Sir Paperweight the Third
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sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Sir Paperweight the Third
@sirpaperweight.bsky.social
160 followers 490 following 94 posts
TTRPG enthusiast, history and space nerd (he/him)

I blog at https://sirpaperweight.blot.im

Used to be Falling From Orbit
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sirpaperweight.bsky.social
I wrote about running Wolves Upon the Coast -- how I set up an open table/west marches game, and my players' various antics (including a botched assassination of an abbot, a three-round duel with a medusa, and a daring heist of the king's taxes). #ttrpg #osr

sirpaperweight.blot.im/threewolvess...
After a few sessions’ absence, Flink and Meow were back in the party, ready to face the medusa themselves. They boasted that they’d defeat the medusa and seize the treasure in her temple, and drew up a plan for round 3. An NPC companion, Hrafnkel, would ride on horseback to the southeast, catching the juggernaut’s attention and drawing it away from the city. Meow had a magic eye of scrying, allowing her to view the battlefield without being petrified. She would act as the commander, shouting orders and directions to her blindfolded comrades. They had brought along two more NPC followers — including a druid who knew a fireball spell. They’d have him launch the opening salvo, before forming a line of melee fighters to protect the ranged attackers. It was a clever plan, well thought-out. The players were as prepared as they’d ever be, and I thought they had a decent chance of success. But it just didn’t work.
May 23, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
samsorensen.bsky.social
now about two months into the game, here's Cataphracts Design Diary #2. this one covers how I made my specific campaign and how to make your own, including a step-by-step demo of maps, factions, commanders, and army sheets:
samsorensen.blot.im/cataphracts-...
Screenshot of a blogpost. The text reads: "That’s faction sheets, which all commanders in a faction have access to. A commander sheet looks something like this: 'Grand Duke Zdravko Vasilyevich “the Tall” Razumihin You were born to high nobility, first-born son of the duke, prepared for greatness from birth. Raised in the royal courts of Simurghzal, you’ve always been the fastest horseman, the canniest sailor, and the most handsome of men. Yes, your people were subjugated by the foreigners of the Prince-Bishopric of the Ikosion, but until this year that mattered little—you had your life, and they had theirs. That all changed when your father, Grand Duke Vasily the Harpist, died, poisoned at your banquet feast by Prince-Bishop Eulalia’s underhanded dogs. Now, your people howl for blood, and they look to for leadership—and for vengeance. Stats Age: 26 (October 11th, 1299) Faith: Orthodox Traits: Beloved. Your army gains +1 resting morale. Stubborn. Your army does not lose morale on defeat in battle. Objectives As determined by yourself, your family, and the Boyars’ Duma: Free yourself from the rule of the Prince-Bishopric of the Ikosion. Reclaim the ancient Hawkfeather Crown, stored in Karkota’s reliquary vaults. If possible, kill Prince-Bishop Eulalia.'"
May 15, 2025 at 10:24 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
The new pope is… John Kearney, 56, hardware store manager from South Philly. His papal name is “Jalen.” His first pronouncement is “go Birds” 🦅
May 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
jdragsky.bsky.social
how many storygamers does it take to change a lightbulb? two: 1 to declare it will be changed & the other to ask how it makes them feel
how many osrheads does it take to change a lightbulb? 1d6+1
how many tradheads does it take to change a lightbulb? four: 1 to do it & 3 to wait for their turn
May 1, 2025 at 7:21 AM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Oof ouch owie my d&d character broke their leg

#ttrpg #osr

sirpaperweight.blot.im/injuries
Text of a blog post, titled "Injuries." Scratch out any reference to hit points, armor class, or weapon damage on your character sheet. Instead you have Injuries. Every time you get hit, roll 1d6 to see where the blow lands. 1. Dominant arm 2. Non-dominant arm 3. Right leg 4. Left leg 5. Torso 6. Head The first time a body part is hit, it is Injured — bone fractures, lacerations, concussions, whatever makes sense. You have Disadvantage on checks using an Injured body part. Injuries take 2d6 weeks to heal. The second time a body part is hit, it is Maimed. The body part is completely useless and cannot be used again. Being Maimed in the torso or head is instant death. Otherwise, roll 1d6. Add +1 for each Injury and +2 for each Maiming. On a 6+, you are dead instantly. Regardless you are bleeding out, and will die anyway if not given immediate medical treatment. If you’re wearing armor over a body part, you can choose to shatter it and avoid taking damage. - Light armor can be shattered to prevent Maiming. - Heavy armor can be shattered to prevent either Injury or Maiming. - Armor is shattered only over the body part it covers. If your left greave is shattered, your helmet will still protect you. - Shields can be shattered to prevent Maiming to any body part. - Shattered armor can be repaired by a skilled armorer. When attacking, you can roll with Disadvantage to aim for a specific body part. Particularly dangerous attacks (from monsters, etc.) may instantly Maim a body part, or Injure multiple locations at once.
April 25, 2025 at 2:35 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Falling From Orbit is now Sir Paperweight
April 25, 2025 at 12:55 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
This absolutely rules
samsorensen.bsky.social sam “under and over” sorensen @samsorensen.bsky.social · Apr 23
about six weeks ago, I started running a play-by-post real-time "logistics wargame" I made, called Cataphracts. It started with 5 players, now it has 23. I've tweeted about it a bit, but here's a short blogpost with more thoughts and observations ⬇️ (link below)
April 24, 2025 at 3:20 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
S'more hexes. #osr #ttrpg

fallingfromorbit.blot.im/somemorehexes
Some More Hexes - Falling From Orbit
I’ve just updated my work-in-progress hexcrawl with a new region to explore. There are now 24 keyed hexes and about as many factional conflicts. In
fallingfromorbit.blot.im
April 6, 2025 at 12:14 AM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
My favorite hexes usually take the least time to write, because I'm just messing around and throwing ideas at the wall.

Here's a spell that turns your character into a walking bomb! Also, you have to keep this torch lit at all times, and heaven help you if it goes out. Have fun!

#osr #rpg #ttrpg
Six-mile hex description. The title is 12.04 — Mount Hanku. Smoke always billows from the peak of Mount Hanku, from which the island derives its name. No humans live on the slopes — it is simply too hot and too dangerous. Plant life is thin. All folk of the island leave offerings to the volcano in hopes of delaying its wrath. It takes 2d6 days to attempt the climb. Each day, climbers must save or take 1HD of damage from exposure, heat, and noxious gas. Those without climbing equipment suffer disadvantage on this check. The climb down takes 1d4 days less than the climb up (minimum of 2). At the summit is a churning mass of smoke and magma. Here one may parley with Hanku, whose voice resembles the rolling of thunder. He speaks with weary frustration, as if just woken from a deep slumber. He enjoys offerings of crowns, robes, and other signs of aristocratic power. Those who make a pact with Hanku receive the spell Erupt: their body melts from inside out, releasing a sulfurous fog across the nearby area. Everyone in the vicinity must save or suffer a gruesome death as their lungs inhale the deadly poison. The caster wakes 1d6 days later at the base of Mount Hanku, devoid of all clothing or equipment. If they make a sacrifice, this becomes a volcanic explosion, capable of punching a hole through a stone wall or bringing down a house. Hanku has but one stricture. Light a fire here on Mount Hanku, and bring it with you. Maintain it, keep it healthy, and never, ever let it die out. Should Hanku’s wrath be invoked, the volcano will erupt, slaughtering everyone on the island and blotting out the sun for weeks on end. As crops and animals shrivel, famine will set upon the world, and uncountable thousands will perish.
March 21, 2025 at 4:29 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Got a Wolves Upon the Coast session tonight, I’m so excited
March 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
How about a Mothership adventure where the players can clone themselves? Maybe a prison breakout scenario, or an assassination mission?
March 9, 2025 at 4:36 AM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Thinking about mass combat in fantasy RPGs. I think its existence in a game implies several interesting things about the setting!

For one, it assumes that the players aren’t just rootless adventurers — they may or may not have land and title, but they do have enough power to assemble an army.
February 27, 2025 at 12:41 AM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Pulling on this a little bit, here's a hex from my WIP adventure the Eastern Counties. There are interesting ideas here, I think, but personally I'd have to do a lot of prep work or improv to run this! It's very minimalist, which has its advantages and drawbacks.
A text description of a hex location. 12.11 -- Emayasa 500 people bustle among neat rows of wooden buildings, recently planned and built. Emayasa is a town on the rise, its location sparing it from the chaos elsewhere in County Elinka. Still, not all is well here. Trade is thin, and travelers are harassed on the road. Only a palisade protects Emayasa from these exterior threats, leaving the people nervous. If caught, White Cloak sympathizers are beheaded and buried — denied a proper cremation, their souls are trapped inside their mortal bodies. Lady Hiyaro rules here, an unhappy vassal of Count Inike. She never wanted to wage war against the queen, and her son was killed in the fighting. She dreams of throwing off the yoke of Clan Domenga and establishing her own family — Clan Hiyaronga — as the leading lineage of County Elinka. Her brother Mahim agrees on this aim, and uses his marriage to Lady Inike as a point of entry to the court in Bumbila (15.10). Hiyaro’s husband Tuliyu desperately seeks recruits to bolster Emayasa’s defenses. He considers Kudikun’s activities a disgrace, but sees the White Cloaks and Rambuta raiders as a higher priority. The court scholar Papawe has written a treatise on meditative dancing which she wants distributed to the clerics of Bumbil and Oyampan (08.12), as well as to the Rising Light School (15.11). Other travelers are too afraid to take this burden on themselves. Sisune is a spy for the White Cloaks. She tipped off Ilum (10.11) about the possibility of seizing Emayasa. She seeks ways to distract Hiyaro’s attention and weaken her defenses, but she is a mere peasant — she has no access to Hiyaro’s inner circle. Her alibi is she is a merchant. Kudikun is chief of the Red Leopards, a band of mercenaries which charges “protection money” for safe travel along the road. 40 in total, they brook no disrespect and keep no loyalties except to themselves. Kudikun is happy to betray any commitment if offered a better deal.
February 21, 2025 at 7:42 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
In the good ol’ days I could make an honest living getting beat up by Batman. But ever since I got laid off by the Penguin I’ve had to hustle on the apps to make ends meet. Life’s just not the same for good henchmen like me anymore…
sharonk.bsky.social Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · Feb 18
help i'm running out of oxygen
February 18, 2025 at 11:06 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
I’m heeding @prismaticwasteland.com’s call and contributing to the Year of the Beta with… some hexes!

I love a good hexcrawl, so I grabbed some old ideas, added some new ones, and put them to paper (or word doc, as the case may be).

fallingfromorbit.blot.im/somehexes
Some Hexes - Falling From Orbit
In the spirit of the Year of the Beta, here’s a rough draft of a small fantasy hexcrawl — system-neutral and minimally edited. There’s lots of
fallingfromorbit.blot.im
February 4, 2025 at 1:29 AM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Has anyone tried running a fantasy game using @lukegearing.bsky.social's Violence rules? Or something similar?

If so, what was it like? What did the players get up to? How did the rules mesh with typical fantasy gaming expectations? #osr #rpg #ttrpg
February 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
icastlight.bsky.social
Got a dungeon with a fireplace? Replace it with a description of this.
January 30, 2025 at 2:25 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
I'm fond of "death is on the table" old-school play, but this is a really fun idea.

knightattheopera.blogspot.com/2025/01/defe...
Defeat, Not Death
Here's a course-correction that I wish had happened a decade ago. It's an idea surrounding the OSR that I wouldn't call a misconception , ex...
knightattheopera.blogspot.com
January 30, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
prismaticwasteland.com
New blogpost: Sharing the Spotlight is Insufficient
A simple GM tip that may actually be pretty common, but I’ve always done somewhat automatically without a lot of conscious thought put into it: sharing a small bit of narrative control with your players in certain circumstances #osr #ttrpg
Sharing the Spotlight is Insufficient — Prismatic Wasteland
A simple GM technique for sharing a small bit of narrative control with your players.
www.prismaticwasteland.com
January 28, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
prismaticwasteland.com
If you’re in the Atlanta area, I will be running Barkeep on the Borderlands and Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast at the Dice + Diversions convention on January 18 and 19
#ttrpg #osr
(Even if not an ATLian, shares are appreciated)
diceanddiversions.com
Home - Dice and Diversions - Tabletop Convention (Atlanta, GA)
diceanddiversions.com
January 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
sachagoat.bsky.social
🗳️BLOGGIES 2024 - THEORY - ROUND OF 4🗳️

Exactly the same number of votes (159) and just as close! Bracket winners of round 2 of Theory posts in the image attached.

Voting for #BLOGGIES24 continues!
Link to voting form⤵️
January 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
I like the idea of rolling up your character’s zodiac sign in a fantasy RPG. It’s a fun little detail like patches in Mothership, and it reminds me of playing Elder Scrolls games
December 31, 2024 at 3:42 PM
sirpaperweight.bsky.social
Very much inspired by wilderness hex-fill procedures, here's a city block-fill procedure with an eye for a city on a space station.

#osr #ttrpg #ttrpgs

fallingfromorbit.blot.im/cityblockfill
Sci-Fi City Block-Fill Procedure - Falling From Orbit
Per block, roll 1d6. 1-3: Residential 4: Commercial 5: Industrial 6: Special Roll 1d6 to determine type, and 1d6 for notes. Type 1-3: Overcrowded
fallingfromorbit.blot.im
December 26, 2024 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Sir Paperweight the Third
clairelamman.bsky.social
My gingerbread for this year. Merry Christmas and happy Voyages to all!!
A detailed gingerbread model of a Voyager spacecraft. A tiny golden record gleams on its side.
December 25, 2024 at 2:15 PM