Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nick Bate

@ickbat.bsky.social

2.3K followers 530 following 970 posts

Used to be a galactic archaeologist. Now I design tabletop games about epic heists, illegal mech racing, daring sky pirates, doomed expeditions, and other such nonsense. 🚀 Black Armada Tales cast member. https://ickbat.itch.io

ickbat.itch.io

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · Feb 11

🚨 The time war has begun! 🚨

Against Time and Death is now live on Kickstarter! Join us if you love:

- intimate stories against the backdrop of epic events
- high-stakes choices
- multiversal time travel stories
- duet games
- This Is How You Lose the Time War

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ick...

Coming soon: Against Time and Death

A duet storytelling game about a forbidden relationship between two elite operatives on opposite sides of a multiversal time war.

www.kickstarter.com

1 45 69

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 1d

Huh. It’s mid-October and I’ve read just six RPGs this year. All interesting designs, which is ace:

1. Gravity, Chris Longhurst
2. Last Train to Bremen, Caro Asercion
3. Autoloader, Calum Grace
4. Blades ‘68, Tim Denee
5. Ex Tenebris, Josh Fox
6. Wickies, Lari Assmuth

What should I read next?

4 1 16

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 1d

Amazing! I've just sent you an email -- I hope you enjoy!

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 1d

Aww shucks -- thanks Becky, Jeff! You're both very kind. 😊 (And also legendary time warriors...)

@itsquinns.bsky.social, if you'd like to take a look at Against Time and Death I'd be more than happy to send it your way!

1 4

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 6d

Mark 1xp if you successfully finished a race, or 2xp if it was epic.

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 6d

You! 🫵

You want to play a gothic sci-fi investigation game, right? I mean, why wouldn’t you? Uncover conspiracies, fight demons, be space Mulder and space Scully…

Back Ex Tenebris! Only 20 hours left!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/bla...

Ex Tenebris: A star-spanning gothic investigation TTRPG

Unravel mysteries, battle horrors, protect the stars

www.kickstarter.com

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 7d

Hot damn, it’s good to be thinking about Forged in the Dark design again.

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 8d

Yesss! I feel like I successfully found all the bicycles on my first try.

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 8d

Ha! That might be the perfect solution!

Err, I mean, that might be the perfect fucken solution carn the mighty Dons?

1 1

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 8d

I’m a pretty earnest and enthusiastic guy, particularly in emails, and I’m starting to worry people will think my words were written by an AI.

1 6

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 8d

Oh, you're so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to play it!

Fabric and Spirit, hey -- that's an interesting pairing! What are the concepts underpinning each, if I can ask?

1 1

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 8d

Oh, that's amazing to hear! I'm glad you're having a good time with it! It's also nice to hear that it's working in slow time - that was always my hope, that it could fit around busy lives, but it's nice to see it working!

So... which factions are your operatives fighting for?

1 1

Reposted by Nick Bate

FriendlyFiend @friendlyfiendish.bsky.social · 9d

Huge thanks to @ickbat.bsky.social for creating Against Time and Death. Currently somewhere around the middle of a multi-month game (admittedly, we're playing slowly) and having a delightful time with it.

1 1 1

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 10d

Please do! 😁

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 10d

I’m re-watching B5 right now, as you know, so if anything I’m even more keen to hear more about Born to the Purple!

1 1

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 10d

Oh, so did you adopt Deep Cuts wholesale? Interesting!

I can definitely see myself switching to the downtime and harm rules — those seem like real winners to me — but I’m less sure about the threat rolls. Honestly can’t remember how advancement has changed!

1 1

Nick Bate @ickbat.bsky.social · 10d

It’s been a little while since I asked…

Which Forged in the Dark game(s) are you most excited about right now?

What’s your current state of the art?

2 1