TTRPGs

The Problems with D&D

Dec 30, 2023 · 3 min read · D&D

A lot of the motivation for writing this book was because A,D&D never seemed to live up to its promises. The newer editions were a clear improvement, but never seemed to release the original game's shackles.

An image of burly men, bursting through a door, ready to destroy anything in their path covers the AD&D …

Running an RPG in Real-Time, All the Time

Dec 26, 2023 · 4 min read · Realtime Blorb

Last year, I got excited about the idea of tracking realworld time over downtime . Shortly after I implemented it in my campaign, and it served the entire table, very well.

The Perspective Flip

Real-time RPGs look strange if you look at them from the wrong end. Let me turn it around for you:

The players are just …

Small RPGs

Dec 13, 2023 · 1 min read · Design

Minimalism rocks.

Looking at these minimalist systems like Cairne and Mörk Borg, I felt they were onto something. 3-pages of rules, and 'on with the game!'.

I've yet to play one, but the more I read these systems, the more I feel something's simply missing. Specifically, 'everything except combat'.

In the old D&D …

Windows & Wizards

Dec 9, 2023 · 2 min read · FOSS

It cannot be long before anyone familiar with abusive software models, and RPGs, notices undeniable parallels.

The free and openly available systems function well in a technocratic sense, but lack advertising. On-boarding new people feels easy when dealing with an enthusiast, but your standard user struggles with the …

How to Write a Tabletop RPG

Dec 2, 2023 · 12 min read · Theory Design

This chronological rundown of how I approach RPG design will go over the most universal principles I've learned or copied from others.

Attitude

All rules are bad, but some rules are worth it.

The rest of the ideas here will talk about technical implementation, but the core thought, riding alongside every notion, is …

Nobody Plays by the Rules

Dec 2, 2023 · 3 min read · Theory

I was once attacked by a horde of kobolds, and it taught me a lesson. These attacks weren't uncommon, when playing the old Baldur's Gate computer game. I threw a poison cloud spell at the kobolds, and they started randomly falling over, getting up and walking a few steps, then falling over again. As the dozen little …
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RPGs Should be Unfair

Nov 28, 2023 · 4 min read · Theory

A 'fair' RPG game immediately cuts the believability from a game. It slays engagement far more than a golden dragon, or a mushroom-man. A 'fair' game takes the fear out of the players, which robs RPGs of one of their unique abilities among games - death.

Let me tell you about the 'unfair' things my world did to my …

One Roll Only

Nov 25, 2023 · 3 min read · Design BIND

RPGs should avoid asking people to roll dice more than once for any result.

Aesthetically, multiple rolls don't feel right. Rolling dice should feel like casting rune-inscribed bones across a table.

Multiple Rolls Guarantee Success

The door is locked, but can be picked with a roll of 18 or higher.

This sounds like a …

Railroading: A Definition

Nov 8, 2023 · 4 min read · Theory

Definition

'Railroading' means that an out-of-game white-list constricts in-game actions.

A 'white-list' is a complete list of things one can do. A white-list of websites would mean that someone connecting with this white-list can only visit sites which exist on that list. Conversely, a 'black-list' is a list of …

Subraces Should be Cultures

Nov 5, 2023 · 3 min read · Design BIND

Referring to elves as a 'race' makes perfect sense. They're clearly different from the other humanoids, have their own features, and biological properties and oddities.¹

But 'sylvan elves'? The elves who live in forests, but generally act like any other elf? They're clearly just elves living in a different climate. …