Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
banner
artemisgamesuk.bsky.social
Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
@artemisgamesuk.bsky.social
Queer Disabled Game Designers and Worldbuilders from Manchester, UK | Ste: He/Him | Amy: She/Her | Ali: They/Them | Loz: He/Him

Current Channel Manager: Ste

https://castbox.fm/channel/That's-as-Good-a-Theory-as-Any-id6223524?
Pinned
New episode of That's as Good a Theory as Any #worldbuilding podcast - about how to make Magic feel more Magical, which may help you with #magicbuilding for your own writing or gming.

With special guest Paolo of the Lost Pages, who regularly writes weird magic.

#ttrpg #writing #fantasy #self-promo
Chilli Blossoms are Explosive - Making Magic Magical
That's as Good a Theory as Any · Episode
open.spotify.com
#JanuaryWorldbuilders The only notable weapon among the main characters is a macuahuitl carried by the priest of the group. He also carries a significant number of onyx fragments so that whenever one of the blades breaks it can be replaced.
Alright, time to get into some of those weeds I promised! The theme of this week and next will be fighting-centric. Weapons and armor this week. Militaries next week. Today's #JanuaryWorldbuilders Q: What weapon(s) are used by your MC (or another important character?)
January 16, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
The Cairn 2e Bestiary is an amazing resource, and since it is open licensed, I am going to convert it to Boundless creature stat blocks for all to use in their games; I will also put this updated bestiary under CC-BY-SA for others to hack on top of it.

cairnrpg.com/second-editi...
Bestiary
cairnrpg.com
January 14, 2026 at 6:33 PM
#FreeFantasyArt Day 22
Honestly, I'm repeating myself a lot less than expected, and without diving into lower quality and/or older art styles - there really is an incredible amount of stuff out there that you can use for your fantasy games/novels. But some sites hold quite a lot, so back to OGA I go
January 15, 2026 at 2:56 AM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders Axolotl Tamales

[this space intentionally left blank]
Last question on our "society, broadly" theme for #JanuaryWorldbuilders. What food or drinks are popular in the society you've been talking about? If can be an MC's society, or any one you have an interesting answer for.
January 14, 2026 at 9:53 PM
#FreeFantasyArt Day 21
Today I'm going with an artist that goes by AshiRox, specifically their work for the game project Ancient Beast [the rest isn't licensed] but CC-BY-SA keeps the credits of EVERY creator in the chain, so the credits for these ones mean that I can't comment within each post.
January 14, 2026 at 4:19 AM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
It's mostly simple, and minimalistic woven clothing - the heat can get unbearable if you're overdressed, the rain can bog down clothing, and you don't need to create your own shade when the trees provide.
In lieu of clothing fashions, skin-painting and jewelry are very popular.
#JanuaryWorldbuilders! This week is about broad societal questions. What kind of clothes or accessories are worn in your MC's society? Feel free to post pictures of your characters if their clothes are a good representation of what is worn! It can be for everyday use or for special occasions.
January 13, 2026 at 9:48 PM
#FreeFantasyArt
Another source where you need to check the license of each image individually to find which are usable - but with some very cool portraits.

Category: Scene
Artist: kynlo
Artist's Site: krita-artists.org/u/kynlo/summ...
Source: www.deviantart.com/kynlo/art/Lo...
License: CC-BY-SA 3.0
January 13, 2026 at 8:38 PM
One issue plaguing Altepetl society that recurs a lot is the issue of religion and superstition. See, the gods are trapped outside of the world by the same magic that holds demons at bay, and thus they aren't exactly active. Which leaves a lot of room for people to declare that ritual sacrifice🧵
Howdy, #JanuaryWorldbuilders! What's plaguing your fictional world's society? (Remember, just pick one or use the MC's society if you have several). Is there classism? Racism? Misogyny? Queerphobia? Is the government run by greedy tyrants? Or are things going relatively okay right now?
January 13, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
i am beyond stoked to share in partnership w/@sandypuggames.bsky.social, i'm releasing 24 illustrations from THE EXQUISITE CORPSE IN MAGGOTS' KEEP under CC by 4.0 licensing!

find them in a folder in my existing CC by 4.0 drive, accompanied by pre-written alt-text for every piece.

jnbutler.art#ccla
Jaen Nighly Butler Art
Illustrator & Marquise of Shadows
jnbutler.art
January 2, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Reposted by Artemis Games - Worldbuilding - That's as Good a Theory as Any
i'm jaen nighly, a trans illustrator, specializing in b&w art.

i'm open for commissions of the fantastic, macabre, & sublime. i'm particularly interested in doing covers, splash pages, posters, & other large pieces.

DM or email to get in my queue!

💼 jnb.art
✉️ [email protected]

#portfolioday
July 9, 2025 at 4:29 PM
#FreeFantasyArt
Okay, so I might be in the part where I'm repeating sites but that doesn't mean all my posts have to be repeats. Today's spotlight is a pair #creativecommons pieces by Jaen Butler @jnb.art -whose site I found through Liminal Horror's resource list liminalhorrorrpg.com/Game%20Desig...
Images
Creating and using images in ttrpg publications.
liminalhorrorrpg.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:08 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
In Matlaktlome, it is good manners to offer your guest the space closest to the river - if there are multiple nearby branches, then whichever is closest - some associate this with freedom to leave, others with the river as a source of life, either way the rule persists.
#JanuaryWorldbuilders! Tell me more about your fictional society. What are some gestures or actions that are considered good etiquette? If you're writing about non-Earth societies, do they have any such actions/gestures that we don't use? Alternatively, do they have *rude* gestures?
January 11, 2026 at 11:20 PM
#FreeFantasyArt Day 18
Going back to Wikimedia today - we're definitely past the point where I start repeating sources, but not yet at the point where I start repeating individual artists - we have some illustrations made for the #D&D pages on Wikipedia and the like, released fully public domain.
January 11, 2026 at 10:23 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
Gender Roles aren't really a thing in Matlaktlome. Gender exists, because the Kyma are a mostly-human fantasy race and there are some humans too, but it isn't considered to decide or limit your social role.
Except for the Tetocani, where the genders: Queen, Prince and Myrmidon🧵
Good day, #JanuaryWorldbuilders. This week I'm asking q's about the fictional societies in our fantasy/sci-fi worlds. If you write about many societies, pick one you think has an interesting answer, or the MC's society. How are gender roles handled in this world?
January 10, 2026 at 8:43 PM
#FreeFantasyArt day 17
Another Saturday means another example of modifying art released into the creative commons. But first, lets get to the artist on whose work I have attempted to build. This time, it's an artist named Deadpoolrus who created a sci-fi Kaiju setting - with some very fantasy art.🧵
January 10, 2026 at 8:19 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
We have four mains at the moment - One very used to high society, having been a sacrifice to a war god and therefore held in honor, another from low society, the third a rainforest dweller with no social status, and the fourth an explorer from afar still finding their place.
#JanuaryWorldbuilders, tell me about your MC's (or another important character if you don't do MCs) role in society. Are they upper or lower class? What job/tasks do they do as part of this society? Are they even a member of a society?
January 10, 2026 at 12:32 AM
#FreeFantasyArt
While browsing Itch.io, I came across another collection that points to some of the best available free resources on the site.
ratgrrrl-games.itch.io/human-creati...
RatGrrrl has put a lot of effort into collecting a huge number of creative works, for which I thank them.
Human Creations for Creative Humans by RatGrrrl Games
A Curated Resource for Creative Humans
ratgrrrl-games.itch.io
January 10, 2026 at 12:08 AM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
Social classes in Matlaktlome vary a lot, depending on what culture you're looking at.
Many in the region don't even think of them - within the rainforest itself there are many groups that just live their lives as equals, with no private property or non-descriptive titles.🧵
Welcome to the second week of #JanuaryWorldbuilders! The theme of this one is SOCIETY. Again, relatively broad for now. We'll delve into more weeds later in the year. Today's Q: Talk about social classes. How are they handled? Do they have hierarchies? Nobles and commoners? Or is it classless?
January 9, 2026 at 1:34 PM
#FreeFantasyArt
Today I'm drawing on another Itch.io source, and as is common over there it has a unique license. So I'd like to clarify my rules are for what's sufficiently free to mention here. You must be:
1) Free to edit the images.
2) Able to use them in your own commercial writing/games🧵
Download the latest indie games
itch.io is a simple way to find, download and distribute indie games online. Whether you're a developer looking to upload your game or just someone looking for something new to play itch.io has you co...
Itch.io
January 8, 2026 at 11:25 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
Matlaktlome is the product of two pushes - Firstly, a fascination with the culture and mythology of the south american continent, and secondly playing in 13th Age's Dragon Empire setting and wondering just what was off the edges of the map - and deciding to expand it southward
Good morning #JanuaryWorldbuilders! A very broad question that I have no doubt is difficult to answer: What was YOUR beginning of worldbuilding? What was your inspiration? Your initial spark? Another work of fiction? Boredom? A powerful imagination seeking an outlet?
January 7, 2026 at 11:51 PM
#FreeFantasyArt Day 14
Two weeks into this and I'm reaching towards stranger pastures, because I want to put up repeating myself as much as possible. This one is particularly strange, but equally striking. Made for the #CreativeCommons horror project, the SCP Foundation Wiki scp-wiki.wikidot.com
SunnyClockwork's Artwork Hub - SCP Foundation
The SCP Foundation's 'top-secret' archives, declassified for your enjoyment.
scp-wiki.wikidot.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:31 PM
#FreeFantasyArt
Today it's a type of fantasy monster that I like, but I know isn't to everyone's tastes: Artistic interpretations of ancient animals!

Accurate or inaccurate, they're definitely not things people will have actually encountered, and that's enough for me to count T-Rex as fantasy.🧵
January 6, 2026 at 11:07 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
The player characters have several links to The Bloodstained Priest, and therefore access to the powers of the gods - as long as they are prepared to make the proper sacrifice to allow the gods into the world.
#JanuaryWorldbuilders Opposite of yesterday's prompt! What's something in your worldbuilding that helps your MC (or another important character)? Do they have useful magic? A helpful critter companion? Are their clothes or weapons useful for getting around in their world?
January 6, 2026 at 2:48 PM
#JanuaryWorldbuilders
The biggest problem for the current group in Matlaktlome is the long arms of The Rat King, a psychic gestalt entity composed of tailed Kyma (aka Shifters, Nagual or Beastfolk) who tie their tails together to link their minds.🧵
Hey there, #JanuaryWorldbuilders! We're introducing our worlds this week. Tell me about some aspect of your worldbuilding which is a problem for your characters. Is their world infested with monsters? A dystopian government? Or maybe you created a bug that bites them in their sleep?
January 6, 2026 at 2:44 PM
#FreeFantasyArt day 12
This is one of those cases where one source contains a huge variety of potential - 208 images, all commissioned by Chamomile Has Games for their game Dark Lord.

chamomilehasgames.itch.io/chamomile-ha...
www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3479...
Dark Lord - ChamomileHasAdventures | Dark Lord | DriveThruRPG
In Dark Lord, you play as the Big Bad Evil Guy, leading your minions into battle against the forces of light, and stopping at nothing to conquer the world! Players in Dark Lord each play an evil overl...
www.drivethrurpg.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:15 AM