iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The first media I can name was probably the Zuni fetish doll in Trilogy of Terror (1975).

Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I have no idea what it was, but late at night (early '70s) I saw - or possibly dreamt - a scene from some low-budget movie showing someone decapitating someone else in silhouette with a sword, and then someone lifted a cloche on a dining table to reveal the severed head underneath.

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Reposted by Brian Schoner

The Ascent of Board Games @ascentofboardgames.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's time for another designer deep dive, and this month we're looking at a designer who probably deserves the attention more than anyone else - the prolific, the legendary, the first-man-to-win-all-three-Spiel-des-Jahres-awards, Dr. Reiner Knizia! www.ascentofboardgames.com/e/episode-83...

ascentofboardgames.com

Episode 83 - Reiner Knizia Deep Dive | The Ascent of Board Games

Hi, folks! It's time for another designer deep dive, and this month we're looking at a designer who probably deserves the attention more than anyone else - the prolific, the legendary, the first-man-t...

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

For me, the defining rule of Feng Shui was that pump action shotguns do extra damage if you take extra time to dramatically go "KA-CHINK!" (miming the pump action) before firing. That rule there tells you everthing you need to know about the game.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Yeah, my parents used to let a pair of bayberry candles burn themselves out overnight every year on New Year's Eve (in the sink, they weren't arsonists). It's a good luck tradition of some kind, not sure of the origin.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The list is likely to change on a daily basis, but here's today's. Thanks to all those who made these games!

My 9 games: Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Starsiege: Tribes, Sid Meier's Civilization VI, Control, Scarlet Hollow, Darkest Dungeon, The Banner Saga, XCOM 2.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My partner has coined a new word. She was telling me about an encounter with some counterfeit money (movie props), and said that "You really couldn't tell except under very close scrutination." In her defense, she was very tired after a long and active day, but I have now dubbed her the Scrutinator.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

A lovely dark short story from my friend Anna. writingdisorder.com/anna-vecelli...

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This gives me an excuse to link my favorite website on the topic - Lileks' Gallery of Regrettable Food. Great scans of period food manufacturers' brochures along with scathing and hilarious commentary. lileks.com/institute/ga...

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

But why do you want to make the young girls cry, Todd?

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I don't know about y'all, but I'm keen to see what horrors Jason has come up with...

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Much appreciated, but if you draw my name, draw again and give it to someone who hasn't been indoctrinated yet.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I'm backing the hell out of Dead Net, and I already own Dead Belt, but I'm still reposting this because the Drakes do fantastic work and you owe it to yourselves to check this out.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I first read that as "New Brunswick Bans American Gods," and was like, "Appropriate response, but what about the rest of Gaiman's work?"

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I hear you;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; but are you sure? Because I feel like there is a limit;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; I'm just not sure what it is.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

We're planning to rope the whole table in. I'm not the first.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#TTRPGs are great. Some are more meaningful than others. Thanks to @kierongillen.bsky.social and @stephaniehans.bsky.social for creating DIE, to @spazzster.bsky.social for running a helluva game, and to @thirdfloorwars.bsky.social @zeeweasel.bsky.social and DK for making one fantastic table.

Tattoo of an "unfolded" d12 on my left forearm.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Grids are great if you want detailed tactical combat (although there are alternatives even there, as with the upcoming Hollows game). However, tactical combat isn't a major part of many games, and in those cases, there's no real purpose for a grid.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

One claimed - thanks! Been enjoying their run of The Between, can't wait to dig in further!

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Getting ready for some 1-on-1 Cthulhu Dark roleplaying with Craig! Who am I, where am I going, and why am I in this handbasket?

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

There's some of this in Forbidden Lands, but perhaps not at the level of detail you're thinking.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

"Omelas - Baby Snacks to Go. You Can Just Walk Away!"

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Thank you for following along consistently!

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Reposted by Brian Schoner

The Ascent of Board Games @ascentofboardgames.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

We're back with more imaginary games - well, games which WERE imaginary, at least, but some of them are real now. Although, I mean, I guess all games START as imaginary games...look, you know what we mean. www.ascentofboardgames.com/e/episode-82...

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Sorry for the bad date...but I bet the music was good, at least.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Introduce yourself with 10 acts you've seen live. BEAT Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Fairport Convention Jonathan Coulton King's X Peter Gabriel The Police Rush Suzanne Vega Urban Blight

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

A former car thief, Nick evolved into a card-playing, fast-driving, woman-seducing international spy - all for the good of the team and international anti-terrorism activity, of course. He lived on the edge, and as an adrenaline junkie, he loved every minute of it. Thanks for following along!

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#RPGaDay2026 Day 31: EDGE Let's wrap up this character retrospective with Nick "Ace" Marini, international spy and expert wheelman from a much-beloved run of the Spycraft RPG back in the late 2000s.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I am reminded of my youth in South Florida, and the Legend of the Cat Food Toad. (I’d tell the story, but I think the title basically covers it.)

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

It's a fascinating game, and I hope Kaiya finishes and releases it eventually, though I know she has a lot of projects in flight.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

We got along reasonably well at first, despite my constant complaining, but in the end my pride was too much for me to resist and for her to tolerate, and she found a way to banish my spirit forever. (My furious farewell journal entry was wonderfully therapeutic to write, though.)

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The mortal in question, whom my intervention had saved from certain death, controlled our shared body during the day, and I took over during the night.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

As set up in the game's foundation, Fo'alan was an exiled former Lord of the Starless Court, an immortal spirit who had been cast down from his position and trapped in a mortal body.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#RPGaDay2026 Day 30: PRIDE Pride is the purview of Fo'alan, He of the Hundred Flames, whom I played in a playtest of inHabitation, an unreleased two-player journaling game by @mirror-lock.bsky.social .

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I know a lot of folks in NC. If you know ANYONE who might possibly have been exposed, they need to get checked out ASAP - once symptoms show, it's too late.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

They usually tried to convince Eddie to throw off his metaphorical chains and revolt, no matter how many times Badik explained that that wasn't how summoning worked. (It probably was how summoning worked, in fact, but the possibility never crossed Badik's mind.)

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Eddie was a large crab-like creature that didn't talk and didn't seem to have much in the way of personal opinions (or, indeed, independent consciousness). The table still developed a recurring gag wherein a few of the other PCs constantly accused Badik of enslaving the poor thing.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

#RPGaDay2026 Day 29: LABOR Labor reminds me of Badik, my gnome summoner from a fun (if short-lived) Pathfinder campaign. Badik wasn't very good at (or interested in) manual labor, but his summoned eidolon (Eddie for short) was more than willing to do all the heavy lifting.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Of course, he can't give her protective tattoos because she or the fetus might react poorly to the ink, so he has to protect her using only his wits and courage. (It's like RPGs are powered by irony, or something.)

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

An incarnation of Acat, the Mayan god of tattoos, he is dedicated to the protection of his neighborhood - but most of all, the protection of his beloved Alitzel, who is carrying their unborn child. Nothing - not his shop, not his powers, nothing in the world - is as important as keeping her safe.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

#RPGaDay2026 Day 28: DEVOTION Devotion, for me, brings to mind Xavier León, my urban tattoo artist from my friend Maeve's City of Mist campaign.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

He must be so proud - he's following in Putin's footsteps!

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Problem is, he'll just cover up his confusion by saying, "All of them. They're all Lake America now."

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I did eventually have to kill another PC, but in my defense, it was in the final session of the campaign, and I wasn't the only PC killer in that session. I wouldn't recommend it for every table, but I won't say it wasn't fun.

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Brian Schoner @bschoner.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Theo was a sweet and helpful fellow to his fellow crew, but they did eventually start connecting the dots when the Butterfly Killer's long-dormant string of murders started up again and seemed to follow planets our ship had been on.

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