Clay Sheldon
@claysheldon.bsky.social
Writer, DM, Storyteller and a fan of all things fiction.
Represented by the Rights Factory
http://claysheldon.com/
Check out this fantasy murder mystery party game! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/402695/mysteries-of-the-flying-haddock-a-trilogy
Represented by the Rights Factory
http://claysheldon.com/
Check out this fantasy murder mystery party game! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/402695/mysteries-of-the-flying-haddock-a-trilogy
Pinned
Clay Sheldon
@claysheldon.bsky.social
· Aug 22
Mysteries of The Flying Haddock - a trilogy - Enigmatic Events Collective Inc. | DriveThruRPG
Mysteries of the Flying Haddock are a set of threeshort murder mystery roleplaying games inspired by Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition and the Forgotten Realms. It is, however, not a 5th edition adv...
www.drivethrurpg.com
Do you like fantasy? How about murder mystery party games? Good news! The Flying Haddock is open for business! Solve three unique mysteries with friends, before the killer gets you!
And if you're feeling generous, I would greatly appreciate a like and a repost!
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
And if you're feeling generous, I would greatly appreciate a like and a repost!
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/4...
I think a lot of RPGs get stealth wrong because enemy AI doesn't know what to do if they can't see you but know you're there. So either they're intentionally designed to spot you a mile away, or they shuffle around until a timer expires then conveniently forget that you exist.
🎮 #gaming #RPG
🎮 #gaming #RPG
December 17, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Writing Tip:
Having trouble with a scene? Spin it around! Change the camera perspective in your head. Look at the other parts of the scene that you weren't looking at. Sometimes just changing the point of view for the reader can shake things up dramatically.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Having trouble with a scene? Spin it around! Change the camera perspective in your head. Look at the other parts of the scene that you weren't looking at. Sometimes just changing the point of view for the reader can shake things up dramatically.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 17, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Writing Tip:
Having trouble with a scene? Spin it around! Change the camera perspective in your head. Look at the other parts of the scene that you weren't looking at. Sometimes just changing the point of view for the reader can shake things up dramatically.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Having trouble with a scene? Spin it around! Change the camera perspective in your head. Look at the other parts of the scene that you weren't looking at. Sometimes just changing the point of view for the reader can shake things up dramatically.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
Stuck on a scene? Been stuck there for a while? Not sure what to do? Reread what you've written already! Go back! Focus on previous scenes. If you're up for it, do some light edits. But focus on the narrative. There might be something you're missing.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Stuck on a scene? Been stuck there for a while? Not sure what to do? Reread what you've written already! Go back! Focus on previous scenes. If you're up for it, do some light edits. But focus on the narrative. There might be something you're missing.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Writing Tip:
Stuck on a scene? Been stuck there for a while? Not sure what to do? Reread what you've written already! Go back! Focus on previous scenes. If you're up for it, do some light edits. But focus on the narrative. There might be something you're missing.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Stuck on a scene? Been stuck there for a while? Not sure what to do? Reread what you've written already! Go back! Focus on previous scenes. If you're up for it, do some light edits. But focus on the narrative. There might be something you're missing.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
Take note of when you start struggling during your writing. See if there's a pattern. Do you lose momentum when a big dialogue scene starts? Or a big bombastic action scene? You might discover a bit about yourself and your style by what you struggle with.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Take note of when you start struggling during your writing. See if there's a pattern. Do you lose momentum when a big dialogue scene starts? Or a big bombastic action scene? You might discover a bit about yourself and your style by what you struggle with.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Writing Tip:
Take note of when you start struggling during your writing. See if there's a pattern. Do you lose momentum when a big dialogue scene starts? Or a big bombastic action scene? You might discover a bit about yourself and your style by what you struggle with.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Take note of when you start struggling during your writing. See if there's a pattern. Do you lose momentum when a big dialogue scene starts? Or a big bombastic action scene? You might discover a bit about yourself and your style by what you struggle with.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
Gift-giving can be a wonderful characterization moment in writing (Christmas or otherwise). It can characterize the gift-giver (what did they choose to give? Why?) as well as the person receiving it. (is it something they wanted? Why?)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Gift-giving can be a wonderful characterization moment in writing (Christmas or otherwise). It can characterize the gift-giver (what did they choose to give? Why?) as well as the person receiving it. (is it something they wanted? Why?)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Writing Tip:
Gift-giving can be a wonderful characterization moment in writing (Christmas or otherwise). It can characterize the gift-giver (what did they choose to give? Why?) as well as the person receiving it. (is it something they wanted? Why?)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Gift-giving can be a wonderful characterization moment in writing (Christmas or otherwise). It can characterize the gift-giver (what did they choose to give? Why?) as well as the person receiving it. (is it something they wanted? Why?)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
As a special Christmas writing exercise, consider how your characters would celebrate Christmas (or whatever the equivalent holiday would be in their world). Everyone does it a little differently. Show their unique character in how they celebrate!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
As a special Christmas writing exercise, consider how your characters would celebrate Christmas (or whatever the equivalent holiday would be in their world). Everyone does it a little differently. Show their unique character in how they celebrate!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Writing Tip:
As a special Christmas writing exercise, consider how your characters would celebrate Christmas (or whatever the equivalent holiday would be in their world). Everyone does it a little differently. Show their unique character in how they celebrate!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
As a special Christmas writing exercise, consider how your characters would celebrate Christmas (or whatever the equivalent holiday would be in their world). Everyone does it a little differently. Show their unique character in how they celebrate!
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Christmas is both awesome and not so awesome for a GM. On the one hand, it's the holidays! Hurray! People have more time off to play. On the other hand, it's the holidays... so you're going to miss at least a week or two due to family Christmas plans. It happens.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Want to get a loved one a great D&D gift? Don't worry about some expensive doodad. Consider getting some custom-art of their character. There are a bunch of awesome commission artists out there that won't charge you an arm or a leg for a good character drawing.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 9:49 PM
You don't need a set of fancy dice, supplement books or expensive TTRPG gear to play the game. If you're on a tight budget, all of that stuff is just 'nice to have if you can afford it'. But if you can't, the internet can cover most if not all of what you need in a pinch.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Just a quick reminder to all you gamers wanting to pick something up for the holidays, hold off for just a few more days. The Steam winter sale is less than 2 days away (the 18th), and the discounts from that are (usually) well worth the wait. Build up a wishlist instead!
🎮 #gaming #Steam
🎮 #gaming #Steam
December 16, 2025 at 9:39 PM
I really, REALLY want to play #Expedition33. I keep hearing amazing things about it. But good god is it still so expensive, even when it's on sale. I get it, it's high quality and there are much more expensive games out there, but I just can't justify $60-$90 when $20 games exist.
🎮 #gaming #RPG
🎮 #gaming #RPG
December 16, 2025 at 9:37 PM
I really, REALLY want to play #Expedition33. I keep hearing amazing things about it. But good god is it still so expensive, even when it's on sale. I get it, it's high quality and there are much more expensive games out there, but I just can't justify $60-$90 when $20 games exist.
🎮 #gaming #RPG
🎮 #gaming #RPG
Writing Tip:
There's a reason that villains get 'caught monologuing'. Because it's often unnatural for a human being to monologue anything. It's often a crude writing trick. So, instead of monologuing, consider turning that exposition into a conversation.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
There's a reason that villains get 'caught monologuing'. Because it's often unnatural for a human being to monologue anything. It's often a crude writing trick. So, instead of monologuing, consider turning that exposition into a conversation.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Writing Tip:
There's a reason that villains get 'caught monologuing'. Because it's often unnatural for a human being to monologue anything. It's often a crude writing trick. So, instead of monologuing, consider turning that exposition into a conversation.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
There's a reason that villains get 'caught monologuing'. Because it's often unnatural for a human being to monologue anything. It's often a crude writing trick. So, instead of monologuing, consider turning that exposition into a conversation.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Don't forget color as a GM. Stuck on how to describe a scene or an item or a character in your sessions? Start with a color. That can be a great launching point for you to improvise the rest of it. It's a visual all of your players can latch on to, even if the rest is complicated.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Having a 'whiteboard' is extremely useful as a GM. That just means an area you can crudely sketch things out to get your point across to the players. Online, that can be tricky, but there are programs you can use to do that. You don't always have to rely on verbal descriptions.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 3:19 PM
One of the drawbacks of big party-based RPGs is that, in the grand scheme, your custom character doesn't actually matter. There are other party members that can fill any role and pick up the slack. Sure, you might carry the party yourself, but you don't actually have to.
🎮 #gaming #RPG
🎮 #gaming #RPG
December 16, 2025 at 11:30 AM
As a GM, you're going to screw up a session. Your players might not even notice it. But you'll know, and that feeling can SUUUUCK. But that doesn't mean you're a failure. We're all human, even if GMs try not to show it. :P Give yourself a break and get back up on that horse.
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 16, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Dungeon designs in current RPGs bother me, often because they're often all the same. Twisty linear dungeon where there's a boss at the end guarding a conspicuous treasure chest. And then usually an obvious shortcut back to the beginning. Once you see it, you can't un-see it.
🎮 #gaming #RPG
🎮 #gaming #RPG
December 16, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Writing Tip:
Don't fall into the 'I always feel like I need to write right now' trap. That's not a healthy mindset. Don't punish yourself whenever you aren't writing. You have a real life with real responsibilities. Write when you can. Have a healthy work/life balance.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Don't fall into the 'I always feel like I need to write right now' trap. That's not a healthy mindset. Don't punish yourself whenever you aren't writing. You have a real life with real responsibilities. Write when you can. Have a healthy work/life balance.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 16, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Writing Tip:
Don't fall into the 'I always feel like I need to write right now' trap. That's not a healthy mindset. Don't punish yourself whenever you aren't writing. You have a real life with real responsibilities. Write when you can. Have a healthy work/life balance.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Don't fall into the 'I always feel like I need to write right now' trap. That's not a healthy mindset. Don't punish yourself whenever you aren't writing. You have a real life with real responsibilities. Write when you can. Have a healthy work/life balance.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Despite your best efforts as a GM, your players will regularly break your dungeons and planned encounters. That's because you can't anticipate everything your players are going to do. But don't get annoyed because your plans fell through. Be glad for the chaos and lean into it! Have fun!
#D&D #TTRPG
#D&D #TTRPG
December 15, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Writing Tip:
If you have a friend providing feedback on your book which you don't agree with, don't feel like you're obligated to make changes to your writing. Be respectful, but firm. If they're truly a friend, they'll respect your decision. Trust your own instincts.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
If you have a friend providing feedback on your book which you don't agree with, don't feel like you're obligated to make changes to your writing. Be respectful, but firm. If they're truly a friend, they'll respect your decision. Trust your own instincts.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 15, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Writing Tip:
If you have a friend providing feedback on your book which you don't agree with, don't feel like you're obligated to make changes to your writing. Be respectful, but firm. If they're truly a friend, they'll respect your decision. Trust your own instincts.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
If you have a friend providing feedback on your book which you don't agree with, don't feel like you're obligated to make changes to your writing. Be respectful, but firm. If they're truly a friend, they'll respect your decision. Trust your own instincts.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
Learn how to identify good feedback and filter out the bad stuff. Bad feedback is often a personal preference of the reader (I hated this because it sucked) while good feedback is based on logical reasoning. (I don't think this is working because... etc.)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Learn how to identify good feedback and filter out the bad stuff. Bad feedback is often a personal preference of the reader (I hated this because it sucked) while good feedback is based on logical reasoning. (I don't think this is working because... etc.)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 15, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Writing Tip:
Learn how to identify good feedback and filter out the bad stuff. Bad feedback is often a personal preference of the reader (I hated this because it sucked) while good feedback is based on logical reasoning. (I don't think this is working because... etc.)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Learn how to identify good feedback and filter out the bad stuff. Bad feedback is often a personal preference of the reader (I hated this because it sucked) while good feedback is based on logical reasoning. (I don't think this is working because... etc.)
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Writing Tip:
Reflect, don't reject. Stubbornly sticking to your original idea and shutting down all feedback or suggestions is a recipe for disaster. Obviously, don't just accept all suggestions either. Reflect on it. Weigh the pros and cons, then make a choice.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Reflect, don't reject. Stubbornly sticking to your original idea and shutting down all feedback or suggestions is a recipe for disaster. Obviously, don't just accept all suggestions either. Reflect on it. Weigh the pros and cons, then make a choice.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
December 15, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Writing Tip:
Reflect, don't reject. Stubbornly sticking to your original idea and shutting down all feedback or suggestions is a recipe for disaster. Obviously, don't just accept all suggestions either. Reflect on it. Weigh the pros and cons, then make a choice.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky
Reflect, don't reject. Stubbornly sticking to your original idea and shutting down all feedback or suggestions is a recipe for disaster. Obviously, don't just accept all suggestions either. Reflect on it. Weigh the pros and cons, then make a choice.
#writing #writingtips #Booksky