Jonathan Tweet
@jonathantweet.bsky.social
Grandmother Fish (Macmillan 2016), the first book to teach #evolution to preschoolers, plus science games for kids (www.grandmotherfish.com). Over the Edge, #TTRPG of surreal urban danger (atlas-games.com/overtheedge). D&D 3E, Ars Magica, Everway, etc.
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Jonathan Tweet
@jonathantweet.bsky.social
· Jan 11
Grandmother Fish is the first book to teach evolution to preschoolers. Kids love learning that they are part of the great family of life on Earth, and they love wiggling like Grandmother Fish and hooting like Grandmother Ape. Now in Chinese, Japanese, and Italian.
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
Any RPG-heads recognise this quote and know who originally said it (we think a game designer)?
"Just because D&D is behind me does not mean it's beneath me."
"Just because D&D is behind me does not mean it's beneath me."
November 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Any RPG-heads recognise this quote and know who originally said it (we think a game designer)?
"Just because D&D is behind me does not mean it's beneath me."
"Just because D&D is behind me does not mean it's beneath me."
Here's a WP article about Tolkien's efforts to square his pagan-inspired fantasy world with Christian theology
Tolkien wrote racist themes into "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of The Rings"; which he himself acknowledged and then tried to retcon in his later books.
Being a devout Catholic, Tolkien phrased the problem in religious terms: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien...
Being a devout Catholic, Tolkien phrased the problem in religious terms: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien...
Tolkien's moral dilemma - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Here's a WP article about Tolkien's efforts to square his pagan-inspired fantasy world with Christian theology
Karen & I did a sister game to Clades: Clades Prehistoric. It's the same game but with extinct animals, such as pterosaurs as "sauropsids of the air" instead of birds. Kids love dinosaurs! You can play both versions separately or together. #evolution #kidsgame
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25...
Clades Prehistoric
A "clade" is a branch of the evolutionary family tree such as mammals, arthropods, and sauropsids that are thought to have evolved from a common ancestor.
In Clades Prehistoric, players mus...
boardgamegeek.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Karen & I did a sister game to Clades: Clades Prehistoric. It's the same game but with extinct animals, such as pterosaurs as "sauropsids of the air" instead of birds. Kids love dinosaurs! You can play both versions separately or together. #evolution #kidsgame
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25...
The feral minotaur & the unspeakable demon were no problem, but the badass elf archer with more drow scimitar sisters were a tough fight. The paladin went down with no resolves left to come back up. Luckily a fighter had joined the party. 1/2
November 11, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The feral minotaur & the unspeakable demon were no problem, but the badass elf archer with more drow scimitar sisters were a tough fight. The paladin went down with no resolves left to come back up. Luckily a fighter had joined the party. 1/2
TIL that "oval" means "egg-ish", which is should have been obvious all along
November 10, 2025 at 7:17 PM
TIL that "oval" means "egg-ish", which is should have been obvious all along
D&D minis have gone back & forth between being licensed to third parties and being produced in-house. When I worked on D&D minis, they were in-house. Here are some in-house TSR monster minis from 1989 & 1995. These and a lot more gems from my basement now on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
November 10, 2025 at 6:48 PM
D&D minis have gone back & forth between being licensed to third parties and being produced in-house. When I worked on D&D minis, they were in-house. Here are some in-house TSR monster minis from 1989 & 1995. These and a lot more gems from my basement now on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
In this game, a character is...
...A person with needs and desires that'll inevitably bring them into conflict with others, because there ultimately isn't enough to go around, who's capable and prepared to fight for what they need.
...A person with needs and desires that'll inevitably bring them into conflict with others, because there ultimately isn't enough to go around, who's capable and prepared to fight for what they need.
November 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
In this game, a character is...
...A person with needs and desires that'll inevitably bring them into conflict with others, because there ultimately isn't enough to go around, who's capable and prepared to fight for what they need.
...A person with needs and desires that'll inevitably bring them into conflict with others, because there ultimately isn't enough to go around, who's capable and prepared to fight for what they need.
Greg Porter's EABA deserves a lot more attention than it's gotten, so I'm happy to see this and looking forward to listening to the episode. As a rule I don't listen to podcasts, but I break that rule for Ludonarrative Dissidents.
Heads up Dissidents! We've just put episode 17 of the podcast live, covering Greg Porter's incredibly complete END ALL BE ALL set of RPG rules (aka EABA), a fascinating look at generic systems and their uses. We had a lot of fun with this one.
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
(1/2)
November 10, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Greg Porter's EABA deserves a lot more attention than it's gotten, so I'm happy to see this and looking forward to listening to the episode. As a rule I don't listen to podcasts, but I break that rule for Ludonarrative Dissidents.
Apocalypse World taught me a lot about RPG design, and I'm excited to try the new edition. @lumpley.bsky.social has taught me many things over the years, and it's thrilling to see the success that he and @megueyb.bsky.social have achieved.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Apocalypse World: Burned Over
The 3rd edition of the groundbreaking original.
www.kickstarter.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Apocalypse World taught me a lot about RPG design, and I'm excited to try the new edition. @lumpley.bsky.social has taught me many things over the years, and it's thrilling to see the success that he and @megueyb.bsky.social have achieved.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lum...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
TIL
November 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
TIL
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
Sexual selection driven by direct benefits leads to the erosion of direct benefits https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.07.687154v1
November 8, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Sexual selection driven by direct benefits leads to the erosion of direct benefits https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.07.687154v1
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
I’ve had my copy of grandmother fish waiting in my house for quite some time, and finally got to read it to my little one.
Thanks Tweet for this wonderful book!
Thanks Tweet for this wonderful book!
Grandmother Fish is the first book to teach evolution to preschoolers. Kids love learning that they are part of the great family of life on Earth, and they love wiggling like Grandmother Fish and hooting like Grandmother Ape. Now in Chinese, Japanese, and Italian.
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
www.powells.com/book/grandmo...
November 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I’ve had my copy of grandmother fish waiting in my house for quite some time, and finally got to read it to my little one.
Thanks Tweet for this wonderful book!
Thanks Tweet for this wonderful book!
This article is surprisingly good, and if I were still teaching my yearly into-to-game-design class I would assign it
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g...
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g...
Game design is simple, actually
So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not u…
www.raphkoster.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM
This article is surprisingly good, and if I were still teaching my yearly into-to-game-design class I would assign it
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g...
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
I am still incredibly proud to have worked on this RPG at @atlasgames.bsky.social with @jonathantweet.bsky.social and now you can grab the books at a fantastic price as well as James Semple’s amazing soundtrack. Check it out!
bundleofholding.com/presents/OTE3E
bundleofholding.com/presents/OTE3E
Over the Edge 3E Bundle
Adventurer! This all-new Over the Edge 3E Bundle presents the Third Edition (2019) of Over the Edge, the tabletop roleplaying game from Atlas Games of fringe science and hyper-reality. Unleash wild co...
bundleofholding.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I am still incredibly proud to have worked on this RPG at @atlasgames.bsky.social with @jonathantweet.bsky.social and now you can grab the books at a fantastic price as well as James Semple’s amazing soundtrack. Check it out!
bundleofholding.com/presents/OTE3E
bundleofholding.com/presents/OTE3E
The elf is off to confront his traitorous twin sister, hopefully before she desecrates a sacred shrine. The party made short work of the death's-head toad and the drow scimitar sisters. The spider stag & dark fairy archers didn't do so well against the party, either. From my "Mighty Ones" game.
November 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
The elf is off to confront his traitorous twin sister, hopefully before she desecrates a sacred shrine. The party made short work of the death's-head toad and the drow scimitar sisters. The spider stag & dark fairy archers didn't do so well against the party, either. From my "Mighty Ones" game.
Who wants to play a minotaur? Maybe a minotrice huntress or a tattooed albino maze mage. What I love about the OGL is creators sharing their weird ideas in an accessible format. I collected lots of OGL stuff back in the day. This book & more now on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
November 4, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Who wants to play a minotaur? Maybe a minotrice huntress or a tattooed albino maze mage. What I love about the OGL is creators sharing their weird ideas in an accessible format. I collected lots of OGL stuff back in the day. This book & more now on eBay.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Can't get enough coelacanth info!
How Science Works - Expanding Our Knowledge of Coelacanth Evolution.
rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2025/11/how-...
#Science #Evolution #Atheism #CreationFail
rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2025/11/how-...
#Science #Evolution #Atheism #CreationFail
How Science Works - Expanding Our Knowledge of Coelacanth Evolution.
Researchers have discovered that there ar many more coelacanth fossils than was previously recognised, showing evolved diversity in the Late Jurassic.
rosarubicondior.blogspot.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Can't get enough coelacanth info!
I'm definitely on the orcas' side in this conflict
Well, this counts as an intriguing foraging technique: When the orcas have paralyzed a juvenile great white shark, "they rip out and feast on its energy-rich liver, which is full of nutrients." #orcas #killerwhales #cetaceans #sharks #ocean #animalculture #animalcognition
Orcas filmed paralysing and eating great white sharks in the Gulf of California | Discover Wildlife
Warmer waters might be bringing more juvenile white sharks to the Gulf of California, where they are easy prey for killer whales.
www.discoverwildlife.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:26 PM
I'm definitely on the orcas' side in this conflict
For years I pondered how to make a game about evolution, and my answer is Clades. Players match animals according to their positions on the evolutionary tree of life. Everyone plays at once so it’s fast. FWIW, I get royalties on this one. Kids love animals! #evolution
www.atlas-games.com/clades
www.atlas-games.com/clades
Clades and Clades Prehistoric
The evolutionary card game.
www.atlas-games.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
For years I pondered how to make a game about evolution, and my answer is Clades. Players match animals according to their positions on the evolutionary tree of life. Everyone plays at once so it’s fast. FWIW, I get royalties on this one. Kids love animals! #evolution
www.atlas-games.com/clades
www.atlas-games.com/clades
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
Today, on Halloween, The Chaosium officially turns 50 years old. 🧵
On October 31, 1975 our founder Greg Stafford went down to the Alameda County Clerk’s office and filed the paperwork to officially register the company...
On October 31, 1975 our founder Greg Stafford went down to the Alameda County Clerk’s office and filed the paperwork to officially register the company...
November 1, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Today, on Halloween, The Chaosium officially turns 50 years old. 🧵
On October 31, 1975 our founder Greg Stafford went down to the Alameda County Clerk’s office and filed the paperwork to officially register the company...
On October 31, 1975 our founder Greg Stafford went down to the Alameda County Clerk’s office and filed the paperwork to officially register the company...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
Troupe style is one of those approaches to RPGs that people resist but I tend to find love when they actually try it.
Basically:
You have a character that's yours.
You may have a secondary character.
You then have a pool of other characters you can grab as needed.
(thread)
Basically:
You have a character that's yours.
You may have a secondary character.
You then have a pool of other characters you can grab as needed.
(thread)
October 31, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Troupe style is one of those approaches to RPGs that people resist but I tend to find love when they actually try it.
Basically:
You have a character that's yours.
You may have a secondary character.
You then have a pool of other characters you can grab as needed.
(thread)
Basically:
You have a character that's yours.
You may have a secondary character.
You then have a pool of other characters you can grab as needed.
(thread)
Makes sense when you think about it: over time natural selection finds new uses for old genes
Pleiotropy increases with gene age in six model multicellular eukaryotes
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Reese Martin and Ann T Tate
doi.org/10.1093/evle...
Now in @evolletters.bsky.social by Reese Martin and Ann T Tate
Pleiotropy increases with gene age in six model multicellular eukaryotes
Abstract. Fundamental traits of genes, including function, length, and Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content, all vary with gene age. Pleiotropy, where a single ge
doi.org
October 31, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Makes sense when you think about it: over time natural selection finds new uses for old genes
Ten years ago, this blog post by @bjking.bsky.social put Grandmother Fish on the map. It went viral, and my small run of self-published books sold out. Wish I'd printed a lot more copies! This question is just as timely today as it was 10 years ago.
#evolution
www.npr.org/sections/13....
#evolution
www.npr.org/sections/13....
When Should You Introduce A Child To Evolution?
Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores a new storybook that aims to teach 3- to 7-year-olds about their "grandmother fish" as a way into the concept of evolution.
www.npr.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Ten years ago, this blog post by @bjking.bsky.social put Grandmother Fish on the map. It went viral, and my small run of self-published books sold out. Wish I'd printed a lot more copies! This question is just as timely today as it was 10 years ago.
#evolution
www.npr.org/sections/13....
#evolution
www.npr.org/sections/13....
Starting in the '80s, Mayfair Games released unlicensed adventures & supplements for AD&D. For a while Mayfair obliged TSR to allow this, under certain negotiated conditions. This deal fell apart in 1993, and here is one of the last Role Aids supplements released.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
October 28, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Starting in the '80s, Mayfair Games released unlicensed adventures & supplements for AD&D. For a while Mayfair obliged TSR to allow this, under certain negotiated conditions. This deal fell apart in 1993, and here is one of the last Role Aids supplements released.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_...
Reposted by Jonathan Tweet
Last Call for Ars Magica Edición Definitiva #ArsMagica #Crowdfunding
Last Call for Ars Magica Edición Definitiva
Crowdfunding for the Spanish translation of Ars Magica has funded, with four days to spare! Congratulations to our friends at Blagdaross Ediciones.
The BackerKit campaign ends on Oct 31 at 3PM Central, so be sure to check it out soon …
VISIT THE SPANISH ARS MAGICA CAMPAIGN NOW! …
dlvr.it
October 28, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Last Call for Ars Magica Edición Definitiva #ArsMagica #Crowdfunding