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Homebrew: Room Prep

The word Homebrew superimposed over the tops of a castle in winter.

My family D&D game forced a reconsideration of my usual GM-ing style. I’m mostly an improv GM, and that style of GM-ing is supported by the kinds of games I design but also in the games I usually run. D&D Read more…


Homebrew: Urban Scrawl

The word Homebrew superimposed over the tops of a castle in winter.

The campaign I am calling “Paper Chasers” has the PCs as ‘retrieval experts,’ who are hunting down ancient texts and artifacts for the archmage Silence Frost. The players requested an episodic game with minimal overarching plot and a dash of Read more…


The Axe Must Be Kissed

A banner for Sword's Edge Publishing which includes the covers for Nefertiti Overdrive 2.0, Sword's Edge, Sword Noir, F#ck 'Em Up, and Kiss My Axe Second Edition Ashcan

Kiss My Axe Second Edition, on which I spent the last couple of years researching and working, is out now and the response is . . . disheartening. But I believe that is a reflection of my abilities as a Read more…


Homecoming: First Blood

The word Homebrew superimposed over the tops of a castle in winter.

The first step of the family D&D 5E campaign started with a terrified village and a missing child, leading to their first “dungeon” and the first glimpse of the threat that would be the focus of the campaign. Homebrew is Read more…


Homebrew: Chasing Papers

The word Homebrew superimposed over the tops of a castle in winter.

The second D&D game I’m going to be running is for three friends—including the best man from my wedding and his wife—who have been my core virtual gaming group since the pandemic. It started as a way to introduce RPGs—a Read more…


Homebrew: The Background

The word Homebrew superimposed over the tops of a castle in winter.

Homebrew is going to encompass posts relating to my own gaming rather than gaming products—which will be posted over on the SEP website. So, let me tell you about the game I’m running for family. Along with my playtest for Read more…


RPG Thoughts: One System, Two Countries

Two Genres: one side is Morgana--an Arthurian queen--the other is a bad dude with a big gun

That title is going to fall flat for those not interested in Asian security issues. It amuses me and that’s all that matters. I’ve already waded into the ‘system matters’ discussion, and made my assertion that complex or robust rule Read more…


RPG Thoughts: Sometimes You Have to Go Back

Bag of multi-coloured dice with a variety of sides and sizes spilling out on to a table

. . . to go forward. I’m working on a robust or complex TTRPG system right now—more complex than my usual ‘story-forward’ games but not to the level of D&D or GURPS—and I thought I faced an intractable problem. I Read more…


Edge of Inspiration: Setting and Cyberpunk 2077

Abstract colourful consideration of a city corner, with skull graffiti on one wall.

I’ve already written of my love for Cyberpunk 2077, then I did a one-page adventure seed inspired by it, so what am I doing now? Well, Cyberpunk 2077 is a computer game, but it is an RPG. Part of its Read more…


RPG Thoughts: Genre As Window Dressing?

A picture of a wizard on a dark seacoast by cliffs approaching a castle and a young person overlooking a bright, futuristic city

Right now I have a couple of playtests happening as I work on a robust role-playing game system—a game that is complex, with many pre-defined components that is more about player choice than player creativity when it comes to character Read more…