Terry
@stochasticpath.bsky.social
Interests in gaming, including tabletop RPGs and board games - tastes now leaning towards narrative and lightweight over simulation and rule complexity. Living in the UK.
Reposted by Terry
A thread about ExCel feeling "too big" or "empty" as part of Dragonmeet 2025, or at least my understanding through attending the convention for 10 years and founding its #PodcastZone, with a sprinkle of my professional experience with London real estate and exhibition centres planning.
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December 2, 2025 at 9:04 PM
A thread about ExCel feeling "too big" or "empty" as part of Dragonmeet 2025, or at least my understanding through attending the convention for 10 years and founding its #PodcastZone, with a sprinkle of my professional experience with London real estate and exhibition centres planning.
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On Saturday, another fine #Dragonmeet, now expanded at Excel. Lots of traders and some interesting finds; a fun cross-universe caper in my first time with the Cypher system; and post-con meetup for the Ludonarrative Dissidents podcast.
November 30, 2025 at 9:32 PM
On Saturday, another fine #Dragonmeet, now expanded at Excel. Lots of traders and some interesting finds; a fun cross-universe caper in my first time with the Cypher system; and post-con meetup for the Ludonarrative Dissidents podcast.
Reposted by Terry
It's been over a decade since the original quantum ogre posts. We use the term, but do we all mean the same thing? In this post I unpack the history of the quantum ogre and propose a modern definition.
www.fluoriteguillotine.com/blog/2025/11...
www.fluoriteguillotine.com/blog/2025/11...
quantum ogre reborn
It’s time we re-examine what we mean when we use the term “quantum ogre”. The seed of this post started when Valeria posted her review of Fabula Ultima and quoted Emanuele Galletto (the game’s author)...
www.fluoriteguillotine.com
November 30, 2025 at 12:04 PM
It's been over a decade since the original quantum ogre posts. We use the term, but do we all mean the same thing? In this post I unpack the history of the quantum ogre and propose a modern definition.
www.fluoriteguillotine.com/blog/2025/11...
www.fluoriteguillotine.com/blog/2025/11...
Reposted by Terry
This piece by my friend @malcolmcraig.bsky.social is very much worth your time. Really excited to see where this research goes next. It's free to read.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces | Journal of American Studie...
When You Say, “Thermonuclear War,” I Think You Mean “the Call to Adventure”! The Twilight: 2000 Tabletop Role-Playing Game and the Postapocalyptic World’s Imaginary Spaces
www.cambridge.org
November 30, 2025 at 8:44 AM
This piece by my friend @malcolmcraig.bsky.social is very much worth your time. Really excited to see where this research goes next. It's free to read.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Game booked at London #Dragonmeet. Many great options - will miss revisiting my early days in the hobby at 1st-edition AD&D with "references to a certain folio of a fiendish persuasion" plus "Nobody's favourite Advanced Fighting Fantasy monster, the wheelies": fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Wheelie
Wheelie
Wheelies were strange disc-shaped species found scattered across the wild land of Allansia.[1] These weird creatures were disc-shaped, with large faces in the centre of one side. From around the edge ...
fightingfantasy.fandom.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Game booked at London #Dragonmeet. Many great options - will miss revisiting my early days in the hobby at 1st-edition AD&D with "references to a certain folio of a fiendish persuasion" plus "Nobody's favourite Advanced Fighting Fantasy monster, the wheelies": fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Wheelie
Reposted by Terry
The argument for the value of rules is not (and should mot be) an argument for the value of ALL rules.
Some rules are mistakes.
Some rules are well crafted, but do not match the situation.
Some rules are mistakes.
Some rules are well crafted, but do not match the situation.
September 7, 2025 at 10:23 AM
The argument for the value of rules is not (and should mot be) an argument for the value of ALL rules.
Some rules are mistakes.
Some rules are well crafted, but do not match the situation.
Some rules are mistakes.
Some rules are well crafted, but do not match the situation.
Reposted by Terry
The reason I prefer RAW is that you’re often changing the rules because you want to make less interesting decisions
I see every new improvisers making no decisions in their scenes and good rules help push you into story choices you wouldn’t make.
We change systems if what we want is different
I see every new improvisers making no decisions in their scenes and good rules help push you into story choices you wouldn’t make.
We change systems if what we want is different
5e has trained a generation of gamers into believing all TTRPGs need house rules to function.
My new new take on Rule Zero:
Don't you fucking dare mess with these rules until you've played them. You think you know better than me? For my game!? Play the game the way I made it before you start tinkering. Bet you salt your food before you taste it, don't you? You make me sick.
Too harsh?
Don't you fucking dare mess with these rules until you've played them. You think you know better than me? For my game!? Play the game the way I made it before you start tinkering. Bet you salt your food before you taste it, don't you? You make me sick.
Too harsh?
September 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The reason I prefer RAW is that you’re often changing the rules because you want to make less interesting decisions
I see every new improvisers making no decisions in their scenes and good rules help push you into story choices you wouldn’t make.
We change systems if what we want is different
I see every new improvisers making no decisions in their scenes and good rules help push you into story choices you wouldn’t make.
We change systems if what we want is different
Reposted by Terry
#34 Lots of GMing advice on Bluesky at the moment - what goes around comes around.
A Guide to Dungeon Mastering, by Lew Pulsipher, illustration by Alan Hunter.
A Guide to Dungeon Mastering, by Lew Pulsipher, illustration by Alan Hunter.
August 1, 2025 at 7:27 AM
#34 Lots of GMing advice on Bluesky at the moment - what goes around comes around.
A Guide to Dungeon Mastering, by Lew Pulsipher, illustration by Alan Hunter.
A Guide to Dungeon Mastering, by Lew Pulsipher, illustration by Alan Hunter.
Reposted by Terry
Today, I wrote Got Not Game! It's a discussion of system agnosticism in modules, how different modules approach it, and what process to take when deciding whether it's right for your module. Check it out here! idlecartulary.com/2025/07/22/g... #osr
Got no game: Should your module be system agnostic?
A lot of people ask questions like “should I write a module as system-agnostic, or for a popular system?” or “if I write a module for an unpopular system like X, will nobody read my module?”. I’m a…
idlecartulary.com
July 21, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Today, I wrote Got Not Game! It's a discussion of system agnosticism in modules, how different modules approach it, and what process to take when deciding whether it's right for your module. Check it out here! idlecartulary.com/2025/07/22/g... #osr
I'd enjoyed the #Amber diceless #RPG, now found an unofficial Amber playset for #Fiasco: actionyann.itch.io/fiasco-amber.... On a read it hits plenty of the right tropes, & I expect Fiasco's focus on rivalries and relationships suits. (And if it ends up more comedic than the original, so be it :-) )
Fiasco Castle Amber Diceless Playset by actionyann
Fiasco playset and Hack to play in the Castle Amber.
actionyann.itch.io
July 20, 2025 at 11:13 AM
I'd enjoyed the #Amber diceless #RPG, now found an unofficial Amber playset for #Fiasco: actionyann.itch.io/fiasco-amber.... On a read it hits plenty of the right tropes, & I expect Fiasco's focus on rivalries and relationships suits. (And if it ends up more comedic than the original, so be it :-) )
Reposted by Terry
Just posted: The first in a series of blog posts about in-jokes and pop-culture references in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st edition.
graemedavis.wordpress.com
graemedavis.wordpress.com
June 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Just posted: The first in a series of blog posts about in-jokes and pop-culture references in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st edition.
graemedavis.wordpress.com
graemedavis.wordpress.com
Reposted by Terry
Before I actually crack open Daggerheart, I want to talk about a very important related topic: THE BOX.
Because I had not been paying attention, it was only when I walked into Games & Stuff that I realized that the hardcover book came bundled with a box.
I was very curious about this.
Because I had not been paying attention, it was only when I walked into Games & Stuff that I realized that the hardcover book came bundled with a box.
I was very curious about this.
May 31, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Before I actually crack open Daggerheart, I want to talk about a very important related topic: THE BOX.
Because I had not been paying attention, it was only when I walked into Games & Stuff that I realized that the hardcover book came bundled with a box.
I was very curious about this.
Because I had not been paying attention, it was only when I walked into Games & Stuff that I realized that the hardcover book came bundled with a box.
I was very curious about this.
Reposted by Terry
TTRPG DND Thoughts:
Elves 🧵
We know them, we love them, too often we fall into the role of letting them just be the "better than everyone else" race and allow them to feel that way about themselves.
Another element is there is too often too many flavors of elf.
Elves 🧵
We know them, we love them, too often we fall into the role of letting them just be the "better than everyone else" race and allow them to feel that way about themselves.
Another element is there is too often too many flavors of elf.
May 1, 2025 at 10:29 PM
TTRPG DND Thoughts:
Elves 🧵
We know them, we love them, too often we fall into the role of letting them just be the "better than everyone else" race and allow them to feel that way about themselves.
Another element is there is too often too many flavors of elf.
Elves 🧵
We know them, we love them, too often we fall into the role of letting them just be the "better than everyone else" race and allow them to feel that way about themselves.
Another element is there is too often too many flavors of elf.
Reposted by Terry
This has a massive overlaps with something called “Bait and Switch”.
It’s generally seen as a bad thing hated in #TTRPGs. Difficult to pull off and lauded in other media, but far far too easy to do in a game. It’s not as clever as we think.
And as soon as you give a warning, the twist is spoilt.
It’s generally seen as a bad thing hated in #TTRPGs. Difficult to pull off and lauded in other media, but far far too easy to do in a game. It’s not as clever as we think.
And as soon as you give a warning, the twist is spoilt.
May 3, 2025 at 6:38 AM
This has a massive overlaps with something called “Bait and Switch”.
It’s generally seen as a bad thing hated in #TTRPGs. Difficult to pull off and lauded in other media, but far far too easy to do in a game. It’s not as clever as we think.
And as soon as you give a warning, the twist is spoilt.
It’s generally seen as a bad thing hated in #TTRPGs. Difficult to pull off and lauded in other media, but far far too easy to do in a game. It’s not as clever as we think.
And as soon as you give a warning, the twist is spoilt.
Reposted by Terry
Update on Ludonarrative Dissidents, the RPG analysis podcast I host with @rosspayton.bsky.social and @gregstolze.bsky.social. We've just released s3e11, covering stylish technoir epic CYBERPUNK RED, and you can hear it and read the shownotes here www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
April 25, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Update on Ludonarrative Dissidents, the RPG analysis podcast I host with @rosspayton.bsky.social and @gregstolze.bsky.social. We've just released s3e11, covering stylish technoir epic CYBERPUNK RED, and you can hear it and read the shownotes here www.ludonarrativedissidents.com/season-3-epi...
Reposted by Terry
I have a joke about Midas, it's absolutely golden.
I have a joke about Icarus. It's probably not a good idea to tell it, but what's the worst that could happen?
I have a joke about Oedipus, but it's a motherfucker.
April 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I have a joke about Midas, it's absolutely golden.
Reposted by Terry
Could tell you a joke about Prometheus but what am I, chopped liver?
April 13, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Could tell you a joke about Prometheus but what am I, chopped liver?
Reposted by Terry
I have a joke about Orpheus but, looking back, it's not a good idea.
January 27, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I have a joke about Orpheus but, looking back, it's not a good idea.
Reposted by Terry
I've got a joke about Cassandra, but nobody will listen to it.
I've got a joke about Sisyphus but every time I've rolled it up a metaphorical hill ready to tell it rolls away from me again
I have a joke about Queen Pasiphae but I fear she might have a cow if I told it
April 13, 2025 at 10:13 AM
I've got a joke about Cassandra, but nobody will listen to it.
Reposted by Terry
I have very happily accepted the newly established position of Pelgrane Press Creative Director.
Pelgrane Press Welcomes Robin D. Laws as New Creative Director
We are beyond thrilled to announce that, after two decades of brilliant collaboration, Robin D. Laws has officially stepped into the role of Creative Direct
pelgranepress.com
March 31, 2025 at 1:03 PM
I have very happily accepted the newly established position of Pelgrane Press Creative Director.
Reposted by Terry
I will never stop telling people to go get the Schema sheet and put it in their GM clipboard:
March 29, 2025 at 10:56 PM
I will never stop telling people to go get the Schema sheet and put it in their GM clipboard:
Reposted by Terry
I'm reading an absolutely fascinating blog post that collects many different kinds of Initiative in RPGs. It's really eye opening. It shows just how hard it is to find a good answer to "who goes first" when a fight breaks out.
knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2024/06/ever...
knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2024/06/ever...
EVERY Initiative Method??
Not really. But maybe, with your help, we actually can. Let's give this a shot. Every now and then I've seen a blog post attempting to cover...
knightattheopera.blogspot.com
March 29, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I'm reading an absolutely fascinating blog post that collects many different kinds of Initiative in RPGs. It's really eye opening. It shows just how hard it is to find a good answer to "who goes first" when a fight breaks out.
knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2024/06/ever...
knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2024/06/ever...
Snapshot of #RPG discourse past (prompted by another thread): 1997 FAQ of newsgroup rec.games.frp.advocacy. Intro (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...), the threefold model (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...), plotting (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...) & diceless (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...)
The rec.games.frp.advocacy FAQ
www.darkshire.net
March 29, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Snapshot of #RPG discourse past (prompted by another thread): 1997 FAQ of newsgroup rec.games.frp.advocacy. Intro (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...), the threefold model (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...), plotting (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...) & diceless (www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/t...)
Reposted by Terry
Not to seem ungrateful but it’s only a +2 sword
Usher of the Black Rod receives new sword from King Charles
A senior officer in Canada’s Parliament received a rare honour this week: in an audience with King Charles, Usher of the Black Rod J. Greg Peters received a new ceremonial sword.
www.ctvnews.ca
March 16, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Not to seem ungrateful but it’s only a +2 sword
Classic Paranoia RPG scenario "Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues" is discussed in latest episode of always-interesting podcast "Ludonarrative Dissidents" (from @jameswallis.bsky.social , @gregstolze.bsky.social, & @rosspayton.bsky.social)
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com
Ludonarrative Dissidents
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com
March 12, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Classic Paranoia RPG scenario "Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues" is discussed in latest episode of always-interesting podcast "Ludonarrative Dissidents" (from @jameswallis.bsky.social , @gregstolze.bsky.social, & @rosspayton.bsky.social)
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com
www.ludonarrativedissidents.com