1849 California Gold Slush
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

1849 California Gold Slush

A handful of blog posts that never made their way to the finish line. There are a handful of golden nuggets of good ideas in here! But also there are at least six bad ideas.

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It’s the Barter Economy, Stupid
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

It’s the Barter Economy, Stupid

Rules for abstract wealth, abstract supply, reputation, bartering, carousing, starvation, and random treasure in dungeons, and how all of these rules come together to form a cohesive whole.

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They’re Eating the Blogs
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

They’re Eating the Blogs

I am adding a new way for more people to read my posts, but they’ll take my blog over my dead body! I muse about the state of blogging and give some encouragement and advice for people looking to start their own.

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You Got Democracy in My Medieval Fantasy!
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

You Got Democracy in My Medieval Fantasy!

Too many fantasy settings feature the political systems of the real world middle ages, but there isn’t a good reason for this prevalence. I make the case for using democracies in you setting from the perspective of increasing player agency and engagement in the factions in your campaign.

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Horror Prologue Gameplay
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Horror Prologue Gameplay

Vecna Lives! has a famously poorly designed prologue but with the bold idea of showcasing the villain by killing off a bunch of high-level characters, as if it were the prologue to a horror film. I present a way to accomplish this in a way that doesn’t diminish player agency and which can be used for other monster-centric horror adventures.

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Being a Vampire Doesn't Suck
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Being a Vampire Doesn't Suck

The world is a vampire, set to drai-ai-ai-ain, and now so can your player character! A complete guide to playing a vampire, including unique vampire powers and weaknesses and a random table of vampire-hunters.

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Playing as a Ghost
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Playing as a Ghost

Rules for and commentary on playing as a temporary ghost character after a player character meets their bitter end in the dungeon.

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Which Sacred Cow Doth I Kill?
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Which Sacred Cow Doth I Kill?

The worst part of the otherwise excellent "Roll Under" system is that rolling low on a d20, contrary to popular conceptions, is a good thing. Can we keep the bones of roll under while bringing it into conformity with mainstream worship of the natural 20?

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Is GenCon Worth It?
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Is GenCon Worth It?

I discuss whether GenCon is worth it to RPG designers, ordinary gamers, and how to make it even more worthwhile.

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Between Two Jams
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Between Two Jams

In which I implore your participation in two game jams this summer: the Lego RPG Setting Jam and the Barkeep Jam. I extol their virtues and cajole all creators to join in the fun.

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Wizard Diss Tracks
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

Wizard Diss Tracks

Wizards are petty creatures, prone to getting into arcane beefs with their fellows. I present rules for wizards researching diss spells to further their beefs along with a d66 random table for origins of the beefs between wizards.

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We Live Again
W. F. Smith W. F. Smith

We Live Again

Rules for resurrection, soul transference, reincarnation, and cloning (in roleplaying games. If I knew how in real life, would I really be spending my time pretending to be an elf?)

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