Joel Russ
@joelruss.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel Russ
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
Reposted by Joel Russ
Public playtest of the Beastheart for Draw Steel is now available: www.patreon.com/posts/143079...
Public Playtest: Beastheart for Draw Steel | MCDM Productions
Get more from MCDM Productions on Patreon
www.patreon.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Public playtest of the Beastheart for Draw Steel is now available: www.patreon.com/posts/143079...
Reposted by Joel Russ
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
![Gina Bellman
@Ginabellman
I absolutely -definitely- positively was not in Paris Yesterday. #LouvreHeist.
[A photo of Gina Bellman sitting in an ornate restaurant holding a wine glass and wearing a red beret.]
(The joke here is that one of actress Gina Bellman's most famous roles over the last ten years is as a master thief, doing thievery.)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rdmm34z65ll6hftc5bgahykx/bafkreih3qxd6k6jvkc6d3yhwn6fqz63zhre5soygkipco7m2yaj7aggb4a@jpeg)
October 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
Reposted by Joel Russ
MCDM just released the symbols they use in stat blocks under a free license.
mcdm.gg/DrawSteel/Dr...
If you've never worked with a CC-BY-SA license, check out the thread for some guidance.
mcdm.gg/DrawSteel/Dr...
If you've never worked with a CC-BY-SA license, check out the thread for some guidance.
mcdm.gg
October 10, 2025 at 2:38 AM
MCDM just released the symbols they use in stat blocks under a free license.
mcdm.gg/DrawSteel/Dr...
If you've never worked with a CC-BY-SA license, check out the thread for some guidance.
mcdm.gg/DrawSteel/Dr...
If you've never worked with a CC-BY-SA license, check out the thread for some guidance.
Reposted by Joel Russ
The three subtypes of Gith: Githzerai, Githyanki, Github.
September 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
The three subtypes of Gith: Githzerai, Githyanki, Github.
It has been 0 days since I've recommended Dr. Corey Olsen's lectures on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
mythgard.org/academy/drac...
mythgard.org/academy/drac...
Mythgard Academy: Dracula
Join Dr. Corey Olsen (the Tolkien Professor) for an in-depth look at Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel "Dracula."
mythgard.org
August 31, 2025 at 7:33 PM
It has been 0 days since I've recommended Dr. Corey Olsen's lectures on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
mythgard.org/academy/drac...
mythgard.org/academy/drac...
Reposted by Joel Russ
This is the key to understanding our very, very broken economy.
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
August 3, 2025 at 5:14 PM
This is the key to understanding our very, very broken economy.
Reposted by Joel Russ
The Kobold Ancestry for Draw Steel launches in 24 hours.
96 people have already signed up for a launch alert.
Can we get to 100?
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
96 people have already signed up for a launch alert.
Can we get to 100?
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
Get Ready for The Kobold Ancestry
From Pesto Publications - Get Ready for The Kobold Ancestry
www.backerkit.com
July 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
The Kobold Ancestry for Draw Steel launches in 24 hours.
96 people have already signed up for a launch alert.
Can we get to 100?
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
96 people have already signed up for a launch alert.
Can we get to 100?
www.backerkit.com/call_to_acti...
Reposted by Joel Russ
There are just 17 hours left to back Ratcatchers. If you were on the fence, now's the time to grab it.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
Ratcatcher Magazine for DRAW STEEL - Issue 01
A community zine of new content for MCDM's Draw Steel: Mimics, dryads, living traps, map advice, and more!
www.backerkit.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:53 PM
There are just 17 hours left to back Ratcatchers. If you were on the fence, now's the time to grab it.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
Want more Draw Steel? I designed a pair of new ancestries, dryads and flower-folk, featured in this zine along side more contributions by other designers. Check out the previews! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
Ratcatcher Magazine for DRAW STEEL - Issue 01
A community zine of new content for MCDM's Draw Steel: Mimics, dryads, living traps, map advice, and more!
www.backerkit.com
June 27, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Want more Draw Steel? I designed a pair of new ancestries, dryads and flower-folk, featured in this zine along side more contributions by other designers. Check out the previews! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/t...
Reposted by Joel Russ
One of the most entertaining writing exercises I can remember was when WOTC had their setting contest (which lead to the publishing of Eberron). The heart of it was the constraints - the necessity of framing the essentials of a setting in a single page.
June 11, 2025 at 11:50 AM
One of the most entertaining writing exercises I can remember was when WOTC had their setting contest (which lead to the publishing of Eberron). The heart of it was the constraints - the necessity of framing the essentials of a setting in a single page.
Daggerheart arrived! I got to play this during development, as both game master and player, and I'm excited to get to use it now that it's out.
May 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Daggerheart arrived! I got to play this during development, as both game master and player, and I'm excited to get to use it now that it's out.
May the Fourth, a perfect day to play the Star Wars RPG!
May 4, 2025 at 7:27 PM
May the Fourth, a perfect day to play the Star Wars RPG!
Reposted by Joel Russ
I could be wrong about this but I really think most Americans do not want to be forced to “do their own research” about food & drug & product safety and would rather that the government agencies that have been sorting that all out for them for decades not be obliterated in the name of “efficiency.”
April 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I could be wrong about this but I really think most Americans do not want to be forced to “do their own research” about food & drug & product safety and would rather that the government agencies that have been sorting that all out for them for decades not be obliterated in the name of “efficiency.”
Our second session using Edge of the Empire, delighted with the narrative dice and really glad for the extra boosts from @digthebad.bsky.social to avoid falling down this space station ladder!
April 27, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Our second session using Edge of the Empire, delighted with the narrative dice and really glad for the extra boosts from @digthebad.bsky.social to avoid falling down this space station ladder!
Reposted by Joel Russ
No lawmaker in Congress should be able to own, buy, and sell individual stocks.
We need to ban congressional stock trading—and I've got a bill for that.
We need to ban congressional stock trading—and I've got a bill for that.
April 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM
No lawmaker in Congress should be able to own, buy, and sell individual stocks.
We need to ban congressional stock trading—and I've got a bill for that.
We need to ban congressional stock trading—and I've got a bill for that.
Reposted by Joel Russ
I'm making a game!
And to market it, I'm releasing an NFT (Non-Functional Tchotchke).
Introducing Warhol.jpg from the Profiteering Off of Famous Dead People's Names NFT series!
Get it today (for free) to get an alert when the actual game releases (this summer?).
pestopublications.itch.io/nft
And to market it, I'm releasing an NFT (Non-Functional Tchotchke).
Introducing Warhol.jpg from the Profiteering Off of Famous Dead People's Names NFT series!
Get it today (for free) to get an alert when the actual game releases (this summer?).
pestopublications.itch.io/nft
enshittAIfication NFT by Pesto Publications
Give me money!
pestopublications.itch.io
April 1, 2025 at 6:26 AM
I'm making a game!
And to market it, I'm releasing an NFT (Non-Functional Tchotchke).
Introducing Warhol.jpg from the Profiteering Off of Famous Dead People's Names NFT series!
Get it today (for free) to get an alert when the actual game releases (this summer?).
pestopublications.itch.io/nft
And to market it, I'm releasing an NFT (Non-Functional Tchotchke).
Introducing Warhol.jpg from the Profiteering Off of Famous Dead People's Names NFT series!
Get it today (for free) to get an alert when the actual game releases (this summer?).
pestopublications.itch.io/nft
Homemade apple pie for pi day!
March 15, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Homemade apple pie for pi day!
My water turned into a slushy before I finished my run, and this was during the warmest part of the day.
It's pretty cold out there.
It's pretty cold out there.
January 20, 2025 at 4:16 AM
My water turned into a slushy before I finished my run, and this was during the warmest part of the day.
It's pretty cold out there.
It's pretty cold out there.
Reposted by Joel Russ
In modern medieval European inspired fantasy, the world usually has elves, dwarves, dragons & orcs. But what are the fantastical creatures actual medieval Europeans believed in? We’ve got a legendary response from Steelcan909 on this mystical creature identification!
buff.ly
January 6, 2025 at 7:56 PM
In modern medieval European inspired fantasy, the world usually has elves, dwarves, dragons & orcs. But what are the fantastical creatures actual medieval Europeans believed in? We’ve got a legendary response from Steelcan909 on this mystical creature identification!
Reposted by Joel Russ
As we head into what is an uncertain and scary 2025 for many, I want to remind folks that joy is not a finite thing. You don't take it from others when you have it, and there is no guilt in joy. Experiencing it keeps you in the fight for others and helps others feel happiness.
December 31, 2024 at 10:24 PM
As we head into what is an uncertain and scary 2025 for many, I want to remind folks that joy is not a finite thing. You don't take it from others when you have it, and there is no guilt in joy. Experiencing it keeps you in the fight for others and helps others feel happiness.
Reposted by Joel Russ
Well, we're basically putting all of Draw Steel out for a Patreon test today... www.patreon.com/posts/118382...
Draw Steel: Packet 4 (Pretty Much the Whole Game) | MCDM Productions
Get more from MCDM Productions on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 20, 2024 at 10:35 PM
Well, we're basically putting all of Draw Steel out for a Patreon test today... www.patreon.com/posts/118382...
Reposted by Joel Russ
There's a spectrum when you're designing for someone else's system. One end is "strict adherence it their design principles/decisions" and the other end is "ignore the design principles/decisions you disagree with and come up with your own solutions".
Let's talk about that. And kobolds, of course.
Let's talk about that. And kobolds, of course.
December 12, 2024 at 11:03 AM
There's a spectrum when you're designing for someone else's system. One end is "strict adherence it their design principles/decisions" and the other end is "ignore the design principles/decisions you disagree with and come up with your own solutions".
Let's talk about that. And kobolds, of course.
Let's talk about that. And kobolds, of course.
Reposted by Joel Russ
I keep having thoughts about #TTRPG stuff that are too long for social media and don't belong on The Monsters Know What They're Doing. So guess what? I'm starting a newsletter!
Here's the first of a series of three posts on the topic of carrying PCs from one TTRPG system into others.
Here's the first of a series of three posts on the topic of carrying PCs from one TTRPG system into others.
Crossing Borders, Part 1
I’ve been contemplating starting a new blog or newsletter for a while now, and recently I got the impetus I needed when Diana “of the Rose” Fay, a popular TikToker who once said something nice about m...
www.onefootinfairyland.com
December 11, 2024 at 8:45 PM
I keep having thoughts about #TTRPG stuff that are too long for social media and don't belong on The Monsters Know What They're Doing. So guess what? I'm starting a newsletter!
Here's the first of a series of three posts on the topic of carrying PCs from one TTRPG system into others.
Here's the first of a series of three posts on the topic of carrying PCs from one TTRPG system into others.
Reposted by Joel Russ
One of the 5e products I worked on is *one* sale shy of earning an Electrum medal (it's at 250 and needs 251).
Anyone need some magic items?
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
Anyone need some magic items?
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
Dragonlance Trinkets & Treasures - Dungeon Masters Guild | DriveThruRPG
Pick up this and other titles in the Trinkets & Treasures Collection Bundle!
Dragonlance Trinkets & Treasures is a collection of trinkets and magic items inspired by several of the original D...
www.drivethrurpg.com
November 22, 2024 at 2:43 AM
One of the 5e products I worked on is *one* sale shy of earning an Electrum medal (it's at 250 and needs 251).
Anyone need some magic items?
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
Anyone need some magic items?
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...