What Shang-chi can teach GMs about running combat

Marvel's Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings isn't just a terrifically fun martial arts movie—it's also a master class for how to run fun combat scenes in RPGs. Recent editions of D&D strive to make combat interesting through tactical decision-making and managing economies of actions, hit points, and spell slots, but the key … Continue reading What Shang-chi can teach GMs about running combat →

Running Fate content with Messerspiel

I have a lot of Fate games. The Fate Core Kickstarter campaign was famously generous with stretch goals, delivered over the course of years. I went on to back the Fate Worlds Patreon for a bunch more "Worlds of Adventure," and I've bought plenty of Fate toolkits and third-party games. There's so much in there … Continue reading Running Fate content with Messerspiel →

Soulslike campaign suggestions

I got a nice email today from someone wondering what kinds of adventures I'd run using Grave, and my response was so long I figured I might as well turn it into a blog post. Here are some things I used for my own soulslike RPG campaigns—maybe you'll find them handy too! Exhumed is a … Continue reading Soulslike campaign suggestions →

Combat in 24XX

If your experience with RPGs comes mostly from D&D, I can imagine you might be a little confused upon reading 2400, or any of various 24XX RPGs by others. In fact, I've already fielded a few questions from people wondering where did the hit points go? I tried to address this briefly in the Emergency … Continue reading Combat in 24XX →

2400: From old modem to game jam

My usual method of game design sees me blogging about an idea before I actually publish anything. 2400 unintentionally represents a pretty different approach: I mentioned some ideas for an Into the Odd sci-fi hack awhile back here, but eventually decided to just pick a different direction and run with it. Now that that new … Continue reading 2400: From old modem to game jam →

On a mission from O.D.D.

For my new playtest of Agents of the O.D.D., I'm running a series of one-shots and short arcs, linked into a campaign. Some of that is my own material (like the intro adventure from the currently available edition of Agents), but most of it is adapted from published adventures, including several from Michael Prescott's excellent … Continue reading On a mission from O.D.D. →

QZ: Welcome to the Quarantine Zone

This week I released a new game for the Eclectic Bastion Jam titled QZ, short for "quarantine zone." It's a science-fiction RPG inspired by Roadside Picnic and Annihilation, designed to send modern-day scientists, soldiers, and scavengers on expeditions into an area where the laws of nature no longer apply. QZ is by far my longest … Continue reading QZ: Welcome to the Quarantine Zone →

How to learn spells in Bastionland

I love the simplicity of Electric Bastionland and Into the Odd and "foreground growth" in place of advancement, but I also understand the appeal of detailed character upgrade options. For a lot of players, getting to plan out and optimize their character trajectory is an essential part of the fun of RPGs. There are, of … Continue reading How to learn spells in Bastionland →

100 O.D.D. items

I initially released Agents of the O.D.D. with a list of 20 magic items, or "arcana," but admitted right out the gate that I felt it needed a lot more. So, here are a lot more. The first 20 are rituals, which take longer to perform safely; you might only be able to do them … Continue reading 100 O.D.D. items →

Collecting magic items with a day job

I love roleplaying games with tons of weird little magic items and strange oddities. They're the secret sauce in games like Into the Odd, Numenera, and (since I realized what those games were doing that I liked so much) my own in-progress game Odd Luck Charms. I think those sorts of things work even better … Continue reading Collecting magic items with a day job →