So I loathe having to do this with everyone else hurting right now but the repairs are going to be costly and I would rather earn if I can. I’ve already had to pay for parts today but labor is going to be more so if you have any work, I’m real good at that. A share would be rad as well.

As @robino.bsky.social (who, again, has also done this, beautifully so) predicted, I was indeed planning to draw some Final Fantasy 1 monsters with their limited NES palettes. A lot of great names in this first localization. "EVILMAN" "MADPONY" and "JIMERA" are some of my favorites. #FinalFantasy

I didn't make this, but it needs a reposting.

It’s -9 degrees. Downtown Minneapolis is packed for the anti-ICE rally and the crowd keeps growing

this is just "not all men", "not all cops", etc etc whatever helps you sleep better at night, I guess

I think I’m realizing that Pilgrim’s Passages might break more with the OSR than I previously thought. Fully leaning into everything is a roll might be clearer for players.

Working on a more adventurous cobblemon server for friends this time. Y’all stocking an open world with npcs, things to do/see, etc is a ton of work. Especially cities. Turns out cities are difficult to make in video games AND in ttrpgs.

Have a project coming up sometime this year? I want to hear about it! Hit me up through LoneArchivist.com.

Last, if you want to see Rascal survive; if you want more investigative reporting, more security for our small team, and more articles that celebrate TTRPGs, any level of support helps. Our investigative work is our pride and joy but it takes time, resources, and energy. Thank you again.

Five creators who worked on Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast have spent the past year fighting a legal battle against Possum Creek Games and Steve Jackson Games. Neither the tabletop RPG nor their working relationships survived the fallout.

A lil Friday morning repost for the #zimo crowd. I can help you prepare your project for print and print it! I run a risograph press, have published multiple zines/books, and do layout design. I still have some availability!

Hey #ZIMO folks! If you are planning a small zine for this year and need some printing/layout design work done holler at me! I run a risograph printer, do binding, and do layout design. I have availability starting at the end of the month! Toss me a DM! (Examples Below!)

Lil repost for the late crowd.

I’m working on a new minecraft server for some friends. This time I’m not doing it alone and it’s also a more catered world. It’s been such a delight collaborating with someone on some art where both of us are just as excited about the piece. What a joy!

Howdy gang! If anyone knows of any product #design (or really any other kind of design) gigs please toss em my way. I’ve worked for massive corporations building huge tech stacks, largescale marketing sites, and managed small teams. Also if you are needing some layout done on ttrpg projects holler!

one hope is have for 2026 is that more folks join Paper Cult Club, an indie tabletop-focused forum i truly adore papercult.club

I wrote about my plans for 2026, both under the @cairnrpg.com umbrella and Between Two Cairns. newschoolrevolution.com/cairn-in-2026/

COPIER.BMF

I run a small minecraft server, that some friends and I play on maybe once or twice a year for a month. I’ve been working on a modpack for the new update of cobblemon in preparation for season 2. It’s been a wild experiment in running a server in a more “catered” way.

For @abigailmarkov.com, but for all of us creative types as well:

New Dungeon (in blog form): Castle Claus, or The Keep on the North Pole A Rankin Bass Christmas-themed dungeon for the Merry Hexmas Blog Bandwagon. Possibly one of my more high effort blog posts to date #osr #ttrpg

Pilgrim’s Passages is inspired by mostly games outside of the medium. Though Conflicts in PP do fly pretty close to Skill Challenges in 4e. Otherwise Book of Travels, Caves of Qud, Road Warden, and BELOW are all video games that have inspired mechanics. dastardlydave.itch.io/pilgrims-pas...

Inverted Rasp?

If you had to pick one album as the inspiration/OST for your ruleset/favorite module/setting what would it be? Mine, for “Pilgrim’s Passages”, has shifted a lot over the years. I think nowadays I’d have to pick “Rivers Arms” by Balmorhea. I think I need to write a hex flower for it.

New subscriptions to Rascal News will be rising by $1 in 2026. If you've been waiting to support us, we're currently running a holiday sale where the first two months of our entry tier is only $1/month! Independent journalism on the cheap? Yippee-Ki-Yay, Anklebiters!

Should we even be writing ttrpg books (that require GMs/Referees) for players?

Time to brave the 30 degree drizzly weather to scrub litter boxes. Pray for me other cat keepers.

Hey @bsky.app @safety.bsky.app @support.bsky.team please unsuspend Goran immediately. Goran is a great person, a great artist, and the whole anti-Palestine thing youre on is one of those "Ford funding Hitler" disasters you remember being shocked and dismayed by when you learned of in middle school.

How do y’all feel about “story generators” as a descriptor for the systems and tools we make? (Ala Dwarf Fortress, Rim World, Kenshi, CK3, etc.) Calling the systems we make “games” has always led to confusion when talking about play and where the game begins and ends.

I’m at @plusoneexp.bsky.social booth 4143: come talk to me.

Been playing PP with Monday and it’s really great. Manages to feel like a detailed backpacking simulator while also leaving room for whimsy and problem solving outside the system. A lot of games handwave the tough work of travel to “get to the adventure.” in PP the travel is the good stuff.

I’ll bite. Pilgrim’s Passages is out in Open Beta. It’s my house system about Pilgrims traveling from place to place, creating art, and helping the communities they visit. I think the game is rather unique and I’d love more eyes on it. It’s also PWYW! dastardlydave.itch.io/pilgrims-pas...

🔥🔥🔥🔥

We are moving into the final phase of developmental editing on Pilgrim’s Passages this week! I forgot how daggum nice it is to have an editor to both push you and reign you in. I’m stoked to get the new version of this game out to folks!

re: tutorials and early game friction, here's a blog post I wrote in 2021 on why I like the social practice of game wiki'ing, and the "ludic mystery" that motivates it mixedinitiatives.net/blog/apologi...

I've been playing around with the new Affinity Studio since it was released. TLDR; It's good. Very good. How long will it stay that way? It's still too early to tell. Some background, my first impressions, and my wishlist are all here: www.explorersdesign.com/affinity-imp...

Steve Kirk and Jane Burton, miniatures and photography from The Age of Dinosaurs: A Photographic Record, 1991

SPACESHIP SATURDAY! Here's a ship from the upcoming SPACESHIPS VOL 2: RETURN OF SPACEFLEET The Fourth Polaris An unusual craft seen in the far reaches The first grotty spaceship pack for #ttrpgs is available at my itch page: carlydraws.itch.io scanline, vintage gamebook inspired! #art

Quickest purchase of my life.

Go hang with Chris for those of us who can’t!

Hello gamers I'm opening *emergency* graphic design commissions, to help me keep my healthcare due this friday. Flexible pricing, I'll do: -Title typography -Iconography -flyers Looking forl ow effort/stress (ie not suited for short turnarounds and big expectations), great for mockups and prototypes

NEW BLOG BANDWAGON During this interregnum between High Halloween and Mighty Christmas, a call goes forth to all the world that bloggers shall band together to collectively create a hexcrawl across the blogosphere, themed around those hokey claymation Christmas specials of yore! #osr #rpg #hexmas

I was recently introduced to the Underclock by @goblinpunch.bsky.social, and it's the coolest way I have seen random encounters be done in TTRPGs. Check this out if you want to add some tension to your dungeon crawling!

Within the shadowy hollers of the Toes, a lone cairn to a Pilgrim is nurtured by the community its within. A loving duty performed for generations. These graves are treated as markers for future cemeteries and as such are maintained.

Pilgrimage to the summit of Elcontra was deadly before the Queen was appeased. After the body of the great Spirit was dry the endeavor was considered suicidal by most. That doesn’t stop devoted Pilgrims from trying. Those that return to sea level are said to come back more Spirit than mortal.

#MÖRKTOBER #Mörktober Day 31: Pumpkins Typeface: Darka by Sudtipos

I wrote about how Legends Z-A is yet another Pokemon game carried by unrealized potential obsidianmoonshine.com/public/1-blo...

whose dung steams high, high, high...whose dung steams beyond measure

aand another one for the archive

Pokemon Z-A is fascinating, and there’s very little nuanced takes on it. Folks either think it is the most disappointing release ever, or it’s Arceus’ gift. So here is a lil thread if you are curious about it. Keep in mind that I’d guess I’m only 1/3 of the way through it.