Hey! I had an article in that one!

Things are awful, so a little treat for the real Crush-Heads. It is now eleven years since I got this printed in the Metro.

Aaaww! Don’t take away my veneration. It’s all I’ve got!

This parcel will return... in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 What scenario could you throw together at the last minute? So I’m going to #Grogmeet today. There’s apparently a storm or something so I’n going to arrive late and miss my first game - player not referee so it’s not life or death. But the fantasy that’s been filling my head… 1

I’m aiming to fall completely off the wagon an re-embrace my old addition to TTRPG conventions (and related events) like an old friend.

Stop that, it’s silly.

I thought for a second this was a character sheet for a new TTRPG called SNOWFLAKES.

We're looking for women and femmes to pitch their dream projects! This March, EUphoria will be hosting TTRPGirls, a celebration of the intersections of womanhood in gaming and we want YOU! Find out more and drop your application here - tally.so/r/ODQxG7

#Grogmeet Apparently there’s a storm or something. My train from Birmingham to Manchester tomorrow won’t run. Other options currently being explored……

This is from the wonderful ICRPG and gives more world building and excitement that any 250 page books of "this country was founded 300 years ago and here are the kings and battles from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical" that may be included.

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 How many adventures does it take to justify a setting? I think you all know that I am not a “world building - top-down” sort of guy. I generally believe in starting small and “building out and up”. Some games don’t work. Some campaigns fold. The best TV and film settings….. 1

YES! Art without limits is mere anarchy.

These are AMAZING!

This was one of the few things hinted at quite well in The Force Awakens. The vast majority of the systems’ population seem to have been unaware of the events of the original trilogy. They’re considered myths and legendary - including the Jedi. Cf. Rey/Finn vs. Han upon first entry to the Falcon.

Sapphire and Steel will return in Avengers Doomsday.

All good things - Star Trek the Next Generation - was perfection. If you ignore everything else (and I’m sorry that includes the Deconstruction of Falling Stars, good as it is) and just watch Babylon 5 series 1-4 with Sleeping in the Light as the final episode, that’s as good.

#GROGMEET Apparently everyone’s showing their preparations. (I was raised in Bournville and had never even heard the term “shacket” before looking at the Grogmeet WarHorn.)

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 Can you design scenarios for evil characters? A) Didn’t you talk about this one before Simon? I seem to think so but it’s sitting unticked on my list of prospective thoughts. So I guess not. I type something every day. I WILL repeat myself. B) It doesn’t matter. 1

I agree with this sentiment soooo much. If nothing else, put it in your profile, please!

Brilliant. 3 more and I’ll write you the TTRPG.

friendly spacer, second-hand spacesuit #digitalart #rpg #scifi

This is a HUGE leap in direction. Character close-ups. Excellent!

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 To WarHorn or not to WarHorn? One of the reasons I blog about conventions is because they’re so different - in the UK at least. Some you sign up to games in advance, some you sign up at the event. Some have a mixed economy. I’ve always been a fan of signing up at the event. 1

Either way you’re sitting back and watching them do the playing. This is a good thing.

“Anything before the ‘but’ doesn’t count” Well meaning & helpful - & I have being “match fit” on the list of #TTRPGTHOUGHTS for the future - but….. ….if sessions take a LONG time & stretch your voice maybe you could reconsider your approach to Refereeing? I can be quiet at times when I run games.

I read about D&D in the first quarter of the year. My dad wouldn’t buy the rules. I had no-one to play with until I got to University that September. Immediately joined the games club. Couldn’t get into a D&D game the first week. Played Diplomacy! (Ugh.) Played D&D the second week. 1/3

Happy new year 2026 to all ! I wish your all the good things you can imagine and more.

QUICK! I’ve got to update my profile from StabCon to Grogmeet! (My spellchecker just changed a mistype of “from” into “fRomulan”. What does THAT say about me?)

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou Teaching overlaps Refing TTRPGs in many ways. One of them is those who mean well but lack understanding have “hot takes” 1

#StabCon All over. Great con. Well organised. Good venue. Well managed but no structure to the event itself. Attendees organise the games amongst themselves. This led to multiple TTRPG referees wanting to run Sat morning and very little TTRPGing on Sun. Friday night at StabCon is set up. 1/3

An important take BUT….. Many of us who gravitate towards TTRPGs are socially awkward in real life. You should’ve to be a silver-tongued rogue to play silver Tongued rogue. A someone who is shy and awkward in real life might look forward to playing a social butterfly.

I haven’t watch any films or series by I’ve seen that there seems to be an ”IT” series set in Derry? Is there any mileage in doing a Stranger Things series set in Birmingham in the 1980s?

#stabcon Sun pm (2) only 4 people signed up for Blood on the CLOCKtower which isn’t enough. The young man offering it discovered that the flat screen in the room he’d booked could should YouTube videos and kindly showed me a YouTube introduction to the game. We live in an age of wonders. 1/2

#stabcon Sun pm I’m signed up to play a game of “Blood on the Watchtower” at 1pm. I’ve seen the title posted at other inventions but have no idea what to expect. I’ve spoken to the Trumpton Referee. He’s to offering a game this afternoon. (Awwww!) He may offer “Straight out of Trumpton” in July.

#stabcon Sunday am. I LOVE the combination of my free OSP bus pass and Stockport’s wonderful 192 bus service whizzing me up and down to and from the con. Turns out I’d signed up for a flipping BOARD game. Some kickstart-spawned monstrosity. I played along gamely. 1/2

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS What are good demonstration game systems for me to use in FLGS? Despite being blessed with a plethora of cons at weekends in the UK there isn’t one EVERY weekend. But i‘m addicted to Refereeing. (Please no advice about joining a club, forming a group or online.) 1

#stabcon Sat night. I’m still writing/playtesting THE CODE OF CTHULHU. I’ve a scenario I wrote & have now run several times. But I decide to test the rules with another scenario. www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5... Is PWYW on Drivethru. I would give it 5* if I was allowed to give reviews. 1/3

#StabCon Saturday Afternoon Starfleet Academy 2270 - Milk Run. Well THAT went well! Cont.

#STABCON Lunchtime The Dr Who game got up to 4 players plus Referee and was great fun. I was playing Dr Malcolm Tucker (the Lee Evan’s character from “Planet of the Dead”) alongside Martha Jones, a military officer and a linguist who turned out to be Frankenstein’s creation. 1/3

#STABCON Sat AM - part 2. Whilst I’m waiting for other Referees to turn up…. I forgot to point out at someone took down the Friday evening games and spaced out the noticeboard. Good! Sat am games on the left. Even with mine taken down there are a few left. On the right afternoon & evening games.

#Stabcon Saturday am: 9:30. Games due to start at 10am. Decision (partly) made Only one sign up for my Star Trek game. He, like me, was politely early. We discussed it. He’s signed up for another game (looks interesting, playtest, but only one slot left which he took.) 1/2

#TTRPGTHOUGHTS 1 You need to manage your time sensibly at conventions. I’m at a great convention. Had a fun game Friday night. It finished after 11pm. I then had to travel to my hotel. Wind down. Try and get to sleep. Grab some zzzz’s and get up early enough get breakfast, get dressed…. 1

#STABCON Friday night. Back in my hotel room. God it’s cold outside! Having a slot in a regular Friday night campaign is great. Second chapter of Fallout tonight (first was in July). We managed to fight our way through the mutant beastie infestation and stop the reactor overloading. 1/3

#Stabcon Friday pm: I should have aimed to get here earlier. By the time I arrived there were 6 other sign up sheets up for Saturday - 5 of them for 10am tomorrow. I have a feeling my Starfleet Academy game won;t run but we’ll wait to see until tomorrow AM. (At least I’ll have alternatives.) 1/2

Somebody needs to remake “High Noon”.

Good idea. Even better if: run the short adventure as a prologue using pregenerated characters before Session zero. It informs discussion and character generation.

#StabCon Sat AM. The bag conundrum. I don’t drive. Last July I went to my 1st StabCon in 5 years. It used to be in a hotel. Now it’s based in a Masonic Guild Hall. Hotels on the same road walking distance but not EASY walking distance. My backpack felt heavy last July. I’ll try my wheely bag. 1/2