Ben L
@benlaurence.bsky.social
Author of Through Ultan's Door, Downtime in Zyan, and Mazirian's Garden. Creator of the podcast Into the Megadungeon.
Links here: https://linktr.ee/ultansdoor
Patreon: https://patreon.com/ultansdoor
Webstore: https://throughultansdoor.bigcartel.com/
Links here: https://linktr.ee/ultansdoor
Patreon: https://patreon.com/ultansdoor
Webstore: https://throughultansdoor.bigcartel.com/
Instabacked!
Demidirge - Fanged Funnel is now live
www.kickstarter.com/projects/laz...
Obey, toil, scheme and conspire to escape the Malic Mindshaft
#zinequest #ttrpg #Shadowdark #dnd
www.kickstarter.com/projects/laz...
Obey, toil, scheme and conspire to escape the Malic Mindshaft
#zinequest #ttrpg #Shadowdark #dnd
Demidirge - Fanged Funnel
An acidic nightmare adventure for Shadowdark RPG
www.kickstarter.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Instabacked!
What is the Sacrament of the Minotaur? Why is it so traumatic? How does it restore our humanity? Who doesn't love a good random table? This installment of my newsletter shows how I'm running the Bell from Gradient Descent. More to come! #Mothership #GradientDescent open.substack.com/pub/ultansdo...
The Sacrament of the Minotaur
Tools for Running the Bell Basecamp in Gradient Descent
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:35 PM
What is the Sacrament of the Minotaur? Why is it so traumatic? How does it restore our humanity? Who doesn't love a good random table? This installment of my newsletter shows how I'm running the Bell from Gradient Descent. More to come! #Mothership #GradientDescent open.substack.com/pub/ultansdo...
Reposted by Ben L
oki, lol, mood: youtu.be/sjco86ekIlQ?...
A clinically depressed newscaster with Disco Elysium music
YouTube video by AILLBREAKFAST
youtu.be
February 2, 2026 at 12:22 AM
oki, lol, mood: youtu.be/sjco86ekIlQ?...
Reposted by Ben L
The funniest difference between the two OSR generations is that the old guys all have names like Jim Thompkins and the younger ones want to be referred to as "Squibbles" or "Acid Bitch"
January 30, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The funniest difference between the two OSR generations is that the old guys all have names like Jim Thompkins and the younger ones want to be referred to as "Squibbles" or "Acid Bitch"
I have struggled mightily with this very thing. Haven't watched the tutorial yet, but I'm excited to and I hope it will help me.
I'm so glad we can all agree Affinity tables suck to use.
I took the time to record a quick tutorial on my (free) Patreon that teaches you the right tricks so you NEVER have to use them ever again for your TTRPG rolling tables and other layout needs.
Share it, and please join my (free!!) Patreon
I took the time to record a quick tutorial on my (free) Patreon that teaches you the right tricks so you NEVER have to use them ever again for your TTRPG rolling tables and other layout needs.
Share it, and please join my (free!!) Patreon
January 30, 2026 at 4:18 PM
I have struggled mightily with this very thing. Haven't watched the tutorial yet, but I'm excited to and I hope it will help me.
Reposted by Ben L
As of tomorrow, Cairn Press is live!
Bring me your modules, your supplements, your hacks - as long as they are Cairn adjacent, I'll take consider it!
More soon.
cairnpress.ink
Bring me your modules, your supplements, your hacks - as long as they are Cairn adjacent, I'll take consider it!
More soon.
cairnpress.ink
Cairn Press
The official website for the Cairn Press imprint.
cairnpress.ink
January 30, 2026 at 3:43 AM
As of tomorrow, Cairn Press is live!
Bring me your modules, your supplements, your hacks - as long as they are Cairn adjacent, I'll take consider it!
More soon.
cairnpress.ink
Bring me your modules, your supplements, your hacks - as long as they are Cairn adjacent, I'll take consider it!
More soon.
cairnpress.ink
I met up with @samsorensen.bsky.social for the first time when I was in NYC. We bonded over our mutual love of Bernard Suites' The Grasshopper. One benefit of being much less online than I used to be is the desire to see other ttrpg folks in the flesh. Highly recommend actual human encounters
January 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM
I met up with @samsorensen.bsky.social for the first time when I was in NYC. We bonded over our mutual love of Bernard Suites' The Grasshopper. One benefit of being much less online than I used to be is the desire to see other ttrpg folks in the flesh. Highly recommend actual human encounters
I've been having a lot of fun writing lore which is helpful for GM's running adventure locations in Zyan. I'm doing it as a Commonplace book, a collection of excerpts of in world texts, compiled by Ookavi Ookabi a sorcerer and great dream traveler of the painted baboons. 1/4
January 28, 2026 at 3:53 PM
I've been having a lot of fun writing lore which is helpful for GM's running adventure locations in Zyan. I'm doing it as a Commonplace book, a collection of excerpts of in world texts, compiled by Ookavi Ookabi a sorcerer and great dream traveler of the painted baboons. 1/4
About to get on a flight. Here's manuscript I'm reading. I wonder what it could be?
January 22, 2026 at 11:55 AM
About to get on a flight. Here's manuscript I'm reading. I wonder what it could be?
Reposted by Ben L
WYRM is here!
WYRM is my fantasy adventure game, and my take on the OSR/NSR style of play, with a Gila twist.
Get the core rules, starting adventure, starter sandbox hexcrawl today.
All PWYW.
This is just the start of WYRM.
gilarpgs.itch.io/wyrm
WYRM is my fantasy adventure game, and my take on the OSR/NSR style of play, with a Gila twist.
Get the core rules, starting adventure, starter sandbox hexcrawl today.
All PWYW.
This is just the start of WYRM.
gilarpgs.itch.io/wyrm
WYRM by Gila RPGs
OSR style fantasy adventure game
gilarpgs.itch.io
January 20, 2026 at 4:01 PM
WYRM is here!
WYRM is my fantasy adventure game, and my take on the OSR/NSR style of play, with a Gila twist.
Get the core rules, starting adventure, starter sandbox hexcrawl today.
All PWYW.
This is just the start of WYRM.
gilarpgs.itch.io/wyrm
WYRM is my fantasy adventure game, and my take on the OSR/NSR style of play, with a Gila twist.
Get the core rules, starting adventure, starter sandbox hexcrawl today.
All PWYW.
This is just the start of WYRM.
gilarpgs.itch.io/wyrm
These horn dogs are 🧑🍳💋
Artist! Quote with your horn art!
January 20, 2026 at 5:33 PM
These horn dogs are 🧑🍳💋
At last, a version of the abundance agenda I can get behind
Abundance! Fresh from the Sea!
www.patreon.com/posts/abunda...
www.patreon.com/posts/abunda...
January 20, 2026 at 3:05 PM
At last, a version of the abundance agenda I can get behind
Jorune, like Empire of the Petal Throne is a deeply imagined sword and planet labor of love that never really caught on. But unlike EPT, which is a problematic fav, it was not written by an actual Nazi. Instead of hierarchical slaving ethnostates you get crystals, drugs, and auras!
Jorune is fascinating and has some of the best art to ever grace an RPG. I was hoping it would get some attention as an alternative to Empire of the Petal Throne after... well, you know... but sadly that never came to pass.
January 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Jorune, like Empire of the Petal Throne is a deeply imagined sword and planet labor of love that never really caught on. But unlike EPT, which is a problematic fav, it was not written by an actual Nazi. Instead of hierarchical slaving ethnostates you get crystals, drugs, and auras!
I hear the siren song once again! Jorune, oddest of the oddballs from early-ish in the hobby, my white whale of a next psychedelic large player campaign, complete with heartbreaker rules, is calling to me. Should I resist and carry on with I'm supposed to be doing or give in?
January 19, 2026 at 4:30 PM
I hear the siren song once again! Jorune, oddest of the oddballs from early-ish in the hobby, my white whale of a next psychedelic large player campaign, complete with heartbreaker rules, is calling to me. Should I resist and carry on with I'm supposed to be doing or give in?
Reposted by Ben L
i'm working on a new little project on the side while seven part pact continues to churn along, where im going to take a bunch of OSR blogposts and cut them up to stitch together a franken-game for my personal enjoyment. im calling it THREE HOLE PUNCH
www.patreon.com/posts/three-...
www.patreon.com/posts/three-...
THREE HOLE PUNCH (The Starting List) | Jay Dragon (& Friends)
Get more from Jay Dragon (& Friends) on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:27 PM
i'm working on a new little project on the side while seven part pact continues to churn along, where im going to take a bunch of OSR blogposts and cut them up to stitch together a franken-game for my personal enjoyment. im calling it THREE HOLE PUNCH
www.patreon.com/posts/three-...
www.patreon.com/posts/three-...
Golden Heroes, Games Workshop's off-brand supers rpg, is criminally under-rated. I liked the comic book style action economy that gave you different "frames" worth of action. GW in the 1980's was on fire.
January 16, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Golden Heroes, Games Workshop's off-brand supers rpg, is criminally under-rated. I liked the comic book style action economy that gave you different "frames" worth of action. GW in the 1980's was on fire.
Speaking of reaction rolls, I really enjoyed reading this post at the Simulacrum blog about the history of reaction rolls through the editions. The history is actually hilarious because it sort of encapsulates the vibe of each edition. osrsimulacrum.blogspot.com/2020/09/acro...
Across the Editions — The Reaction Table
Old-school Renaissance / OSR theory and design.
osrsimulacrum.blogspot.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Speaking of reaction rolls, I really enjoyed reading this post at the Simulacrum blog about the history of reaction rolls through the editions. The history is actually hilarious because it sort of encapsulates the vibe of each edition. osrsimulacrum.blogspot.com/2020/09/acro...
Reposted by Ben L
WYRM is my take on OSR style games.
I'm very excited to release it on Tuesday, and then continue to support it all year long.
Core rules, starter adventure, and starting sandbox hexcrawl.
All PWYW.
I'm very excited to release it on Tuesday, and then continue to support it all year long.
Core rules, starter adventure, and starting sandbox hexcrawl.
All PWYW.
January 15, 2026 at 10:07 PM
WYRM is my take on OSR style games.
I'm very excited to release it on Tuesday, and then continue to support it all year long.
Core rules, starter adventure, and starting sandbox hexcrawl.
All PWYW.
I'm very excited to release it on Tuesday, and then continue to support it all year long.
Core rules, starter adventure, and starting sandbox hexcrawl.
All PWYW.
As someone putting the finale touches on my first ever non-Jaquaysed dungeon, the Gauntlet of the Panther Priests, I approve this message. Sometimes it pays to break the mold intentionally
Just so you all know this (overly) linear map is also from a Jennell Jaquays' product... Loops are good, but are neither necessary or sufficient for good map design.
January 15, 2026 at 7:28 PM
As someone putting the finale touches on my first ever non-Jaquaysed dungeon, the Gauntlet of the Panther Priests, I approve this message. Sometimes it pays to break the mold intentionally
Love me a new megadungeon project!
What's up OSR people? I made the very first, preliminary area to my megadungeon after like two weeks of warbling over how to map: queuedawg.bearblog.dev/the-bridge-t...
Megadungeon: The Bridge to the Keep
The very first thing you must brave in the Keep!
queuedawg.bearblog.dev
January 15, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Love me a new megadungeon project!
Speaking of hats @riseupcomus.bsky.social check out these hats from a 19th Century Album of Ottoman fashion at The Public Domain Review publicdomainreview.org/collection/1...
January 15, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Speaking of hats @riseupcomus.bsky.social check out these hats from a 19th Century Album of Ottoman fashion at The Public Domain Review publicdomainreview.org/collection/1...
This is the coolest idea ever
My new "adventure" Dungeon of Sparks is out now! It's fully illustrated but needs you, the reader to become the author. I'm calling it a "disjointed collaboration". When you finish writing it, you can use the art in it to publish an adventure. Enjoy! better-legends.itch.io/dungeon-of-s...
January 14, 2026 at 2:28 PM
This is the coolest idea ever
In my latest newsletter, I talk about how I write up wandering monsters to enable better use of reaction rolls. open.substack.com/pub/ultansdo...
How I Write Up Monsters Now
We need more guidance on reaction rolls!
open.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:08 PM
In my latest newsletter, I talk about how I write up wandering monsters to enable better use of reaction rolls. open.substack.com/pub/ultansdo...
Reposted by Ben L
We got inside out dragons and a heap of fleshy fun! Feedback for RESERVOIR by Cameron Maas. The amazing Ben Laurence joins me in the workshop.
@cameronmaas.bsky.social @benlaurence.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkuJ...
@cameronmaas.bsky.social @benlaurence.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkuJ...
RESERVOIR by Cameron Maas w/ guest Ben Laurence
YouTube video by Direct Sun
www.youtube.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:11 PM
We got inside out dragons and a heap of fleshy fun! Feedback for RESERVOIR by Cameron Maas. The amazing Ben Laurence joins me in the workshop.
@cameronmaas.bsky.social @benlaurence.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkuJ...
@cameronmaas.bsky.social @benlaurence.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkuJ...
Reposted by Ben L
Work on the forestcrawl continues, one illustration at a time
January 10, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Work on the forestcrawl continues, one illustration at a time