As usual, by the time I realise what time of year it is, I've almost missed it!Here's an A-Z of stuff I want to think about/write about/read about/play with in the next year. A - Awakened!I'm thinking up some ideas for a D&D character that's been awakened by the spell. I haven't decided yet if … Continue reading Late to A-Z April 2021 Part I
Category: fate
How to DM III – What are we playing?
I'm going to cheat a little bit with this post, but we'll circle back later on and hopefully make it right!I've called this series How to DM, so we're going to start by looking at Dungeon Masters - which means we're playing Dungeons and Dragons, since it's super popular and a known gateway to playing … Continue reading How to DM III – What are we playing?
December worldbuilding prompts II
This time I'm going to focus on the lower half of the prompts. ReligionGodThe members of the Ascended Host are nearly omnipotent, but don't mistake them for infallible. They still hold all their flaws and desires from their mortal lives, for all their airs and graces.The Host are also not impossible to remove. The Garden … Continue reading December worldbuilding prompts II
December worldbuilding prompts I
I thought about writing something festive up, since it's Christmas Eve, and I did it with Halloween, but I've always felt Xmas specials can be a bit lacking, especially when I do them! So instead, I'm going to go through the December Worldbuilding Challenge I found, and write some stuff for it.All in one go! … Continue reading December worldbuilding prompts I
RPGaDay 2020 prompt 24 – Humour
I'm a big fan of humorous asides in games, or playing gonzo-style. And I've played a good bit of Paranoia, so gonzo is easy. I'm debating a gonzo game to be added to my work-in-progress campaign settings. Most of the ones I write are serious. But so far, I haven't come up with an idea … Continue reading RPGaDay 2020 prompt 24 – Humour
RPGaDay 2020 prompt 21 – Push
I'm debating adding some push and pull roleplaying mechanics into D&D. I've talked a bit about this kind of thing before, but I think I can actually make it work this time. Pretty easy really - I want to give players the option of an Inspiration system that takes a cue from FATE points, so … Continue reading RPGaDay 2020 prompt 21 – Push
RPGaDay 2020 prompt 14 – Banner
As part of the session zero for the Song of Ice and Fire RPG, the players are tasked with building a noble family to be the centre of the game - they can be attendants, young nobles, venerable maesters, and so on.The catch is, they are any of the big noble families we pay much … Continue reading RPGaDay 2020 prompt 14 – Banner
RPGaDay 2020 prompt 6 – Forest
A lot of my homebrew settings feature forests in a prominent role. I'm not entirely sure why that is - maybe it's a western fantasy trope that's stuck in my head? (Murkwood?) Cambria is similar in some ways to Dark Sun, but very different in others. It's a planet-wide (ish) cityscape that's fallen into disrepair … Continue reading RPGaDay 2020 prompt 6 – Forest
RPGaDay 2020 prompt 2 – Change
Times change, things change, rules change. It's weird that we'd have to spell that out. So, I'm going to ignore the pretty obvious 'changes in D&D' topic for now, since I've covered it recently. I'm going to use this prompt to look at different ideas I've had and how they might affect changes to stuff … Continue reading RPGaDay 2020 prompt 2 – Change
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twixt Flower and Thorn
The invaders were lucky, in some respects. Their dire portal opened to a meadow in which they could decamp and move large materials easily. They had brought slave labour in the form of podlings - those changelings they had found in their own realm and destroyed with their dark arcanery. Had they but arrived in … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twixt Flower and Thorn
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twin Cities
The Twin Cities. The Crossroads. The City of Bridges. None of the titles of the city truly does it justice. This is a unique point in the world, a crossroads, where those of royal blood are able to visit a strange half-world of an immense, ornate metropolis.The City Between is accessible from not one but … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – Twin Cities
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 29
"Evolve" It kind of goes without saying that over time my gaming style has evolved. The world around me has changed, I've changed, I've learned new things and done new things, so my games in 2010 would be nothing like my games in 2020. OK, maybe a bit alike. I'd still be running them, I've … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 29
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 26
"Idea" I have a habit of leaping onto a new idea before I've finished with an old one, and then I end up with several plates spinning at once. Inevitably, stuff falls down and I don't actually notice. I've been going through my old draft posts and various notes folders on Dropbox and Google Drive … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 26
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 23
"Surprise" or "Surprise!!!" So surprise rounds. Do I use them often? Usually not. A lot of the time, it just doesn't make sense. In D&D, players are on alert in a dungeon or the wilderness, they won't be surprised to find enemies behind a door or over the next ridge. They might be surprised at … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 23
Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 12
"Friendship" I spoke on prompt 1 before about RPGs and my school friends. A lot of my close friends come through RPGs.In school, I formed a group of friends around them (sort of a subset of the social outcast group we were all a part of).In university, the first club I signed up for was … Continue reading Late to the party: RPGaDay 2019 prompt 12
Draft One Page Campaign Opener – FATEPunk
"A corporate state in the Pacific successfully built a space elevator, and now a thriving country based around global trade of imported resources from space and a highly educated workforce. Mexico, The Western Republic and Independent Texas lead a group of South and Central American states in a further construction effort, aided by the New … Continue reading Draft One Page Campaign Opener – FATEPunk
Thinking about a return to the Old Crown
I keep telling myself to work more on the Old Crown. It's been slowly evolving for years, and it still feels like it needs work, but who has the time? Most recently I've been thinking about the politics of the setting. I'd centred the idea of the government around a Senate of old landed gentry, … Continue reading Thinking about a return to the Old Crown
Twixt Flower and Thorn locations
I was brainstorming and came up with a list of different locations I'm thinking of writing a bit more for the setting. Her'es what I've got so far: - GrimwoodThe BlightsDurrowsMushroomtownMerroweirPloversMistmountFoggShriekStonewoodThe Warrens
Return to Twixt Flower and Thorn
I've been mulling over this idea in a bit more detail, mostly on the invaders and what they'd be like. I know the invaders will be the humans and dwarves, and possibly tieflings. I've been thinking they might use various other races as slaves, and might use some kind of magical technology to do so, … Continue reading Return to Twixt Flower and Thorn
C is for: China
China has been a heavy investor in African communities for decades now and it's investment of capital into the local space elevator project has given certain powers in the local community that others simply don't have access to. Perhaps the biggest reason for such deep investment is the expansion of Chinese interests into Near-Earth Orbit … Continue reading C is for: China
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