Christian Hendriks
@cerhendriks.bsky.social
Work & volunteering: arts admin, grant writing, museum collections.
Education: MLIS, English lit MA.
General: Ontarian, Anglican, autistic, leftist, TTRPG hobbyist, he/him/his.
Opinions are never wholly one's own, but I'm responsible for mine.
Education: MLIS, English lit MA.
General: Ontarian, Anglican, autistic, leftist, TTRPG hobbyist, he/him/his.
Opinions are never wholly one's own, but I'm responsible for mine.
Pinned
I have not often been asked what I meant by the things I've written, but you can quote me if you like: I meant all the metaphors I intended and several of the ones I didn't.
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
Windows make all our buildings into human aquariums for the birds. They love to peep in and watch us work, it seems very entertaining for them.
January 9, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Windows make all our buildings into human aquariums for the birds. They love to peep in and watch us work, it seems very entertaining for them.
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
Charlie has figured out how to make the printer print test pages and now it’s all he wants to do.
January 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Charlie has figured out how to make the printer print test pages and now it’s all he wants to do.
Here's my next post about the immediate past (~12 years) for my post-apocalyptic weird fiction setting: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/the-bad-years/
I have these posts' topics scheduled well in advance, but it just so happens that this one fits in the (anti-)colonialist dungeon discourse a bit.
I have these posts' topics scheduled well in advance, but it just so happens that this one fits in the (anti-)colonialist dungeon discourse a bit.
The Bad Years
"Ant-sheep" is the common English name for one of the domesticated extraterrestrial insectoid animals, about as big as ewes, that the amazons and drakemantids brought with them to the...
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
January 10, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Here's my next post about the immediate past (~12 years) for my post-apocalyptic weird fiction setting: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/the-bad-years/
I have these posts' topics scheduled well in advance, but it just so happens that this one fits in the (anti-)colonialist dungeon discourse a bit.
I have these posts' topics scheduled well in advance, but it just so happens that this one fits in the (anti-)colonialist dungeon discourse a bit.
I got less written over the holidays than I had hoped, but here finally is the next post about my weird fiction + post-apocalyptic ttrpg setting, providing on overview of religion in the Lakelands: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/religion-in-...
Religion in the Lakelands
Some were surprised by the increase of religiosity in the Lakeland post-Arrival, given that the Unbound's appearance upended many assumptions about the universe, but they shouldn't have been:
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
January 6, 2026 at 2:55 AM
I got less written over the holidays than I had hoped, but here finally is the next post about my weird fiction + post-apocalyptic ttrpg setting, providing on overview of religion in the Lakelands: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/religion-in-...
As I'm writing for my post-apocalyptic setting, it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that the post-apocalyptic genre is in many ways the modern western. That's part of why it feels so American, I think?
There are, of course, real problems with the western that I'm going to need to address.
There are, of course, real problems with the western that I'm going to need to address.
January 2, 2026 at 9:56 PM
As I'm writing for my post-apocalyptic setting, it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that the post-apocalyptic genre is in many ways the modern western. That's part of why it feels so American, I think?
There are, of course, real problems with the western that I'm going to need to address.
There are, of course, real problems with the western that I'm going to need to address.
Happy New Year, everyone.
I just published the round-up for the December 2025 RPG Blog Carnival, with the theme "The End Times And After." Thanks to everyone for participating, and let me know if I missed yours.
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/december-202...
I just published the round-up for the December 2025 RPG Blog Carnival, with the theme "The End Times And After." Thanks to everyone for participating, and let me know if I missed yours.
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/december-202...
December 2025 RPG Carnival Round Up: The End Times And After
For the month of December 2025, I hosted the RPG Blog Carnival, having chosen the theme, "The End Times and After." As a reminder, I asked for blog posts on any of the following topics: ...
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
January 1, 2026 at 5:20 AM
Happy New Year, everyone.
I just published the round-up for the December 2025 RPG Blog Carnival, with the theme "The End Times And After." Thanks to everyone for participating, and let me know if I missed yours.
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/december-202...
I just published the round-up for the December 2025 RPG Blog Carnival, with the theme "The End Times And After." Thanks to everyone for participating, and let me know if I missed yours.
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/december-202...
If you wrote a post or newsletter this month that pertains to an apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, or adventure-archaeology #ttrpg, please feel free to retroactively say it's part of this carnival, add a line to that effect, and tell me about it so I can include it in tomorrow's round-up.
Please join me in discussing the apocalyptic, the post-apocalyptic, and adventure-archaeology in this month's RPG Blog Carnival: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/the-end-time...
If you have a #ttrpg blog or newsletter, I'd love for you to participate.
If you have a #ttrpg blog or newsletter, I'd love for you to participate.
The End Times and After: December 2025 RPG Blog Carnival
"Of what is he singing?" said a queen to a queen. "He is singing of everlasting Zaccarath." — Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany, "In Zaccarath," 1909 The days grow long ...
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
December 31, 2025 at 10:27 PM
If you wrote a post or newsletter this month that pertains to an apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, or adventure-archaeology #ttrpg, please feel free to retroactively say it's part of this carnival, add a line to that effect, and tell me about it so I can include it in tomorrow's round-up.
I highly recommend that you read this thread about a young preacher going to speak at a church in a tradition that was very unfamiliar to him.
I would also like to know when (and if) you knew what the twist was going to be.
I would also like to know when (and if) you knew what the twist was going to be.
right after my father died several of his contemporaries invited me to come speak at their churches ... they knew i was in college and wanted to help me out
December 31, 2025 at 5:36 AM
I highly recommend that you read this thread about a young preacher going to speak at a church in a tradition that was very unfamiliar to him.
I would also like to know when (and if) you knew what the twist was going to be.
I would also like to know when (and if) you knew what the twist was going to be.
I am inventing a weather generation system wherein the GM looks outside and whatever the weather is outside is the weather it is in the game.
There is no reason to create a complicated way of generating weather and yet
December 31, 2025 at 4:31 AM
I am inventing a weather generation system wherein the GM looks outside and whatever the weather is outside is the weather it is in the game.
I wonder if we should think about this exercise as the creation of a canon, or something analogous to the creation of a canon. And, oh boy, I love the idea of a canon (see the next post). But, ultimately, I do not think that's quite what this would be.
I am too lazy to actually organize this, but I think a good and positive bluesky Discourse thing would be for everyone to like in one month go play a particular game which is a good example of a play style and then talk about that play style with the context of having all played that game
December 30, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I wonder if we should think about this exercise as the creation of a canon, or something analogous to the creation of a canon. And, oh boy, I love the idea of a canon (see the next post). But, ultimately, I do not think that's quite what this would be.
A common piece of #ttrpg advice is, "Players will not care about your lore." If you've said this, what did you mean by "lore"? If you've heard this, what did you think was meant?
I ask because this is so contrary to my own experience that I assume we must mean different things by "lore."
I ask because this is so contrary to my own experience that I assume we must mean different things by "lore."
December 30, 2025 at 5:59 AM
A common piece of #ttrpg advice is, "Players will not care about your lore." If you've said this, what did you mean by "lore"? If you've heard this, what did you think was meant?
I ask because this is so contrary to my own experience that I assume we must mean different things by "lore."
I ask because this is so contrary to my own experience that I assume we must mean different things by "lore."
Over the holidays @nickdrawthing.bsky.social and I were talking about finding public domain or Creative Commons-licensed images for #ttrpg blog posts, so I wrote about it: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/how-i-find-p...
How I Find Pictures For My Posts
When it comes to pictures for my blog posts, I'm committed to only using images in the public domain or ones with Creative Commons or similar licenses, such as Unsplash's license. How I find these...
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
December 29, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Over the holidays @nickdrawthing.bsky.social and I were talking about finding public domain or Creative Commons-licensed images for #ttrpg blog posts, so I wrote about it: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/how-i-find-p...
One thing I'm struggling with, when running Fate games, is to remember that I have Fate points, too, that I can use to boost NPCs' rolls. I'm trying to think of ways to remind myself of them but I'd appreciate any input from people who have also had this problem.
#ttrpg
#ttrpg
December 28, 2025 at 4:47 AM
One thing I'm struggling with, when running Fate games, is to remember that I have Fate points, too, that I can use to boost NPCs' rolls. I'm trying to think of ways to remind myself of them but I'd appreciate any input from people who have also had this problem.
#ttrpg
#ttrpg
It would be nice if knowing what my character flaws are was more helpful in doing something about them. But knowing that I'm short-tempered in certain situations does not really make me less short-tempered in those situations.
December 28, 2025 at 2:18 AM
It would be nice if knowing what my character flaws are was more helpful in doing something about them. But knowing that I'm short-tempered in certain situations does not really make me less short-tempered in those situations.
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
Me: is.
You: ought?!?!?!
Me: no, is.
You: OUGHT?!?!?!
Me: once again, is.
You: OuGhT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
You: ought?!?!?!
Me: no, is.
You: OUGHT?!?!?!
Me: once again, is.
You: OuGhT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
December 21, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Me: is.
You: ought?!?!?!
Me: no, is.
You: OUGHT?!?!?!
Me: once again, is.
You: OuGhT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
You: ought?!?!?!
Me: no, is.
You: OUGHT?!?!?!
Me: once again, is.
You: OuGhT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
The cynical part of me wonders if it’s all a show, a series of masks that such people manifest in order to abjure themselves of the obligations to thoughtful ethics, or reflection — also neurotic in its rejection of reality, but done on purpose, rather than via a false narrative they’ve swallowed
December 26, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The cynical part of me wonders if it’s all a show, a series of masks that such people manifest in order to abjure themselves of the obligations to thoughtful ethics, or reflection — also neurotic in its rejection of reality, but done on purpose, rather than via a false narrative they’ve swallowed
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
The non-cynical part of me wants to say that this was legitimate shame that leads to a toxic self-perception and, through it, a toxic world-perception (eg rebellion against civilization and its forces) — people in these situations have been told they’re dumb, & they feel resentment against education
December 26, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The non-cynical part of me wants to say that this was legitimate shame that leads to a toxic self-perception and, through it, a toxic world-perception (eg rebellion against civilization and its forces) — people in these situations have been told they’re dumb, & they feel resentment against education
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
Having finished the Hobbit, we've moved onto LoTR as a bedtime story. We've reached Rivendell, and this time I gave Gloin a rolling Scottish accent (inconsistent from my treatment in the Hobbit).
After a few pages of this my 8yr old says "I wonder why he sounds so different in this one."
After a few pages of this my 8yr old says "I wonder why he sounds so different in this one."
December 17, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Having finished the Hobbit, we've moved onto LoTR as a bedtime story. We've reached Rivendell, and this time I gave Gloin a rolling Scottish accent (inconsistent from my treatment in the Hobbit).
After a few pages of this my 8yr old says "I wonder why he sounds so different in this one."
After a few pages of this my 8yr old says "I wonder why he sounds so different in this one."
For a few weeks now I've been wondering what to do about this kind of misreading and, thanks to this thread, I now realize the best thing to do about it is to respond with grace and kindness when people misread my restrictive clauses.
I wish that were easier for me to do.
I wish that were easier for me to do.
I have had people trip up on similar grammatical constructions, in fact, and although I think yours was very clear, one of the places reading comprehension seems to break down on this website is with restrictive clauses.
December 24, 2025 at 7:16 PM
For a few weeks now I've been wondering what to do about this kind of misreading and, thanks to this thread, I now realize the best thing to do about it is to respond with grace and kindness when people misread my restrictive clauses.
I wish that were easier for me to do.
I wish that were easier for me to do.
I tweaked the code again so that two details can show up sometimes (about a quarter of posts). I was hoping that these details would suggest interpretations of each other; I wonder here if mynas eat worms. (A quick bit of research gave me no definitive answer.)
You stock up on supplies at a pestilential university village made from wooden poles and animal hides. An unusually high number of residents are uplifted mynas. Sericulture is ubiquitous here.
December 16, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I tweaked the code again so that two details can show up sometimes (about a quarter of posts). I was hoping that these details would suggest interpretations of each other; I wonder here if mynas eat worms. (A quick bit of research gave me no definitive answer.)
I didn't have a post up on my blog last weekend, so I have a second this week: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/where-to-beg...
This one contains an anecdote about running a #ttrpg for my brother and his daughter, and how I unsuccessfully and then successfully started segments of the game.
This one contains an anecdote about running a #ttrpg for my brother and his daughter, and how I unsuccessfully and then successfully started segments of the game.
Where To Begin (A Tabletop Game)?
"The only way to learn is by playing. The only way to win is by learning. And the only way to begin is by beginning." — Sam Reich, Dropout's Game Changer
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
December 15, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I didn't have a post up on my blog last weekend, so I have a second this week: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/where-to-beg...
This one contains an anecdote about running a #ttrpg for my brother and his daughter, and how I unsuccessfully and then successfully started segments of the game.
This one contains an anecdote about running a #ttrpg for my brother and his daughter, and how I unsuccessfully and then successfully started segments of the game.
Oh, wow, WAKE UP DEAD MAN was really good movie. You were all telling the truth.
As a mystery, I think it was a little weaker than the previous two, perhaps, but still engaging. As a film, though? It was easily as good as KNIVES OUT and GLASS ONION.
As a mystery, I think it was a little weaker than the previous two, perhaps, but still engaging. As a film, though? It was easily as good as KNIVES OUT and GLASS ONION.
December 15, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Oh, wow, WAKE UP DEAD MAN was really good movie. You were all telling the truth.
As a mystery, I think it was a little weaker than the previous two, perhaps, but still engaging. As a film, though? It was easily as good as KNIVES OUT and GLASS ONION.
As a mystery, I think it was a little weaker than the previous two, perhaps, but still engaging. As a film, though? It was easily as good as KNIVES OUT and GLASS ONION.
Reposted by Christian Hendriks
Nursery rhyme recounting the traditional way to lure a bat into your hat
December 15, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Nursery rhyme recounting the traditional way to lure a bat into your hat
This weekend I have a post about mould nymphs on my #ttrpg blog, playable people in my post-apocalyptic / weird fiction setting: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/mould-nymphs/
Each nymph is a walking, talking colony of many species of fungus, vaguely mimicking a human shape.
Each nymph is a walking, talking colony of many species of fungus, vaguely mimicking a human shape.
Mould Nymphs
Each individual mould nymph, sometimes called a mycanthrope, is a colony of many species of fungus, arranged roughly into the form of a human, though no one would mistake them for one. Mould ...
advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev
December 14, 2025 at 5:09 AM
This weekend I have a post about mould nymphs on my #ttrpg blog, playable people in my post-apocalyptic / weird fiction setting: advantageonarcana.bearblog.dev/mould-nymphs/
Each nymph is a walking, talking colony of many species of fungus, vaguely mimicking a human shape.
Each nymph is a walking, talking colony of many species of fungus, vaguely mimicking a human shape.