Sam McGurran
@sammcgurran.bsky.social
100 followers 120 following 140 posts
Freelance ttrpg designer and writer found at https://linktr.ee/sammcgurran |1/3 of dontshoutmimic.bsky.social | he/him
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Reposted by Sam McGurran
galacticjonah.bsky.social
I've started a new (written) DnD campaign and despite having barely started, I'm already so unwell about it.
Here's our /extremely normal/ party...hence the hashtag for them: #TheCuriosities

#originalart | #ocart
digital illustration of a dnd party made up of bizarre characters
Reposted by Sam McGurran
barilleon.com
every morning I ask myself what is fucking going on
Reposted by Sam McGurran
zazb.bsky.social
The Screaming Dragoons is a guild of young deserters who realized that they'd rather risk their lives exploring Viridia than fighting each other.
Isometric drawing of four adventurers in patched-up uniforms, wielding rifles and swords. They are standing on a cobblestone ground near wooden crates.
Reposted by Sam McGurran
friede.bsky.social
"I can still hear the falcon's cry!"

(How could I resist this moment with what I believe is Gus, the resident Peregrine Falcon at AU’s Raptor Center, one of the great outreach arms here?)

OK, it’s Fall Break, so you’ve got me live again tonight.

#CriticalRoleSpoilers in 🧵 so mute or follow now.
Matthew Mercer and Brittany Walloch-Key meet Gus, a Peregrine Falcon at the Auburn University Raptor Center
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Yeah this is cool! I find it hard to imagine a whole campaign set in a really weird landscape but I remember how much fun it was when we took an arc in Quintessence during my old 5e campaign. The problem were related but it was a nice change of pace.
sammcgurran.bsky.social
(Unless it’s a relative posting about politics, then 🔥)
sammcgurran.bsky.social
I find myself more and more pausing these days before leaving a fiery comment or firing off a long paragraph detailing my disagreement. I end up quoting Craig Ferguson and deciding it’s better left unsaid.

It’s probably a sign of maturity but I also can’t help but think there’s something lost too.
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Totally fair, I love that vibe too, but I’ve also loved running in Capital. I’m not one for spaceships particularly but I’m definitely intrigued by the kind of things that might be found in the World Below, or the Abyssal Wastes.
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Depends what you put in I guess. You definitely need playtesting for player options/monsters but there’s not much call for it with regions/towns/NPCs etc. Working on a setting project just now about that length and there are definitely challenges!
sammcgurran.bsky.social
If I were you I’d be tempted to just do Rhole, though I guess if there’s ever a Rhole adventure it might conflict. You’re probably right on the audience, though based on the crowdfunding success of the vampire class, I bet you could do it!
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Yeah it certainly is, this is a little like “marks out of 16”
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Yes! I really fancied the Seven Hells adventure pitch on the Patreon. A setting book there would also be 🔥 (pun intended)
sammcgurran.bsky.social
I might have guessed! 🧛‍♂️
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Yeah but having to come up with a system to manage the XP system is even more exhausting.

I’m happier with 16 XP to level up, can be combat, montage, negotiation, or even puzzles, but no calculation involved.
Reposted by Sam McGurran
mikerose.bsky.social
We banned a guy on the Steam forums for repeatedly saying there were “too many women” in our game

So he flipped his positive review to negative

Still totally worth it
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Ditto for Higara, I’m more interested in new things than seeing the same old riffs on East Asian mythology and cultures.
sammcgurran.bsky.social
That’s cool! I haven’t really taken to the Memonek even to the extent I have time raiders, so I hadn’t really considered what their world would be like. Now I think of it though a very kind of Star Wars setting featuring UNISOL and hard light sounds dope!
(1/2)
sammcgurran.bsky.social
100%, I ended up with this like weird system of budgeting my XP/level to ensure players levelled up enough and then eventually just devolved into milestone. Designing for Draw Steel, I can literally put in the right amount of Victories!
sammcgurran.bsky.social
Draw Steel: Beyond Orden or Equinox, where in the Timescape are you most keen to visit?

#ttrpg #drawsteel #mcdm #dnd
sammcgurran.bsky.social
One of my favourite things about Draw Steel is the simplicity of the XP system. I spent years really wanting/trying to make XP progression work in 5e and it always ended up in a hand wave situation. The elegance of 1 encounter = 1 Victory = 1 XP makes it so much easier to track.

#drawsteel #dnd #5e
Reposted by Sam McGurran
pestoenthusiast.bsky.social
MCDM just released the symbols they use in stat blocks under a free license.

mcdm.gg/DrawSteel/Dr...

If you've never worked with a CC-BY-SA license, check out the thread for some guidance.
mcdm.gg
Reposted by Sam McGurran
avasadventures.bsky.social
Undead Paradise is a #TTRPG about zombies who have regained their sentience & are now navigating a mutated world long after humanity has fallen.

The mind is the essence of a reawakened zombie, therefore memories play a key role in the PC's health and progress.

Find out more at: undeadparadise.com
Reposted by Sam McGurran
jamesintrocaso.bsky.social
This is a reminder to try out new stuff that you think you might like even if it might make you uncomfortable at first.
Reposted by Sam McGurran
Reposted by Sam McGurran
rocketbird.bsky.social
The best sword in the Timescape. The best pilot across the Stars.
These and other legends travel wide about this mysterious alien from the Lower Worlds. And they are all true.

Here’s the last Rival to complete the Agents of UNISOL: Blaze, the high elf troubadour!

1/🧵
#drawsteel #mcdm #digitalart