The Novel Game Master
@thenovelgamemaster.bsky.social
TTRPG blogger @ https://thenovelgamemaster.com/
Sci-fi & fantasy author at shannonrampe.com
Sci-fi & fantasy author at shannonrampe.com
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
Got my end of year review of games played in 2025! I played a bunch of new systems and ran 30+ one-shots last year. What are the numbers saying, and what am I gonna do differently this year?
#blog #ttrpg
theplayreports.com/posts/2025-r...
#blog #ttrpg
theplayreports.com/posts/2025-r...
The Play Reports
A Review of 2025 Play
theplayreports.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Got my end of year review of games played in 2025! I played a bunch of new systems and ran 30+ one-shots last year. What are the numbers saying, and what am I gonna do differently this year?
#blog #ttrpg
theplayreports.com/posts/2025-r...
#blog #ttrpg
theplayreports.com/posts/2025-r...
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
The 2025 Indie Groundbreaker Awards are here! Have you published a LARP, table top RPG, card, board, or other analog game in 2025? We want to see it!
Submit yours today: forms.gle/Jgnu7Ev5BnkU...
Visit www.igdnonline.com/groundbreakers for more details. Submissions close on January 31st.
Submit yours today: forms.gle/Jgnu7Ev5BnkU...
Visit www.igdnonline.com/groundbreakers for more details. Submissions close on January 31st.
January 1, 2026 at 6:03 PM
The 2025 Indie Groundbreaker Awards are here! Have you published a LARP, table top RPG, card, board, or other analog game in 2025? We want to see it!
Submit yours today: forms.gle/Jgnu7Ev5BnkU...
Visit www.igdnonline.com/groundbreakers for more details. Submissions close on January 31st.
Submit yours today: forms.gle/Jgnu7Ev5BnkU...
Visit www.igdnonline.com/groundbreakers for more details. Submissions close on January 31st.
In addition to blogging about TTRPGs, I'm also a sci-fi and fantasy author. If you're interested in my books or blogs, please consider signing up for my author newsletter at shannonrampe.com.
Click the link at the bottom of the page to sign up and I'll send you a free book! #indieauthor #ttrpg
Click the link at the bottom of the page to sign up and I'll send you a free book! #indieauthor #ttrpg
Home
Visit the post for more.
shannonrampe.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:25 PM
In addition to blogging about TTRPGs, I'm also a sci-fi and fantasy author. If you're interested in my books or blogs, please consider signing up for my author newsletter at shannonrampe.com.
Click the link at the bottom of the page to sign up and I'll send you a free book! #indieauthor #ttrpg
Click the link at the bottom of the page to sign up and I'll send you a free book! #indieauthor #ttrpg
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
The Bloggies 2026
A yearly celebration of blogging in tabletop roleplaying games.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 1, 2026 at 3:19 PM
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are now open!
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Submit your favorite posts, series, and debut blogs via the official Bloggies page between now and Jan 31st!
Please share this around. I'll be making regular Bloggies-themed announcements throughout the month.
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-2026/
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
Two silly big posts today, the first being the Idle Digest for December of 2025, featuring a recap of Critique Navidad for those who couldn’t follow it closely: open.substack.com/pub/idlecart...
The Idle Digest #14
Idle Cartulary's Digest for December 2025
open.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Two silly big posts today, the first being the Idle Digest for December of 2025, featuring a recap of Critique Navidad for those who couldn’t follow it closely: open.substack.com/pub/idlecart...
Scored myself a copy of HODAG MAG and it is the best thing to hit my inbox in a long time! Laugh out loud funny and awesome content! Eat like a goblin? Hell yes - I know what my January diet is going to be...
January 1, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Scored myself a copy of HODAG MAG and it is the best thing to hit my inbox in a long time! Laugh out loud funny and awesome content! Eat like a goblin? Hell yes - I know what my January diet is going to be...
We all need some more HODAGery in our lives, don't we?
December 30, 2025 at 6:23 AM
We all need some more HODAGery in our lives, don't we?
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
brilliant seraphina strikes hot with an iron, challenging the paradigm of how people talk about rpgs and what people mean when they criticize d&d for "not supporting xyz" seraphim-seraphina.itch.io/my-blog/devl...
What do we mean when we say a game “supports” play?
What do we mean when we say a game “supports” play? This is the first in a series whose placeholder title is “Lunch Break Lectures”. I’m trying to create an avenue for putting my thoughts ou...
seraphim-seraphina.itch.io
December 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM
brilliant seraphina strikes hot with an iron, challenging the paradigm of how people talk about rpgs and what people mean when they criticize d&d for "not supporting xyz" seraphim-seraphina.itch.io/my-blog/devl...
@ktrey.bsky.social out here still doing the lord's work for the TTRPG community.
d100 - So You've Spent Too Long At Sea...
Unfortunate Fates to Befall Seafarers who shy from Shores
blog.d4caltrops.com/2025/12/d100...
#osr #randomtables #ttrpgs
Unfortunate Fates to Befall Seafarers who shy from Shores
blog.d4caltrops.com/2025/12/d100...
#osr #randomtables #ttrpgs
d100 - So You've Spent Too Long At Sea...
J ust as there is a Mythic Underworld and Mythic Wilds , why not also cultivate Mythic Oceans ? Perhaps when one spends a bit too long as...
blog.d4caltrops.com
December 24, 2025 at 8:38 PM
@ktrey.bsky.social out here still doing the lord's work for the TTRPG community.
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
Today, for Critique Navidad, it is the odd and wonderful Field Agent Handbook! What if you turned your entire life into a Hilda-meets-SCP larp?
idlecartulary.com/2025/12/24/c...
idlecartulary.com/2025/12/24/c...
Critique Navidad: The Field Agent Handbook
Each holiday season, I review different modules, games or supplements as a thank you to the wider tabletop roleplaying game community. All of the work I review during Critique Navidad is either giv…
idlecartulary.com
December 24, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Today, for Critique Navidad, it is the odd and wonderful Field Agent Handbook! What if you turned your entire life into a Hilda-meets-SCP larp?
idlecartulary.com/2025/12/24/c...
idlecartulary.com/2025/12/24/c...
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
As we do every year, it's time to vote for the most anticipated tabletop roleplaying game of the coming year!
www.youtube.com
It's Time to VOTE for your MOST ANTICIPATED TTRPG of 2026!
twp.ai
December 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM
As we do every year, it's time to vote for the most anticipated tabletop roleplaying game of the coming year!
10 TTRPGS I want to play/run in 2026 (in no particular order, and including things I've run before):
- Mythic Bastionland
- Draw Steel
- Daggerheart
- BECMI D&D
- Shadowdark
- Delta Green
- 13th Age
- Mothership RPG
- Microscope
- Heroes of Cerulea
- Mythic Bastionland
- Draw Steel
- Daggerheart
- BECMI D&D
- Shadowdark
- Delta Green
- 13th Age
- Mothership RPG
- Microscope
- Heroes of Cerulea
10 TTRPGS I want to play/run in 2026:
- BREAK!! :3
- Midnight Muscadines
- Astroprisma
- Mork borg
- Aether Nexus
- Beyond the Wall
- Dragonbane
- Songbirds
- Daisy Chainsaw
- Ballads of Dawn ;)
- BREAK!! :3
- Midnight Muscadines
- Astroprisma
- Mork borg
- Aether Nexus
- Beyond the Wall
- Dragonbane
- Songbirds
- Daisy Chainsaw
- Ballads of Dawn ;)
10 TTRPGs I want to play/run in 2026:
- Mythic Bastionland (already planned hehe)
- The One Ring
- Coriolis: The Great Dark
- Triangle Agency
- Midnight Muscadines
- Dolmenwood
- Eat the Reich
- Dwarf Mine
- His Majesty the Worm
- HELLPIERCERS
- Mythic Bastionland (already planned hehe)
- The One Ring
- Coriolis: The Great Dark
- Triangle Agency
- Midnight Muscadines
- Dolmenwood
- Eat the Reich
- Dwarf Mine
- His Majesty the Worm
- HELLPIERCERS
December 24, 2025 at 8:35 PM
10 TTRPGS I want to play/run in 2026 (in no particular order, and including things I've run before):
- Mythic Bastionland
- Draw Steel
- Daggerheart
- BECMI D&D
- Shadowdark
- Delta Green
- 13th Age
- Mothership RPG
- Microscope
- Heroes of Cerulea
- Mythic Bastionland
- Draw Steel
- Daggerheart
- BECMI D&D
- Shadowdark
- Delta Green
- 13th Age
- Mothership RPG
- Microscope
- Heroes of Cerulea
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
Finally added my hex, Hearth, to the Hexmas Map for the Blogwagon started by @prismaticwasteland.com!
#blog #hexmas #community #ttrpg #hexcrawl
theplayreports.com/posts/hexmas...
#blog #hexmas #community #ttrpg #hexcrawl
theplayreports.com/posts/hexmas...
The Play Reports
Hexmas 2025 - Hearth
theplayreports.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Finally added my hex, Hearth, to the Hexmas Map for the Blogwagon started by @prismaticwasteland.com!
#blog #hexmas #community #ttrpg #hexcrawl
theplayreports.com/posts/hexmas...
#blog #hexmas #community #ttrpg #hexcrawl
theplayreports.com/posts/hexmas...
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
You still have plenty of time to write a hex (or two) for Hexmas 2025! The map of current entries so far is below and here is a link with all you need to know about the prompt #osr #ttrpg
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/blogwag...
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/blogwag...
December 23, 2025 at 3:18 PM
You still have plenty of time to write a hex (or two) for Hexmas 2025! The map of current entries so far is below and here is a link with all you need to know about the prompt #osr #ttrpg
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/blogwag...
www.prismaticwasteland.com/blog/blogwag...
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
Sure, you know about Vancian Magic, but what about Jackian Magic? (Someone please finish this design.)
www.explorersdesign.com/jackian-magic/
www.explorersdesign.com/jackian-magic/
The Jackian Magic System
Experimental mechanics that combine Mausritter inventory, Tetris, and engine-building into an alternative Vancian magic system.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Sure, you know about Vancian Magic, but what about Jackian Magic? (Someone please finish this design.)
www.explorersdesign.com/jackian-magic/
www.explorersdesign.com/jackian-magic/
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
New Dungeon (in blog form): Castle Claus, or The Keep on the North Pole
A Rankin Bass Christmas-themed dungeon for the Merry Hexmas Blog Bandwagon. Possibly one of my more high effort blog posts to date
#osr #ttrpg
A Rankin Bass Christmas-themed dungeon for the Merry Hexmas Blog Bandwagon. Possibly one of my more high effort blog posts to date
#osr #ttrpg
Castle Claus: The Keep on the North Pole — Prismatic Wasteland
A Merry Hexmas location: dungeoncrawl through Santa Claus’ castle. Whether you lead an elf and reindeer uprising is up to you!
www.prismaticwasteland.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Rather than doing an ordinary end-of-year best of post, I put together 9 things I've learned running 9 different RPG systems in the past year(ish). What have you learned?
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/9-th...
#osr #dnd #mothership #shadowdark #gmtips
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/9-th...
#osr #dnd #mothership #shadowdark #gmtips
9 Things I've Learned Running 9 Different RPGs
I've run nine different RPG systems in the year and change (and read twice that many games). A couple of these were one-shots, but most were...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Rather than doing an ordinary end-of-year best of post, I put together 9 things I've learned running 9 different RPG systems in the past year(ish). What have you learned?
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/9-th...
#osr #dnd #mothership #shadowdark #gmtips
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/9-th...
#osr #dnd #mothership #shadowdark #gmtips
Our group recently finished a run of Act 1 of Impossible Landscapes, and I couldn't have been more surprised at the poignancy of the unexpected way it ended.
FYI - minor spoilers.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/play...
FYI - minor spoilers.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/play...
Play Report: Delta Green - Impossible Landscapes: The Night Floors
NOTE: This post contains minor spoilers for Act 1 of the Delta Green campaign Impossible Landscapes. If you're going to be a player in this ...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Our group recently finished a run of Act 1 of Impossible Landscapes, and I couldn't have been more surprised at the poignancy of the unexpected way it ended.
FYI - minor spoilers.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/play...
FYI - minor spoilers.
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/play...
Anyone designing an OSR game by starting with Borges is doing something right in my book!
I have posted too close to the sun, the hogs bay, pigs in the mud wiggle and writhe. I have been forced to write An OCR, and will be doing it in as strange a way as I can manage.
thegardenbelow.blot.im/don-quixote-...
thegardenbelow.blot.im/don-quixote-...
Don Quixote & Dragons - The Garden Below
making an old school roleplaying game from first principles.
thegardenbelow.blot.im
December 4, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Anyone designing an OSR game by starting with Borges is doing something right in my book!
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
I fear you'll all be sick of me this month, but I just published November's Idle Digest! Subscribe to this if you want to keep up with my work and don't use an RSS reader! Or just if you want some recommendations for what to read and what to check out! open.substack.com/pub/idlecart...
The Idle Digest #13
Idle Cartulary's Digest for November 2025
open.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I fear you'll all be sick of me this month, but I just published November's Idle Digest! Subscribe to this if you want to keep up with my work and don't use an RSS reader! Or just if you want some recommendations for what to read and what to check out! open.substack.com/pub/idlecart...
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
The bloggies are coming, the bloggies are coming!
I come to you like Paul Revere on the back of a liger. The Bloggies are coming!
Like, share, and subscribe.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
Like, share, and subscribe.
www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
The Bloggies 2026!
The blogosphere's annual celebration is coming back.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
The bloggies are coming, the bloggies are coming!
This looks so fun and cool. I love the aesthetic. I kind of want to hack this into a game of Cyberpunk where the party's netrunner is just playing his own solo game
A “souls-like cyberpunk Balatro” coming December 2nd.
Follow along and get the word out.
Free demo on release.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/not...
Follow along and get the word out.
Free demo on release.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/not...
Coming soon: Card Drives
Turn playing cards into a cyberdeck in this cyberpunk rogue-like deckbuilding solo RPG!
www.kickstarter.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This looks so fun and cool. I love the aesthetic. I kind of want to hack this into a game of Cyberpunk where the party's netrunner is just playing his own solo game
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
I had fun at PAX Unplugged! I played over 20 hours worth of games and went out to the local taverns every night. How did I do it all? That’s proprietary, but you can instead read all about the games I played
#osr #ttrpg
#osr #ttrpg
PAXU: Cram a Month of Gaming into One Weekend — Prismatic Wasteland
I Played Seven Games at PAX Unplugged and Lived To Tell You the Tales Thereof
www.prismaticwasteland.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by The Novel Game Master
I just published my first Mothership module: Twinkle Twinkle little star
The module will have your crew investigating a solar research ship orbiting a dying star, can you figure out what happened, and will you complete their mission?
Available now on itch!
personable.itch.io/twinkle-twin...
The module will have your crew investigating a solar research ship orbiting a dying star, can you figure out what happened, and will you complete their mission?
Available now on itch!
personable.itch.io/twinkle-twin...
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Personable
A sunny module for Mothership
personable.itch.io
December 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM
I just published my first Mothership module: Twinkle Twinkle little star
The module will have your crew investigating a solar research ship orbiting a dying star, can you figure out what happened, and will you complete their mission?
Available now on itch!
personable.itch.io/twinkle-twin...
The module will have your crew investigating a solar research ship orbiting a dying star, can you figure out what happened, and will you complete their mission?
Available now on itch!
personable.itch.io/twinkle-twin...
It's been a minute since I updated the blog, but that's because I was busy writing an OSR-inspired novel!
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/writ...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/writ...
Writing an OSR Novel
There was screaming coming from below. Down a short flight of steps was a stone archway opening into some kind of gallery. All Dariel could...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:24 PM
It's been a minute since I updated the blog, but that's because I was busy writing an OSR-inspired novel!
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/writ...
www.thenovelgamemaster.com/2025/12/writ...