Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 3m

Gonna try.

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Leona Neelam Maple 💛🍁 (she/her) @theleonamaple.bsky.social · 1h

Hi everyone, the fundraiser is live here: tilt.fyi/EDYtxn82Gu

Kristin passed away on September 15. She was a part of the TTRPG community and a published author. She was an advocate for multiple myeloma awareness. This campaign is a joint effort between multiple communities in her memory.

1 12 11

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 21m

Met @kristinquip.bsky.social at @orcacon.bsky.social earlier this year. Super cool person. Very enthusiastic. Was up to learn about ALL THE GAMES.

Was chatting with her back in June. I'm at a loss for words.

Much love to her loved ones.

Leona Neelam Maple 💛🍁 (she/her) @theleonamaple.bsky.social · 5d

Rest in peace, @kristinquip.bsky.social. I barely got to know you and roll dice with you. You were taken too early. But I just know you were amazing. I will fundraise for multiple myeloma in your memory.

www.debaptiste.com/obituary/kri...

Obituary for Kristin Alana Smith at DeBaptiste Funeral Homes, Inc. - West Chester

Our beloved, Kristin Alana Smith, transitioned to be with the Lord on September 15, 2025, at the age of 42 in Renton, Washington. As the youngest daughter of the late Dr. Clauszell and Anne W. Smith o...

www.debaptiste.com

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 2h

Tryhardism at its finest.

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

L.D. Burnett @ldburnett.bsky.social · 2h

this. story. is. INSANE.

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2h

SF Chronicle joins the LA Times in confirming MeidasTouch’s reporting

3 5 8

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Prof. Charles Brainman @expanse.bsky.social · 3h

I guess a bunch of new users are arriving (reason unknown to me) which might include #ScreamingFirehawks so here are my unrequested tips:

1. You don't have to call them skeets.
2. Check out this starter pack for #TheExpanse.
3. Watch your doors and corners.

Isonomist @isonomist.bsky.social · Nov 18

If you're looking for the Expanse starterpack, click here: bsky.app/starter-pack...

1 2 6

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 5h

LIVE NOW!
www.twitch.tv/onlyplaywiza...
#TheExpanse #RPG #TTRPG

Abraxas' Precipice, The Expanse RPG Actual Play @abraxasprecipic.bsky.social · 10h

🚀The crew gets back home to Mundos Edge, while they await the completion of their new ship. What does home look like to those on the frontier of humanity?
📺New episode tonight at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards
#TheExpanse #RPG #TTRPG

a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

ALT: a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

media.tenor.com

3 8

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 5h

LIVE NOW!
www.twitch.tv/onlyplaywiza...
#TheExpanse #RPG #TTRPG

Abraxas' Precipice, The Expanse RPG Actual Play @abraxasprecipic.bsky.social · 10h

🚀The crew gets back home to Mundos Edge, while they await the completion of their new ship. What does home look like to those on the frontier of humanity?
📺New episode tonight at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards
#TheExpanse #RPG #TTRPG

a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

ALT: a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

media.tenor.com

3 8

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Ify Nwadiwe @ifycomedy.com · 4d

I think we really should stop using antifa and just fully say anti-fascist and get them saying they are against anti fascism. Using antifa is giving them some distance and I genuinely think some of their base don’t even know that’s what it stands for.

450 6.5K 21K

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · 6h

2021, MSFT claimed a Teams app could read emotional affect & I's like "holy shit this will fuck over so many Black & autistic & otherwise neurodivergent & women & non-binary ppl & ppl w/ chronic pain & … like Everybody at any of those intersections."

This PainChek thing is that, but a doctors' tool

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 17h

Facial expressions common to all humans! 🙃

PainChek is one of these behavioral models, and it acts like a camera‑based thermometer, but for pain: A care worker opens the app and holds a phone 30 centimeters from a person’s face. For three seconds, a neural network looks for nine particular microscopic movements—upper‑lip raise, brow pinch, cheek tension, and so on—that research has linked most strongly to pain. Then the screen flashes a score of 0 to 42. “There’s a catalogue of ‘action‑unit codes’—facial expressions common to all humans. Nine of those are associated with pain,” explains Kreshnik Hoti, a senior research scientist with PainChek and a co-inventor of the device. This system is built directly on the foundation of FACS. After the scan, the app walks the user through a yes‑or‑no checklist of other signs, like groaning, “guarding,” and sleep disruption, and stores the result on a cloud dashboard that can show trends.

14 80 230

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

dimples-n-doom! @dimplesndice.bsky.social · 6h

Would you come watch Vampire the Masquerade if we were live now? I think you should!

The Monster Within starts now!

twitch.tv/dimplesndice

13 19

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 6h

"Looks like it is my day of the week to cry myself to sleep. Glad it didn't fall on a Tuesday."

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 6h

Like a chore wheel, but for the struggle.

1 2

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 6h

It's a feature, not a bug!

1

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 7h

Peak game design

videogame history @vghistory.bsky.social · Apr 22

wizardry 8, sirtech software, official website, excerpt (1998) web.archive.org/web/19981202...

an excerpt from the official wizardry 8 portion of sir-tech's website, which was coming soon at the time. a screenshot of the inventory screen for the game for a faerie ninja (lots of user interface filling up the screen). the website itself is a kinda bright pink. there is a menu up the top: contest, what's new, store, press, support, our story, home, coming soon.
down the left hand side of the screen is a scroll bar and a bunch of hyperlink icons, leading to various games that sir-tech is working on or has released: xfire, jagged alliance 2, virus the game, armed and delirious, excalibur, shadows over riva, fable, trivia challenge.

4

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 7h

Goes back to your point about how networks the TTRPG space is. Sometimes nice to have strangers.

1

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 7h

What is interesting is the non-TTRPG players' perspectives. Think that is an advantage of not making playing mandatory as I see with other classes on the topic.

1 1

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 8h

Chris is really getting into the overlap of the TTRPG & Federal Politics worlds are. Good stuff!

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 9h

$100 to lose
Everything to gain.

1

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Dr. Jennifer (she/her) @drjags.bsky.social · 9h

This season of Peacemaker was incredible.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10h

Feels like this will be a useful meme for the next few years

Peacemaker looks at a mural embedding Hitler into American symbols

1 5

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10h

Feels like this will be a useful meme for the next few years

19 1K 3.8K

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 9h

Broadly: it feels like everyone is making things for me more difficult than they need to be.

2

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 9h

Round 2 with @newsnerd.bsky.social & my #TTRPG class @ucmerced.bsky.social
Good insights.

Students are interested in journalism broadly but also the dynamics of the TTRPG spaces.

2 1

John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs @onlyplaywizards.com · 10h

Struggling a bit. Lot going on. Work. Personal. Games. Gonna keep on trying, keep on keeping on.

4 1 9

Reposted by John Bultena🧙‍♂️🔮 Professor of TTRPGs

Abraxas' Precipice, The Expanse RPG Actual Play @abraxasprecipic.bsky.social · 10h

🚀The crew gets back home to Mundos Edge, while they await the completion of their new ship. What does home look like to those on the frontier of humanity?
📺New episode tonight at 6pm PST on twitch.tv/onlyplaywizards
#TheExpanse #RPG #TTRPG

a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

ALT: a woman says " the fight is not over " in front of a blue sign

media.tenor.com

4 8