CHAINMAIL: 12.17.2023

cjsomedays -
Chainmail is a weekly newsletter dedicated to sharing the abundance of excellent content available in the TTRPG space. You'll find YouTube videos, blog posts, quotes from books, and many other forms of media related to improving your skills as game masters and world builders. Enjoy!

Ride the Iceberg - False Machine

This article explains why I love TTRPGs so much and why they have spoiled RPG video games for me. Don't get me wrong, I still play video games and have fun, but the freedom I longed for in games like Skyrim and Elden Ring is impossible to achieve in their current state. Setting, game design, character motivation, player skill, all dance together in TTPRGs providing a landscape ripe for creative exploration.

Guide to Crafting Dungeon Traps - Runesmith

I love traps, but a lot of the time I see traps in play, they are boring. Make them purposeful, make them dangerous, make them bespoke. I love Runesmith and I'm surprised I don't include their videos more often. This is an entertaining watch and includes some of the basics of trap design. Enjoy!

"Rules Elide" And Its Consequences - Jared Sinclair

I included this one at the end of the newsletter because it's unnecessary for DMs to know. This won't make you a better DM, but it WILL shine light on why your favorite game system is designed the way it is, or more likely it will shine a light on why your least favorite parts of a game system suck. The idea that "rules elide"(elide means to omit) is the core of TTRPG design. Rules distill the aspects of the game we aren't interested in, in order to sharpen our focus on the aspects we do care about.

If you take the time to read the article and digest its theories, here's some follow up homework. Ask yourself these questions: Why do we have charisma based abilities in our TTPRGs? What do those rules elide, and does it have a positive or negative effect on your games? I'd love to see your answers in the comments below.

I hope these resources inspire you! If you haven't already, the best way to stay up to date with everything hothead related is to join the discord. See you next week!