Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · 3d

I am working on a new series of posts on some simmering projects. I'm also about to drop a whole boatload of resources for Mothership in honor of Mothership Month. You can get all this ttrpg goodness straight to your inbox by subscribing here: ultansdoor.substack.com

Missives from Beyond the Veil of Sleep | Ben Laurence | Substack

The tabletop roleplaying game newsletter of Ben Laurence, author of the zine Through Ultan's Door and the podcast Into the Megadungeon. I use this newsletter to share thoughts on the hobby, glimpses o...

ultansdoor.substack.com

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · 6d

I was hoping to do a zine w/ the downtime system I've been developing for my Gradient Descent campaign that uses Prospero's Dream as the home base for Mothership Month. But I couldn't make the deadline! So I'm going to release it as a series of posts on my newsletter/blog. Just like it was 2010!

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · 8d

For those who play Delta Green or modern day Call of Cthulhu, you need to know about the "Shotgun Scenarios", 1500 word or less short scenarios that are submitted to a contest every year. A treasure trove! Start by reading Polygraph and Relief from 2024. fairfieldproject.wikidot.com/shotgun-scen...

Shotgun scenarios - The Fairfield Project

fairfieldproject.wikidot.com

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Reposted by Ben L

Donn Stroud @donnstroud.bsky.social · 10d

Saw this at an antique store. Thought of my friend @grandscheme.bsky.social and @benlaurence.bsky.social when I saw him.

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Reposted by Ben L

Amanda P. ➡️ PAXU @weirdwonder.bsky.social · 22d

Today my new adventure Orestruck is officially released! Return to the Tannic Forest to confront monstrosities, both magical and mundane.

Itch weirdwonder.itch.io/orestruck
DrivethruRPG www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

@spacepenguinink.bsky.social spacepenguin.ink/collections/...

Image with black background of a figure holding a torch in a cave that looks like teeth with the Words Orestruck an adventure by Amanda P. out now

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Reposted by Ben L

Colin Smith @colinsmith.bsky.social · 23d

Astronaut, by Clifford Hooper Rowe, undated.

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Reposted by Ben L

Chris P. Wolf @chrispwolf.bsky.social · Sep 4

Finally! I have been lost for a span of time, at least a fortnight, during which Between Two Cairns, the weekly event by witch I measure the passing tempo of my life, was absent.

Brad Kerr @bradkerr.net · Sep 4

Between Two Cairns is back. "Into the Depths of Kreuger Castle." Podcasting! Indie D&D adventure module review! Male conversation! It's all here, folks.
www.patreon.com/posts/into-d...

Into the Depths of Kreuger Castle | Between Two Cairns

www.patreon.com

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Sep 4

@kutalik.bsky.social's Hill Cantons blog is back with a glorious post. Just look at these charlatans and seedy ne'er-do-wells hillcantons.blogspot.com/2025/09/reme...

The Ten People You Would Meet in a Hill Cantons Prison

Hello remember me, people? Insert the usual round of excuses about life, work, the difficulties of this period, etc. But hey I am writing ...

hillcantons.blogspot.com

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Sep 3

I think more people see a substack post. People like the newsletter mailed to their inbox!

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Sep 3

James Maliszewski has been doing the most incredible series of B/X classes for a Lovecraftian dreamlands setting, some on his blog and some on his new substack. They're SO GOOD. Check out this one: open.substack.com/pub/grognard...

The Dream-Ship Captain

A Dreamlands Character Class in Honor of Lovecraft's Birthday

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Ben L

Paolo of Lost Pages @lostpages.co.uk · Sep 2

Want a weird spellbook? I got you covered!
The Pergamino Barocco kickstarter is live!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/los...

Pergamino Barocco

A weird little spellbook that looks like a weird little spellbook. For fantasy and occult RPGs. System agnostic. Fully weird.

www.kickstarter.com

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Reposted by Ben L

Night of the Living Comus @riseupcomus.bsky.social · Sep 1

Stat this lunar pointcrawl

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 31

DREAMLAND ADVENTURE

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 30

The design of these old covers for Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is amazing

Seven volumes of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The spines show an increasing crumbling Roman column.

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 30

it's striking

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 30

This trailer for the remake of Deathstalker is stupid in the best possible way youtu.be/fAdo8drjc_M?...

Deathstalker - Official Trailer | IN THEATERS OCTOBER 10

YouTube video by Shout! Studios

youtu.be

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Reposted by Ben L

Francisco Lemos @lemosfran.bsky.social · Aug 29

They are a peculiar species that thrive in the arid plains. Telepathic and featureless, they often wear masks to facilitate interaction with humans, and scavenge gear from those who don’t survive the heat.

#osr #ttrpg #art #illustration

Illustration of an humanoid cactus, in the desert, wearing combar geat, with 2 white masks, holding a basket of smaller cacti.

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 28

Still jealous of Toronto OSR after all these years

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Reposted by Ben L

Spencer Campbell @gilarpgs.bsky.social · Aug 26

My first video doing the Designing Dungeons course by @riseupcomus.bsky.social is up on youtube!

I plan on streaming each segment of this process. Today was introductions and theme. Can't wait to dive in again!

youtu.be/v4r3N-Mzw3k

Dungeon Design Course: Day 1

YouTube video by Gila RPGs

youtu.be

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Reposted by Ben L

theinscrutabledr3 @theinscrutabledr3.bsky.social · Aug 25

Drome, Jesse Lonergan

A starry hand reaches from Heaveb toward a supplication with a sacrifice.

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 24

Welp apnews.com/article/us-t...

European postal services suspend shipment of packages to US over tariffs

Multiple postal services around Europe say they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid a lack of clarity over new import duties.

apnews.com

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Reposted by Ben L

Kickstarter United @kickstarterunited.org · Aug 19

It’s time for a fair contract. Our union is fighting to protect what makes @kickstarter.com special, and we need your support. Sign onto our petition to show your solidarity: actionnetwork.org/petitions/ks...

An Open Letter to Kickstarter Creators: Why We, Kickstarter United, Are Fighting for a Four-Day 32-Hour Workweek

Dear Kickstarter Creators & Allies, We’re writing to you as Kickstarter United—the union of designers, support specialists, product managers, engineers, and more who power this platform and are h...

actionnetwork.org

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Reposted by Ben L

Chase Taylor-Carter @chasecarter.bsky.social · Aug 19

If you're a small press or independent tabletop creator who must soon halt shipments to the US because of Trump's axing the de minimis tariff exemption, I want to hear from you.

email: [email protected]
or, [email protected]
DMs: open

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Reposted by Ben L

Lazy_Litch @lazylitch.bsky.social · Aug 19

I have three dark fantasy print bundles left here:
mana-meltdown.backerkit.com/hosted_preor...
Last chance to grab one before next print run

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Ben L @benlaurence.bsky.social · Aug 19

This seems real bad

Plus One Exp | Staying Home For PAXU (cause we live in Philly) @plusoneexp.bsky.social · Aug 18

Please pay attention to the next onslaught against trade happening in a couple of weeks.

The removal of the duty free di minimis by the administration.
This will make it impossible for most individuals to order anything from outside the US without paying astronomical fees.

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