Chess is not about the rules (D&D isn't either) (new substack post)

Already five posts published and there's a shitload of Notes out as well. Just to give you guys an impression what's going on over there. Already more engagement then I have here or on X. All good and positive, so make sure to join the party. My latest post is about what rules are and what the must do in order to work properly. A lot of it is explained via chess, but I'm eventually making my way to D&D and role-playing games in general.

Here's the first paragraph:

Rules are a prerequisite to play. But it is not so much about using the rules to play, it is about playing the game within the restrictions the rules are offering. That is such a key difference that not seeing it will lead to wrong design choices when writing your own rules. Or, a more subtle point, you’ll put the wrong focus when explaining how your game works. This very much applies to role-playing games, but let me explain it using chess first, as it makes the better point without trying too hard.

Link

 

That's four essays linked here in April, including my introduction over there (three proper, then). There's another meaty one for those with at least a free subscription for the Substack. I'll try to have one for paying members up soon, too (they don't exist yet, but will eventually and they will have something to discover).

Among my next essays will be stuff about looting (bad) movies for their content and one with setting up a sandbox for ORWELL, hopefully with some play-reports building on that (it has to come together on the play side, but I'm working on it).

The Substack will focus a lot on my publishing endeavors, but that usually brings up a lot of adjacent topics and the lively community over there will do its own inspiring.

First time in a long time that blogging brings me joy again.

 

 

Brace Yourselves: AI versus Commodity Slop (new Substack)

Here we are again, with my renewed effort to get a blog going ... This third essay is about how AI will impact publishing in general and what we can do about that. Even got a comment and all that good stuff!

Gotta say, I'm happy with what Substack does. And I was surprised (just a little) to find so many familiar faces posting there. It seems to be a somewhat closed ecosystem, but that isn't a bad thing per se, as it allows bundling some different aspects of blogging that don't go together easily in other places. So far it's the closest to what g+ had been, imho. The UI is a bit fickle, but nothing that can't be handled.

This newest essay is also free, and you'll find a link to it just below the picture:

Find it here!

Needless to say, I'd be happy to have you over there, reading what I wrote. Maybe following. Maybe even subscribing. Would mean the world to me.

I'll keep posting the free stuff here for some more time. Subscribers will soon find some more (also free) essays on the site as that's a thing we do. Paying subscribers will find even more content, once that's a thing. Either way, I'm putting in the work AND some more Notes on a regular basis.

 

 

To Lose Your Heart in That Eldritch Sea (Design Post)

Substack is starting to come together for me. Regular Notes, first couple of subscribers and here's the second post. A design post about some ideas I had for a game I'm writing just now: That Eldritch Sea. You'll get an idea what the game is about, how it will work and the details on one little idea I needed to make that game click.

You can find it here (for free):

Click this, please.

 

As I said in the introduction, there's a bit more to discover now. I'll use blogger solely as a sign post from now on, until I think the blog is dead for good. It is for the better. Blogger has run its course and I need a new start of sorts. Substack fits that bill, and I'll be happy to see all those over there who liked my stuff here. As well as making new friends, of course.

Another post will hit Sunday. Meanwhile I'll do a little series of note about all my projects. That's a lot, as you'll find ^^ 

Off we are ... to new frontiers! (this is about me being somewhere else)

Hello, friends and neighbors. Long time no see, right? Well, I was undecided how to move on from blogger. It's just that ... well, the algorithm is an unkind mistress, so we are moving tents to greener pastures. I'll show you the way.

Looky here, a Substack ...

Blogger was good the first couple of years I used it, but when g+ got the boot, it all fizzled away. And the OSR community (of yore) with it. I stayed. I tried. And I never stopped working on the stuff I started. But this isn't the place for it anymore. I barely get traffic from other blogs anyway (AND haven't been doing much here as well).

So I have to move on.

But I'd be happy to take you! So here's where it's at, with a couple of words about what it will be about:
 

Go there, if you will

 

You see? I shift focus a bit. Not so much about the culture and more about me being a publisher and talking about my projects, about the tools of the trade, all that good stuff, and with clear dedication to give this a proper pulse.

I'll update here when I update there until I feel like this blog can rest now.

See you on the other side!
 

 

DM Style Questionnaire: What are you playing like?

Hey folks. Quick little post here since I had a discussion with a good friend about the different types of rpg out there and what that means (please track down @NMatausch of FKR fame on X). Reminded me about a blog post about DM Styles I wrote January 2020 (link at the end of the post), so we talked about that a bit and he shared a questionnaire for it made via Chat GPT. I loved the idea so much that I processed one via Grok 2 by Xai (which took WAY longer than it should have, but here we are). Since the result is fun and I see no (more) flaws in it, I thought I can present it here for you guys to play around with!

It's fun, too! [source]

DISCLAIMER: Took me some time to get it to the point it is right here, and as far as I can see, it all checks out, so there is some "intelligence" in the design. But working with Grok on this also showed its limitations, as the machine was not able to really gauge what the original post was talking about and it took some serious reasoning to make it change directions. As I said, I like the results and the assumptions made from the source material (which is all me), but it also took some serious doing on my end to make this work. Turns out, AI is a great tool, but still ways from generating more than a good base line to start from. Still, we'll be there soon enough.

DM Style Questionnaire

I could make out FIVE distinct ways to DM a role-playing game, and here you can find out what style you lean towards. All of it are analogues to how people interact with music, just so you know, so the result will have something to do with that. Here we go:

RULES: Just read the entries carefully (as nuance matters) and make note of the letter corresponding with the answer you like most. If you strongly agree with an answer, note the letter two times instead.

1. Control and Flexibility:  

How do you manage the narrative in your game sessions?  

a) I craft a detailed narrative where players explore my authored world.   

b) I orchestrate a complex game world, guiding players through a planned adventure.  

c) I provide a stage for players to explore themes and express themselves.   

d) I set the mood and let players dance to the tune I provide, focusing on experience over simulation.   

e) I create a framework where everyone improvises to tell a collective story.


2. Player Involvement:  
 

To what extent do players influence your game world?   

a) Players are key characters in my story, contributing to its unfolding.  

b) Players have choices within the rich tapestry I've woven for them.  

c) Players drive the drama with their actions and emotions.  

d) Players engage with the game through the atmosphere and scenarios I set.  

e) Players are co-creators, shaping the narrative alongside me in real-time.


3. Preparation vs. Improvisation:  
 

What's your approach to session preparation?   

a) I plan a detailed narrative, offering players a unique story to experience.  

b) I prepare complex scenarios with room for player choices.  

c) I prepare dramatic plots and character backgrounds for player interaction.  

d) I set up the session's vibe, letting players react to my "mix."  

e) I have some basic ideas and let the session evolve through group improvisation.


4. Game Mechanics:  
 

How do you handle game rules?  

a) I might modify or create rules to serve the narrative I envision.  

b) I use rules with depth to guide the campaign's progression.   

c) Rules are tools for character development and storytelling.  

d) I use rules to facilitate an experience, not to dictate every action.   

e) Rules are flexible, used to inspire and enable creative storytelling.


5. Use of Randomness:  

What role does randomness play in your games?   

a) Randomness adds layers to the story I craft.  

b) It adds depth but within my orchestrated narrative.  

c) Randomness can lead to dramatic turns or character development.   

d) It helps set the tone and pace for the session's experience.  

e) Randomness is a catalyst for spontaneous storytelling.

You've made it to the middle! [source]

6. Player Impact on Setting:  

How do player actions change your game world?  

a) The world is my canvas, but players' actions color the narrative.  

b) The setting is intricate but allows for player-driven developments.  

c) The world reacts to players' emotional and thematic input.  

d) The setting provides a backdrop for player engagement and choice.  

e) The world evolves with each improvisation, shaped by all participants.


7. Narrative Style:  
 

How do you approach storytelling in your games?  

a) I aim to weave an engaging story where players are central characters.  

b) I unfold an epic campaign with players experiencing the journey I've envisioned.

c) I focus on character-driven stories, exploring themes and emotions.  

d) I provide an experience where players engage through abstract gameplay.   

e) The story is a collaborative performance where everyone contributes.


8. Handling Player Creativity:  
 

How do you deal with players coming up with ideas not in your plan?  

a) I welcome player ideas as they enrich the narrative I've set.  

b) I guide them back to the path or adapt if it enhances the experience.  

c) I encourage players to express themselves, shaping the story dynamically.  

d) Player creativity adds to the session's unique atmosphere.  

e) Player ideas are part of the improvisation, welcomed and celebrated.


9. Philosophy of DMing:  
 

Which philosophy best describes your approach to DMing?  

a) I see myself as the AUTHOR, crafting a world and story for players to immerse themselves in.

b) I'm the CHEF, preparing a rich and complex experience for players to savor and contribute to.  

c) I'm the CAPTAIN, helping the adventure while ensuring players perform at their best.  

d) I'm the THEME PARK DESIGNER, creating an environment where players can enjoy various attractions.  

e) I'm the HEAD OF THE STORYBOARD TEAM, where the narrative unfolds through collective creativity.


10. Improvisation:  

How do you feel about improvising during sessions?  

a) I use improvisation to adapt my story to player actions.  

b) I improvise to keep the session within my planned structure.   

c) I enjoy improvising to enrich character moments and drama.  

d) Improvisation keeps the game's rhythm and flow engaging.  

e) Improvisation is central, allowing the story to evolve organically.


SCORING

(count your letters)

Mostly A's: The Composer DM - You craft a unique narrative for players to experience. COMMENT: Ideally (or so I have learned) this would be something like Dave Arneson's Blackmoor game, but many (late) OSR games lean into this kind of game build around a DM personality. The DM here is a madmen (or grognard?) that runs "his" game (which could be anything, really) with as much grandeur as delusions thereof. If it works, it sure can be a fantastic experience. If this is you, lean into it and go full on weird! 

Mostly B's: The Conductor DM - You orchestrate a complex and immersive game world. COMMENT: This one will do something like a grand campaign in AD&D that runs for 40+ years. Ideally needs a system that carries ambition like that, with huge power curves and lots of source material (early D&D, Cthulhu, classic rpgs). If this is you, grind those books and bring that campaign to live!

Mostly C's: The Band Leader DM - You focus on character exploration and thematic depth. COMMENT: This one is an emotional journey and will usually use rpgs from the World of Darkness or the All Flesh Must Be Eaten series but could just as well work within the superhero genre. If this is you, celebrate you and your players for as long the the spark takes you.

Mostly D's: The DJ DM - You create an engaging experience for players to interact with. COMMENT: You create a theme park like experience for your players, taking great care to have the best set pieces imaginable for an evening. Games like those Powered by the Apocalypse or Dungeon World work very well here, but lots of indie rpgs will accomodate this style easily. If this is you, there's a HUGE variety of beautiful and creative rides out there to entertain your players with.

Mostly E's: The Jazz DM - You and your players create the story together through improvisation. COMMENT: You like games that challenge you and your players. Usually those rpg will support randomness and sandbox play, which means they'll need some crunch and depth so that there is something to play around with. Then you go in deep until the game engine runs on all cylinders to give you the prompts to tell your stories. If that is you, find those games and make them sing.

And now you know ...

The original post on this (if you are interested in my reasoning) can be found here.

I'd be really happy to hear your results and if you found yourself in them. And the games you play, that'd be interesting too! So, if you are commenting, please state (in the name of science!):

• Your result (with as much detail as you care),
• If you agree (again, with as much reasoning as you bother to share),
• RPGs you prefer generally (please elaborate if fringe or if you tinker a lot), and
• How much experience you have with DMing (again, as detailed as you can).

Thanks! If this produces any results at all, I'll do a follow up with the results and what I think about them.

Well, and that's about it. I hope you had fun with this little quiz, and I really hope people care enough to share their results and thoughts. I feel like those distinctions are important, as different styles OBVIOUSLY prefer different tools (all but the Composer, who'll do whatever the fuck). That should matter, as there are different camps already all over the place and no one really knows what's going on.

Oh, and if you are wondering where I think I am on this (as I really can't test myself here), I'd put myself into the Jazz DM camp. If that's your result, I'd say we can be friends :) I'd also recommend you check out the game I wrote: Ø2\\'3|| - Role-Playing in a Dystopian Future, as it really, really caters to that style of DMing (sandbox play with randomly emerging narrative and DMs having their own little system to play against players with A LOT of agency).

See? Even managed to drop in a little advertisement in the end. Good times.

And answers! All of it! [source]

Lost Songs of the Nibelungs Part 2: Playtesting 2025 (Setting up a campaign)

Hey, folks. How's things? It's 2025 now, and we can start making new promises to break them later this year. Fun times ahead, I'd say. Anyway. In this post I want to talk about how Lost Songs made its way back into my top pile to work at. I know, I'm slow. I also keep getting things done, so speed isn't all that if you eventually get to see results. Point in case: a revision of LSotN is underway and making progress, to a degree where I'm setting up a little online game with friends to give it all another spin to see where it wobbles. Here's how I set up that campaign ...

this is a lose series, but here is Part 1 anyways.

The Plan

I've collected some ideas over the last months and looked at what I got as well as what needs doing. Nothing serious, just some preliminary scouting. As one would when getting back into a project that actually was on pause for some time. It never left my mind, but other things piled up to a degree that Lost Songs took a back seat, like, waaay back on the bus.

As soon as I felt confident enough to get something started, I set up a doscord server for it and invited the couple of people that could be convinced to give this a shot.

That the first thing: I love working this on discord. Lots of nice ways to organize the information for the campaign with the revision running in the background. And I can do it on the road easily, which is a huge plus.

It's amazing how much changed in the last 10 years in that regard. Nowadays we have AI to help with research (I basically use it like I used search engines when that was still a thing) and it is a blast. Quick, too. Also something that can be done anywhere easily (I'm falling in love with Grok right now). For instance, when I wrote the Tribe Generator for the game, a quick discussion about what would make a tribe helped me getting the numbers just right enough to hammer it into a table.

Good show.

Wouldn't use AI to write or design a game for me (because I actually enjoy doing those things!), but it offers great research and reasoning on all kinds of topics. It is, just as with the art, a great asset to have on hand.

The plan, then, is to revise the game as I prepare and then playtest the game, adding stuff as need be while I'm at it. Right now setting and tribe are done. Here's what I did so far.

The Setting

What you see here is the result of the revised Sandbox Generator. Can't show the thing itself yet, as it'd contain information the players are not yet privy to. This is basically what their characters can know:

"This is it. After years of wandering around, your elders decide the spot to settle down: a huge chasm between mountains, hills and forests. Uneven land that doesn't see a lot of sun, but fertile nonetheless. The elders say waterghosts carved the grooves into the valley here, leaving only the hard rock to stand guard above the rich streams coming down from the mountains. It is land suited for miners and artisans, hunters and gatherers, not farmers. Here is your fate. The new roots your tribe is destined to strike. But you are not alone in this valley. Two other tribes have arrived here. One, a strange folk with even stranger mores, is indifferent to you. The other, a tribe led by powerful women, is outright unfriendly, although not hostile. You will make a home here either way. This is where your songs begin."

Typical longhouse.

"IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS & LIVING

Water created the extensive chasm your tribe located in by eroding all the soft stone and leaving harder stones throughout the valley it created. It created a hugely complex and fertile biome full of little lakes and rivers, cliffsides and little waterfalls, moss and forest as well as natural caves. Your tribe settled on the west side of this area, directly on the foot of a huge mountain you call "Grey Man" (Graumann) because clouds kept hanging on his peak like grey hair throughout the summer you arrived here. Since all of this is not easily accessible, longhouses are spread all over the place and in the strangest places, the chief's great longhouse having the highest position on the western slope. All of it is connected with little trails, but some tribesmen even made stone steps and little wooden bridges here and there to have those homes better connected. Many homes expand into the mountain as well, partially using natural caverns, partially carving new rooms into soft stone."

"Established routes lead west up into the mountain where several mining operations dot the slope, east into the valley, mainly for hunting, and north towards the closest settlement that will trade with you, four days travel away."

"Your immediate neighbors are a strange people on the north border of this chasm. They are quite elusive, but what you found of them are wooden frog figures and weird markings. Some of your tribe have seen them in the distance, but they mostly just ignore you and you have no quarrels with them. They seem to have settled on the lake that is mostly hidden in thick fog and forms a natural border before the land grows from chasms into thickly forested hills further north."

"The other tribe is situated close to the south border of this area, just where the chasms transition into forested hills. What you know is that it is a tribe led by female warriors, but other then that no contact has been made. Rumors among your people say that they despise you for your lack of warriors, but you know nothing for certain.
Other than the Graumann to the west, this area is nested between fertile hills with beautiful woods and rivers as well as more high mountains to the southwest, the predominant of them called "King's Crown" (Königskrone") by your people. This is good land, rich and fertile."

The Tribe

This part needed some more rules and tools to allow for some variety (I'll share them later in this post). The sandbox has always been the first strong indicator what kind of people a group's tribe consists of. Why would they settle where they ended up settling? What kind of skills and trades would come with the territory? What opposition (as far as they are aware of it) are they willing to face? Stuff like that could easily be deduced from the hex they are dropped in and the immediate surroundings.

But I needed some more meat on that, mainly how their migration there went, what they gained and what they had to leave behind. It'd change, to a degree, their reasoning for staying where they ended up staying, but not in a bad way. Beyond that I wanted to have some soft numbers for the size of the tribe (ended up going with "families"). If anything, it gives a GM more to work with while being set up quite fast.

Here's what I shared with my players:

"So what's your tribe like? Well, the place they chose to stay, despite the other tribes settling there, already tells us a lot. They are accustomed to living in mountainous areas, so miners and smiths they should be as well as hunters and animal farmers. The blight that is Christianity has not yet reached your people, so they believe in a variation of the old gods and follow their traditions. Migration lost you the majority of your warriors, but despite that your elders feel confident about your fate in this chasm. You can draw from a rich history of sophisticated craftsmen and you have among your people some very capable weapon smiths and artisans."

"Where the Chief's Longhouse was build

Your holy men had seen the place where you were to hold the ritual in their dreams, just two days before your track came across it. It was held that same night, under a huge thunderstorm. The mountains in the east, it seemed, fought the mountains in the west in the sky. Thor was busy drumming that night. It had been at the peak of the ritual when a massive lighting strike hit the side of the Graumann, the short bright light dotted with the rocks it detonated from the mountainside. The next morning, at first sunlight, they found among the debris a huge shattered quartz, all glitzy and pink. The biggest piece build the foundation for the chief's longhouse right where it struck the ground, the smaller pieces had been distributed among the nobility and brought much honor to their houses. They called that night the Invitation of the Mountain, and it has always been regarded as a good omen."

"The place of that ritual is where your people hold official gatherings.  It is a stone platform floating over the valley and it offers a great view of the Graumann as well as the chief's majestic longhouse at the base of it. At the beginning it was not easy to get to the plateau, as it stands somewhat isolated. Now there is an ornate wooden bridge leading to it. Three holy sheep are held on that platform to keep the grass short."

"Other then the player characters' families, the tribe is 167 families strong. Around 120 of them have build their longhouses close to the chief's house, the rest is scattered all around, equally distributed towards mountain, the valley itself and along the trading route you established north."

Ideas like the ritual, the other two tribes close by and the trading route all spun naturally from tools used to set up the sandbox and the tribe. 

New Rules: The Tribe Generator

The revised Sandbox Generator still needs some more work, but what I can share today is the Tribe Generator. It might even be useful in other games. Either way, it'll tell you something about Lost Songs, so here we go.

Like with character creation, all it needs is a roll of 3d6. It'd be used right after completing the sandbox. Everything else follows from that. The individual results will give you:

TRIBE GENERATOR (3d6)

Your tribe is …

1 barely there (lowest column)
2 weak (lowest column)
3 quarreling (middle column)
4 desperate (middle column)
5 confident (high column)
6 strong (high column)

Your ancestors are …

1 primal (+10 families)
2 secluded (-10 families)
3 odd
4 honorable (+20 families)
5 noble (+30 families)
6 sophisticated (-10 families)

Your tribe lost …

1 the weak (-30 families)
2 the warriors (-20 families)
3 the royalty (-10 families)
4 spiritual leadership (+10 families)
5 wealth (-10 families)
6 history

The sum, now, will give you a base number of families that needs to be modified by the individual results:

             High   Middle   Low

3-5:          80        60        40
6-8:        140      120      100
9-12:      200      180      160
13-16:    230      220      210
17-18:    260      250      240

The sum also reduces the base number further. In the end, each player character adds one family to the result. Example:

"This tribe is (5/6/2) confident with sophisticated ancestry to build on, but lost their warriors on their migration to this valley."

That gives us a Base Number of 200 (high column) modified by -10 (for being sophisticated), -20 (for losing the warriors), and -13 (the sum itself), resulting in 167 families PLUS the number of players.

It's quick while offering lots of little details to work with and a rough estimate of how big a tribe actually is (a "family" would have an average of four people).

That's it for now

This is where we are at. Next is character creation and the final touches on the sandbox, as well as a calendar and elements for all the hexes ...

But about this we will talk another time. It'll be an interesting year in that regard, I think. I wonder how much my sensibilities changed since I last touched the game. And if I'm finally able to overcome the road blocks that made me shift my focus on other projects.

For now I can say I'm having fun with it. And I'm again and again surprised how much was already done. Anyway. More to come.

I wish you guys all the best for 2025!

All the holidays, all the prices ... (and some news!)

The short of it is: all my games are on the cheap from now on until January. It is the season, after all. And while I'm here, I might as well talk a bit about things I have in the pipeline ... How's it going, you ask? Getting somewhere, I'd say.

Discounts

Ø2\\'3|| is out there, as a pdf now, too, and revised for the pdf release (finding typos, killing typos). If you like your cyberpunk dark and free-form, with some crunch in all the interesting places, give it a shot. Plays funny, too, which is something dearly needed these days (well, it's funny in the sense a Black Mirror episode would be if it where an absurd anime romp with lots of crazy). I'm working on two supplements for this, one being a FPS experience in an USA overran by mutants that get reprinted after being killed, the other will be a ready to play setting with a body horror twist, and it is called IT WEARS YOUR FLESH. Soon ...

This will be a nasty one, I think ...

Rebellion is among those games. It is a fun little card stealing game that will have a part in another rpg I'm (still) writing on: Brawlers! Totally works outside that context. Good for two players or small groups, set up fast, plays fast, high replayability ... I have a couple of ideas to expand on this, but that's way in the future now. As it is, not many have seen it. Check it out!

Rebellion playing mat as background for roll20!

Minimus Ludus is the second rpg on the list. Written by my good friend Mark van Vlack (who has a podcast now!), it is very light and flexible. Comes with lots of little scenarios to run and does all kinds of genres with ease. You need a game that is set up within minutes and just as fast to learn and play? This is on that list of games you'll want to one-shot the holidays! We actually have a couple of supplements in the works for it, too. Such a fun game. While we are at it, another one of Mark's games made it to Disoriented Ranger Publishing: Phase Abandon (a gm-less and universal rpg!). It is completely free and also tons of fun. So why not grap that, too, while you are at it?

One of the Minimus Ludus pocket worlds ...

Last but not least, Monkey Business is still out there as well. MB has always been crazy fun. If you know your B/X D&D, Labyrinth Lord or OSE and need some wild ideas to keep your players busy for a LOOONG time, you can't go wrong with Monkey Business. Once I get be67 done and out, Monkey Business will make the transition to that. Until then, it still is amazing adventuring ...

 So much about that. Have fun exploring and playing our games. We appreciate you for it.

What else is new?

The revision of the Bare-Knuckle Fighter is currently in layout. If I get to work on it a bit more, I'm confident that it'll see the light of day before Christmas. What is the Bare-Knuckle Fighter, you ask? It is a training module for combat in the Dark Fantasy rpg I'm working on for some time now: Lost Songs of the Nibelungs. It goes a bit of its own way now, but it'll be the full package, with not only a very solid two player dice game, but an expansion for groups and some tournament rules as well as proper Fighter advancement rules.

I'm really happy with it. Tease:

 

Layout is coming together nicely!

With this done, Lost Songs will see some love in the near future as well. It really is happening, folks!

Other than that I'll keep writing and publishing them. That Eldritch Sea is pretty high on my to do list, so I might tackle that next. Maybe Angry Little Aliens after that, as it's basically ready for layout ...

I wish all of you a good one. Peace, out.