Theory
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What do critics owe us?
A few things recently happened in the discourse that raised the question, “what do critics owe us?”, in various forums across the TTRPG space. I have a response, but to understand it we must meander through a few other points first. Please, bear with me. I started reviewing modules and games largely selfishly, for two Continue reading
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How do roleplaying games help you roleplay?
When I was in middle school, I was really into progressive metal and industrial rock. I considered it “alternative”. It was never in the Billboard Top 50 and only played during special shows on the alternative radio stations! My best friend was into Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple, which also was cool because nobody else Continue reading
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What’s an OSR game?
People keep asking me what an OSR game is. They want a clear mechanical difference, like the one they think exists between Forged in the Dark and Powered By The Apocalypse, for example. You’re not going to get that here, you’re just going to get my opinion, so I can link to it rather than Continue reading
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How to overcome your hyperdiegesis allergy
Hyperdiegetic is a word to describe the stuff in a creative work that is unexplained but implies a larger setting. Well-known examples of hyperdiegesis include: “Attack ships on fire off (the) shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.” Blade Runner “You fought in the Clone Wars?” “Yes. I was Continue reading
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Antiblorb: The Answer To All Your Questions
Read this. People wonder why I write modules in the unique style I do, and wonder how the hell I run games the way I do, and I’m always like “well, anticanon and blorb play aren’t mutually exclusive” and then they’re like “please explain” and I’m like “I can’t, read Bridewell or Hiss maybe that Continue reading
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Moralising and manipulation in tabletop roleplaying games
Edit: This post was nominated for a Bloggie Award! Thank you for all your support everyone! My hill to die on this week, is just we need to stop moralising the type of games people play. This overly long post is a summary of the ideas I’ve spoken of the last day or so on Continue reading
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Module Design and Scaffolding
I read Throne of Avarice this morning on its release, which brands itself a “setting book and procedural generation toolbox.”. I considered writing a review of it, but I’ve been avoiding reviewing new releases as my Bathtub Reviews can be quite critical. But I found myself encountering a very specific problem. This book is jam Continue reading
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Broader Proceduralisms
There’s been a lot of talk lately about proceduralism as it relates to various D&D-likes. I’ve written about procedure as it relates to Advanced Fantasy Dungeons here, but informing my views on the topic are these posts by a bunch of luminaries: Doctrine of Proceduralism Proceduralism Proceduralism Theoretical and Practical Proceduralism What Even Is a Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Ability Scores
If you’re walking in on the middle of this series, there’s an index here. This sketch is actually quite straightforward from the read-through, because a huge chunk of this chapter is individual subsystems that are fun but need to be elsewhere – in magic, proficiencies, combat, death and healing, for example. This leaves me mainly Continue reading
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2nd Edition Read-through: The Dungeon Master’s Guide
I’m reading through 2nd Edition as an educational exercise, and considering writing a retroclone for it titled Advanced Fantasy Dungeons. The purpose of the read through and writing the retroclone is more a design exercise as it is a necessary addition to my shelf. I started with the Player’s Handbook (1989), and in this post Continue reading
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