Grat McGrat
gratmcgrat.bsky.social
Grat McGrat
@gratmcgrat.bsky.social
They/them. Roleplaying game designer, genderqueer neurospicy nerd, petter of cats. 🐱

Check out Crucible RPG at cosmgames.com
Reposted by Grat McGrat
Enhance your TTRPG sessions with effective Session Zero planning. Our latest blog post gives you the insights you need to create memorable gaming experiences.

Written by the incredible @gratmcgrat.bsky.social (psst go follow them!)

#dnd #ttrpg #sessionzero

www.daggerwood.com/single-post/...
From Zero to Hero: Running a good Session Zero
In recent years Session Zero has become a common event in setting up a new game, but knowing how to best spend your time at that Session is important enough to warrant its own article. By popular dema...
www.daggerwood.com
October 14, 2025 at 3:41 AM
I discovered today that my CPAP machine is under a global recall for gassing users with toxic chemicals & microplastics. So that’s nice. I’m on the list for a free, non-toxic replacement but I’m still left with the worry of what I’ve already been exposed to, on top of not having one to help my apnea
June 27, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Four days post flight and I’m finally starting to feel human again. Jet lag is a real beast, and combined with more leg flare ups I’ve been dizzy and hobbling when not sleeping for 18 hours.

Still feels worth it though.

I just miss the breakfast buffets!
June 16, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Home at last! Got in 6am yesterday after 23 hours in the air and then slept for 19 hours. Feel better for it, & also here’s my stash of whisky in all its glory! The Tupperware is full of 20ml sample bottles so there’s going to be some great tasting evenings ahead! Overall, 11/10 would holiday again.
June 13, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Day 31 evening meal was at Hellfire in Temple Bar, Dublin. Excellent steakhouse restaurant where I finally got to try a Tomahawk steak (medium rare with whipped garlic butter), and it was every bit as delicious as the price tag would suggest. A final hurrah for our trip! Will definitely have again!
June 11, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Last day: managed to squeeze everything in luggage & still be under the weight limit somehow. Whisky/whiskey divided evenly between Em & I for customs, & we’re off to the National Museum to see the exhibit on gold artefacts and bog body clothing (not the actual bog bodies though). Goodbye Dublin!
June 11, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Another bucket list item achieved: getting my face printed on a head of Guinness foam. It’s officially called a “STOUTie” and it cost €8. Emily also appears on it, although she wasn’t in the original photo so it must be a miracle. Half way through the pint the image was definitely haunted. Slainté!
June 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Day 29/30 - Dublin is a beautiful city and the weather has been pretty kind as far as rain goes. We found our way to the all-new Museum of Oddities, a sort of Cabinet of Curiosities place with taxidermy and old medical equipment and odd paraphernalia. It was quirky, especially the dental phantoms!
June 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Newgrange yesterday, or Brú na Boinné in Gaelic, & we got to walk around tombs that make Stonehenge look new & faddish. There was a sense of age & purpose to the rocks here, & it was very well curated & explained. One of the kerbstones (pic 3) is possibly the oldest lunar calendar in the world.
June 8, 2025 at 9:16 AM
On the way back to Belfast we went through the Dark Hedges, a gnarly tree-lined road that is famous for being gnarly & old & also was on Game of Thrones. It’s also the birthplace of the ‘Dark Hodges’, my evil twin. Beware! They’re like me only also gnarly and old, and driven to madness by bad coffee
June 6, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Carrick-a-Rede and the Giant’s Causeway today, with a detour through Bushmills Distillery. Beautiful scenic northern Irish coastline and a delicious exclusive dram! I’m going to have to cull my luggage to make room; I think some of my tshirts & shoes will be sacrificed. Moritūrī tē salūtant!
June 6, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Belfast: Day 25 - Ulster Museum for a thought-provoking display on the Troubles, and then next door to the Botanic Gardens to see where they breed the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath (cleverly disguised as a Victorian-era greenhouse). Dinner at Belfast Castle (cleverly disguised as a castle) was delish
June 5, 2025 at 7:43 AM
From our boat ride to see dolphins in Inverness: Emily does SouthPark cosplay and it has nothing to do with the biting cold wind, honest.
June 4, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Touched down in Belfast and got to try the native supply straight away: it’s nicer than from the can in Australia! I assume the closer one gets to St James’ Gate the better it tastes; will update after further research.
June 4, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Once again the Sunflower Lanyard helped me get through check-in and boarding with minimal anxiety. The airport staff are super friendly to folk with disabilities and I think they like helping us get on ahead of the First Class passengers :P I did find myself unconsciously exaggerating my limp though
June 3, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Last night in Inverness was one of good food and good music, at Hootananny’s in the main drag. Listened to a pair of lads crank out jigs and covers of The Boss with an accordion and acoustic guitar, while eating up-market fish n chips on the dining balcony. A nice cap to our time in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
June 3, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Day ??? Inverness to Belfast via Heathrow. Got to wander the iconic Leakey’s Bookshop in Inverness before we left, as well as the local Museum & Art Gallery, where I discovered the Scots Gaelic name for the Water Vole is “Bad Alan”. Ooooh that Alan, watch out, he’s a bad ‘un! #crankyscotsvole
June 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Crossed a major moment off my bucket list this morning: ate haggis on the shores of Loch Shiel in the village of Glenfinnan. As a lifelong fan of the movie Highlander it was necessary to make this pilgrimage. Gluten free so I could share the feast with Emily!
June 1, 2025 at 12:25 PM
The Scottish geographical equivalent of Boaty McBoatface; I give you Loch Lochy. The Lochiest Loch that ever loched.
June 1, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Missed out on Ben Nevis Distillery as we went through Fort William. It’s open weekends for the next three months, but not today (Saturday May 31st). So I’ll have a dram with dinner at the Glenfinnan House Hotel tonight and sip it overlooking Loch Shiel as the sun sets. What a tragic life I lead!
May 31, 2025 at 3:24 PM
View from the window of our room at Craigag Lodge in Glenfinnan as we arrived - I think we’re in the right place 💜
May 31, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Day 21: Glasgow to Glenfinnan. Rainy introduction to the Highlands but it’s so beautiful here. Hills with tops shrouded in cloud, vast green valleys, tumbling streams down every rocky surface. Stopped for yarn & whisky in Fort William: much bigger town than I expected given how small they all are!
May 31, 2025 at 12:59 PM
First cat cafe experience was definitely worth it. They just frolic and wander and you get to pat them when they come close! And they try and steal your food in adorable ways but you’re not allowed to let them. The sphinxes were the friendliest: I had one sitting behind me playing with my hair!
May 30, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Feeling a bit better after a day of bed rest, so we’re off to the Purrple Cat Cafe in Glasgow to be surrounded by the healing purrs of 30 kitties. Pics to follow.
May 30, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Day 19 - Rest day in Glasgow as I have a cold again and my legs are being a problem. Em is off adventuring at wool mills and yarn shops and textile museums, while I stay snuggled up in the studio apartment we cleverly rented. Might go out for coffee later but don’t have to, which helps. Blah.
May 29, 2025 at 8:05 AM