finest.

It’s really all a matter of taste.

If you love prepackaged, corporate team-built modules and campaign packages, that’s great. If you’re like me and you prefer a do-it-yourself approach to basically everything, you might consider switching games away from D&D altogether and try games with very basic bare bones rules systems that haven’t been building subclasses, spells, and flogging Faerun’s Sword Coast  for the last twelve years. Admittedly, Dragonbane has some history from the Drakar och Demoner era, but it has the simple, open, red box feel from the early D&D days when everything was new, basic, and brewed at home.

Our entire hobby is still mostly a cottage industry.

I can name the biggest companies in the TTRPG industry off the top of my head. I can also tell you that the top five or six companies in the United States are under the thumb of Wizards of the Coast whether anyone wants to acknowledge it or not. There’s another handful of TTRPG companies that operate very nicely without any input from Hasbro’s lapdog. The rest of them are what I would personally call “indie” because they have fairly small or smaller catalogs and produce sporadic content. Or they’re like me and are one or so lonely third-party operations that are happy to do anything ever.

The question I always have to ask is how many game companies or how many game designers came about from making “homebrew” content for D&D or some other game? Entire companies have been born this way. Even more were born out of the 3/3.5E D&D OGL boom. Where they all are now varies because let’s face it: Business can be a cruel mistress. But the fact remains that none of them would exist without “homebrew.”

Imagine if Mr. Gygax and Mr. Arneson had listened to the old fartz in their wargaming club who probably said, “Don’t go making your own rules,” when Chain Mail was being built. Things might not look anything like they do now. Imagine if people had adopted the “euww homebrew” attitude in the early 2000s when the OGL was born. How many things would look completely different. Luckily our hobby encourages creativity for the most part.

I would go so far as to say it’s a form of gatekeeping.

Anyone telling you not to exercise your creativity in a game about elves with sticks in the name of pushing their own sales numbers is probably not someone you would want to buy a game from. Make good choices for you and your group. Sure. Definitely exercise your power as a Dungeon/Game Master to deny unbalanced, broken, or unfairly advantaged characters in your game. Sure. Not every character build works for every group.

I never want to hear about how my creativity is bad in terms of the business side of the hobby. Yes, there are games out there I won’t touch with a 3.3-meter pole. I’d say the vast majority of them simply don’t appeal to my style of GMing or their setting just doesn’t work for me. Sometimes I do stumble into a game with major statistical issues, but I try to approach those writers with kid gloves on because they’re usually really inexperienced. To them I say, “Keep going,” because someday their game might take off or their next endeavor might take off.

Homebrew is what keeps most games alive. In my many years of Game Mastering, I’ve found that the prepackaged starting adventure only goes so far. Or after you’ve chased the giant rats out of the Inn’s unusually large cellar, your characters are looking for a new challenge. While I managed to cobble a campaign together once out of mostly premade dungeons, I still had to string them together with some homebrew plot and plenty of NPCs.

But I’d never in a million years tell someone, “No, you shouldn’t be doing homebrew.”

Don’t believe everything DungeonTube tells you. That goes for all the wacky peasant railgun ideas, too. Just because one DM/GM let it fly, doesn’t mean everyone will. Always check ahead with the DM/GM before pulling something that’s not already established, especially if it sounds like it might be kinda sketchy.

I know some GMs let their players min-max their characters. I usually don’t unless it’s a limited thing. No one should be trying to win at the role-playing table unless your group is really into that sort of thing. Yes, I know some guys that do the whole one-up PvP style game and I think they’re still playing that way in my hometown. Not my fish; not my pond.

What it really boils down to for me is inviting everyone to open themselves up creatively should they want to. I don’t want to turn someone away from my table or my hobby because of a biased predisposition toward homebrew or anything else hobby related. (*I’m still not putting up with bigots or hateful individuals that spew their nonsense at the game table.) I want to invite people in to be a part of cool adventures and fun storytelling as a group. Let’s try to find reasons to get along and not let our differences divide us to the breaking point.

I’m passionate about gaming. Not video games, but tabletop gaming. Wargaming tends to have rigid rules as do boardgames. But TTRPGs are open, expansive, and often interactive affairs that deserve an environment where creativity can flourish. I know I’m being a bit overly dramatic when I say we just wouldn’t be here without a serious amount of homebrew.

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!

Buffed/replaced many attribute roll based actions and how strong weaknesses are based on solo combat testing.

Replaced 4 starting gear.

Improved how character creation shifts to rebalance the players based on how many players are in the party.

Changed how "leveling up" and gaining max health effectively works.

Moved bonus damage from agility to its own stat based on agility for clarity.

Armour is now gear instead of max health.

Changed how you learn rituals.

#edict #ttrpgdesign

Buffed/replaced many attribute roll based actions and how strong weaknesses are based on solo combat testing.

Replaced 4 starting gear.

Improved how character creation shifts to rebalance the players based on how many players are in the party.

Changed how "leveling up" and gaining max health effectively works.

Moved bonus damage from agility to its own stat based on agility for clarity.

Armour is now gear instead of max health.

Changed how you learn rituals.

#edict #ttrpgdesign

Buffed/replaced many attribute roll based actions and how strong weaknesses are based on solo combat testing.

Replaced 4 starting gear.

Improved how character creation shifts to rebalance the players based on how many players are in the party.

Changed how "leveling up" and gaining max health effectively works.

Moved bonus damage from agility to its own stat based on agility for clarity.

Armour is now gear instead of max health.

Changed how you learn rituals.

#edict #ttrpgdesign

Buffed/replaced many attribute roll based actions and how strong weaknesses are based on solo combat testing.

Replaced 4 starting gear.

Improved how character creation shifts to rebalance the players based on how many players are in the party.

Changed how "leveling up" and gaining max health effectively works.

Moved bonus damage from agility to its own stat based on agility for clarity.

Armour is now gear instead of max health.

Changed how you learn rituals.

#edict #ttrpgdesign

Buffed/replaced many attribute roll based actions and how strong weaknesses are based on solo combat testing.

Replaced 4 starting gear.

Improved how character creation shifts to rebalance the players based on how many players are in the party.

Changed how "leveling up" and gaining max health effectively works.

Moved bonus damage from agility to its own stat based on agility for clarity.

Armour is now gear instead of max health.

Changed how you learn rituals.

#edict #ttrpgdesign

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!

Designing a corrupted creature this week where the problem isn't the power.

It's the interpretation.
She's still listening to the ocean. The ocean is still speaking.

She just stopped hearing it correctly, and has no way to know that.

#TTRPGDesign #GameDev #Bestiary52

Designing a corrupted creature this week where the problem isn't the power.

It's the interpretation.
She's still listening to the ocean. The ocean is still speaking.

She just stopped hearing it correctly, and has no way to know that.

#TTRPGDesign #GameDev #Bestiary52

Last week: a creature that hesitates before aggression.

This week: a creature that hesitates before retreat.

Same architecture, but inverted. The Fraddam Seer is what the Coral Priestess becomes when the signal corrupts.

#Bestiary52 #TTRPGDesign #CreatureDesign

Last week: a creature that hesitates before aggression.

This week: a creature that hesitates before retreat.

Same architecture, but inverted. The Fraddam Seer is what the Coral Priestess becomes when the signal corrupts.

#Bestiary52 #TTRPGDesign #CreatureDesign

Design angle - Designing an encounter this week that doesn't have to happen. The Priestess isn't waiting to fight you. She's been reading the reef's memory of your approach since before you arrived.

The design question: what does pressure feel like when it never raises its voice?

#TTRPGDesign #GameDev #Bestiary52

Design angle - Designing an encounter this week that doesn't have to happen. The Priestess isn't waiting to fight you. She's been reading the reef's memory of your approach since before you arrived.

The design question: what does pressure feel like when it never raises its voice?

#TTRPGDesign #GameDev #Bestiary52

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!

In preparation for creating the print-on-demand version of the ANDERS Core Rules book, I used the opportunity to improve the map for the Kingdom of Aroath a little bit.

Do you like the smoother design?

#AndersRPG #TTRPG #RPG #ttrpgDesign #mapmaking #mapdesign

If you want to see where I post more information for these designs: https://www.patreon.com/posts/week-15-barnacle-155640370?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link and https://ko-fi.com/post/Research-Log-The-Submerged-Reclaimer-X8X21XUF4V

#IndieDev #indieGame #TTRPGDesign #IndieTTRPG

If you want to see where I post more information for these designs: https://www.patreon.com/posts/week-15-barnacle-155640370?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link and https://ko-fi.com/post/Research-Log-The-Submerged-Reclaimer-X8X21XUF4V

#IndieDev #indieGame #TTRPGDesign #IndieTTRPG

Daily Design Lab: Indirect Influence

Evidence suggests the Alchemist’s reach exceeds simple transactions. There is another NPC that this one has interactions/history with, in which an incident occurs. This hints at unforeseen spatial or temporal ramifications behind his unconventional inputs. His direct utility may mask an unintentional capacity for profound environmental alteration.

#LoreFragments #TTRPG #TTRPGDesign #IndieDev #UnexplainedPhenomena

Daily Design Lab: Indirect Influence

Evidence suggests the Alchemist’s reach exceeds simple transactions. There is another NPC that this one has interactions/history with, in which an incident occurs. This hints at unforeseen spatial or temporal ramifications behind his unconventional inputs. His direct utility may mask an unintentional capacity for profound environmental alteration.

#LoreFragments #TTRPG #TTRPGDesign #IndieDev #UnexplainedPhenomena

Daily Design Lab: Epistemology of Failure

The Alchemist redefines "failure" as a three-strike rule, turning systemic instability into a feature of his iterative loop. By starting explanations in media res, he signals a mind operating at a velocity where setbacks are just unrefined data.

What happens to scientific rigor when persistent, self-endangering experimentation becomes the baseline? Apparently it can be pretty limitless.

#ExperimentalScience #TTRPG #TTRPGDesign #IndieDev

Daily Design Lab: Epistemology of Failure

The Alchemist redefines "failure" as a three-strike rule, turning systemic instability into a feature of his iterative loop. By starting explanations in media res, he signals a mind operating at a velocity where setbacks are just unrefined data.

What happens to scientific rigor when persistent, self-endangering experimentation becomes the baseline? Apparently it can be pretty limitless.

#ExperimentalScience #TTRPG #TTRPGDesign #IndieDev

My sister (the artist for my Kofi/Patreon posts) is dealing with IRL stuff for about a week or two. In the meantime, I've got some NPCs to share that were inspired by Patrons!

Daily Design Lab: Somatic Integration

'The Alchemist' views injury not as loss, but as an opportunity for superior revision. Lost limbs are replaced with alloy and salvaged composites that far exceed baseline function. And he's not worried about it. In fact, he's pretty enthusiastic.

#TTRPG #TheAlchemist #TTRPGDesign

My sister (the artist for my Kofi/Patreon posts) is dealing with IRL stuff for about a week or two. In the meantime, I've got some NPCs to share that were inspired by Patrons!

Daily Design Lab: Somatic Integration

'The Alchemist' views injury not as loss, but as an opportunity for superior revision. Lost limbs are replaced with alloy and salvaged composites that far exceed baseline function. And he's not worried about it. In fact, he's pretty enthusiastic.

#TTRPG #TheAlchemist #TTRPGDesign

My sister (the artist for my Kofi/Patreon posts) is dealing with IRL stuff for about a week or two. In the meantime, I've got some NPCs to share that were inspired by Patrons!

Daily Design Lab: Somatic Integration

'The Alchemist' views injury not as loss, but as an opportunity for superior revision. Lost limbs are replaced with alloy and salvaged composites that far exceed baseline function. And he's not worried about it. In fact, he's pretty enthusiastic.

#TTRPG #TheAlchemist #TTRPGDesign