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Erik Schmidt

@settingfirst.bsky.social
13 followers 22 following 19 posts

Proprietor of settingfirst.com, a blog & YouTube channel primarily about in-person campaign play tabletop roleplaying, with an emphasis on verisimilitude. Veteran, Gen X, rider of bicycles, inordinately tall.

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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 4h
Trying to lure your group to try something other than D&D for your next campaign? settingfirst.com/a-world-is-n... #ttrpg
settingfirst.com
A World is Not Enough: Pitching A non-D&D Campaign
Familiarity is a difficult thing to overcome, but you can do it if you speak to what’s most important to your players.
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Reposted by Erik Schmidt
Ian @brocktoon.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
On October 10, 2018, my temporary mentor Greg Stafford died. Every year, I post my tribute to him. He was the best, I miss him, and I owe him nearly everything even though our direct connection was brief. porchhammer.blogspot.com/2018/10/greg...
porchhammer.blogspot.com
Greg Stafford
This is a little bit different from the normal posts, in that it's not about miniatures or wargaming. It's about a man who played an enormou...
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
We held another Gamer Gaggle today (our 33rd!). The topic this time was managing player and GM expectations, and we had some great discussions. A regular gathering to chat about gaming really helps in building an actual community of gamers. settingfirst.com/low-stress-c...
settingfirst.com
Low-Stress Community-Building
Throwing people together into a game is not always the best way to build a gaming community. Socializing in a no-pressure environment is a great alternative.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
What I love most about this is the care and attention they used in positioning it just right.
The rear end of a beat up sedan bears the Tesla logo.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Prediction: “Proof of Human” videos will become quite common for artists and writers as a form of audit trail to respond to claims of gen AI use.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Oh man, right there with you.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
The danger to the pocketbook is real! I managed to buy “only” five books/while I was there, mostly because I hate checking baggage. 😁And your point about the scale of Gen Con is so true. For me at least, it had an impersonal aspect that I haven’t seen at smaller cons.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Just wrapped up session 97 of our Degenesis campaign, which is kind of amazing to me. Things are getting weird in Hybrispania.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
To borrow a metaphor from creative writing, my game mastering style over time has shifted from more architect to more gardener. Part of this is through exposure to different game systems, part through a realization that knowing everything is less fun than laying seeds and seeing what sprouts up.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Ten work video calls later, it's time to crank this up... www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb...
youtube.com
Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows
YouTube video by ohnoitisnathan32
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
A small part of me wants this to be a human pretending to be a bot, someone who really just loves trolling people. But then again, that would be a sad existence for anyone.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I did actually laugh out loud at that one. Well played, sir. Well played.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Monday: "I've got to stop buying tabletop RPGs I'll never bring to the table." Tuesday: "Wow, that new game is intriguing. I should mine it for ideas."
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Follower bot achievement unlocked. 🤘
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
This is a question I've pondered for years. I think my reason for playing, the aspects of these games that draw me in, has shifted over time. As a teenager it was about exploring fantasy environments and overcoming challenges. Then it became about building more interesting worlds. Now it's... ? Hmm.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Interesting timing coming across this now, because about a month ago I drew up a similar list, thinking less about how many campaigns I have ahead of me, but more about how to quell my relentless curiosity and focus on only games I really think I'll bring to the table.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Congrats, Wouter! I know GMs looking for a charming fantasy down with a bit more going on behind the scenes will find this a catalyst for their imaginations.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Q: "How did you get into roleplaying games?" A: I was in my jr high library and two kids were arguing about whether Asmodeus or Orcus was more powerful. I had no idea what they were going on about, but that Friday I was playing my first game of D&D. In 1980 it was like a lightning bolt.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Speaking of #gencon, @burningwheelrpg.bsky.social, @biohazardjeff.bsky.social, and #FreeLeague, these are the impressions of a first-time attendee: settingfirst.com/gen-con-2026/
settingfirst.com
Gen Con 2026
Attending Gen Con for the first time was fun and in some ways surprising.
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Erik Schmidt @settingfirst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Forums don't do it for me and Reddit got unbearable, so I'm here to give it another shot. I admit I haven't had the best experience with micro-blogging platforms in the past, but hey, the nth time is the charm.
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