Rackham The Dancing Bugbear
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rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Rackham The Dancing Bugbear
@rackhamthebard.bsky.social
570 followers 1.2K following 260 posts
Producer of Gestalheim Productions, dork artist and lover of lasers and liches and ttrpg content creator. I also play Emerson on Sewers and Shruikens!
https://linktr.ee/gestalheimproductions
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rackhamthebard.bsky.social
I blame @lluisabadias.bsky.social for these new examples of fantasy lizard types using Gestalheim's lineage system. They inspired some of the public domain names with their art.
November 20, 2025 at 8:45 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Still working on Gestalheim, some playtesting has led to abilities moving toward Narrative effects with the basic moves being the focus for mechanical effects if that makes sense.
October 7, 2025 at 5:37 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
I am... Not going to make the intended date for a new release of Gestalheim at the end of the month unfortunately. Work is killing me slowly at the moment with the sheer numbers of orders coming in. Here's some Dante art of an friends NPC adventuring party for the setting in compensation.
July 30, 2025 at 6:22 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Work is rough this week, have some @heroforgeminis.bsky.social created NPCs inspired by the background characters of Cool World. #art #npc #ttrpg
July 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Another tweak out by the end of the month is Abilities and Powers got bumped ahead 2 resources and abilities got expanded. So now it costs 1 Spirit to add 1 hold/option on a Skill Check. 3 Spirit focuses on the ability and gives you a bigger dice pool and multiple use of options like a finisher.
July 12, 2025 at 3:27 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
More people really need to try making games with it, Its easily hackable. I'm adding an Origins system that lets you mix and match 2 benefits and weaknesses from different categories to make your character race like the following examples as well as a Signature Style/Class addition.
July 12, 2025 at 9:28 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
There's an old Carol Burnett Dr Jeckyl and Ms Hyde sketch that inspired these DEVA-Corp npcs in the city of Pearly Gates in the Gestalheim setting. #npc #heroforge #3dart #ttrpg
July 10, 2025 at 2:22 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Sometimes, you hyper-fixate on recreating something in @heroforgeminis.bsky.social due to work stress but add more horse.
July 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Hey #ttrpg community! Need an opinion on something for Gestalheim. Thinking to shift abilities and powers as being more narrative based since everything but reactionary abilities are rolled as a skill check/basic move anyways.
Example in attached images and the cheat sheet for reference!
New Ability - King Ichorous You have a ichor generating gland You may spend 1 Spirit on a Skill Check to add a hold to spend on one of the following options: expel a gaseous cloud into the room, expel a poisonous fluid, or expel an explosive burst of ichor. To choose multiple effects in a single action, spend 2 additional Spirit and roll the Skill Check with Stout and Innate. Vs Old Ability - Acid Bomb Expel a compressed ball of poisonous ichor You may spend 1 Spirit on a Skill Check to launch a ball of ichor for one of the following options: Deal 1 damage to a target, apply 1ag to a target, or knock a target backwards. To choose multiple options, spend 2 additional Spirit and roll the Skill Check with Stout and Innate. Skills are the statistics of your character, helping to both determine your passive defenses and saves as well as helping determine the power of your active actions. Skills are determined by a number that ranges from 1 to 4 for Player Units. When a player decides to cede the narrative to chance,the GM can ask for a Skill Check. The number a Unit has in a Skill tells you how many d8s to roll against a Difficulty or Defense depending on the action. When attempting an activity that is not is not against an opposing Unit, the GM sets the Difficulty by selecting a number between 2 and 8 (a Difficulty of 1 means it’s impossible to fail and a roll almost certainly serves no purpose). By default, the Difficulty is set at 4 and shifts up and down based off of the circumstances of the roll. When a roll beats the Difficulty, it counts as one Hold. When rolling an 8 on the dice, it explodes. Record the Hold and roll again. Each time you get a Hold, mark down 1 Spirit in your Resource Pool. These can be spent to re-roll a Die (1 Spirit), perform a second Skill Check at +2 Difficulty (1 Spirit), activate an Ability Option (1 Spirit), activate an Ability Finisher (3 Spirit), activate a Power (5 Spirit), and optionally activate a Combo Breaker(5 Spirit per participant). In addition once per scene, you may invoke your Name, Legacy, or Goal to add 1 Hold to your current rolls as applicable. These Holds do not generate Spirits **Confront an Obstacle** Roll the relevant stat(s). You may spend holds 1-for-1 for the following options: Place a negative Tag on an obstacle, deal one damage to an obstacle's Drive, remove a positive Tag from an obstacle, take something from an obstacle. On a Critical Success, you may use select an option from the Interact list. **Jump Into Action** Describe what you want to do. On a Success with a Cost, the GM will offer one or more of the following options: You lose a resource in the process of succeeding, you have a hard choice on what you succeed on and what you fail on, or you remove an obstacle for someone else. **Add an Assistance (half of Interact)** Roll the relevant stat(s). You may spend holds 1-for-1 for the following options: give a hold to a friendly, place a positive Tag on a friendly, or remove a negative Tag on a friendly **Alter The Playing Field (other hald of Interact)** Roll the relevant stat(s). You may spend holds 1-for-1 for the following options: place a Tag on the environment, Remove a tag from the environment, move a piece of the environment, or destroy a piece of the environment. **Spot The Thread (half of Deduce)** Roll the relevant skill(s) and describe what you're looking at. You may spend holds 1-for-1 for the following options: What are some breadcrumbs I can pick at, what seems wrong about this situation, what seems to be missing, what seems dangerous, what seems to be in danger. **Hit The Books (half of Deduce)** Roll the relevant skill(s) and describe what you're thinking about. You may spend holds 1-for-1 for the following options: What threads can I connect to this, where have I heard of this, what does this remind me of, what have I overlooked.
July 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Came so close this weekend... 😭 Hopefully finishing last touches next weekend.
June 23, 2025 at 8:15 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
End goal is a new version of Gestalheim using @titanomachyrpg.com's Emerge8 system releaded by end of weekend! More monsters, Subclasses for Signature Styles, and rules explaining why you might prefer an ability in your Style instead of your base 4! (They stack with other Ability 1 Spirit uses)
June 21, 2025 at 5:12 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
An example from the Animated!
June 11, 2025 at 12:11 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Also can't remember if the last version included the basic moves, so here they are! I figured as narratively applicable Critical successes may also let you choose options from other moves.
May 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
I've really been enjoying @heroforgeminis.bsky.social 's new Body Customization options! It's really allowed for a lot more options for characters and using it as a character design program.
May 8, 2025 at 4:48 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
I've been getting some feedback on the system and have notes:
- Moving the grid-based movement to an optional ruleset. I like the idea but a lot of the feedback has been grid-based combat has been poisoned by DnD.
- Ive got a few moves for spellcasting in the next version with an example below 2/3
May 8, 2025 at 4:45 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Guess which ttrpg project will have a fillable PDF on the next update? Example below, with @eksegerstrom.bsky.social's Armor-Clad character for a future set of one-shot collabs... :) As Eryk said when he saw it, it's Kingdom Hearts-esque because it's Simple and Clean. XD
#ttrpg #update #emerge8
Page 1 of a character sheet for an Armor-Clad character Page 2 of an Armor-Clad Character with the abilities Protective, Rock Fire Water, Adaptive, and Clawtical Strike. It also has the Powers Knight's Weapon and Knight's Shield.
March 15, 2025 at 7:29 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
How to build a High Elf using the Origins system in Gestelheim! Elemental Beam represents the usual inherent magic through a free spell. Man of Culture references their history of study and research. Explosive Temper and Read a Book represent the bull-headedness that can create. #ttrpg #lore
High Elves: Elemental Benefit Elemental Beam - Spend 1 Drive to get 1 Success on Stout rolls channeling element as an attack Mundane Benefit Man of Culture - Roll 1 more Die on 1st Roll in a scene when encountering something you’ve read about before Elemental Weakness Explosive Temper - Roll 1 less Die on Luck rolls when containing yourself under stress Mundane Weakness Read a Book!- Roll 1 less Die On 1st Skill Check when rushing into an unfamiliar situation
March 13, 2025 at 3:09 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
How to build a Wood Elf using the Origins system in Gestelheim! Picked the Benefits based off of their movement and ability to blend into the woods. The weaknesses are based around elves longevity causing them to become... opinionated? and their sensitive ears.
#lore #ttrpg
March 12, 2025 at 5:44 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
How to make a human with Gestalheim's Origins system!
I picked the benefits to reflect human's tendency to push past their limitations and use knowledge to their advantage. The weaknesses come from the fact they are just normal people compared to the more exotic options of Gestalheim. #lore #ttrpg
March 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Been working on examples of how to make classic fantasy races using the origins system for my ttrpg SRD Gestalheim, an expansion of @titanomachyrpg.com's Emerge8 system!
Dwarves: Hob Benefit Hammer Time - Roll 1 additional Die on Gear rolls when building structures and equipment . Collosi Benefit Carry A Big Stick - Roll 1 additional Die on Stout rolls wielding heavy weapons Hob Weaknesses Put Your Back Into It - Spend 1 Drive to keep 1 hold on Vigor rolls for carrying larger than self objects Small Steps - Roll 1 less Die on Grace rolls running in wide open spaces Humans: Mundane Benefits I Won’t Give Up - Spend 1 Drive to get 1 Sway on Vigor Rolls when you push self beyond limitations Man of Culture - Roll 1 more Die on 1st Roll in scene Encounter you’ve read about before Mundane Weaknesses Picking a Fight - Roll 1 less Die on Stout rolls Fighting a larger creature Just A Guy - Roll 1 less Die on Tactics rolls while witnessing eldritch entities Wood Elves: Manimal Benefit It’s My Habitat - Spend 1 Drive to get 1 Sway on Luck rolls while stealthing through native Biome Mundane Benefit Parkour! - Roll 1 more Die on Grace rolls while moving through a crowded area Manimal Weakness What is That Noise - Roll 1 less Die on Tactics rolls while dealing with a Sensory Distraction Mundane Weakness Read a Book!- Roll 1 less Die On 1st Skill Check when rushing into an unfamiliar situation High Elves: Elemental Benefit Elemental Beam - Spend 1 Drive to get 1 Success on Stout rolls channeling element as an attack Mundane Benefit Man of Culture - Roll 1 more Die on 1st Roll in scene Encounter you’ve read about before Elemental Weakness Explosive Temper - Roll 1 less Die on Luck rolls when containing yourself under stress Mundane Weakness Read a Book!- Roll 1 less Die On 1st Skill Check when rushing into an unfamiliar situation
March 12, 2025 at 7:13 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
One of my goals this week is to go through this list and show how to build all of these in Gestelheim.
If anyone has any strange fantasy races not on this list added, please reply in the comments!
I made this list using TV Tropes's common fantasy races article!
#ttrpg #challenge
March 10, 2025 at 5:36 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
So fun developments over the weekend.
For Gestalheim, Dead Cells have a fun new name. Ersatz Cells! Puts the focus on the fact they are artificial cells that aren't quite organic.
@quillnanvil.bsky.social coined a new term - HECC!
“Humanoid-shaped Ersatz Cell colony”
(Check out his story too)
A “Humanoid-shaped Ersatz Cell colony” in a stylish dress covered in blades A “Humanoid-shaped Ersatz Cell colony” in a revealing dress with Tentacle-esque legs and a seemingly large necklace of eyeballs?
February 10, 2025 at 5:36 AM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
So I need opinions #ttrpg community! The origins design works as follows, each stat has a benefit or weakness for each origin along with one indirect weakness and benefit. But Im wondering if I should have either more options in general on each sheet or a list of non-exclusive options.
1/m?
February 6, 2025 at 5:17 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
D and D adjacent! Essentially, I combined my experience playing D and D and PBTA games with @titanomachyrpg.com's Emerge8 system to make sort of a hybrid of the two that you can convert characters for the most part.
February 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
rackhamthebard.bsky.social
Something new - Recent update for my SRD expansion Gestalheim giving more detailed defenses and a number of new monsters and Signature Styles/Classes!
smok3dtoast.itch.io/gestalheim-a...
February 6, 2025 at 4:54 AM