Joel Hines (Silverarm)
@joelhines.bsky.social
I write and publish sci-fi and fantasy adventure modules at Silverarm and like to go outside sometimes too.
https://shop.silverarmpress.com
https://silverarmpress.com
https://shop.silverarmpress.com
https://silverarmpress.com
silverarmpress.com/a-mask-that-...
Fresh post up, some day I'll get back to blogging regularly again!
Fresh post up, some day I'll get back to blogging regularly again!
A Mask That Eats Into Your Face: Honesty in the Work – Silverarm
silverarmpress.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:11 PM
silverarmpress.com/a-mask-that-...
Fresh post up, some day I'll get back to blogging regularly again!
Fresh post up, some day I'll get back to blogging regularly again!
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
"Just tell them" is such an underrated piece of advice for telegraphing dangers in RPGs.
"How can I hint that the hallway is trapped? How can I hint that if they defeat the dungeon lord, they become the next dungeon lord?"
Just tell them. Tell them out loud. With your words.
"How can I hint that the hallway is trapped? How can I hint that if they defeat the dungeon lord, they become the next dungeon lord?"
Just tell them. Tell them out loud. With your words.
September 18, 2025 at 1:26 PM
"Just tell them" is such an underrated piece of advice for telegraphing dangers in RPGs.
"How can I hint that the hallway is trapped? How can I hint that if they defeat the dungeon lord, they become the next dungeon lord?"
Just tell them. Tell them out loud. With your words.
"How can I hint that the hallway is trapped? How can I hint that if they defeat the dungeon lord, they become the next dungeon lord?"
Just tell them. Tell them out loud. With your words.
I want to print this blogpost out and tape it to my bathroom mirror to recite like an affirmation each morning. There's a million ways to have fun with games but this pithily sums up what I personally enjoy most in playing or running an RPG.
@bastionland.bsky.social
@bastionland.bsky.social
The ICI Doctrine: Information, Choice, Impact
Doctrine might be a bit strong. Still, I'm trying to keep these three words in my head whenever I'm planning or running a game. They're th...
www.bastionland.com
August 11, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I want to print this blogpost out and tape it to my bathroom mirror to recite like an affirmation each morning. There's a million ways to have fun with games but this pithily sums up what I personally enjoy most in playing or running an RPG.
@bastionland.bsky.social
@bastionland.bsky.social
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Proud to announce that my enormous infernal OSE adventure module “The Shrike” has won gold for best long form adventure at the ENNIE awards! Thank you to everyone who voted for us! You will be spared from eternal life marooned upon the monstrous iron edifice!
August 2, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Proud to announce that my enormous infernal OSE adventure module “The Shrike” has won gold for best long form adventure at the ENNIE awards! Thank you to everyone who voted for us! You will be spared from eternal life marooned upon the monstrous iron edifice!
Ahhh yeah!
Gold for Best Adventure – Long Form goes to The Shrike, Silverarm
August 2, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Ahhh yeah!
Would appreciate your Ennies vote for The Shrike for best long form adventure! Nobody does extradimensional hellscape sandbox adventurers like Leo.
If you’re still in line to vote for the Shrike for best long form adventure stay in line vote.ennie-awards.com/vote/2025/
Before voting, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the products and judges. Clicking on a product's title will take you to its publisher's websites, allowing you to learn more about that product.
vote.ennie-awards.com
July 12, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Would appreciate your Ennies vote for The Shrike for best long form adventure! Nobody does extradimensional hellscape sandbox adventurers like Leo.
“There is no such thing as a “neutral” design. As good architects know, seemingly arbitrary decisions, such as where to locate the bathrooms, will have subtle influences on how the people who use the building interact."
― Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
One of the best GDC talks ever.
― Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
One of the best GDC talks ever.
Choice Architecture, Player Expression, and Narrative Design in Fallout: New Vegas
YouTube video by Game Developers Conference
www.youtube.com
June 16, 2025 at 12:40 PM
“There is no such thing as a “neutral” design. As good architects know, seemingly arbitrary decisions, such as where to locate the bathrooms, will have subtle influences on how the people who use the building interact."
― Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
One of the best GDC talks ever.
― Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
One of the best GDC talks ever.
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Larstown Blues - the latest instalment of my Mothership Play By Post game set in @joelhines.bsky.social Desert Moon of Karth.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg
#osr #mothership #ttrpg
Larstown Blues
The Mothership posse mosey off the Beanstalk and land straight in hot water
open.substack.com
May 21, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Larstown Blues - the latest instalment of my Mothership Play By Post game set in @joelhines.bsky.social Desert Moon of Karth.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg
#osr #mothership #ttrpg
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
See, this is great.
May 18, 2025 at 12:47 PM
See, this is great.
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Today on Between Two Cairns, we're joined by @joelhines.bsky.social of Silver Arm Press to review Doom of the Savage Kings by @harley-stroh.bsky.social. We also answer a mailbag question about adjudicating drunk player characters.
www.patreon.com/posts/doom-o...
www.patreon.com/posts/doom-o...
Doom of the Savage King | Between Two Cairns
Get more from Between Two Cairns on Patreon
www.patreon.com
April 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Today on Between Two Cairns, we're joined by @joelhines.bsky.social of Silver Arm Press to review Doom of the Savage Kings by @harley-stroh.bsky.social. We also answer a mailbag question about adjudicating drunk player characters.
www.patreon.com/posts/doom-o...
www.patreon.com/posts/doom-o...
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
If you're a tabletop designer and/or publisher whose business will be adversely affected by Donald Trump's April 2nd suite of tariffs, I want to hear from you. Changes in business, canceled or delayed projects, etc.
email: chase@rascal.news
Signal: ChaseTC.24
email: chase@rascal.news
Signal: ChaseTC.24
April 3, 2025 at 7:59 AM
If you're a tabletop designer and/or publisher whose business will be adversely affected by Donald Trump's April 2nd suite of tariffs, I want to hear from you. Changes in business, canceled or delayed projects, etc.
email: chase@rascal.news
Signal: ChaseTC.24
email: chase@rascal.news
Signal: ChaseTC.24
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Collecting some posts from yesterday into a blog post, which attempts to correct the notion that the OSR was just retroclones: arrested development gob yelling "come on!" dot gif.
Save vs. Total Party Kill - It was a Renaissance
save.vs.totalpartykill.ca
March 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Collecting some posts from yesterday into a blog post, which attempts to correct the notion that the OSR was just retroclones: arrested development gob yelling "come on!" dot gif.
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
GaryCon
Friday night
Just finished a hilariously scary game of Mothership run by the lovely @joelhines.bsky.social
#osr #dnd #ttrpg
Friday night
Just finished a hilariously scary game of Mothership run by the lovely @joelhines.bsky.social
#osr #dnd #ttrpg
March 22, 2025 at 3:47 AM
GaryCon
Friday night
Just finished a hilariously scary game of Mothership run by the lovely @joelhines.bsky.social
#osr #dnd #ttrpg
Friday night
Just finished a hilariously scary game of Mothership run by the lovely @joelhines.bsky.social
#osr #dnd #ttrpg
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
I am enjoying bullying my players with tea ceremonies and icy politeness as they meet Karth Governor Stieg Tanaka and her bioluminescent shark Shashihoko.
Shashihoko is a merciless apex predator. So is Tanaka.
They're terrified.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg #desertmoonofkarth
Shashihoko is a merciless apex predator. So is Tanaka.
They're terrified.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg #desertmoonofkarth
March 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I am enjoying bullying my players with tea ceremonies and icy politeness as they meet Karth Governor Stieg Tanaka and her bioluminescent shark Shashihoko.
Shashihoko is a merciless apex predator. So is Tanaka.
They're terrified.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg #desertmoonofkarth
Shashihoko is a merciless apex predator. So is Tanaka.
They're terrified.
#osr #mothership #ttrpg #desertmoonofkarth
Fresh rpg newsletter grist for the mill!
Silverarm RPG Newsletter: #11
Back to Blogging, 10th Century Central Asia Mothership Hack, Print Copies of The Shrike Are Out
open.substack.com
February 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Fresh rpg newsletter grist for the mill!
New blog post with a Mothership hack for a historical weird investigation campaign I ran in Volga Bulgaria! For the Eaters of the Dead/Ibn Fadlan fans
Beyond Iskander's Gate: Mothership Hack for 923 A.D Central Asia Campaign - Silverarm
Apparently this is the year of the beta release. I ran a campaign using Mothership house rules I called Beyond Iskander's Gate for 6 sessions.
silverarmpress.com
February 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
New blog post with a Mothership hack for a historical weird investigation campaign I ran in Volga Bulgaria! For the Eaters of the Dead/Ibn Fadlan fans
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
I've released the Outdoor Survival Scaffolder - a tool that automatically generates lairs, monsters and treasure based off the terrain of the classic OD&D wilderness map!
It's still WIP, but has been an enormous undertaking so far - I hope it's of use!
chaoclypse.itch.io/outdoor-surv...
It's still WIP, but has been an enormous undertaking so far - I hope it's of use!
chaoclypse.itch.io/outdoor-surv...
February 17, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I've released the Outdoor Survival Scaffolder - a tool that automatically generates lairs, monsters and treasure based off the terrain of the classic OD&D wilderness map!
It's still WIP, but has been an enormous undertaking so far - I hope it's of use!
chaoclypse.itch.io/outdoor-surv...
It's still WIP, but has been an enormous undertaking so far - I hope it's of use!
chaoclypse.itch.io/outdoor-surv...
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
This is very uncomfortable for me to do, but right now I'm having trouble getting by. I know a lot of you are struggling too, but if you can spare it and you've enjoyed my work in the past, I want to ask if you can spare a small tip.
ko-fi.com/alexdzuricky
ko-fi.com/alexdzuricky
Support Knight at the Opera on Ko-fi! ❤️. ko-fi.com/alexdzuricky
Support Knight at the Opera On Ko-fi. Ko-fi lets you support the people and causes you love with small donations
ko-fi.com
January 29, 2025 at 11:04 PM
This is very uncomfortable for me to do, but right now I'm having trouble getting by. I know a lot of you are struggling too, but if you can spare it and you've enjoyed my work in the past, I want to ask if you can spare a small tip.
ko-fi.com/alexdzuricky
ko-fi.com/alexdzuricky
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
January 29, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
I wrote a thing about setting up a Play By Post game of @seanmccoy.bsky.social's Mothership game running @joelhines.bsky.social Desert Moon of Karth.
I plan on checking back a couple of times a month with a post on how it's going.
#ttrpg #osr #mothership #scifi
I plan on checking back a couple of times a month with a post on how it's going.
#ttrpg #osr #mothership #scifi
Playing By Post... In Spaaaace!
Running a PbP Mothership Game
open.substack.com
January 26, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I wrote a thing about setting up a Play By Post game of @seanmccoy.bsky.social's Mothership game running @joelhines.bsky.social Desert Moon of Karth.
I plan on checking back a couple of times a month with a post on how it's going.
#ttrpg #osr #mothership #scifi
I plan on checking back a couple of times a month with a post on how it's going.
#ttrpg #osr #mothership #scifi
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
My copy of #TheShrike by Leo Hunt arrived this week! Brilliantly grimdark adventure module set in an abandoned corner of Hell. Some amazing NPCs in this too.
Another winner from @joelhines.bsky.social publishing
Another winner from @joelhines.bsky.social publishing
January 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
My copy of #TheShrike by Leo Hunt arrived this week! Brilliantly grimdark adventure module set in an abandoned corner of Hell. Some amazing NPCs in this too.
Another winner from @joelhines.bsky.social publishing
Another winner from @joelhines.bsky.social publishing
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Out of the most successful ($100,000+ raised) crowdfunded TTRPG projects in 2023; 43 of 105 of those projects were Fifth Edition. In 2024, this has shrunk nearly 50% to 22 of 106. Wild times we're in, folks.
Data is from Tabletop Analytics and compiled by @mtblack.dice.camp.ap.brid.gy.
Data is from Tabletop Analytics and compiled by @mtblack.dice.camp.ap.brid.gy.
December 24, 2024 at 8:29 AM
Out of the most successful ($100,000+ raised) crowdfunded TTRPG projects in 2023; 43 of 105 of those projects were Fifth Edition. In 2024, this has shrunk nearly 50% to 22 of 106. Wild times we're in, folks.
Data is from Tabletop Analytics and compiled by @mtblack.dice.camp.ap.brid.gy.
Data is from Tabletop Analytics and compiled by @mtblack.dice.camp.ap.brid.gy.
Hey all! Interloper, my new sandbox sci-fi mystery book for Mothership Month is wrapping up on Backerkit in 48 hours. Check it out if you dig rogue planets, failed utopias, murder investigations, and sweet retro art by Jacob Fleming.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...
#MothershipMonth #MoshMo24
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...
#MothershipMonth #MoshMo24
December 8, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Hey all! Interloper, my new sandbox sci-fi mystery book for Mothership Month is wrapping up on Backerkit in 48 hours. Check it out if you dig rogue planets, failed utopias, murder investigations, and sweet retro art by Jacob Fleming.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...
#MothershipMonth #MoshMo24
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...
#MothershipMonth #MoshMo24
Reposted by Joel Hines (Silverarm)
Early this year, we lost Jennell Jacquays. To just say that she was a TTRPG and video game designer would be doing her contributions a disservice, but that was my main intersection with her legacy. I want talk about why, historically, her work was such a blessing to dungeon design🧵
#gamedev #ttrpg
#gamedev #ttrpg
November 27, 2024 at 8:53 PM