🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
@elainelithgow.bsky.social
Scottish TTRPG Producer at Rowan Rook & Decard. Usurper to the throne of Spire and Heart. Designer, Writer, and sometimes VTuber. She/her 🏳️🌈
Telling each other stories as the light goes out.
https://linktr.ee/elainelithgow
Telling each other stories as the light goes out.
https://linktr.ee/elainelithgow
Pinned
Lots of new followers lately, so re-intro time!
I'm Elaine, Scottish TTRPG producer by day, mini-painter and v-tuber by night.
I currently work at Rowan Rook & Decard on Heart and Spire, and previously worked at Cubicle 7 on the Warhammer roleplaying games, Broken Weave, and too many other games.
I'm Elaine, Scottish TTRPG producer by day, mini-painter and v-tuber by night.
I currently work at Rowan Rook & Decard on Heart and Spire, and previously worked at Cubicle 7 on the Warhammer roleplaying games, Broken Weave, and too many other games.
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I am so hype for this coffee from @alfredvalley.bsky.social and Dark Arts Coffee
January 5, 2026 at 8:30 AM
I am so hype for this coffee from @alfredvalley.bsky.social and Dark Arts Coffee
The longer I look the more questions I have.
January 4, 2026 at 8:14 PM
The longer I look the more questions I have.
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I made a new video! We take a look at the 1999 Dragon Ball Z TTRPG! We look through the rules, make a character, and draw up a portrait in the style of Akira Toriyama!!
Link: youtu.be/gPwpEPR2Fcw
Link: youtu.be/gPwpEPR2Fcw
Drawing Like Dragon Ball Z: The Anime Adventure Game!
YouTube video by Map Crow
youtu.be
January 2, 2026 at 9:19 PM
I made a new video! We take a look at the 1999 Dragon Ball Z TTRPG! We look through the rules, make a character, and draw up a portrait in the style of Akira Toriyama!!
Link: youtu.be/gPwpEPR2Fcw
Link: youtu.be/gPwpEPR2Fcw
Happy Hogmanay all! Lang may yer lum reek!
January 1, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Happy Hogmanay all! Lang may yer lum reek!
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I read 50 books this year! Here, in no particular order, are some really freaking good ones. 🧵
December 30, 2025 at 11:58 AM
I read 50 books this year! Here, in no particular order, are some really freaking good ones. 🧵
New sofa arrived. A Christmas present to ourselves.
We’ve been living with a tiny Ikea box-sofa with a whisper of padding and no arm rests for like 6 years so this feels like absolute opulence.
We’ve been living with a tiny Ikea box-sofa with a whisper of padding and no arm rests for like 6 years so this feels like absolute opulence.
December 27, 2025 at 12:41 PM
New sofa arrived. A Christmas present to ourselves.
We’ve been living with a tiny Ikea box-sofa with a whisper of padding and no arm rests for like 6 years so this feels like absolute opulence.
We’ve been living with a tiny Ikea box-sofa with a whisper of padding and no arm rests for like 6 years so this feels like absolute opulence.
-Gestures dismissively towards the hero’s journey-
what is your least favorite piece of writing advice and why? 👀
December 25, 2025 at 7:04 PM
-Gestures dismissively towards the hero’s journey-
One thing they never warn you about when becoming a writer: if you ever make any spelling or grammar mistakes in front of your friends or family, they’ll pounce on you like a pack of hyenas.
“OoOh! I tHoUgHt YoU wErE a WrItEr???” 🙃
“OoOh! I tHoUgHt YoU wErE a WrItEr???” 🙃
December 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
One thing they never warn you about when becoming a writer: if you ever make any spelling or grammar mistakes in front of your friends or family, they’ll pounce on you like a pack of hyenas.
“OoOh! I tHoUgHt YoU wErE a WrItEr???” 🙃
“OoOh! I tHoUgHt YoU wErE a WrItEr???” 🙃
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
Happy Incy Wincy Moonmas!
I hope a big scorpion crawls into your home and makes you fight an octopus for a child size meth kit 😇
I hope a big scorpion crawls into your home and makes you fight an octopus for a child size meth kit 😇
December 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Happy Incy Wincy Moonmas!
I hope a big scorpion crawls into your home and makes you fight an octopus for a child size meth kit 😇
I hope a big scorpion crawls into your home and makes you fight an octopus for a child size meth kit 😇
I’m 38 years old and still I legit gasped at a gift of cute stickers and charms.
Hope everyone has a good one <3
Hope everyone has a good one <3
December 25, 2025 at 11:45 AM
I’m 38 years old and still I legit gasped at a gift of cute stickers and charms.
Hope everyone has a good one <3
Hope everyone has a good one <3
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I hope everyone has a cozy night with their loved ones this evening. I won’t, though, because I have to head up to Nakatomi Plaza thanks to my flippin’ boss scheduling the holiday office party ON CHRISTMAS EVE WTF (🧵)
December 25, 2025 at 1:50 AM
I hope everyone has a cozy night with their loved ones this evening. I won’t, though, because I have to head up to Nakatomi Plaza thanks to my flippin’ boss scheduling the holiday office party ON CHRISTMAS EVE WTF (🧵)
The games industry has a proud tradition of neon green/pink/checkerboard placeholder assets for a reason.
Videogames look horrible during development. It's normal!
(Also some of the best laughs I ever had during my time in videogames dev came from encountering intentionally horrendous coder art.)
Videogames look horrible during development. It's normal!
(Also some of the best laughs I ever had during my time in videogames dev came from encountering intentionally horrendous coder art.)
Say it with me now- placeholder assets are supposed to be bright and obvious so you DON’T ship with them.
Also it doesn’t matter if no ai-generated assets are in the final executable?? The rising sea levels aren’t gonna be like “oh well no one saw that so the climate change doesn’t count”
Also it doesn’t matter if no ai-generated assets are in the final executable?? The rising sea levels aren’t gonna be like “oh well no one saw that so the climate change doesn’t count”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive is finding itself in hot water over its use of AI generated assets in developing the game.
December 22, 2025 at 11:03 AM
The games industry has a proud tradition of neon green/pink/checkerboard placeholder assets for a reason.
Videogames look horrible during development. It's normal!
(Also some of the best laughs I ever had during my time in videogames dev came from encountering intentionally horrendous coder art.)
Videogames look horrible during development. It's normal!
(Also some of the best laughs I ever had during my time in videogames dev came from encountering intentionally horrendous coder art.)
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
Heartsblood Horse (for Ways and Means)
December 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Heartsblood Horse (for Ways and Means)
I wanna get the preview PDF of Ways and Means out before the holidays SO BADLY!
@minahoneybat.bsky.social is working on the layout as I type and the book is coming together so nicely I just want everyone to see it.
Just look at this page!
Art @6knifes.bsky.social Words @mytholder.bsky.social
@minahoneybat.bsky.social is working on the layout as I type and the book is coming together so nicely I just want everyone to see it.
Just look at this page!
Art @6knifes.bsky.social Words @mytholder.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 6:29 PM
I wanna get the preview PDF of Ways and Means out before the holidays SO BADLY!
@minahoneybat.bsky.social is working on the layout as I type and the book is coming together so nicely I just want everyone to see it.
Just look at this page!
Art @6knifes.bsky.social Words @mytholder.bsky.social
@minahoneybat.bsky.social is working on the layout as I type and the book is coming together so nicely I just want everyone to see it.
Just look at this page!
Art @6knifes.bsky.social Words @mytholder.bsky.social
I call any US letter hardback above ~250 pages a ‘burglar basher’ cause for some reason whenever I heft one I can’t help but imagine how painful it would be to take a swing from one.
A 300 page hardbound book is a generally a terrible game component.
December 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I call any US letter hardback above ~250 pages a ‘burglar basher’ cause for some reason whenever I heft one I can’t help but imagine how painful it would be to take a swing from one.
My experience with Hades 2 this week.
December 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM
My experience with Hades 2 this week.
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
Tabletop designers such as @byodinsbeardrpg.com are making a habit out of post-convention transparency through post-mortem reports. Their hope is to inspire others and turn event tabling into a science.
The trials and tribulations of tabling at conventions
Colin Le Sueur discusses his post-mortems and why he writes them.
www.rascal.news
December 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Tabletop designers such as @byodinsbeardrpg.com are making a habit out of post-convention transparency through post-mortem reports. Their hope is to inspire others and turn event tabling into a science.
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I legit think the writing I've done for Heart is the most gleefully gruesome bodyhorror I've penned to date.
I wish I could bundle every copy of Ways & Means with an audio track of me sicko-giggling a corner, just so folk can get a glimpse of what writing process it was like.
I wish I could bundle every copy of Ways & Means with an audio track of me sicko-giggling a corner, just so folk can get a glimpse of what writing process it was like.
December 10, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I legit think the writing I've done for Heart is the most gleefully gruesome bodyhorror I've penned to date.
I wish I could bundle every copy of Ways & Means with an audio track of me sicko-giggling a corner, just so folk can get a glimpse of what writing process it was like.
I wish I could bundle every copy of Ways & Means with an audio track of me sicko-giggling a corner, just so folk can get a glimpse of what writing process it was like.
Now this is what I'm talking about, gimmie the book sicko angle in your TTRPG reviews!
December 9, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Now this is what I'm talking about, gimmie the book sicko angle in your TTRPG reviews!
Fun fact: This can be the result of fumigation!
TTRPG books almost never ship in large enough quantities to fill a whole shipping container, so they have to share space with all sorts of goods. If those goods need to be fumigated in port for any reason (bugs etc) the paper absorbs the weird smells.
TTRPG books almost never ship in large enough quantities to fill a whole shipping container, so they have to share space with all sorts of goods. If those goods need to be fumigated in port for any reason (bugs etc) the paper absorbs the weird smells.
One of the oddest things I observed when examining WotC's alt-cover Spelljammer and Planescape box sets for TMK: SJ's stat blocks drove me up a wall, yet the books themselves had a pleasant, almost floral scent, while PS's stat blocks were more coherent, but the books had an awful, chemical smell.
If I could change ONE THING about TTRPG reviews I would force people to engage with the quality of the physical books themselves, not just the content inside.
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
December 9, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Fun fact: This can be the result of fumigation!
TTRPG books almost never ship in large enough quantities to fill a whole shipping container, so they have to share space with all sorts of goods. If those goods need to be fumigated in port for any reason (bugs etc) the paper absorbs the weird smells.
TTRPG books almost never ship in large enough quantities to fill a whole shipping container, so they have to share space with all sorts of goods. If those goods need to be fumigated in port for any reason (bugs etc) the paper absorbs the weird smells.
If I could change ONE THING about TTRPG reviews I would force people to engage with the quality of the physical books themselves, not just the content inside.
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
December 9, 2025 at 1:08 PM
If I could change ONE THING about TTRPG reviews I would force people to engage with the quality of the physical books themselves, not just the content inside.
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
It feels vanishingly rare to see a reviewer discuss form factor, paper stock, binding, cover treatments, or general durability etc. 1/2
Manifesting the life I want by full-belly singing an 'I Want' musical number in public until someone gives me 1 million pounds.
December 9, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Manifesting the life I want by full-belly singing an 'I Want' musical number in public until someone gives me 1 million pounds.
Reposted by 🌱Elaine Lithgow 🌱
I’ve literally asked on more than one occasion “name non-cis-dudes who you would cite as an Authority in this space” and… whew.
It doesn’t help that we’re missing midcareer & elders thanks to the horrors that began a decade+ ago & are still ongoing in games more broadly, & many other griefs.
It doesn’t help that we’re missing midcareer & elders thanks to the horrors that began a decade+ ago & are still ongoing in games more broadly, & many other griefs.
I wish the ttrpg space took intellectual content from femme creators as seriously as y'all do ideas from cis white men in the space.
December 9, 2025 at 3:58 AM
I’ve literally asked on more than one occasion “name non-cis-dudes who you would cite as an Authority in this space” and… whew.
It doesn’t help that we’re missing midcareer & elders thanks to the horrors that began a decade+ ago & are still ongoing in games more broadly, & many other griefs.
It doesn’t help that we’re missing midcareer & elders thanks to the horrors that began a decade+ ago & are still ongoing in games more broadly, & many other griefs.
Played Spire this weekend and rolled a 10 (critical success) on every single test I made.
Call it bullshit, call it designer’s luck, I call it extremes testing.
Call it bullshit, call it designer’s luck, I call it extremes testing.
December 7, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Played Spire this weekend and rolled a 10 (critical success) on every single test I made.
Call it bullshit, call it designer’s luck, I call it extremes testing.
Call it bullshit, call it designer’s luck, I call it extremes testing.