dungeonofthedragon

[dungeonofthedragon]

You have to take a vocational course to become a proper Wizard. Everyday folk might have picked up some things in secondary school, an amateur can still know their way around a staff or a wand but to get a license you need to have completed the course and passed the tests. Then you're a big fancy Wizard! But that's a lot of cost to have sunk into the thing and it does raise the question: are you sure you made the right call?

My editor-girlfriend described the Wizard playbook in PSYCHODUNGEON as Degree Regret: The Class. It's a lot about feeling stuck because of the time and effort you've put into something. A lot of the vulnerable moves are about facing this not being what you thought'd be like.

There's a decent chunk of why I quit teaching there. I also liked recasting the wizard as a working class job rather than something implicitly academic.

When you all make your psychoplumbers you ask questions to your right and left to establish some starting dynamics. Two of the Wizard's options really jab at the heart of the character.

What do you think I'd be happier as?

Why do you think I'm good at this job?

In PSYCHODUNGEON we delve into nightmarish psychostructures, battle monsters, navigate a hostile domain, and help the mind the dungeon sprung from gain closure. We do this for a meagre paycheck. On the surface we try to get by living our lives in a busy city that wouldn't miss you if you fell off the face of the planet.

Coming to Kickstarter this May. Please follow the pre-launch page. This is the first of a series of posts I'll do all about different aspects of the game. Do let me know if there's anything you're especially curious about.

#psychodungeon #indie ttrpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

Coyote and Crow on Sale

The amazing Coyote and Crow is now only $10 on DriveThru RPG! It's been on my wishlist for a while and, well, I thought I would let other folks know so they could grab themselves a copy.

(Fantasy roleplaying in an uncolonised future for under half price? If I had the money I would have nabbed it in a heartbeat!)

#coyote and crow #indie ttrpg #indigenous creators

[dungeonofthedragon]

Tales of Xadia: Startouch

Been messing around with this system a lot lately (converting one of my D&D settings into Cortex for a one-shot, and potentially an entire campaign.) It got me thinking about how when Tales of Xadia was first announced, all I wanted was to play a startouch elf. So sparkly!

I would still like to play a half-startouch if my group ever got a game going that wasn't run by me. Thus, while working on creating Kindred distinctions for my own setting, I mucked around with startouch elves too to create a vocation and specialty (no community since I imagine my hypothetical half-startouch would have been raised in one of the Xadian elf societies.)

Details below the cut.

Star (Mage)

(Magical vocation)

Value: Truth

Divination. When you use your Star Magic speciality in a test, contest or challenge, you may step up or double the Star Magic die.

Star Magic

(Specialty)

Star Magic (Spells): You’re trained in the magic of the Star primal- divination, cosmic vision, and seeing into the “beyond”.

Spells

Iter per Spatium (Travel through Space): This spell creates a portal linking the mage and a familiar location.

Futurum Aspectum (Future Sight): This spell conjures visual representations of events yet to come.

#tales of xadia #cortex prime #startouch elves #star magic #the dragon prince

[dungeonofthedragon]

Plane Shift: New Phyrexia Phyresis Rules 1.0

Contact with Phyrexian creatures and glistening oil can lead to phyresis, a special condition tracked in ten stages. Phyresis is not a disease, so immunity to disease cannot prevent a creature from being afflicted. Phyrexian creatures are immune to this condition.

A creature infected by phyresis experiences the effects of its current level and all those below.

Until level 5, greater restoration may remove a phyresis level from a targeted creature in addition to its other effects.

Every 24 hours, a character who has at least 1 phyresis level must roll a d20. On a roll equal to or less than their current phyresis level, they gain one level.

Phyresis Level Effects

1: No effect 2: No effect 3: Disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened by Phyrexian creatures 4: No new effect 5: Phyresis can no longer be removed by greater restoration 6: No new effect 7: Phyrexian language proficiency 8: Gain one augmentation for which you meet the prerequisites (detailed in a later installment) 9: No new effect 10: Incapacitated; begin compleation saving throws (see “A Sublime Transformation”) (Below the cut)

A Sublime Transformation

Most compleated adult Phyrexians, including player characters, are capable of compleating other creatures with sufficient ichor and time. A compleated creature retains its original type and racial features but gains the Phyrexian supertype. As a general rule, spells cast using Phyrexian mana that raise a target from the dead will return them compleated, if they were not already.

Much like being raised from the dead, the process of compleation is an exhausting ordeal that saps the energy of affected creatures. A newly compleated Phyrexian takes a -3 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. Each time the creature finishes a long rest, the penalty is reduced by 1 until it disappears.

Often, compleation is a process of optimization, reinforcing a creature's existing strengths. In that spirit, compleated player characters may increase one ability score above 20 by subtracting 2 from another ability score for each increase by 1 to the target score, to a maximum of 22. In addition, the compleated character gains one Phyrexian augmentation for which they meet the prerequisite.

Compleation is a unique opportunity for a player to re-work their character, extending to even class and subclass choices. Additionally, the mnemonic nature of glistening oil means that genetic material is not the only thing passed down from a Phyrexian to a creature they compleat. A newly compleated creature gains one skill proficiency possessed by the Phyrexian who compleated them.

Glistening oil carries the voice of Yawgmoth, who seeks to bend all to his whims. When you reach 10 phyresis levels, you must make a DC 16 Wisdom or Charisma saving throw each turn (your choice). The Phyrexian compleating you may grant you advantage on these saving throws. Successes and failures don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three of a kind. When you roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures; likewise, a 20 on the d20 counts as two successes. On your third success, you become compleated while retaining your previous memories and convictions. On your third failure, your bonds are altered to serve Phyrexia. You retain your base alignment and personality, but may suffer memory loss. Either way, you lose all phyresis levels and their effects.

Though powerful, the alteration of loyalties during compleation can be undone. Dispel magic or remove curse cast with a 7th-level slot or higher can restore one target creature to its former bonds if its mind had been altered in this way. You can target one additional creature for each slot level above 7th.

#new phyrexia #dnd 5e #5e homebrew #phyrexian

[dungeonofthedragon]

"Protect the Sacred's first complete playtest is here! Protect the Sacred is a anticolonial pulp adventure game that looks to emulate the mood and tone of the pulp movement beyond just as the globe-trekking adventure of stories like Indiana Jones, Johnny Quest, and Tomb Raider, but also pulp as horror, mystery, sci-fi, drama, and even romance.

In Protect The Sacred you work as a member of The Memento Group, an organization that, nominally, is an international nonprofit who is mostly interested in historical preservation, cultural outreach, and the building and support of museums and landmarks. As well as deconstructing and interrogating the colonial legacies of various academias and how they continue into today.

In truth, while they do that work and more, they are also a community-facing resource of specialists who look to protect, preserve, and reclaim a world of magic, monsters, and mystical artifacts on behalf of who they belong to and on that community's terms. Because for the Players of Protect The Sacred, all the intangibles of culture are all so very tangible.

Play as adventurers armed with folkloric magic power, deeply rooted in their connections to the culture around them. From wielding a legendary magical item, to practicing a cultrual magic, to taking the form of the fiercest monsters from your people's stories.

Explore the mythic realms talked about in the legends of heroes and gods as part of the Grand Outside, a magical otherworld in a mutually affecting relationship with the material. Explore a secret wizards nightmarket for clues and rumors on a trail for a stolen remains. Brave impossible and strange dungeons formed by stories that need to be told and stare truth straight in the eyes. Plan a heist to steal back the pilfered and stolen.

In this game I look to ask people to consider themselves, their relationship to culture, and what it looks like. I want you to consider and think on the meaning and value of the stories, lessons, and skills we pass on to others. I want to ask how we could challenge the ways we build and engage with history and these stories. This is a game where you fist fight fascism in many forms. It's a game about telling stories and building heroes. Are you ready to Protect the Sacred?" --- Information about joining the playtest can be found in the link! I'm excited to show y'all what I've been working on for about 2 and a half years.

#protect the sacred #indie ttrpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

Two ongoing digital games bundles are offering more than 200 tabletop RPGs (among video games, soundtracks, books and other goodies) in order to raise money in support of the Palestine Children’s Relief Funds. The Palestinian Relief Bundle is being hosted on Itch.io, while the separate TTRPGs for Palestine Charity Bundle is taking place on Tiltify. For $8, the Palestinian Relief Bundle is offering nearly 400 total items, 103 of which are tabletop RPG systems, supplements and adventures. Mapmaking game Ex Novo is joined by the paranormal gunslinging satire FIST: Ultra Edition, along with Takuma Okada’s celebrated solo journaling game Alone on a Journey. Weird and dirty iconoclast game about money, the mind and everything else, Greed by Gormenghast is also on this list and is well worth a look. And if you’d rather keep it cosy and introspective, Cassi Mothwin’s Clean Spirit will get the whole group taking care of their domestic homes. The TTRPGs for Palestine Charity Bundle focuses solely on analogue games, providing nearly 200 tabletop games for $15. A full spreadsheet of the included titles can be viewed here and includes Nevyn Holme’s Gun&Slinger, where one player embodies an occult cowboy while the second plays their sentient, magical gun. Wendi Yu’s Here, There, Be Monsters! approaches monster hunting media from the other side of the camera with a decidedly queer lens and unapologetic politics. Makapatag’s Gubat Banwa is a lush and dynamic collision of wuxia media, fiercely romantic and tragic melodrama all set against the backdrop and folklore of The Philippines.

#indie ttrpg #free palestine #support palestine

[dungeonofthedragon]

System Spotlight: Fate

The Fate system is freely available, and anyone can publish their own setting using its rules. There are three variations on the FATE rules.

Fate Core: the original Fate rulebook.

Fate Accelerated: a lighter variant, with characters having fewer 'aspects' than in Fate Core.

Fate Condensed: the most essential elements of Fate Core, for ease of reference for GMs familiar with the system.

The core SRD has one of my favourite tips that can be applied to dice rolls in any game!

If you want to run adventures in Fate: there are so many amazing settings to choose from! The ones below are all PWYW. This makes the initial cost of starting a Fate game (given the rulebooks are free) minimal.

The Aether Sea by Lara Turner

Play the crew of an aethercraft.

Elves and dwarves...in SPACE!

Magic aplenty!

Arecibo by Nicholas Hornyak

Play as children investigating a dark mystery.

Access bizarre alternate dimensions.

Cultivate eldritch power.

Great for fans of Stranger Things.

The Clockwinders by Jahmal Brown

A world that (literally) runs on clockwork.

Save this world from fey meddling!

Eagle Eyes by Pete Woodworth

Private investigators in ancient Rome.

Grungy noir setting.

Grimoire by Lore Graham and Chris Caporaso

Rich fantasy world.

Play demon-summoning warlocks for hire!

Ngen Mapu by Helena Real

Mapuche myth blends with modern civilisation.

Play shape-shifters from the dawn of time!

An emphasis on non-violent solutions to problems.

The bonds between your characters are a key element of the game.

The Way of the Pukona by Helena Real

Based in Neolithic Mapuche society.

Protect your community as a team of bold young women.

If your character dies safeguarding her community, gain bonuses for your new character.

#fate core #fate rpg #fate accelerated #free rpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

TTRPGs for Trans Rights - West Virginia bundle!

Over 500 (!!!!) games for $5 (?!?!?!!?!) to support a West Virginia based organization called Project Rainbow! There are so many amazing games in this bundle and it supports a really cool org.

Some info about Project Rainbow from the bundle page:

Since its inception, the project has been curated to serve unsheltered LGBTQ+ individuals to help them better navigate the housing system safely and compassionately. Project Rainbow has opened The Rainbow House in an effort to serve this community and meet this goal. Although the shelter is our community's most urgent and immediate need, Project Rainbow recognizes that there is far more work to be done. They serve as advocates for the individuals we serve, and the Appalachian LGBTQ+ community as a whole. They also work closely with partners in the housing system, health and mental health care systems to not only find solutions for their guests but to make these systems themselves more accessible for their target population.

Share this around and get this bundle!

#itch bundle #trans rights #indie ttrpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

psst if you uh, are the type to boost various indie ttrpg bundles, might i suggest snow's personal fundraising bundle for laser hair removal? (link: https://itch.io/s/121206/laser-hair-removal-for-snow)

snow makes the songbirds system and lots of other very cool games; if i was in a position to, i'd donate the money she needs to meet her goal; i'm not, so for now i'll try to boost her bundle to other folks in the indie ttrpg space

I saw, go support snow, she's a phenomenally talented creator, I've checked out some of her games and while most of them are squarely under not my thing, they all demonstrate a lot of mastery and passion

#indie ttrpg #mutual aid

[dungeonofthedragon]

Non-Violent Adventurous TTRPGS

Today is ANZAC day in Aotearoa New Zealand. It seems a very appropriate time to share some games about helping and healing.

Monster Care Squad by Sandy Pug Games

A game about nurturing monsters and healing them of their pain. In the creator's own words, you play a squad of elite veterinarians. I love games that make you feel you're making a positive difference. I hope to play this one some time.

Ngen Mapu by Helena Real and Evil Hat Productions

This game's gorgeous art is what first caught my eye, but what really drew me in was the premise. Playing as manifested spirits from the dawn of time, you must stop people who are causing serious harm to the natural world without hurting them. What happens if you hurt them? Well, you risk becoming a corrupted ngen called a wekufe.

Wanderhome by Jay Dragon of Possum Creek Games

A game of wandering animal folk. Wanderhome has been on my 'to buy' list since its release. This review sums up a lot of why I love it. The grief and hope of a game that takes place in a world recovering from war appeals to me far more than a game about fighting a war. Plus, my favourite part of roleplaying is exploring a character's internal world, and there are so many chances for that here.

Lunar Echoes is a hack of Wanderhome set in a solarpunk future!

#adventurous rpgs #nonviolent rpgs #wanderhome #lunar echoes #ngen mapu #monster care squad #indie ttrpgs #fate core #fate rpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

I was about to mention FATE- love FATE! Not to be confused with Fatal, which an alarming number of people have assumed I'm talking about when I first mention it. My brother and a ttrpg friend have birthdays about a week apart, and one of the options I've put forward for them to choose from for an adventure this year is Ngen Mapu, my favourite FATE setting.

There are also games that don't use dice at all!

Wanderhome springs to mind. The book is lovingly written and has excellent safety tools! And who doesn't want to play a scruffy bat person herding bumblebees, honestly?

The Hidden Isle is a renaissance game and setting played using tarot cards. If you can look at two cards and recognise which number is higher, you're already halfway to being a pro at this game!

And of course the unconventional rpg, Chuubo's Marvellous Wish Granting Engine!

You do of course understand that the reason most people prefer DND 5E is that it's one of the easiest systems to learn? Like I'm sorry it's all well and good to 'break up the cultural monopoly' but I have Dyscalculia and DND is seemingly the only tabletop system that doesn't consistently ask me to do a hefty amount of complex math. I've never given WOTC a penny but the reason I've primarily played 5E over basically everything else is it's the only system that was extremely easy to learn and completely self explanatory. (Also - I like elves and magic and shit.) You roll one dice to see if you can do a thing, you add whatever your plus or minus is, and then roll damage where appropriate. Easy. Meanwhile seemingly everything else is like "Okay so you roll two dice except sometimes it's four and then you take this stat and you divide it by that dice roll and then you add a number equivalent to the day of the week unless it's a leap year then you times that by three and if you get a prime number you can lift that coffee cup." Like have you ever heard of Villains and Vigilantes, for instance? It's fucking insane.Like I'm not saying I don't get why you wanna make this point? But I feel like I have to point out that most people who make indie TTRPG's don't seem to focus on accessibility when designing their systems and they are EXTREMELY intimidating for new players. And often, what people who are big into TTRPG's do is assume that because THEY fully understand this system and how it works, new players will too just as easily. The amount of times I've spoken to a GM, said "This sounds a bit complicated", and they've gone "No no no it's easy" and then described the most complicated set of rules I've ever heard is ridiculous.

Okay it sounds you’ve had a very narrow range of experiences with RPGs then because D&D 5e is on the higher end of complexity when it comes to RPGs and most indie RPGs are actually a lot less complex than D&D 5e. Like, Villains & Vigilantes is not the median when it comes to RPG complexity. There are systems even lighter than D&D out there. :)

[dungeonofthedragon]

Hi. I'm Efan, and this is an urgent request.

PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU CANNOT ASSIST!

I am a disabled, trans, and queer game designer looking to live again to afford medication, sustained housing, therapy/psychiatry, and some money to save for emergencies.

We have been doing very well with the Help Me Exist Again game bundle (linked here), but we need one final push, as we only have 2 DAYS left to raise some funds.

So, if you would like $80 of games for $25 to get HUNDREDS of hours of games and also change my life, buy the bundle below!

In this bundle, you can obtain:

GRIM, a retro FPS styled TTRPG inspired by Quake.

Neon Nights, a cyberpunk TTRPG with nearly infinite build variety, and it's two MASSIVE expansions!

Wrath of the Undersea, a TTRPG where you play as vengeful Eldritch peoples trying to reclaim the colonized surface.

Disk Master's expansions, where you can live out your Pokemon or Digimon dream on pen and paper!

This money will go towards affording therapy, medication, possible HRT (I am still deciding), and a new computer for work and enjoyment.

This money is life-saving, allowing me to not be on the verge of living with my parents in a transphobic county that is damn near a sundown town for trans people. I really need this money to live, and I would be eternally grateful if you could reblog and send this sale to someone who you think would help.

And if you can't support the bundle or any games, or just plain wanna help another way, head to my Linktree below for my Patr3on, Kofi, and other things.

Thank you so much!

#indie ttrpg #mutual aid

[dungeonofthedragon]

it is a beautiful day in the wetland and you are a horrible bittern is a game about causing mischief, finally dealing with those pesky humans, and oh, wait, what's this? ah, i see... dealing with the consequences of your actions.

play 'it is a beautiful day and you are a horrible bittern' here for pay what you want!

#indie ttrpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

Your Favourite Series: The Game

Got a favourite Netflix series or a show you remember fondly from childhood? There's a good chance there's a tabletop system that'll let you adventure in that setting with a few good friends!

Avatar Legends by Magpie Games

Cost: $24.99

Step into the world of Avatar in the time of Aang, Kora, or even Roku! Avatar Legends is a PBTA game (Powered by the Apocalypse.) This means it uses only d6 dice (with players rolling multiple and adding them together) and utilises playbooks.

Paranormal Wellington by Taleturn Games

Cost: $7.00

Love Wellington Paranormal? Wish you could play inept investigators of your very own? Don't worry, this game is here for you! This game is also a PBTA game, but a simplified one. It's very easy to pick up and play.

She-Ra: The Roleplaying Game by The_Punslinger66 (Reddit)

A free rpg based on one of Netflix's greatest offerings!

The Excellents is an affordable ($14.99) rpg using the Polymorph system. This is a rules light game that captures the perfect vibe for adventures in Eternia.

Sherwood: A Game of Outlaws by R. Rook

Cost: $7.50 (free quickstart)

Do you wish Robin of Sherwood had another season? Do you just wish the more recent Robin Hood series had more magic? This is the game you're looking for.

Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius

Cost: $20

Has a free quickstart here!

Tales of Xadia by Dire Wolf Digital

Cost: $24.99 (for digital)

Explore the world of The Dragon Prince, looking prettier than it ever has! Beautiful maps. Richly detailed lore. Robust rules. I own the physical tome and it is the most gorgeous thing in my collection. Your character can be from any human kingdom, and any kind of elf (except startouch elves- but I'm willing to bribe a GM into letting me play a half-startouch, they are just so pretty!)

You can be a primal mage, dark mage, or warrior. The Cortex system offers decent mechanical complexity, but also the ability to write your own values statements that determine how your character operates.

The Witcher by R. Talsorian Games

Cost: $24.99

This game follows very much in the vein of the Netflix series. Suitably brutal, a wrong move can result in ruptured organs or worse.

Transformers Roleplaying Game by Renegade Game Studios

Cost: $38.50

Haven't we all dreamed of being robots in disguise at some time or other?

#the witcher #avatar legends #avatar the last airbender #avatar the legend of korra #tales of xadia #the dragon prince #transformers #star trek #robin hood #wellington paranormal #paranormal wellington

[dungeonofthedragon]

Bland & Uninspired

It's ironic that I've had more inspiration for this project than any other this past week or so.

This silly game is mostly dice free (and also not really a micro rpg anymore...oops.) The one roll guaranteed to happen is the final Mission roll: 2d6 are rolled to set the difficulty, and the player making the Mission roll must roll a d6 and add bonuses gained during the Mission. They succeed if they beat the difficulty roll.

However, working out how to trigger the transition from moments (where player play out cliches related to their character types) to the Mission roll was tricky. I finally hit on the idea to have the last player to take a moment each round determine whether moments continue or whether they move on to the Mission roll. As with everything, this is still a work in progress.

Each archetype has a different way of determining what happens next. See if you can guess which is which!

#bland & uninspired #indie ttrpg #this is so silly but such a blast to make

[dungeonofthedragon]

Bump in the dark is a monster hunting game using FITD, it's really damn good and that's most of what I can say about it honestly It's got fairly simple BITD inspired rules, a versatile setting, fun playbooks, and so on

#forged in the dark #bump in the dark #indie ttrpg

[dungeonofthedragon]

Started creating a very silly micro rpg in a moment of inspiration after watching Rebel Moon's tedious second installment.

These archetypes are not set in stone- especially since Orphan, Messiah and Prodigy are so often the same character. What other dull, omnipresent sff archetypes could we bring to this table?

#micro rpg #ttrpg #bland & uninspired