This was a really good one. The framework itself is solid, but I particularly like embracing the fact that in a campaign you always reach moments where you need to “pedal” again. That kind of pacing is always something I’ve struggled with—so having a framework is very useful!
Today on the Maelstrom: a first crack at using questions to build short story arcs ("adventures," if you will)
thepsychicmaelstrom.pika.page/posts/where-...
More wok i did for Where the Water Tastes like Wine. 2015-2018
Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads: The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same... - Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist
Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.
Compositions that go hard
(Faeries and Elves, 1984 - via archive.org/details/fair...)
Totally! that's something I was trying to highlight in the examples: people come into a game with all sorts of expectations, comfort levels, preferences, etc. I've been thinking of ways to create playgrounds that allow everyone to find their own fun without stepping into each other's toes
Yeah! I also run into it with PbTA games since the structures of those games often are so scene-based
The Dragon Dance by Justin Gerard
www.artstation.com/a...
Today on the Maelstrom: an early draft on character-sharing
thepsychicmaelstrom.pika.page/posts/relati...
What Use Is a Broomstick?
thepsychicmaelstrom.pika.page/posts/what-u...
i used to Walk Around And Look At Things because it made my art better. now it feels more like making art takes away from the time i have to do the actually-important work of Walking Around And Looking At Things
*Reposts appreciated”
My webstore heycentaur.com is finally up!
This took so many months of labour (mostly my partner’s), but it is all ready and running.
Physical copies of Kala Mandala are now available, shipping to most of the world.
Hi! Is there a way to get this as a print?
It's 968 AC.
An artificial sun shines down upon Doskvol. Autopods cruise down rows of peaceful, prosperous houses. Beneath it all, strange actors and twisted conspiracies work their shadowy agendas.
Blades '68. The future is now. Don't miss it:
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/e...
Someone who knows what they’re doing can actually do that relatively easily with an automated script. You could even get more value out of it by having them self-deploy, because then the website is essentially free forever
This was such a good read. Do you plan on moving away from Substack altogether and host your posts on Pika? (Asking so I know which of the two to put on my RSS feed, hah)
heavily glitched black and white image of an unidentified pinball machine
Have you ever wanted something so bad but knew you can't have it?
JUNJI ITO PINBALL is part selfish wish-fulfilment, part internet art, part game. And it's shaped entirely by people like you 🌀
Curious? Confused? Go check out the readme doc on the page above.
Exile's crying-based economy is just one element that marks the "feelings-based RPG" as unique. Designer @ema-acosta.com puts her whole heart into our gauntlet of questions in the latest Rascal 7.
BTW I have a blog now, I’m part of the blogosphere.
So if you prefer, you can read this whole ramble in blogpost form, like it’s 2008:
blog.olddog.games/posts/the-vi...
a handmade marionette monster photographed in front of a snowbank. it has long arms with branch-like hands, a long neck with a false human face & a lower jaw like a sperm whale, & is dressed in all white/off-white lace & rags with pearl accents. watermark says "Ezra Rose"
a close up of the face of the marionette with its open jaw & teeth visible below.
i know i've been pretty quiet but here's the result of my January: a totally handmade, fully-functional marionette created for a local winter-themed puppet show. she's called the Winter Maw & she'll eat you alive, just like real winter
As far as I can tell, it seems to be a common studio gig. Short of having a buddy, I’d probably look for local brewers in the area and reach out. Or the LinkedIn route (💀)
a long handled axe whose blade has a slight pink sheen and a heart shaped hole in it
an axe with heart-shaped holes in the blade, japan, 14th century
Announcing a new podcast: Rascal Reading Club! Join @newmadras.bsky.social as he analyzes RPG texts in an inviting, conversational framework.
First up: the Warden's Operations Manual for @mothership.bsky.social.
New!
Crescent: Feelings-Delving Role-Playing (2nd Edition) is an RPG of lost children in a magical dreamworld, seeking a way home
Exile: Dark Fantasy Role-Playing is a fairy tale RPG of sharp blades, cutthroat kinship, and bloodied tears
www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/
😍 How should I go about getting these in the EU?
Burnout is genuinely life-destroying and I really can't say, on this website, what I think should happen to managers who not only let it happen to one individual worker but who systemically make it happen on large groups of workers.
I think this gets lost in a lot of these discussions. Crunch isn't just a bad experience in the moment or a bad job situation. Burnout has long, lingering effects on the brain and body that can last for years.
Oh hell yeah, I had missed this.
"Play SWM with Stras" is definitely going on my list of convention dreams ;-)
So cool!
An older style car driving down a wooded highway. In the sky is a large eye watching.
The Watcher
Kurt Huggins
