Tea Ninja 🐺🎲 @stras@dice.camp
Code-fighter by day, tea fueled RPG-hacker by night.
#introduction
I'm stras! I'm a consulting designer on games, and write a few of my own (like Scum & Villainy, Band of Blades and Atlas Reckoning).
I play board games, video games, and rpg's of all sizes and shapes, though I prefer ones with medium crunch and an emphasis on fast resolutions and feels (big fan of PbtA).
Also what do you do to celebrate when you finish a big project? I feel like I should do something to hallmark the end of this particular game dev sprint that's consumed my last few months.
For a brief second, I wanted to see how many hours I've spent in inDesign on this book. Then I realized it's probably for the best I don't know.
What is about to follow is, as with many things, @JoshuaACNewman’s fault.
Compromise.
Concession.
Constraint.
In my head, I’m taking these things and moving them around on the tabletop to see if they suggest a shape.
Games are, by their nature, a set of constraints that we agree to for the duration (for whatever purpose). So constraints are like water to a fish in play, but they also are kind of critical in the play space.
So where do they come from, and where do they derive power?
If you get a chance check out the new AW2 Contaminated playbook. It's a way to talk about a Zombie apocalypse, but honestly its just a friggin' cool vampire to me.
FitD. Huh. I can dig it as an acronym (Forged in the Dark) for Blades hacks. Works for me. #FitD
Who's excited? I'm super excited. Also get this man a shield: https://youtu.be/R7H6Bl9ncUI
Want a one-page RPG about grifters and con artists in a fantasy world? Boy do I have a deal for you! https://www.patreon.com/posts/novembers-one-15558773 https://dice.camp/media/dBw6OHNkuTr7vFPtZz4
The thing where liking a -- sigh -- toot entails clicking a star, and the star spins around when you click it?
That makes me want to click stars more. #UIFTW
@worldnamer #rpgbookcovers
Motherfucking Lava Otter and its cyborg sidekick Token Human from Gamma World 3e: https://i.warosu.org/data/tg/img/0351/98/1412018098032.png
Thank to @worldnamer I'm thinking about memorable #rpgbookcovers.
The two that jump to mind are the Werewolf: The Apocalypse 2nd Ed (those rent clawmarks still are so awesome to teenage me) and Blades (the highlights on the letters and knives are what get me). Guess I'm a sucker for cover modifications (and leaving Bluebeard's Bride for someone else to snag).
https://dice.camp/media/dWn8Cc-VndutxZFEbyA https://dice.camp/media/MCI6tTvI5DB8-RIWvq4
These specifically.
Seeing some mock ups last night has me thinking: what are the RPG covers you remember? For me, My Life With Master and old school D&D PHB.
I know I'm going to be super stoked to have a finished book layout soon. But in the middle of it, doing a full time layout job on top of my job is not super awesome.
I'm reminded of the wise words of @nickwedig: "Game design is easy, game development is not."
Sometimes your artists require world maps, and game design is just rapid sketching >_> #BandOfBlades https://dice.camp/media/7HyDcGEhxg3MyTjQVis
#introduction
Goodness!
I make games, have since 1978, published since 2005. 1001 Nights, PsiRun, Apocalypse World, Murderous Ghosts, lots of smaller games in various anthologies.
Other major stuff:
-Certified sex ed teacher for grades 7-12
-Spent 12 years facilitating a support group for women and families dealing with postpartum depression / anxiety / stress
-Had two one-woman shows of original quilts
-Traveled through all 48 contiguous states
-Married to @lumpley since 1990
-History nerd.
#1strpgs Show more
Wowzah. Bluebeard's Bride came in today and it's one PRETTY book.
So, rpg #currentprojects S&V, BoB and AR. Show more
Good morning games people! Discussion topic: how do you start off your second session? How does your table do recaps?
I have this burning NEED to run/play Band of Blades. Show more