🌈🚀 Reliable wonder engine. I make narrative role-playing games that imagine a weirder, queerer, more connected world.
play Defy the Gods!
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Hi Reader, How are you? Please, come in, sit. I have tea and water, and some little biscuits. February is still figuring out if it's winter or spring. Little green shoots are coming up in the yard, now covered in snow, but brave and unstoppable. I've been heads-down over here, working on the "beta" doc for Defy the Gods. And here it is! https://bit.ly/defy-the-gods-beta​ ​You could play it right now. That link takes you to a "quick start," focused on the one-shot experience, to see if the core loops are working. I've been running this game so much, I don't always know what's in the text and what's in my head. To evolve it into its next form, others need to run it. Here's the current blurb I'm telling the internets, socials, and basically anyone who'll listen:
Defy the Gods is a queer sword & sorcery game about daring adventurers struggling against titanic forces who want to destroy them. Inspired by stories as diverse as Conan, Clash of the Titans, and Princess Mononoke, the game pits you against jealous gods, ambitious tyrants, wild creatures, and the lingering shadow of lost Atlantis. Play as a fierce warrior, scholarly sorcerer, flirtatious trickster, wild child, or fugitive shade as you explore this ancient, Mediterranean-like world and your emotional entanglements with each other. Burn brightly and hold fast to each other's hearts as you spiral upward toward your most glorious, monstrous self. But you already know that, because I've been talking about it at game night for months. Also, check out this amazing art that Thalie Shelen made for the front page! She based the enemy goddess on the Burney Relief, also known as the "Queen of the Night." She did a splendid job. I love everything about it—the colors, the mood, the action. ​The doc contains links to character sheets for both online and in-person play. There are pre-filled sheets for characters and setting if you only have time for one session, but the world-building is so much fun that it's worth setting aside time for that. Whew. Feels like a milestone. Lots farther to go with it yet. Cheers, P.S. I hope you can play Defy the Gods sometime! If you do, please tell me how it went. I'd love to get your feedback. P.P.S. And even if you don't, please tell others about it! It's out there now. |
Everlasting, Neverending Game Night
🌈🚀 Reliable wonder engine. I make narrative role-playing games that imagine a weirder, queerer, more connected world.
Hi Reader, Welcome! Please, come in, have a seat. The snow is finally starting to melt around here. On the table, we have a tin of shortbread cookies, and in the kitchen, your choice of tea, coffee or hot cocoa. So hey, a few weeks ago I got a little preachy about promises and contracts. Although I wasn’t talking mainly about Jay Dragon, I did imply she'd done some things, or failed to, based on conclusions I drew from the Rascal article I mentioned. I was too hasty. The Rascal piece was more...
Hi Reader, Welcome! Please, come in. On the table, I have a bowl of kiwis—the indie game designer of fruits. They're hard to peel, but I swear it’s worth it. (If you’re into OSR, just beast it and bite right through the fuzzy skin.) I know this talented up-and-coming game designer named Faye Weaver. Faye is a Horizons Fellow this year, like I was last year. And she’s been getting frustrated about, well, the crickets. I think everyone who puts a game out there feels this way sometimes, so I...
Hi Reader, Welcome! Please, come in, out of that snow. My it's cold out there—winter is biting down. But it's cozy in here. Have some hot cocoa. I made it with warm milk this time. Did you read the Rascal article about Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast? It's the kind of cautionary tale that keeps me up at night. If you don't have a Rascal subscription, do get one. But for now, here's my best sum-up: Possum Creek Games, led by Jay Dragon, made some big promises to the writers and artists who helped...