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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek)

@bairdlytrying.games
587 followers 434 following 916 posts

If I do nothing else, I'd like to raise other voices higher than my own. TTRPG creative / writer and designer. No AI.

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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 02/09/2026
Movie poster of 2005's film Constantine starring Keanu Reeves. Movie poster of 2005's film Howl's Moving Castle by Studio GhibliMovie poster of 2005's film Sky High
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 10/08/2026
Obligatory, "Same, it could go nicely next to its older brother." post. Seriously the art in this book alone is worth the retail. Let alone the writing and creativity that went into it.
The cover of my kickstarter copy of Karthun, Lands of Conflict, a ttrpg book designed around a specific high magic and elemental setting that has both D&D and non-D&D application.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 28/07/2026
If you can afford to, have the time, and the inclination, a form of self care I highly recommend is cooking yourself a comfort meal. Something that just takes you to a good place. I did not do that. I made pizza. My comfort meal takes a crock pot and like 8 hours. And is really a winter meal.
A simple home made cheese and pepperoni pizza, sitting on top of an oven in a pan much larger than it ended up being. It isn't pretty, but it was tasty.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 18/04/2026
Yeah, I can do that Rich. Here ya go! Stardew Valley Plot in the background.
Picture of me, my glasses, my ear protection when mowing my acre with a tractor that has a trim mower attachment on the back, and in the back is my Father In Law's truck and said tractor.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 30/03/2026
I absolutely will get this guy a sibling book for Daggerheart.
The cover of the tabletop book Karthun Lands of Conflict, A 5e compatible wildly cool sourcebook with a ton of elemental inspiration.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 10/03/2026
So my copy of the book Unnatural Horrors (Usable with Tales of the Valiant and 5e/equivalent ttrpg systems) has arrived. And it is absolutely spectacular. The art, the layout, the design? All stellar. Highly recommend if you like adding horror into your games.
A picture of the cover of the tabletop book "Unnatural Horrors, An expanded tome of terrors and madness to unleash on your table." The cover features a cloaked figure wielding a torch or glowing weapon against a smokey giant creature with many teeth rising from the dark.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 01/01/2026
Crunchyroll Wrapped says I was part the 8% of folks who loved Fantasy and Isekai. As I am writing a TTRPG in both of those genres, I am calling this research, and saying that this is a perfectly normal percentile.
A screen from my Crunchyroll wrapped saying I make up 8% of fans who love all things Fantasy and Osekai. That has a picture of a cute raccoon like critter on it.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 25/10/2025
Laundromats in Portland have coffee and scones. This is a new and peak level of comfort that I could not possibly have imagined.
A light brown fall scone with white icing and spices dusted over it on a black ceramic plate, cut with a cheese knife next to a blue mug of light roast coffee with cream.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 09/09/2025
I made LARP boffer swords for my spouse and I to carry to a convention as our "Unpainted Miniatures" cosplay. I love them. I forgot how relaxing it was to craft these and how fun holding a finished product was. Also, these should pass any basic safety checks.
A long sword (38" total) and short sword (27" total) made for LARP (Live action role play) and cosplay. They are made using two half inch resin cores taped together, blue camping foam, dark gray fabric covers sewed by hand, lighter gray hockey tape around the knucle guard and pommel, and black tennis grips.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 21/08/2025
aand the other?
A picture of the Critereon collection double pack of the films Yojimbo and Sanjuro by Akira Kurosawa.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 28/07/2025
I am participating in #FOMOCon because GenCon 2 years in a row is not in the cards. I do have 2 events in the discord. I'm playtesting a game I wrote (system and all) and running a panel on "Making Better Thieves Guilds." using my decade in anti-money laundering to provide *limited* insights.
A flier that reads: I will be at FOMOcon 2025: a virtual ttrpg convention running August 1-3

Fomocon2025.carrd.co

It has the discord logo on the right, and a bunch of red shiny 6-sided dice on the bottom.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 25/07/2025
These have been how I get through my audio edits. Every clip I reward myself with 1. Admittedly, not healthy. But it is better than editing without candy.
A screen shot of a caramel cold brew m&ms bag, 9.05 oz. It suggests it is the sharing size. I have eaten entire bags solo, proving that one need not share it.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 08/07/2025
Playing Gelatinous Cube Checkers with the kiddo. These were from a Kickstarter from Severed Books IIRC. Lovely cubes.
Checkers on a board that appears to have discarded swords, crossbows, skulls, and axes on it, with cube checker pieces that also have skulls, swords, wizard hats, etc in green and red. There is a Crown face for if you "king" the checkers piece.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 23/06/2025
BEHOLD, a placeholder logo. Look, I have like 3 things I am good at, and other than Excel and TTRPG design, art is not among them. But, you bet I can mock up clip art in a PowerPoint. But for real, thoughts? Who in my mutuals list feels like joining? (DM if preferred to test the game!)
This is a temporary logo for my tabletop game "That Time I Got Reincarnated" A Tabletop game inspired by an anime genre and japanese roleplaying games. 

It has a truck, which appears to be smiling, about to hit a walking person, a common theme in Isekai anime, and a caution explosion triangle symbol above the person. 

The letters "tTIGR" are on the top and "TTJRPG" on the bottom.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 05/06/2025
I wondered if this was a scam because my following count does not merit advertising offers. But, this was my response if that helps.
A chat chain between someone asking me to advertise for an AI powered virtual table top and my snarky but at least a little polite decline.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 04/06/2025
You've made some really great things, if I do say so myself. I'm sorry there have been struggles. But, I hope you know what you make has been appreciated.
Hard cover of the TTRPG book Karthun: Lands of Conflict, which is a setting that can be used in D&D and other settings with a ton of customization and world building.  The author's name plate for Karthun: Lands of Conflict signed by the makers and labeled 80 of 100 signed.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 27/05/2025
Playing Jurassic Feud with my wife and 8-year-old. So far, I am undefeated in my dinosaur catapault shenanigans. But, it has been close. This may be a new favorite.
Jurassic fued is a board game using two neoprene mats with grass, dirt, and rocks on them, a small castle-like structure made of rectangular blocks for each player, which has 5 miniature figures on them and a red t-red with a catapault on its back to fire rubber balls with.

You shoot the little rubber balls at each other's castle trying to knock down the mini people standing on it.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 24/05/2025
Playing Dungeons and Dinos with my wife and 8-year-old. It is adorable. Surprisingly brutal. But adorable.
Four cards, three dinosaur fantasy characters and 1 item equipped to one. Meatball the Fighter, Gabu the Rogue, with sir Stitches, their teddy bear, and Juicebox the healer. All with dice on them to mark damage. Cute and cartoony art styles for the dinos.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 10/05/2025
Hey #PaxEast I am here. This is the Saturday fit. Feel free to stop me and say hey if you are in the area and feel up for it.
Slightly fuzzy selfie of me at Pax East Convention. Green boston scally cap, glasses, face mask, red and gray megaman jacket featuring Proto Man.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 06/05/2025
Yeah, alright I might regret this tomorrow. But not a bad first day of trying to get back into Conditioning.
A screenshot of Samsung Health that has 2.21 miles of roller skating logged, and 16,894 steps taken (~7 miles). With 179 minutes of activity for the day, and 1,302 calories burned total. For context, I have not regularly exercised in years, so this was over the top.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 01/05/2025
And my Tiktok below:
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 30/04/2025
Trying to post #tiktok #updates to my #isekai #TTRPG here and see how they do.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 28/03/2025
Commissioning @echoofjustice.bsky.social for my tabletop character art has continuously been a great decision. Anyone wanting to see this character in action should check out @radiofreewill.bsky.social's game on most Thursdays at 8ET to see the shenanigans.
This is a character for an Exalted tabletop game in a black battle jacket with white details, smiling and looking back at the camera over his left shoulder. 

Half of his face appears to be that of a cuttlefish, with a brown beard with some gray, fair skin, and gray eyes that have the cuttlefish pupil shape of a W.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 25/01/2025
I took a picture of my lovely wife taking a picture of our wedding rings and engagement rings, because an old habit of mine is taking pictures of people taking pictures of stuff. But in this case, the makeup, lighting, and intense focus were so beautiful I had to make it my lock screen.
My wife, (at the time fiancée) taking pictures of our wedding and engagement rings. Pictured in the photo is a white bordered window in Chicago, with light coming in that is highlighting my wife'd brown hair, that she styled wavy and curly, with some eye liner highlighting her dark brown eyes, staring into her phone camera as the rings in the photo are out of frame on a wooden table she is leaning on.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 23/01/2025
Newest pin to my hat from @leveluplight.bsky.social is from another friendly Alan that we know of and appreciate's charity. Apparently they had to send it 3 times because they thought I was still living in Chicago. My apologies to the good folks at Dollar A Day for having to track me down.
This is a picture of me holding a green Boston Scally cap with a yellow liner. On the cap are four visible pins. The one I am talking about in the post is one that is blue, with a mix of white, gold, and yellow lettering saying "1000 Days, Dollar A Day Foundation, Dollar-A-Dayer." I make a quarterly donation to the group. 

Background in case you want to know more: A Dollar A Day is a Canadian mental health and housing struggle support charity that helps folks in need, founded by a Canadian folk singer Alan Doyle who would walk into town every day, always carrying a dollar for a displaced guy who he wanted to do what he could for. When Alan had the weight of a successful music career behind him, he asked folks how to turn that simple idea of giving a buck a day into a charity foundation. It's been going on for several years and made a big difference for a lot of good folks who just needed a little help.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 19/01/2025
Let me fix the headlines, "Disgraced Podium and Lectern Collector and Nepo-Baby Decides to Disrespect National Tradition and the Office of the Presidency by Throwing a Middle Finger at a Former President." Shameful, and frankly, entirely on brand with everything she has done before.
An article titled "gov sarah huckabee sanders orders flags to full staff for president-elect donald trump's inauguration" Picturing two arkansas flags and one american flag. It is part of national tradition, and I believe flag code, to maintain half-mast for 1 month after a President dies. Which, Jimmy Carter did pass away within 30 days of the inauguration, so what she is ordering is a direspect to the office of the presidency and to President Carter's legacy of philanthropy and charity.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 10/01/2025
Nope walls are using this thing. My wife has the Shure, I use a Yeti. So, I have to stop hard-wall echo, and just want ambient noise to a minimum so Audition can pick it out easy and clean it up.
A picture of a sound dampening blanket that is black with white stitching in a zig-zag patrern.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 01/01/2025
Well, certainly not thw worst option.
Merriam-Webster's Blusky account had a cycling GIF of a series of dozens of words with the prompt "Take a screenshot of this GIF, and whichever word you land on is YOUR word for 2025. Goodspeed."

And my word was "Whimsical."
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 25/12/2024
It is going to smell so good in here in like... 10 minutes.
A close-up picture of a dutch apple pie, in the oven, before it begins to bake. The coloring is a light brown as it is covered in a crumble top mixture of one part brown sugar, one part butter, two parts all-purpose flour. 

The apples are coated in a mix of brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg. They were lightly coated with lemon juice before being put into the pie crust and pan to prevent them from oxidizing.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 19/12/2024
Players: "So will you tell us when you are doing a villain scene?" Me: "No, but there will be signs."
A selfie in front of my snacks and gaming tools shelf and some PVC pipes in the corner, but instead of my usual glasses I wear to see, I am wearing plastic glasses with LED lights that shine from the lenses which is a popular anime trope for monologueing intelligent villains and protagonists.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 15/12/2024
A side-by-side.
Pictures of M&Ms, circling a light brown M&M discontinued in 1995. Picture of me stirring my soy sauce, which is a light to medium brown because I put that much wasabi in it.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 12/12/2024
Thanks for that, did not see this, and guess who followed me this morning? So, I blocked them. I don't abide AI/NFT companies in my gaming space.
A screen shot of a follower list where Evil Genius Games had just followed me today. Because they are leveraging Web3, NFTs, and blockchain tech, I blocked them.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 03/12/2024
Got up extra early on a stressful day to give myself a coffee at a local coffee shop. James Taylor's "Carolina On My Mind" played on the radio here. And that is all I needed to think that the day will go well enough.
Black coffee in a white mug on a wooden table that has a matte varnish so it doesn't shine but shows the natural wood grain well.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 02/12/2024
And sometimes, when you make a game, you leave an easter egg in it for your best friend who introduced you to Dark Souls something like 10 years ago. Playtest went good. I have some more cards to make and some upgrades to do.
The mini boss card for "Sir Goodest of Guard" a wolf that is howling in front of a grave stone with a sword buried into the ground in front of it. This is intended to be a clip art parody of the boss fight against Sif in Dark Souls, who is guarding the grave of the Knight Artorias.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 01/12/2024
Fantasy Ruins: Enemies and Exploration, playtest part 2. So far, it is scaling decently. I might have gotten the math right.
A table with equipment and skill cards, character mats, many tokens, and a dungeon layout and town shop map.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 28/11/2024
Sometimes, an old familiar game is a good way to wind down.
A Nintendo Switch playing Stardew Valley's introduction.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 24/11/2024
First test run of Fantasy Ruins: Enemies and Exploration. So far? My deck building dungeon crawler does not suck.
Pictured are 2 sets of tokens, one of which is turkey legs, that are held inside a turkey leg shaped dish, which are "Rations" tokens used to refresh cards in your deck. Then, there are several heart shaped tokens for the health, that are in a plastic bag. Picture is a spread of the game board, cards purchaseable by the open shops in game, character cards, with equipped cards, and bags of different tokens available for play.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 22/11/2024
Since it is coming back around, I did fill this one out a bit ago.
This is a screen shot of my (bardicgeek)'s post from a little over 3 weeks ago identifying my Listing Top 5 Faves. ("Tip five faves" what the post says, must have been a typo.)

But for those curious, my top fives are Food: Dive bar burgers, season: autumn, drink: cold brew coffee, iced, with a bit of coconut milk, color: Cerulean, from the crayola 64 box, and Anime: Dungeon Meshi. Because it did inspire me to make a board game like it.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 09/11/2024
I mean... I have an idea for at least 2 of them.
This is a screenshot of a kid's science project for making a clock powered by the chemical reactions inside of potatos. The Potato clock is a fun science experiment where you plug electrodes into a potato, and the chemical reactions make them act like a battery.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 07/11/2024
Sometimes, we make it through bad times for ourselves. Sometimes we do for Others. 2016-2020, on top of friends and family, I had to keep this baby fed and loved. He will be here for better times after 2028.
This is a very up close picture of my black and white domestic short haired cat's face. He has green eyes, and is named Tuxedo. He has black toe beans and a nose. But the toe beans are not in the picture. Just his baby face and giant ears. He sleeps between my wife and I and adjusts himself until he is simultaneously touching both of us before he is comfy. He is a very needy baby boy.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 28/10/2024
Cat tax
A poor quality photo of the cat that followed us during an after work walk. It was an orange tabby and tortise shell hybrid, so probably a girl kitty. And she was extremely friendly with big green eyes. Another poor quality photo of the cat that followed us during an after work walk. It was an orange tabby and tortise shell hybrid, so probably a girl kitty. We were calling her "Pumpkin" on the walk because of the mix of orange and brown on her fur.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 23/10/2024
This might be out of date but I found a page on the help section for Instagram that lists some of the ToS for Threads where I had been concerned at the language and decided then to cut and run.
Screen grab from the Instagram/Meta/Threads Help page which includes a portion of the Threads Terms of Service that roughly states anything posted grants threads a non-exclusive license to use your content.
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Dylan Baird (BardicGeek) @bairdlytrying.games · 23/10/2024
Nothing like making a #charactersheet for #TalesoftheValiant and #programming almost everything I can imagine into it to relax my mind. ... I swear it is actually calming.
A picture of a tabletop roleplaying character sheet made in Google Sheets that has a very basic layout for Tales of the Valiant (Think D&D 5e upgraded, minus Hasbro's faults).
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