Prismatic Wasteland
@prismaticwasteland.com
3x Ennie-winning TTRPG designer
My blog: https://www.prismaticwasteland.com
My games in print: https://www.prismaticwasteland.com/shop
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PrismaticWasteland
My blog: https://www.prismaticwasteland.com
My games in print: https://www.prismaticwasteland.com/shop
My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PrismaticWasteland
Pinned
Prismatic Wasteland
prismaticwasteland.com
I’m W.F. Smith, tabletop RPG designer and blogger at Prismatic Wasteland, best known for Barkeep on the Borderlands, a pubcrawl fantasy adventure.
⬇️ for my top blogposts, my published adventures, and where you can find me other than my blog, prismaticwasteland.com
⬇️ for my top blogposts, my published adventures, and where you can find me other than my blog, prismaticwasteland.com
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Wrote about why I think writing in networks deserves all the love it’s been getting lately.
dungeonmerl.in/3meqjfytmkc2f
dungeonmerl.in/3meqjfytmkc2f
Writing Things in Networks is Unreasonably Effective - Dungeon Merlin
That's because RPGs are network building games.
dungeonmerl.in
February 13, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Wrote about why I think writing in networks deserves all the love it’s been getting lately.
dungeonmerl.in/3meqjfytmkc2f
dungeonmerl.in/3meqjfytmkc2f
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
I wonder if there are gonna be transcripts for the We Read the Bloggies podcast.
February 12, 2026 at 10:34 PM
I wonder if there are gonna be transcripts for the We Read the Bloggies podcast.
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Reading and LISTENING to the bloggies!
Favs so far:
The 10 types of special rooms @traipsehex.bsky.social
Writing rooms in pairs @sean.tuesdayknightgames.com
WHY MEGADUNGEONS? @icastlight.bsky.social
Dealing With NPCs Should Be Expensive and Irritating @forlornencystment.bsky.social
Favs so far:
The 10 types of special rooms @traipsehex.bsky.social
Writing rooms in pairs @sean.tuesdayknightgames.com
WHY MEGADUNGEONS? @icastlight.bsky.social
Dealing With NPCs Should Be Expensive and Irritating @forlornencystment.bsky.social
In a stunning reversal of the civilizational transition from orality to literacy, the bloggie nominees are becoming audio.
Thank you @directsun.bsky.social for the stellar job narrating my post! You navigated my tongue-twisting typos with admirable alacrity. podcast.bloggies.org
Thank you @directsun.bsky.social for the stellar job narrating my post! You navigated my tongue-twisting typos with admirable alacrity. podcast.bloggies.org
We Read The Bloggies (@WeReadTheBloggies) • Activity
We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
podcast.bloggies.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Reading and LISTENING to the bloggies!
Favs so far:
The 10 types of special rooms @traipsehex.bsky.social
Writing rooms in pairs @sean.tuesdayknightgames.com
WHY MEGADUNGEONS? @icastlight.bsky.social
Dealing With NPCs Should Be Expensive and Irritating @forlornencystment.bsky.social
Favs so far:
The 10 types of special rooms @traipsehex.bsky.social
Writing rooms in pairs @sean.tuesdayknightgames.com
WHY MEGADUNGEONS? @icastlight.bsky.social
Dealing With NPCs Should Be Expensive and Irritating @forlornencystment.bsky.social
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Can you represent characters as the relationships they have with others? I expanded on Bonds from His Majesty the Worm to find out.
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-miserable-...
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-miserable-...
A Miserable Pile of Secrets
This morning I was listening to Boonta Vista, an Australian comedy podcast, and they were discussing a part of the brain called the Corpus Callosum. This is ...
tbr.bearblog.dev
February 12, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Can you represent characters as the relationships they have with others? I expanded on Bonds from His Majesty the Worm to find out.
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-miserable-...
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-miserable-...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
I wrote a d100 random advancement table for humans. Ostensibly for my Middle-earth Hexcrawl ruleset, I think this could easily be used for any fantasy adventure game. As I think that humans are the most warlike of peoples, this list could be used for your fighter random advancements:
Random Human Advancement
When you level up, you gain a random benefit based on your race or class. Here's what humans get. You can either roll a d9 for your culture ...
riseupcomus.blogspot.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:16 PM
I wrote a d100 random advancement table for humans. Ostensibly for my Middle-earth Hexcrawl ruleset, I think this could easily be used for any fantasy adventure game. As I think that humans are the most warlike of peoples, this list could be used for your fighter random advancements:
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Great post from Viridian Void on the challenging conversation we all eventually have to have with our parents about rpgs. He is wisely not on Bluesky 😊
viridianvoid.bearblog.dev/how-i-explai...
viridianvoid.bearblog.dev/how-i-explai...
February 11, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Great post from Viridian Void on the challenging conversation we all eventually have to have with our parents about rpgs. He is wisely not on Bluesky 😊
viridianvoid.bearblog.dev/how-i-explai...
viridianvoid.bearblog.dev/how-i-explai...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
I wrote about underwater adventures in D&D. Aquatic environments have everything you need in a D&D game - dungeons & dragons (in turtle form). Why don't we go there more, & how might we change that? Did you know about The Deluge in the ancient past of AD&D's implied setting? I didn't! #AD&D #OSR
Underwater Adventures: D&D's Forgotten Realm
Underwater adventures are grossly underutilized in D&D. Even simple nautical or seafaring adventures (where the main mode of wilderness trav...
forlornencystment.blogspot.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes the high-octane second chapter of Prepping Plots! This time we're gonna be doing some brainstorming to get a basic outline of our plot!
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
Prepping Plots, Part Two: The Rough Outline
Last time on Prepping Plots , we discussed why the enterprising GM might consider a more linear structure for their elfgame campaign. Today,...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:58 PM
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes the high-octane second chapter of Prepping Plots! This time we're gonna be doing some brainstorming to get a basic outline of our plot!
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
https://magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/prepping-plots-part-two-rough-outline.html?m=1
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
The Bloggies' page has updates!
1. "We Read the Bloggies" A fan-made podcast is live and linked!
2. A new submission has been nominated, "Book [Verb] Play" in Theory. The other post was removed on the author's request.
3. I've redesigned the page to keep things short and sweet.
Happy reading!
1. "We Read the Bloggies" A fan-made podcast is live and linked!
2. A new submission has been nominated, "Book [Verb] Play" in Theory. The other post was removed on the author's request.
3. I've redesigned the page to keep things short and sweet.
Happy reading!
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:53 AM
The Bloggies' page has updates!
1. "We Read the Bloggies" A fan-made podcast is live and linked!
2. A new submission has been nominated, "Book [Verb] Play" in Theory. The other post was removed on the author's request.
3. I've redesigned the page to keep things short and sweet.
Happy reading!
1. "We Read the Bloggies" A fan-made podcast is live and linked!
2. A new submission has been nominated, "Book [Verb] Play" in Theory. The other post was removed on the author's request.
3. I've redesigned the page to keep things short and sweet.
Happy reading!
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Blog enthusiasts!
It's been a huge community effort. We're proud to present WE READ THE BLOGGIES.
The year's best blogging coming to you - in audio form.
A show to SAVE YOUR EYES and SOOTHE YOUR EARS.
Catch up on all your Bloggies reading before voting commences next week!
#ttrpg #podcast #blog
It's been a huge community effort. We're proud to present WE READ THE BLOGGIES.
The year's best blogging coming to you - in audio form.
A show to SAVE YOUR EYES and SOOTHE YOUR EARS.
Catch up on all your Bloggies reading before voting commences next week!
#ttrpg #podcast #blog
We Read The Bloggies
Games Podcast · We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
podcasts.apple.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
The awesome @bommyknocker.bsky.social, @elmc.at, Grace of Choir of Fire @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social and many community members have organized a group recording effort of every Bloggies post as podcast episodes inspired by Blogs on Tape!https://podcast.bloggies.org/
We Read The Bloggies (@WeReadTheBloggies) • Activity
We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
podcast.bloggies.org
February 11, 2026 at 12:35 AM
The awesome @bommyknocker.bsky.social, @elmc.at, Grace of Choir of Fire @seraphimseraphina.bsky.social and many community members have organized a group recording effort of every Bloggies post as podcast episodes inspired by Blogs on Tape!https://podcast.bloggies.org/
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
A group of volunteers is recording as many of the nominees for the Bloggies as possible, and uploading them as a podcast! I’m helping out a bit with this, and I’ve recorded a few already! Come listen at the link below, Spotify, and several other podcast platforms!
podcast.bloggies.org
podcast.bloggies.org
We Read The Bloggies (@WeReadTheBloggies) • Activity
We’re volunteers turning Bloggies-nominated blog posts into audio. So you can enjoy them anywhere, in a more accessible format.
podcast.bloggies.org
February 11, 2026 at 12:17 AM
A group of volunteers is recording as many of the nominees for the Bloggies as possible, and uploading them as a podcast! I’m helping out a bit with this, and I’ve recorded a few already! Come listen at the link below, Spotify, and several other podcast platforms!
podcast.bloggies.org
podcast.bloggies.org
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
It's up! CASCADE_FAILURE; is the next Job released.
February 10, 2026 at 2:36 PM
It's up! CASCADE_FAILURE; is the next Job released.
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
My first RPG pub is for sale now! just in time for #ZineMonth
130 even-level Feats. 135 Quirks. Grounded options for Shadowdark that give characters texture and teeth. May your PCs be unique before they die.
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
130 even-level Feats. 135 Quirks. Grounded options for Shadowdark that give characters texture and teeth. May your PCs be unique before they die.
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
Shadowfeats: OSR Feats and Quirks for Shadowdark - Dream Shrike Press | DriveThruRPG
Add Depth, Danger, and Flavor to Your Shadowdark Characters
Shadowdark’s advancement rules already give you a rich mix of rolled talents and bonuses as you level, but what if you want even more ways t...
www.drivethrurpg.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:30 AM
My first RPG pub is for sale now! just in time for #ZineMonth
130 even-level Feats. 135 Quirks. Grounded options for Shadowdark that give characters texture and teeth. May your PCs be unique before they die.
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
130 even-level Feats. 135 Quirks. Grounded options for Shadowdark that give characters texture and teeth. May your PCs be unique before they die.
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Attack every part of the character sheet, even your name and character portrait.
Damage Tokens - This Vorpal Coil
Mausritter is a fantastic game – very few get as close as it does to the Platonic ideal of a post-OSR ruleset, covering so much ground yet remaining so brief. While most of it essentially reimplements...
vorpalcoil.bttg.net
February 9, 2026 at 4:13 PM
Attack every part of the character sheet, even your name and character portrait.
If you want to catch up on all the best #ttrpg or #osr blog posts from 2025, get thee hence to the link below and start reading! Every single post is a gem. All killer, no filler and congrats to my fellow nominees
The Bloggies Nominees are here!
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
This year's Bloggies Nominees
Over 90+ blog posts. And a surprise category for 2026.
www.explorersdesign.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
The Bloggies Nominees are here!
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
This year's Bloggies Nominees
Over 90+ blog posts. And a surprise category for 2026.
www.explorersdesign.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:41 PM
The Bloggies Nominees are here!
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
We are 1 week away from voting, so I need everyone's help spreading the word. Congrats to all the nominees and blogs submitted—this last year was incredible. Forming the lists was equal parts rewarding and painful.
www.explorersdesign.com/this-years-b...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Map dungeons with this warioware-style minigame.
#OSR #TTRPG
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimm...
#OSR #TTRPG
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimm...
Another gimmick
Make mapping fun by making it your players' problem
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev
February 8, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Map dungeons with this warioware-style minigame.
#OSR #TTRPG
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimm...
#OSR #TTRPG
bommyknocker.bearblog.dev/another-gimm...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Continuing to work through the implications of this deep dive the other week. In this one, I posit a framework for managing the reputation of a state entity or other powerful patron. #osr #ttrpg
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-reputation...
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-reputation...
A Reputation System for Surveyors
This post was originally titled "A Lightweight Reputation System" and it turned out to be truly anything but. .
I've been sharpening up the major gamepla...
tbr.bearblog.dev
February 7, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Continuing to work through the implications of this deep dive the other week. In this one, I posit a framework for managing the reputation of a state entity or other powerful patron. #osr #ttrpg
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-reputation...
tbr.bearblog.dev/a-reputation...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes some ways I like to spice up pointcrawls!
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/basi...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/basi...
Basic Terrain for Pointcrawls
Lots of digital ink has been spilled on the merits of hexcrawls and pointcrawls (though I think Dinkie Rizzle has the right of it ), and so...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:37 PM
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes some ways I like to spice up pointcrawls!
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/basi...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2026/02/basi...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
I spent a lot of time thinking about mental models and GMing. One of the underlying models I use is what I call a narrative framework.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2026/02/narr...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2026/02/narr...
Narrative Frameworks in TTRPGs
One of the most essential tools I employ when game mastering, both in prep and play, is what I call a narrative framework . This is my term ...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:23 PM
I spent a lot of time thinking about mental models and GMing. One of the underlying models I use is what I call a narrative framework.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2026/02/narr...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2026/02/narr...
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Shoutouts to @prismaticwasteland.com for hosting the bandwagon, @amandalee.bsky.social for making the map, and @davidblandyrpgs.bsky.social for Eco Mofos. I love being part of this little community of weirdos making stuff for each other.
February 8, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Shoutouts to @prismaticwasteland.com for hosting the bandwagon, @amandalee.bsky.social for making the map, and @davidblandyrpgs.bsky.social for Eco Mofos. I love being part of this little community of weirdos making stuff for each other.
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Childhood Appendix N thoughts - geographic constriction, lack of access to old stuff and just less new stuff in general meant there was a more common set of shared references when & where I started
seedofworlds.blogspot.com/2026/02/chil...
#ttrpg #dnd #osr
seedofworlds.blogspot.com/2026/02/chil...
#ttrpg #dnd #osr
Childhood inspirations from a time of shared references
For the 'childhood inspirations' blogwagon that Havoc kicked off - I wrote mine last September - because I cheated by starting at 12 so my ...
seedofworlds.blogspot.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Childhood Appendix N thoughts - geographic constriction, lack of access to old stuff and just less new stuff in general meant there was a more common set of shared references when & where I started
seedofworlds.blogspot.com/2026/02/chil...
#ttrpg #dnd #osr
seedofworlds.blogspot.com/2026/02/chil...
#ttrpg #dnd #osr
Reposted by Prismatic Wasteland
Shouting this out again because I’m having so much fun keying this map today.
Join the bandwagon!
Join the bandwagon!
All bloggers are hereby cordially invited to participate in a new blog bandwagon on the topic of MAPS, featuring art (which you can use, remix, distort as you see fit) from @amandalee.bsky.social (Garbage Barge, Vampire Cruise, et al)
You have 80 days starting now!
#osr #tttpg #blog
You have 80 days starting now!
#osr #tttpg #blog
Bandwagon: The Map is Not the Territory But It is the Topic — Prismatic Wasteland
Announcing a new blog bandwagon! This time you have 80 days in which to write something on your blog about maps and/or to annotate/remix/expand a map drawn by the esteemed Amanda Lee Franck!
www.prismaticwasteland.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Shouting this out again because I’m having so much fun keying this map today.
Join the bandwagon!
Join the bandwagon!