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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 2h

In Deadlands, all of the xp that players get is in the form of bennies. My experience with the system is that everyone gets chances to shine. Of course, I'm fortunate to play with a very good group of players.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 3h

A possible alternative is for the bennies to be convertible into xp, as Deadlands does. That way the players face the choice of either using their bennies to succeed in an important conflict or to improve their character for the long term.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 3h

I play many different #TTRPG games, and going from PbtA game like Masks to D&D5e reminds me that while I love the narrative aspects of RPGs, I often miss the simple joy of playing with my collection of colorful math rocks.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Even D&D 1e had Gas Spores which "evolved" to resemble Beholders. The ideal should be for GMs to give physical descriptions but not names of monsters until the PCs give names to those monsters.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

My most recent emotional reaction in a #TTRPG: My PC doctor was treating a patient in a Delta Green scenario when her fellow agents realized that the hostile ghost we'd been haunted by was fueled by the patient. She raged but was unable to stop the murder of her patient. Excellent session!

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

My older brother taught me to play D&D for my 9th birthday in lieu of getting me a proper birthday present. He and his friends reluctantly let me join in their games, and I haven't stopped playing #TTRPG for more than a few months in over 45 years.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Regarding evil parties in #TTRPG campaigns: I feel that itch can be scratched better in a setting like Midnight in which proactively good characters are hunted by the overwhelmingly evil government. Classic Star Wars has that mood also, and it's an evergreen setting.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Does anyone else have fond memories of the In Nomine #TTRPG? I don't know how well it would work for longer or open ended campaigns, but it produced some great stories in one-shots and mini-campaigns IMO.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Google's new motto is "We can be lawful evil as long as we're not chaotic evil." They changed it because evil is just too profitable.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The full, unredacted Epstein files show that DJT has diddled more than one 14-year-old. I guess the only way to prove me wrong is to release those files. 😈

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

From a GM point of view, I can see possibly using AI to generate NPC names or tavern names etc, but from the player side, what would you even be tempted to use AI for? Am I still asleep not seeing the temptation?

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Being brave in the face of peer pressure is tough. Silence is easy; taking a stand is hard. Doing the right thing when it is difficult is what moral goodness is about.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#TTRPG and #LGBTQ frequently go hand in hand because you are encouraged to create a character you will enjoy playing. That often means playing a character of your desired gender and orientation. That's part of what role-playing is for.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I mostly trust spell checking software, but not grammar checking software. So I get the gist of point one.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

There are quite a few modern games which de-emphasize combat. FATE can easily be used for primarily exploitation or negotiation scenarios. Also Kids on Bikes has a "fight" stat, but using it is treated the same as any other activity.

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Reposted by The Bearded One (he/him)

The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

TTRPG is a free hobby. All you need are people to play with. There are multitudes of free rules sets like Lasers and Feelings, and dice (when necessary) are cheap. #TTRPG is inherently anti-capitalist.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This idea goes handing in hand with Universal Basic Income. Running for public office is expensive and poverty should not be a barrier to entry. In fact, maybe we should try sortition instead of elections.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I think a lot of people don't have a clear idea what Benedict Arnold did to be branded as a traitor. I think a lot more people will understand what DJT has done to America and how he should be remembered.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It really depends on the #TTRPG. In D&D, a failed roll gets you nothing; in PbtA games, a failed roll gets you +1 xp and complicates the story.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Pretty similar vibe to Kobalds Ate My Baby. With a properly gonzo GM, you can have an amazing time.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Today is the first annual #DollyDay. How shall we celebrate? My preference would be to burn down the patriarchy, but I'm willing to hear other suggestions.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

There are too many to name. I'm currently running Kids on Bikes and Masks (PbtA). I'm playing in games of Daggerheart, Delta Green, Stonetop. I've recently enjoyed games of Honey Heist, Perils and Princesses, and Mothership. My favorite #TTRPG system currently is Powered by the Apocalypse.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Again, conflict takes many forms. I recently read Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. The central conflict in that story is to found and grow a new coffee shop in a fantasy city. Threats of theft, rising costs, and disruptive customers are all conflicts but not combats.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Conflict can mean many different things in a #TTRPG. If an NPC the party is escorting stumbles into quicksand for example, how to rescue them becomes the conflict.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I think we need the THREAT of combat in #TTRPG to apply and increase pressure on the party. The core of games like Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green is to learn as much as possible about the looming evil so that open combat can be avoided.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A good GM can elevate a mediocre or even a bad game system. But when a great GM gets to run a high quality game, the results can be spectacular. That is what I got to experience as a player in a Delta Green #TTRPG last night. DG may not be the right game for all, but I loved it.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

At this point, I am hard pressed to think of any Americans who have committed and enabled more evil and harm than DJT. I considered Elon but much of his evil has been encouraged by DJT.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Last 4 #TTRPG I've played: - Marvel Multiverse RPG - Daggerheart - Stonetop - Delta Green But I'm also GMing D&D 5e and Kids on Bikes.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I suppose this is a fair time to give free advertising to a retailer that I have a very happy history with. heartbeatdice.ecwid.com

heartbeatdice.ecwid.com

HeartBeatDice

Roll with Pride ®

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Unfortunately the current president of the US is highly relevant. He is a clear example of evil, and every person who votes to empower him and his allies is a willing supporter of that evil.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

September 11: 25 years ago, I was still asleep when the attacks began. My housemate called me and told me to turn on the TV because I didn't believe him. That evening I had a job at a hospital where I had to explain the attack to a client who hadn't heard.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I have multiple writing projects open at all times, and I try to write on at least one of them (in chunks of 200 words) every day. I don't often succeed, but when I'm in the mood I can pump out 1600 words or more.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Reminder: Donald Trump once told an interviewer that if Ivanka wasn't his daughter (at the time she was 13 years old), he would possibly be dating her.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Reminder: Donald Trump once told an interviewer that if Ivanka wasn't his daughter (at the time she was 13 years old), he would possibly be dating her.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

On hearing the news that IKEA will partner with Elder Scrolls 6, the only joke I can think of is "I used to be an adventurer until I took a Blahaj to the knee."

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The rich and super-rich are just as susceptible to "number go up" instincts as the rest of us. Yet they don't use their massive wealth for social good, only for self-aggrandizement.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

"Treason" might be a more appropriate word.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

That being said, DJT is definitely in the top tier of Americans who caused widespread harm and death while benefiting only the 0.1%. I can't think of more than 5 or so Americans who have caused that level of harm.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

In fond memory of Dolly Parton: 9 to 5 is a movie (and a song) which still has a powerful message even 45 years later. Dolly, you touched us all. 💝💖💔

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I expanded my reading and conversational vocabulary by reading first comic books and then #TTRPG rulebooks like Call of Cthulhu and Vampire the Masquerade. Now, my reading habit is well established and feeds my writing habit.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Describe your music taste in 3 artists, no genres: 1. Mozart 2. Enya 3. Indigo Girls

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Gross Domestic Product needs to take a back seat to Gross National Happiness. USA is consistently rated as a far less pleasant place to live than any of the northern European countries.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I wonder what players and GMs think about re-implementing character backgrounds from previous failed games. I sometimes want to let a character grow when they haven't yet gotten the chance due to an aborted #TTRPG.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Another entire D&D session with a handful of skill rolls but no combat. Players had a good time. I'm calling this a win! ##TTRPG

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Every mother performs unpaid labor. You can tell by inquiring how much it would cost to hire someone to do the same jobs. What society values is not identical to what is good for society.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

A universal basic income is a big part of any definition of Utopia. UBI was supposed to be the dividend from widespread implementation of AI. Capitalism of course is corrupting everything potentially good around us.

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The Bearded One (he/him) @therealbeardedone.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

My father's father owned and ran a five-and-dime store; my mother's father was a firefighter. I think I'd do pretty well in either of their shoes.

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