Jeff's Game Box

Dear Family, I hate the debate over the use of AI tools probably more than anyone. Let me say simply, do as you will and leave others to their own ways. I can't tell you that you have to use AI to make various forms of content the same way I won't criticize you if you do. Times are a-changing.

A large, mostly nocturnal hunter with a taste for meat. It soars between the trees where it hides in the canopy. Beware the Gorvult, a new monster for use with the Dragonbane RPG.

I have long considered The OG GM to be a friend, my unofficial, unpaid Boss, and sort of a mentor in the TTRPG creation space. Please go check out Port Leviathan on DriveThruRPG when you get a chance. It's possibly the most unique fantasy setting on the Seven Seas on the body of a dead whale god.

I just wanted to let everyone know in case they missed the BackerKit the first time around. Ruttigers Almanac is now available for preorder. This TTRPG from Cawood Publishing and designer Richard Whitters is bound to be a hit with the Old School, Warhammer fans, and maybe some of the 5E crowd, too.

The original drafts of this month's article looked much different than what we ended up with. @knigobi , I know you're busy, but someday I'd really like to continue that chat from a few months ago (if you happen to see this.) LMK. Happy Juneteenth to all who celebrate. Now back to kittens!

Scream and run away, player characters. I wanted to answer the question of: What if the T-Rex didn't have stubby, useless, little front arms? The X-Rex or Tyrannosaurus X is the answer. It's fast, agile, and good luck hiding from it. For the Dragonbane RPG.

A major firestorm erupted on social media this week over what wasn't even a controversial call by Critical Role Campaign 4's Dungeon Master, Brennan Lee Mulligan. The fallout was over the clout chasing post on X (Twitter) that followed and the bevy of responses. Here we go again.

Let's talk about balance in TTRPGs. It's not just combat encounters, but social interactions and magic items as well.

Elves with sticks. Since the early years of Dungeons & Dragons, the argument over whether or not homebrew monsters, spells, dungeons, and adventures are valid, or we should only play everything as written by the "official" source. Some people swear by homebrew only, some DungeonTubers swear at it.

I truly enjoy talking about games that aren't Dungeons & Dragons because I think they deserve more attention. Ruttigers Almanac certainly fits the bill. Nothing against good old D&D, but a lot of players and GMs are looking for a simpler, compact, efficient rules set these days. Ruttigers Almanac.

Ruttigers is going strong! At last update almost fully funded. If it reaches its funding goal, I'll blog about it for a month straight. I'll feature it on my YouTube channel for a whole week. Come on, guys. Put me to work.

I hear DungeonTubers disparaging "Grognards" and us old guys in general so often it's become discouraging. Not all Grognards are created equal, nor do we all treat people the same. This is a lighthearted take on the conflict. Also, let's declare a truce, please?

Lots of people following Ruttigers Almanac right now. Please get in there and pledge. Let's blow the doors off this thing and get to the sweet, sweet Stretch Goals, family. Ruttigers is going to be a winner.

If you ever played Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying for three or four hours per day all summer, or spent a sunny July day playing D&D, then you might want to go check out Ruttigers Almanac. It's got the better elements of several games like Shadowdark or OSE. Just when I thought I was done for the year

This is one of the most detailed, useful Game Master's guides I've seen in a long time. Please give it a look regardless of your game of choice.

This one's gone through a lot of revisions and editing. My original title and article were a lot more disparaging than this. Let's just say I'm coming back up from a long way down and it ain't over yet.

I wanted to say so much more in this article. Women make up a good portion of our hobby and community in the TTRPG space, especially on social media and YouTube. We love the ladies at our tables. Anyone who would say otherwise probably needs to get out of the Stone Age.