Jon Boyle
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residentbard.bsky.social
Jon Boyle
@residentbard.bsky.social
1.7K followers 460 following 1.6K posts
TTRPG Writer/Editor @ brightbard.bsky.social 🎲 Design streams 🎮 Goblin in a beanie ✨ 🌸 Disabled, Bi, He/They 🌆 Saint Paul, MN

Games at: https://brightbardgames.com/
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residentbard.bsky.social
Working on a holiday adventure for Trash to Treasure reminded me of the achievements I put at the end. It's a pretty video game-y touch, but it's kinda fun to devise little tutorial-style minigames and challenges for the characters.
A list of achievements for Trash to Treasure.
December 6, 2025 at 10:13 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Played Lancer last night. Big robot good.

My GM said the one shot had Western vibes so I played Merrick "Charcoal" Blackburn and his trust Barbarossa, The Working Man.

Two words: Apocalypse Rail
A three story mech holding an ammo case of bullets with a titanic rail gun mounted on the opposite shoulder. He looks like he's on his way to work. He is The Working Man
December 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Ghost and I are reviewing Bright Bard Games 2025 and talking about goblins. He's got some great ideas when he's awake.
Sitting at my desk with a blanket and a very sleepy tabby cat on my lap.
December 5, 2025 at 5:43 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Dim Sum is pointcrawl (Courtesy of our first meal at PAXu this year)
Photographic evidence that Dim Sum is best represented as a point crawl, with lines connected various small plates of dumplings and noodles to each other and the diners plates
December 3, 2025 at 3:42 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
From a design sense, there's probably more intuitive words to use anyway, but I'm fairly certain the patent is lapsed and cannot be renewed because you can't patent game mechanics.

If I was making a 1v1 deckbuilding TCG and used these symbols, I'd be in trouble as these (and mana) are copyrighted.
A collection of Magic the Gathering's symbols used to indicate rotating a card 90 degrees, also called "tapping".
November 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
The woods behind my parents house are giving some real Carved by the Garden energy.
A shot of New England woods. Mossy trees in the foreground frame a leaf-strewn path deeper into the woods through an archway formed of moss trees and a canopy of pine needles and a small tree with browned leaves.
November 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Psst, we're running Black Friday deals this weekend. Pick up some zines for the RPG lovers in your life at 20% off!

brightbardgames.com
A banner with the bright bard games logo, announcing 20% off on our store Black Friday weekend, 11/28 to 11/30
November 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Things are looking good over at booth 3352 👀
A picture of a colorful booth setup for Bright Bard Games. Two tables are stacked heavy with tabletop roleplaying games.
November 20, 2025 at 11:41 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
We're going to PAX Unplugged this week, sharing a booth with @possumcreekgames.com! Come find us, say hi, and pick up some awesome games!
An image of the PAX Unplugged vendor hall, indicating booth 3352. Possum Creek Games and Bright Bard Games are marked there, splitting booth space. Come get say hi if you're at the show!
November 17, 2025 at 7:16 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Steph posted an absolutely glowing review of Trash to Treasure over on TTRPGKids!

I'm especially glad to see that our work on each goblin's power fantasy made them easy to understand right from the jump! Bri's character designs (and lore thoughts) were really helpful in that process, tbh.
A screenshot from the article in the quoted tweet. It reads: Characters in Trash to Treasure Your characters in Trash to Treasure are all goblin girls attending goblin boarding school in Mahou City! One fateful day, they are granted the power of the elemental dragon stones and must now save the day! There are five premade characters to choose from, each with a different magical focus (heart, fire, earth, water, and air). Their abilities, stats, and various starting info is already filled in on their specific character sheet, so set up is very easy – you’ll pick your character, read your sheet, and start rolling! The five characters vary in their ability sets with a character like Burnie focusing on fire coupled with self healing and defense and a character like Worm being more into ally support. Each one gives a different style of play, that’s very clearly laid out via the moves on the progression track in their respective character sheets, and they each play a unique role on the team (so teamwork is important). When I showed this game to kiddo, I flipped to the character section, and, immediately, kiddo honed in on Burnie, probably because she’s an awesome pyro. My favorite was Haze, who is very focused on getting gear bonuses and doing a bit of field control (which is pretty close to one of the general play styles I really like). I point this out because the character designs are GREAT and immediately show what that character’s specialty is and can draw you in so it’s easy to pick the character that fits your vibe.
November 17, 2025 at 5:52 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
I know my handle is residentbard and all but sometimes I do dress the part
A low angle shot of me in a doublet and flowy shirt, looking past the camera, writing in a journal with a quill.
November 14, 2025 at 12:22 AM
residentbard.bsky.social
The more I look at this year's slate of games (And some of the stuff I'm currently working on) the more I realize how much of an impact the Monk and Robot novella series had on me lol
The cover of "A Psalm for the wild-built" by Becky Chambers. a Robot stands on a winding path in the top left, watching butterflies alight on its hand. In the bottom right, a tea monk sits on the edge of their cart, looking pensively into a steaming mug of tea.
November 10, 2025 at 7:47 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Homemade cream cheese frosting with a hint of fresh nutmeg!
A slice of pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.
November 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
residentbard.bsky.social
Pumpkin bread achieved. Stand by for frosting.
A loaf of pumpkin bread in a 9x5 baking pan lined with parchment paper.
November 7, 2025 at 2:38 AM
residentbard.bsky.social
We're cooking on RELIC tonight, the flavor of the evening: Space wizard gunslinger
A page of Relic hunter abilities for Relic. Too many to copy the text of here, but rest assured that the vibe is a space wizard gunslinger.
November 4, 2025 at 11:56 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Someone call the hemogoblins, my globins are missing! (Art by @bridanann.bsky.social)
A noir goblin Private Investigator who seems to be made of blood. But like. In a cute way. Another hemogoblin, this time a noir femme fatale with a red dress and a poofy scarf.
October 30, 2025 at 8:14 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
My helper is making sure the revised Longsword, Glock, Bat, Taser manuscript is free of typos and advises optimal treat rations for household pets
A shot from my desk towards my body. A portly tabby cat sits on my lap, resting his chin on the desk, looking past the camera.
October 15, 2025 at 12:38 AM
residentbard.bsky.social
My best friend and her family are on vacation, which means I'm cat sitting for both households' cats and let me tell you I am getting PRIME cat time this week.
A petite white and orange cat lays on a coffee table above another, large fluffy orange cat laying on his back in a sunbeam. Reader, they are both adorable. A fluffy orange cat sits on a worn wooden step in front of a white and grey shed door in the afternoon shade it offers. He looks as soft as a cloud (and is) A fluffy black cat lays in a well-loved cardboard box, his only distinguishable features the bright green eyes peering over the edge of the box. Motion blur indicates his tail is flicking as he watches the viewer.
September 16, 2025 at 10:40 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Me, 45 minutes deep fighting a new boss in Silksong:
A horse stands chest deep in what appears to be a lake or an ocean. The bottom text reads "I just need to lock in"
September 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Using their bonds at a camp phase 🥹
My cats napping on each other, on my legs
September 7, 2025 at 7:11 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
The boys and I are getting ready to hit up the megastructure
Lazy Sunday afternoon illuminates two tabby cats laying on my legs on a sun-soaked leather couch. His Majesty the Worm, a black TTRPG book, lays on my lap.
September 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Spending breath puts your music cards or fight moves onto a music staff-lookin' thing. Spending big chunks of spirit lets you do something super cool in the spotlight and empowers the other characters.

Limited cards on your sheet (And breath) means everyone gets a shot at to do something cool!
A battle mat made in the facsimile of a music staff. Characters from the previous post spend breath to place their cards on the battlemat and sing different parts of a song, fight demons, bond with each other, etc.
August 19, 2025 at 8:13 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Back from my errands and jammin' @nightjargames.bsky.social.

You have a limited amount of breath with which to sing, and music = magic. Spend breath to sing and generate magical energy/spirit or fight demons! All of your music pieces/gear are on cards, which lives on your character sheet.
a hastily drawn image of a character sheet, representing character ability cards and resources. The sections include musical riffs to sing, breathe and spirit to use on abilities, and idk a cool magic music sword and some sick dance moves.
August 19, 2025 at 8:13 PM
residentbard.bsky.social
Invite who now?
Missions: Collect a fiddlehead Conduct orchestra practice Help a robin win a date to the picnic Invite your neighbors to the picnic Invite the gods of wind, sky, and storms to the picnic Collect ingredients for soup
August 15, 2025 at 12:37 AM
residentbard.bsky.social
This is really the heart and soul of Bonds Between! Get out those old markers you haven't used in a while, try your hand at some fiber craft you set down on a card, and mess your decks up together!
The text "I also will fully admit that I really enjoyed messing with the card deck… being told, yes, please go burn some cards, bust out that crate of washi tape that you got from an estate sale 3 years ago, go get your colorful pens that you’re too afraid to use on business things… it was kind of wonderful, and I was able to loop my partner in on it too." next to the image of a burned 4 of clubs playing card.
August 14, 2025 at 8:11 PM