January 2024
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Designing an overworld-like megadungon
I stalled on my in progress no pressure megadungeon project, partially because I’ve been busy, partially because I wrote my Megadungeon as an Overworld post and I want to try that out. I’ve been trying to figure out what a theme for a betwixt could be, and I’ve found a theme: “Theseus’ labyrinth crossed with… Continue reading
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Bathtub Review: Tomb Robbers of the Crystal Frontier
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module design. They’re stream of consciousness and unedited critiques. I’m writing them on my phone in the bath.… Continue reading
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Diagetic advancement and inventory
People really seem to have trouble with diagetic advancement in games like Cairn, which is really disappointing in many ways, because I prefer diagetic advancement to mechanical advancement almost universally. Like, it makes more sense, right? I was chatting with Sam on discord about something, honestly, completely different, and I came up with this approach… Continue reading
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I Read Mausritter
I Read Games reviews are me reading games when I have nothing better to do, like read a module or write or play a game. I don’t seriously believe that I can judge a game without playing it, usually a lot, so I don’t take these very seriously. But I can talk about its choices… Continue reading
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Bathtub Review: The Valley of Flowers
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module design. They’re stream of consciousness and unedited critiques. I’m writing them on my phone in the bath.… Continue reading
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Jaquaysing
Anne wrote this post about the background on the use of the word Jacquaysing: Xandering is slandering. It collects a lot of evidence of bad faith acting of the author of the term “Xandering”, and reflects strongly how I feel about the term. I’d encourage you all read it. Thanks, Anne. Idle Cartulary Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Safe Zones
Thinking about saving throws for NPCs, after a comment last night (thanks Tuck!). Now, there needs to be some mechanism to account for monsters having special responses particularly to spells and area of effects, so I’d been including Saving Throws as Class, like in some versions of B/X. But Psionic Combat opened a new angle… Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Spell Duels
Like, I just wrote a whole psionic duel system, and I want a cool one for wizards and priests as well. They operate differently from one another, and I’m inclined not to do a priest duel, but honestly the most memorable duel I’ve ever run was between two clerics in 5e, so that seems silly.… Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Psionic Duels
Starting to draft out a few spells for Advanced Fantasy Battles. I’m not sure if I’ll actually build out a bestiary or a spell list in total, but a few examples are probably necessary, and perhaps any fans can pad them out as they draw from the original sources for a more complete list. I… Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Monk Class
I’m chipping away at the AFD ruleset now, and I can’t help but feel like I want to add in those missing classes: Barbarian, Monk and Psionicist. Monk is the last one! Our template for classes is looking like this, on Version 0.15 of Advanced Fantasy Dungeons, this is the Fighter class: Gain proficiency in… Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Psionicist Class
I’m chipping away at the AFD ruleset now, and I can’t help but feel like I want to add in those missing classes: Barbarian, Monk and Psionicist. Our template for classes is looking like this, on Version 0.14 of Advanced Fantasy Dungeons, this is the Fighter class: Gain proficiency in a weapon of your choice… Continue reading
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Rules Sketch: Ability Scores, Part II
I’m noodling away at the AFD ruleset, picking at problems. One potential problems is this distribution: Another potential problem is that these don’t all match up with the definitions for Ability Scores: I’m going to experiment with asking you a few questions! If I didn’t give you an answer, answer in the comments! Answer the… Continue reading
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Colouring over inks
I did some colouring (in the sense that comics have colourists) for Hodag’s cover for Advanced Fantasy Dungeons today, and it looked great! I’m really proud. I’d do some things differently, though, next time. I lost a lot of time figuring out the process and so I’m going to work out my process, for next… Continue reading
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Megadungeon as an Overworld
I started a low-pressure megadungeon. It’s the opposite of Dungeon23: I don’t have to do anything on it if I don’t want to, but if I’m stuck on something else I can go and just fill out a room or a faction or add an encounter or something. It feels a lot more feasible to… Continue reading
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Bathtub Review: Vaults of Vaarn
Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique well-regarded modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module design. They’re stream of consciousness and unedited harsh critiques. I’m writing them on my phone in the bath. Vaults of… Continue reading
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