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DMSamuel

@dmsamuel.bsky.social
181 followers 201 following 57 posts

RPGer, Writer, Biologist, Professor

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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
A beautiful piece, nuanced & well composed. Thank You for this. The internal conflict created is immense - what does rehabilitation mean if no one really believes in it? " 'cannot be undone' and 'nothing afterward matters' are not the same notion.' - too many in society today have conflated these.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I've been doing a 'Let's Read' of the Star Trek Adventures 2e Core Rulebook over on RPGGeek. If you are curious about the game or my thoughts, here's a link: rpggeek.com/thread/37487... #ttrpg #tabletop
rpggeek.com
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Gives new meaning to 'toss a coin to your witcher'
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Yeah - I caught that, but it was still the image that was conjured when the idea of "it doesn't have to be a bow" was highlighted
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Why am I imagining my Arcane Archer as a thief throwing daggers and being better at it than anything else?
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Imagine a world where we had a Universal Basic Income and rent was guaranteed to not go above 30% of that baseline UBI.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The game my wife designed got a second printing!! Look how awesome she looks!!! bsky.app/profile/indi...
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Reposted by DMSamuel
Carol LaGrow @indigopotter.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The Six of VIII from @25thcentury.games looks great! They will have some copies at GenCon, and the rest of the copies are coming soon. #boardgames boardgamegeek.com/image/971464...
boardgamegeek.com
The Six of VIII
Designer with new 25th Century edition
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
Let's hope it devolves into a Lord of the Flies-esque power struggle but an ending in which they all have very strong consequences for their behavior... you can decide which character JD Vance is...
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25th Century Games @25thcentury.games · 30/08/2025
It's fun art Friday! We're proud to team up with designer Carol LaGrow & artist Faith Shaffer to bring “The Six of VIII” back in a brand new edition for retail release next year. It will be available to purchase early as part of our upcoming KS campaign. www.kickstarter.com/projects/cha...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
I personally think OSE is the easiest thing to run, which is why I chose it instead of C&C for AV. Regarding 5e, in both C&C and OSE the PCs are much lower powered & have fewer abilities, even when leveling up to mid/high levels, so it's a rough switch no matter what you go to. Get buy-in first 2/2
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
Also @beer-n-pizza.bsky.social I use Foundry and am unfamiliar with the C&C setup on R20 so I can't give an opinion on it one way or the other. Arden Vul was written for OSRIC/AD&D and has enough new creatures, spells, and items that no matter which VTT you use there will be some work. 1/2
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
C&C is a great system - I played it for years. The issue with C&C with respect to a module like Arden Vul is that C&C has no exploration rules. That is, no framework exists in the rules as written to support exploring a dungeon methodically. I have some I wrote up for C&C if you want them.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Thank you! I agree, the text is very wordy and hard to parse, which is why I do the highlighting with 3 colors. Even with that deficit, the product is a tour de force of great gaming
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
I try to keep my posts as spoiler free as possible- if there are obvious spoilers I usually note them… I’m glad you are enjoying Arden Vul - I’m loving it!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Wrote some more stuff for my OSE Arden Vul Campaign... what are my house rules? #dnd #rpg #OldSchoolEssentials #ArdenVul rpgmusings.com/2025/04/ose-...
rpgmusings.com
OSE House Rules For My Arden Vul Campaign
Continuing my series of articles about OSE and Arden Vul, this week I am going to talk about some of the houserules that I decided on as I prepped to start the campaign. This post is #3 in the seri…
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
I wrote a thing about Imperial Goblins from Arden Vul and their use as a PC class in Old School Essentials rpgmusings.com/2025/03/old-... #TTRPG #rpg #DnD
rpgmusings.com
Old School Essentials – Imperial Goblins
Once I decided to use OSE as the game for my Arden Vul campaign I needed to make a few decisions. These decisions were made in the two or three weeks that I was also reading the first part of Arden…
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Crazy... and batshit crazy
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
I wrote about how I prep for running The Halls of Arden Vul (using Old School Essentials)... rpgmusings.com/2025/03/prep... #dnd #ttrpg
rpgmusings.com
Prepping To Run The Halls Of Arden Vul
I am finally running a consistent game again, and it is fabulously fun. Now that I am running again, there are a lot of things I want to write about. So here I am, after more than a year, starting …
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Haha - sounds like a ton of missed opportunity there... apropos for Eve of Ruin, or so I hear
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
The Evernight info in 4e was just fantastic - I haven't bothered to look at Eve of Ruin because I'm just not interested in it... can you tell me what it says/has in it related to Evernight?
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
I love reading Jared's thoughts on what @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and I say about some elf games...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
It allowed us to have much richer games in a living setting - even if our current adventure had nothing to do with the tensions between nations, and the possibility of war, if we have to travel through a place or negotiate with someone from THAT saber-rattling nation it was a whole different thing.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
I don't NEED alignment to be in the game & I know it causes problems for a lot of people, but we haven't replaced it with anything nor have the designers given DMs advice on it. Making divine abilities just available in perpetuity because taking away divine power would be mean is not a good answer.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
do not need to adhere to ANY code, whether it's an oath promise or stated fealty... those classes should get their powers and retain them evermore as well... which, for me personally, just guts the divine power source of any meaning. Removing alignment made way for this 3/3
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
And if you suddenly make it a RULE that once a cleric (or other divine caster) just retains their powers no matter what for the life of that PC, you have really reduced the 'meaning' of what a cleric is. And it then would follow that paladins and druids and other traditionally non-arcane casters 2/3
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
I think you heard a harsher statement than I meant - I wasn't saying alignment should be the primary way that divine caster's should have their casting adjudicated. What I was trying to say was historically clerics needed to be the same alignment to ensure favor with their chosen deity 1/2
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 27/12/2024
Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume? Jason Mendoza: THIS is the bad place Interviewer: Even Jason gets it?
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 27/12/2024
Picture this: party of 4 PCs making a group check. Two roll and they get 17 & 18. Why should the other two even roll? Answer: they don’t need to, which negates their PC’s choices/actions. That’s the problem with 50% pass = group succeeds. I like Saltmarsh version you brought up.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
pointy codpieces then!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Dragonlance, the story of the Knights of Solamnia and some large pointy sticks
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
LOL - cheeky lad - 2024 D&D uses Greyhawk CY 576... no wars, no Rary betrayal... no lost Almor - ALMOR HAS BEEN RESTORED - I repeat - ALMOR has been restored! The Almorian Patriots have prevailed!!!!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
I helped create this great revised GH gaz! Check it out! It's free!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 05/04/2024
Felt the earthquake this morning (I'm in downstate NY, but not NYC)... I grew up in CA so am familiar with the feeling and knew immediately what it was, but didn't believe myself until the official notification. Hope everyone affected a safe rest of the day!!!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/02/2024
My awesome wife @indigopotter.bsky.social has designed a game about Henry the 8th and his many wives! Pre-order page is up!! #boardgame #cardgame #boardgames www.newmillindustries.com/store/p/the-...
newmillindustries.com
The Six of VIII - PREORDER — New Mill Industries
This is a pre-order running through the end of February, at which point we’ll place the order with the printer. Games will likely ship in early May. Any games ordered with The Six of VIII will be ...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 10/01/2024
I’ll help you - Cal Poly SLO is Elturel… now you can find BG
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 10/01/2024
Truth! They usually don’t allow you to reappropriate funds to different areas based on local needs, instead it’s “oh here’s a bit of money but you have to spend it on paint and door handles” even though you don’t need it there. And whatever you don’t spent they cut by that amount next year
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 05/01/2024
Yeah - I hear you... There were so many spells that got left on eth cutting room floor of this series. Tasha was a choice that was made, but it doesn't mean Bigby wasn't/isn't iconic.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 05/01/2024
On the 12th day of Christmas, my GM gave to me... a conversation between @dmsamuel.bsky.social and @brandesstoddard.bsky.social about the one spell to rule them all... WISH www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #dnd #ttrpg
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 04/01/2024
Ever start laughing and you just can’t stop? Perhaps Tasha is to blame for such uncontrollable hideousness? @BrandesStoddard.bsky.social and I talk about whether the laugh is always uncontrollable here: www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #dnd #ttrpg
thetomeshow.com
Edition Wars Christmas 2023 Day 11: Tasha’s Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter (Edition Wars 112) | T...
Welcome to the twelve days of Edition Wars - in this year's series we are taking a deep dive into the iconic spells of Dungeons and Dragons! What were they like at first? How have they changed? Are th...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 03/01/2024
When did HOLD PERSON go from a mental hold to a physical hold in #dnd ? What? It was mental, like a charm, at one time? Yep! Listen to @brandesstoddard.bsky.social & @dmsamuel.bsky.social discuss the #ttrpg spell here: www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
And the only place in all of podcast-dom to hear me try and pronounce that word!!!
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
Ever lost something and thought "I wish this thing would just have a glowing green light surrounding it. Then I would find it easily!" ? So did some early #dnd players - come listen to @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and I talk about it www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #ttrpg
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 01/01/2024
On the eighth day of Christmas @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and @dmsamuel.bsky.social dispel all the myths about magic in D&D ... sort of www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa...
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2023
Now we become one
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 31/12/2023
On today’s edition wars Christmas episode @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and I raise the roof ya’ll let’s hear it for.. what? Oh, not the roof? Oh, Raise Dead!! www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #dnd #ttrpg
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 30/12/2023
Oh boy - if it was in the scope of the show I would TOTALLY have added all the C&C versions to these shows... alas and alack, it was not to be... otherwise we might have also been compelled to add in every other fantasy RPG LOLOL
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 30/12/2023
My hope, for all of you, is that you have a fantastic new year, and also a very excellent whole year after the newness wears off.
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 30/12/2023
Everything you ever wanted to know about Magic Missile in EVERY #dnd edition - in this episode @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and @dmsamuel.bsky.social discuss this iconic missile from the fingers... or head... of the mage! www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #ttrpg
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DMSamuel @dmsamuel.bsky.social · 29/12/2023
I was silent this morning about @brandesstoddard.bsky.social and @dmsamuel.bsky.social l talking about SILENCE www.thetomeshow.com/e/edition-wa... #dnd #ttrpg
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