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Max Brooke

@maxcbrooke.bsky.social
389 followers 1.1K following 246 posts

Game designer with a lot of RPGs and space battle games on the ol' resume. Recent projects include Precipice: Mech Miniatures Combat and Plotweaver RPG! My studio: www.wildplumgames.com My game design musings: www.maxbrooke.com

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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 17h
And if this is the first you're hearing of Harness, go get started with Chapter 1! www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
wildplumgames.com
Harness Chapter 1: Sparring — Wild Plum Games
Orlondo swept his right leg back and elevated his poleaxe’s butt end above his head in his overhand grip. As he did, his foot harness’ plates softly clanked together. His stance angled the weapon’s he...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 17h
But worry not! This is not the end of Orlondo's tale. Nor is it the last you'll hear of the world of Harness this month, because we've got something special planned for a certain day late in the month...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 17h
And with Chapter 4: Possibility, we come to the end of Part 1 of Michael Gernes' Harness stories. As the sweat of battle dries, Orlondo meets again with his mysterious patron, and they speak of the broken sky ahead. www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
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Andrew Fischer @afischergames.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
One of my favorite parts of every project is when art first starts coming in. It both solidifies ideas we've been working on and sparks my imagination for further development. I'm so excited to have Eren working on the project with us. Their work has done just that.
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Plotweaver RPG @plotweaver.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Plotweaver Artist Search Finalist Highlight🪡🎨 Introducing one of our finalists, Eren Angiolini! Eren (they/them) is an Italian Eisner Award-winning comic colourist, fantasy artist and TTRPG creator. These are concept pieces and renderings of two monster ancestries for our modern fantasy setting!
"Plotweaver Artist Search Finalist Eren Angiolini"
A 4-armed blue woman of the Arakki monster ancestry and a dark-skinned woman with Mosquito-like antennae in 1980s high fashion garb sit before a celestial background."Arakki" A 4-armed blue woman with tusks coming out of her lower jaw of the Arakki monster ancestry wields a compound bow. She is wearing a modern stylized version of a saree top and baggy jeans with thin red bikini/underwear lines peaking above the waistline. The tips of her fingers are stained red.
Behind her are concept art pieces of different potential versions of the same kind of ancestry."Adze" A dark-skinned woman with Mosquito-like antennae and wings in 1980s high fashion garb, with thigh high boots and needle thin heels leans on a thin cane, reminiscent of the snout of a mosquito. Behind her are concept art pieces of variations on her design.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Once again I unleash my crude renderings into the world. Don't worry, someone really talented will draw the better version of this eventually!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
In today's Dev Update, learn about one playtester's vendetta against every building standing on our playtest table. Plus a Fiction Primer on control mechanisms in Precipice, a quick preview of things to come on TTS, and more! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates...
wildplumgames.com
Dev Update: Precipice (10/1/2026) — Wild Plum Games
A new Fiction Primer on control systems, an update on encounters, and a preview of things to come on TTS! Plus, Aaron’s vendetta against infrastruture.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Can I offer to you: Renaissance mechs with cannons? www.wildplumgames.com/harness
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Daniel Clark @danlovatclark.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Definitely had me going down a rabbit hole trying to figure out how the hell anyone drives a mecha, when I first started really considering this genre.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I really do miss the old GW pewter monstrosities, but also, having built the old Tomb Kings Bone Giant within the last year... I do not miss building them.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Something something back in my day the only "Large Models" were made of pewter.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This week's Fiction Primer delves into one of my favorite topics in mecha media: control systems. Read on to learn about how characters from the worlds of Arbelos, Swarmworld Arcturus, and Harness control their very different machines! www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/fiction-primer-control-schemes
wildplumgames.com
Fiction Primer: Control Schemes — Wild Plum Games
Precipice is a game that focuses on “Jumping into the cockpit,” and that means you need to have an idea of what the cockpit looks like. We’re asking you to imagine piloting the mech when you plot you...
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Meric Moir @mericmoir.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Weekend Plotweaver update… Guidebook is heading to dev editing! Erstwild narrative revisions are happening! Splinterlight open alpha is happening! Hexbeat goes to open alpha on October 5! PlotweaverRPG.com
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Also, if you're interested in telling me what robot Parts and Gear to design (and you don't want to click multiple locations), the survey is available here: forms.gle/Xb11BnGGCXou...
forms.gle
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Michael Gernes' Harness Chapter 3: Ruins is an especially exciting development - our first great harness duel in the story unfolds on the slopes! www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
wildplumgames.com
Harness Chapter 3: Ruins — Wild Plum Games
Orlondo had half finished lacing his doublet when heard the trumpet blow. He blinked, and not just from the water running down his face. The orange blaze of the sunrise dazzled his eyes as it emerged ...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This week's Dev Update brings you news from the Peninsula, reflections on playtest feedback we've received so far, a chance to weigh in on future design, and more info on Preview Packs to help you Bring Your Own Mech to the table! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates/dev-update-precipice-9242026
wildplumgames.com
Dev Update: Precipice (9/24/2026) — Wild Plum Games
In this week’s update, learn about a battle for survival on the Peninsula in our latest fiction, a list of the most burning requests from playtesters (so far), and an update on Preview Kits!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The people long for the pile bunker. Read on to find out what else has been requested after Precipice playtests, and the various reasons that feedback hasn't been implemented (yet)! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates/mechanics-update-most-wanted
wildplumgames.com
Mechanics Update: Most Wanted — Wild Plum Games
Today, I’ll discuss the most requested mechanical updates to Precipice as of Open Alpha v1.1, why I think they stand out to people, and why I haven’t implemented them yet (plus, how likely they to a...
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Sam Gregor-Stewart @samgregorstewart.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
So as my buddy @maxcbrooke.bsky.social continues developing his new Precipice minis game, he's got people writing some utterly sweet fiction. Check out the newest set of stories, that feature mechs in Renaissance Italy by Michael Gernes! I absolutely love them. www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
wildplumgames.com
Harness Chapter 1: Sparring — Wild Plum Games
Orlondo swept his right leg back and elevated his poleaxe’s butt end above his head in his overhand grip. As he did, his foot harness’ plates softly clanked together. His stance angled the weapon’s he...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Character art is vital to the experience. For many players, the moment of seeing that first image defines the character fantasy!
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Daniel Clark @danlovatclark.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Giant robots/suits of armor hell yeah
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Chapter 3 of Michael Gernes' Harness kicks off with a cannon-fire at dawn. As shot rains down and great harnesses clash, who will survive the battle on the hillside? www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
wildplumgames.com
Harness Chapter 3: Ruins — Wild Plum Games
Orlondo had half finished lacing his doublet when heard the trumpet blow. He blinked, and not just from the water running down his face. The orange blaze of the sunrise dazzled his eyes as it emerged ...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Here's the Precipice Dev Update for the week. Read on for the next chapter of Harness, plus a playtest report with musings on rapid iteration and encounter design in Precipice! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates/dev-update-9172026
wildplumgames.com
Dev Update (9/17/2026) — Wild Plum Games
In this week’s Dev update, we return to the world of Harness. Plus, what’s going on with encounter and mission design?
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Here's the writeup of last weekend's Precipice playtest. This time, I explored a (quick-and-dirty) draft of encounters and missions. What was the mission that got me to aggro and get my mech blown to shreds? And what did I learn from it? Check it out here: www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates...
wildplumgames.com
Mechanics Update: Searching for the Heart of Encounters — Wild Plum Games
Last week’s Mechanics Update got into some of the ways the initial and rather barebones take on Encounters in Precipice have been straining under the needs of the system, along with some thought...
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Plotweaver RPG @plotweaver.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Want to explore the sci-fi world of Splinterlight? Our GM ambassadors, the Plotweaver Envoy Team, have volunteered to run games for interested players on the weekend of 9/25-9/27! Just fill out this Google Form by 11:59 PM EST, September 20th. All details are on the form! ow.ly/5Ieu50ZNzEe
Text reads: Splinterlight Alpha Weekend 9/25-9/27. Art of a short, humanoid bunny-like creating known as a frinn has a bionic arm and one bionic eye and holds what looks to be a glowing hand grenade in her outstretched bionic hand. She has a crazed look in her eyes.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Bringing in other people was definitely the right call! What we've come up with together is way better than where I was going in terms of creating variety, interest, and artistic vision.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
My original sketch had three settings that would interact through the Precipice - one that was basically Arbelos, one that is called "Space Knights" in my notes, and one that got reworked into [spoilers].
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Someday I'm going to get around to writing that "The System is the Content" blog post.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
It's actually the attached systems, like Encounters, that really need the most work to create an experience that feels cohesive.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Yeah, really far-end Super Robot stuff probably won't fit nicely in Precipice. If you want to throw galaxies/universes at people, that probably needs a (separate) bespoke game. But a lot more works actually fall into the periphery where the basics are workable.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Interestingly, I first thought it'd be hard to handle multiple subgenres with the same fundamental framework, but the more time I've spent working on the game, the more I've found that the fundamentals are reasonably transferrable.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This absolutely happened because, while sketching out the mecha subgenre I wanted to focus on for the game, I kept saying "Oh, but how can I possibly exclude __________?"
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I love making 30 second placeholder art. It's honestly such a joyful part of the job.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I love this whale. What a mood the art strikes!
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Daniel Clark @danlovatclark.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I dig how the Precipice over-setting can have weird and whacky stuff like "Mecha, but Renaissance Italy" inside it.
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Once again featuring the awesome art of Anka Sep, which is both aesthetically stunning and has been vital to figuring out how these contraptions go together!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Excited for more medieval/renaissance mecha action from Michael Gernes' Harness setting? In Chapter 2: Raised Up, Orlondo weighs his oaths and his desires as he dons the great harness Gatewatcher for the first time, and faces his first test as champion. www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
From this weekend's Precipice playtest, the fleeing convoy narrowly escapes my mech! This week's Mechanics Update will get into the scenario I was testing, and the ways it worked (and didn't). Stay tuned!
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Brotherwise Games @brotherwisegames.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Mistborn World Guide is every Mistborn fans dream! Full of the rich lore and history of Scadrial and it's many locations and cultures in both Era 1 and Era 2 👀🔥 Be sure to grab your digital copy today, available on DriveThruRPG! ow.ly/BMLw50ZNtxr
The cover of the Mistborn World Guide for the Cosmere RPG. 
Spreads from the Mistborn World Guide for the Cosmere RPG featuring artwork by Marie Seeberger of Elendel and notes about allomantic grenades, transportation and motor cars in Era 2.Spreads from the Mistborn World Guide from the Cosmere RPG including text on Obligators and the Steel Ministry, and passages about Vin and Yomen as patrons
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
We've got another Precipice Dev Update. This week's theme is the Precipice itself: how it's represented mechanically in our latest Mechanics Update, plus how it functions in various worlds in this week's Fiction Primer. Plus, pictures of primed minis! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates...
wildplumgames.com
Dev Update: Precipice (9/10/2026) — Wild Plum Games
Precipice design moves ahead, and this time, the main focus is the forthcoming revamp of encounters! Plus, two kinds of primer: a new Fiction Primer about a few ways the Precipice may manifest on var...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today's Mechanics Update is a look under the hood of Encounter Design in Precipice (aka what you're doing *besides* throwing giant robot punches). Find out what's working, what's getting revamped, and when playing cards are a better table randomizer than dice! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates...
wildplumgames.com
Mechanics Update: Enigmatic Encounters — Wild Plum Games
From the start, unpredictability has been key to the scenarios (called “encounters” in the game) within Precipice . In the early stages of design, these included various rollable tables of results fo...
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
That brings back memories!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Obligatory game link for all the robot/miniatures games sickos at the window: www.wildplumgames.com/precipice
wildplumgames.com
Precipice — Wild Plum Games
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Humidity's low for a minute, so that means it's time to prime some Precipice miniatures!
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Andrew Fischer @afischergames.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Look what showed up just in time for the digital release of the Mistborn setting for the Cosmere RPG! This one is even more ambitious than Stormlight. 2 eras, 16+ metals each represented across 3 magic systems ... I'm super proud of it. You can get the PDFs here: tinyurl.com/2yn483y7
The Mistborn Handbook, World Guide, and adventure book for the Cosmere RPG.
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Brotherwise Games @brotherwisegames.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Grab your metals and get ready!🪙🗡️ The Mistborn RPG books are now available through our partners at DriveThruRPG, Demiplane, Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry VTT. Want to play but don't have a group to play with? No problem! Check out startplaying.games to find a game and Start Playing today! ❤️‍🔥
A woman in an ornately beaded black flapper dress made of mistcloak tassels and holds a gun. The image reads "Cosmere Roleplaying Game Mistborn Setting Available Now On DriveThruRPG, Demiplane, Roll20, FantasyGrounds, and Foundrey Virtual Tabletop"
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Brotherwise Games @brotherwisegames.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Lydia Suen, lead designer of the Cosmere RPG, is here to tell YOU that the Mistborn RPG books are now available through our partners at DriveThruRPG, Demiplane, Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry VTT. Looking for a game? Join the Cosmere RPG Discord server! discord.gg/cf2aNWbx74
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Today, we have another Precipice Fiction Primer. This time, we delve into how the Precipice functions across different worlds, including some of its common manifestations. Plus, more Dubious Max Original Graphics! www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/fiction-primer-precipice-manifestations
wildplumgames.com
Fiction Primer: Precipice Manifestations — Wild Plum Games
The Precipice intersects with countless worlds, but its interactions with each one are unique. Read on to find out more about the way the realm beyond manifests across a number of worlds!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
What's up in Precipice this week? Find out in this week's dev update featuring the Renaissance-inspired world of Harness, an interview with its creator Michael Gernes, and an update on Preview Kit materials! www.wildplumgames.com/blog-updates/dev-update-precipice-932026
wildplumgames.com
Dev Update: Precipice (9/3/2026) — Wild Plum Games
This week in the Precipice Dev Update, we dive into the Renaissance-inspired world of Harness. Plus, updates on the Preview Kit to help you Bring Your Own Mech to the table very soon!
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Amazing concept art provided by Anka Sep. Their spectacular work really helped cement the visual identity of Michael's unique take on what is perhaps my favorite subgenre period (fantasy mecha).
A Great Harness
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Max Brooke @maxcbrooke.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
And if you haven't read Chapter 1: Sparring yet, check it out here! www.wildplumgames.com/fiction/harn...
wildplumgames.com
Harness Chapter 1: Sparring — Wild Plum Games
Orlondo swept his right leg back and elevated his poleaxe’s butt end above his head in his overhand grip. As he did, his foot harness’ plates softly clanked together. His stance angled the weapon’s he...
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