Posts

Brutalist Adventure Game Design

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Consider this a manifesto of sorts. Inspired by brutalist architecture and the development of brutalist web design , I want to get the ball rolling on the Brutalist Manifesto for adventure game design. I consider these to be principles to strive for, but not dogmatically adhere to.   Image generated with Midjourney. Usability Functionality First The form, text and presentation should be functional. They  should be usable for the players at the table. The form should be practical and easy to arrange on the table. The text should be concise and easy to read and reference. The presentation should convey information that reduces the need for text. Material-Adaptive The game should function well in any format—printed, online, or hand-written. Whether players are using graph paper or a digital tablet, the game should adapt to their needs. This can mean supplying character sheets for physical play and online play. Consider the environmental impact when designing physical components. Ease of
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A Shadow in the Clinic AAR

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Last weekend we were holding FKR Con over at the FKR Collective. I decided to run a one shot in a setting I call FULL CARBON JACKET. It’s inspired by a lot of things, but the most important inspiration is the TV show Ultraviolet. The show was released in 1998 and had a grounded approach that blended detective work, forensics and SWAT style action with the techno-futurist optimism of the 1990s. The premise is that the players are working for the Harker institute, following leads on potential “Code Five” activity. Once the target is identified, they plan to trap the vampire through several means. Salt, ultraviolet lights, carbon jacketed bullets, stakes, silver-fragment grenades, you name it, they got it.  Image generated with Midjourney. The Scenario The scenario I ran was called “A Shadow in the Clinic” and basically featured a rural clinic. This clinic had been infiltrated some time ago by Walter Pitman. In his former life, he was a local farmer and a familiar face in the community. K
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Putting Heroic Relics in Ravenloft

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I recently finished the series of Heroic Relics , which I made to give a D&D’ish feeling with Into the Odd. I’m currently running a new Curse of Strahd campaign for my coworkers using Into the Odd. For that reason I’ve also come up with a sort of table set that will scatter the Heroic Relics across the sandbox in Curse of Strahd. At character creation, I ask the players what class they want to play as, and provide the list of classes that was used in D&D 5e. Once they decide, I ask them to roll a d6 to see which of the six Heroic Relics they start with. The rest are then “generated” into the sandbox as needed. Image generated with Midjourney. First off, note to the player that there is a strange sigil on the item they start with. You can draw this out if you want. The idea is that each relic has this sigil on it, identifying it as a piece of the set. Second, cause an event for each player which clues them in on the existence of the rest of the items. A ghostly figure appears in
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Heroic Relics Part IV

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In the Heroic Relics series I've been writing a set of items adapting the class abilities found in Dungeons & Dragons as items for Into the Odd. In this part, I take on the Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard. This is the final part of the Heroic Relics series. The entries are as follows:     Barbarian, Bard, Cleric     Druid, Fighter, Monk     Paladin, Ranger, Rogue     Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Sorcerer Image generated with Midjourney. Staff of the Elemental Channeler: This enchanted staff allows the wearer to channel elemental power. When activated, the staff can produce a specific elemental effect (e.g., a bolt of fire, a gust of wind, or a surge of lightning), which can either deal d10 damage or cause a local change (i.e. light something on fire, knock something down with wind, or power an ancient electrical device). The staff depletes its energy after three uses, but regains it at dawn.  Amulet of Sorcerous Blood: This amulet catalyzes the essence of the wearer's sorcerous
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It's okay

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This isn’t a typical blogpost for me, but I felt like writing it and reflecting on my experience with rpgs. Image generated with Midjourney. It’s okay to have a mediocre game session. They happen for a variety of reasons. Overall, experiencing those will let you appreciate the better sessions later, and it might prompt some thinking about how to improve your methods. It’s okay if a group silently dissolves. Life happens. People get new jobs, children or have to move, etc. Having a group that lasts forever is probably great, but to me it seems like a unicorn more than anything else. Similarly, it’s okay if a player quits the group. Don’t blame anyone. It’s better that the person figures out what they really want to do. It’s okay to change what you like. Sometimes that means moving back and forth between systems. I don’t think there ever will be a One True Solution. Just play what you want to play. It’s okay to get tired of running a specific campaign, and it’s also okay to end it when t
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Heroic Relics Part III

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In the Heroic Relics series I've been writing a set of items adapting the class abilities found in Dungeons & Dragons as items for Into the Odd. In this part, I take on the Paladin, Ranger and Rogue. Enjoy! I'm doing the full array of classes found in 5th Edition, so the order of appearance will be the following: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric Druid, Fighter, Monk Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Paladin Image generated with Midjourney.   Pendant of Divine Sense: This pendant helps the wearer detect powerful evil or good forces nearby, showing their direction and nature. Gloves of Lay on Hands: These gloves let the wearer heal with a touch, providing a pool of healing points equal to their Willpower score per day. Spend 1 point to heal 1 HP or d6 points to regain 1 Ability score point. Sword of Divine Smite: This sword can smite up to three times per day, dealing an extra d8 damage on its next attack. If it deals damage to an undead’s STR, they must pass a WIL s
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Heroic Relics Part II

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Last week I wrote some items that adapt class features from Dungeons & Dragons and places them in an Into the Odd context. Here is the next set in line, this time for the Druid, Fighter and Monk. I'm doing the full array of classes found in 5th Edition, so the order of appearance will be the following: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric Druid, Fighter, Monk Paladin, Ranger, Rogue Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard Druid Image generated with Midjourney.   Staff of the Wild: This magical staff allows the wearer to communicate with animals and plants, understanding their feelings and emotions. Upon passing a WIL save, the wearer may view the memories of the creature they touch.  Robes of Nature's Ward: These robes provide the wearer with a natural resistance to harmful environmental effects such as extreme temperatures or poisonous plants. Up to three times per day, the wearer may use the robe to sprout a plant that entangles an opponent and causes their attack to be impaired.  Circlet of Shapes
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