BlackDragonCan
@blackdragoncan.bsky.social
Bhakashal Spell Book: https://www.lulu.com
Bhakashal Blog: http://dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2024/05/?m=1
Blog Index: https://dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2024/10/building-bhakashal-organizing-blog-ive.html
Bhakashal Blog: http://dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2024/05/?m=1
Blog Index: https://dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2024/10/building-bhakashal-organizing-blog-ive.html
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I’m working on a AD&D retroclone named Bhakashal. I have completed the Bhakashal Spell Book, a tome with more than 400 new spells, designed for the setting and compatible with any old school fantasy TTRPG.
Search on www.lulu.com (print/PDF)or www.drivethrurpg.com (PDF) for “Bhakashal”
Search on www.lulu.com (print/PDF)or www.drivethrurpg.com (PDF) for “Bhakashal”
Esteban Maroto Red Sonja
November 23, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Esteban Maroto Red Sonja
Fancy a game of chess?
November 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Fancy a game of chess?
Reposted by BlackDragonCan
What's your DnD character? Whatever it is I can draw it for you.
September 30, 2025 at 1:36 PM
What's your DnD character? Whatever it is I can draw it for you.
An old blog post on the role of description by the referee in D&D. The ref is the PCs “eyes” in the game, so good description is a must:
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/03/what...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/03/what...
Dweller of the Forbidden City
What You See Is What You Get - Description in D&D I was asked how I handle description in the game and I thought it would be easiest to blog...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:54 AM
An old blog post on the role of description by the referee in D&D. The ref is the PCs “eyes” in the game, so good description is a must:
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/03/what...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/03/what...
My favorite Far Side
I still quote this on the regular
I still quote this on the regular
November 22, 2025 at 2:12 AM
My favorite Far Side
I still quote this on the regular
I still quote this on the regular
If you look at old Dragon magazine letter columns and forums people have been debating the value of "crunch" for decades. That debate has for the most part been about "play styles", and people on either side of the divide treated complexity as a playstyle preference.
You like what you like
You like what you like
I don’t know if it’s just me taking final form as old guy but there does seem to be a trend to make things as easy as possible at the expense of everything else.
November 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
If you look at old Dragon magazine letter columns and forums people have been debating the value of "crunch" for decades. That debate has for the most part been about "play styles", and people on either side of the divide treated complexity as a playstyle preference.
You like what you like
You like what you like
An old blog post on a topic near and dear to me - complexity in TTRPGs.
IMO too many people disparage games for complexity, they are missing out
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/02/comp...
IMO too many people disparage games for complexity, they are missing out
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/02/comp...
Dweller of the Forbidden City
Complexity in Gaming and Game Design This morning I woke up to a discussion of how having spell levels and characters levels is confusing (a...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:24 AM
An old blog post on a topic near and dear to me - complexity in TTRPGs.
IMO too many people disparage games for complexity, they are missing out
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/02/comp...
IMO too many people disparage games for complexity, they are missing out
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/02/comp...
Still one of my favorite sci-fi movies
November 18, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Still one of my favorite sci-fi movies
An old blog post where I tackle the scourge of "balanced encounters".
TLDR - Nope!
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/06/buil...
TLDR - Nope!
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/06/buil...
Dweller of the Forbidden City
Building Bhakashal - "Balanced" Encounters and Scaling the Game One of the things I get the most pushback about when I discuss TTRPGS is the...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:19 AM
An old blog post where I tackle the scourge of "balanced encounters".
TLDR - Nope!
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/06/buil...
TLDR - Nope!
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/06/buil...
Reposted by BlackDragonCan
One of Julin De Narvaez’s fine illustrations for the Folio Books edition of Susanna Clarke’s acclaimed fantasy novel “Piranesi”.
November 17, 2025 at 7:28 PM
One of Julin De Narvaez’s fine illustrations for the Folio Books edition of Susanna Clarke’s acclaimed fantasy novel “Piranesi”.
Does your game have aerial mounts and rules for aerial pursuit and combat?
Bhakashal does!
Art by Chris Achilleos
Bhakashal does!
Art by Chris Achilleos
November 17, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Does your game have aerial mounts and rules for aerial pursuit and combat?
Bhakashal does!
Art by Chris Achilleos
Bhakashal does!
Art by Chris Achilleos
Feb 1980 was a groovy year for Mighty Marvel
A Sienkiewicz and Rubenstein picture for the Marvel Calendar. The individual daily entries are good fun to read too.
A Sienkiewicz and Rubenstein picture for the Marvel Calendar. The individual daily entries are good fun to read too.
November 16, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Feb 1980 was a groovy year for Mighty Marvel
A Sienkiewicz and Rubenstein picture for the Marvel Calendar. The individual daily entries are good fun to read too.
A Sienkiewicz and Rubenstein picture for the Marvel Calendar. The individual daily entries are good fun to read too.
When I’m asked about “well designed games”, Talislanta always comes to mind.
Always flavorful and elegant.
Always flavorful and elegant.
November 16, 2025 at 2:34 AM
When I’m asked about “well designed games”, Talislanta always comes to mind.
Always flavorful and elegant.
Always flavorful and elegant.
Reposted by BlackDragonCan
Oi! Looky at the Library Store acquisitions that I made today.
#ThievesWorld
@blackdragoncan.bsky.social @ericklw.bsky.social @kittensoft.bsky.social
#ThievesWorld
@blackdragoncan.bsky.social @ericklw.bsky.social @kittensoft.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Oi! Looky at the Library Store acquisitions that I made today.
#ThievesWorld
@blackdragoncan.bsky.social @ericklw.bsky.social @kittensoft.bsky.social
#ThievesWorld
@blackdragoncan.bsky.social @ericklw.bsky.social @kittensoft.bsky.social
Reposted by BlackDragonCan
November 14, 2025 at 8:15 PM
30 year challenge
1995 (26) / 2025 (56)
1995 (26) / 2025 (56)
November 14, 2025 at 6:00 PM
30 year challenge
1995 (26) / 2025 (56)
1995 (26) / 2025 (56)
Another martial class from Bhakashal is the Spartan, the Bhakashal Monk. Spartans are masters of body and mind, and they gain abilities related to both.
They are a fighter subclass, so they can handle themselves in combat
They are a fighter subclass, so they can handle themselves in combat
November 14, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Another martial class from Bhakashal is the Spartan, the Bhakashal Monk. Spartans are masters of body and mind, and they gain abilities related to both.
They are a fighter subclass, so they can handle themselves in combat
They are a fighter subclass, so they can handle themselves in combat
An old blog post on plot armor in D&D
TLDR - the DM shouldn’t protect the PCs as they already have plot armor built into the existing game mechanics
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/12/buil...
TLDR - the DM shouldn’t protect the PCs as they already have plot armor built into the existing game mechanics
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/12/buil...
Dweller of the Forbidden City
Building Bhakashal - Finding Holes in Plot Armor Image by Rodney Matthews https://www.rodneymatthewsstudios.com/ One of the purposes of this...
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:15 AM
An old blog post on plot armor in D&D
TLDR - the DM shouldn’t protect the PCs as they already have plot armor built into the existing game mechanics
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/12/buil...
TLDR - the DM shouldn’t protect the PCs as they already have plot armor built into the existing game mechanics
dwelleroftheforbiddencity.blogspot.com/2021/12/buil...
Reading Warlord and thinking about Skarteris as a setting. Dinosaurs, swords, guns and monsters.
Sounds like big fun
Sounds like big fun
November 13, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Reading Warlord and thinking about Skarteris as a setting. Dinosaurs, swords, guns and monsters.
Sounds like big fun
Sounds like big fun
Martial classes! A Justiciar is the Bhakashal version of the AD&D 1e paladin, in Bhakashal this makes them a champion of Law
They exist to ensure that laws are, "... followed, set aside or interpreted..." appropriately
Justiciars can Detect Lie and Detect Intent multiple times per day
They exist to ensure that laws are, "... followed, set aside or interpreted..." appropriately
Justiciars can Detect Lie and Detect Intent multiple times per day
November 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Martial classes! A Justiciar is the Bhakashal version of the AD&D 1e paladin, in Bhakashal this makes them a champion of Law
They exist to ensure that laws are, "... followed, set aside or interpreted..." appropriately
Justiciars can Detect Lie and Detect Intent multiple times per day
They exist to ensure that laws are, "... followed, set aside or interpreted..." appropriately
Justiciars can Detect Lie and Detect Intent multiple times per day
Bhakashal is a 1e AD&D retroclone, and part of being a retroclone is changing the system, not just the setting
One of the biggest problems with AD&D 1e was the nature of the spell system for all casting classes
In AD&D, your PC has to memorize / pray for spells before the adventuring day
One of the biggest problems with AD&D 1e was the nature of the spell system for all casting classes
In AD&D, your PC has to memorize / pray for spells before the adventuring day
November 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Bhakashal is a 1e AD&D retroclone, and part of being a retroclone is changing the system, not just the setting
One of the biggest problems with AD&D 1e was the nature of the spell system for all casting classes
In AD&D, your PC has to memorize / pray for spells before the adventuring day
One of the biggest problems with AD&D 1e was the nature of the spell system for all casting classes
In AD&D, your PC has to memorize / pray for spells before the adventuring day
In addition to magical subclasses like Conjurors, Bhakashal rewrites many 1e AD&D spells to tailor them to the setting. Monster Summoning is a good example, the core spell for Conjurors, it is rewritten as a first level spell that scales with level, Mokuul the Mighty's Monstrous Conjuration.
November 10, 2025 at 7:29 PM
In addition to magical subclasses like Conjurors, Bhakashal rewrites many 1e AD&D spells to tailor them to the setting. Monster Summoning is a good example, the core spell for Conjurors, it is rewritten as a first level spell that scales with level, Mokuul the Mighty's Monstrous Conjuration.
Bhakashal magic subclasses have abilities tied to their area of specialization.
They have limited spell access, mainly conjugation, enchantment and divination type spells.
They have numerous ways to enhance their summoning spells.
They have limited spell access, mainly conjugation, enchantment and divination type spells.
They have numerous ways to enhance their summoning spells.
November 10, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Bhakashal magic subclasses have abilities tied to their area of specialization.
They have limited spell access, mainly conjugation, enchantment and divination type spells.
They have numerous ways to enhance their summoning spells.
They have limited spell access, mainly conjugation, enchantment and divination type spells.
They have numerous ways to enhance their summoning spells.