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What about YOU though? You got this far! Do you delineate “flavor” and mechanical text? How have you seen that form be muddled with and played with?

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This has become a big theme in a lot of the horror subclasses I’m workin’ on that have to do with cosmic horror and body horror, because I find it to be novel and unique!

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Although you could absolutely change this, you can absolutely ignore it as flavor text, it feels "harder" to do so, because it's directly tied to the ability and action being used

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Secondly, it's tied in with commonly used mechanical language. The simple phrase "Upon taking this Reaction," means that this is not flavor text that can be easily ignored. It is a literal effect of using the ability, of taking the Reaction!

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One, it breaks the formula! Flavor text generally occurs before the mechanical description of the feature or ability, so having the text after the description of the ability feels like it's literally separated from flavor text.

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This, for all intents and purposes, is flavor text! But it doesn't feel the same as “normal flavor text.” Why? I feel there are two immediate things at play.

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Pretty normal, but there is the addition at the end of the feature that states "Upon taking this Reaction, a pound of your flesh is replaced to that of the Reaver's.”

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For example, in a warlock subclass that involves having an evolving fish, upon being reduced to 0 HP, the fish can rush into your body and stop you from dying.

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Granted, this was a helpful thing for my brain to use 2 different modes of thinking, but I feel as though the most effective is when the 2 are blended! Especially when designing horror subclasses that have "downsides," I found this fun design space where flavor was still flavor, but FELT mechanical

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It became clear what was “flavor” and what wasn't, and so when I started to design stuff, at times I would ignore flavor text and just write mechanical stuff or ignore mechanical stuff and just write flavor.

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Myself and my friendos were not putting one type of writing over the other as "better" or more valuable as a player/reader, but the point is that we were able to delineate them -

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And I found that I wasn't alone! A lot of the time when discussing new character options with friends, they would say stuff like "that was sick flavor," and then move on to mechanical stuff!

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It almost became this instinctual practice where the first few words of a subclass feature I know wouldn't have any mechanical weight to the character, and could also be changed almost entirely to fit whatever vibe that I wanted or how I viewed the character.

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As someone who has been playing a lot of 5e (big shocker) who really likes the fun mechanics and making silly characters with goofy builds, I started to find myself delineating, almost instantly, what was "flavor text" and what was "mechanical text."

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I wanna yap about "flavor text," text that is seen as mechanical, how I began to recognize it, and then how I started playing with it!

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The concept of this subclass originally came from "how to make Druid aberration" but slowly morphed into this idea of extremely powerful adapting abilities that become so powerful, that the human side of the adaption starts to get phased out - even though the adaptor doesn't want it to!

RPG Trader @rpgtrader.com · 01/09/2026

I made the Circle of the Antediluvian - a Druid subclass that essentially turns the character's body into a slowly morphing thing that eventually becomes unrecongizable by the player! Body horror fans, rejoice! #dnd #ttrpg

dnd 5.5e druid subclass named "circle of the antediluvian" with art of a ctuhulu-like creature with three "arms?" and cyan circular rings around the arms while it stalks in a forest with menacing yellow eyes, tentacles frothing at what would be the mouth

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Happy Solo September! 🌸 🌷 For the month of September, RPG Trader is running a solo bundle in partnership with @solorpglist.com . 134 Solo RPGs worth over $730 all for $20 - an absolute steal! Solo RPGs: your story, your rules, your adventure. 🐉 Check it out: rpg-trader.com/products/835...

rpg-trader.com

Solo September Games Bundle on RPG Trader

A collection of 134 games to play on your own. In partnership with Solo RPG List.

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Today I've made the Fleshwarper; a Barbarian subclass that has a connection to Nereus, but twisted it to use their own flesh as disposable fodder for blunt force trauma! (that's right I do #dnd stuff still in addition to all of the fun #ttrpg stuff!!!)

barbarian subclass for dungeons and dragons 5.5e, with art of a twisted, black and white flesh monster

continuation of the d&d 5.5e subclass features

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RPG Trader @rpgtrader.com · 20/08/2026

Our d6-only Games Bundle is officially LIVE! 108 games. Worth over $800. Just $25 - or PWYW! That’s a lot of tiny dice-powered adventures and new games to discover. 🩵 This one is definitely worth a look. 👉 Go grab it and support 100+ amazing creators! 🎲✨ rpg-trader.com/products/834...

rpg-trader.com

d6-only Games Bundle on RPG Trader

A collection of 108 games that use the humble six-sided die

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah this is what its all about!!!!!

KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

(you can find the game on my itch or Patreon koathedm.itch.io/totally-human)

koathedm.itch.io

KoatheDM

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I made another #ttrpg zine, Totally Human! Its a journaling game where you are 100%, certifiably, human! You are NOT a sentient mushroom that's taken over a dead body that's trying to figure out what it means to truly be human

ttrpg zine cover art of Totally Human with art of three mushrooms with silly little faces and arms scribbled onto them

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I think making these is peak design?

screenshot of a folder that has grayscale mushrooms with little doodles on them named absolutely silly things like "2 angry guys," "very dance, very happy," and "me mad at my kids"

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

(this is the most fun when its actually printed out, only a pair of scissors, B&W printer, and a single 8.5x11 sheet of paper needed, because its reversible with a lot of funfun details!)

KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

hi (i'm back)! I made a thing! Hubris! A a dice-stacking solo TTRPG that generates you an eldritch cultist that has sought out powers from cosmic entities that will inevitably lose bits of their humanity in the process! www.patreon.com/koathedm/pos... #ttrpg

patreon.com

Hubris | KoatheDM

A solo TTRPG of reaching to the void beyond the stars In Hubris, you are broken, seeking a reprieve of the void beyond the stars, but to get

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Ben Wrex @benwrex.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Hi, I’m selling these stickers and will donate 100% of sales to legal fees and bail funds for the Prairieland defendents. I will be sure to post reciepts! $4 each, DM to order, and please help me spread the word!

A rectangular sticker featuring a long arm stapler on a light purple background. Below the sticker are the words “I only got into zines for the money”.

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

(you'd be right! I do enjoy this!)

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

2027: A submarine set to explore the newly discovered Kalisan trench (55,000 ft) disappears halfway through its descent

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Hatchlings Games ~ Shop opening soon! @hatchlingdm.itch.io · 17/02/2026

A decade after the events of Cryptid Creeks, the now-adult Scouts must reunite to tackle an eldritch threat to their hometown once more. Inspired by Stephen King’s IT, Cryptid Cities launches on @backerkit.com this Halloween! www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti... Launch art by @/luseals.bsky.social

Get Ready for Cryptid Cities

From Hatchlings Games - Get Ready for Cryptid Cities

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

THATS WHAT IMM SAAYYINNNN!!!

KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

1000% deep ocean! Its the birthplace of aberrations, graveyard to drowned gods, and home to transgressors and the antediluvian! Its got flesh eating parasites, cognivorous predators, monsters of unfathomable scale, and transubstantial fathoms that blurr the definition of humanity of all who enter!

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Hatchlings Games ~ Shop opening soon! @hatchlingdm.itch.io · 01/02/2026

A bunch of projects launching for Kickstarter’s #ZineQuest this month are using Gen-AI. Even if the concept sounds appealing, please support designers with integrity first. If this sounds unreasonable, we shouldn’t be mutuals. Art by @/willowsquest.co.uk Logo by @/hinokodo.com

Cryptid with whiskers on rooftop of clubhouse. Crescent moon and Fairy lights illuminate the scene.

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

There's also this sick as fuck google maps #ttrpg that just looks conceptually rad as hell???? that also is donating 25% of profits to the America Civil Liberties Foundation?!? Just rad as fuck there's just a lot of cool shit in this year's Zinetopia!!! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/j...

Fantasy in My Backyard - Google Maps World Building

Build a hidden world of urban fantasy in real cities using Google Maps. Collaborative worldbuilding to create the relationships, history, and secrets of the game's fantastical factions.

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

If you haven't seen it, a really rad lookin solo ttrpg where you wake up dead and begin to uncover everything that looks like a blast Ive not delved into many solo ttrpgs and Im pretty fuckin stoked to get into this one #ttrpg www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...

DedBoi - an investigative solo TTRPG

You wake up dead. It’s a lot to take in, but there’s no time for philosophising- you’ll need to travel between Earth, Heaven and Hell to figure out whodunnit, howdunnit, and whydunnit. A game about de...

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KoatheDM @koathedm.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

If you haven't heard, Backerkit's #ttrpg Zinetopia is happening!!! There's some juicy juicy stuff that ive already backed that you should def check out 👀 www.backerkit.com/c/collection...

💥 Zinetopia 2026 - BackerKit

Back projects you want to see in the world.