It’s been a little while here, but I’ve got a few things on the kettle while I’ve been hiatus. I recently became Associate Editor for Former People: A Journal of Bangs and Whimpers and have some more poetry that’s going to be published next month. But I’ve also released a Tabletop Game tool called “100 … Continue reading Tabletop Product: “100 Demands from a Fey”
RPG
The Storyteller: Observations on Walter Benjamin and Roleplaying Games
I "The art of storytelling is coming to an end. One meets with fewer and fewer people who know how to tell a tale properly."[i] So starts Walter Benjamin's 1936 essay "The Storyteller: Observations on the Works of Nikolai Leskov." To Benjamin, who lived through the first World War, the art (or "craft" as he … Continue reading The Storyteller: Observations on Walter Benjamin and Roleplaying Games
Invisible Sun & The History of Surrealism Pt. 1: Precursors to the Surrealists
(The Black Square. K Malevich. Source) 0 - PROLOGUE & DISCLAIMERS _____________________________ To begin, I feel I might as well explain 1) what this series is and 2) what this series is not. Just recently a new tabletop roleplaying game called Invisible Sun was released by Monte Cook Games. Composed of four books, many … Continue reading Invisible Sun & The History of Surrealism Pt. 1: Precursors to the Surrealists
DESIGN JOURNAL SIDE-TRACK: Notes on Urban RPG scenarios
Since it's been a while since my last post in the design journal I thought I'd post some old unfinished notes I was composing on urban environments for games. While this isn't directly related to my New Lands campaign I've been developing here I thought it might be kind of interesting to throw out as … Continue reading DESIGN JOURNAL SIDE-TRACK: Notes on Urban RPG scenarios
RPG Design Journal #6: Within the City
Previously on this series I started designing a city with a general-to-specific methodology (starting with the big picture and letting that inform the small details). Now I'm going to start moving into some of those details by developing concepts for the specific locations within the city of St. Maluns. When building specific locations within another … Continue reading RPG Design Journal #6: Within the City
RPG Design Journal #5: Starting a City…
Moreso than any other environment (with the possible exception of the dungeon) the city dominates all other locales as the prime spot to begin adventures. Whether the players meet in a seedy tavern, the hall of some nobleman, or outside the main gates, the city offers more possibilities - and therefore more adventure - than … Continue reading RPG Design Journal #5: Starting a City…
KOTOR II: Shades of Grey
A few days ago I finished playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords for the first time. It was an interesting game, and I greatly enjoyed its story and the way it attempted to deconstruct certain concepts from the Star Wars Universe. Nonetheless, I did take issue with several elements … Continue reading KOTOR II: Shades of Grey
RPG Design Journal #4: Heroes, Villains, and the Morally Ambiguous
Now that we have a very basic history sketched up for our setting, lets add a few inhabitants that the players can learn about and interact with. As I've mentioned before - the strength of a setting's lore is in its interaction. NPCs are useful because they can both impart lore onto players passively (through … Continue reading RPG Design Journal #4: Heroes, Villains, and the Morally Ambiguous
RPG Design Journal #3: History is a Nightmare…
The land is mapped, the course is clear - the time has come to delve headfirst into the past so that we may define the present of our world. History building can be one of the most dangerous parts of world building. Its very easy to get wrapped up in the details of a setting's … Continue reading RPG Design Journal #3: History is a Nightmare…
RPG Design Journal #2: Mapping the Land
So, we've created a skeleton on which to hang our world. Time to start developing a space for the world to inhabit. Yes, its that lovely process that all DMs obsess over, its time to draw some maps! Admittedly, map-making doesn't necessarily have to be done this early in the design process, but I find … Continue reading RPG Design Journal #2: Mapping the Land
Pen and Screen 