Theory
Designing Lore Blocks
An alternative to stat blocks designed for The 1 HP Dragon.
Theory
Against Dominant Mechanics
Rules form relationships with each other. Some share play. Some hog it.
Theory
The Jackian Magic System
Experimental mechanics that combine Mausritter inventory, Tetris, and engine-building into an alternative Vancian magic system.
Theory
Haus Rules for Mausritter
My house rules and mouse-sized hacks for the sword-and-whiskers roleplaying game, Mausritter.
Theory
False Dichotomies of RPG Design
Tabletop rpg design is plagued with either-or fallacies. "A book can be usable at the table, or it can be fun to read," is just one of them.
Theory
Why Combat Is a Fail State
Revisiting the old-school maxim "Combat is a fail state" and redefining what it means at my table and as a design theory for the OSR.
Theory
How Do We Design a Gaming Community?
Do we have good communities, how can we build better ones, and what role do award shows have in community-building?
Theory
The Meta-First Way
An alternative (and experimental) approach to roleplaying games that does what fiction-first systems cannot.
Theory
Small Factions for Sunk Cost
Homebrew factions for the early release of Sunk Cost a game by Magnolia Keep.
Theory
Not All That Glitters Is Gold
A mini-article of 50 roleplaying game currencies that aren't gold for Blog Friday.
Theory
What is an RPG? Doesn't matter.
Should designers explain what rpgs are in their games? My short answer is no. My long answer is complicated.
Education
General Design 101: The Explorers' Method
How to design games and everything else with the Explorers Design five-step method.