Sign in

nate whittington

@grinningrat.bsky.social
344 followers 489 following 160 posts

mr grinning rat; writer of such things as certain fathoms, inheritor, dungeoneering; found here and at natewhittington.com and natewhittington.itch.io

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by nate whittington
cannibal princess @yyakamo.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Do you like cool spreads and readable pages? HIRE ME TO DO YOUR LAYOUT. Shoot me a DM on here or anywhere else
16834
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
They also have wogd.ai referenced in their css files.
wogd.ai
World of Game Design
An AI-first creative studio. One toolchain for film, games, tabletop, and books. Invite only.
000
Reposted by nate whittington
Sean McCoy @sean.tuesdayknightgames.com · 01/09/2026
Applications for the Mothership #Jump-9 Writers Grant are now open. Deadline is September 30. www.tuesdayknightgames.com/pages/mother...
815279
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
important shit to hear, I hope you took notes
020
Reposted by nate whittington
barenuckelavee.bsky.social @barenuckelavee.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I have a blog now and wrote about playing a bastardized version of OD&D in prison and how the DIY spirit of the OSR is most alive when you don't buy anything at all barenuckelavee.bearblog.dev/no-one-can-t...
barenuckelavee.bearblog.dev
NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR GAME FROM YOU
There is a sickness in the modern tabletop hobby, a kind of creeping, insidious consumerism that tries to convince you that you need things to play. We get c...
34303142
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
holy shit this looks good
010
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
static.klipy.com
Marathon Game Marathon Meme
ALT: Marathon Game Marathon Meme
020
Reposted by nate whittington
Amber Macfarlane @amby.navy · 14/08/2026
im going insane im going feral finally something to justify me making a load of batshit marathon games @grinningrat.bsky.social NATE NATE WE'RE COLLABORATING IN SEPTEMBER YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD MARTONJAM
121
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Don't forget the inexplicable Roman statue pfp
170
Reposted by nate whittington
dave @gloomfather.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
yeah man "woke 1" sucked ass. I "woke 1" morning from uneasy dreams to find myself transformed into a giant insect
89160213696
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
runnin' forever 🏃‍♂️
000
Reposted by nate whittington
cannibal princess @yyakamo.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
NOTELEKS SDRAWKCAB
22310
Reposted by nate whittington
cannibal princess @yyakamo.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Doll Weaver's Affluence: A free dungeon crawl presented by The Baying Hog Pit Explore a 35 room mansion haunted by The Doll Weaver and her possessed dolls. Uncover the mansion's treasures before the Doll Weaver turns you into one of her creations? baying-hog-pit.itch.io/doll-weavers...
baying-hog-pit.itch.io
Doll Weaver's Affluence by Baying Hog Pit
An OSR dungeon crawl through a twisted mansion.
23924
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
you BETTER not be 12
010
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
lisan al grungler
150
Reposted by nate whittington
sam “ludonarrative disinterest” sorensen @samsorensen.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
ENNIES THREAD ENNIES THREAD ENNIES THREAD
photo of PROFESSOR DM with wojaks pointing at him. the caption reads, in grainy shitty photoshop, "CHUDBRINGER"
213525
Reposted by nate whittington
J. Dracula @ratbastardgames.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Sam Sorensen should host the ennies next year and they should give him a gun
28019
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
THAT'S IT??
110
Reposted by nate whittington
Magnolia Keep @magnoliakeep.itch.io · 15/07/2026
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes a high-octane look at some kinda gross stuff! Deathbringer is ENWorld's most-anticipated RPG of 2026, it's currently raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, and also the marketing is kinda full of misogyny. magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com
The Thoughtlessness of Deathbringer's Marketing
As I write this, Deathbringer , the self-proclaimed most anticipated RPG of 2026, is entering day two of its  Backerkit campaign  and h...
3925583
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
This is definitely not AI. It's normal, human slop.
060
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
ah hell, what's another third space - joined
010
Reposted by nate whittington
Alex M-O | Wishlist Rune Fencer Illyia! @amodev.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
i created this meme like 4 years ago on twitter and it went super viral and i think i got like 20 death threats. that's how you know i was cooking with this one
155218015493
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
static.klipy.com
CJ: Ah Shit, Here We Go Again
ALT: CJ: Ah Shit, Here We Go Again
050
Reposted by nate whittington
Juniper Harper Lark @juniperhl.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Some of my friends are running a #over/under -like game but some folks are having trouble understand what that means. To help them out I decided to make a handy guide. Send it to your mothers, partners, children, teachers, and line managers. It might help? thegardenbelow.blot.im/d6-ways-to-e...
thegardenbelow.blot.im
D6 Ways to explain Over/Under - The Garden Below
An attempt to explain the comprehensible but very specific thing we did last autumn
15513
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
static.klipy.com
Karen Gillan Points Up: Yes, That
ALT: Karen Gillan Points Up: Yes, That
040
Reposted by nate whittington
Thursday Garreau @keftiu.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
OVER/UNDER felt like this for me a lot of the time
2234
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
A little over a year ago, I wrote about treasure over on my Substack. I've updated that post and added a *lot* more detail, pretty much doubling the length of the original. Read it. Or don't, I'm not your dad. natewhittington.com/better-treas...
natewhittington.com
Better Treasure
The Italian painter Raphael might have stood at his easel in a candlelit Roman workshop in the early 16th century, carefully layering paint onto the
052
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
we make the last fantasy adventure game a sort of "final fantasy" if you will
050
Reposted by nate whittington
Zedeck Siew @zedecksiew.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Art is not better if it is easier to understand. Art is not more virtuous if it is more difficult to understand. Legibility is one of the ways art can be artful. Being obtuse or straightforward is an artistic choice; playing with understanding in this way is an essential part of the toolset. 2/
1428
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Finally someone is saying it
020
Reposted by nate whittington
V.V. 🏳️‍🌈 @machineheart.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Just found out about IGPX, and I'm shocked that an anime with such a cool concept managed to slip under my radar for so long. It apparently had a few runs on American Toonami (AND a PS2 game), but it was never aired here in Brazil. The mech races are SO fun!
1173
Reposted by nate whittington
i’m just ken @shepardcdr.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
brat with marathon text
126952
Reposted by nate whittington
snow @snowttrpg.itch.io · 12/02/2026
Huge update! The basic rules are live and you can play the game with updatable playsheets! Check it out now~
0218
Reposted by nate whittington
Seraphina Garcia Ramirez 🔜 PaxU @seraphina.diceexploder.com · 11/02/2026
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
podcast.bloggies.org
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.
54231
Reposted by nate whittington
Zak H. | Bommyknocker Press @bommyknocker.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
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
podcasts.apple.com
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.
14725
Reposted by nate whittington
Clayton @explorersdesign.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
The Bloggies' page has updates! 1. "We Read the Bloggies" A fan-made podcast is live and linked! 2. A new submission has been nominated, "Book [Verb] Play" in Theory. The other post was removed on the author's request. 3. I've redesigned the page to keep things short and sweet. Happy reading!
explorersdesign.com
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
05231
Reposted by nate whittington
Amanda P. will be at PAX Unplugged @weirdwonder.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
The awesome @bommyknocker.bsky.social, @elmc.at, Grace of Choir of Fire @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social and many community members have organized a group recording effort of every Bloggies post as podcast episodes inspired by Blogs on Tape!https://podcast.bloggies.org/
podcast.bloggies.org
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.
28045
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
It's time.
open.substack.com
Moving On From Substack
That's right - I'm outta here.
010
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
FINALLY
020
Reposted by nate whittington
elmcat @elmc.at · 12/01/2026
@grinningrat.bsky.social argues that treasure isn't just currency, it's change. let it carry status, influence, and power. make it precious grinningrat.substack.com/p/skip-the-g...
grinningrat.substack.com
Skip the Gold; Give Better Treasure
Gold is simple, ubiquitous, mundane. Let's create treasure that is anything but.
011
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Next week I’m releasing IRON & BLOOD, the inaugural January playtest packet for INHERITOR, my dark fantasy RPG. Core rules, lifepath character gen, a demo region, treasures, and spells - all in the first of monthly playtests as we build toward release. Excited for folks to tear it apart. 🗡️
Visual banner of Iron & Blood, the January Playtest packet for Inheritor RPG.
030
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
these druids ain't nothin to me man
060
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
You are Luke's father, put your foot down and force the issue!
000
Reposted by nate whittington
Amber Macfarlane @amby.navy · 08/01/2026
I wrote a game in ~8 hours. It's not fun, but it exists. Experience being a young person in the alt-right pipeline, and what it's like getting out of it. Content warnings listed on the page. ambynavy.itch.io/black-ice
ambynavy.itch.io
Black Ice by Amber Macfarlane
An exercise in becoming and unbecoming.
12318
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
when ya drink a little too much caffeine and feel a little bit like you're gonna die
media.tenor.com
a man with a beard and elf ears has a red light behind him
ALT: a man with a beard and elf ears has a red light behind him
020
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
hope ya like DISCOURSE
020
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Stuff then, stuff now, stuff coming soon.
open.substack.com
Looking Forward at 2026
The Biggest Year Yet for Grinning Rat
010
Reposted by nate whittington
Juniper Harper Lark @juniperhl.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
A gift, for the festive season, my first ever an OSR. You can tell its an OSR because its made entirely out of offcuts from B2 The Keep on the Borderlands. Its compatible with many games and also incompatible with at least 3, probably. juniperc.itch.io/bn-2-the-kee...
juniperc.itch.io
BN-2 The Keep on the Borderlands by Juniper-C
A Lyrical OSR Dungeon
12516
Reposted by nate whittington
Der_AJZ | Golem Productions @der-ajz.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
This year I ran my first TTRPG crowdfunding campaign. I wrote a post collecting the tools, resources, and essays that genuinely helped us run Ravaged by Storms for Pirate Borg, followed by an interview with @grinningrat.bsky.social on building momentum and community during a campaign. #OSR #NSR
golemproductions.substack.com
How to Run a Crowdfunding Campaign
As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the past months and on this first truly real year of Golem Productions and OSR Rocks!. Above all, I feel grateful for the support we’ve receiv...
082
nate whittington @grinningrat.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
This week, we’re talking about… getting to the point 📝! So, so many RPGs go on and on as if they’re being paid by the word. Which, fair, you might think. Except, isn’t there someone you’re forgetting to ask? THE READER. AND THE POOR PEOPLE THEY HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO. Let’s try to fix this.
open.substack.com
Just Tell Them What They Need!
Better Interactive Text in RPGs
031