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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. |
🌈🚀 Reliable wonder engine. I make narrative role-playing games that imagine a weirder, queerer, more connected world.
Hi Reader, It's All-Raccoons Eve! Tomorrow at noon Eastern, assuming nothing wacky happens in the meantime, the Raccoon Sky Pirates Kickstarter will launch! I've just finished (whew) the free Haunted House Map that goes to everyone who backs in the first 24 hours. I hope you'll be one of them! Here's a low-res screenshot from the first floor. There's a second floor, an attic and of course a basement. It has its own Disaster Track and over a hundred cursed items to steal! If you haven't...
Hi Reader, Imagine it's after dark on the eve of All Hallows. Your car broke down, and now you're tramping through the woods in search of shelter. Ice-cold rain soaks through your too-summery clothes and into your bones. A sudden shock: Lightning outlines a looming manor house. Deafening thunder—or is it the manse's baleful façade?—roots you to the spot. Brambles choke its walls. Mazy gables top narrow windows from which fell figures stare out. And then...like an ill omen...a Chevy Bluebird...
Hi Reader, Particle accelerator, but make it flowers. Please come in. Have some ice-cold fizzy water. Yesterday, I went to Yellow Springs, Ohio. From their creek, I brought back messy stalks of orange jewelweed. They're floating in a ceramic bowl of cool water on the table. Little gems. Lyla McBeath Fujiwara is brilliant. I recently read her Substack post about playtesting tactics. Lyla has worked at the mind-boggling scale of the Cosmere RPG. She generously shares that experience, with...