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Michael S. Miller

@thestalwart

Indie Games eXplosion organizer. Designer of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), like With Great Power, Discernment, and FVLMINATA. Looking toward a utopian future in space with Topia Outpost Prime. ipressgames.com

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06.11.2023
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Latest posts by Michael S. Miller @thestalwart

I have a conflict that weekend, but keep me in the loop for future gatherings. I wish you a lot of luck raising money for Booksmiles and the church!

01.02.2025 00:05 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
DREAMATION 2025

The DREAMATION game convention is February 20-23, 2025 in Morristown, NJ. I can offer badges and other help to folks willing to run indie TTRPGs. DM me for details. Boosts appreciated. Hope to see you there! tabletop.events/conventions/...

31.01.2025 12:05 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Prepping for Metatopia. Writing a game about an optimistic future seems more pointless AND more important than ever.

07.11.2024 15:31 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

I've talked to a few folks this morning who were talking about stopping work on their creative projects. Because it's "not important anymore."

I don't know who needs to hear this, but DON'T DO THAT.

We win by living our lives as loudly and truly as we can. That includes your "silly" art project.

06.11.2024 18:43 πŸ‘ 18387 πŸ” 5361 πŸ’¬ 328 πŸ“Œ 270

Keep making art. Keep writing your stories. Even if they must exist in secret for a time, they are important - each of them a little act of rebellion.

Most of all, keep on living. If you can muster no other motivation on some days, then do it out of righteous spite for those who want you gone.

06.11.2024 19:56 πŸ‘ 13185 πŸ” 4546 πŸ’¬ 63 πŸ“Œ 36
Black text on a white background that reads "when I would feel
overwhelmed by what was going on in the world, I would just say to myself: β€œHope is a discipline.” It’s less about β€œhow you feel,” and more about the practice of making a decision every day, that you’re still gonna put one foot in front of the other, that you’re still going to get up in the morning.

Black text on a white background that reads "when I would feel overwhelmed by what was going on in the world, I would just say to myself: β€œHope is a discipline.” It’s less about β€œhow you feel,” and more about the practice of making a decision every day, that you’re still gonna put one foot in front of the other, that you’re still going to get up in the morning.

One thing many activists I admire have in common is that they don't see hope as a fleeting thing that just visits when things are good. They see it more like a skill you practice or a muscle you build. As Mariame Kaba succinctly put it, "Hope is a discipline". friendsofattention.net/sites/defaul...

06.11.2024 20:46 πŸ‘ 1559 πŸ” 466 πŸ’¬ 19 πŸ“Œ 11
Preview
The Wizard's Grimoire Volumes 1-5 by Meguey & Vincent Baker, et al A bundle by Meguey & Vincent Baker, et al, $45.00 for 5 games

Over on Itch, we've just put the Wizard's Grimoire volumes 1-5 on sale until the end of November:
The Wizard's Grimoire
The Barbarian's Bloody Quest
The Last Adventure
The Thief & the Necromancer
The Wizard's Library

Community copies too, if times are tough. You know we've been there.

07.11.2024 12:10 πŸ‘ 66 πŸ” 34 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 2

Metatopia is gonna be weird.
Give folks grace and patience.
I'll see you there, friends

07.11.2024 15:20 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A photo of two journaling games designed as physical 5 x 7 cards. One is entitled Vampyres Are People Too, and the other Millennium Self.

A photo of two journaling games designed as physical 5 x 7 cards. One is entitled Vampyres Are People Too, and the other Millennium Self.

Made some prototypes.

When I tabled at the Denver Small Press Fest earlier this year I could tell some people were curious about journaling games, but wanted something to get their feet wet and weren't ready to drop $15+ on a game or over $20 on The Ink That Bleeds. So now...

#ttrpg #JournalGaming

11.08.2024 19:49 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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I made the drawings this past January 6th (inspired by a cartoon by @lizadonnelly.bsky.social). Sadly, theyβ€”and the questions they askβ€”seem even more timely and important today on Independence Day.

04.07.2024 18:45 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This is the most exciting game I playtested at METATOPIA, now available in Quickstart format.

06.03.2024 02:32 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I love the versatility of TTRPGs. You can play a one-shot, a tight 8-week season, or a sprawling multi-year campaign. You can play online, at your mate's house, at a club or at a convention. You can play epic heroes saving the world or ordinary people doomed to madness and death. It's all good.

07.01.2024 13:12 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

What a great conversation we had. Check it out!

27.12.2023 16:46 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

One of the first lessons we teach in our GM101 sessions is the β€œDescribe, Listen, Judge” cycle. DLJ is a comprehensive framework for understanding what a GM does, and a tool that helps diagnose and correct hiccups and miscommunication at the level of play. Let's break them down🧡

02.11.2023 19:40 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Moonlight on Roseville Beachβ€”A Queer Tabletop RPG The original Game of Disco & Cosmic Horror, back on Kickstarter! Get the TTRPG rulebook and new mysteries for the ENnie-winning game.

So while I was playtesting at Metatopia, Moonlight on Roseville Beach crossed the $8k mark. Now we're less than $1600 from funding a writing grant for Ezakur, an incredible Argentinian writer who contributed to the original game.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/r-r...

06.11.2023 15:49 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Chris Sellers is wonderful, go buy Raccoon Sky Pirates

06.11.2023 22:56 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I had a great time at METATOPIA 2023! ipressgames.com/2023/11/06/r...

06.11.2023 16:34 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1