🌈🚀 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. Sit down. We've got some cold fizzy water and some pizza from this place up the road. On the table and chairs there's an oiled bronze sword, a boiled leather shield, a skeleton key mottled in verdigris ... let me get all that out of the way. There. As you can tell by all the detritus—We're just a week and a half away from the end of the Defy the Gods Kickstarter! So far, we've unlocked an embroidered patch, a spot-gloss upgrade for the standard edition, a...
Hi Reader, Whew! Please come in, out of that gale. Here at the table, there's a tranquil bunch of violets and some herbal tea. Those winds are Origins Game Fair blowing through Columbus like a hurricane. Also—related—Defy the Gods blowing past its second stretch goal. This week has bowled me over. I sold out of all my raccoon dice and enamel pins. I sold over fifty Quick Starts for Defy the Gods. Several people also backed the Kickstarter right there at the booth. Since I don't have a...
Hi Reader, Welcome! Please, come in, make yourself at home. On the table, next to some humble, xeroxed character sheets, is a tiny ceramic pot holding a lush orchid. I've been thinking about the densely packed experience lately. Like movies. Even though they're today's prestige storytelling format, even a great movie is just two hours (okay, two and a half) of light and sound. But in that time, it takes you on a rollercoaster. When it drops you off at the end, you feel richer—not twenty...