Goblin Punch
@goblinpunch.bsky.social
I'm going to try to post something every day. Let's see how far I get.
-Arnold K.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
-Arnold K.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
DUNGEON BOSS. On the mountain top. Wrackton is an evil blind sage staff fighter, Level 7. Death Wing is a Lvl 10 peregrine falcon that can fly 300 mph, decapitate knights in a single pass, and blow over a horse with his shockwave. He has the mind of a normal trained falcon.
August 27, 2025 at 2:32 AM
DUNGEON BOSS. On the mountain top. Wrackton is an evil blind sage staff fighter, Level 7. Death Wing is a Lvl 10 peregrine falcon that can fly 300 mph, decapitate knights in a single pass, and blow over a horse with his shockwave. He has the mind of a normal trained falcon.
There are only two genders. Don't pretend that there aren't.
So be honest. Are you a blacksmith or a miner?
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/08/dwar...
So be honest. Are you a blacksmith or a miner?
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/08/dwar...
Dwarven Gender, Continued
Remember that post I did about dwarven gender? If you haven't read it--you're in luck. You can be just as confused as Podrick, below. It...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
August 20, 2025 at 5:50 AM
There are only two genders. Don't pretend that there aren't.
So be honest. Are you a blacksmith or a miner?
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/08/dwar...
So be honest. Are you a blacksmith or a miner?
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/08/dwar...
Magic Amulet - Endowment of the Flesh God.
Focus on a creature to see through their eyes and learn their greatest desire. If you fail an easy Cha save their greatest desire overwrites your own greatest desire.
Also, your bloodstreams commingle, sharing the effects of any potion, intoxicant, etc.
Focus on a creature to see through their eyes and learn their greatest desire. If you fail an easy Cha save their greatest desire overwrites your own greatest desire.
Also, your bloodstreams commingle, sharing the effects of any potion, intoxicant, etc.
July 23, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Magic Amulet - Endowment of the Flesh God.
Focus on a creature to see through their eyes and learn their greatest desire. If you fail an easy Cha save their greatest desire overwrites your own greatest desire.
Also, your bloodstreams commingle, sharing the effects of any potion, intoxicant, etc.
Focus on a creature to see through their eyes and learn their greatest desire. If you fail an easy Cha save their greatest desire overwrites your own greatest desire.
Also, your bloodstreams commingle, sharing the effects of any potion, intoxicant, etc.
MONSTER: Atrocidon. Stats as ogre. Appear in packs of 1d3+1. Powerful lizard-hulks but effectiveness is crippled by their overriding urge for cruelty. Will *always* attack the weakest person. Will *always* go out of their way to trample a baby. Famously easy to control in this way.
June 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
MONSTER: Atrocidon. Stats as ogre. Appear in packs of 1d3+1. Powerful lizard-hulks but effectiveness is crippled by their overriding urge for cruelty. Will *always* attack the weakest person. Will *always* go out of their way to trample a baby. Famously easy to control in this way.
Reposted by Goblin Punch
When you design obstacles or puzzles in a dungeon, you should pack the dungeon with multiple solutions. The weirder, more esoteric, and more flavorful—the better.
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-lo...
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-lo...
Design Your Locks With More Keys
Every adventure's puzzle should have multiple solutions. In this article, we figure out how to give all of our metaphorical locks a ring of keys.
www.explorersdesign.com
May 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
When you design obstacles or puzzles in a dungeon, you should pack the dungeon with multiple solutions. The weirder, more esoteric, and more flavorful—the better.
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-lo...
www.explorersdesign.com/designing-lo...
Combat is only a fail state if it's too costly relative to the rewards. The costliness can come from HP, resources, or the player's time.
OSR games tend to have hard combats, which are frequently too costly (unless the players engineer some advantage).
OSR games tend to have hard combats, which are frequently too costly (unless the players engineer some advantage).
June 26, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Combat is only a fail state if it's too costly relative to the rewards. The costliness can come from HP, resources, or the player's time.
OSR games tend to have hard combats, which are frequently too costly (unless the players engineer some advantage).
OSR games tend to have hard combats, which are frequently too costly (unless the players engineer some advantage).
It's April Fools, so all TTRPG bloggers should be looking at their old content and deciding which characters they'd put in their dating sim.
April 1, 2025 at 6:40 PM
It's April Fools, so all TTRPG bloggers should be looking at their old content and deciding which characters they'd put in their dating sim.
A Monster - Emperor Tortoise
Cruel carnivores. 800 lbs, but no natural attacks. Can cast *magic jar* to swap bodies with you. While piloting your body, they'll jump off a cliff or drown you. Then they switch back and eat your corpse. Cha negates.
Plan B is hiding in their shell and screaming.
Cruel carnivores. 800 lbs, but no natural attacks. Can cast *magic jar* to swap bodies with you. While piloting your body, they'll jump off a cliff or drown you. Then they switch back and eat your corpse. Cha negates.
Plan B is hiding in their shell and screaming.
March 28, 2025 at 3:08 AM
A Monster - Emperor Tortoise
Cruel carnivores. 800 lbs, but no natural attacks. Can cast *magic jar* to swap bodies with you. While piloting your body, they'll jump off a cliff or drown you. Then they switch back and eat your corpse. Cha negates.
Plan B is hiding in their shell and screaming.
Cruel carnivores. 800 lbs, but no natural attacks. Can cast *magic jar* to swap bodies with you. While piloting your body, they'll jump off a cliff or drown you. Then they switch back and eat your corpse. Cha negates.
Plan B is hiding in their shell and screaming.
Magic Item - Ghast Pituitary. If you eat this and then eat someone's brain, you can learn *roughly* what they knew, but you need to succeed on a Cha save or have your personality permanently altered to be more similar to theirs.
Another Cha save, or you'll adopt 1 of their values/goals.
Another Cha save, or you'll adopt 1 of their values/goals.
March 28, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Magic Item - Ghast Pituitary. If you eat this and then eat someone's brain, you can learn *roughly* what they knew, but you need to succeed on a Cha save or have your personality permanently altered to be more similar to theirs.
Another Cha save, or you'll adopt 1 of their values/goals.
Another Cha save, or you'll adopt 1 of their values/goals.
I started reading Atlas Shrugged and yes, it's pretty propagandish. BUT it is actually kinda fun to read if you treat it like pure fantasy.
Like LotR is also kinda propandish but we don't care because it's a fantasy world that doesn't touch our world.
Like LotR is also kinda propandish but we don't care because it's a fantasy world that doesn't touch our world.
March 28, 2025 at 3:01 AM
I started reading Atlas Shrugged and yes, it's pretty propagandish. BUT it is actually kinda fun to read if you treat it like pure fantasy.
Like LotR is also kinda propandish but we don't care because it's a fantasy world that doesn't touch our world.
Like LotR is also kinda propandish but we don't care because it's a fantasy world that doesn't touch our world.
MAGIC ITEM - Green Glass Lance
Once per day, when you take damage from a ranged attack, you may teleport to the source of the damage. If you do, you make an immediate melee attack against them with a +4 to hit.
Once per day, when you take damage from a ranged attack, you may teleport to the source of the damage. If you do, you make an immediate melee attack against them with a +4 to hit.
March 21, 2025 at 8:08 PM
MAGIC ITEM - Green Glass Lance
Once per day, when you take damage from a ranged attack, you may teleport to the source of the damage. If you do, you make an immediate melee attack against them with a +4 to hit.
Once per day, when you take damage from a ranged attack, you may teleport to the source of the damage. If you do, you make an immediate melee attack against them with a +4 to hit.
I wrote a monster? Maybe it's more a dungeon hazard. It's mostly just a big thing that you run away from, meant to be The Big Thing on a dungeon level.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-...
The Hungering Dark
Go into the earth, and reality will walk alongside you. Walk further, and you will eventually be walking alone. The world is plastic down ...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
March 1, 2025 at 8:58 AM
I wrote a monster? Maybe it's more a dungeon hazard. It's mostly just a big thing that you run away from, meant to be The Big Thing on a dungeon level.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-...
Magic Item - Mind Bandit Amulets:
Always produced in pairs. As long as both amulets are worn, the brains and eyes of the two wearers are swapped. Ends if one of the wearers dies or if the amulet is taken off.
Always produced in pairs. As long as both amulets are worn, the brains and eyes of the two wearers are swapped. Ends if one of the wearers dies or if the amulet is taken off.
March 1, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Magic Item - Mind Bandit Amulets:
Always produced in pairs. As long as both amulets are worn, the brains and eyes of the two wearers are swapped. Ends if one of the wearers dies or if the amulet is taken off.
Always produced in pairs. As long as both amulets are worn, the brains and eyes of the two wearers are swapped. Ends if one of the wearers dies or if the amulet is taken off.
A Trap and a Secret - Spear Ladder
Each time the floor panel is depressed, a spear shoots out of the wall dealing 2d6. After pressing the panel 12x, you'll have a ladder made of spears, which leads to a hidden trap-door in the roof.
Each time the floor panel is depressed, a spear shoots out of the wall dealing 2d6. After pressing the panel 12x, you'll have a ladder made of spears, which leads to a hidden trap-door in the roof.
March 1, 2025 at 4:03 AM
A Trap and a Secret - Spear Ladder
Each time the floor panel is depressed, a spear shoots out of the wall dealing 2d6. After pressing the panel 12x, you'll have a ladder made of spears, which leads to a hidden trap-door in the roof.
Each time the floor panel is depressed, a spear shoots out of the wall dealing 2d6. After pressing the panel 12x, you'll have a ladder made of spears, which leads to a hidden trap-door in the roof.
Magic Item - Saddle of Horsification
Any creature that this saddle is strapped to will turn into a horse for as long as the saddle is affixed.
Any creature that this saddle is strapped to will turn into a horse for as long as the saddle is affixed.
March 1, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Magic Item - Saddle of Horsification
Any creature that this saddle is strapped to will turn into a horse for as long as the saddle is affixed.
Any creature that this saddle is strapped to will turn into a horse for as long as the saddle is affixed.
Magic Item - Transparent Paint
Creates transparent patches when it is painted on objects. Allows you to see through thin walls and read the first page of books without opening them. If you drink it, you can see the insides of objects but not the outsides. It's disorienting; -4 to hit.
Creates transparent patches when it is painted on objects. Allows you to see through thin walls and read the first page of books without opening them. If you drink it, you can see the insides of objects but not the outsides. It's disorienting; -4 to hit.
March 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Magic Item - Transparent Paint
Creates transparent patches when it is painted on objects. Allows you to see through thin walls and read the first page of books without opening them. If you drink it, you can see the insides of objects but not the outsides. It's disorienting; -4 to hit.
Creates transparent patches when it is painted on objects. Allows you to see through thin walls and read the first page of books without opening them. If you drink it, you can see the insides of objects but not the outsides. It's disorienting; -4 to hit.
What's the best way* to make a website that has a searchable database of magic items? Not just searchable by "sword" but also by "flight" or "cursed" or "elven".
*best way for a less-technical computer person.
*best way for a less-technical computer person.
December 9, 2024 at 1:36 AM
What's the best way* to make a website that has a searchable database of magic items? Not just searchable by "sword" but also by "flight" or "cursed" or "elven".
*best way for a less-technical computer person.
*best way for a less-technical computer person.
I revised the crowdsourced dungeon that we made last week. A lot of stuff got rewritten but I tried to keep people's ideas mostly intact. Probably more useable as a dungeon, but also less interesting as an artifact.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/blue...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/blue...
Blue Sky Temple, Revised
Last week, we made a crowdsourced dungeon on Bluesky. It was fun and it yielded a cool dungeon with a lot of good ideas mashed together. ...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
December 8, 2024 at 11:53 PM
I revised the crowdsourced dungeon that we made last week. A lot of stuff got rewritten but I tried to keep people's ideas mostly intact. Probably more useable as a dungeon, but also less interesting as an artifact.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/blue...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/blue...
I wrote some Mushroom Men, Flying Worms, and Gremlins. There's also rules for cooking them, making them into potions, and crafting equipment from their lifeless bodies. You monster.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/mush...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/mush...
Mushroom Men & Monstrome v6
Monstrome v6 is now complete. It's up to 60,000 words and approaching book territory, which is cool. MONSTROME v6 New monsters include: ...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
December 7, 2024 at 2:18 PM
I wrote some Mushroom Men, Flying Worms, and Gremlins. There's also rules for cooking them, making them into potions, and crafting equipment from their lifeless bodies. You monster.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/mush...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/mush...
Brain worms! Take those photons right out of your LCD screen and put them in your brain. Get those brain worms on in there.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/brai...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/brai...
Brain Worms
Your blade pierces his heart and the man reels against the dungeon wall before collapsing against the floor. A few seconds of labored gaspi...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com
December 6, 2024 at 5:02 AM
Brain worms! Take those photons right out of your LCD screen and put them in your brain. Get those brain worms on in there.
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/brai...
goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2024/12/brai...
How I would do a Pokemon OSR game: your 6 stats are your 6 pokemon. Your class = your pokemon = your personality. Each one comes with 1-2 abilities, maybe you get a bonus ability if you have 5 pokemon of the same type.
Nothing is lethal but if you lose too hard too many times you become an NPC.
Nothing is lethal but if you lose too hard too many times you become an NPC.
December 6, 2024 at 2:14 AM
How I would do a Pokemon OSR game: your 6 stats are your 6 pokemon. Your class = your pokemon = your personality. Each one comes with 1-2 abilities, maybe you get a bonus ability if you have 5 pokemon of the same type.
Nothing is lethal but if you lose too hard too many times you become an NPC.
Nothing is lethal but if you lose too hard too many times you become an NPC.
Cute little one shot with a good "What does the goblin have in their pocket?" table.
aswampinspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...
aswampinspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...
The Sunken Cathedral
Old School, New School, and Weird School RPG Ideas and Hobby Blogging.
aswampinspace.blogspot.com
December 5, 2024 at 5:53 PM
Cute little one shot with a good "What does the goblin have in their pocket?" table.
aswampinspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...
aswampinspace.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...
Reposted by Goblin Punch
Riffing on @goblinpunch.bsky.social's recent fairy entries, I wrote about tiny people riding dragonflies for the blog.
Gallivespians, Twk-Men, and Tiny People
Kev Walker, Glen Elendra Archmage Arnold K’s most recent edition of his excellent monster manual, the MONSTROME , laid out some thoughts o...
houselesshills.blogspot.com
December 4, 2024 at 10:56 PM
Riffing on @goblinpunch.bsky.social's recent fairy entries, I wrote about tiny people riding dragonflies for the blog.
What a bewildering article. Do any OSR gamers feel like 5th edition was written to appeal to them?
screenrant.com/dnd-2024-dms...
screenrant.com/dnd-2024-dms...
I Wish The 2024 D&D Dungeon Master's Guide Avoided Mixed Messages
D&D’s 2024 DMG sabotages itself for OSR appeal.
screenrant.com
December 4, 2024 at 10:53 PM
What a bewildering article. Do any OSR gamers feel like 5th edition was written to appeal to them?
screenrant.com/dnd-2024-dms...
screenrant.com/dnd-2024-dms...