#016en - november 2022 TTRPG newsletter
The monthly TTRPG newsletter from Xapur
Latest articles published on the blog
Having spent quite a bit of time preparing games, I've been rather inactive on the blog this month. One article on a web utility to roll roleplaying dice, in 3D, and another one in preparation on the Middle Earth bestiary (well, the one from The One Ring and Adventures in Middle Earth!). My blog is in french but there is an helpful translation widget!
I also plan to summarize in several articles my D&D campaign, even if I have the impression that this kind of articles is not very popular (my session reports of the Eriador one are not much read). Tell me what you think in the comments!
What's new at my gaming table?
My D&D campaign, Adventures in Phandalin, continues with 4 sessions this month, we have now done 44! Adventurers have foiled the plots of the Cult of Myrkul, who had taken over the Iniarv’s Tower, south of Leilon, and were strengthening their ranks by attacking and killing travelers before turning them into undeads! A curse seems to be centered on the small town and the House of Thalivar, in the middle, could be part of it. Especially since, transformed into a barracks, it is shunned by the soldiers who say it is haunted. Its exploration, with many twists and turns, traps and monsters, makes one think of two things. That the wizard's tower that caused the destruction of Leilon in the past is still loaded with heavy secrets, and that the mages really need to stop their experiments! Not to mention the followers of Talos who are causing chaos on the Sword Coast (and in the group)! Will the start of the exploration of the Thunder Cliffs bring an end to the chaos in the area... or to the adventurers' lives?
I also mastered a Call of Cthulhu scenario, The Ties That Bind, from the Doors to Darkness book. It had been several months since I had done a CoC game and we had a great time (well, if you can say that!). It took two sessions on the trail of a mysterious stone with a small group of three "Explorers of the Strange" to complete this investigation. I had proposed this game on my Discord server, you can join us there to chat with other ttrpg fans - and maybe find games there.
Finally, I'm back to preparing games in a low fantasy universe, with a d100 system inspired by Mythras and OpenQuest. I've talked about it several times on the blog, and I'm finally starting to work on it. First sessions are planned for the end of the year and Discord members are invited to participate in the creation of the main city.
Readings and inspirations
I'm still in the Black Company series and just finished volume 9 (She is the Darkness, part 2). This is my flagship cycle for 2022 and even though I won't finish this year, I'm moving along nicely (I still have 4 volumes to read). In November, I'll start another cycle, the Malazean Book of the Fallen with volume 6.
On the subject of ttrpg inspirations, I read issue #12 of the zine Never Mind the Dice Rolls (while #15 was just released).
I was especially interested in this issue by an article about thieves' guilds (which have no plausible existence according to the author while they are classics in novels and RPG universes! ), another one about Fantasy Grounds Unity (which allows to see the differences with FoundryVTT, my platform of choice), some ideas about how to develop the sewers of a medieval-fantasy city, an article about the history of D&D in 1977 (and the arrival of AD&D, THE game I started with).
I've continued funding the Duumhaven mini-campaign of Laidback DM, with the third part of a dungeon coming soon. And I'm going to draw from the Free City of Vadashar characters published by ZealZaddy for my urban adventures. I invite you to check out their publications!
Supporters, TTRPG content, shop…
A new battlemap has been released, named Badlands Camp and I almost finished my revamped Necropolis of the Damned short adventure. Coming soon! For that, I used my brand new Affinity Publisher software bought thanks to the huge discount following release of version 2, I learning to use it to offer better laid-out content.
The next battlemap is ready and will be dragon-themed.
Follow me on the web
With the current status of Twitter, you can also find me on Mastodon, a platform that I begin to like more and more.
Buy me a coffee, or a tea, or a beer! And explore my shop, if you dare!
TTRPG blog (in french - with a translation widget)
See you guys in the next newsletter!
And do not hesitate to leave a message or comment below to let me know what you think of this letter.
Xapur, thanks so much for the mention and the testimonial! We really dig your work and appreciate your thoughtful and compelling posts and analyses. Happy holidays!
Cliff Dunn
ZealZaddy