System Mastery
@systemmastery.bsky.social
Jef & Jon. Hosts of the System Mastery podcast and more. Reviewing old TTRPGs, bad movies, Star Wars novels, and whatever else we get opinionated about.
Authors of Düngeonmeister and The Düngeonmeister Cookbook
Authors of Düngeonmeister and The Düngeonmeister Cookbook
We know you've got a choice in heroes this Halloween. Thanks for going Gold.
November 1, 2025 at 1:30 AM
We know you've got a choice in heroes this Halloween. Thanks for going Gold.
Wild that we wrote a book that did well enough they let us make another edition of it but here we are. Dungeonmeister Expanded! Available for preorder wherever books are sold, releasing September 28! A whole new chapter of alcohol-free recipes and several more new drinks besides!
September 22, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Wild that we wrote a book that did well enough they let us make another edition of it but here we are. Dungeonmeister Expanded! Available for preorder wherever books are sold, releasing September 28! A whole new chapter of alcohol-free recipes and several more new drinks besides!
Oh I figured it was because Disney was hungry for 2014 to be the year that Tumblr was just millions of Elsa recolors with different elemental power sets, like fire, or ...fox.
September 21, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Oh I figured it was because Disney was hungry for 2014 to be the year that Tumblr was just millions of Elsa recolors with different elemental power sets, like fire, or ...fox.
Took the kid to Chilis today where we figured out her rap name
July 6, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Took the kid to Chilis today where we figured out her rap name
Hey D&D, what's a highly generative designer? D&D? Hey D&D! Hey! What's generative mean in this context? Hey yeah hi. Just one question for D&D here.
March 12, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Hey D&D, what's a highly generative designer? D&D? Hey D&D! Hey! What's generative mean in this context? Hey yeah hi. Just one question for D&D here.
The Dungeonmeister RPG Sticker Book is in stores today! Get like 500 adorable stickers for your RPG campaign or just to decorate anything you can affix stickers to, I'm not your boss!
a.co/d/b9DixrC
a.co/d/b9DixrC
February 18, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Dungeonmeister RPG Sticker Book is in stores today! Get like 500 adorable stickers for your RPG campaign or just to decorate anything you can affix stickers to, I'm not your boss!
a.co/d/b9DixrC
a.co/d/b9DixrC
Gross, Michelle.
January 21, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Gross, Michelle.
My copy is already falling apart so luckily I could just isolate a page to photo. Try and look at this space lady and her vehicles without experiencing total delight, I dare you.
December 6, 2024 at 6:28 PM
My copy is already falling apart so luckily I could just isolate a page to photo. Try and look at this space lady and her vehicles without experiencing total delight, I dare you.
Raven Star! Here's an old favorite. It's space opera, but they went really hard on weird fun comic-booky species. If you fondly remember our bonus content episodes, this is the origin book for Cap'n Beefdip. Also I need to go right back to the garage and get one of the interior CG art pages.
December 6, 2024 at 6:17 PM
Raven Star! Here's an old favorite. It's space opera, but they went really hard on weird fun comic-booky species. If you fondly remember our bonus content episodes, this is the origin book for Cap'n Beefdip. Also I need to go right back to the garage and get one of the interior CG art pages.
...Comes great forgetability. Seriously, what was this? I've read so many of these little super hero games from the early 90s to mid 2000s.
December 6, 2024 at 6:15 PM
...Comes great forgetability. Seriously, what was this? I've read so many of these little super hero games from the early 90s to mid 2000s.
Gotta put some OGL detritus in here too, yeah? Here's OGL Ancients, which I'm gonna be honest, I thought I grabbed Testament D20, the bible one. I haven't read this. It appears to be about statting out Romans and Egyptians though. Which one gets +2 STR I wonder.
December 6, 2024 at 6:12 PM
Gotta put some OGL detritus in here too, yeah? Here's OGL Ancients, which I'm gonna be honest, I thought I grabbed Testament D20, the bible one. I haven't read this. It appears to be about statting out Romans and Egyptians though. Which one gets +2 STR I wonder.
So Providence here is set in a bubble world that is slowly filling up with water that will kill everyone eventually. Also everyone has various sorts of wings, and they all came here from another dimension as like... prisoners or something. It's also vaguely Australian in some ways I think?
December 6, 2024 at 6:06 PM
So Providence here is set in a bubble world that is slowly filling up with water that will kill everyone eventually. Also everyone has various sorts of wings, and they all came here from another dimension as like... prisoners or something. It's also vaguely Australian in some ways I think?
Here's a game about sky pirates using a dimensional storm to raid all manner of other worlds, but really, the best part about Maelstrom is "Hey how big should we put our company logo on here?" "Bigger than the title for sure." "Yeah, we're never gonna fail. We should name our company accordingly."
December 6, 2024 at 6:04 PM
Here's a game about sky pirates using a dimensional storm to raid all manner of other worlds, but really, the best part about Maelstrom is "Hey how big should we put our company logo on here?" "Bigger than the title for sure." "Yeah, we're never gonna fail. We should name our company accordingly."
Also here's Future Nexus. I don't remember what's in here, but probably a nexus or even several nexuses (nexodes? nexii?)
December 6, 2024 at 6:01 PM
Also here's Future Nexus. I don't remember what's in here, but probably a nexus or even several nexuses (nexodes? nexii?)
I already posted Nexus, the RPG that's one giant LARP for like 120 people. But it turns out that Nexus is just such a good title that it shows up a lot. Here's Nexus, The Infinite City. The title actually sums it up pretty well, it's a dimensional fuckery game where you play in an infinite world.
December 6, 2024 at 6:00 PM
I already posted Nexus, the RPG that's one giant LARP for like 120 people. But it turns out that Nexus is just such a good title that it shows up a lot. Here's Nexus, The Infinite City. The title actually sums it up pretty well, it's a dimensional fuckery game where you play in an infinite world.
I am always forgetting what the thrust of the various weird little bespoke horror titles we have is. I don't think this is the Safeway-brand Cenobites one, and I'm pretty sure it isn't the Capgras delusion one... neat cover though.
December 6, 2024 at 5:38 PM
I am always forgetting what the thrust of the various weird little bespoke horror titles we have is. I don't think this is the Safeway-brand Cenobites one, and I'm pretty sure it isn't the Capgras delusion one... neat cover though.
Shatterzone, in the original West End Games loadout. This is a space opera game that will be uhhh... let's just say very very familiar to fans of a certain series of wars in some stars.
December 6, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Shatterzone, in the original West End Games loadout. This is a space opera game that will be uhhh... let's just say very very familiar to fans of a certain series of wars in some stars.
Okay, last one for now. Why it's Dark Continent: Adventures & Exploration in Darkest Africa! Uhhh... so yeah, this was definitely a bad idea for an RPG. In practice it's more boring than actively shitty, but dang that it's real, right? Also dude, where you'd buy those pants, from Tom of Finland?
December 5, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Okay, last one for now. Why it's Dark Continent: Adventures & Exploration in Darkest Africa! Uhhh... so yeah, this was definitely a bad idea for an RPG. In practice it's more boring than actively shitty, but dang that it's real, right? Also dude, where you'd buy those pants, from Tom of Finland?
I only vaguely remember what this even was, but how are you gonna forget that Bosch-ass cover? It's Muse!
December 5, 2024 at 8:16 PM
I only vaguely remember what this even was, but how are you gonna forget that Bosch-ass cover? It's Muse!
Okay, Jon reminded me I have to post episodes today. So here's the last few for now. Savage Worlds: Rifts box. Palladium has elected to throw in their lot with chuds recently, so I'm really glad that Pinnacle is making good stuff out of old stuff nowadays. I have ALL of this. It's an addiction.
December 5, 2024 at 8:14 PM
Okay, Jon reminded me I have to post episodes today. So here's the last few for now. Savage Worlds: Rifts box. Palladium has elected to throw in their lot with chuds recently, so I'm really glad that Pinnacle is making good stuff out of old stuff nowadays. I have ALL of this. It's an addiction.
This one gets trotted out as a joke a lot, but frankly it's a very playable LARP style mixed PVE/PVP social combat game from 19 fucking 80. Did it basically destroy a company? Yes, probably. But I've run Dallas and let me tell you, it works. Also now you have to explain so many things about the era.
December 5, 2024 at 8:03 PM
This one gets trotted out as a joke a lot, but frankly it's a very playable LARP style mixed PVE/PVP social combat game from 19 fucking 80. Did it basically destroy a company? Yes, probably. But I've run Dallas and let me tell you, it works. Also now you have to explain so many things about the era.
Speaking of rarities, this is Amethyst: Foundations. It's a GSL game. You remember GSL, right? That's OGL, but for 4th edition rules! No one used them, the license deal was worse and also 4e, which we love, is not especially easy to design for. But it's nice that these folks took a crack at it.
December 5, 2024 at 7:57 PM
Speaking of rarities, this is Amethyst: Foundations. It's a GSL game. You remember GSL, right? That's OGL, but for 4th edition rules! No one used them, the license deal was worse and also 4e, which we love, is not especially easy to design for. But it's nice that these folks took a crack at it.
In all our years of doing this, games like Nexus here have remained shockingly rare. It's a LARP game, designed for up to 120 players, and is also a wholly original story designed and told entirely in just this one book. I think we've only ever seen one other game that was meant for this market.
December 5, 2024 at 7:53 PM
In all our years of doing this, games like Nexus here have remained shockingly rare. It's a LARP game, designed for up to 120 players, and is also a wholly original story designed and told entirely in just this one book. I think we've only ever seen one other game that was meant for this market.
Prime Directive: The Star Fleet Universe RPG. If you've never looked up Amarillo Design Bureau and the story of the Star Fleet Battles universe, you're in for a fun afternoon of wiki deep diving. This post is primarily aimed at Dan.
December 5, 2024 at 7:50 PM
Prime Directive: The Star Fleet Universe RPG. If you've never looked up Amarillo Design Bureau and the story of the Star Fleet Battles universe, you're in for a fun afternoon of wiki deep diving. This post is primarily aimed at Dan.