Mike Ogden
banner
mikeorrhizal.bsky.social
Mike Ogden
@mikeorrhizal.bsky.social
PhD in Mycorrhizal-Soil Biophysics. Traded fungal networks for IT networks. UK based 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Fan of Fungi and Fermentation 🍺🍞🥒 TTRPGs, AoE2. He/Him
Pinned
Hi I'm Mike; a dad, dog walker, and dice roller based in Aberdeen 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
DM of a 4.5 yr fortnightly 5e game.
A big fan of Mörk Borg, Shadowdark, and Vaesen.
Brewing up a power metal sci fantasy Cypher adventure and have a Coriolis campaign on the (3rd) horizon.
I'd love to hear about your games & art.
Reposted by Mike Ogden
I'm reaching out because we just learned that the cost for our son to sit his GCSEs has rocketed & we don't have the money. He's worked so hard against so many odds. Access to education for Roma is often hard esp with additional needs please help him reach his dream 🙏 ko-fi.com/glitzydemon/...
Support Penny Blake
Support Penny Blake
ko-fi.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Good morning! It's December, which means it's time for my annual advent calendar!

The Mouth Of Winter is 25 chapters of grimdark fantasy, releasing daily through Christmas. Mercenaries break an ancient covenant. A monster wakes up. Nobody's having a good time.

loottheroom.itch.io/advent2025 ❄️
The Mouth Of Winter by Chris Bissette
A serialised dark fantasy novella
loottheroom.itch.io
December 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
This is a huge part of why so many people think we're in the middle of a widespread "anti-woke backlash": Small movements opposed to social progress are collected into trend stories by conservative media. Far larger movements that want more diversity are ignored or cast as threats.
"Woke is ruining D&D". Meanwhile Dimension 20, one of the wokest real play shows around, just sold out Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl for live shows and brings armies of new players to RPGs.
November 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
On that last RT, sometimes I don't drink because of my MH, sometimes I don't drink because I don't feel like it, sometimes I don't drink because I'm training the next day and want to sleep properly. Don't raise eyebrows, don't make it seem like I'm pregnant. Don't be a dick. Just say okay.
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:

Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.

If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.

Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
I can’t bring myself to read this, but one day I hope there is as much time and energy devoted to the problem of the online radicalisation of vulnerable pregnant people and parents, as there is to the online radicalisation of young white men.
November 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
I've recently added a bunch more people to this starter pack, so do give it a look over!

(and if you think you should be on it, hmu)
November 22, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Austerity has a powerful impact on children’s mental health

The legacy of British austerity can’t be understood without considering the effects on mental health, especially childhood trauma | Dean Conway
Austerity has a powerful impact on children’s mental health
The legacy of British austerity can’t be understood without considering the effects on mental health, especially childhood trauma
centralbylines.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Coyote & Crow from @coyoteandcrow.bsky.social is one of the 50 games you can get in the Games against Genocide TTRPG Charity Bundle for a donation of just $10+ to
@msf.ca

Check out the bundle here: tilt.fyi/wg0FDen9Lr
November 20, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
And that's not the end of it! The Mausritter Month Companion Jam has just started and is off to a flying start, with 80 members and 11 entries already! If you've ever wanted to create something for Mausritter, now is the perfect time. itch.io/jam/mausritt...
Mausritter Month Companion Jam
A game jam from 2025-11-11 to 2025-12-12 hosted by ManaDawn Tabletop Games, Hugh Lashbrooke, Games Omnivorous & Losing Games. 🐭 Mausritter Month Companion Jam 🐭 November 11 – December 11, 2025 🧀 Welco...
itch.io
November 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
New addition to the shelf! I'm super excited to get stuck into the beautiful Draw Steel from @hellomcdm.bsky.social
November 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
"AI is a tool."

No. Empirically not. A tool empowers people; helps people. It solves an extant problem. Generative AI in creative mediums is being used as a cudgel that diminishes and eliminates people, and the only "problem" being solved is fiscal.

Stop validating it, even in passing.
November 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Dear GOD if you want to save money in the asylum system

1. LET ASYLUM SEEKERS WORK

2. FAST TRACK STATUS FOR EVERYONE FROM CLEARLY UNDAFE COUNTRIES like Sudan, Syria, etc

3. Run an asylum accommodation system that is NOT FOR PROFIT #r4today
November 7, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
If you've ever dreamed of making your own TTRPG from scratch, I just published a new article on the blog about this exact subject.

I was asked by someone here on bluesky and figured this could be helpful to more folks so enjoy!

farirpgs.com/posts/how-to...
How to make your own TTRPG system - Fari RPGs
“I was asked by someone on Bluesky how to get started with making your own ruleset for a TTRPG. I have been designing games since 2019 and have made many...
farirpgs.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
I'm a bit 😐 on people going "this is why Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens need to team up!" coz...those parties are nowhere near each other politically. You think Labour and the Lib Dems will give up their pro-austerity policy? That Labour will reverse its anti-trans legislation?
Latest Polling by @YouGov

🟣 Reform 27%
🔵 Tory 17%
🔴 Labour 17%
💚 Green 16%
🟠 Lib Dem 15%

This is the LOWEST Labour
has ever polled with YouGov.

This is the HIGHEST @greenparty.org.uk has ever polled with YouGov.

4 parties within 2 points of each other for second place.
October 28, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Fancy some folk horror for Halloween. www.kickstarter.com/projects/imp...
October 28, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Alright, it's time...

This is Voidlight: A rules-bright sci-fi horror dungeon crawl where your only safety is a beam of light that shrinks every ten minutes.

Light on rules, bound to the dark.

100 playtesters battle tested this game and it's finally available!

farirpgs.itch.io/voidlight
October 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
This year, I’ll be wearing the Royal British Legion’s LGBTQ+ poppy - in memory of friends who served and of those who never got to be seen.

Everyone should be free to remember in their own way.
Lest We Forget - But Not Like That
How a symbol of remembrance became Britain’s most reliable outrage generator.
www.bearlypolitics.co.uk
October 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
If people start realising that welfare spending isn’t spiralling, that worklessness is low, and that the so-called “safety net” is already full of holes, then how will either party be able to sell the idea that cruelty and cutting is fiscal responsibility?
October 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
British.
October 16, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
Run From the Dark even now has a trailer watched to find out more about what the game has to offer

youtu.be/ZKr-gKliojM
Run from the Dark Trailer
YouTube video by Will RD
youtu.be
October 10, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

1/11
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
It can be incredibly hard to see your progress when recovering from depression or burnout. The whole world keeps demanding certain benchmarks of you to the point that it’s easy to feel like a failure despite your hard work. Remember your progress is your own journey. Every win means something.
October 5, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
3. ⁠this is not the moment for an incredibly expensive increase in state surveillance infrastructure to be run for profit by private tech firms just before Labour ushers in an (even more) authoritarian right wing government.

FIX THE GODDAMN COST OF LIVING INSTEAD YOU FREAKS.
September 26, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by Mike Ogden
FRPG Player Tip: One of the best gifts you can give a GM is letting them know what you enjoyed about the previous session. It’s not just about saying thanks for the work that goes into running a game — it’s about providing direction for future sessions you’ll enjoy just as much.
September 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM