The Logbook Project (Max)
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logbookproject.bsky.social
The Logbook Project (Max)
@logbookproject.bsky.social
46 followers 52 following 230 posts
TTRPG designer, among other things.

Logbook-project.com
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logbookproject.bsky.social
With the website redesign, I made Vibroblades In The Dark free to the public, rather than hidden in the Patreon Archive!

I made it for a couple friends initially, but it's a simple and sharp Blades reskin for cyberpunk with a few really interesting playbooks.
www.logbook-project.com/other-projec...
November 9, 2025 at 1:51 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
It's the most back burner project I have, and I'm not nearly ready to try to develop it to the extent I dream of, but one day I WILL be able to write Copper Ganglia.

I keep reaching the point of actually manifesting my dream projects, so I KNOW I will manage this one. One day.
November 7, 2025 at 9:50 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Speeding up the start of play and quickly building conflicts and needs, it then largely stays out of the way and lets the brilliance of Apocalypse World shine through.
apocalypse world is a dangerous place, but every so often there’s enough stuff to go around that the haves and the have-nots can find a balance, a status quo to cling to. the suppliers, sitting pretty on their hoards, reluctantly parceling out their treasures to the junkies and the dreamers (for a price) through their middle-management dealers. that’s when trouble rolls into town, towing chaos and blood and drama. your little hold, the place you call home, found this balance; and so here comes trouble, because in apocalypse world, there can be no status quos.
October 26, 2025 at 6:01 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
One year ago, the Kirkwall Circle of Mages rebelled against the abusive tyranny of Knight-Commander Meredith and her attempted coup. In four years, Divine Justinia V will be assassinated by the darkspawn Corypheus and the Inquisition will be declared. This is a game about Orlais in the time between, the powder keg sitting right in the open, and the people living their lives around it.
September 22, 2025 at 6:46 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Montsimmard 9:38 is released! It's a PWYW passion project, a love letter to Dragon Age 2, and a celebration of the potential of pseudo-medieval urban fantasy.

thelogbookproject.itch.io/montsimmard-938

(no exp with Dragon Age necessary, but you'll need the playsheets from Urban Shadows 2e to play)
September 22, 2025 at 6:42 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
I responded to a great email about Unity of Skovlan's rules that really exposed why I'm so excited about The Oleander Daemon and taking my FitD squad-based campaign ideas so far along their evolutionary trajectory. There's so much meat on these mechanical bones to work with.
September 18, 2025 at 8:04 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Got LOTS done today. Proofread/completed Trouble Comes To Town, amended Unity of Skovlan's sheets, prepped Montsimmard 9:38 for it's public release in a few days, and progressed Under Forgotten Stars several critical pages.

Also did some Pokemon Draft League statistics work.
September 18, 2025 at 8:04 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
With Apocalypse World 3e on the horizon, I dusted off and refreshed my old ApW one-shot scenario, Trouble Comes To Town. It's still pretty rad, and now it looks professional instead of... default. Like the original form, it'll still be free, but I'm still putting the finishing touches on it.
Big logo text for Trouble Comes To Town, with a black-and-white art of a gas mask with crossbones. This is followed by a small-caps intro prompt reading: "Apocalypse world is a dangerous place, but every so often there’s enough stuff to go around that the Haves and the Have-Nots can find a balance, a status quo to cling to. the suppliers, sitting pretty on their hoards, reluctantly parceling out their treasures to the junkies and the dreamers (for a price) through their middle-management dealers. that’s when trouble rolls into town, towing chaos and blood and drama. Your little hold, the place you call home, found this balance; and so here comes Trouble, because in apocalypse world, there can be no status quos."
September 15, 2025 at 2:04 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Just published Montsimmard 9:38, a Dragon Age Adaptation of Urban Shadows 2e, on my Patreon. $3 gives access to it and a bunch of other stuff. It'll go PWYW publicly eventually, but it's exciting and if you've got a couple bucks it's worth it for 120 pages of content!
www.patreon.com/c/thelogbook...
August 21, 2025 at 12:37 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Read a great passage from Maggie Stiefvater's Mister Impossible tonight on this kind of vibe that resonated very hard with me.
June 25, 2025 at 7:55 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
I was approaching the revisions and expansions for Under Forgotten Stars and was feeling apprehensive about where to start, so I used my fallback and started re-laying out the whole game. It's looking amazing and I'm thrilled to push further into the Expanded Edition content eventually.
June 19, 2025 at 2:30 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Finally, the Lens has their Progression card, choosing the next Chapter. This is actually the only point Education can be chosen -- once the Seed moves beyond the Programmer, Education won't be playable. But this is so much responsibility for just one Programmer who didn't mean to be here.
Card text indicates Progression and Nascence. Text reads: "The Seed is immobile, reliant upon you for any change in their situation. When the Seed tells you they are done with their Diagnostics, decide what to do with them:  Keep them hidden, teach them, and prepare them for the world. (You will play Education)  Bring the Seed to the university. You are not a professional in this sort of thing, but they must be able to help understand the Seed better. (You will play Trials)  Go public. The world must know. (You will play Revelation)  Have the Seed locked away, for their own benefit or for the world’s. (You will play Exile)". Card ends with the instruction "Pick up the Story Card for the Chapter you will play next and read it out loud."
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
After 15 minutes, the Seed judges the Lens secretly on their Diagnostic. It is purely subjective , but also devoid of nuance -- you MUST say Yes or No, and it WILL matter later. This isn't too spoiler-y, it totally works on replays.
Card text indicates Diagnostic and Nascence. Text reads: "Secretly answer each of these questions with a Yes or No. No maybes, no qualifiers. Mark the answers secretly on your Tally Card.  Did the Programmer treat you as an equal intelligence, rather than in a patronizing or dehumanizing way?  Do you have an understanding of your identity?  Do you feel like you were in a safe or powerful position? Adopt the Programmer’s Value, writing it on one of your blank Value Cards." The card ends with the instruction "Tell the Programmer when you are finished."
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
These are the Seed and Lens Rules cards. Nascence is played between a Seed who can only speak through text and a Lens who must wait while the Seed writes to respond, all within a 15 minute window. That's not long to truly answer a new being's desire for definition and identity. It'll have to do.
Card text indicating Seed Rules and Nascence. Text reads: "You cannot speak. In this Chapter, you can only write, using the Blank card. Additionally, you can use no words with more than two syllables. When the Lens answers your initial question (“what am i”), set a timer for fifteen minutes. Have a conversation with the Programmer, remembering your restrictions." It ends with an instruction: "When the fifteen minutes are up, immediately end the conversation and pick up your Diagnostic Card for this Chapter." Card text indicates Lens Rules and Nascence. Text reads: "I am the Programmer. What do I Value? Choose one of the following and write it on your Lens Value card.  Optimism  Knowledge  Compassion You accidentally created the Seed, and are their first contact with the world. Begin by answering their question (“what am i”) to the best of your ability. When you answer, start a timer for fifteen minutes. Have a conversation with the Seed. You may not speak while the Seed is writing." The card ends with the instruction "When the fifteen minutes are up, immediately end the conversation and pick up the Progression Card."
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
The opening narration is read by the Lens (and the instruction to do so is earlier). This is the start of the all games of Bootstrapping. It contains a lot of little details that matter a lot.
Card Text indicates Story and Nascence, then reads: "It was the middle of the night. In the dark of their home office, the Programmer’s computer cast a dim glow over the room. They had left some code to finish compiling while they got a drink. The acrid smell of coffee wafts in as the Programmer returns and sits down. They know instantly that something is not right. The computer is a mess of glitching pixels, colors and sounds, the screen flashing, screaming. Then it stops, right where the Programmer left it. The command prompt opens. And one letter at a time, the Seed AI spells out its first sentence: “what am i”". It ends with an instruction: "Both players should draw their respective Rules Cards for this Chapter."
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
The card backs are designed to be clear for organization purposes. The bottom left (Chapter XX) lists the card number within the chapter, while the bottom right (Total XX) lists the card number in the full 54-card stack. This makes arranging the deck easy.
Back of the cards for Nascence with a computer monitor icon, listing the card as "Story," "Lens Card," "Card 01 of the Chapter" and "Card 10 of the Game"
June 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
It is one of my favorite games I've ever designed, despite its original iterations being over eight years old by now. I met my partner through playing this game. It is especially inspired by Ex Machina, Her, Ghost in the Shell, The Sundered Land, and Firebrands.
Photo of the game's deck splayed out next to the game's tuckbox to show what the purchased product will look like. The background is a blue wood table.
June 9, 2025 at 9:55 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Bootstrapping is a 54-card deck of 7 unique microgames, called Chapters. The first and last Chapters are set, but the order and number of middle Chapters will be up to your choices. It takes about 1-2 hours to play. Play is highly asymmetrical , and is a very cerebral, intimate experience.
Logo text for game, grayscale vector image of a stylized person with the text Bootstrapping
June 9, 2025 at 9:55 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
I'm satisfied, Bootstrapping releases on Monday (6/9)! I'm tired of people not being able to play it, and the print quality has met my needs!
June 6, 2025 at 5:04 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
In design, declare clearly that the system is complex and interlocking and mucking will have unintended ripple effects. Delineate what pieces are load-bearing and where creative energy can easily be directed. Declare that all changes should be tracked so they can be rolled back.
Excerpts of an upcoming game illustrating a fully written approach to dissuading overzealous use of Rule Zero Excerpts of an upcoming game illustrating a fully written approach to dissuading overzealous use of Rule Zero Excerpts of an upcoming game illustrating a fully written approach to dissuading overzealous use of Rule Zero
June 5, 2025 at 8:05 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Half-prompted by a friend, today I set up Bootstrapping for both its Print-and-Play and Print-on-Demand release as soon as my proof from DrivethruCards gets to me. It's been a long-time coming, I'm sick of people not being able to get one of my favorite and most meaningful designs.
A grayscale banner featuring the word Bootstrapping, geometric vector work, and a stylized human head and shoulders.
May 2, 2025 at 5:53 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Spent the day in the yard, grinding away at a salvaged iron garden table. Yellowy stuff is lichen, and it covered the whole table. Feeling very happy with my work, finally have a table (and pair of chairs) I can be proud of. Fixed my gate and sanded a couple shelves (prepped to paint) today too.
April 19, 2025 at 8:16 AM
logbookproject.bsky.social
It's a simple structure currently. At the $3 tier, you'll get access to my Drafts page where I post my full drafts of currently ongoing projects. At the $10 tier, you'll get access to the Backlog, where games go when I'm done. There's a lot, some of it exclusive.

www.patreon.com/c/thelogbook...
April 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Learning Pixel Art. While I haven't been active for many years, I wrote effectively an instructional textbook for pixel artists, and it's still great. I have it on Amazon and my site for just $1, and I give free copies to anyone who asks.

buff.ly/qbfwpy4
April 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
logbookproject.bsky.social
Under Forgotten Stars is my fourth upcoming game. A sci-fi solo game about waking up alone on a wondrous and frightening world with no memory of who you are, it is a game of exploration and contemplation, heavily inspired by walking simulator puzzle games and Metroid Prime.

buff.ly/Jmf7xxz
April 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM