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alkemion.bsky.social
Alkemion
@alkemion.bsky.social
170 followers 640 following 230 posts
Father and son. Creators of Alkemion Studio, a free creative tool to design, organize, and share your TTRPG worlds and adventures: https://alkemion.com
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alkemion.bsky.social
Alkemion @alkemion.bsky.social · Oct 18
We hear there's an influx of new users. Welcome!

We are a father and son duo of indie developers, and the creators of Alkemion Studio, a free visual brainstorming and writing application for the #TTRPG community.

We hope you'll give it a try on alkemion.com!
#writing #indiedev #dnd #osr
Screenshot of Alkemion Studio featuring the visual board with a module called "The Lost Melodies", set in 19th century Montmartre. Screenshot of Alkemion Studio featuring the visual board and the text editor, with a module called "The Lost Melodies", set in 19th century Montmartre. Screenshot of Alkemion Studio featuring the rich text editor, with a module called "The Lost Melodies", set in 19th century Montmartre. Screenshot of Alkemion Studio featuring the visual board with a module called "The Lost Melodies", set in 19th century Montmartre. Two information windows are open on the board, showing details about content nodes.
alkemion.bsky.social
Treat NPCs as living stories. Let time, choices, and consequences reshape them.

When old faces return changed, the world feels like it kept turning even when the players looked away.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The Wedding Feast” by Léon Herbo (c. 1879). A crowded wedding banquet scene set in a late-19th-century dining room. Guests in formal dress eat, drink, and converse around a long table covered with food and champagne bottles. The mood is lively and chaotic: some laugh and toast, others argue or slump from exhaustion. A waiter bends to wipe the floor while another watches nearby, and a small girl in a blue dress stands beside him. Overlay text: “Recurring NPCs are the heartbeat of a campaign. Bring them back with new goals and new scars.”
November 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Uncertainty keeps players alert. When they face what they can’t fully explain, they start imagining possibilities, and imagination is where real tension grows.

Hint at danger, leave gaps, and curiosity will do the rest.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Isle of the Dead” by Arnold Böcklin (1880). A small rowboat carrying a standing figure in white approaches a dark, rocky island surrounded by calm water. Tall cypress trees rise over tomb-like structures built into the cliffs, while the sky above is dim and overcast, creating a mood of mystery and foreboding. Overlay text: “Give your players something to fear and something they don’t yet understand. Mystery and menace make every plot better.”
November 10, 2025 at 6:18 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
A clear premise gives imagination something solid to build on.

Start your campaign with a few lines that express its theme, tone, and main tension. Those sentences act as a compass, helping you and your players know where the story begins.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Scholar Sharpening His Quill” by Salomon Koninck (c. 1639). An elderly scholar in dark robes and a cap leans over a large open book, carefully sharpening his quill pen by candlelight. The dim room and warm tones of the painting suggest quiet focus and the beginning of intellectual work. Overlay text: “Write your campaign premise so imagination can find its first solid ground.”
November 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Players instinctively know how to navigate a dungeon. Doors and corridors create a rhythm of discovery and risk. Every forward step feels earned.

That simple loop of choice and progress is what makes this structure timeless.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Doorway in Meissen” by Caspar David Friedrich (1827). A dimly lit stone passage opens toward a small arched doorway. Light from a barred window spills across worn steps and rough walls, suggesting the entrance to an old dungeon or cellar. Overlay text: “The dungeon structure is rhythm. It works because movement equals progress, and players always know what to do next.”
November 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Whether it’s a battle, a bargain, or a truce, an obstacle only works when it forces a decision. If there’s no real choice, it’s just a pause.

Make sure each challenge carries a visible dilemma, clear options, real consequences, and a reason to care.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The peace negotiation in the city hall of Munster” by Fritz Grotemeyer (c. 1895). A large group of diplomats and nobles gather around a green-covered table in an ornate wooden hall, debating and studying maps during a tense peace negotiation. Sunlight filters through tall windows as richly dressed figures lean forward, gesture, and listen, while a few soldiers and dogs stand nearby, hinting at the cost of the conflict being settled. Overlay text: “A good obstacle leaves players facing choices where every victory costs something.”
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
alkemion.bsky.social
A living game is full of flaws, and that’s what gives it warmth. Leave room for the awkward, the missed cues, the lucky rolls.

A gamemaster’s work isn’t to fix them but to notice what they create.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“A Sudden Squall at Sea” by François-Auguste Biard (1858). A crowded ship’s dining hall tilts sharply as a storm hits. Plates, bottles, and people tumble across the floor while passengers cling to tables and each other. The scene is chaotic and full of movement, capturing a moment of panic and humanity amid sudden disorder. Overlay text: “Chasing perfection is how stories die. Let them breathe, even if they’re messy.”
November 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Too much openness can paralyze the table. A clear intrigue provides choices that matter.

Players feel free when their actions change the course of events and open new possibilities.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Man and Woman Contemplating the Moon” by Caspar David Friedrich (c. 1824). A man and a woman stand together on a forested hill at dusk, gazing at a crescent moon low on the horizon. Bare branches frame the sky, and the figures, seen from behind, appear small beneath the twisted tree. The scene is calm and reflective. Overlay text: “Players don’t need infinite paths. They need meaningful ones.”
November 5, 2025 at 5:53 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Players love making plans. But in real action, there’s no time to polish them.

The best scenes push them to decide quickly, adapt fast, and live with the chaos that follows.

That’s when tension becomes real.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The Great Fire of London” by Philip James de Loutherbourg (c. 1797). A dramatic 18th-century painting of the Great Fire of London showing people fleeing in boats under a stone bridge as the city burns. Huge orange flames and thick smoke fill the sky, lighting the river with their reflection, while figures on the shore and in the boats struggle to escape the chaos. Overlay text: “The heart of action is forcing choices faster than players can perfect them.”
November 4, 2025 at 7:27 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Right and wrong are rarely the hardest issues in a campaign.

The weight of a dilemma comes from divided loyalties, conflicting duties, and personal attachments.

Nothing leaves a stronger mark on a player's mind than a choice that refuses to be simple.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy
“Soldier's Farewell” by Gustave Doré (1873). A painting showing a uniformed soldier standing beside a cradle in a dimly lit room. His rifle and pack are on his back as he looks down at the sleeping infant, suggesting a quiet farewell before leaving for war. The warm light and detailed textures evoke tenderness and sorrow. Overlay text: “In most campaigns, the hardest choices go beyond good and evil. They’re about loyalty, love, and what your heroes can’t bear to lose.”
November 3, 2025 at 5:55 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Your prep self builds the structure, tone, and meaning of the world. Your running self reads the room and reacts to the players.

Let your notes suggest, not command. Trust the energy of the table to decide what matters most.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Double Portrait of the Brothers Bernhard and Emil Österman”, an oil painting by Bernhard Österman (1904). It shows two men in dark suits, one seated holding a paintbrush and palette, the other standing behind him and leaning forward to observe. Their focused expressions and mirrored posture suggest collaboration and reflection, as if one is guiding or advising the other. The background is dim, drawing attention to the brothers and their shared act of creation. Overlay text: “Prep is a conversation between two versions of you: the one who builds the world and the one who brings it to life at the table.”
November 2, 2025 at 9:43 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Ellipses are a GM’s best tool. When nothing changes for a while, skip ahead.

Let players describe what they do during the break, then cut back to the action.

The story will keep its flow and energy.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Astronomer by Candlelight” by Gerrit Dou (1659).An astronomer studies a book by candlelight in a dark room, with a globe and hourglass beside him. The warm candle glow reveals his focused expression and the delicate play of light and shadow around his instruments. Overlay text: “When nothing interesting happens, skip it. The story lives in what changes, not in what stalls.”
November 1, 2025 at 8:16 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Players will test the world. The GM’s job is to make it push back.

Every time they act, something should move, fall apart, or rise against them. When the world reacts, they stop waiting for the story and start driving it forward.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The Shipwreck” by J. M. W. Turner (1805). A dramatic seascape showing several ships wrecked in a violent storm. Massive waves crash against the boats while sailors struggle to survive amid broken masts and debris. The scene captures chaos, motion, and the raw power of nature. Overlay text: “Don’t let player actions disappear into narration. Turn them into consequences.”
October 31, 2025 at 7:46 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
When designing a mystery, don’t worry about what happens first or last. Build the network of truths beneath the surface, and the story will grow from the players’ curiosity.

Think in terms of connections between clues, not a timeline of events.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The Geographer” by Johannes Vermeer (1669). A man in a blue robe stands by a window, leaning over a table covered with a richly patterned cloth. He studies a large map with a compass in hand, bathed in natural light from the window. A globe and map hang behind him, suggesting study, exploration, and discovery. Overlay text: “When designing a mystery, don’t script the story. Map how the clues connect instead.”
October 30, 2025 at 6:49 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Your prep is a mood board for emotion.

Decide what you want players to feel and shape your NPCs, clues, and descriptions toward that feeling.

Players create the plot, and you create the emotional current.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Arthur Nikisch Conducting a Concert at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig” by Robert Sterl (1910). Oil painting of a concert scene showing a conductor leading an orchestra. The conductor stands at the podium with raised arms and an intense expression, surrounded by musicians in formal attire. The brushwork is energetic and expressive, capturing the emotion and movement of the performance rather than fine detail. The warm, earthy tones and visible strokes give a sense of sound and motion filling the hall. Overlay text: “You can’t control what players do. But you can shape how the story feels while they do it.”
October 29, 2025 at 8:33 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
A flexible adventure is made of islands: small, movable scenes that can drift, collide, and reshape as players make their own discoveries.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Sunset in the Shetland Islands Scotland” by William Trost Richards (1899). Oil painting of a calm sea at sunset, with towering rocky cliffs and sea stacks glowing in golden light. The sky is filled with soft clouds, and a few seabirds circle above the water, capturing a peaceful moment along the rugged coast of the Shetland Islands. Overlay text: “Build islands of story, not rails of plot.”
October 28, 2025 at 5:22 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
A random result is a seed. You choose the soil, the weather, and the shape it grows into.

The moment between rolling and deciding is where creativity lives.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
Painting “The Vanity of the Artist's Dream” by Charles Bird King (1830). A 19th-century still life painting showing a cluttered artist’s workspace filled with symbolic objects. Books, papers, a painter’s palette, a sculpted head, and scattered tools spill from a wooden frame. Among them lie a loaf of bread, a glass of water, a quill, and a small portrait of a woman holding a cornucopia. The composition evokes creativity, ambition, and the fleeting nature of artistic inspiration. Overlay text: “Don’t roll for answers. Roll for ideas.”
October 27, 2025 at 11:54 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Backstories set the stage, but choices define the play.

What defines a hero is how they respond when their values are tested.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Courage, Anxiety and Despair Watching the Battle” by James Sant (c. 1850). Three women crouch in a rocky cave overlooking a battle below. One leans forward tensely, gripping the stone edge with determination, while the others cling to her, their faces filled with fear and sorrow. Their richly detailed garments and the dim light heighten the sense of emotion and urgency as they watch unseen events unfold in the distance. Overlay text: “Characters aren’t defined by backstory. They’re defined by what they do when it matters.”
October 26, 2025 at 5:14 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
A quick tour of the shortcuts that keep you in the flow while building your worlds in Alkemion Studio.

We’re a father-and-son team making a free tool for TTRPG creators who build stories visually:
alkemion.com

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
October 25, 2025 at 7:52 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Don’t punish exploration with silence. When players chase the wrong lead, reward the effort with a bit of truth or a new direction.

Every response, even a small one, tells players their choices matter.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“The Explorer A.E. Nordenskiöld” by Georg Von Rosen (1886). A 19th-century explorer stands on a frozen Arctic landscape, dressed in a dark fur coat and holding a telescope. Behind him, a sailing ship is trapped in the ice under a gray, stormy sky. The scene conveys isolation, determination, and the harsh beauty of polar exploration. Overlay text: “Every clue should lead somewhere. Every dead end should still teach something.”
October 24, 2025 at 11:41 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
List what each NPC wants before you list what they know.

Goals drive behavior, not exposition. When every character acts from need, you’ll never run out of story.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Politics in an Oyster House” by Richard Caton Woodville, Sr. (1848). A 19th-century scene showing two men seated at a small wooden table inside a modest tavern. One man, dressed formally with a top hat and newspaper in hand, gestures animatedly while the other listens with a tired, skeptical expression. A red curtain hangs to one side, and a closed umbrella rests near the bench. The painting captures a moment of heated discussion, likely political, between two ordinary men. Overlay text: “The best NPCs don’t serve the plot. They serve their own needs.”
October 23, 2025 at 5:16 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
You prep so you can improvise with confidence.

Knowing the forces in play lets you react fast when players surprise you.

Prep the moving parts, not the script.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“Bibliophile” by Ernest Meissonier (1862). A man in an ornate robe sits at a wooden desk in a sunlit study, writing with deep concentration. Shelves filled with books line the wall behind him, and light from a tall window illuminates the papers spread before him. The painting conveys focus, preparation, and quiet dedication. Overlay text: “Preparation isn’t control. It’s freedom.”
October 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Hooks don’t need to be clever. They need to be personal.

Characters don’t move because a quest appears. They move because it speaks to who they are, what they’ve lost, or what they want to prove.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
“God Speed” by Edmund Blair Leighton (1900). A medieval knight in armor sits on horseback at the gate of a castle, receiving a red token from a woman in a long golden gown who leans down from the stone steps above him. Her gesture is tender and solemn, symbolizing farewell and devotion as the knight prepares to depart for battle. Roses bloom beside the stairway, and sunlight touches their faces. Overlay text: “Players don’t chase plot hooks. They chase meaning.”
October 21, 2025 at 9:01 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
You don’t need a perfect plot. You need a world full of motives, conflicts, and consequences.

Set the stage with real stakes and the players will bring the story to life.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
Painting "Moonlit Harbor" by Hermann Herzog (1867). A moonlit harbor scene with several sailing ships and boats anchored near the shore. The moonlight breaks through heavy clouds, casting reflections on the calm water. On the right, a lighthouse glows in the distance, while figures on the dock work by the light of small fires. The atmosphere feels quiet and expectant, as if the ships are ready to depart into the unknown. Overlay text: “The GM’s job isn’t to tell a story. It’s to make sure stories can happen.”
October 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Prepare structure, not control. Build the world’s walls, its rules, and its truths, but let players find their own way through.

A strong story stands firm while still welcoming many paths inside.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
Painting is “Burg Scharfenberg at Night” by Ernst Ferdinand Oehme (1827). A moonlit castle stands on a hill surrounded by trees, its windows glowing with warm light against the deep blue night. A lone rider approaches along a winding path, while stars and drifting clouds fill the sky above the quiet landscape below. Overlay text: “Every story needs boundaries and freedom. Build its walls, but leave the gates open for the players to choose their way in.”
October 19, 2025 at 4:23 PM
alkemion.bsky.social
Treat every ruin as a living witness.

Give it motives, scars, and secrets that shape what players find inside.

Loot is just what’s left behind when no one asked why it was lost.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasy #rpg
Painting “Magician and Dragon” by Carl Spitzweg (c. 1875). A lone magician stands in a rocky ruin, facing a small dragon rising from a fiery pit. Scattered skulls lie at his feet, and his umbrella rests nearby. In the distance, a sunlit castle crowns a high hill beneath swirling storm clouds, contrasting light and shadow to suggest mystery and danger. Overlay text: “Every ruin hides two stories: the one of those who built it, and the one of those who still linger there.”
October 18, 2025 at 7:12 PM