Still going strong this month.

I think taking the month away from NaNoWriMo2024 has been overall healthy. I’m less stressed when I don’t have to fight with a deadline and a word count. There have also been almost no shenanigans in the TTRPG community worth getting excited about so far. In general, things have even been a little less hectic on the home front.

I’m happy and grateful for everything that has gone well. I’ve gotten YouTube going with the intent of putting out a video on the weekend and another midweek. I’m still growing, obviously. It’s like planting a tree. Just gotta wait for it to blossom now.

The torches remain unlit, and the pitchforks are still in the stables.

I haven’t been chased down the street by an angry mob today. That’s a good sign. I’ve seen a generally upbeat theme in a lot of online social media lately. That’s great!

Overall I think most TTRPG social media is positively oriented. Unfortunately the truly toxic influencers are louder than most. I have noticed a significant downturn in the trolling, though. Let’s keep that up.

I suspect the election here in the USA has shaded a lot of our usual TTRPG Community drama. The mass exodus from Twitter following the election and a flood of new people onto other platforms is a good sign. It means the social media presences on the newer platforms have a chance to thrive without all the usual drama. Hopefully we can keep that up with the flow of new people coming in.

My year to date in terms of productivity has been less than expected.

I had high expectations rolling into 2024, many of which involved Shadowdark RPG. As I said in an earlier article this month, things got derailed. Then Shadowdark RPG became flavor of the year for indie creators, many of whom I suspect were pivoting away from Dungeons & Dragons 5E.

After that I discovered and fell in love with Dragonbane. I was just telling one of my kids I can make any d20 product work with Dragonbane. There’s really no conversion math involved. It’s pretty easy to eyeball the conversions and create monster attacks. Someday I might write down some basic conversion guidelines, but it’s really not that hard when you stop to think about it.

This is the big caveat to my aspersions of creating Dragonbane content- it has to be compatible with the Dragonbane Open License. It’s not hard to comply with, but I may have gotten ahead of myself a couple of months ago with my 4 panel GM Screen. I might still put it here on the site for free, but I can’t sell it or even put it on DriveThruRPG for free because it breaks one of the Dragonbane License rules. I really don’t want to run afoul of Free League Publishing. They’re a joy to work with.

There are Dragonbane compatible projects in the works for 2025.

I’m also working on trying to get more Dragonbane related info here on the blog. More on that as it becomes available. I have a million questions for the design team if they ever get back to me. They’ve hinted at things during various convention appearances and interviews, but nothing concrete for my favorite fantasy game yet.

My Dragonbane plans include one or two profession supplements, at least one adventure, and possibly a book with new magic items, spells, and monsters. I might also repurpose the Book of Many Portals project and release it with Dragonbane. I need to re-stat things and make some of the outcomes a bit less grim and dark. I’d also like to do any equipment, mounts, weapons, and armor supplement for Dragonbane down the road sometime.

That brings us back around to Hex-A-Day 2025. A new hex complete with landmarks or other various features will pop up every day throughout 2025 on the map I’m making. How much detail will depend on how exhausted I am. My goal is to put something down even if it’s just the most basic terrain detail. If there’s a monster lair or a dungeon indicated by the dice, it’s going to be Dragonbane. Some of that material will inevitably make its way on here or maybe even into print.

One last Dragonbane note: I am planning to do a solo pass/review of Path of Glory one of these days without spoilers. Much like other Dragonbane books, I’ll be posting the reviews on here. Yes, I’m drooling over it.

On a more somber note.

Well known and much loved ICONS designer Steve Kenson has announced he is taking an extended break following the 2024 election of President Donald Trump. In an email to Patreon members November 6th, Kenson announced a pause on the ICONS Patreon. Normally he pauses in January for a month to recoup from the holidays, but this year it started early, and he might not be coming back.

It saddens me to hear this announcement as Steve is a major hero to me and a legend in the supers corner of the TTRPG sphere. However, I understand why he’s taking the break. Without getting into too much details, I think the unwelcome return of “Lord Commander Cheetoh Marmalade” (*my words, not Steve Kenson’s) has a lot of us concerned for our own safety and that of family members. Safety aside, I’m a bit concerned about what it means for democracy in this country going forward.

I wish Steve Kenson the very best no matter what he decides to do. I hope he knows his safety, sanity, and well-being are of the utmost importance to his fans. While ICONS will always be here for us, its author is more important.

I don’t like to discuss politics on here.

I have a personal account on Instagram and Facebook where I can always vent my personal opinion on things. My blog here is designed to be more of my “brand” or my business. We all know how I feel about that perfeshional stuff. TTRPGs are my hobby and passion first and a job second or third… somewhere on there.

Yes, I’ll always post “I voted” because I think that’s our duty and privilege as tax paying citizens. That, and if you don’t vote, you can’t complain. I took about four years off of complaining once. (Not this election, however.) I most often don’t say who I’m voting for.

TTRPG opinions and philosophies are one thing. I’ll talk gaming and even UFO/UAP/ET stuff all day long. (Yes, experiencer stuff is more serious, obviously.) I make no bones about my stance on certain specific issues, especially when it comes to games. Everyone is welcome at my table as long as they hold no ill will or intent toward others. That has not changed in 40 some years.

If anyone asks, I will always say, “Vote your conscience,” or “Vote for the candidate who stands for something not just against everything else.” I think it’s important for everyone who votes to make that decision for themselves.

Another thing I say on here frequently is, “Don’t let me or anyone else on the Internet tell you, ‘You’re doing it all wrong.’” That applies to TTRPGs and a wide host of other things. What works for me may not always work for you and vice versa. Trust me. I make plenty of mistakes and have my share of disagreements with people.

My advice for the month and really every month:

Keep things as positive as humanly possible. That might become my new mantra. In a real world where everything is going kinda bonkers, the best we can do is strive for a positive outcome. Keep it real, but please strive for positivity, too.

What’s the best that can happen? If we all show one another a little love and some kindness, the world will take on a more positive light. We all need something to look forward to these days.

Thank you for being here today with me. I appreciate you. Please embrace the things that bring you the most joy.