Fred Hicks
@deadlyfredly.bsky.social
President of Evil Hat (I publish Fate, Blades in the Dark, Monster of the Week, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, &c). Liberal in politics, reposting, & use of the block button. Be advised, I limit parasociality when I can. Permanently in AMA mode (so ask).
Pinned
Fred Hicks
@deadlyfredly.bsky.social
· Oct 25
And perhaps most importantly, there is no "right" level of appetite for risk. It's something you'll have to come to on your own and, should circumstances change, possibly revise.
The thing you *shouldn't* do is find someone successful and emulate their posture.
The thing you *shouldn't* do is find someone successful and emulate their posture.
The fact that I am here and able to share numbers and give looks under the hood is because we’ve survived.
Survivor bias is in effect. If you’re not also learning from companies that failed you’re ignoring a ton of relevant data.
Survivor bias is in effect. If you’re not also learning from companies that failed you’re ignoring a ton of relevant data.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
2 HONEY 2 CRISP
November 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
2 HONEY 2 CRISP
Reposted by Fred Hicks
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Finally, Girl by Moonlight, by @andrewgillis.bsky.social, has been quite the rage by introducing magical girls into a variety of different genres, mixing up Forged-in-the-Dark in a way that lets you pull what you want from magical girls and really focus on fulfilling your fullest potential.
November 29, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Finally, Girl by Moonlight, by @andrewgillis.bsky.social, has been quite the rage by introducing magical girls into a variety of different genres, mixing up Forged-in-the-Dark in a way that lets you pull what you want from magical girls and really focus on fulfilling your fullest potential.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Thing is, we DID hear about it at his confirmation hearing.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Everyone should read this terrifying thread about Hegseth’s published views wrt war crimes. It’s pretty fucking radical …. We needed to hear about this in his confirmation hearing.
A chapter in Hegseth’s book is literally titled “More Lethality, Less Lawyers.”
It’s almost as if there were signs!
It’s almost as if there were signs!
November 29, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Thing is, we DID hear about it at his confirmation hearing.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Also this. THANK YOU to the folks who have asked Jess for a tarot card reading or switched their sub on my Patreon. I have a post coming today but just know that as we struggle with our reduced income and bills we appreciate all of your support. 💜
1. My wife @profbanks.bsky.social is doing Tarot readings for $30, she is great
2. You could switch a free Patreon membership to paid for a month Patreon.com/cambanks
3. I do design/dev consults, world building assistance, and mentorship for $50/hour, I’d love to help you out.
Thanks. 💜💜
2. You could switch a free Patreon membership to paid for a month Patreon.com/cambanks
3. I do design/dev consults, world building assistance, and mentorship for $50/hour, I’d love to help you out.
Thanks. 💜💜
Rusty's House of Swords | Patreon
creating open source worlds and tabletop games
Patreon.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Also this. THANK YOU to the folks who have asked Jess for a tarot card reading or switched their sub on my Patreon. I have a post coming today but just know that as we struggle with our reduced income and bills we appreciate all of your support. 💜
Reposted by Fred Hicks
ICE still FROZEN at Centre St & Howard in lower Manhattan right now as calls continue circulating for people to join.
NYPD arriving with barricades.
NYPD arriving with barricades.
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
ICE still FROZEN at Centre St & Howard in lower Manhattan right now as calls continue circulating for people to join.
NYPD arriving with barricades.
NYPD arriving with barricades.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
I originally got it from Grant Morrison, who pointed out that the more ideas you use, the more you have. A kind of reverse hoarding karma. I’m not a spiritual guy, but I’ve practiced it ever since and damn if it isn’t 100% true
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I originally got it from Grant Morrison, who pointed out that the more ideas you use, the more you have. A kind of reverse hoarding karma. I’m not a spiritual guy, but I’ve practiced it ever since and damn if it isn’t 100% true
Reposted by Fred Hicks
It was Downey who coined the phrase in the LEVERAGE writers room “future episodes do not win out over present episodes”. Trust me, you’ll have more ideas. You’ll die full of them.
WRITING TIP, something simple but it catches many of us out: if you have a great/fun idea for your story, *use it now*.
Don’t save your ideas for some nebulous other story you might write tomorrow. I promise you’ll have more.
Break your story’s status quo. Go a step further. Use the big idea.
Don’t save your ideas for some nebulous other story you might write tomorrow. I promise you’ll have more.
Break your story’s status quo. Go a step further. Use the big idea.
November 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
It was Downey who coined the phrase in the LEVERAGE writers room “future episodes do not win out over present episodes”. Trust me, you’ll have more ideas. You’ll die full of them.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Fascinated by this. As a lot of people in the comments note, AI works well when you don’t need to smooth out the details. It gets tricky when it breaks code or hallucinates.
A study by Dayforce shows 87% of executives use AI for work, compared to 57% of managers and just 27% of employees.
I think this explains the massive disconnect we see in how CEOs talk about AI versus everyone else. It also raises the question of how useful it truly is for frontline work?
I think this explains the massive disconnect we see in how CEOs talk about AI versus everyone else. It also raises the question of how useful it truly is for frontline work?
Execs are embracing AI more than their employees are, new research suggests
Research from HR software company Dayforce suggests that executives are leaning into AI far more than their employees.
www.businessinsider.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Fascinated by this. As a lot of people in the comments note, AI works well when you don’t need to smooth out the details. It gets tricky when it breaks code or hallucinates.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Bong Joon Ho hit me up for the squad you legend deadline.com/2025/11/bong...
November 29, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Bong Joon Ho hit me up for the squad you legend deadline.com/2025/11/bong...
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Yeah my head of marketing, she's definitely overpaid but we can't find anyone else who will do it
November 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Yeah my head of marketing, she's definitely overpaid but we can't find anyone else who will do it
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Reposted by Fred Hicks
ok this is such a nerdy thing to be excited about but this is maybe my favorite blog post. im sitting here rereading it and resisting the urge to send it to all my friends
November 28, 2025 at 3:52 PM
ok this is such a nerdy thing to be excited about but this is maybe my favorite blog post. im sitting here rereading it and resisting the urge to send it to all my friends
Reposted by Fred Hicks
Damn, y'all. I know we're having fun with the OSRs but not only does Rowan give me the clearest idea yet of what those games are interested in, they also made me think, for the first time, about where they might go next:
November 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Damn, y'all. I know we're having fun with the OSRs but not only does Rowan give me the clearest idea yet of what those games are interested in, they also made me think, for the first time, about where they might go next:
Reposted by Fred Hicks
the amount of PTSD I experienced after the 2021-2022 winter was unreal. I was hospitalized for a mental health crisis in March. I lost my own pregnancy in April and was hospitalized again. it’s a miracle I survived (just to have my own cardiac arrest in June)
please vaccinate your children. please
please vaccinate your children. please
November 29, 2025 at 12:31 PM
the amount of PTSD I experienced after the 2021-2022 winter was unreal. I was hospitalized for a mental health crisis in March. I lost my own pregnancy in April and was hospitalized again. it’s a miracle I survived (just to have my own cardiac arrest in June)
please vaccinate your children. please
please vaccinate your children. please
Reposted by Fred Hicks
I cannot even begin to express my rage at this lie
reading this through me back into my pandemic EMT life, attempting to resuscitate a child experiencing a cardiac arrest secondary to COVID while a father says “we heard that the vaccine was riskier than COVID for kids” and a mother wails in agony
reading this through me back into my pandemic EMT life, attempting to resuscitate a child experiencing a cardiac arrest secondary to COVID while a father says “we heard that the vaccine was riskier than COVID for kids” and a mother wails in agony
NEW: The F.D.A. announced in an internal memo that 10 children died "because of" the Covid shot. Other experts want to see proof.
“This is a profound revelation,” Dr. Prasad's memo said. “For the first time, the U.S. F.D.A. will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children.”
“This is a profound revelation,” Dr. Prasad's memo said. “For the first time, the U.S. F.D.A. will acknowledge that Covid-19 vaccines have killed American children.”
F.D.A. Attributes 10 Children’s Deaths to Covid Vaccines
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:27 PM
I cannot even begin to express my rage at this lie
reading this through me back into my pandemic EMT life, attempting to resuscitate a child experiencing a cardiac arrest secondary to COVID while a father says “we heard that the vaccine was riskier than COVID for kids” and a mother wails in agony
reading this through me back into my pandemic EMT life, attempting to resuscitate a child experiencing a cardiac arrest secondary to COVID while a father says “we heard that the vaccine was riskier than COVID for kids” and a mother wails in agony
Reposted by Fred Hicks
This will kill people and is no less murder than the boat bombings.
Big change: FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements under RFK Jr ally
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more
Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall
with @rachelroubein.bsky.social
FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements, claiming child covid shot deaths
Vinay Prasad, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, said his team concluded that coronavirus shots were linked to children’s deaths, necessitating a new approach.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
This will kill people and is no less murder than the boat bombings.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
is Microsoft Excel a feminist? Is Gemini a queer ally? Is this graphing calculator my friend
November 28, 2025 at 9:57 PM
is Microsoft Excel a feminist? Is Gemini a queer ally? Is this graphing calculator my friend
Reposted by Fred Hicks
We act like the “Murder, She Wrote” and “Magnum, P.I.” crossover wasn’t the apex of western culture.
November 28, 2025 at 10:28 PM
We act like the “Murder, She Wrote” and “Magnum, P.I.” crossover wasn’t the apex of western culture.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
How do you not just yell all day long
November 29, 2025 at 4:45 AM
How do you not just yell all day long
Reposted by Fred Hicks
In case Crunchyroll paying its VAs peanuts for theatrical releases didn't make it obvious, the amount that companies would like to be paying people is zero dollars.
Hey just so you know Amazon decided to give us an AI ENGLISH DUB of Banana Fish instead of actually hiring real voice actors
it is fucking hot garbage
#bananafish #anime
it is fucking hot garbage
#bananafish #anime
November 28, 2025 at 10:40 PM
In case Crunchyroll paying its VAs peanuts for theatrical releases didn't make it obvious, the amount that companies would like to be paying people is zero dollars.
Reposted by Fred Hicks
I think everyone should grab “To Lay a Foundation” and live a day in the shoes of your average public servant / social worker. Plus it is PWYW!
hessan-yongdi.itch.io/to-lay-a-fou...
hessan-yongdi.itch.io/to-lay-a-fou...
To Lay a Foundation: A Roleplay of Public Service by Hessan Yongdi
A roleplay to better understand Public Service
hessan-yongdi.itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
I think everyone should grab “To Lay a Foundation” and live a day in the shoes of your average public servant / social worker. Plus it is PWYW!
hessan-yongdi.itch.io/to-lay-a-fou...
hessan-yongdi.itch.io/to-lay-a-fou...
Reposted by Fred Hicks
All my stuff is 50% off on itch today, including Flock to Me, a MotW mystery.
Investigate a mysterious illness in a small town and confront the sinister Shepherd. Whether you fight or appease him, can you avoid ending up as part of his flock?
Investigate a mysterious illness in a small town and confront the sinister Shepherd. Whether you fight or appease him, can you avoid ending up as part of his flock?
Flock to Me by Kelly Whyte
A horror mystery for MotW & Strange Squad
kellymakesgames.itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 6:27 PM
All my stuff is 50% off on itch today, including Flock to Me, a MotW mystery.
Investigate a mysterious illness in a small town and confront the sinister Shepherd. Whether you fight or appease him, can you avoid ending up as part of his flock?
Investigate a mysterious illness in a small town and confront the sinister Shepherd. Whether you fight or appease him, can you avoid ending up as part of his flock?
Reposted by Fred Hicks
If you've run Blades in the Dark, you know how hard it can be to come up with ritual sources and inventions on the fly. We made 73 of them to be dropped into any game! From shifting your soul into a rat's body, to Jekyll and Hyde elixirs, these are both great rewards and potential story hooks!
The Lost Archives: Inventions and Rituals for Blades in the Dark by Biscuit Wolf Games
73 strange and unusual sources and blueprints
biscuitwolfgames.itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 7:28 PM
If you've run Blades in the Dark, you know how hard it can be to come up with ritual sources and inventions on the fly. We made 73 of them to be dropped into any game! From shifting your soul into a rat's body, to Jekyll and Hyde elixirs, these are both great rewards and potential story hooks!
Reposted by Fred Hicks
(not the creator, just a fan of her game)
A PbtA-based game that captures the horror of the mechsploitation genre and its connections to sexuality and gender. It leans on the antagonistic/struggle aspect of the player/GM dynamic in a way that's super effective!
anxiousmimicrpgs.itch.io/girl-frame
A PbtA-based game that captures the horror of the mechsploitation genre and its connections to sexuality and gender. It leans on the antagonistic/struggle aspect of the player/GM dynamic in a way that's super effective!
anxiousmimicrpgs.itch.io/girl-frame
GIRL FRAME by anxiousmimicrpgs
Lesbians in mechs, struggling against oppression and eldritch horrors
anxiousmimicrpgs.itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
(not the creator, just a fan of her game)
A PbtA-based game that captures the horror of the mechsploitation genre and its connections to sexuality and gender. It leans on the antagonistic/struggle aspect of the player/GM dynamic in a way that's super effective!
anxiousmimicrpgs.itch.io/girl-frame
A PbtA-based game that captures the horror of the mechsploitation genre and its connections to sexuality and gender. It leans on the antagonistic/struggle aspect of the player/GM dynamic in a way that's super effective!
anxiousmimicrpgs.itch.io/girl-frame