Matthew Andre
@gugg.bsky.social
My blog about ttrpg layout - https://matthewkjandre.blogspot.com
My free Malazan hack for Grimwild & Pirate Borg adventure - https://matthew-andre.itch.io
My free Malazan hack for Grimwild & Pirate Borg adventure - https://matthew-andre.itch.io
Pinned
Matthew Andre
@gugg.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Burial Wrongs by Matthew Andre
An expansive city crawl for Pirate Borg - An island choked by an eaten god. Sorcerers flee to their godflesh submarine
matthew-andre.itch.io
I wrote a Pirate Borg adventure about being trapped for a week in a horrible city ruled by Submarine Sorcerers. It has detailed weird npcs, a calendar of radical events, several locations to explore, and a canal that lets you engage in good ol' boat-based piracy!
matthew-andre.itch.io/burial-wrongs
matthew-andre.itch.io/burial-wrongs
lots of very good stuff here!
The blog says "4-minute read." That's a lie. Here's every finalist from the past three years of The Bloggies.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
The Bloggies Hall of Fame
Every winner of The Bloggies from 2022 to 2025. Want to melt your rpg brain? Start here.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 6, 2026 at 11:29 PM
lots of very good stuff here!
This is absolutely the truth. Many OSR games and many PBTA/FITD games have the same core values and GM/player advice. The schism between these communities is primarily held up by bad actors in both camps.
Discussing the cross pollination of the OSR-story game scenes with 1 friend more in the OSR and 1 more in Story Games abt how the modern scenes would not exist without the other. All your first gen PBTA designers played in the OSR. They all reference each other. Explore, experience, and experiment.
January 4, 2026 at 10:04 PM
This is absolutely the truth. Many OSR games and many PBTA/FITD games have the same core values and GM/player advice. The schism between these communities is primarily held up by bad actors in both camps.
Many people hold this opinion, or the opposite ("my table will finally roleplay if I run a game with social mechanics!"), and they're both missing the point.
Social mechanics aren't for the people who don't roleplay. They're for the people that ALREADY ROLEPLAY. They act like writing prompts.
Social mechanics aren't for the people who don't roleplay. They're for the people that ALREADY ROLEPLAY. They act like writing prompts.
My hot take is that any social mechanics in TTRPGs are largely bad and limiting. The best mechanic for non-combat resolution of conflict is conversation. If your players don’t want to have conversations either with the NPCs or each other, no game mechanics will change that.
January 4, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Many people hold this opinion, or the opposite ("my table will finally roleplay if I run a game with social mechanics!"), and they're both missing the point.
Social mechanics aren't for the people who don't roleplay. They're for the people that ALREADY ROLEPLAY. They act like writing prompts.
Social mechanics aren't for the people who don't roleplay. They're for the people that ALREADY ROLEPLAY. They act like writing prompts.
The reverse dungeon crawl must become a more popular concept. It's absolutely killer!
Reverse dungeon crawls are good actually. CANDLE is one. Escape or die trying.
https://loottheroom.itch.io/candle
https://loottheroom.itch.io/candle
CANDLE by Chris Bissette
A reverse dungeon crawl
loottheroom.itch.io
January 3, 2026 at 3:16 AM
The reverse dungeon crawl must become a more popular concept. It's absolutely killer!
Reposted by Matthew Andre
Papercult's still going strong! In a few months it'll be a year old. If you're one of those "return to forum" folks put your money where your mouth is.
one hope is have for 2026 is that more folks join Paper Cult Club, an indie tabletop-focused forum i truly adore papercult.club
papercult.club
January 3, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Papercult's still going strong! In a few months it'll be a year old. If you're one of those "return to forum" folks put your money where your mouth is.
Reposted by Matthew Andre
one hope is have for 2026 is that more folks join Paper Cult Club, an indie tabletop-focused forum i truly adore papercult.club
papercult.club
January 1, 2026 at 6:36 PM
one hope is have for 2026 is that more folks join Paper Cult Club, an indie tabletop-focused forum i truly adore papercult.club
I wrote my first blog posts this year and got 3 posts in before I got bored!!! Excited to submit
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:34 AM
I wrote my first blog posts this year and got 3 posts in before I got bored!!! Excited to submit
Reposted by Matthew Andre
it's finally FINALLY time: INFINITE REVOLUTION, my star-powered, zodiac-inspired exosuit dogfighter RPG, is finished, crowdfunded, and publicly released!!
Spin up your Revolver Drive, defend the stars, fall in love, burn up, and remember—THE ONLY THING BRIGHTER THAN YOU IS MORE OF YOU🌠
Link ⬇️
Spin up your Revolver Drive, defend the stars, fall in love, burn up, and remember—THE ONLY THING BRIGHTER THAN YOU IS MORE OF YOU🌠
Link ⬇️
December 30, 2025 at 6:48 PM
it's finally FINALLY time: INFINITE REVOLUTION, my star-powered, zodiac-inspired exosuit dogfighter RPG, is finished, crowdfunded, and publicly released!!
Spin up your Revolver Drive, defend the stars, fall in love, burn up, and remember—THE ONLY THING BRIGHTER THAN YOU IS MORE OF YOU🌠
Link ⬇️
Spin up your Revolver Drive, defend the stars, fall in love, burn up, and remember—THE ONLY THING BRIGHTER THAN YOU IS MORE OF YOU🌠
Link ⬇️
Most of your opinions about ttrpgs are informed by who you play with.
Not books you're using to play.
You think you have a lot of opinions about the books, but I guarantee you 95% of the time these are opinions about the tables you've played with and the people there.
Not books you're using to play.
You think you have a lot of opinions about the books, but I guarantee you 95% of the time these are opinions about the tables you've played with and the people there.
December 31, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Most of your opinions about ttrpgs are informed by who you play with.
Not books you're using to play.
You think you have a lot of opinions about the books, but I guarantee you 95% of the time these are opinions about the tables you've played with and the people there.
Not books you're using to play.
You think you have a lot of opinions about the books, but I guarantee you 95% of the time these are opinions about the tables you've played with and the people there.
Reposted by Matthew Andre
It's taken me a long time to get here, but I'm finally ready to show off my big #ttrpg project.
I'm working on DOWAGER: THE SACRED & STRANGE, a science-fantasy tactics RPG about hunting internet demons and the absurdity of fantastical adventure in the modern world.
I'm working on DOWAGER: THE SACRED & STRANGE, a science-fantasy tactics RPG about hunting internet demons and the absurdity of fantastical adventure in the modern world.
December 30, 2025 at 8:09 PM
It's taken me a long time to get here, but I'm finally ready to show off my big #ttrpg project.
I'm working on DOWAGER: THE SACRED & STRANGE, a science-fantasy tactics RPG about hunting internet demons and the absurdity of fantastical adventure in the modern world.
I'm working on DOWAGER: THE SACRED & STRANGE, a science-fantasy tactics RPG about hunting internet demons and the absurdity of fantastical adventure in the modern world.
Reposted by Matthew Andre
ok so let me lay out some basics of why I think OSR/NSR stuff is good, actually, even if the scene seems to regularly terrible oppinion-havers like some geothermal geyser.
in short, its because the osr framework of what you do in the game *works*.
in short, its because the osr framework of what you do in the game *works*.
December 30, 2025 at 8:55 PM
ok so let me lay out some basics of why I think OSR/NSR stuff is good, actually, even if the scene seems to regularly terrible oppinion-havers like some geothermal geyser.
in short, its because the osr framework of what you do in the game *works*.
in short, its because the osr framework of what you do in the game *works*.
Reposted by Matthew Andre
Canadians (especially cis Canadians), PLEASE take a moment to sign this petition and take action in defence of trans people. It takes less than a minute to sign and verify your signature.
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
Petition e-7027 - Petitions
www.ourcommons.ca
December 29, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Canadians (especially cis Canadians), PLEASE take a moment to sign this petition and take action in defence of trans people. It takes less than a minute to sign and verify your signature.
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
Reposted by Matthew Andre
Bringing this one up again. I'm up for facilitating copies and the like for any AP folks who wanna highlight games from the global south, who wanna help put eyes on new stuff that's talking about ecology and social institutions of care, my DMs are open! And I appreciate y'all sharing it around
Someone should make a Zephyr AP. If you're that someone and you want me to facilitate that, DM me
December 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Bringing this one up again. I'm up for facilitating copies and the like for any AP folks who wanna highlight games from the global south, who wanna help put eyes on new stuff that's talking about ecology and social institutions of care, my DMs are open! And I appreciate y'all sharing it around
Reposted by Matthew Andre
I'm just now seeing this post! Its fantastic. I love how we're all trying to slay the 1 HP Dragon (combat without HP/numbers). This is a really good system. My current drafts have similar ideas, but this one is so much more fleshed out.
binarystar.games/posts/origin...
binarystar.games/posts/origin...
Combat without Combat
NULL_SPACE # Liminal Void is has been consigned to the void. Well, the name has, anyway. Going forward, it will be called NULL_SPACE!
When I spoke about it last, I said both of the following:
(in the ...
binarystar.games
December 23, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I'm just now seeing this post! Its fantastic. I love how we're all trying to slay the 1 HP Dragon (combat without HP/numbers). This is a really good system. My current drafts have similar ideas, but this one is so much more fleshed out.
binarystar.games/posts/origin...
binarystar.games/posts/origin...
Reposted by Matthew Andre
hello gamers I'm back with another blogpost. this one's about me trying to suss out how different tables play, and the three basic questions I use to draw those differences: samsorensen.blot.im/sams-three-q...
December 19, 2025 at 1:06 AM
hello gamers I'm back with another blogpost. this one's about me trying to suss out how different tables play, and the three basic questions I use to draw those differences: samsorensen.blot.im/sams-three-q...
Fit test for life-sized Mew!
He's beautiful 😭
He's beautiful 😭
December 17, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Fit test for life-sized Mew!
He's beautiful 😭
He's beautiful 😭
Reposted by Matthew Andre
work on seven-part pact draft 4 continues with a new wizard !! the mariner has been updated with rules for nereids and some tidied up stuff.
![Nereids in Play
Nereids may cast magic through their associated Element, rolling 3 Dice of Personal or Arcane Import in that Element. Nereids are utterly immune to any magic from their Element, and have 1 Ward against each other Element.
A wizard may schedule and spend an Engagement on a Nereid to attempt to capture them. If the wizard fails, the Nereid will flee and can never be found again.
When a Nereid is Bound, the wizard replaces his associated Companion with the Nereid. As long as the Nereid is the wizard's Companion, the wizard rolls twice as many Dice whenever he casts a spell of the associated Element. Additionally, if the wizard casts a spell of the associated Element in the presence of his Nereid, he may choose the result of one of the dice rolled. [footnote: The Selkie amongst your list of Companions is a minor Nereid, not strong enough to provide the benefits described here.]
If the Nereid ever stops being the wizard's Companion, or is unable to provide its care, it may take its revenge upon the wizard. The Nereid's fury is great and vast, and the older sisters of a vengeful Nereid have sometimes been called Erinyes. The Celestial Audience chooses 1 from below befitting the Nereid's anger, or may invent their own appropriate punishment:
Inflict a Game-Changing Impact upon the wizard's Domain.
Steal one of the wizard's other Companions and bring them to the Nereid's palaces beneath the seas.
Prophesize exactly how the wizard will die.
Sunder the wizard's soul — he may no longer ever cast magic with the associated Element.
Attack the wizard himself and play out a scene with him unprepared.
The Nereid will then flee, never to return.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rzjgafeykxv4du7aw6nftltp/bafkreib2lgzrkypc7yfh3fhz24ovlnbeshbajqzrffnua5uyaahbpckaqq@jpeg)
December 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM
work on seven-part pact draft 4 continues with a new wizard !! the mariner has been updated with rules for nereids and some tidied up stuff.
Reposted by Matthew Andre
I need to clear some shelf space, so I'm reducing the cost of two of my books!
REAP is a solo soul like TTRPG about a wandering necromancer
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/reap
LOOT is a mashup of looter shooter and fantasy TTRPG. Do quests, get loot!
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/loot
REAP is a solo soul like TTRPG about a wandering necromancer
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/reap
LOOT is a mashup of looter shooter and fantasy TTRPG. Do quests, get loot!
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/loot
REAP
The lands of Obron are dying. You are a necromancer, striding between the lands of the living and the dead. Wander this broken world. Seek Horrors, and reap their souls. What Is REAP? REAP is a solo t...
gilarpgs.myshopify.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I need to clear some shelf space, so I'm reducing the cost of two of my books!
REAP is a solo soul like TTRPG about a wandering necromancer
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/reap
LOOT is a mashup of looter shooter and fantasy TTRPG. Do quests, get loot!
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/loot
REAP is a solo soul like TTRPG about a wandering necromancer
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/reap
LOOT is a mashup of looter shooter and fantasy TTRPG. Do quests, get loot!
gilarpgs.myshopify.com/products/loot
Reposted by Matthew Andre
Following my MÖRK BORG Creature Conversion Guide for Boundless, here's one I one for the Cairn/Into The Odd/Mausritter creatures and bestiaries.
Enjoy!
farirpgs.com/posts/into-t...
Enjoy!
farirpgs.com/posts/into-t...
Into the Odd and Cairn Creature Conversion for Boundless - Fari RPGs
Following my post on how to convert creatures and monsters from MÖRK BORG games into Boundless enemies, here’s how I’d do it for the ones found in Cairn, Into the Odd,...
farirpgs.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Following my MÖRK BORG Creature Conversion Guide for Boundless, here's one I one for the Cairn/Into The Odd/Mausritter creatures and bestiaries.
Enjoy!
farirpgs.com/posts/into-t...
Enjoy!
farirpgs.com/posts/into-t...
Running my first Mothership module today, but using Voidlight's rules! Gonna really torture these characters
December 3, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Running my first Mothership module today, but using Voidlight's rules! Gonna really torture these characters
Reposted by Matthew Andre
Finally, if you just want to know more about what The Lands Remaining is in an easy-to-consume audio format, @thebadspot.bsky.social and I have a preview of our new podcast up on the free Gauntlet Patreon feed. Come hear what all the fuss is about!
www.patreon.com/posts/lands-...
www.patreon.com/posts/lands-...
The Lands Remaining Podcast preview PLUS writing contest! | The Gauntlet
Get more from The Gauntlet on Patreon
www.patreon.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Finally, if you just want to know more about what The Lands Remaining is in an easy-to-consume audio format, @thebadspot.bsky.social and I have a preview of our new podcast up on the free Gauntlet Patreon feed. Come hear what all the fuss is about!
www.patreon.com/posts/lands-...
www.patreon.com/posts/lands-...
My Malazan hack for Grimwild is released! With 5 classes
Claw
Heavy
Marine
Mage
Priest
Sapper
Toss some cussers, transform into a D'ivers, wield any warren you want, worship the Crippled God, or rise to meet any enemy as a Heavy! New & remixed talents galore!
matthew-andre.itch.io/malazan-hack...
Claw
Heavy
Marine
Mage
Priest
Sapper
Toss some cussers, transform into a D'ivers, wield any warren you want, worship the Crippled God, or rise to meet any enemy as a Heavy! New & remixed talents galore!
matthew-andre.itch.io/malazan-hack...
Malazan Hack for Grimwild by Matthew Andre
Malazan Paths for Grimwild
matthew-andre.itch.io
November 19, 2025 at 5:39 AM
My Malazan hack for Grimwild is released! With 5 classes
Claw
Heavy
Marine
Mage
Priest
Sapper
Toss some cussers, transform into a D'ivers, wield any warren you want, worship the Crippled God, or rise to meet any enemy as a Heavy! New & remixed talents galore!
matthew-andre.itch.io/malazan-hack...
Claw
Heavy
Marine
Mage
Priest
Sapper
Toss some cussers, transform into a D'ivers, wield any warren you want, worship the Crippled God, or rise to meet any enemy as a Heavy! New & remixed talents galore!
matthew-andre.itch.io/malazan-hack...
Every fantasy ttrpg needs a class with a shovel and a bunch of bombs.
No lame magic artificer stuff. A SHOVEL AND SOME BOMBS. CONSTRUCT A BRIDGE
My Malazan hack of Grimwild nearly has all the classes completed.
also, it turns out Sapper is a real title
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapper
No lame magic artificer stuff. A SHOVEL AND SOME BOMBS. CONSTRUCT A BRIDGE
My Malazan hack of Grimwild nearly has all the classes completed.
also, it turns out Sapper is a real title
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapper
November 18, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Every fantasy ttrpg needs a class with a shovel and a bunch of bombs.
No lame magic artificer stuff. A SHOVEL AND SOME BOMBS. CONSTRUCT A BRIDGE
My Malazan hack of Grimwild nearly has all the classes completed.
also, it turns out Sapper is a real title
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapper
No lame magic artificer stuff. A SHOVEL AND SOME BOMBS. CONSTRUCT A BRIDGE
My Malazan hack of Grimwild nearly has all the classes completed.
also, it turns out Sapper is a real title
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapper
uh the pizza place I ordered from is PAST THE TICKET GATE in the ferry terminal, and I don't have a ticket. A minimum wage worker has to walk 200 metres through and out the terminal to give me the pizza.
what the fuck is this island
what the fuck is this island
November 14, 2025 at 10:28 PM
uh the pizza place I ordered from is PAST THE TICKET GATE in the ferry terminal, and I don't have a ticket. A minimum wage worker has to walk 200 metres through and out the terminal to give me the pizza.
what the fuck is this island
what the fuck is this island