Magician
@magbonch.bsky.social
RPG geek. Also miniatures painting, board games, etc.
Blog: https://ponderingsongames.com/
Blog: https://ponderingsongames.com/
En route to the weekly RPG session, I realize I must have done the prep in a dream, because I was certain I sorted it all out, but all I've got is disparate pieces and a sense that they should fit.
That's a first one.
That's a first one.
December 11, 2025 at 6:37 AM
En route to the weekly RPG session, I realize I must have done the prep in a dream, because I was certain I sorted it all out, but all I've got is disparate pieces and a sense that they should fit.
That's a first one.
That's a first one.
It's (morbidly) funny how at least one large discord server I'm in, Mothership, has attempted to recreate forum functionality within it, with a dedicated thread created for each published adventure.
Social networks & later chat servers eating forums is a disaster to be studied.
Social networks & later chat servers eating forums is a disaster to be studied.
December 9, 2025 at 5:18 AM
It's (morbidly) funny how at least one large discord server I'm in, Mothership, has attempted to recreate forum functionality within it, with a dedicated thread created for each published adventure.
Social networks & later chat servers eating forums is a disaster to be studied.
Social networks & later chat servers eating forums is a disaster to be studied.
The tragedy of lovecraftian RPGs: I'm not even done describing the monster, and the players are already looking for something flammable because shoggoths can only be hurt by fire.
The terror of confronting the unknown (and unknowable) replaced by the cozy feeling of recognizing the reference.
The terror of confronting the unknown (and unknowable) replaced by the cozy feeling of recognizing the reference.
December 8, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The tragedy of lovecraftian RPGs: I'm not even done describing the monster, and the players are already looking for something flammable because shoggoths can only be hurt by fire.
The terror of confronting the unknown (and unknowable) replaced by the cozy feeling of recognizing the reference.
The terror of confronting the unknown (and unknowable) replaced by the cozy feeling of recognizing the reference.
Over in Fate of Cthulhu game, the party has to infiltrate a cultist compound to steal a macguffin. Two sessions of indecisiveness later, I'm realizing I should have utilized the Bronze Fate rule and turned the compound into a character to overcome.
December 3, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Over in Fate of Cthulhu game, the party has to infiltrate a cultist compound to steal a macguffin. Two sessions of indecisiveness later, I'm realizing I should have utilized the Bronze Fate rule and turned the compound into a character to overcome.
Reposted by Magician
Are we far enough from the Mothership month folks might be looking for more MoSH adventures?
Shameless self-promotion time, I guess. We've put out Ship of Fools a few months ago, and, well, *I* think it's lovely. As was Terror Signal, released a couple of years ago now.
Shameless self-promotion time, I guess. We've put out Ship of Fools a few months ago, and, well, *I* think it's lovely. As was Terror Signal, released a couple of years ago now.
December 1, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Are we far enough from the Mothership month folks might be looking for more MoSH adventures?
Shameless self-promotion time, I guess. We've put out Ship of Fools a few months ago, and, well, *I* think it's lovely. As was Terror Signal, released a couple of years ago now.
Shameless self-promotion time, I guess. We've put out Ship of Fools a few months ago, and, well, *I* think it's lovely. As was Terror Signal, released a couple of years ago now.
Made the mistake of reading the rpg subreddit. Massive thread derailed into arguing against "RPGs tell stories".
Dear redditors who will never see this: just because your RPG of choice doesn't explicitly ask you to consider the story you're creating, doesn't mean it's not pushing you to have one.
Dear redditors who will never see this: just because your RPG of choice doesn't explicitly ask you to consider the story you're creating, doesn't mean it's not pushing you to have one.
November 29, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Made the mistake of reading the rpg subreddit. Massive thread derailed into arguing against "RPGs tell stories".
Dear redditors who will never see this: just because your RPG of choice doesn't explicitly ask you to consider the story you're creating, doesn't mean it's not pushing you to have one.
Dear redditors who will never see this: just because your RPG of choice doesn't explicitly ask you to consider the story you're creating, doesn't mean it's not pushing you to have one.
I really like how these 3 idiots from STALKER turned out. They look like they've just looted a dead stalker in a dumpster, and think they're now stalkers, too.
November 28, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I really like how these 3 idiots from STALKER turned out. They look like they've just looted a dead stalker in a dumpster, and think they're now stalkers, too.
Was it Mörk Borg that started the artzine wave of indie TTRPGs? With every page its own weird splashy layout. They are pretty, sure, but I'm starting to feel like the creators are constantly jangling keys in front of my face, lest I get bored and wander off.
November 28, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Was it Mörk Borg that started the artzine wave of indie TTRPGs? With every page its own weird splashy layout. They are pretty, sure, but I'm starting to feel like the creators are constantly jangling keys in front of my face, lest I get bored and wander off.
Players: "We've brought down the scarecrow thing with stilt-scythes for arms that's been stalking the town drowning in unnatural fog. Can we figure out who made it or how?"
Me, making stuff up the entire session: "excellent question, we'll pick this up right here next week!"
Me, making stuff up the entire session: "excellent question, we'll pick this up right here next week!"
November 20, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Players: "We've brought down the scarecrow thing with stilt-scythes for arms that's been stalking the town drowning in unnatural fog. Can we figure out who made it or how?"
Me, making stuff up the entire session: "excellent question, we'll pick this up right here next week!"
Me, making stuff up the entire session: "excellent question, we'll pick this up right here next week!"
3 hungry dogs, a zombie dog, and a demon dog. Turned out ok for a couple hours of messing around with speed paints.
November 14, 2025 at 1:58 PM
3 hungry dogs, a zombie dog, and a demon dog. Turned out ok for a couple hours of messing around with speed paints.
A player is going away for a couple of months, so we agreed to feature their character prominently and have them go off to do something important in the last game they're available. Then this week's game got cancelled, and now I have a planned Thing and no star character. The joys of GMing.
November 13, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A player is going away for a couple of months, so we agreed to feature their character prominently and have them go off to do something important in the last game they're available. Then this week's game got cancelled, and now I have a planned Thing and no star character. The joys of GMing.
Giant crate of Dolmenwood goodness has finally arrived in my neck of the woods.
First impression: it's so, so lovely!
Putting secret GM-only info on the giant cloth map was sure a choice. Hopefully it's not that secret.
1/
First impression: it's so, so lovely!
Putting secret GM-only info on the giant cloth map was sure a choice. Hopefully it's not that secret.
1/
November 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Giant crate of Dolmenwood goodness has finally arrived in my neck of the woods.
First impression: it's so, so lovely!
Putting secret GM-only info on the giant cloth map was sure a choice. Hopefully it's not that secret.
1/
First impression: it's so, so lovely!
Putting secret GM-only info on the giant cloth map was sure a choice. Hopefully it's not that secret.
1/
More Mothership! A whole lot more. Now, personally, I probably have enough unread Mothership adventures, but if you don't, you're in luck.
Alright gang, #MothershipMonth25 is now live. These 26 other creators have done a phenomenal job bringing the setting of Prospero's Dream to life. Give them a look.
Oh also, no big deal but OVER/UNDER has over 1,200 players right now.
www.backerkit.com/c/collection...
Oh also, no big deal but OVER/UNDER has over 1,200 players right now.
www.backerkit.com/c/collection...
MOTHERSHIP MONTH on BackerKit
Mothership Month returns October 14, 2025 with even more creators, nightmares, and community events. Whether you're an old teamster or a fresh recruit, you're invited to the largest Mothership even...
www.backerkit.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:16 PM
More Mothership! A whole lot more. Now, personally, I probably have enough unread Mothership adventures, but if you don't, you're in luck.
This looks brilliant. But going from the awesome artwork of a knight standing in a grisly giant skeleton (just click that link!) to a 5-foot squares dungeon map is some serious OSR brainrot whiplash. It might be intentional, and if so, bravo.
October 14, 2025 at 1:05 PM
This looks brilliant. But going from the awesome artwork of a knight standing in a grisly giant skeleton (just click that link!) to a 5-foot squares dungeon map is some serious OSR brainrot whiplash. It might be intentional, and if so, bravo.
Not sure if I have enough to say to warrant writing up a full review of Shadow of the Weird Wizard. It's a fine D&D-like, is my verdict. Highly flexible character options, easy to run, some balance issues. Somewhat tedious bucketfulls of d6s at high levels.
October 13, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Not sure if I have enough to say to warrant writing up a full review of Shadow of the Weird Wizard. It's a fine D&D-like, is my verdict. Highly flexible character options, easy to run, some balance issues. Somewhat tedious bucketfulls of d6s at high levels.
Shadow of the Weird Wizard campaign with Group B came to a screeching halt when I asked the players what their characters wanted, and turned out they didn't want to be adventurers anymore. And the thought of dragging them into trouble again and again wasn't appealing either. Ah well.
October 13, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Shadow of the Weird Wizard campaign with Group B came to a screeching halt when I asked the players what their characters wanted, and turned out they didn't want to be adventurers anymore. And the thought of dragging them into trouble again and again wasn't appealing either. Ah well.
You ever wonder, what if a penanggalan but horse? No, just me?
And then the characters are traumatized as The Most Beautiful Horse They Ever Saw twists its own head off and tries to strangle them with its entrails. And gets away, leaving them dreading the moment the Damn Horse comes back.
And then the characters are traumatized as The Most Beautiful Horse They Ever Saw twists its own head off and tries to strangle them with its entrails. And gets away, leaving them dreading the moment the Damn Horse comes back.
October 9, 2025 at 6:13 AM
You ever wonder, what if a penanggalan but horse? No, just me?
And then the characters are traumatized as The Most Beautiful Horse They Ever Saw twists its own head off and tries to strangle them with its entrails. And gets away, leaving them dreading the moment the Damn Horse comes back.
And then the characters are traumatized as The Most Beautiful Horse They Ever Saw twists its own head off and tries to strangle them with its entrails. And gets away, leaving them dreading the moment the Damn Horse comes back.
A joy of long-running sandbox campaigns: I get to drop any loose end from a year ago before them, and players go "holy shit, that's what X was up to all this time".
October 8, 2025 at 7:15 AM
A joy of long-running sandbox campaigns: I get to drop any loose end from a year ago before them, and players go "holy shit, that's what X was up to all this time".
Reposted by Magician
Looking for playtesters for an upcoming sci-fi horror game kind of like shadowdark meets ten candles meets mothership.
If you want to test it with your group, send me a DM on Bluesky and I’ll send you a free copy.
If you want to test it with your group, send me a DM on Bluesky and I’ll send you a free copy.
September 27, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Looking for playtesters for an upcoming sci-fi horror game kind of like shadowdark meets ten candles meets mothership.
If you want to test it with your group, send me a DM on Bluesky and I’ll send you a free copy.
If you want to test it with your group, send me a DM on Bluesky and I’ll send you a free copy.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. character minis done! Onto the enemies. So many camo dudes with guns...
September 26, 2025 at 8:38 AM
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. character minis done! Onto the enemies. So many camo dudes with guns...
I've come to really appreciate making at least some of the NPCs in positions of power absolute fuck ups in my games. Just utter buffoons. So I ask myself, what's the worst dumbest thing they could do right now? And the answer drives the game world forward/sideways.
September 25, 2025 at 8:48 AM
I've come to really appreciate making at least some of the NPCs in positions of power absolute fuck ups in my games. Just utter buffoons. So I ask myself, what's the worst dumbest thing they could do right now? And the answer drives the game world forward/sideways.
How often do you go back to a TTRPG you've played? D&D excluded, I suppose.
I run 2 weekly games, and have another fortnightly group for brief games. Safe to say, I play more ttrpgs than most. And despite that, I almost never revisit a game, no matter how much I loved it.
I run 2 weekly games, and have another fortnightly group for brief games. Safe to say, I play more ttrpgs than most. And despite that, I almost never revisit a game, no matter how much I loved it.
September 17, 2025 at 9:07 AM
How often do you go back to a TTRPG you've played? D&D excluded, I suppose.
I run 2 weekly games, and have another fortnightly group for brief games. Safe to say, I play more ttrpgs than most. And despite that, I almost never revisit a game, no matter how much I loved it.
I run 2 weekly games, and have another fortnightly group for brief games. Safe to say, I play more ttrpgs than most. And despite that, I almost never revisit a game, no matter how much I loved it.
SoulMuppet continues to make games where everything's bad. Escapism!
Having scrolled through the quickstart, this looks to be the first solid soulslike ttrpg impelemntation I've seen. And a campaign/setting included? Sign me up.
Having scrolled through the quickstart, this looks to be the first solid soulslike ttrpg impelemntation I've seen. And a campaign/setting included? Sign me up.
Live now on Kickstarter!
Doomspiral a #TTRPG of desperate battles in a dying world. This is our love letter to soulslike games, with dramatic fights, labyrinthine exploration and many laughing shopkeeps.
Back now before the cruel spiral of entropy consumes all.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sou...
Doomspiral a #TTRPG of desperate battles in a dying world. This is our love letter to soulslike games, with dramatic fights, labyrinthine exploration and many laughing shopkeeps.
Back now before the cruel spiral of entropy consumes all.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sou...
September 17, 2025 at 7:30 AM
SoulMuppet continues to make games where everything's bad. Escapism!
Having scrolled through the quickstart, this looks to be the first solid soulslike ttrpg impelemntation I've seen. And a campaign/setting included? Sign me up.
Having scrolled through the quickstart, this looks to be the first solid soulslike ttrpg impelemntation I've seen. And a campaign/setting included? Sign me up.