From the River to the Sea. 🇵🇸 Author and collector of ttrpgs; proprieter of the Pen & Paper Archive. Banner by @oddsunart. My links: https://sabrinahawthorne.carrd.co/
I just started up a new blog on the platform Bear! It's where I'll be putting a lot of my devlogs, play diaries, and such from here on out. I'll also posting essays there, generally regarding the RPG hobby as a kind of BDSM, and what can be learned by treating it as such.
I'm going to maintain this blog primarily as a place to link to posts there, as well as my usual self promotion.
Meaning: Tabletop RPGs are a form of structured imaginative play which operate primarily via a consensual exchange of power between a least
Cis women of ttrpg world? Loved the one with trans women, but gods did it make me realize I know very few cis ones.
More Women in TTRPGs.
Hello friend!
For folks who are curious, I did a bit of a deep dive into the many and wondrous ways trans women have influenced the tabletop roleplaying scene a year or so ago.
This one was something that I needed a minute to think about, because there are a lot of folks in the ttrpg world who probably either look like cis women or identified as cis women at one point, but have since then come out as nonbinary or trans-masc. (It turns out being allowed to play with gender in a safe space makes it easier to change it. Who knew?)
There are some designers who, if you had asked me just two or three years ago, might have made it onto this list. So I should probably put in a caveat for this list - all of the designers that I'm listing here identify, to my knowledge, as women. That may change!
Jeeyon Shim.
Shim is a California-based designer who recieved the Diana Jones Emerging Designer award in 2021 for Field Guide To Memory, a connected path game she designed alongside Shing Yin Kor. She describes her games as eclectic and transformative, endeavoring to create connections between those who play them and the world around them. I recommend checking out her game Have I Been Good?, a two-player letter-writing larp between a human and a dog. It is a meaningful day-long ritual in which you embody the feelings of a creature who sees you as an immortal.
You can also check out Shim's latest game, The Longest Rest on Indiegogo. It's a fantasy-horror game about trying to escape a hungry tavern that is bigger on the inside.
Pam Punzalan
Pam Punzalan is a Filipina-Canadian designer based in Ontario. She's contributed to an impressive list of works both inside and outside of D&D, but the games that have her name front and centre include Navathem's End, a PbtA game about trying to stop the apocalypse, as well as The Dagger Isles, a supplement for Blades in the Dark that focuses on a new setting in the Blades universe, drawing from southeastern cultures.
For more of Pam's personal work, as well as a list of the pieces they have contributed to, check out their Itch.io page.
Alex Roberts
Alex Roberts is the genius behind Star Crossed, the game about really, really wanting to when you really, really can't. It's a hack of Dread but takes the horror game and turns it on its head by using a block tower instead! Alex has also designed For the Queen, the game about escorting a queen on a voyage where she will inevitably be attacked. You'll pull prompt cards that flesh out your relationship with her as you play, until you decide whether or not to defend her in the end.
Alex describes her play as one that focuses on care, connection, psychological death and mechanical elegance. While the two games I've listed are the most popular, you might also want to check out her patreon to learn about what else she's cooking up!
Meguey Baker.
One half of Lumpley Games, Meguey Baker is the mother of Apocalypse World, the game that started the entire Powered by the Apocalypse movement.
I'm personally drawn to their game Under Hollow Hills, which comes from the same house of design, but focuses on the circus as a whole, rather than the arcs of individual characters.
You can check out Lumpley Games on Itch.io for their entire library of work. You can also check out the Kickstarter version of PsiRun Second Edition, which Meguey is crowdfunding soon!
Meghan Cross
Meghan is a queer, neurodivergent creator based in New England, and creates GM-less & solo ttrpgs, as well as features on various podcasts, including Protean City Comics and Party of One. She's half of the brains behind HUNT(er/ed0, a duet game about hunting a monster and being hunted. Will you kill your opponent or flee? It's a great game for tense interactions and heightened drama.
Meghan is also the creator of Sanctuary & Sentinel, a solo game in which you play as a guardian of a sacred place. I'm also a big fan of Meghan's games Weeds in the Waste and Project Benthos, both of which can be found on her Itch.io page.
Storybrewers
Vee & Hayley are the duet behind the publishing company Storybrewers, who brought to us game such as Good Society, inspired by the stories of Jane Austen, and Fight With Spirit, a game that pulls from various sports anime. The games written by Storybrewers feel like they pull deeply from the passion for the genres in which they write, and the website describes their style as "games with narrative heart."
Cassi Mothwin.
Cassi Mothwin is the author of Carved by the Garden, a solo folk horror game about someone's last days in the haunted woods, as well as Tangled Blessings, a solo/duet game about the culmination of four years' of schooling at a magical academy.
If you like horror, Cassi is your gal. She does a great job of weaving beauty into the macabre, evoking horror not just in her games, but also in works such as The Wassailing of Claus Manor, and Triangle Agency.
Now for some rapid-fire additions:
Audrey Stolze, also known as LadyTabletop, host of Alone at the Table, freelance ttrpg contributor, and designer of various small games, which can be found here.
Amanda / imatrex co-creates Sprigs and Kindling, a free Carved from Brindlewood anthology with works from various writers, as well as RUIN, an anthology of TROPHY one-shots.
shawk games is a GM & underrated game designer, whose top games in my opinion are Beanie Brigade, Cryptid Conductor and Christ Heist. Seriously, Check Out Her Shit.
gothHoblin, also known as Emma Grier, is a New Zealand designer currently based in the UK; who has many beautiful games, but the one I'm most attached to his her Caltrop Core game Space Taxi.
Agatha Cheng is the co-creator and co-host of Asians Represent, a podcast that talks about Asian Representation in the gaming scene, as well as the writer & game designer of Deadly Society, a murder mystery supplement for Good Society. She's also the co-creator for the game Hearts of Wulin.
Plotbunny Games is a Germany-based publisher and design shop run by Andrea Rick, also known as Curious Cat on Itch. She publishes German version of other games, but she also writes her own!
Navi Drake is one half of A Couple of Drakes, a design duo who made bestellers like Hedge, A Court of Blades and Dead Belt.
Becky Annison, of Black Armada Games is half of the creative team and the primary author of Bite Marks, a game of werewolf dynamics, and Wreck this Deck, a solo card game about demon summoning.
@pidj is an Australian game designer and creator of The Station, a gm-less world-building game centred around a train station, as well as my personal favourite, The Sun's Ransom, a game about doomed vampires saving a dying sun.
Me! MintRabbit! I'm a cis woman - or at least I was the last time I checked! You can check out my stuff here.
Anyways, that's just a short list! I hope you find some great games through these designers!
If you like what I do and want to leave a tip, you can check out my Ko-Fi! Tips are always appreciated. <3
This post rubs me the wrong way, and I feel the possibly unwise need to communicate why.
content warning: a cis woman doing her best to point out and articulate an intersection of misogyny that doesn't apply to her. I'm also in the middle of a bout of insomnia so we're running with a pretty precarious scaffolding of coherency. We're riding by the seat of the pants here.
Why do you not feel represented by trans women?
I want to be blunt about this. Trans women are women. Right? It's a mantra we've been repeating for years now. Trans women are Women. That's the operative word in the terminology; Trans exists as a modifying adjective to inform the listener regarding relevant details of the women in question.
So let me rephrase the question. Why is it that, upon seeing a popular post celebrating how many of this industry's most influential figures are women, you felt the need to specify, and seek out only women who lack a single, specific demographic quality? Is there possibly some reason that you feel you cannot relate to trans women? Be represented by them?
I fear my tone is coming across as passive aggressive. I'm not trying for it to be. These questions are rhetorical, but I do mean them sincerely. Why do you feel the need to seek out female figures who aren't trans? What about cis female figures in this industry feel more relatable, or less represented to you?
More than half of the most important and respected RPG authors of the last 15 years are all women. I think it's really, really really fucking important that cisgender women ask ourselves why we feel uncomfortable that all of those are trans. Why we have trouble feeling like that's a win for us.
Because it is.
End note: I'm muting this post. I've said my piece, and in my opinion the body of the post already addresses the counterarguments that I think are most likely to crop up. I'm also not the person you should be taking as an authority on transfeminism in the first place.
i really like this terminology! i think it really helps get at the real social contract that underpins a ttrpg, moreso than the gm/player terminology does, namely that there is a level of hospitality and politeness expected from both parties. the obligations that both roles entail are not identical but hold (arguably) equal weight in determining the success of the enterprise as a whole.
as a guest, you would be rightfully asked to change if you had arrived at a dinner party in fancy dress; similarly, as a host, you would rightfully be questioned if you provided only light snacks at your dinner party instead of a meal!
these behaviours and expectations are not governed by any binding rule of law or similar, but by convention and informal systems of politness. in this vein, a ttrpg is the same: there is no rule of phsyical or legal reality (or even, in some games, ludic reality) that prevents you from diverting greatly from the conventions of the game. nevertheless, there can be a great impact on your expereince, as well as social ramifications, when you break from these expectations.
i think, though this wasn't made explicit in the post, that this terminology does well to link ttrpgs to bdsm. again, it can highlight the social contract of this dynamic, particularly in the way that the legitimacy and power of the dyanmic is only obtained via the consent of participants: everyone had agreed to this kind of dinner party, to this kind of game, to this kind of sex. only then can it occur! the bounds of the magic circle must be agreed upon, and everyone does their bit in maintaining them, host or guest.
I couldn't have put it better myself; an alternate subtitle for this post was, "why not just Dom/Sub?" because my actual ideal terminology would just be that. When I'm Hosting a table, the things I'm doing are largely indistinguishable from Domming, from my perspective. My priorities, desires, habits, are all basically interchangeable between the two.
Something I feel very proud of is that for the most part, the folks I know who participate in D/s generally prefer the correlative position at the table. It makes me feel like a real smarty, let me tell you. It even correlates across more specific preferences. I find that the folks who enjoy having their characters put through the wringer are usually masochists in the bedroom; rules-as-written players also enjoy Discipline in their kink lives; and folks who enjoy bratting tend to also take and leave parts of a system depending on what excites them.
Edit: For some reason tumblr published an unfinished draft, even though I finished it before hitting "post." Promise!
What is the limit between "TTRPG" and "Board Game"
Like, nobody would say 'monopoly' counts as a TTRPG, it's ridiculous, but when you start to deconstruct the idea of an RPG to the basic components of "any game in which you roleplay a character" you start to notice things like...
"Creating" the character of your roleplay isn't really obligatory, technically you can have a TTRPG where you are handed the role you'll play...
"Sandbox" aspect is completely optional too, there isn't really a need for full player autonomy and choice within the gameplay, as long as they are playing the role it's technically a game...
"Exploring/Problem solving/Combat" are all optional, a lot of TTRPGs have one or another, sometimes all 3, but in fact they aren't needed...
"Progression" is also optional, character growth can be non-existent and you still roleplay... well you technically don't even need 'stats' at all, just a description of said role...
"What is a game even?" like, for real... I can't find people agreeing on a definition of the term, for the sake of this experiment I'll say it involves at least SOME input...
By all these metrics "town of Salem" is technically a TTRPG... you are handed a role you play (in this case, in secret) you even have full autonomy on how you play the role, a character objective, and freedom to problem solve your way through social deduction!... but it isn't a TTRPG now, is it?... is it?...
In a game of Catan, you nominally take the role of settlers competing for limited land & resources on an "undiscovered" landmass. The game simulates trade, the construction of infrastructure, and the tense relationships between factions. But Catan does not care if you invent a history & mythology for the landmass. Catan will not change if you give names to each of your factions, and to your roads and towns. The premise - that of each player representing a group of settlers - exists only to justify the gameplay loop of auctions & token-placing. In other words, the fiction of Catan is caused by its mechanics. You could reskin the whole thing and nothing about the play experience would change.
In a game of The Quiet Year, you take the role of a community of people who have survived some calamity, attempting to survive and thrive in the year before another ill-defined event will once again shake its foundations. The game tells you to care about resources, infrastructure, and the relationships between members of the community. The Quiet Year, explicitly and mechanically, cares a lot about the name, history, and mythology of this community. The game's material mechanisms - those being the drawing of cards, turning of dice, and additions to the communal map - exist only as controlled interruptions to keep the real meat of the game - that being a conversation - on track. You could meaningfully play a game of The Quiet Year without cards, dice, or a map. In other words, the fiction of The Quiet Year is the primary subject of the game, and its mechanics exist only to further inspire the creation of that fiction.
2. Defining Verbs
Watch this video of Brennan Lee Mulligan playing Coup.
Notice that? Notice how he's not allowed to bribe his way out of a bad situation? Why is that?
Part of it is because of The Flow of Causality; he can't to it because the game cares more about its mechanical rules than the logic of the fiction it presents. The rules of the game universe bend to fit the rules of the cards & tokens.
But it's also because The Verbs of Coup are defined positively. To misquote Ian Danskin: In [board games], you can't do anything except that which is expressly allowed by the rules.
Now watch this video of Brennan Lee Mulligan playing D&D.
Notice how he just... sent that guy away in a cloud of bubbles? How he gave Pete a peppermint tooth? How he invented that fucked up Santa cocoon?
You notice how there are no rules, anywhere in any D&D book, that give him permission to do any of that? Of course not, right? He's the GM! He can do whatever he likes!
That's precisely the point. The rules don't give him permission to do any of that stuff. But we know he can, because the rules of D&D are defined negatively. To again misquote Danskin: [in RPGs], you can do anything that isn't expressly disallowed by the rules.
The rules of RPGs exist not to give & withhold permission, but to arbitrate - Brennan can invent as many kinds of Santa cocoons as he wants - but he has to give them stat blocks. He has to use them within the limits of the action economy.
This attitude applies to the other side of the screen, too. Your character can do whatever they like, so long as they do so within the agreed-upon limits of the game's rules, its fiction, and the social boundaries of the other real people at the table with you.
3. TL;DR
In a board game, you engage in an interesting gameplay loop which is painted in the aesthetic of a particular fictional scenario, and the verbs defined by that gameplay loop & its goals hold primacy over the fiction. Verbs are defined positively, meaning that unless the game's mechanics give you explicit permission to do something, that thing is assumed to be disallowed.
In an RPG, you engage in an interesting fictional scenario, bounded by a flexible mechanical framework; the fiction and its logical & dramatc priorities will always take primacy over adherence to the rules. Verbs are defined negatively, meaning that you can do anything you like within that scenario, so long as the game's rules don't explicitly tell you that you can't.
Smallest Salutations! Welcome to our first episode of Tiny Test, our new segment where we playtest new TTRPG material. This episode features Ride or Wait, a collaborative tarot based roleplaying game made by our very own Julian! Ride or Wait is a game about waiting for the bus and the strange or peculiar things you experience during the wait. Listen in and let us know what you think!
We have a Patreon! Check it out if you want to support us and this podcast! https://www.patreon.com/TinyTablePodcast
Welcome back to our third Tiny Table Game Poll! We once again received so many lovely submissions and we need your help to narrow them down. We will be taking the top 3 games to Patreon for our patrons in the Mini and Micro tier to vote on
Shepherds: A game of young do-gooders struggling with their issues as they work together, become friends, and strive to protect the peace and happiness of ordinary people. Pour your heart out in a heroic speech, discuss your fraught relationship with your father, and offer entreaties to villains so blinded by their own pain and frustration that they can't see a path forward in a game where the power of friendship is real and tangible. Embrace the JRPG melodrama in an easy, dynamic Powered by the Apocalypse format. Available on Itch.io here.
Clutch: This TTRPG is centered around being tactical and crafting interesting builds without having to use a spreadsheet. All options are supposed to be interesting with very little bloat or useless options. WIth also heavy emphasis on survival mechanics. In this game you can play anything from a cowboy to a psychic warrior that uses telekinesis to wield 4 swords at once. All while traveling across the land fighting monsters. Check out the game here: https://matthew-bradford.itch.io/clutch.
Dawn of the Orcs: Dawn of the Orcs is a GMless dark fantasy worldbuilding and roleplaying game. You play as the magical technocrats who create the first Orcs as weapons of war, modify and improve them over time, and tell the story of how the Orcs become their own people. https://lymetime.itch.io/dawnoftheorcs
Extra Ordinary: Extra Ordinary is a tabletop roleplaying game where you play kids with extraordinary powers on the run from danger in the ordinary world. It is a game of belonging outside belonging, a dice-less and GM-full game system that uses tokens and the players’ imagination to create a narrative-focused and roleplay-heavy story. https://jaztice.itch.io/extra-ordinary
MechTale: Mechtale is a rule-lite TTRPG aiming to offer mech customization while also keeping gameplay simple. If you want a mech game you can learn and teach to your players easily, this is your game! Besides that, it is quite accessible, only using d6s to play, a pencil, and a piece of paper, so c’mon! Give it a try! https://mooniestarstruck.itch.io/mechtale
Spindlewheel: Spindlewheel is a tarot-like interpretive storytelling game where you weave a story from card to card. Using a poetic oracle deck that features archetypes from tarot, fairy tales, and the turn of the century, interpret spreads of cards to generate a world and its characters. Then, use those same cards to unfold the story as the desires of those characters collide and change the world. To find out more, visit https://teacabbage.com/spindlewheel!
Pilot Episode: Pilot Episode is a ttrpg about the past and how we remember it. You play actors on a 1950s sitcom who find themselves trapped within the sitcom's world, forced to recreate the pilot episode of the sitcom and entertain the mysterious and otherworldly Live Studio Audience. https://smallredrobin13.itch.io/pilot-episode-the-quickstart
Branded for Sacrifice: Branded For Sacrifice is an original dark fantasy roleplaying game set in the world of our video game by the same name. Play as a solo-RPG or with friends, and create a Branded warrior from scratch, then go out and slay the Demons that plague the planet! Roll D6 for attacks, wipe out hordes of enemies at once, and generate piles of loot while you learn more about the mysterious mark that's appeared on your body and what it entails. https://fracturedgems.itch.io/branded-for-sacrifice-ttrpg
Deathcap Sauté: Death Cap Sauté is a GM-less one-shot TTRPG for 2 to 5 players. Players will compete in a deadly cooking competition in the weird post-apocalypse to gain the favor of the elusive Shroomp Lord! Using a simple push-your-luck dice system, face-off in 5 unique cooking challenges to see who will come out on top! https://junkfoodgames.itch.io/death-cap-saut
Echoes from the Frost: EftF is a journaling rpg set in a world that has already ended, consumed by a relentless force known as the Frost. In the face of assured oblivion your character carries a fragment of the past, a skill or piece of knowledge too important to lose, navigating the frozen wastes for a year as they search for a way to pass it on to future generations. A dark game that is primarily about hope, it is played with only 3d6, a journal, and your imagination. https://fragileasglass.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-from-the-frost.
Which Should We Play?
Shepherds
Clutch
Dawn of the Orcs
Extra Ordinary
Mechtale
Spindlewheel
Pilot Episode
Branded for Sacrifice
Deathcap Saute
Echoes from the Frost
Voting ended onFeb 26
If you submitted a game to us and don't see it on the list, don't fret! We will be hosting many polls like this and your game is still in consideration. If you game is on here and isn't chosen to move on to our next poll, also don't fret! We may add it on to the next poll again.
wizard college is going to kill me I swear to god. I just saw someone without a component satchel reach into their pocket and pull out a handful of LOOSE tapioca to use as a substitute for blood in their fell ritual. and it worked. I've never been so fucking mad.
I just started up a new blog on the platform Bear! It's where I'll be putting a lot of my devlogs, play diaries, and such from here on out. I'll also posting essays there, generally regarding the RPG hobby as a kind of BDSM, and what can be learned by treating it as such.
I'm going to maintain this blog primarily as a place to link to posts there, as well as my usual self promotion.
Meaning: Tabletop RPGs are a form of structured imaginative play which operate primarily via a consensual exchange of power between a least
