Reposted by QarsiMagnolia Keep @magnoliakeep.itch.io · 03/03/2025Sallying out of Magnolia Keep, a case against giving monsters spell slots (and also an excuse for me to suck 4E's dick again) magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2025/03/stop...magnoliakeep.blogspot.comStop Giving Monsters Spell Slots I'm Begging YouA little under a year ago, in the summer of 2023, my friend Marshall asked me for advice on picking a tabletop game for him to run. I threw ... 0256
Reposted by QarsiPrismatic Wasteland @prismaticwasteland.com · 18/02/2025🚨 New Blogpost: I started a campaign without a game system, collectively designing any rules as they were needed. Here is how my Calvinball experiment fared and the rules we patched together #ttrpg #osrprismaticwasteland.comYou Don't Need a Game System Before You Play — Prismatic WastelandI played a 3ish-month campaign where we made up the rules as we went along. Here are the rules we came up with and my impressions of this experiment. 818458
Reposted by QarsiAdam "Graphic Design Is Not My Passion" Seats @iknowadamseats.bsky.social · 17/02/2025I spent way too long writing this - both in terms of the months it was stewing in my brain and also that it's now 4:20 in the morning and I'm pretty sure I started this like 5 hours ago or more. Yeesh. iknowadamseats.blogspot.com/2025/02/stop...iknowadamseats.blogspot.comStop Just Playing Games You Know You LikeIntro This post has existed in an endless number of forms in my head for months now, so this might as well be the energy we're bringing int... 0208
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 16/02/2025Excited for whatever we do though. It’s just as likely we wrap up the campaign by playing Stewpot and start Forbidden Lands like I’ve always been meaning to. 010
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 16/02/2025The characters ended up being much more interested in running their farm and hiring help than adventuring, so if we continue I’d rather do that then continue the adventure path. Hence BW. Players wanted to still level and build their PF2 characters if we did that, and why not? 100
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 16/02/2025Today we completed the first book of Blood Lords and this marks the end of my Pathfinder 2 experiment. Really didn’t like the module writing, monster design, and how many rolls it took to resolve things. I did end up pitching an insane Burning Wheel PF2 hybrid game among totally different games. 120
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025Oddly this has been my exact game style and it hasn’t been doing it for me! Mostly what I don’t like is the situations haven’t been very clear, at least in the sections I’ve been doing. In particular we just did the far realm watchtower and there was very little to problem solve with. 110
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025It’s been pretty weak at my table, so you might be right after all 100
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025I had a lot of fun with the Slaying Stone and Reavers of Harkenwold! 110
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 13/02/2025I’m sorry D&D 4e stans… I don’t think Madness at Gardmore Abbey is a good adventure 😭 320
Reposted by QarsiCats Have No Lord @catshavenolord.itch.io · 12/02/2025Somehow having this on Itch felt wrong and I’ve moved it to my blog. When I’ve had more time I may polish up and publish properly, for now I need sleep Long story short, my grandmother is dying and I made a dungeon about a dying wizard to process it #OSR blog.catshavenolord.page/the-flesh-is...blog.catshavenolord.pageThe Flesh is WeakI briefly had this up on Itch but it somehow didn’t feel right and I’m moving it here. It’s a wierd time here right now. We flew halfway around the world ... 2177
Reposted by QarsiHODAG RPG @hodagrpg.bsky.social · 11/02/2025Know someone looking for B/W interior art for their game by an ENNIE AWARD WINNING ARTIST? FOR FREE? Please share far and wide! I'll select from all pitches on 3/1/25. :) And if you're aprehenisive, I am personally inviting you, yes, you, to pitch! 🫵 15259173
Reposted by QarsiPrismatic Wasteland @prismaticwasteland.com · 11/02/2025Did you recently see a bunch of blogposts loosely themed around "elements"? Too many to keep up with? Good news: I tracked them all down and provided brief summaries of all the posts so you can go read all that sound interesting (which may be all of them!) #osr #ttrpgprismaticweekly.substack.comBlog Bandwagon: Elements EditionYour guide to catching up on a deluge of blog posts from a single day 14718
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 10/02/2025In case you missed the first post and wanted to read it first: bsky.app/profile/qars... 010
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 10/02/2025Blog post! Last week I posted about Two Against Darkness, a way to run two D&D4 heroes against OSR adventures. Here’s my post about my design process, monster math from OD&D to 4, and how to run it at levels higher than 1. qarsi.bearblog.dev/two-against-...qarsi.bearblog.devTwo Against Darkness - The MadnessI presented a method to run B/X adventures for two D&D4 characters. Now I'll meditate about the differences in math and philosophy between B/X and D&D4, sho... 1103
Reposted by QarsiAmanda P. will be at PAX Unplugged @weirdwonder.bsky.social · 09/02/2025Conceiving a dungeon involves injecting spaces with barely contained energy that yearns to explode, impacting the surrounding area. One way to develop natural tension is through creating dungeons that hold opposed themes. #osr #ttrpg weirdwonder.bearblog.dev/opposed-them...weirdwonder.bearblog.devOpposed themes and natural tensionAmanda P. discusses dungeon design, specifically themes. 0407
Reposted by QarsiSticky Doodler 🔜 PeopleCon 3 @stickydoodler.bsky.social · 07/02/2025People seem to like our catalog, so we're looking into sharing it digitally. In the meantime, I wanted to show you its pages and the creators they feature. First up is @junkfoodgames.bsky.social, who also laid out the catalog. Check out these awesome zines... 1/ 12916
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Incredible blog post! This is so useful it’s getting in my game yesterday! 151
Reposted by Qarsialice @dungeondoll.itch.io · 07/02/2025blog bandwagon: my contribution to the Prismatic Wasteland 'Elements' blog bandwagon: re-imagining the elemental planes as planets in our solar system! dungeondoll.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-...dungeondoll.blogspot.comThe Elemental Plane(t)sThis is my contribution to the 'Elements' Blog Bandwagon from the Prismatic Wasteland Discord server. I've never been the biggest fan o... 02311
Reposted by QarsiPersonable | Markus @personable.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Jumping on the Blog Bandwagon, I present a blackjack mechanic for alchemy! Suitable for any role-playing game where you want to add some simple crafting. personabler.blogspot.com/2025/02/elem...personabler.blogspot.comElements of Alchemy: A Blackjack solutionA recurring element of many role playing games is crafting systems, whether for alchemy and magic, or more mundane pursuits. These system o... 02816
Reposted by QarsiPrismatic Wasteland @prismaticwasteland.com · 07/02/2025New Post: Control Weather Should Not Be a Spell How a single spell holds back an entire field of magic plus a new character class (Tempestarius) that can control the weather and also gets a storm cloud stronghold (This is for today’s blog bandwagon. Y’know, “elements” as in weather) #osr #ttrpgprismaticwasteland.comControl Weather Should Not Be a Spell — Prismatic WastelandControl Weather is a cop-out of a spell, combining what should be many different magic effects into a single spell that is high level and accordingly puts a very interesting field of magic out of reac... 48327
Reposted by QarsiMagnolia Keep @magnoliakeep.itch.io · 07/02/2025Sallying out of Magnolia Keep, its Periodic Table of the Elements Day! To celebrate, a bunch of us bloggers all made element-themed posts! Mine is on the Rock Lords, demigods fighting in the war between Law and Chaos, with some goodies for Black Sword Hack! magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2025/02/peri...magnoliakeep.blogspot.comPeriodic Table Day: The Rock LordsHey folks! Today is Periodic Table Day 2025, and as a result, a bunch of us in the Prismatic Wasteland server have decided to grace your ta... 0139
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 07/02/2025New blog post! We’re Blog Bandwagoning! The theme is elements, so I wrote about alchemical oozes: a puzzle monster that eats gold, silver, or you depending on what its made of! qarsi.bearblog.dev/alchemical-o...qarsi.bearblog.devAlchemical OozesI'm jumping on the elements bandwagon, we're doing alchemy! Specifically with oozes and acids. It's a little puzzle monster for players to interact with. You... 01510
Reposted by QarsiNael Fox -> Extortin' and Gamin' @sfxprb.bsky.social · 06/02/2025Republishing my first "blog post". How to make a bespoke hex jig for mapping your #OSR game or other #TTRPG. Here you go @claytonian.bsky.social. billhook.bearblog.dev/make-a-hex-j...billhook.bearblog.devMake a Hex JigI made a little jig out of index cards to make a hex map, and I figured other people might benefit from the experience. Maybe you don’t have hex paper,... 082
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 06/02/2025New (?) Blog Post! Back on twitter I did a live reading of @riseupcomus.bsky.social His Majesty the Worm. I was pretty happy with it and twitter is a hellhole now so it’s now on my blog! qarsi.bearblog.dev/his-majesty-...qarsi.bearblog.devHis Majesty the Worm livetweet archiveWhen I got His Majesty the Worm in paper, I livetweeted me reading the book. I was pretty happy with my impression, but it's stuck on twitter so here it is, ... 061
Reposted by QarsiMichael @michaelklamerus.bsky.social · 05/02/2025Recent posts I've enjoyed on other blogs virtualmoose.org/2025/02/05/b... 183
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025Having been running D&D4 as my primary game for awhile, I think the problem is overstated but I definitely feel tension between the mechanics and the fiction sometimes. Might be worth an observation in the future if it happens more! 000
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025That’s definitely another side of it, mechanics not matching the fiction (see the huge debates about knocking oozes prone), though it seemed the primary complaint was “why can the fighter only do this move once a day?” 110
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025I knew I had a lot of blogging built up but this post surprised even me 😅 010
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 05/02/2025New blog post! This one is a little post for fun about dissociated mechanics, D&D4 powers, and a creative exercise to associate them. qarsi.bearblog.dev/associating-...qarsi.bearblog.devAssociating Dissociated Mechanics - D&D4 PowersD&D4 is famous for . It presents a world, but is infamously wishy-washy with the specifics. This aesthetic complaint is the strongest complaint against D&D4.... 2122
Reposted by QarsiQarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025New blog post! This one is about how I think about settings and lore. Fundamental Truths that let me make up lore on the spot. And a way to let players come up with lore too! qarsi.bearblog.dev/truths-from-...qarsi.bearblog.devTruths from which the lore flowsAwhile back we were in a bit of a fuss about . I also remember a conversation about information and how to make players feel at home in the world. At the tim... 12610
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025Making me think, does Quill’s diagetic letter writing make it a solo LARP? 120
Reposted by QarsiEvangeline Sorrel @forestoath.bsky.social · 04/02/2025Hey! I just published my first RPG blog post! - It's all about Solo RPG design and how we design interactions within them. Looking at The Wretched by @loottheroom.bsky.social, Ironsworn by @shawntomkin.bsky.social, Lay On Hands by @alfredvalley.bsky.social, and Quill by @scottmalthouse.bsky.socialforestoath.bearblog.devMaking Solo RPGs ‘gamey’: Points of Interactions.On the very last day of November 2024, two months ago as of writing this, I attended Dragonmeet. There’s a lot I can say about the convention, and the gr... 37626
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025itch.io/jam/parryjamitch.ioPlaytest Zero ParryJamA game jam from 2025-01-02 to 2025-02-28 hosted by ehronlime. 011
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025Oh also for an iconic daily challenge moment, I’m holding off on #Dungeon25 this month to learn layout and publish my parry game for Playtest Zero’s Parry Jam. The game needs to exist and I must be the one to do it. 140
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 04/02/2025New blog post! This one is about how I think about settings and lore. Fundamental Truths that let me make up lore on the spot. And a way to let players come up with lore too! qarsi.bearblog.dev/truths-from-...qarsi.bearblog.devTruths from which the lore flowsAwhile back we were in a bit of a fuss about . I also remember a conversation about information and how to make players feel at home in the world. At the tim... 12610
Reposted by QarsiRise Up (From the Grave) Comus @riseupcomus.bsky.social · 04/02/2025Wrote this one up Use a different character creation ruleset at different points of the game riseupcomus.blogspot.com/2025/02/diff...riseupcomus.blogspot.comDifferent Character Creation Methods at Different TimesIn many RPG books, character creation is right in the front of the book to give the new reader a sense of what the game is about, help them ... 45512
Reposted by QarsiQarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 03/02/2025🚨 New Blog Alert! 🚨 I’m starting an elfgame blog with an insane one! Only have 2 players? Here’s how to turn OSR adventures into romps for 2 D&D4 heroes with just one notecard! qarsi.bearblog.dev/two-against-...qarsi.bearblog.devTwo Against Darkness - The MethodThis is a new way to play your B/X compatible adventures. Anything where the monsters are measured in Hit Dice really. With a single index card you can conve... 2238
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 03/02/2025In case it isn’t loading here’s the image! The information should also be on a table on the bottom of the post. It might not have been clear, attack bonus doesn’t change from monster to monster of the same level in D&D4 so it doesn’t here! So for 1st level it’s always +6 vs AC and +4 vs others. 110
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 03/02/2025🚨 New Blog Alert! 🚨 I’m starting an elfgame blog with an insane one! Only have 2 players? Here’s how to turn OSR adventures into romps for 2 D&D4 heroes with just one notecard! qarsi.bearblog.dev/two-against-...qarsi.bearblog.devTwo Against Darkness - The MethodThis is a new way to play your B/X compatible adventures. Anything where the monsters are measured in Hit Dice really. With a single index card you can conve... 2238
Reposted by QarsiSachaGoat @sachagoat.bsky.social · 02/02/2025🔹🏆 BLOGGIES 2024 - PLATINUM WINNER 🏆🔹 I am pleased to announce that after an exhaustive 263 responses, the overall winner of the 2024 Bloggies is... The 1 HP Dragon, from @explorersdesign.bsky.social Read the details and gold medalist speeches here: sachagoat.blot.im/bloggies-202...sachagoat.blot.imBLOGGIES 2024 Concludes! - sachagoatThe Bloggies 2024 have come to a close, and what an incredible celebration of TTRPG blogging it has been! A phenomenal range of talent, creativity, 15720
Reposted by QarsiLars // Dice Goblin Games @dicegoblin.blog · 02/02/2025The Zungeon Jam by @idlecartulary.itch.io had me looking into @traversefantasy.itch.io's Bite-Sized Dungeons again - and I found an easy flowchart syntax that makes creating and editing such dungeons really easy! dicegoblin.blog/bite-sized-d...dicegoblin.blogBite-Sized Dungeons in Flowcharts/MermaidI discovered Mermaid recently – a syntax to easily write flowcharts with. It’s integrated into Notion, which I use for a lot of my brainstorming/storing of ideas, so that’s pretty… 0113
Qarsi @qarsi.bsky.social · 01/02/2025Does anyone make osr adventures designed so you can print them out and staple them into a little zine yourself? I’ve been thinking a lot about printability in rpgs lately and I want to see more 6131
Reposted by QarsiSachaGoat @sachagoat.bsky.social · 31/01/2025🗳️ BLOGGIES 2024 - THE FINALS 🗳️ Congratulations again to the four category winners! Now, it’s time to decide which blog post deserves the top honor. This form will be open for 48 hours. Decide which blog post is the best of 2024! Link to voting form⤵️ 24013
Reposted by QarsiPersonable | Markus @personable.bsky.social · 30/01/2025While we all wait for the Bloggie finals voting to open, I hereby present my alternative awards: The Snubbies! My hand-picked favourites of this year's Bloggie finalists that did not get a podium finish. personabler.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-... Please share your own non-winning favourites!personabler.blogspot.comThe Snubbies: An award for (Bloggie) losersAnother year passes, another set of Bloggies is awarded. A round of applause is in order for the category winners, and a flower bouquet and... 13112