Got my GameHoleCon badge ticket. Unfortunately this year I’ll only be able to make it 1 day (Thursday). I’ll mainly attend some seminars, connect with friends, and check out vendors that day. Hopefully I’ll see some of you there!

NEW VIDEO reviewing the AD&D 1e Ranger, comparing it with later version, and discussing why I consider it the best version of the Ranger. 🏹 #DnD #OSR #ttrpg 📺 video link below👇

It was a beautiful late summer day in my German home-city of Münster. It was here (on this very street) that the Thirty Years’ War came to an end in 1648. Münster has a wonderful medieval city center that was carefully rebuilt after WW2. 🇩🇪 ☀️

NEW VIDEO discussing my favorite house rules and optional rules for Castles & Crusades (many can be used for other D&D type RPGs). ⚔️ #CastlesandCrusades #DnD #ttrpg 📺 video link👇 youtu.be/sMtw3HMO2n4?...

NEW VIDEO! A unique way of adding darkness, dread, and horror to your D&D campaign using Mörk Borg. Best for use with any classic/OSR D&D game like OSE, Swords & Wizardry, Castles & Crusades, etc. 💀 Video 📺 link👇 #DnD #OSR #ttrpg youtu.be/yhH050UFlw8?...

I’m off on a work trip today for a few weeks. For those dull times in hotels, I’ve decided (for the first time) to bring along a “compact” RPG setup and try some travel solo RPG gaming. My combo pick is White Box FMAG + Blackmarsh as the setting. ⚔️ #DnD #ttrpg #OSR

NEW VIDEO highlighting 2 supplements for expanding your game of Old-School Essentials (or nearly any OSR game).⚔️ #DnD #ttrpg #OSR #OldSchoolEssentials 📺 Link👇 youtu.be/0xo8wbXIGrE?...

We moved to Wisconsin just over a year ago and it’s been great. Yes we miss our friends from Colorado, but we love it here. The people, the culture, the environment…pretty much everything. I don’t even mind the winters and I love the summers and fall. Wisconsin is a great home.

No complaints from central Wisconsin. Great beer and beautiful late August weather. ☀️ 🍺

I’m pondering various content ideas. One is to do campaign updates (basically “after action reports”) on my website and YouTube. Updates on what happened in the campaign, lessons learned, etc. But would anyone watch/read these (since I’m not doing an “actual play”)? #DnD #ttrpg

We had a great Castles & Crusades session yesterday. The party gained valuable info in the hamlet of Maerheb, ran into an interesting young fighter (thanks to a random encounter) who joined the party and defeated a hobgoblin patrol. Next week they crack open a barrow. #CastlesandCrusades #DnD #ttrpg

I’ve been going back & forth on system & setting for an open-table campaign I’m planning on running at our FLGS. I settled on Castles & Crusades for the system as it’s easy to pick up for new players and fast to run. The setting will then be Aihrde as well. ⚔️ #DnD #CastlesandCrusades #ttrpg

I’ve been in an AD&D 2e mood this week (and for some reason classic Forgotten Realms too). So I’ve been reading back through some 2e books and loving every bit of it (as usual). Despite all the different systems I love and run, there will always be room for the glory of 2e. #DnD

In my latest blog article I discuss the prelude to my “Hawkmoor” Swords & Wizardry/OD&D home campaign. Ideas, plans, mapping, rules, etc. are all outlined for running my Swords & Wizardry/OD&D campaigns. ⚔️ #DnD #OSR #ttrpg Link👇 www.realmbuilderguy.com/2025/08/hawk...

This is very sad. I always enjoyed his content and commentary. Bud will be missed.

Hyperborea is that very rare OSR game (Dolmenwood being the other) that updates, streamlines, and adds to classic D&D rules whilst staying true to their intent & play style. It also has a built-in setting where mechanics & world reinforce one another. ⚔️ #Hyperborea #DnD #OSR

Man…it’s been 25 years since D&D 3e launched. A huge shift occurred and, in my opinion, moved the game away from what made it Dungeons & Dragons. I ran A LOT of 3e and we had a blast with it. But looking back now, much like 5e, it’s just not great (for my tastes at least). #DnD

As I’m starting to see the far distant finish line for my game Falenburg, I feel daunted by the process of finding art. I’m hoping to find some good public domain art (budgetary reasons) + commissioning a specific style of art for it. #DnD #ttrpg #OSR

Work continues on my own game Falenburg. Yesterday I finalized the player-facing travel & exploration rules. Next I tackle estates & retinues. That’ll wrap up the player’s book. The referee’s book will be next to complete. It already has plenty of monsters & treasure in it. #ttrpg #DnD #OSR

As a fan of classic RPGs, I don’t see non-unified mechanics and sub-systems as a flaw. Rather…they’re a brilliant feature of these games, giving different probabilities for different purposes. A unified mechanic is easier to remember, but not superior. #ttrpg #DnD

I picked up the “Deck of Many Dungeons” to expand my toolbox for emergent sandbox campaigns. #DnD #ttrpg

My POD copy of the Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition showed up today. I wasn’t expecting it to be signed by Marc Miller. I’m pretty stoked! #Traveller #ttrpg

My weekly group is expressing an interest in Hârn and HarnMaster! #ttrpg #harn #harnmaster ⚔️ 🏰 👑

I wish I would’ve discovered my passion for game design & writing 10-20 years sooner in my life instead of in my 40s. But I do believe that oftentimes opportunities present themselves to you in life when you’re ready for them. Thankfully there’s no age cap to this work. #ttrpg

I’m eyeing 2026 for a possible trip to #GenCon. It’s not in the budget & calendar this year. I want to go there at least once, since it’s yet another lasting and deeply impactful contribution of Gary Gygax to the gaming hobby. No denying how foundationally important he was/is.

I’m reading Classic Traveller + Mongoose 2e Traveller simultaneously and am caught between two minds as to which one I want to run. I guess I should try both and then see. I always tend to lean classic gaming. Any recommendations @ardwulf.bsky.social @dungeonmusings.bsky.social?

New video! In this one I discuss the beauty of original D&D and why it’s worth your time. ⚔️ #DnD #OSR #TTRPG 📺 Link👇 youtu.be/zdeUt1hxxnc?...

So…for those of you that have started online RPG groups with strangers…got any tips? I might be looking to start one up. #TTRPG

July was very busy, so I wasn’t able to dive into as many RPGs as I was in May & June. I mostly read (reread) OD&D, Swords & Wizardry, and Castles & Crusades material. That being said, I did read my Deadlands books and recently started the Traveller journey in earnest. #ttrpg

Picked up this👇 great supplement for Swords & Wizardry. So much great content is included and a wealth of inspiration to riff off of as a Referee and create various city/town/village level encounter tables. It’s great and I highly recommend it. ⚔️ 📚 #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

I’m not saying that I’m developing a new TTRPG collection obsession to bring to the table, but my eBay watchlist might be full of Classic Traveller books from the 1e days of 1977-1980. #ttrpg #Traveller

I labeled my map for our home campaign with Swords & Wizardry. I messed around with zooming into a specific area and it’s certainly useable at the table. Some of the names aren’t very unique, but that’s ok. I tried adding color, but kinda like the B&W version (as does my printer). #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

RIP Ozzy…a true legend of ROCK! 🤘🏻

I’ve (finally) started work on my next OSE supplement booklet “Beyond Basic Vol 2”, as well as working on my first content for Swords & Wizardry. I’m looking at supplemental rules, new classes, settings, and dipping my toe into adventure site publication. #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

I’m expanding my collection seeking of classic RPGs and am now casting my gaze at classic 1977 Traveller (as has been recommended to me). #ttrpg #Traveller

I got the basic inking done for our OD&D campaign map. I’m still very much learning how to hand draw maps, but it’s good enough for my table. Next I’ll scan and label, enhance, and touch up with Affinity. #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

Some early morning campaign hex map doodling, whilst the minions are still asleep. This is just the pencil concept drawing. Once I’m happy with it, I’ll make a better looking version with ink for table use. #DnD #OSR #ttrpg #fantasymapping

Another classic D&D addition to the library and gaming table. Ready Ref Sheets by Judges Guild published in 1978. #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

I picked up another great classic D&D booklet. This will come in very handy at the table for quick encounter & treasure generation. I don’t just collect classic D&D items in order to have them, I collect for use at my table. #DnD #OSR #ttrpg

These days, this👇 is my “official” D&D edition (missing is the First Fantasy Campaign). All of these editions inform my style of D&D. Even if it’s mainly one of those, there are aspects of all of them that flow into it.⚔️ #DnD #ttrpg

All of my Tales of Argosa materials arrived. Can’t wait to run it! ⚔️ #DnD #ttrgp

This evening’s reading is diving further into the world of King Arthur in Pendragon 6e by @chaosium.bsky.social. Pendragon 1e was a game I grew up on and loved, so I can’t wait to get this edition to the table eventually. ⚔️👑 #ttrpg #Pendragon #KingArthur

In my quest to find the perfect system for Hârn, I finally starting reading my PDF copy of HarnMaster yesterday. I’ve honestly completely underestimated this game. It’s perfect for a medieval setting like Hârn…and for emergent sandbox play. I can’t wait to get it to the table. ⚔️ #ttrpg #Harn

It’s a Castles & Crusades kinda morning. Worldbuilding never stops. ☕️ ☀️ #CastlesandCrusades #ttrpg #DnD

Man I love this👇 map of Hârn so much! So much room for all types of adventures and campaigns. 12-mile hexes make hexploration easy to do. ⚔️ 🗺️ #Harn #ttrpg #DnD

The further I get into reading ACKS II, the stronger I feel that my next long-term campaign will need to be ACKS II in Hârn. It’s a near perfect pairing of setting & system. ⚔️ #ACKSII #Harn #DnD #ttrpg

Spending the evening with a great book (and game) 📚 @ospreygames.bsky.social ⚔️🏛️🏺 #Jackals #ttrpg

Sparked by what happened in a recent session of my weekly Castles & Crusades campaign, I wrote a blog article discussing the use of (and importance of) messenger services in your #ttrpg campaigns & worlds. Article link👇 #CastlesandCrusades #DnD www.realmbuilderguy.com/2025/06/mess...

How many of the TTRPGs that you buy do you play (or will you ever play)? Do you have “your system” and thus see no need to add anything new to your #ttrpg library? What motivates you to buy a new game? Is there any point to adding another #DnD variant to the bookshelf?