Not a real doctor
@simonb.bsky.social
Lapsed-writer, ex-DJ, wants to be an academic again (is, in fact a real doctor) , old goth, larp designer, neurodiverse like light through a prism, poet before sunrise. Poster-child for burnout (Complex, Brooding, Challenging)
Pinned
Not a real doctor
@simonb.bsky.social
· Nov 20
“Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.” (Kafka)
▶️larp
➡️Nordic
➡️Theory
➡️Writing
➡️Blockbuster
➡️Art
➡️Old-school UK system heavy base 6
▶️larp
➡️Nordic
➡️Theory
➡️Writing
➡️Blockbuster
➡️Art
➡️Old-school UK system heavy base 6
The maximum word count for this article, including all references, footnotes, and the abstract is 7,000 words. This is one of those moments where I think real world Achievement badges should pop up
December 28, 2025 at 8:14 AM
The maximum word count for this article, including all references, footnotes, and the abstract is 7,000 words. This is one of those moments where I think real world Achievement badges should pop up
I have had the simple joy of spending most of the weekend writing and/or editing the work of really smart people. With a small break for tea with @pennyred.bsky.social and a slightly longer one to watch @saracenswomen.bsky.social .
Suddenly it is Monday and I am in the office looking at a photo
Suddenly it is Monday and I am in the office looking at a photo
December 22, 2025 at 8:07 AM
I have had the simple joy of spending most of the weekend writing and/or editing the work of really smart people. With a small break for tea with @pennyred.bsky.social and a slightly longer one to watch @saracenswomen.bsky.social .
Suddenly it is Monday and I am in the office looking at a photo
Suddenly it is Monday and I am in the office looking at a photo
Thinks: I am just finishing up a paper on ludonarrative hegemonies; am I one of the baddies?
is this a safe space to admit that a large part of the reason I tune out of RPG theory stuff is because I'm pretty sure a lot of it makes me worse at designing games
RPG Theory Guy: Oh, you're having fun playing games? *cracks knuckles* Check out the latest batch of problems I've invented. Don't worry; I can make it sound real intellectual. I'll throw in a few "ludo-narrative dissonances" for free. Wanna get rid of those problems? Buy my games. *salesman grin*
December 19, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Thinks: I am just finishing up a paper on ludonarrative hegemonies; am I one of the baddies?
Watching @lucyworsley.bsky.social squeeze some meat (which is not a phrase I was ever expecting to type) - Happy Birthday!
December 18, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Watching @lucyworsley.bsky.social squeeze some meat (which is not a phrase I was ever expecting to type) - Happy Birthday!
"we have decided to reduce the word limit for articles in this edition"
(FX: sounds of screaming)
"this limit now inlcudes the references"
(FX: screaming replaced with sobbing)
"and the abstract"
(FX: strange chanting and smell of burning. Demonic entities arrive)
(FX: sounds of screaming)
"this limit now inlcudes the references"
(FX: screaming replaced with sobbing)
"and the abstract"
(FX: strange chanting and smell of burning. Demonic entities arrive)
December 18, 2025 at 2:32 PM
"we have decided to reduce the word limit for articles in this edition"
(FX: sounds of screaming)
"this limit now inlcudes the references"
(FX: screaming replaced with sobbing)
"and the abstract"
(FX: strange chanting and smell of burning. Demonic entities arrive)
(FX: sounds of screaming)
"this limit now inlcudes the references"
(FX: screaming replaced with sobbing)
"and the abstract"
(FX: strange chanting and smell of burning. Demonic entities arrive)
There are — quite correctly — two spaces after each full stop in the image below.
(As a part of the SoMe around the larp B Movie we're releasing odd snippets of text like this; I am rather fond of this one.)
(As a part of the SoMe around the larp B Movie we're releasing odd snippets of text like this; I am rather fond of this one.)
December 16, 2025 at 6:13 AM
There are — quite correctly — two spaces after each full stop in the image below.
(As a part of the SoMe around the larp B Movie we're releasing odd snippets of text like this; I am rather fond of this one.)
(As a part of the SoMe around the larp B Movie we're releasing odd snippets of text like this; I am rather fond of this one.)
An error this morning led to me taking a walk through sunrise London whilst on a call with my friend Martine who was taking a walk through early morning Oslo. We arrived at our respective coffee shops at the same time. The London Barista was confused by me saying "dagens kaffe, tusen takk"
December 11, 2025 at 9:09 AM
An error this morning led to me taking a walk through sunrise London whilst on a call with my friend Martine who was taking a walk through early morning Oslo. We arrived at our respective coffee shops at the same time. The London Barista was confused by me saying "dagens kaffe, tusen takk"
I need a word that describes an implicity and empathic understanding, an academic equivalent of knowing something in your bones. Once upon a time I might have used Heinlien's Martian word ' grok; for this, but that is no longer available. Does a suitable word exist in another Earth language?
December 5, 2025 at 9:56 AM
I need a word that describes an implicity and empathic understanding, an academic equivalent of knowing something in your bones. Once upon a time I might have used Heinlien's Martian word ' grok; for this, but that is no longer available. Does a suitable word exist in another Earth language?
I went to Dragonmeet for 24 minutes. Even with Noise Cancelling on it was too much input to even be able to focus on objects. There were many objects. I came away none the wiser.
November 29, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I went to Dragonmeet for 24 minutes. Even with Noise Cancelling on it was too much input to even be able to focus on objects. There were many objects. I came away none the wiser.
A photo taken at Conscience. It was a difficult larp for me to play but I learned so much from it. (There's pretty much a chapter on it in my thesis.) It contained one of the best and one of the worst scenes of my 40+ year larping career.
November 19, 2025 at 10:03 AM
A photo taken at Conscience. It was a difficult larp for me to play but I learned so much from it. (There's pretty much a chapter on it in my thesis.) It contained one of the best and one of the worst scenes of my 40+ year larping career.
This weekend the incredibly talented team at @wonderlarp.bsky.social are running Convention of Thorns
which I hope everyone in the larpospehere already knows about. A crossing of streams between VtM and the Nordic form
www.conventionofthorns.com
which I hope everyone in the larpospehere already knows about. A crossing of streams between VtM and the Nordic form
www.conventionofthorns.com
Convention of Thorns | Vampire the Masquerade larp in Poland
Convention of Thorns is a licensed Vampire the Masquerade larp (live action role play) in Poland set in the World of Darkness. It is an official Paradox Interactive event created by Wonderlarp. Partic...
www.conventionofthorns.com
November 13, 2025 at 8:31 AM
This weekend the incredibly talented team at @wonderlarp.bsky.social are running Convention of Thorns
which I hope everyone in the larpospehere already knows about. A crossing of streams between VtM and the Nordic form
www.conventionofthorns.com
which I hope everyone in the larpospehere already knows about. A crossing of streams between VtM and the Nordic form
www.conventionofthorns.com
This was where I learned the fundamentals of the form. Writing meaningful linears ("Dungeons") week after week and somtimes getting through two characters in a single day while playing
Labyrinthe LARP, 1987.
Lady waiting at the bus stop looks familiar in a 1980s way...
Lady waiting at the bus stop looks familiar in a 1980s way...
November 11, 2025 at 1:18 PM
This was where I learned the fundamentals of the form. Writing meaningful linears ("Dungeons") week after week and somtimes getting through two characters in a single day while playing
Reposted by Not a real doctor
Palestinian larp needs our help. During the last 15 years, a vibrant larp culture has grown in Palestine, together with the Palestinian larp organization Bait Byout. Israeli repression affects all areas of Palestinian larp, including larp. Donate if you can
birthoflarp.wordpress.com/support-larp...
birthoflarp.wordpress.com/support-larp...
Support larp in Palestine!
The ongoing occupation places a severe strain on all aspects of Palestinian life and freedom. Needless to say, the situation has deteriorated severly during the recent years of active war in the Ga…
birthoflarp.wordpress.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Palestinian larp needs our help. During the last 15 years, a vibrant larp culture has grown in Palestine, together with the Palestinian larp organization Bait Byout. Israeli repression affects all areas of Palestinian larp, including larp. Donate if you can
birthoflarp.wordpress.com/support-larp...
birthoflarp.wordpress.com/support-larp...
Happy Halloween.
One day remaining for a chance to get a physical copy of the Scriptbook for the larp Gothic for only €22
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
One day remaining for a chance to get a physical copy of the Scriptbook for the larp Gothic for only €22
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
October 31, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Happy Halloween.
One day remaining for a chance to get a physical copy of the Scriptbook for the larp Gothic for only €22
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
One day remaining for a chance to get a physical copy of the Scriptbook for the larp Gothic for only €22
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
Francesca Mills' Ophelia at the National Theatre (The English one) was heartbreakingly brilliant. I really enjoyed the whole production. Fascinating edits to the script taking the runtime down to sub two and a half hours. Hamlet remains one of the greatest plays.
October 30, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Francesca Mills' Ophelia at the National Theatre (The English one) was heartbreakingly brilliant. I really enjoyed the whole production. Fascinating edits to the script taking the runtime down to sub two and a half hours. Hamlet remains one of the greatest plays.
One of the scenography twists from Gothic was replacing some of the props with others when the players were not looking. Everything here is edible, including the worms!
October 28, 2025 at 1:29 PM
One of the scenography twists from Gothic was replacing some of the props with others when the players were not looking. Everything here is edible, including the worms!
Moth the cat would like more food, for next door's cat to stop attacking her, for the rain to stop, constant attention in the way of strokes, and to be right up in my face.
I would like a second cup of coffee.
I would like a second cup of coffee.
October 28, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Moth the cat would like more food, for next door's cat to stop attacking her, for the rain to stop, constant attention in the way of strokes, and to be right up in my face.
I would like a second cup of coffee.
I would like a second cup of coffee.
I think food design at larps can be a very important part of the experience, how about you? If you have an opinion, why not fill out this survery which will help an article for the 2026 KP book
Got opinions about larp food? And +/- 10 minutes to spare?
Help me out and fill out my survey! 🤗
forms.gle/1gf8U2ocQQXQ...
Help me out and fill out my survey! 🤗
forms.gle/1gf8U2ocQQXQ...
Larp food survey
Hi! I'm Marijke, also known as Mary sometimes, and I am conducting a larp food survey as part of a KP article I'm writing this year.
I love cooking in-game food at larps, and talking about food! Som...
forms.gle
October 27, 2025 at 6:21 AM
I think food design at larps can be a very important part of the experience, how about you? If you have an opinion, why not fill out this survery which will help an article for the 2026 KP book
I sat on the plane,
still half in character.
The flight attendant said, “Would you like anything?”
I said, “Only absolution.”
She said, “We’ve got nuts.”
I said, “Close enough.”
still half in character.
The flight attendant said, “Would you like anything?”
I said, “Only absolution.”
She said, “We’ve got nuts.”
I said, “Close enough.”
October 16, 2025 at 6:56 AM
I sat on the plane,
still half in character.
The flight attendant said, “Would you like anything?”
I said, “Only absolution.”
She said, “We’ve got nuts.”
I said, “Close enough.”
still half in character.
The flight attendant said, “Would you like anything?”
I said, “Only absolution.”
She said, “We’ve got nuts.”
I said, “Close enough.”
I wrote some code that rolls dice and simulates rounds of combat. I can run a battle a million times and get a report on the percentage change of success, character death, or tpk.
I know nothing about game design, but my neurodiversity ia apparently showing.
I know nothing about game design, but my neurodiversity ia apparently showing.
October 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I wrote some code that rolls dice and simulates rounds of combat. I can run a battle a million times and get a report on the percentage change of success, character death, or tpk.
I know nothing about game design, but my neurodiversity ia apparently showing.
I know nothing about game design, but my neurodiversity ia apparently showing.
"Notification of Submission Acceptance: 1 September 2025" and other works of 21st Century Fantasy Fiction
October 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
"Notification of Submission Acceptance: 1 September 2025" and other works of 21st Century Fantasy Fiction
I went in to yesterday's Finnish lesson thinking I had prepared. I had. Sadly I had prepared the wrong material. Fortunately I turned things round in the last 15 minutes by translating something about bears and 'winter dreams' (hibernatioon)
October 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
I went in to yesterday's Finnish lesson thinking I had prepared. I had. Sadly I had prepared the wrong material. Fortunately I turned things round in the last 15 minutes by translating something about bears and 'winter dreams' (hibernatioon)
A quiet Friday morning on the edge of Fitzrovia, nothing but the drone of the a/c and the tapping of my keyboard and, inexplicably, the sound of running water; this is probably suboptimal.
October 10, 2025 at 6:38 AM
A quiet Friday morning on the edge of Fitzrovia, nothing but the drone of the a/c and the tapping of my keyboard and, inexplicably, the sound of running water; this is probably suboptimal.
We've cut the price of the the script book for Gothic to approx €22 (that is €10 off) until November 1st. In order to get a copy though you have to perform a strange ritual. This involves being signed in to DriveThruRPG AND setting the sinister sigil that shows adult content.
October 4, 2025 at 5:39 AM
We've cut the price of the the script book for Gothic to approx €22 (that is €10 off) until November 1st. In order to get a copy though you have to perform a strange ritual. This involves being signed in to DriveThruRPG AND setting the sinister sigil that shows adult content.