iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

I've been hard at work throwing my latest game into a proper layout. At the moment, it's sitting around 300 A5 pages (THE CHONKINEST BOI I'VE EVER WRITTEN), and I've still got some things to add. I've also landed on a name finally, Unsung Sagas! I'm hoping to have something to show in the next week

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

It's another #selfpromosaturday and you know what to do! Im personally looking for #indie #ttrpgs but I'm cool with anything you want to show off (SFW preferred).

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Going over* I trust my autocorrect way too much

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

So... fellow creatives... Does anyone here have any experience or examples of such a thing, and what folks create with it? To take something very distinct and release it into the public, for them to shape it, write about it, etc, virtually with impunity?

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

... "things." Or, basically mindflayers without the hierarchal pseudo-society and alien gadgetry, and a lot more ominous and unsettling. Being as this is a book to be released fully as a CC title, that means these creatures and lore entries can be used, remixed, and all that stuff. 2/3

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

So I'm deep in the muck of my D&D 5e conversion project, hard at the monster section. Going you've the aberration in the SRD, they're either boring, or distinctly D&D (or both). So I made something new using the existing traits that's kind of something between the xenomorphs and Starnger Things 1/3

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Don't let it scare you off mate. Keep at it week after week, and you'll start seeing all the people you're helping out more and more. You're more than welcome to use my promo posts (when I make them) if you keep up that good work

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Keep it up! What you're saying is top tier advice a lot of newbie DMs and GMs, and even players miss out on. Don't look so nervous. You know your stuff!

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Another great bit of content on table play! You guys are killing it today! Good advice and tips, and another like minded individual who promotes having fun with the game narratives

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

As I'm chipping away at my GMing chapter, I come across this posted on my self promo Saturday thread and this guy has it nailed right on the head! While I express communication as a key, I did not express trust as a component and I think I'll have to ammend that. I hope to see a lot more, brother!

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Just at 10x the goal, that's a great campaign!

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Ah! I remember seeing this! I've been wondering how it's going, glad to see it's up on kickstarter 🤘

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

The game will be released under CC BY 4.0, with a free, artless version available, a gmbinder.com document so you can just copy that whole thing with the style template, and make and sell your own things with it completely royalty free (from me, anyway). I hope to have something presentable soon 🖤

gmbinder.com

GM Binder

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Guides to actually play more scenarios than just combat, and how to keep it interesting. GM guides for starting out, running the game, making and modifying content, and a grossly simplified monster system that also provides meaningful lore and information on how to play them. 8/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

My self promo is this: I set out a decade ago to make the better version of a fantasy game that I want. It's taken many shapes and lots of inspirations over that time, but its finally taken the final shape. It's a 5e clone that does more with less. One roll resolution, freeform characters, 7/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Due to the overwhelming amount of everything I have going on in both my personal and professional life (not my day job, thankfully), I haven't been able to funnel funds into this. I've been busting chops to try completing my latest project and it's nearly there. 6/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

I'm just waiting for that to be finalized, and then I'm going to finish filing an LLC that aims to help provide resources as a publisher for indies. This will I include art drives for free high quality stock pieces, community guides on how to make and sell your games, and of course, the zine. 5/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Careful what you sign, folks! I'm settling on the terms that I get my IPs back and lift the non-compete. But. I can't disclose who I was partnering with. I've been fighting that for a while now, and i put it aside because helping indies is more important. 4/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

I started up a publishing brand with someone, they filed as the only member of management and hired me as an employee, and in all the excitement I missed that detail as well as a non-compete and NDA form. Basically, I signed away my IPs at the time and had to operate under a pen name 3/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Between more than a handful of personal problems, I've also been trying to startup a #zine showcasing #indiettrpgs. It's sort of stalled out at the moment, but I haven't given it up yet. I've also had a professional legal battle for years that I'm settling on to help make the zine a reality 2/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

It's been a hectic few weeks, but we're here for another #selfpromosaturday! Showcase your #WIP or completed #ttrpg, #podcast, #streamer, #art, or #writing! I myself have had a busy time for the last month or so. 1/9

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

But the style template you use makes it so much more efficient. You don't have to select header 1 every time, just start the line out as # Chapter X: Stuff And bam, it's done. Automatically a chapter heading. Print, save as PDF, and you're golden.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

My recommendation is GMBinder.com It fell off on development but it's still a perfectly viable tool. With some CSS know-how, you can set the style to whatever you like and just type. The layout is done semi-automatically, you still have to place your headers, page and column breaks,

gmbinder.com

GM Binder

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

It may just be because I'm on mobile

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I tried clicking the link to the quickstart but nothing happened. For anyone interested: www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

drivethrurpg.com

DriveThruRPG

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

A quick glance at the page and this seems like it could be a chaotic good time

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Thank you! It's not a mechanic I'm super familiar with, but I tackled it by granting points, or challenging the GM to rock paper scissors if you want to save those points, or when you have none to spend. It's definitely for short form play, but the idea is to hopefully get your group playing again

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Pendelhaven Press made a 5e and agnostic creature compendium of Norse mythology creatures some years back. The simplest idea is give a bit of the lore, some ideas of how to play the creature, and some of the attacks it's capable of and a rough idea of how hard it hits.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Ahhhh I understand. All the same, a lot of creators like holding their darlings close and end up smothering them. To the struggling creators out there: It's good to share just enough of your game that gets people intrigued by what it does, and how it does it.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I think I've seen some posts (reddit?) about this recently. It's always good to see free versions of rules too! Don't be afraid to share your game's most basic functions; its a great way to get players hooked

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

This is a stylish looking game! Interesting setting I think

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

This seems like it could be a fun one to play, it's got a few interesting layers to it

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

I need a system agnostic version of this 🤩

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

For my own self promo, I've been working on a total overhaul of my micro game so it's more playable anywhere. Lighter rules, no dice! It's also been renamed as "RO-SHAM-BO!!!" since that is essentially the core of the game. deadmagician.itch.io/roshambo

deadmagician.itch.io

RO-SHAM-BO!!! by DeadMagician

Micro TTRPG

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

It's another #selfpromosaturday so share your #indie #ttrpg with me! This is also a callout to those creators! I have been working with a small group to get a community and a zine together that helps spotlight these games! Share this around so we can make a better #ttrpgcommunity

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

In the next month or so, I'm hoping to have a solid foundation for a discord server that helps create much of this network. We'll be looking for #ttrpg game developers, enthusiasts, #writers, #artists, #streamers and #podcasts. We want to put the spotlight on your game. Stay tuned 4/4

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Not just struggles in the spheres of #indie #ttrpgs, but in their personal lives too. I can relate, I think most of us can. That's the aim of this project. To help those struggling indies get to the right people. To help connect them to the right resources like artists and content creators. 3/4

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

And creating a resource network. It became a group, we've shared ideas. We got to work. I started chatting with indie game creators for reviews of games I've personally played and loved. And I discovered this is the right way to go. Similar experiences, hardships, and pains. 2/4

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

A few weeks ago, we had the Polygon debacle where they told indie game makers its time to speak up. And so they spoke up about how polygon rejected their submission because they were indie. For some reason, I thought it was a good idea to create a space and zine highlighting indie games 1/4

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Reposted by Xavier Pearce

Andrea Junker @strandjunker.com · 24/01/2025

“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.” Diary of Anne Frank January 13, 1943

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Even though it outsold all my other products. The subsequent titles released for that game made silver and gold. Sales does not equal success unless your goal is only to sell a product. This is about getting your passion in the hands that would appreciate it, regardless of that means sales or not

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

My CCP titles never exceeded gold, but all at least made it to copper. I don't measure success on sales, because my CCP titles were actually played. Again, my full game was essentially the same system I made fan content for, used the same fanbase, and never took off on its own

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

The first full game i released on dtrpg reached Electrum but it didn't get there on its own merits and the reason the plug was pulled on it was because it never reached the same level of traction as my CCP products, even though the game was heavily influenced by the same system.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

And the individuals you do see are simply the trees that happened to be standing out at the front when someone looked. All of this said to say: just because a game, podcast, stream, etc failed, doesn't mean it's automatically bad. It simply didn't get its chance, like the thousands surrounding it.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

There's simply too much content getting lost in other content that's also already lost. It's not D&Ds fault. It's not anyone's fault. To twist it around a bit, you can't see the trees for the forest. Instead of seeing the individual, you see the mass.

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Xavier Pearce @xp-deadmage.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

There are lots of others who make great content usable in other games. Heck, Kevin Crawford and the different games Without Number are prime examples because they are also available for free. But how much other free content of similar caliber goes unnoticed?

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