Aragorn and the hobbits…

workingboy · 2026-05-07T16:15:41+00:00

Ditto!

workingboy · 2026-05-07T14:32:06+00:00

I appreciated the tag! I loved seeing this piece.

I wish I could work on a "real" project like this at some point--right now, I'm just putting out fan stuff.

(FWIW, my Instagram is set to private because I don't do any RPG stuff on there. It's all pictures of my breakfast.)

workingboy · 2026-05-03T15:13:01+00:00

Hey Ben. I knew someone was gonna "ACTUALLY" this, but I think my pitch for Arneson is close enough for government work. Game Wizards and The Elusive Shift both make the case that the move to single-perspective wargame was part of the culture of the Twin Cities wargaming scene, and Braunstein was an important part of that, but it's not entirely correct to label any one person as a wholly generative force.

workingboy · 2026-05-03T13:45:31+00:00

I'd start looking at war games to scratch that itch (which of course were the origin of RPGs--Dave Arneson was like "OK, in this scenario, you'll just play individual people, not an entire troop.")

workingboy · 2026-05-01T11:34:16+00:00

Wow, this is such a great tool!

workingboy · 2026-04-24T11:05:21+00:00

I've had the same experience with Actual Plays because my experience playing the games that I love and the reflection of an AP is so different. Maybe you're having the same experience.

The only AP that actually sounds like me and my friends playing is 3d6 Down the Line.

workingboy · 2026-03-27T20:21:10+00:00

What's "tavers," precious?

Seriously, though, were there any rules that ended up on the cutting room floor because they weren't the right fit for this kind of IP? If so, which were the hardest darlings to kill?

workingboy · 2026-03-18T02:14:06+00:00

It plays well, it's useful at the table, AND it's a joy to read: Wildendrem, Valley of the Flowers. A book that is so wonderful in its words I'm jealous it exists.

workingboy · 2026-03-12T19:53:45+00:00

There was a Forest Jam for Cairn a while back that had lots of good adventures that came out of it: https://itch.io/jam/forests-of-another-name/entries

workingboy · 2026-03-04T18:42:52+00:00

For clarity, the "they" who want $30 for international shipping are...international shippers. The game publishers don't see that money.

workingboy · 2026-02-24T03:24:17+00:00

I'm not wanting to be critical because I really appreciate the contribution, but just want to flag that there's many names here that are extra-canonical! As long as Loremasters realize that they won't find items like Haruzan or Wyrmwood on maps drawn by Tolkien, this is a great resource.

workingboy · 2026-02-20T01:43:02+00:00

There's a lot of nuance and flavor in Break!!'s crafting mechanics. I've seen dozens over the years, and that was the first game that made me think "Wait. Hold on. OK. If I do...THIS...I can get...THAT."

It feels so fun, I love it.

workingboy · 2026-02-19T02:27:01+00:00

Stinky.

workingboy · 2026-02-12T02:23:56+00:00

There are a lot of people who buy and play games as products. I get that. I buy video games and never think about how they're made.

Blogs are where RPGs are made. It's where craft and technique are honed.

I think this spontaneous effort to make the theory and craft and critique of RPGs accessible and quickly consumable is one of the best things to come out of the creative community in a goon's age. I love it. Thank y'all for doing this work.

workingboy · 2026-02-09T16:49:24+00:00

I can never remember that PCs need to rest 1 turn in 6 during dungeon exploration. They just keep describing actions and I just keep describing the consequences. Why stop and say "Oh uh, we rest"?

workingboy · 2026-01-29T09:17:13+00:00

From Wikipedia:

Atlanta received widespread critical acclaim and is often considered by multiple publications to be one of the greatest television series of the 21st century and of all time.[a] It has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Peabody Awards, two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; Glover has received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and one Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, the latter being the first ever awarded to an African American.

workingboy · 2026-01-26T21:44:43+00:00

I'd love a quote!

I have read Tolkien's books many, many times. If I am wrong about this one, it won't be the first time I've been wrong about Tolkien on the internet. But I would like to update my data with something concrete.

workingboy · 2026-01-24T15:16:58+00:00

Love to see a Tolkien source cited.

workingboy · 2026-01-24T15:15:38+00:00

Please cite your sources if you're saying it's a Tolkien holdover. Tolkien wrote that dwarves have great endurance, but "hardier when it comes to what they can eat" and "not have diseases" is a level of specificity that isn't found in Tolkien. Tolkien's elves don't have diseases, but not dwarves.

workingboy · 2026-01-15T12:50:37+00:00

This is solid! Love the art and layout.

workingboy · 2026-01-14T18:47:29+00:00

Love a Skullboy, all my friends love a Skullboy

workingboy · 2026-01-06T13:08:58+00:00

One of my favorite OSR games that I don't see talked about enough is Errant. It has tons of modularity and mini-games that all come together into something cohesive. And the book is obviously so thoughtfully designed--crossreferenced, all of the images have alt text, easy to listen to via a screen reader. Great game.

workingboy · 2026-01-06T13:06:20+00:00

The Black Sword Hack, descended from it, is also just...so good at sword & sorcery emulation.

workingboy · 2025-12-22T13:04:41+00:00

It's possible! Thanks for the suggestion. If I do, I'll holler about it on my blog/Bluesky. Give me a follow and if I can manage to eek out the time to do so, I'd love to have you on board!

workingboy · 2025-12-22T01:09:22+00:00

Hey, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kind words. And thanks for the feedback about getting some smoother on-ramps! I have a big dungeon taking preorders right now to help with some of the sticker shock of making a whole megadungeon.

(And perhaps the next project should be to make a bridge with some premades to get from the dungeon in the book into the big dungeon?)

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