Potion Clues
Advice for identifying the potions you find in dungeons, ideally before quaffing them.
Pedantic Wasteland - Vampire Cruise
A review of Vampire Cruise, a system-neutral comedy-horror adventure (originally published on Bones of Contention).
Schrödinger’s Chat 2: Amended & Restated Quantum Language Rules
Quantum language rules for TTRPGs, along with musing on language in games, in Mausritter, and more.
Blog Challenge: New (Year’s) Resolution Mechanic
I present a brand new resolution mechanic and challenge all bloggers to do the same!
I’ll include links to every blog that accepts my challenge.
My Weird Wizard Show
Soft-boiled rules for casting spells that is fast, flexible and fascinating.
In Defense of Ability Scores
Ability scores have become vestigial in modern corporate D&D and Pathfinder, but there is a different D&D lineage where they are evolving into an elegant mechanic.
The One-Shot Pubcrawl
Suggestions for running Barkeep on the Borderlands as a one-shot adventure, plus a new character background: Monarch’s Bastard.
Pedantic Wasteland - A Rasp of Sand
A review of A Rasp of Sand, a rogue-like TTRPG adventure for Knave (originally published on Bones of Contention).
Social Monsters
Monsters should be more than just a threat in the dungeon to your player characters’ physical health and wellbeing. Here is how to make a monster a threat to their reputation in town.
Barkeep on the Borderlands Wins an Ennie
Barkeep brings home gold, and I have some people to thank.
D&D Initiative & The McDonald’s Problem
New initiative rules plus some theory about a counterintuitive way for speeding up your combat.
Shopping in D&D is Garbage, And How to Fix It
Don’t let shopping for gear be a chore. Make it part of the game with this Yahtzee inspired shopping minigame.
Humpty Dumpty Should Die: Fixing Falling Damage
The original rules for falling got changed (for the better) by an editing mistake, but I propose some rules that keep the simplicity while adding some of the realism that Gygax aimed for.
Posters, Posers and POSR(s)
A brief history of the OSR as an artistic movement and some thoughts on what comes after it.
How Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Proves Me Right
What can the latest entry in the Zelda games teach us about how to run tabletop RPGs?
Of Mysteries, Monsters and Mosquitillos
I reveal a new monster from the origins of the hobby. This monster languished while its siblings, like the Owlbear and Rust Monster, are being featured in major motion pictures. Life is unfair sometimes.
Barkeep on the Borderlands: Pub Previews
Previews of four pubs from Barkeep on the Borderlands!
Names on the Borderlands
A d100 list of fantasy names for humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, goblins, lizardfolk, orcs and more!
Lore! What Is It Good For?
RPGs shouldn’t blather about their lore. Hide your lore in something gameable like you’re hiding your pet’s medicine in a piece of cheese.