Monday's Words: * Edited Patrick Stephen Limited (PSL) history for Lost Histories I. * Updated & Edited Critical Role Productions history for The '10s.

I do note and appreciate the fact that the nouns “AI” and “stolen art” are used interchangeably in this piece…

And also in case you missed it, I wrote a look at where the Designers & Dragons project is, six years after I took it on as half-time work. (Or if you prefer, it's six years and six books later!) This is on Patreon but it's a free post.

In case you missed it over the holidays, I've released my year-end look at the roleplaying industry in 2025. AI, the Diamond debacle, tariffs, and some positive stuff too!

University researchers studying AI don't know how informed consent works? Shocker! (Because the entire AI industry spits on your consent.)

A very thorough overview of _This is Free Trader Beowulf_ courtesy of @pookie-uk.bsky.social .

I wrote section 230 to protect user speech, not a company's own speech. I've long said AI chatbot outputs are not protected by 230 and that it is not a close call. Given that the Trump administration is going to the mat to protect pedophiles, states should step in to hold Musk and X accountable.

I've had Steve's _Partners_ on my shelf for a few years, to see if I can convince the wife to try out a (duet) RPG. Steve definitely produced unique and innovative content, and it's sad to hear that he's so suddenly passed. :( It's been a bad week for the hobby.

I am heartsick. Steve was a longtime friend and collaborator, and one of my favourite game designers. This is awful news.

Oh my god, I just learned that @tinstargames.bsky.social has died. Many of us knew Steve: his drive to create TTRPGs like Relics, his activism and scathing criticism of bad actors, his many game reviews. The Aussie gaming community and the hobby at large has lost another prolific talent. 💔

Woot, thanks @shannonappelcline.bsky.social for the little shoutout for Tribes in the Dark! Getting things ready to run a couple of sessions at OrcaCon this week. www.designers-and-dragons.com/2026/01/01/2...

Keep your loved ones away from OpenAI it’s not a safe product to use.

When a chatbot says it’s sorry it’s improv When a chatbot says it’s sorry it’s improv You can never change or guilt it Just go find the guys who built it When a chatbot says it’s sorry it’s improv

"Slop producer confuses dumbing down of humanity with 'cognitive amplifier tools.'"

In 2026, we are all Roj Blake. (Also: great show.)

I just published a (free) article to my Patreon talking about where Designers & Dragons has been & where it's going. TL;DR: This is Free Trader Beowulf published, Designers & Dragons Origins crowdfunded, The 10s & The Lost Histories coming soon.

"But actually ..."

The yearly public-domain game jam at itch.io is pretty cool: create analog or digital games based on what went into the public domain. This year: Nancy Drew, the Little Engine that Could, Betty Boop, Miss Marple, Pluto, and lots more.

To celebtrate the New Year, I have my annual look at the year in roleplaying. It was a year of disasters, including tariffs, distributor bankruptcy, and stolen AI art, but there were great successes too, particularly in the OSR and indie sides of the industry, and for Backerkit. Take a look!

Sitting a stewing in frustration isn't nearly as cathartic as just designing a poster. Let's see how often I remember that in 2026.

Jim Wampler announced this morning that we lost Tim Kask, who passed in his sleep on the 30th. Tim was the creator of The Dragon, which set the foundation for what an industry-focused magazine should be. He was an icon and one of the few early founders of TSR still with us.

From Chuck Wendig: "Remember, the AI is fed with the work of actual humans. Why do you think that is, exactly? "If you use it, it means you’re replacing people. "People who could’ve done the job better. "People who actually did the job, and now their work is pilfered and duped."

This sounds amazing. (Haven't watch it yet, since I'm on vacation, but that graphic alone speaks volumes.)

Great post about generative AI. Happy Holidays. Don't say I never gave you anything. anthonymoser.github.io/writing/ai/h...

Got a semi-spammy email from Alberto Dianin inquiring about "potential review, feature, or collaboration" of Gates of Krystalia TTJRPG. Just a reminder that Krystalia's art is stolen via generative AI. There should be more "features" on this. Here's his complaint of "hateful" anti-AI responses.

Dear bluskeeters! I'm doing research with a friend. If you're a Black Author with a speculative book publishing in 2026, could you please pitch and link me, please? This a difficult to sus intersection. Please add your friends' work. Please tag people. Please share

AI sloppers (is that a term?) crying that their prompts are being stolen is more beautiful than anything AI could produce

There are still some community copies of Lighthouse & Wayfarer1.

The digital version of our Dresden Files Coop Card Game was designed by humans, illustrated by humans, 100% coded by humans, and is supported by humans. We wouldn't have it any other way.

You are painting a vision of a future in which teachers create lessons with "A.i.," students complete them with "A.i.," and teachers grade them with "A.i." No learning takes place under this system. The only benefactors of this system are the corporations being paid for the "A.i." products.

Click through to read the thread. Sure, it's got the anti-AI content that I regularly repost in this header, but it's also a thoughtful examination of the cyberpunk genre as you read more.

“‘My most daring idea is to refuse,’ she said to applause.”

"I think refusing is actually the more hopeful, expansive vision of the future than the one that is telling us that the future is already settled and decided. That's my daring idea. Just say no."

Sometimes when I feel my credits list is too short I'll just add more citations---ie: these aren't direct inspirations, but I feel they are fellow travellers, add context, or are otherwise cool to shout out and bring into the convo. In my experience: citation always makes a work richer. 4/4

I am baffled about using these things to generate *ideas* on many levels, but primarily bc idea generation is the cheap, easy, & funtage of the process? Ideas are a dime for 1000, what do they mean they can't even come up w an idea? Use the prompts for YOURSELF not the planet poisoning thiefbox?!?!

Look at that, @sixoneindie.com, the small group who have put together the two-year-old Indie Game Awards had more ethics than the Board of Directors at the 60-year-old @sfwa.org . They not only banned ANY Gen AI usage, but when the WINNER, Sandfall Interactive, was caught lying, they got the boot.

A little holiday gift for you all ... the latest completed cartoon homage from my 50 Years in the Dungeon show. This one was begun the night before Gen Con, and features my hat tip to Megan Lara's gorgeous cover art for the show's program book!

2/2 Nor, when it comes to writing awards, will I nominate or vote to award, a piece of work partially or wholly written by LLM. Awards are for writers who make the effort, not those who offload the difficult aspects of creation to a program mining the work of others. Do the fucking work, people.

1/2 Apropos of nothing in particular, I guarantee I will never write a piece of fiction with the "help" of a large language model because a) I spent too many years developing skills to just fuck off now, b) I don't plagiarize other authors, whether intentionally or by way of statistical matches.

Apocalypse World is profoundly important work. It has shaped the landscape of roleplaying games for over a decade, and with this third edition, I'm sure it'll continue to shape it for a decade more. Clever, gripping, and human. There's still a few hours to snag your kickstarter copy!

It took 4 hours for the backlash against @sfwa.org to be so extreme that they reversed their decision to give awards to stories plagiarized via LLMs. The new rules are muddy, at frist banning text partially written by AIs & then banning AIs at any point in the process. Hopefully the latter sticks.

Quite literally, @sfwa.org has lost the plot.

I really hope you reconsider this. SFWA is a writers association, not an LLM association. This is completely unacceptable in an organization that is supposed to support writers, not the tools that plagiarize from them. You're going to lose a ton of members over this, including me.

Wow. Fuck the @sfwa.org . Nebula nominees who used plagiarism-machines in creating their work just have to disclose that fact. They're not disqualified unless the LLM WHOLLY wrote their work. SFWA is purposefully putting it in the hands of voters because they apparently have no ethics of their own.

Here it is. The final 24 hours. You've helped coax banked embers into a steady flame. Tell me, what is one thing you'll bring with you into What-Comes-Next? Seeds? Thread? A good kitchen knife? What will you make of what's left? Together, let's light up the world. www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...

I always think: "How much better could my art order be if I ran it through a random number generator (RNG) rather than just writing out precise ideas for the artist?"

On the one hand, AI will destroy what we have left of nature. On the other hand, it will also destroy what we have left of culture.

Each dungeon level based on a period of RPG history!? Wow. I guess I need to add the DieRPG to my shelf, next to the big beautiful "DIE Book 1" omnibus

I'm headed out of town next week, as are many of you. I'll be on a plane, and I'll be wearing a N-95 mask on that plane & in airports. I don't want to be sick for the holidays. I also don't want to join 400 million with long COVID. I love my work! If I couldn't do it, I don't know what I'd do!