Scott Fitzgerald Gray
@scottfgray.bsky.social
9th-level layabout, vindictive good. He/him. Worked on a whole bunch of D&D. Working on a new game at CORE20RPG.com. Human rights aren’t political. Fuck Trump.
Pinned
Twenty years ago today, February 6, 2004, I started work on my first freelance editing assignment for Wizards of the Coast — the 3.5e sourcebook “Complete Arcane.”
What a long, fantastic trip it’s been.
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What a long, fantastic trip it’s been.
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“Mayday
We’ve been sinking here slowly
Turning into something unholy…”
Radio Free Isheridar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoMD...
We’ve been sinking here slowly
Turning into something unholy…”
Radio Free Isheridar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoMD...
STARSET - DARK THINGS (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by starsetonline
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
“Mayday
We’ve been sinking here slowly
Turning into something unholy…”
Radio Free Isheridar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoMD...
We’ve been sinking here slowly
Turning into something unholy…”
Radio Free Isheridar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoMD...
FRPG GM Tip: Whether by accident or by virtue of min-maxing, if a character is vastly overpowered in combat compared to the rest of the party, do not hesitate to have the toughest foes somehow sense that and focus on that character. Sometimes game balance is attained on a round-by-round basis.
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
FRPG GM Tip: Whether by accident or by virtue of min-maxing, if a character is vastly overpowered in combat compared to the rest of the party, do not hesitate to have the toughest foes somehow sense that and focus on that character. Sometimes game balance is attained on a round-by-round basis.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Editors have a really hard job, and the good ones can make something unreadable readable, and the great ones can make something unreadable into something good. But they're basically invisible, until someone tries to write without one.
November 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Editors have a really hard job, and the good ones can make something unreadable readable, and the great ones can make something unreadable into something good. But they're basically invisible, until someone tries to write without one.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Dice in Mind is getting sportsy, but just this once! Please join us for a fascinating chat with Dr. Jason von Stietz on the psychology of sports, gaming, and more.
#sports #ttrpg
@cbtsportpsych.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
#sports #ttrpg
@cbtsportpsych.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
November 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Dice in Mind is getting sportsy, but just this once! Please join us for a fascinating chat with Dr. Jason von Stietz on the psychology of sports, gaming, and more.
#sports #ttrpg
@cbtsportpsych.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
#sports #ttrpg
@cbtsportpsych.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
When people talk about “the look and feel” of a film, it’s often hard to quantify what “feel” means. This is a brilliant analysis of one important part of that meaning.
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:09 AM
When people talk about “the look and feel” of a film, it’s often hard to quantify what “feel” means. This is a brilliant analysis of one important part of that meaning.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
YouTube video by Like Stories of Old
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is a really remarkable video essay on contemporary film and the theories of Laura Marks. It's making me think about movies in a new way.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Girls... They. Were. Girls.
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
November 17, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Girls... They. Were. Girls.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Ooooh.
I absolutely love the way Scott put words to this. Our characters, like our actual selves, are always seeking *something.*
In traditional fantasy it's usually a material thing (sword, ring, etc.) or vanity (glory, respect, title, etc.) which says a lot about us I suppose.
I absolutely love the way Scott put words to this. Our characters, like our actual selves, are always seeking *something.*
In traditional fantasy it's usually a material thing (sword, ring, etc.) or vanity (glory, respect, title, etc.) which says a lot about us I suppose.
FRPG Player Tip: Like most fiction, campaigns are typically built around the idea of what the characters want to obtain. But some of the best roleplaying comes from thinking about the things your character has lost, and whether the things they hope to obtain will ever fill that void.
November 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Ooooh.
I absolutely love the way Scott put words to this. Our characters, like our actual selves, are always seeking *something.*
In traditional fantasy it's usually a material thing (sword, ring, etc.) or vanity (glory, respect, title, etc.) which says a lot about us I suppose.
I absolutely love the way Scott put words to this. Our characters, like our actual selves, are always seeking *something.*
In traditional fantasy it's usually a material thing (sword, ring, etc.) or vanity (glory, respect, title, etc.) which says a lot about us I suppose.
Wow.
Kill team credits page vs. D&D credits page
November 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Wow.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
N.K. Jemisin Named Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA
N.K. Jemisin Named SFWA Grand Master
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has named NK Jemisin the 42nd recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. SFWA President Kate Ristau said, Jemisin is a c…
locusmag.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:18 PM
N.K. Jemisin Named Damon Knight Grand Master by SFWA
FRPG Player Tip: Like most fiction, campaigns are typically built around the idea of what the characters want to obtain. But some of the best roleplaying comes from thinking about the things your character has lost, and whether the things they hope to obtain will ever fill that void.
November 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
FRPG Player Tip: Like most fiction, campaigns are typically built around the idea of what the characters want to obtain. But some of the best roleplaying comes from thinking about the things your character has lost, and whether the things they hope to obtain will ever fill that void.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Today's Popeye at @comicskingdom.bsky.social : comicskingdom.com/popeye/2025-...
Popeye Comic Strip 2025-11-16 | Comics Kingdom
Read the Popeye comic strip from November 16, 2025, and check out other Popeye comics by E.C. Segar, Bud Sagendorf, Hy Eisman, Randy Milholland.
comicskingdom.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Today's Popeye at @comicskingdom.bsky.social : comicskingdom.com/popeye/2025-...
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
We recorded this months ago, and I was going to wait to share it bc of everything, but I just realized I talk about Alice’s work as part of the discussion on why and how I created Art Description, because none of my work happens without the influence of her brilliance and generosity of knowledge.
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New Goblin Points!
I'm joined by @dreamwisp.bsky.social . She's worked with all the usual suspects in the TTRPG business, and she was the accessibility consultant on Draw Steel. The work she did on Draw Steel, actually broke new ground in the field of art descriptions.
GoblinPoints.com/2522
I'm joined by @dreamwisp.bsky.social . She's worked with all the usual suspects in the TTRPG business, and she was the accessibility consultant on Draw Steel. The work she did on Draw Steel, actually broke new ground in the field of art descriptions.
GoblinPoints.com/2522
Jennifer Kretchmer: Making TTRPGs Accessible to Everyone | Interview - Goblin Points
News and interviews about Draw Steel and MCDM. New episodes twice a month. Hosted by Jon de Nor.
goblinpoints.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:51 PM
We recorded this months ago, and I was going to wait to share it bc of everything, but I just realized I talk about Alice’s work as part of the discussion on why and how I created Art Description, because none of my work happens without the influence of her brilliance and generosity of knowledge.
1/
1/
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
In an old gothic campaign, gloomy town, I named the long suffering innkeeper Master Boot and just let the players run riot.
November 15, 2025 at 7:07 PM
In an old gothic campaign, gloomy town, I named the long suffering innkeeper Master Boot and just let the players run riot.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Related, in a lot of old school games, players are playing to blow off steam. They are going to crack jokes and make snarky asides. You can't fight it, so as Scott points out, you might as well build in points to incorporate it.
FRPG GM Tip: Giving NPCs a humorous tone can greatly boost the players’ engagement with them. Even in a purposefully unfunny campaign built around serious themes and stories, look for opportunities to have NPCs engage in irony and slapstick from time to time to anchor their place in the story.
November 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Related, in a lot of old school games, players are playing to blow off steam. They are going to crack jokes and make snarky asides. You can't fight it, so as Scott points out, you might as well build in points to incorporate it.
FRPG GM Tip: Giving NPCs a humorous tone can greatly boost the players’ engagement with them. Even in a purposefully unfunny campaign built around serious themes and stories, look for opportunities to have NPCs engage in irony and slapstick from time to time to anchor their place in the story.
November 15, 2025 at 5:26 PM
FRPG GM Tip: Giving NPCs a humorous tone can greatly boost the players’ engagement with them. Even in a purposefully unfunny campaign built around serious themes and stories, look for opportunities to have NPCs engage in irony and slapstick from time to time to anchor their place in the story.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
And we've now hit 1,000 backers!
Thanks all for the interest in roleplaying history!
(The first character I ever made was an elf, written out on the green character sheets for Basic D&D.)
Thanks all for the interest in roleplaying history!
(The first character I ever made was an elf, written out on the green character sheets for Basic D&D.)
Who's up thinking about that first character they ever made?
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/e...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/e...
November 15, 2025 at 6:42 AM
And we've now hit 1,000 backers!
Thanks all for the interest in roleplaying history!
(The first character I ever made was an elf, written out on the green character sheets for Basic D&D.)
Thanks all for the interest in roleplaying history!
(The first character I ever made was an elf, written out on the green character sheets for Basic D&D.)
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
In the last chapter of Alice’s memoir, “Year of the Tiger,” she wrote her own future obituary.
The wonderful “oracle, storyteller, cyborg, trouble-maker, activist, night owl” we loved so much closed it with:
“Enjoy all of Alice’s good shit, and may you create some good shit as well.”
The wonderful “oracle, storyteller, cyborg, trouble-maker, activist, night owl” we loved so much closed it with:
“Enjoy all of Alice’s good shit, and may you create some good shit as well.”
November 15, 2025 at 7:27 AM
In the last chapter of Alice’s memoir, “Year of the Tiger,” she wrote her own future obituary.
The wonderful “oracle, storyteller, cyborg, trouble-maker, activist, night owl” we loved so much closed it with:
“Enjoy all of Alice’s good shit, and may you create some good shit as well.”
The wonderful “oracle, storyteller, cyborg, trouble-maker, activist, night owl” we loved so much closed it with:
“Enjoy all of Alice’s good shit, and may you create some good shit as well.”
FRPG Player Tip: You don’t have to keep a diary or anything, but make notes on important points of narrative development for your character as a campaign unfolds. Especially if their personal goals shift over time, the way your character grows and changes is great fuel for roleplaying.
November 14, 2025 at 6:44 PM
FRPG Player Tip: You don’t have to keep a diary or anything, but make notes on important points of narrative development for your character as a campaign unfolds. Especially if their personal goals shift over time, the way your character grows and changes is great fuel for roleplaying.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Now revised and expanded, this is one of the first adventures released for Demon Lord. It is a bit gloomy, so it's a perfect start for your next Demon Lord campaign!
The Price of Freedom - Schwalb Entertainment | Shadow of the Demon Lord | DriveThruRPG
The Only Thing to Lose Are Your Chains!
The orcs, now in control of the Empire, need laborers to take their placeand what better servants could they have than those who once held themin chains? In ...
www.drivethrurpg.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Now revised and expanded, this is one of the first adventures released for Demon Lord. It is a bit gloomy, so it's a perfect start for your next Demon Lord campaign!
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
I've had to have this discussion in my session zeros, in part because try as I might I do end up getting annoyed when play time gets so sidetracked that one of our limited days to play ends up "wasted"
Regardless of how folks feel about railroading I think we can all agree that even if we're having
Regardless of how folks feel about railroading I think we can all agree that even if we're having
FRPG GM Tip: Sometimes it’s fun to let the players and characters go off on a tangent where they suspect a benevolent NPC is up to no good. But sometimes you need to say, “I’m going to go meta to tell you this person is on your side.” Don’t let suspicion derail character interactions for no reason.
November 13, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I've had to have this discussion in my session zeros, in part because try as I might I do end up getting annoyed when play time gets so sidetracked that one of our limited days to play ends up "wasted"
Regardless of how folks feel about railroading I think we can all agree that even if we're having
Regardless of how folks feel about railroading I think we can all agree that even if we're having
FRPG GM Tip: Sometimes it’s fun to let the players and characters go off on a tangent where they suspect a benevolent NPC is up to no good. But sometimes you need to say, “I’m going to go meta to tell you this person is on your side.” Don’t let suspicion derail character interactions for no reason.
November 13, 2025 at 6:07 PM
FRPG GM Tip: Sometimes it’s fun to let the players and characters go off on a tangent where they suspect a benevolent NPC is up to no good. But sometimes you need to say, “I’m going to go meta to tell you this person is on your side.” Don’t let suspicion derail character interactions for no reason.
Reposted by Scott Fitzgerald Gray
It’s wild how TV told us that conspiracies were shadowy and hyper-competent and in reality the only conspiracy was that the NYT editorial board really wanted Trump to be president so they just… ignored all the e-mails the notorious sex trafficker kept sending them about his pedophile friend.
November 13, 2025 at 1:58 PM
It’s wild how TV told us that conspiracies were shadowy and hyper-competent and in reality the only conspiracy was that the NYT editorial board really wanted Trump to be president so they just… ignored all the e-mails the notorious sex trafficker kept sending them about his pedophile friend.
FRPG Player Tip: When a narrative scene is focusing on another player’s character, you can still look for opportunities to play a part. Asking the GM if there’s anything your character can do to assist the spotlight character is a great starting point.
November 12, 2025 at 5:48 PM
FRPG Player Tip: When a narrative scene is focusing on another player’s character, you can still look for opportunities to play a part. Asking the GM if there’s anything your character can do to assist the spotlight character is a great starting point.