Damsels & Dice

TTRPG designer & fanboy! Check out my games :D

[damsels-n-dice]

i'm el (he/they/it) and this is damsels & dice! i'm a tabletop game designer, game master, player and fanboy -- i also talk about board games, ARGs and anything else i decide is fun :) my ask box is always open for questions, game recs or general chatting!

FIND MY PUBLISHED GAMES GET UPDATES ABOUT MY PROJECTS SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI MY MOST IMPORTANT POST

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC GAME:

'TIL IT KILLS US - original post - game

A MOST DEVOURING KIND - original post - game THE MONSTER MUST BE FED - original post - game

DUETS FROM OTHER WORLDS - original post - game

THIS GAME IS A MESSAGE. - original post - game WHAT TIME WE HAVE LEFT - original post - game

DEFENSIVE PROGRAMMING - original post - game

TO LOVE A MONSTER - original post - game

[anim-ttrpgs]

it's always like

>TTRPG creators complain that TTRPG journalists never cover smaller games

>TTRPG journalists say their job is to report the news not be advertisers

>”the news” is always at least two headlines for every D&D5e release or whatever movie-budget D&D5e "actual play" podcast is coming out next

[dyslexticgeek]

"When people move to a land that is new to them, they always bring more than just objects. Sometimes, they even bring monsters."

Diaspora is a rules-lite solo-journaling TTRPG where you become a creature of legend that travellers have brought to a new land. As you explore your new location, you change. You may grow, reconnect, or forget altogether. This game is culture-agnostic and allows for any type of creature, myth, legend, or cryptid to be played. Select attributes to determine a creature's starting powers and let the story morph you as you play. This is my submission for this year's Folklore Jam. It is currently FREE on itch.io. I hope you check it out and enjoy it if you play!

Diaspora by TheDyslexticGeek

A Solo-Journaling RPG About A Creature Brought To A New Land

[psychhound]

been hard at work on some new ttrpg accessibility initiatives through chimera hearts!! we're doin good work there if folks want to join us to help solve issues in the ttrpg hobby :)

two new pages up on my website ! one is a checklist on how to make ttrpg rulebooks more accessible. the other is the launch page for an initiative to get more indie ttrpg audiobooks in production, including a list of currently available indie ttrpg audiobooks

check em outttt ^^

The Accessible Rulebook Checklist

by Luka Brave For the last several months, I and several other indie TTRPG enthusiasts have been tackling big challenges found in the tablet

TTRPG Audiobooks for Accessibility

by Luka Brave Part of the mission of indie TTRPG volunteer network Chimera Hearts is to make TTRPGs more accessible. Reducing the barrier of

[filmnoirsbian]

Thinking back to the first story I ever started writing down (I was 7 or 8) about a group of stray cats who, every full moon, took the form of human kids. They actually were human kids, who had been killed (all at different times/by different people). Their bodies were each dumped by the side of the road where a cat had been hit by a car previously, and their souls landed in the cats' bodies. Eventually they all found each other and decided that every full moon, when they shifted, they'd try to solve each other's murders one by one. It was going to be a series, with each book focusing on a different kid's murder mystery. I told my mom about it once, briefly, and she said "Those cat books (warrior cats) are making you creepy."

[filmnoirsbian]

Just finished writing this manuscript, the first story I ever started. 23 years in the making. Never give up, even if your mom calls you creepy 🖤

[hold-on-a-little-longer-whump]

NEVER GIVE UP PEOPLE WE’RE GONNA GET THE STRAY CATS AND DEAD KIDS STORY

[damsels-n-dice]

No ICE in Minnesota

A game jam from 2026-01-07 to 2026-01-27 hosted by jesthehuman. FAQ Can I submit multiple projects? You are welcome to submit multiple games

if you're a TTRPG developer who likes to join charity bundles, consider checking out the jam for the No ICE in Minnesota bundle! it's got 4 days left, and you can even submit free/PWYW games

[damsels-n-dice]

this is closed now, but if you submitted something remember to approve joining the bundle! we were also given a link to another way you can support this cause, run by the same awesome folks:

We give you the tools to engage with your donors and raise more for your charity

it's a $5 raffle ticket and all the prizes are TTRPG related :)

[damsels-n-dice]

No ICE in Minnesota

A game jam from 2026-01-07 to 2026-01-27 hosted by jesthehuman. FAQ Can I submit multiple projects? You are welcome to submit multiple games

if you're a TTRPG developer who likes to join charity bundles, consider checking out the jam for the No ICE in Minnesota bundle! it's got 4 days left, and you can even submit free/PWYW games

[damsels-n-dice]

my game for the One-Page RPG Jam, a most devouring kind, is now available on itch.io as a PWYW game! if you like solo journaling games, or themes of secrets, hunger and body horror, you might enjoy this game. it's a project i'm really happy with visually speaking, so i hope people enjoy it! it'll also be available on my ko-fi and drivethrurpg in the near future, but for now check it out on itch.io:

a most devouring kind by Damsels & Dice

a solo ttrpg about secrets, hunger and the language of flowers.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka Mystery Module Pitch: Resident Evil

I’m just throwing this out here because God knows our team won’t have time any time soon to make something like this. Anyone can take this idea for a Eureka mystery module and run with it. Don’t worry if you think someone else is already doing it, two people taking this same idea are still gonna turn out with two very different modules. And, that’s two modules. Players can play both.

In this post I'm gonna lay out all the concepts and ideas that this hypothetical module may entail. I’m making this a regular type of post where I pitch Eureka adventure modules to the fanbase in a sorta stream-of-consciousness kinda way and offer as much scaffolding as I can in the hopes that somebody will make it, because the A.N.I.M. Team is at project capacity, but more mystery modules are always needed, and if we want to play our own game then the modules we play have to be written by somebody else anyway.

Anyone with ideas they think they can contribute on this concept, please feel free to comment and discuss them.

For literal years, there's been talk within the team about a hypothetical Resident Evil inspired Eureka module. It would kind of create a fusion between a typical pac-manian Eureka mystery and a dungeon crawl.

The Hook

There’s a huge mysterious abandoned mansion deep in the forest, maybe rumored to be haunted, and one or more friends of the investigators who are urban explorers go to check it out, but don’t come back. The investigators have to go look for them.

As for why the investigators don’t just call the police, technically urban exploring is pretty much across the board illegal, and even though a life is on the line, maybe the consequences for this individual would be more extreme than normal, such that it makes sense for the investigators to try to find them themselves first before getting the law involved. Maybe this urban exploring breaks the friend’s parole, or maybe he’s an illegal immigrant.

There would be no cellphone service anywhere near this mansion, meaning the investigators can’t call for help once trapped there, and having a missing friend be there means that they can’t in good conscience just leave once things get scary, not without their friend.

The Truths

There’ll be a pretty complex Truth to this one no matter what. It’s Resident Evil, which will be a mystery itself, but on top of uncovering the mystery of this mansion, there will be the mystery of what happened to their friend within the mansion. He had his own Resident Evil horror adventure before the investigators arrived, and either died, or ended up trapped and wounded somewhere deeper inside the mansion. The investigators will have to use evidence to track his movements through the mansion, as well as uncover what the mansion’s deal is in the first place. If he’s alive, he probably doesn’t have much time left.

What the mansion’s deal is is Resident Evil. The mansion itself is a front to hide a secret underground lab where creatures and zombie viruses are being genetically engineered for use as weapons. There was an accident, and both the mutated monsters and the virus got out, killing everyone there and/or turning them into zombies. Which one of these is the Little Cookie and which one is the Big Daddy Cookie would depend on the specifics of how you write the mystery and clues, but ultimately the “best ending” would involve the investigators finding their friend soon enough that he’s still alive and they can rescue him, possibly finding a cure in the secret lab if the disease is directly infectious, and probably destroying absolutely everything there so it can’t fall into the hands of world governments.

Something to be warned of, though, writing that many different room descriptions to the level of detail Eureka demands would be a very taxing and time-consuming process. And this would definitely require a map.

Gameplay Concepts

This module would use Triple Ticks, and it should probably also use the Rations Optional Rule from Eureka: Extreme Conditions, and maybe even the bathroom one too, though it probably should not use The Elements.

You’d probably also get great use out of the Jumpscare rule here.

If you haven’t played Resident Evil 1, play Resident Evil 1. The HD remaster is really good. The investigators will be trapped in a complex mansion full of booby traps, bizarre puzzles, monsters, and zombies, and have few resources at their disposal. A small handful of guns should be available to find, but each one preferably should be locked behind some sort of deadly puzzle, like the shotgun in Resident Evil 1. Ammunition for these guns should be very limited, such that there literally isn’t enough to kill more than about 50% of monsters present, even if they never miss a shot. Of course this will be slightly offset by the fact that investigators will be able to bring their own guns, use melee weapons, use paranormal powers, and come up with more creative solutions than video game characters because they are TTRPG characters, unlike the characters in Resident Evil. (Yes I know Jill starts with a gun but it only has one magazine and it’s the weakest gun, an investigator in Eureka could potentially bring something with more power or ammunition.)

Booby traps as part of puzzles should be well-telegraphed in ways that investigators can use their investigation skills to guess that there might be some kind of trap, what might trigger it, and what it might do once triggered. This should grant investigation points.

Investigators should also be able to use their investigation skills to guess the existence, features, habits, and abilities of genetically modified monsters they may encounter before they encounter them, and this should also grant investigation points. This is like basic pac-manian mystery stuff.

Speaking of puzzles, they should be bizarre and esoteric and “why would anyone ever build this into a mansion how do they go to the bathroom without dying” as Resident Evil, and should be required for getting keys that open certain doors, etc., but because this is a TTRPG, investigators should also be able to “sequence break” and find alternate solutions to puzzles or other creative ways around doors or other obstacles blocking their paths. Don’t be afraid to rip point&click style puzzles straight from Resident Evil 1 or other games in the series, like “the Butt Key that opens the Butt Doors is sitting out in the open in a little slot, but taking it out activates spikes that slowly close in on the investigator until they put the key back where it was. To escape safely with it, they will have to find a similar item to replace it with and deactivate the spikes.”

However, because this is a TTRPG, you should not try to add “visual” puzzles like “press these buttons to move the oil in sequence between these three containers until it is in this exact quantity in each,” because those puzzles do not work when you the player can’t actually see what your character is interfacing with.

Next, monsters should be a puzzle. And not in the “figure out mid fight that this thing’s only weakness is ice” kind of way. Resource management and risk assessment is a puzzle. The investigators should have to assess if it’s worth the risk to fight or run, if they kill these monsters here that they might be able to sneak or run past, will they have enough bullets to kill monsters later that they might not be able to sneak or run past?

The Monsters

You don’t have to use these exact monsters and even if you did you’d have to rename them, but here’s some ideas about how a few different Resident Evil monsters might be statted into Eureka. You could use these verbatim and rename them, or come up with different but analogous monsters. Also since they’re either mindless or born to be weapons, all these things will have extremely high Morale and won’t lose Morale to seeing paranormal stuff.

Also, like in any good dungeon crawler, the monsters should not be set up as static “encounters” that the party must defeat room by room, but rather obstacles with many possible solutions, including just trying to avoid going into that room altogether. It’s about resource management.

Also, hell, any one of these monsters by itself could be a starting point for a pac-manian or even kolchakian Eureka mystery at a much smaller scope than recreating a location as intricate as the Resident Evil 1 mansion.

Zombies

Athletics +2 Close Combat +0 Reflexes -2 Senses -2 Stealth -3 Morale Infinite. Speed 2.

Undead dudes who try to slowly bite the investigators to death. They have 5 of both HP but take half damage from everything as if they have armor. They will try to Grab and then bite the investigators. Since it’s basically just a mundane human bite, it can count as a Basic Attack and it will only do 1 Superficial Damage and any armor will give it a -2 penalty to the roll. The problem is that there will probably usually be 2-3 of them in a group, hanging around narrow areas that make it dangerous to try and slip around them. They can’t open doors.

If they are killed but not burned, decapitated, dissolved, or something else, they will rise again as Crimson Heads after maybe like 10 Ticks (using Triple Ticks).

Crimson Heads

Athletics +3 Close Combat +1 Reflexes -1 Senses -1 Stealth -3 Morale Infinite. Speed 5.

Worse zombies. They have the same HP and also take half damage. Unlike the regular zombies, they will not go for a Grab and will instead just swipe at investigators with mutated claws which will do 1 Penetrative Damage but will be affected by most armor.

Zombie Dogs

Athletics +2 Close Combat +1 Reflexes -1 Senses +0 Stealth -1 Morale Infinite. Speed 6.

These would fight and attack like the normal wolf forms found in the Werewolf Mage Power and Wolfman Trait. 5 of both HPs.

Hunters

Athletics +3 Close Combat +2 Reflexes +2 Senses +1 Stealth +1 Morale 5 Speed 5

These things have 5 of both HPs and take half damage from melee weapons and pistol rounds. They’re smart enough to ambush, flank, track, isolate, etc.. They attack by making Basic Attacks with their claws which do 4 Penetrative Damage but can be reduced by armor. They might be able to bust through doors or smart enough to try and find another way around if they’re blocked off.

Small Lickers

Athletics +1 Close Combat +2 Reflexes +3 Senses +3 Stealth +2 Morale 5 Speed 3.

These things have 5 of both HPs and no armor. They’re also completely blind and hunt by sound and smell, which means while they will be aware that the investigators are present basically always, it'll take a Senses vs Stealth roll for them to pin down their prey’s exact location for an attack. They’ll use their extremely long tongues to make Grab attacks from a distance of up to 15 feet, which they will then progress to a Submission Hold and try to kill their victims that way. If they need to they can also make claw attacks for 1 Penetrative Damage.

Big Lickers

Athletics +4 Close Combat +2 Reflexes +3 Senses +3 Stealth +1 Morale 5 Speed 5.

Same as the small lickers, but with 9 of both HPs and more likely to just go for a claw attack, which does 4 Penetrative Damage, before or after the tongue Grab.

RE1 Tyrant

Athletics +8 Close Combat +3 Reflexes +0 Senses +0 Stealth -2 Morale 5 Speed 2.

The big guy. 17 of both HPs. Takes half damage from everything and has an ability similar to the Vampire Trait’s Revival where they can fully restore HP as an Action, and 2 Eureka! Points to use with it. Capable of everything a hunter is as far as tactics. Attacks with his big claw arm that does 4 Penetrative Damage and should probably ignore most if not all body armor.

RE2 Tyrant

Athletics +8 Close Combat +3 Reflexes +0 Senses +0 Stealth -2 Morale 5 Speed 2.

Mr. X. The same in every way except for the fact that he has regular fists (at least normally) that he punches with for 4 Penetrative Damage that can be reduced by armor. He also has a bullet proof tench coat that can reduce damage by half on top of him already taking half damage from being a superhumanly tough monster like he is.

Hunter Gamma

Athletics +3 Close Combat +2 Reflexes +2 Senses +1 Stealth +1 Morale 5 Speed 4

I almost forgot about these because when I played Resident Evil 3 I only encountered them for the like 5 seconds it takes to run away from them in that one room as Carlos and then never again. But I know a certain subset of our fanbase would want them to be represented. They have 5 of both HPs and take half damage from melee weapons. They’re smart enough to ambush, flank, track, isolate, etc.. They attack by making Grabs and then Swallowing Holds like the Gorgon and Man-eater Trait are able to do. They might be able to bust through doors or smart enough to try and find another way around if they’re blocked off.

[myrmidia]

Hi #portfolioday I’m Myr & I draw moody fantasy commissions for cool people (you) ✨

[damsels-n-dice]

No ICE in Minnesota

A game jam from 2026-01-07 to 2026-01-27 hosted by jesthehuman. FAQ Can I submit multiple projects? You are welcome to submit multiple games

if you're a TTRPG developer who likes to join charity bundles, consider checking out the jam for the No ICE in Minnesota bundle! it's got 4 days left, and you can even submit free/PWYW games

[anim-ttrpgs]

Are there any Eureka modules that can play in one session? I'm GMing at my local one-shot event and I was thinking of introducing them to Eureka.

Horror Harry's Haunted House is made to be played in one session. The Eye of Neptune can also probably be played in one session.

The version of Horror Harry's Haunted House that is currently on the itchio page is a bit out-dated since we're behind with some stuff, so I'll include some instructions for it here that we have since added to the document itself.

[essektheylyss]

Are you a TTRPG player, designer, or publisher? Please take my research survey on how TTRPGs are cataloged and classified so that my capstone team can work on helping you find or sell more TTRPGs in the future!

This survey is a part of an MLIS Capstone project aiming to improve the ways we can catalog and search for Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRP

We're planning to create a database for finding TTRPGs that'll be filterable based on the responses we get here, so if you're at all interested in how easy it is to find games that you like, we'd love to have your feedback.

We'll also be holding interviews with both players and designers/publishers to get some more in-depth feedback; if you are interested in participating, you can leave your email at the end of the survey and we'll follow up.

And if you feel so inclined, please share the survey with others who you think would want to participate!

[essektheylyss]

#oh shit! #brb gonna make a poster and hang it on the cork boards at work #(work is a flgs) (via @mollymauknroll)

First of all THANK YOU second of all for anyone at a friendly local game store who wants to post this somewhere, we have both a short URL (bit.ly/ttrpgcataloging) and a QR code for convenience!

[gwidoin]

@theresattrpgforthat

Might interest you?

[theresattrpgforthat]

Thanks for the heads up!

[thecoppercompendium]

Saw this on Bluesky too, and thought it might be worth pointing in the direction of one of the projects I'm currently working on, as it may be relevant:

Main Page

[psychhound]

emergency ttrpg layout commissions!!

hello!! i am opening up emergency ttrpg layout commissions because im behind on rent for this month (jan 2025)

prices are flexible and i can work with your budget (to a reasonable degree). i have very fast turnaround times and have worked with four happy clients so far as well as having done the layout for all of my own ttrpgs. half will need to be paid upfront after i accept the job

(i work in affinity!! if you dont have affinity 2, there is a new free version through canva that can open affinity 2 files)

[ID: 10 screenshots showing pages or spreads from ttrpgs. end ID] (the first 3 are client commissions!!)

if youre interested please send me the following over dm or discord:

brief description of the project

number of unique pages desired (or potential range) and if you need a cover as well (ex: if your game will have a cover and a standard, repeated layout on each page following then say 1 page + cover. if youre looking for a fully designed zine, you might say 40-60 page range but i have a cover artist. etc)

budget (or range)

timeline (if any)

links to your itch / drivethru / website etc

spreading the word also very appreciated :)

happy new year!!

[thydungeongal]

hi! do you have any recommendations for tabletop games in which character creation is done entirely or mostly as a collaborative process, as in they’re created as a group and each player then chooses one to play or something similar? i’m working on a study on ttrpgs and id love some recs!! thank you!

I don't know anything exactly like the sort of thing you're describing, but it actually sounds like an awesome idea! I love the idea of the group creating the entire ensemble cast collaboratively and only then picking who plays whom! While I don't know anything exactly like this, I do have some games that hit on some of those notes:

Vampire: the Masquerade 5e has a process of character creation where players create their own individual characters but after that they collaborate together to create their Coterie ("vampire adventuring party" if you'll let me be a bit snide). Coterie creation basically establishes the group's shared resources and goals as well as provides a bit of grounding as to why these disparate vampires are working together. @tinytablepodcast is currently playing it, they've just put out their rules overview episode!

Blades in the Dark and other games that use its framework (called Forged in the Dark) have players create a sort of a shared organization or other structure that connects their characters and that thing they create is effectively something everyone gets a say in creating and running. In Blades it's the player characters' gang, in Scum and Villainy it's their ship, and so on. Players still do have their own individual characters, but the game also expects players to rotate their characters in and out of play.

The game that I think hits closest to what you describe is Band of Blades, which is a Forged in the Dark game. In Band of Blades the shared organization that the players control is a mercenary band, and while each player has an individual character they control who controls some part of the band's organization, the players also have shared control of all soldiers in the band. Most of those soldiers are nameless background NPCs but some are fleshed out during play, and theoretically for any session that requires zoomed in play players can just grab whoever they want to play that session.

But honestly, I'm actually kind of sad that I can't think of a game like the one you describe where players create a shared roster and then pick characters from it! It actually sounds super fun! I could see multiple genres it might work in (mercenary band, superhero group, a Sentai team, a girl/boy/rock band)! Thanks for putting that idea in my head now! :D

[vixensdungeon]

Ars Magica, where you roll a number for your stat and then another player rolls a number to subtract from it. Also you make a bunch of shared secondary characters anyone can play.

Also Lohikäärmeliitto, in which you absolutely have to make characters together because there’s stuff like timed stat rolling and votes for who has to be a certain class.

[cin-is-a-nominalist]

Top shortage vs. TTRPG GM shortage:

Large numbers of inexperienced people wanting to play out elaborate fantasies just like they've seen in their favorite media

Large demands being made while simultaneously refusing to yield control: you are a prop in the advancement of my scenario

The culture is starting to accept "you do all the work and get none of the reward" as a reasonable rule

More scripts, less improv

Respect and etiquette out the fucking window

Everybody shrugs and goes "I wonder why this is happening"

[anim-ttrpgs]

In case anyone is still intimidated by the size of the Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy rulebook PDF, I counted and confirmed that 437 out of 737 pages consist entirely of roll tables, lists, and character options, leaving only 300 pages of actual rules rules. And of those 300 pages, about 100 are bullet point summaries that we put at the end of each section to make it even easier to read and memorize.