elmcat
@elmc.at
📤 887
📥 456
📝 1158
Blogging about TTRPGs among other things.
pinned post!
What if I change Landmark, Hidden, Secret to use for character knowledge? idk!
elmc.at/common-recal...
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Common, Recalled, Obscure
Landmark, Hidden, Secret reframed for character knowledge.
https://elmc.at/common-recalled-obscure/
19 days ago
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elmcat
Clayton
about 17 hours ago
Psssst, like right now.
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Four days in, and 53 nominated Bloggies posts have already been read and recorded by wonderful authors and volunteers, then published on the We Read The Bloggies podcast. Truly incredible!
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We Read The Bloggies (@WeReadTheBloggies) • Episodes
We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
https://podcast.bloggies.org/@WeReadTheBloggies/episodes
3 days ago
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elmcat
The Welsh Piper
4 days ago
Defining and understanding the OSR implied setting and using it to build B/X/OSE campaigns.
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The Implied Setting
Understanding the implied setting for OSR games.
https://welshpiper.com/the-implied-setting/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social
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elmcat
Rise Up Comus - CASTLE AUTOMATIC Crowdfunding Now!
5 days ago
This is probably the most exciting/most important community project going on in my side of the RPG scene right now. All the bloggies entries read by community members so you can catch up on the best of RPG theory and reviews from this past year.
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𝖂.𝕯.
5 days ago
The Inq28 scene has similar energy to the OSR when I first joined it. Mordheim feels like the BX of Inq28, but I've turned toward Forbidden Psalms as a quick entry. However, there is still something about Mordheim that is alluring:
icastlight.blogspot.com/2026/02/psal...
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PSALMS FOR MORDHEIM: Smash Bashing The New And Old Together
Look at this crew! Who doesn't want to play the motley band of weirdos?! Mordheim: 99% Falling Rules 01% Grotesque Vibes This post is one...
https://icastlight.blogspot.com/2026/02/psalms-for-mordheim-smash-basing-new.html
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elmcat
For Your Consideration: Magnolia Keep
5 days ago
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes the high-octane second chapter of Prepping Plots! This time we're gonna be doing some brainstorming to get a basic outline of our plot!
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
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Prepping Plots, Part Two: The Rough Outline
Last time on Prepping Plots , we discussed why the enterprising GM might consider a more linear structure for their elfgame campaign. Today,...
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
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Zak H. | Bommyknocker Press
5 days ago
Blog enthusiasts! It's been a huge community effort. We're proud to present WE READ THE BLOGGIES. The year's best blogging coming to you - in audio form. A show to SAVE YOUR EYES and SOOTHE YOUR EARS. Catch up on all your Bloggies reading before voting commences next week!
#ttrpg
#podcast
#blog
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We Read The Bloggies
Games Podcast · We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/we-read-the-bloggies/id1876393653
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Huge thanks to all the volunteers and bloggers. This project wouldn't exist without you More episodes are on the way! We'll publish them as soon as we can
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
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Seraphina Garcia Ramirez
5 days ago
A group of volunteers is recording as many of the nominees for the Bloggies as possible, and uploading them as a podcast! I’m helping out a bit with this, and I’ve recorded a few already! Come listen at the link below, Spotify, and several other podcast platforms!
podcast.bloggies.org
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We Read The Bloggies (@WeReadTheBloggies) • Activity
We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
https://podcast.bloggies.org/
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Bastionland Press
7 days ago
That's right, you can now try Intergalactic Bastionland in a very early, messy state.
www.bastionland.com/2026/02/inte...
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Intergalactic Bastionland Public Playtest
Intergalactic Bastionland is now ready for public playtesting. Go here to find everything you need . We're a way off the Kickstarter yet, ...
https://www.bastionland.com/2026/02/intergalactic-bastionland-public.html
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Rose Skye
7 days ago
Attack every part of the character sheet, even your name and character portrait.
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Damage Tokens - This Vorpal Coil
Mausritter is a fantastic game – very few get as close as it does to the Platonic ideal of a post-OSR ruleset, covering so much ground yet remaining so brief. While most of it essentially reimplements...
https://vorpalcoil.bttg.net/damage-tokens/
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Let's go!!!
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7 days ago
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Peter Eijk
7 days ago
Honered to be in the bloggies. Excited for the voting. Scared because my blog is up against the great
@jeffstormer.gobirds.online
. Go birbs?
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elmcat
For Your Consideration: Magnolia Keep
8 days ago
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes a high-octane blogpost about video games and elfgames! I played Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 last month, and I think a lot of what made it fresh can be ported over to your campaign with very little trouble.
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/what...
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What Elfgames Can Learn From Kingdom Come: Deliverance
I've been spending a lot of time playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. To sum the game up briefly, imagine if Skyrim or The Witcher 3 we...
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/what-elfgames-can-learn-from-kingdom.html
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elmcat
Jonas-Merlin Schumacher
8 days ago
Wrote about the process that turns blog posts I read into lots of tiny little plants for my new digital garden:
dungeonmerl.in/3meeit5e7522w
This turned out both stranger and longer than expected.
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Exploding a Blog Post - Dungeon Merlin
Or: Growing a digital garden out of a Zettelkasten about RPGs
https://dungeonmerl.in/3meeit5e7522w
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elmcat
Clayton
8 days ago
My month in a nutshell: (Official nominees announcement tomorrow!)
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elmcat
Zak H. | Bommyknocker Press
8 days ago
Map dungeons with this warioware-style minigame.
#OSR
#TTRPG
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimm...
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Another gimmick
Make mapping fun by making it your players' problem
https://bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimmick/
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elmcat
yakamo
8 days ago
talk at me please let me know what you think please yell at me
yakamo.blot.im/how-should-w...
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How Should We Write Creature Stats? - yakamo
I am currently in the process of making a zine and have hit a crossroad. What do I want to do about creature stats? My preferred system is B/X so I
https://yakamo.blot.im/how-should-we-write-creature-stats
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elmcat
Cats Have No Lord
8 days ago
Jumping on the Blog Bandwagon early before I forget. I've written up a Slavic-folklore-infused Eco Mofos adventure for this amazing map we all have to work with. Find out what's going on at the Godsmelter.
#TTRPG
#OSR
blog.catshavenolord.page/godsmelter-b...
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Godsmelter - Blog Bandwagon
Prismatic Wasteland has once again put out the call for a , this time focusing on maps. One of the options is to make something with a map donated by the ini...
https://blog.catshavenolord.page/godsmelter-blog-bandwagon/
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elmcat
Riley V
9 days ago
Wrote a thing on my blog about implementing a Hazard Die procedure into Shadowdark. 🎲
#osr
#shadowdark
#ttrpgs
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The Shadowdark Hazard Die
Implementing the Hazard Die mechanic into the Shadowdark TTRPG
https://theanarchistspellbook.wordpress.com/2026/02/07/the-shadowdark-hazard-die/
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elmcat
Cats Have No Lord
8 days ago
Shouting this out again because I’m having so much fun keying this map today. Join the bandwagon!
add a skeleton here at some point
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elmcat
jay Dragon is in the wizardmines
9 days ago
a response to the
@rascal.news
article on yazeba's bed & breakfast, clarifying some misunderstandings and (hopefully) providing a clearer explanation of what happened
possumcreek.medium.com/a-response-t...
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Marcia B.
9 days ago
after some soul-searching and talks with my friend
@ideologicalsissy.bsky.social
about how best to make character feats 'work', finally came up with 36 base ones for
#cinco
!
traversefantasy.blogspot.com/2026/02/cinc...
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elmcat
Prismatic Wasteland
10 days ago
All bloggers are hereby cordially invited to participate in a new blog bandwagon on the topic of MAPS, featuring art (which you can use, remix, distort as you see fit) from
@amandalee.bsky.social
(Garbage Barge, Vampire Cruise, et al) You have 80 days starting now!
#osr
#tttpg
#blog
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Bandwagon: The Map is Not the Territory But It is the Topic — Prismatic Wasteland
Announcing a new blog bandwagon! This time you have 80 days in which to write something on your blog about maps and/or to annotate/remix/expand a map drawn by the esteemed Amanda Lee Franck!
https://www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/bandwagon-the-map-is-not-the-territory-but-it-is-the-topic
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Juniper Harper Lark
10 days ago
DQ&D is a game about getting into a knife fight and having everyone walk away unhappy. For fragmentary blog post #2 i'm telling you how to run those fights, which are secretly negotiations.
thegardenbelow.blot.im/dq-d-design-...
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DQ&D Design Diary #2: Combat - The Garden Below
Rules for Combat in Dredge Quick and Drown
https://thegardenbelow.blot.im/dq-d-design-diary-2-combat
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elmcat
It's Generational Moral Injury Really
11 months ago
Genocide is a policy, carried out by the hands of many, tolerated by many more.
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Iko is assembling bundles
12 days ago
We're slowly getting somewhere with the MD+CSS to PDF editor
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elmcat
Anna Kornbluh
11 days ago
economic sabotage is their great success
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elmcat
If you know you know
11 days ago
AI is like every other extractive technology: built on the proletariat of the neocolonial economies of the global South. Do not look away.
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
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‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI
Women in rural communities describe trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/feb/05/in-the-end-you-feel-blank-indias-female-workers-watching-hours-of-abusive-content-to-train-ai?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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The Guardian
11 days ago
‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI
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‘In the end, you feel blank’: India’s female workers watching hours of abusive content to train AI
Women in rural communities describe trauma of moderating violent and pornographic content for global tech companies
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/feb/05/in-the-end-you-feel-blank-indias-female-workers-watching-hours-of-abusive-content-to-train-ai?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1770282916
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Nael Fox -> Extortin' and Gamin'
12 days ago
With the blessing of
@chrispwolf.bsky.social
I've started a reboot of his classic session report series Thursdays in Thracia! Stay tuned as we work our way through the module and I share my prep and thoughts on the classic dungeon and running a megadungeon in Shadowdark.
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Thursdays in Thracia RELOADED Week 1
Caverns of Thracia Session 1 Recap and Notes
https://billhook.bearblog.dev/thurs_in_thracia_reloaded1/
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elmcat
edmo
12 days ago
a mechanic out of context -- is the Mothership d100 under-designed? should GM advice be rules? Is this just a gap between cultures of play?
edmocat.bearblog.dev/a-mechanic-o...
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a mechanic out of context
Warden's Operation Manual Mothership. So... yeah, I felt compelled to push back against the notion of the d100 Stat Check being "u...
https://edmocat.bearblog.dev/a-mechanic-out-of-context/
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elmcat
Tanya Floaker
15 days ago
Get this occult action thriller ttRPG for 1-7 people. Perfect if you enjoy playing powerful undead revenants embroiled in breakneck action, interpersonal drama, and occult investigation. Soundtrack by
@mollynoise.bsky.social
and human-made art by
@stregawolf.art
. Jump in now for early bird deals!
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Coming soon: The Thunder Perfect Mind
An Occult Action Thriller Tabletop RPG
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/floaker/the-thunder-perfect-mind
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elmcat
Kati, A Certified Yapper
12 days ago
New post on what I'm calling Pack A Knapsack (PAK) for GMs to use at any table. Running a campaign is about more than tools and tables.
theplayreports.com/posts/pack-a...
#blog
#ttrpg
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The Play Reports
Pack A Knapsack!
https://theplayreports.com/posts/pack-a-knapsack/
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elmcat
Jason Wilson
12 days ago
New from me - Epstein continued attending dinners alongside the likes of Musk, Bezos, Larry Page, Sergey Brin after his sentence for child sex offenses
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
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‘The smart, the rich, the powerful’: Epstein associated with Silicon Valley elite years after his release from prison
Billionaires and intellectuals attended events with the disgraced financier years after he served time for sex offense, files reveal
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/03/epstein-silicon-valley
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Bastionland Press
12 days ago
What do you do when the ship arrives in port? More work!
www.bastionland.com/2026/02/dock...
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Dock Work
Dock is the second spoke on the Wheel that makes up crew life, between the drudgery of Transit and the enterprise of Layover. I'm aiming for...
https://www.bastionland.com/2026/02/dock-work.html
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elmcat
I'm joining the newsletter game. Don't ask me why! I'm not sure either. I just want to help more good blogs get found
elmc.at/catmail-1/
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CATMAIL #1
Look what the cat dragged in. Monthly project updates, plus curated blog posts and oddments worth your time.
https://elmc.at/catmail-1/
13 days ago
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Goblin's Henchman
17 days ago
So, I bought this broken down, split spine, board separated, sorry state AD&D 1e Monster Manual. The idea is that I'm going to colour my way through it. A bit of meditative self time. Call it sacrilege, but I figure this book can have a second life, albeit under my amateur hand. :O)
#OSR
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I'm joining the newsletter game. Don't ask me why! I'm not sure either. I just want to help more good blogs get found
elmc.at/catmail-1/
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CATMAIL #1
Look what the cat dragged in. Monthly project updates, plus curated blog posts and oddments worth your time.
https://elmc.at/catmail-1/
13 days ago
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elmcat
Archon's Court
13 days ago
Still down in the mines of my spaceship-nomad megastructure domain game - but almost done! Soon it'll just be fitting the rules together... and then going back to the hundreds of hexes to key... hm. maybe not that "almost", actually.
add a skeleton here at some point
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jay Dragon is in the wizardmines
14 days ago
the newest draft of the Faustian for seven-part pact is now complete and available on my Patreon
www.patreon.com/posts/fausti...
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The Faustian (Draft 4) | Jay Dragon (& Friends)
Get more from Jay Dragon (& Friends) on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/posts/faustian-draft-4-149777446?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
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Clayton
14 days ago
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are officially closed. Get ready for the nominations next Monday. You can get the full schedule and submissions breakdown here:
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-sub...
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What's Next After Submissions?
The Bloggies' 2026 submissions are closed. Here's what's next...
https://www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-submissions/
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elmcat
Dandyman
15 days ago
Part two of my quest to answer all 100 of
@ktrey.bsky.social
's burgeoning blogs questions continues apace
throneofsalt.blogspot.com/2026/02/burg...
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Burgeoning Blogs 2
Let's keep this ball rolling. < Part 1 > Part 3 > Part 4 26. How could I go about acquiring a gryphon mount? Either raise one from an eg...
https://throneofsalt.blogspot.com/2026/02/burgeoning-blogs-2.html
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Clayton
15 days ago
Did I forget to write and publish The Explorateur while working on The Bloggies? *Jonathan Frakes Voice:* "Not this time." A treasure trove of links for rpg designers by rpg designers 👇
www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...
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The Explorateur: Issue #16
Monthly design jams, critique, theory, and inspiration for tabletop rpg designers by rpg designers. Vetted. Looted. Curated.
https://www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-16/
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Sam Long
15 days ago
Toucan’t Blog: Where Does Mausritter Exist? Brad Kerr famously doesn’t read blogs, so I feel safe quoting him out of context and starting some lighthearted beef
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Where does Mausritter exist?
Between Two Cairns recently released an reviewing and around the 41 minute mark, they got stuck on the “human issue” that comes up anytime someone who does...
https://toucant.bearblog.dev/where-does-mausritter-exist/
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Agreeable Chatter
17 days ago
A very silly conversation this morning put a brain worm in my head, so I'm making it your problem.
tbr.bearblog.dev/ballroom-bli...
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Ballroom Blitz - Tactical Court Intrigue
This morning Liz over at offhandedly made a joke about a tactical RPG for concealing your affair at a Coldplay concert (it made sense in context of the conv...
https://tbr.bearblog.dev/ballroom-blitz-tactical-court-intrigue/
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elmcat
Lysus
16 days ago
Inspired by
@elmc.at
's post this week, I wrote up my own framework for how to handle knowledge questions in RPGs -
table46.bearblog.dev/knowledge-ge...
#nsr
#osr
#posr
#rpg
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Knowledge, General and Specific
I've been thinking about knowledge this week, prompted by Elmcat's . It's a great framework for thinking about how to provide characters with knowledge that ...
https://table46.bearblog.dev/knowledge-general-and-specific/
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Updated the blog map with the first data set of 2026.
graph.elmc.at
here is what it looks like if you filter for this year
16 days ago
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Juniper Harper Lark
16 days ago
Dredge Quick and Drown is a project written as a joke attempt at recreating the OSR from first principles. It has unsprisingly failed to do that but I'm very happy with whats come out of it. Enjoy Design Diary #1: covering stats, checks, skills. and equipment.
thegardenbelow.blot.im/dq-d-design-...
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DQ&D Design Diary 1 - The Garden Below
An introduction to Dredge Quick and Drown
https://thegardenbelow.blot.im/dq-d-design-diary-1
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Last day to nominate posts for the bloggies. If you need some suggestions I posted a few of my nominations every day in this thread the past month.
add a skeleton here at some point
16 days ago
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