Posts

Connecting worldbuilding to system (Part 1)

Image
12 years ago, I did a worldbuilding sequence of posts. It started here , then continued on for almost 30 posts. I'd never really got the chance to run games in this setting, because it wasn't long after this that I really began focusing on my studies to become a teacher.  The setting was a late renaissance/steampunk/pirate affair. You could go back and read the posts, I still think they're kind of cool, otherwise I wouldn't be revisiting them. However, I'll be referencing them while I write this current series.  The point to this series is seeing whether it's feasible to adapt my SNAFU system to this setting. I've been working on the SNAFU Cookbook, and a part of that includes showing how the system can be adapted to different types of settings, so this is a trial run.  The system requires a few cultures, a few occupations, and a few other methods that can used to both differentiate characters and link them into the kinds of potential storylines we envision ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Medieval Weapons

Image
So, I've mentioned Sceletus a few times. It's not doing too badly, but not surprosingly, interest has dropped off now that Erin and I are charging for supplements. So now it's a case of making sure those supplements are cool and interesting. It's been my previous experience that each supplement for a game gets a bit of interest, then adds a residual kick to the previous games in the line, and this might overflow to other games on my shopfront. Which lead me to two of the current booklets I'm aiming for.  A map of the setting.  A guide of arms and armour. The first booklet is pretty easy. I've got plenty of maps that I haven't used over the years, including a bunch of maps for a mysterious ruined city that could easily be substituted into the Necropolis. All that really needs is a couple of random exploration tables to show some of the interesting things that might be found there (Erin's offered to help populate these tables). The second book will take a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Open Source TTRPG Resources

Image
 I love a good list of resource links, and this list from ThoughtPunks certainly fits that criteria. Open Source TTRPG Resources  (I'd recommend a few of the other posts in the series too) I've been meaning to do something like this for a while, but when someone else puts in the legwork, I'm more than happy to direct folks to something that looks good. Here we've got a range of license types, SRDs, open source games, ranges of images and sound archives, pretty much everything. It's certainly not an exhaustive list, I've read through quite a few SRDs that aren't included here, but it's a great start and there's plenty of stuff in these lists that I haven't seen and will need to go digging through myself.  Anyway, enough from me, go over and take a look.  
Post a Comment
Read more

We're Live (or even more so)

Image
I've managed to get the back end of DriveThruRPG working again, so I've just put up the first 4 books for Sceletus, both individually and as the  Sceletus Starter Bundle . This has included generating up a banner to get some more traction and a bit more attention for the product.   Let's see how things go. The last time I thought I had a game this good, it was Shattered Heroes (and I'm still not sure if we're legally allowed to talk about that).  
Post a Comment
Read more

Sceletus Opening Booklets Completed

Image
Sceletus was initially meant to be released with 4 books. The first was the core rules for the players, the second was the supplemental rules for someone who was running a game. Two extra booklets were intended to be released with those first two. Now Erin and I have finally completed them to a point where we are happy with the results, and they've finally been completed and are available for sale over on Itch. Orders of the Bones The Grey and the Green The "Orders of the Bones" booklet provides details on some factions that might provide help or hindrance to the players as their tell the stories of their animated dead characters. The booklet entitled "The Grey and the Green" is all about a mysterious fungal hive-mind entity that threatens to wipe out everything the characters know.     These additional booklets haven't seen any sales yet. I thought about putting them up for sale on the Vulpinoid Studios shopfront at DrivethruRPG in addition to Erin's It...
1 comment
Read more

Mini Games

Image
I'm thinking of writing up a bunch of mini games. I did it a few years ago, focusing on the Pocketmod format. I might go back to that, but then again, I might use Erin's " Trifold Manifesto " format. I really should be focusing on finishing off my SNAFU stuff... and really shouldn't be starting something new, but need a palette cleanser in my design work at the moment, and getting some simple games out of the way might get me back into the frame of mind to start things again.    
Post a Comment
Read more

Perfect is the enemy of good

Image
Ever since I was first introduced to the concept of perfect being the enemy of good. I've been a fan of it. That doesn't mea that I've been able to internalise it, but I have been able to see it as symbolic of the struggles I've often had.  The two game projects Walkabout and Familiar have definitely been framed by this idea. However, I'm  not sure if this is for the better or the worse. I could have released both of these games years ago, but they would not have been games I'd have been happy with.I probably could have released them months ago, and they'd have been better, but certainly not what I'd had in mind as a "perfect" interpretation of my vision for them. The games are closer now that they've ever been, but I have to wonder if they'd still meet my expectations. Should I just release what I've got?...or should I keep refining?? Will the refinement ever end? Illustration by Erin Gumiho  
Post a Comment
Read more