V.V. 🏳️🌈
@machineheart.bsky.social
Tabletop RPGs, fantasy cartography, comics, cinema, gaming, pop culture and everything in between. They/them. EN • PT-BR
Here's a headscratcher: my blog post on examples of wealth abstraction rules is currently sitting at 1220 views, making it one of the most viewed posts I've ever written. I have *no idea* why it outperformed the vast majority of my posts, though. I barely shared it here and on Twitter. Weird stuff.
November 12, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Here's a headscratcher: my blog post on examples of wealth abstraction rules is currently sitting at 1220 views, making it one of the most viewed posts I've ever written. I have *no idea* why it outperformed the vast majority of my posts, though. I barely shared it here and on Twitter. Weird stuff.
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
I still regularly use my faction generator to spark ideas and think you might get some use out of it too. Check it out!
perchance.org/smoke-fuel-f...
perchance.org/smoke-fuel-f...
smoke, fuel, & fire faction generator
perchance.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I still regularly use my faction generator to spark ideas and think you might get some use out of it too. Check it out!
perchance.org/smoke-fuel-f...
perchance.org/smoke-fuel-f...
I was looking for a good copy of Mage: The Ascension for a friend on Shopee (the Brazilian equivalent of eBay), and I actually found one! The item's description completely wrecked me, though, as the book belonged to the seller's late husband, and they felt it was time to let it find a new home. ):
![A snippet from a Shopee listing's description in PT-BR that roughly translates to "this copy [of Mage: The Ascension] belonged to my late husband, a huge fan of the World of Darknes and everything else involving classic RPGs. He took great care of his books, and now I've decided to let them find new homes so they can keep inspiring new players and collectors". The second paragraph is a great description of Mage: The Ascension as a game.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ijpdfwrqecitjj4dwbfiiyex/bafkreid7kfacyrvlhsdyivkq2hcpks6lyrnjubetclq2h4fw57snmp3i7y@jpeg)
November 12, 2025 at 3:26 AM
I was looking for a good copy of Mage: The Ascension for a friend on Shopee (the Brazilian equivalent of eBay), and I actually found one! The item's description completely wrecked me, though, as the book belonged to the seller's late husband, and they felt it was time to let it find a new home. ):
If VtM: Bloodlines 2 was a GM/Storyteller, we would have *vastly* different STing styles. That's not to say Bloodlines 2 would be a bad ST, just far, far more bombastic than I am. Some of the stuff that happens during the game's third act is so over the top that I struggled to suspend my disbelief.
November 8, 2025 at 6:05 PM
If VtM: Bloodlines 2 was a GM/Storyteller, we would have *vastly* different STing styles. That's not to say Bloodlines 2 would be a bad ST, just far, far more bombastic than I am. Some of the stuff that happens during the game's third act is so over the top that I struggled to suspend my disbelief.
Absolum instantly won me over with its gorgeous artwork, but the gameplay is nothing to be scoffed at, either. It's *very* accessible (my partner usually avoids action games, yet she's really digging this one), but it's not lacking in depth, either. Really glad I gave it a shot.
November 8, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Absolum instantly won me over with its gorgeous artwork, but the gameplay is nothing to be scoffed at, either. It's *very* accessible (my partner usually avoids action games, yet she's really digging this one), but it's not lacking in depth, either. Really glad I gave it a shot.
Predator: Badlands is everything I've ever wanted from the franchise, and Dan Trachtenberg is the best thing that ever happened to Predator. That dude just *gets* it.
November 8, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Predator: Badlands is everything I've ever wanted from the franchise, and Dan Trachtenberg is the best thing that ever happened to Predator. That dude just *gets* it.
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
I *deeply love* all of the game-related work (that isn't scheduling and wrangling and interpersonal management), love building props and setting up stages and etc, making resources available, but there's a difference between "I like it" and "we just expect it from everyone, players do no work lmao"
November 7, 2025 at 9:35 AM
I *deeply love* all of the game-related work (that isn't scheduling and wrangling and interpersonal management), love building props and setting up stages and etc, making resources available, but there's a difference between "I like it" and "we just expect it from everyone, players do no work lmao"
Oh, what the hell.
Judge me based on 4 favourite films, GO!
Judge me based on 4 favourite films, GO!
November 6, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Oh, what the hell.
Judge me based on 4 favourite films, GO!
Judge me based on 4 favourite films, GO!
Yeah, Imma go ahead and say this shit is sneakier than algorithms. Not cool, mods.
If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.
November 6, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Yeah, Imma go ahead and say this shit is sneakier than algorithms. Not cool, mods.
Didn't expect to get even MORE peak from one of my GOATs in 2025, but here we are. Check this playtest out, y'all! Not only is it gorgeously laid out, it's also oozing with weird apocalyptic flavour.
The fever dream of the future's future ~ The boiling pot that humanity let itself cook in ~ An opportunity ~ A sprint ~ A vision ~ A proof of life ~
This is your first look at Inheritors (officially PWYW on Itch~)
sandroad.itch.io/proof-of-life
This is your first look at Inheritors (officially PWYW on Itch~)
sandroad.itch.io/proof-of-life
INHERITORS - Proof of Life - Quickstart by SandroAD
apocalyptic future-tech mayhem
sandroad.itch.io
November 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Didn't expect to get even MORE peak from one of my GOATs in 2025, but here we are. Check this playtest out, y'all! Not only is it gorgeously laid out, it's also oozing with weird apocalyptic flavour.
Here's a story hook connected to this loresheet: a Sabbat Nosferatu with the Patient Zero *and* the Living Nightmare Advantages is poisoning the city's main blood bank with his own Vitae. Vampires who partake of poisoned blood bags get the Ugly Flaw (-1) for d4 weeks. Unless they're Nosferatu. 1/2
November 5, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Here's a story hook connected to this loresheet: a Sabbat Nosferatu with the Patient Zero *and* the Living Nightmare Advantages is poisoning the city's main blood bank with his own Vitae. Vampires who partake of poisoned blood bags get the Ugly Flaw (-1) for d4 weeks. Unless they're Nosferatu. 1/2
I've been using a modified version of this template to work on the playtest version of my *own* vampire game, This Scarlet Thirst.
After making this loresheet, though, I'm seriously considering adapting my VtM procedures to this format and releasing them for free, along with some house rules!
After making this loresheet, though, I'm seriously considering adapting my VtM procedures to this format and releasing them for free, along with some house rules!
The Nosferatu have always been one of my favourite clans, but I still think Requiem did their curse way, way better than any Masquerade edition. To fix that, I made a loresheet that infuses V5's Clan of the Hidden with some of that Vampire: The Requiem 1e flavour!
November 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
I've been using a modified version of this template to work on the playtest version of my *own* vampire game, This Scarlet Thirst.
After making this loresheet, though, I'm seriously considering adapting my VtM procedures to this format and releasing them for free, along with some house rules!
After making this loresheet, though, I'm seriously considering adapting my VtM procedures to this format and releasing them for free, along with some house rules!
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
I've got some more to say I guess, which is that the reason rule of cool is so prevalent specifically within DnD spaces is that DnD for the most part, does not let you do cool stuff even though its players are very convinced it does.
November 4, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I've got some more to say I guess, which is that the reason rule of cool is so prevalent specifically within DnD spaces is that DnD for the most part, does not let you do cool stuff even though its players are very convinced it does.
The Nosferatu have always been one of my favourite clans, but I still think Requiem did their curse way, way better than any Masquerade edition. To fix that, I made a loresheet that infuses V5's Clan of the Hidden with some of that Vampire: The Requiem 1e flavour!
November 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The Nosferatu have always been one of my favourite clans, but I still think Requiem did their curse way, way better than any Masquerade edition. To fix that, I made a loresheet that infuses V5's Clan of the Hidden with some of that Vampire: The Requiem 1e flavour!
Hardcase is the coolest solo TTRPG I've ever read, and it's 25% off right now! I'd recommend it at any price, but at 25% off, it's a steal!
Went ahead and put a bunch of my most popular work - including my Mothership class, my sci-fi gig economy solo RPG (and its Online-focused expansion!), and my cyberpunk microgame trilogy - on sale through the end of November!
itch.io/s/166208/thu...
itch.io/s/166208/thu...
October 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Hardcase is the coolest solo TTRPG I've ever read, and it's 25% off right now! I'd recommend it at any price, but at 25% off, it's a steal!
It's been a while, but I'm working on a new blog post for my Vampire series! This time, the focus is on proceduralising tasks (aka sidequests) the players can stumble upon. But here's the cool part: tasks that aren't accepted/completed by the players after a while will be resolved by NPCs. 1/2
October 26, 2025 at 10:54 PM
It's been a while, but I'm working on a new blog post for my Vampire series! This time, the focus is on proceduralising tasks (aka sidequests) the players can stumble upon. But here's the cool part: tasks that aren't accepted/completed by the players after a while will be resolved by NPCs. 1/2
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
Dungeon Wilds 2.0 is up on itch!
Check it out! Leave a comment!
goblins-and-gardens.itch.io/dungeon-wilds
Check it out! Leave a comment!
goblins-and-gardens.itch.io/dungeon-wilds
Dungeon Wilds by Goblins and Gardens
A playing card game about exploring dungeons, destroying them, and dying over and over again.
goblins-and-gardens.itch.io
October 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Dungeon Wilds 2.0 is up on itch!
Check it out! Leave a comment!
goblins-and-gardens.itch.io/dungeon-wilds
Check it out! Leave a comment!
goblins-and-gardens.itch.io/dungeon-wilds
Technobabble is the best part about mech games, and no one can change my mind. Just fuck me up with that hardware-heavy lingo. Shit like “I've got LIDAR ghosting on vector three-seven, could be ECM bleed or a cloaked frame riding the signal scatter” is my JAM.
Radar contact detected. Thermal signature detected. Visual contact.
October 26, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Technobabble is the best part about mech games, and no one can change my mind. Just fuck me up with that hardware-heavy lingo. Shit like “I've got LIDAR ghosting on vector three-seven, could be ECM bleed or a cloaked frame riding the signal scatter” is my JAM.
I'm turning 32 today, and I've yet to release a single game, lmao. The struggle is so real.
October 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I'm turning 32 today, and I've yet to release a single game, lmao. The struggle is so real.
As I play Bloodlines 2, I can't stop thinking about my relationship with V5 (and Vampire in general).
On one hand, I really do want to run more V5, because there are plenty of little touches I truly enjoy and appreciate. On the other, there are so, so many factors that make it a chore to run. 🧵
On one hand, I really do want to run more V5, because there are plenty of little touches I truly enjoy and appreciate. On the other, there are so, so many factors that make it a chore to run. 🧵
October 24, 2025 at 3:12 AM
As I play Bloodlines 2, I can't stop thinking about my relationship with V5 (and Vampire in general).
On one hand, I really do want to run more V5, because there are plenty of little touches I truly enjoy and appreciate. On the other, there are so, so many factors that make it a chore to run. 🧵
On one hand, I really do want to run more V5, because there are plenty of little touches I truly enjoy and appreciate. On the other, there are so, so many factors that make it a chore to run. 🧵
Excellent thread. I feel like a *lot* of us are guilty of that, particularly in the OSR space, where some of us (myself included) are so fixated in making a *good* version of D&D that we end up neglecting other facets of fantasy, or even diluting our own ideas in order to stay within that framework.
The extent to which ttrpgs rely on metatext has served as a strength that I think is poisoning the well as the sources of metatext are now eating themselves.
October 23, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Excellent thread. I feel like a *lot* of us are guilty of that, particularly in the OSR space, where some of us (myself included) are so fixated in making a *good* version of D&D that we end up neglecting other facets of fantasy, or even diluting our own ideas in order to stay within that framework.
If all the enjoyment the group gets from a game comes from each other's company and the effort they put into it, then they're not having fun because of the game. They're having fun in spite of it.
I've seen D&D get the credit for all the cool maps, minis and lore a GM made, and it broke my heart.
I've seen D&D get the credit for all the cool maps, minis and lore a GM made, and it broke my heart.
For real though folks really aren't willing to accept that perhaps, just maybe, they actually really don't like the game they are in but do it to be around people
I firmly believe that one of two things is true, either
A: you enjoy these things so much because the context in which they're placed provides a huge and stark contrast against the things the game values that the contrast makes them more memorable in relief, or
B: you loathe the game you're playing.
A: you enjoy these things so much because the context in which they're placed provides a huge and stark contrast against the things the game values that the contrast makes them more memorable in relief, or
B: you loathe the game you're playing.
October 21, 2025 at 4:30 PM
If all the enjoyment the group gets from a game comes from each other's company and the effort they put into it, then they're not having fun because of the game. They're having fun in spite of it.
I've seen D&D get the credit for all the cool maps, minis and lore a GM made, and it broke my heart.
I've seen D&D get the credit for all the cool maps, minis and lore a GM made, and it broke my heart.
Just wanted to report that yes, TTRPG Bsky is doing pretty great. I'm still on the other site, but only because some of my moots haven't ditched it yet.
But wow, conversations are so much healthier and livelier over here. I'm glad I decided to give this platform another shot.
But wow, conversations are so much healthier and livelier over here. I'm glad I decided to give this platform another shot.
Testing, testing. Is TTRPG Bsky still alive and thriving?
I've been away from the app for a while now, but TTRPG activity is steadily declining on Twitter, so I'm hoping things are better over here.
I've been away from the app for a while now, but TTRPG activity is steadily declining on Twitter, so I'm hoping things are better over here.
October 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Just wanted to report that yes, TTRPG Bsky is doing pretty great. I'm still on the other site, but only because some of my moots haven't ditched it yet.
But wow, conversations are so much healthier and livelier over here. I'm glad I decided to give this platform another shot.
But wow, conversations are so much healthier and livelier over here. I'm glad I decided to give this platform another shot.
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
Which in turn is an artifact of D&D's everything else being kinda clunky. Social mechanics wouldn't feel scary if D&D didn't make everything else it mechanicized a giant chore.
October 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Which in turn is an artifact of D&D's everything else being kinda clunky. Social mechanics wouldn't feel scary if D&D didn't make everything else it mechanicized a giant chore.
Reposted by V.V. 🏳️🌈
Because like, in D&D the roleplaying is where you get to struggle out from under the rules and just express yourself.
You try a game that has mechanics for RP for the first time and it's like "oh no, the rules are here too, nowhere's safe, I'm going back to D&D."
You try a game that has mechanics for RP for the first time and it's like "oh no, the rules are here too, nowhere's safe, I'm going back to D&D."
October 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Because like, in D&D the roleplaying is where you get to struggle out from under the rules and just express yourself.
You try a game that has mechanics for RP for the first time and it's like "oh no, the rules are here too, nowhere's safe, I'm going back to D&D."
You try a game that has mechanics for RP for the first time and it's like "oh no, the rules are here too, nowhere's safe, I'm going back to D&D."