Taylor Lane Games
@foresteddepth.bsky.social
I've been studying and comparing travel rules between ttrpgs
It's really interesting how 99% of ttrpg travel rules are very directly descended from the rules of Outdoor Survival
Within the OSR and D&D, pointcrawls and what I would term "de-abstracted travel" are the only normal alternatives
It's really interesting how 99% of ttrpg travel rules are very directly descended from the rules of Outdoor Survival
Within the OSR and D&D, pointcrawls and what I would term "de-abstracted travel" are the only normal alternatives
June 1, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I've been studying and comparing travel rules between ttrpgs
It's really interesting how 99% of ttrpg travel rules are very directly descended from the rules of Outdoor Survival
Within the OSR and D&D, pointcrawls and what I would term "de-abstracted travel" are the only normal alternatives
It's really interesting how 99% of ttrpg travel rules are very directly descended from the rules of Outdoor Survival
Within the OSR and D&D, pointcrawls and what I would term "de-abstracted travel" are the only normal alternatives
Random shower thought: it's odd to turn based multi roll combat and NOT give players the ability to attack the AC, attack to-hit bonus, and etc of enemies + buff their own AC and to-hit
Which would seem to either imply a lot of teamwork or something like 4+dex mod actions per turn
Which would seem to either imply a lot of teamwork or something like 4+dex mod actions per turn
May 21, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Random shower thought: it's odd to turn based multi roll combat and NOT give players the ability to attack the AC, attack to-hit bonus, and etc of enemies + buff their own AC and to-hit
Which would seem to either imply a lot of teamwork or something like 4+dex mod actions per turn
Which would seem to either imply a lot of teamwork or something like 4+dex mod actions per turn
in ttrpgs, story is what happens after the session is over, when you're remembering it and bringing order to it so you can tell it to other people (who generally do not care and wish you would talk about something else)
May 16, 2025 at 4:46 AM
in ttrpgs, story is what happens after the session is over, when you're remembering it and bringing order to it so you can tell it to other people (who generally do not care and wish you would talk about something else)
"what happens to the political economy of the valley after you kill the dragon in the mountain that overlooked it?" is obviously a way more interesting question to me than "what is the exact blow-by-blow of killing the dragon?"
so i write rules to answer the former, but not the latter
so i write rules to answer the former, but not the latter
May 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM
"what happens to the political economy of the valley after you kill the dragon in the mountain that overlooked it?" is obviously a way more interesting question to me than "what is the exact blow-by-blow of killing the dragon?"
so i write rules to answer the former, but not the latter
so i write rules to answer the former, but not the latter
what ttrpg campaigns are y'all in right now? System and description?
May 15, 2025 at 7:02 PM
what ttrpg campaigns are y'all in right now? System and description?
@elmc.at what prompt did you use to write this
elmc.at/kill-clerics...
I can tell that it's chatGPT, but I'd be interested in knowing what prompt you used
elmc.at/kill-clerics...
I can tell that it's chatGPT, but I'd be interested in knowing what prompt you used
Kill Clerics, Become Warlocks
Ditch bland clerics. Make divine magic rare, pact‑bound, and dramatic—one miracle per god, high stakes if you fail. Turn clerics into warlocks.
elmc.at
May 15, 2025 at 12:30 PM
@elmc.at what prompt did you use to write this
elmc.at/kill-clerics...
I can tell that it's chatGPT, but I'd be interested in knowing what prompt you used
elmc.at/kill-clerics...
I can tell that it's chatGPT, but I'd be interested in knowing what prompt you used
I think that the easiest way to make any NPC or group of NPCs feel instantly knowlable and yet interesting is to know it by its archetype:
+ archetype
+ desire
+ unexpected element
You don't actually need anything else
(Credit to Joseph Manola for that last one)
+ archetype
+ desire
+ unexpected element
You don't actually need anything else
(Credit to Joseph Manola for that last one)
May 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I think that the easiest way to make any NPC or group of NPCs feel instantly knowlable and yet interesting is to know it by its archetype:
+ archetype
+ desire
+ unexpected element
You don't actually need anything else
(Credit to Joseph Manola for that last one)
+ archetype
+ desire
+ unexpected element
You don't actually need anything else
(Credit to Joseph Manola for that last one)
I think that my mental model of Fighter as a class owes more to anime and superheroes than it does to western fantasy fiction. I suppose that that's sort of interesting?
May 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I think that my mental model of Fighter as a class owes more to anime and superheroes than it does to western fantasy fiction. I suppose that that's sort of interesting?
the most common game design mistake in ttrpgs is not knowing what a session is supposed to look like
the most common failing as a player in a ttrpg is not knowing what to do next
these are two sides of the same problem
the most common failing as a player in a ttrpg is not knowing what to do next
these are two sides of the same problem
May 14, 2025 at 3:45 PM
the most common game design mistake in ttrpgs is not knowing what a session is supposed to look like
the most common failing as a player in a ttrpg is not knowing what to do next
these are two sides of the same problem
the most common failing as a player in a ttrpg is not knowing what to do next
these are two sides of the same problem
Please remember that confusing 600s Europe and 1400s Europe is the same time gap as now and 1225
May 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Please remember that confusing 600s Europe and 1400s Europe is the same time gap as now and 1225
Hey, would anyone like to read over the classes in my OSR game -- Triptych -- and tell me which ones they would and would not want to play, and why?
May 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Hey, would anyone like to read over the classes in my OSR game -- Triptych -- and tell me which ones they would and would not want to play, and why?
@budsrpgreview.bsky.social could you message me? I'd like to talk to you about my friend Joel Clark going on your show to talk about his kickstarter?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Lone Wolf Fists: Acid&Steel
Introducing Hell and Robots to the world's foremost Punch Game
www.kickstarter.com
December 5, 2024 at 10:19 AM
@budsrpgreview.bsky.social could you message me? I'd like to talk to you about my friend Joel Clark going on your show to talk about his kickstarter?
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/lon...
Race and class separated, or race-as-class?
(examples of race-as-class provided. Race/class separation would just have Race --including human-- be sources of Advantage on some rolls)
P.S.: I really do not like this Elf class I wrote
(examples of race-as-class provided. Race/class separation would just have Race --including human-- be sources of Advantage on some rolls)
P.S.: I really do not like this Elf class I wrote
November 30, 2024 at 3:24 PM
Race and class separated, or race-as-class?
(examples of race-as-class provided. Race/class separation would just have Race --including human-- be sources of Advantage on some rolls)
P.S.: I really do not like this Elf class I wrote
(examples of race-as-class provided. Race/class separation would just have Race --including human-- be sources of Advantage on some rolls)
P.S.: I really do not like this Elf class I wrote
imagine a RPG where you pick a lock by rolling vs LC for each picked tumbler, then damage to its LP, & then when you defeat that tumbler you move on to the latter tumblers but not before saving vs tumbler resetting
this is approximately how turn-based TTRPG combat feels, to me
this is approximately how turn-based TTRPG combat feels, to me
a drawing of a lock with a screwdriver in it
ALT: a drawing of a lock with a screwdriver in it
media.tenor.com
November 29, 2024 at 10:24 AM
imagine a RPG where you pick a lock by rolling vs LC for each picked tumbler, then damage to its LP, & then when you defeat that tumbler you move on to the latter tumblers but not before saving vs tumbler resetting
this is approximately how turn-based TTRPG combat feels, to me
this is approximately how turn-based TTRPG combat feels, to me
I generally design for theater-of-mind type play, and I don't want to use modern real-world measurement systems (also, imperial v. metric) because it's distracting, so I most commonly use the distances touch/spear reach/stone's throw/line-of-sight
November 26, 2024 at 4:02 PM
I generally design for theater-of-mind type play, and I don't want to use modern real-world measurement systems (also, imperial v. metric) because it's distracting, so I most commonly use the distances touch/spear reach/stone's throw/line-of-sight
"...We freed the slaves of Yoon-Suin? That's pretty nice. But I did it to shore up my power after we couped the slugmen to avoid arrest for doing the law-enforcement job that we'd scammed our way into after framing other people for the murders we committed to steal their boat"
November 25, 2024 at 2:52 PM
"...We freed the slaves of Yoon-Suin? That's pretty nice. But I did it to shore up my power after we couped the slugmen to avoid arrest for doing the law-enforcement job that we'd scammed our way into after framing other people for the murders we committed to steal their boat"
Reposted by Taylor Lane Games
The social contract within an OSR play culture is very different from the social contract within a 5e play culture; what's seem as being a good player is different in different contexts -- the social contract you are used to is not the only social contract there is.
November 24, 2024 at 7:16 PM
The social contract within an OSR play culture is very different from the social contract within a 5e play culture; what's seem as being a good player is different in different contexts -- the social contract you are used to is not the only social contract there is.
Why do you like playing a thief?
What do you get from them that you don't get from playing any other class?
What do you get from them that you don't get from playing any other class?
November 23, 2024 at 8:05 AM
Why do you like playing a thief?
What do you get from them that you don't get from playing any other class?
What do you get from them that you don't get from playing any other class?
It's interesting to contrast this with other critiques of 5e
November 23, 2024 at 8:05 AM
It's interesting to contrast this with other critiques of 5e
A major & longstanding flaw in TTRPG discourse is that a large amount of people act like any suggestions or advice are coercive orders.
Not sure where it comes from?
Not sure where it comes from?
November 23, 2024 at 8:04 AM
A major & longstanding flaw in TTRPG discourse is that a large amount of people act like any suggestions or advice are coercive orders.
Not sure where it comes from?
Not sure where it comes from?
is there any reason, other than tradition, that the default setting for fantasy is pseudo-medieval rather than pseudo-early mesopotomia or pseudo-pacific islands or whatever?
November 23, 2024 at 8:03 AM
is there any reason, other than tradition, that the default setting for fantasy is pseudo-medieval rather than pseudo-early mesopotomia or pseudo-pacific islands or whatever?
You guys know that when you're fantasy worldbuilding you can just put France in and call it France, right?
Use a map of France.
Talk about how the Count of Tolouse's sorcery is without equal.
You are allowed to do this. No French person can stop you.
Use a map of France.
Talk about how the Count of Tolouse's sorcery is without equal.
You are allowed to do this. No French person can stop you.
November 23, 2024 at 8:03 AM
You guys know that when you're fantasy worldbuilding you can just put France in and call it France, right?
Use a map of France.
Talk about how the Count of Tolouse's sorcery is without equal.
You are allowed to do this. No French person can stop you.
Use a map of France.
Talk about how the Count of Tolouse's sorcery is without equal.
You are allowed to do this. No French person can stop you.
I hate the trope of the "adventurers' guild".
Guilds are formed by local, powerful, businesspeople to act as a cartel
Adventurers are wanderers with minimal social connections who do violence professionally
They are not going to form a guild
Guilds are formed by local, powerful, businesspeople to act as a cartel
Adventurers are wanderers with minimal social connections who do violence professionally
They are not going to form a guild
November 23, 2024 at 8:02 AM
I hate the trope of the "adventurers' guild".
Guilds are formed by local, powerful, businesspeople to act as a cartel
Adventurers are wanderers with minimal social connections who do violence professionally
They are not going to form a guild
Guilds are formed by local, powerful, businesspeople to act as a cartel
Adventurers are wanderers with minimal social connections who do violence professionally
They are not going to form a guild
You can find my games here: taylor-lane.itch.io
Taylor Lane
taylor-lane.itch.io
November 23, 2024 at 8:00 AM
You can find my games here: taylor-lane.itch.io