Katherine Stark
@kastark.bsky.social
Bestselling TTRPG author, angry leftie feminist, she/her
Currently writing: Far Field for Massif Press
Just released: Shadow of the Wolf for Massif Press
Previously: Legionnaire - NHPs in Lancer RPG
https://kastark.itch.io/
https://massif-press.itch.io/
Currently writing: Far Field for Massif Press
Just released: Shadow of the Wolf for Massif Press
Previously: Legionnaire - NHPs in Lancer RPG
https://kastark.itch.io/
https://massif-press.itch.io/
Pinned
Katherine Stark
@kastark.bsky.social
· Jul 4
Delighted to announce the new Far Field playtest version is now out over on Pilot NET. This version features a bunch of rules updates, new GM compendium content, and some sick cover art from @dofresh.bsky.social!
#LancerRPG #FarField
#LancerRPG #FarField
Literally every time I delve into research for Far Field I discover a new form of cultural blindspot, historical ignorance, or outright lie in my understanding of the world. It's been an oddly harrowing experience
November 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Literally every time I delve into research for Far Field I discover a new form of cultural blindspot, historical ignorance, or outright lie in my understanding of the world. It's been an oddly harrowing experience
I don't know if this is just my perception but sometimes it feels like it's getting harder over time to communicate subtext through games. Too many nerds are so brain-broken by hypercapitalist "efficiency" grindset shit that they become incapable of questioning the systems they live within
writing an important and tense point of character decision making into the game only to have people dismiss the empathetic option as pointless, thereby completely affirming the entire point of this decision being in the game.
November 22, 2025 at 1:50 PM
I don't know if this is just my perception but sometimes it feels like it's getting harder over time to communicate subtext through games. Too many nerds are so brain-broken by hypercapitalist "efficiency" grindset shit that they become incapable of questioning the systems they live within
Reposted by Katherine Stark
writing an important and tense point of character decision making into the game only to have people dismiss the empathetic option as pointless, thereby completely affirming the entire point of this decision being in the game.
November 22, 2025 at 1:32 PM
writing an important and tense point of character decision making into the game only to have people dismiss the empathetic option as pointless, thereby completely affirming the entire point of this decision being in the game.
Reposted by Katherine Stark
what can i say, i like creating arenas of violence.
(but hexagons are bestagons)
(but hexagons are bestagons)
November 21, 2025 at 9:31 PM
what can i say, i like creating arenas of violence.
(but hexagons are bestagons)
(but hexagons are bestagons)
Reposted by Katherine Stark
And also yes internally I always draw all of these maps with these warmap approach lines because they're an important part of the dynamic, I wrote about it in a document I never finished in a project that's never coming out, but you can read it there
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Map and Encounter design example, a Lancer GM guide addendum
Map and Encounter design are hard skills to pick up in Lancer the TTRPG, a lot of it is knowledge and various lessons internalized through running the game, much like any TTRPG with the level of depth...
docs.google.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:35 PM
And also yes internally I always draw all of these maps with these warmap approach lines because they're an important part of the dynamic, I wrote about it in a document I never finished in a project that's never coming out, but you can read it there
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Katherine Stark
Adding to that a very different part of this made making these even harder, and its a simple "most people don't really pay attention to tactical maps much at all" in terms of feedback.
You can have tons of feedback on narrative, mechanics heck even encounter NPCs, but maps? Rarely
You can have tons of feedback on narrative, mechanics heck even encounter NPCs, but maps? Rarely
Having discussions and thinking about it, and I am not joking when I say that I think the maps for Shadow of the Wolf remain the best TTRPG maps I have ever seen bar none. I'm serious.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
November 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Adding to that a very different part of this made making these even harder, and its a simple "most people don't really pay attention to tactical maps much at all" in terms of feedback.
You can have tons of feedback on narrative, mechanics heck even encounter NPCs, but maps? Rarely
You can have tons of feedback on narrative, mechanics heck even encounter NPCs, but maps? Rarely
Having discussions and thinking about it, and I am not joking when I say that I think the maps for Shadow of the Wolf remain the best TTRPG maps I have ever seen bar none. I'm serious.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
November 21, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Having discussions and thinking about it, and I am not joking when I say that I think the maps for Shadow of the Wolf remain the best TTRPG maps I have ever seen bar none. I'm serious.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
Now, you might be thinking "oh what about X map artist" or "these OSR dungeons were cool". Stay with me on this.
I haven't needed to do any serious image searches in a while, but I just reenabled uBlacklist for DDG and updated it with an expanded blocklist and dear god it's a wasteland out there
I thought it was bad a year or so ago but wow things have gotten even worse. Image search is essentially unusable
I thought it was bad a year or so ago but wow things have gotten even worse. Image search is essentially unusable
November 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I haven't needed to do any serious image searches in a while, but I just reenabled uBlacklist for DDG and updated it with an expanded blocklist and dear god it's a wasteland out there
I thought it was bad a year or so ago but wow things have gotten even worse. Image search is essentially unusable
I thought it was bad a year or so ago but wow things have gotten even worse. Image search is essentially unusable
god, biomechs are extremely hard to design well
we're so close to having something brilliant here, but I think I have to let them cook a little longer and move back to Far Field stuff for now. maybe inspiration will strike later
we're so close to having something brilliant here, but I think I have to let them cook a little longer and move back to Far Field stuff for now. maybe inspiration will strike later
November 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
god, biomechs are extremely hard to design well
we're so close to having something brilliant here, but I think I have to let them cook a little longer and move back to Far Field stuff for now. maybe inspiration will strike later
we're so close to having something brilliant here, but I think I have to let them cook a little longer and move back to Far Field stuff for now. maybe inspiration will strike later
If you think it's socially acceptable to casually call an older woman in your community "mom" out of nowhere when interacting with her in public, you should consider being less of a gross parasocial misogynist
November 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
If you think it's socially acceptable to casually call an older woman in your community "mom" out of nowhere when interacting with her in public, you should consider being less of a gross parasocial misogynist
Resistance Is Justified, by HAWXX
track by HAWXX
hawxxmusic.bandcamp.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 AM
{ this is the supremacy of thought: make your enemies believe that victory is hopeless, that you share common cause against another, or that your will is their will, and they will never fight you. only by shaping the very thoughts of your enemies may you achieve true victory }
November 13, 2025 at 1:14 AM
{ this is the supremacy of thought: make your enemies believe that victory is hopeless, that you share common cause against another, or that your will is their will, and they will never fight you. only by shaping the very thoughts of your enemies may you achieve true victory }
Spending some time working on some Vaaki stuff as a break from writing, and enjoying all the ways I can translate biohorror into game mechanics. Today's focus: drones. All the drones.
November 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Spending some time working on some Vaaki stuff as a break from writing, and enjoying all the ways I can translate biohorror into game mechanics. Today's focus: drones. All the drones.
So far we've raised over $16,000 for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund! There's only 10 hours in the bundle, so if you want to pick up Legionnaire (and over 240 other games) for just $10, and also have that money go towards an important cause, this is your last chance to get involved.
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
So far we've raised over $16,000 for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund! There's only 10 hours in the bundle, so if you want to pick up Legionnaire (and over 240 other games) for just $10, and also have that money go towards an important cause, this is your last chance to get involved.
One of the undersung benefits of heavily moderated online spaces is the ability to have good faith discussions in a general channel, even in a gaming discord server with 57k members
Truly remarkable how much more pleasant the space becomes for everyone when you proactively kick out the chuds
Truly remarkable how much more pleasant the space becomes for everyone when you proactively kick out the chuds
November 7, 2025 at 3:58 PM
One of the undersung benefits of heavily moderated online spaces is the ability to have good faith discussions in a general channel, even in a gaming discord server with 57k members
Truly remarkable how much more pleasant the space becomes for everyone when you proactively kick out the chuds
Truly remarkable how much more pleasant the space becomes for everyone when you proactively kick out the chuds
The wizards of Isha have deeply angered King Typhon by raising the sea floor above the waves and unifying the islands of Ishana and Scuttleport.
In his rage, the king of beasts has loosed one of his great monsters, a terrifying abomination that hunts in the shadows and consumes its victims whole...
In his rage, the king of beasts has loosed one of his great monsters, a terrifying abomination that hunts in the shadows and consumes its victims whole...
November 6, 2025 at 12:07 AM
The wizards of Isha have deeply angered King Typhon by raising the sea floor above the waves and unifying the islands of Ishana and Scuttleport.
In his rage, the king of beasts has loosed one of his great monsters, a terrifying abomination that hunts in the shadows and consumes its victims whole...
In his rage, the king of beasts has loosed one of his great monsters, a terrifying abomination that hunts in the shadows and consumes its victims whole...
Alberto Dianin and Andrea Ruggeri are cheap, tasteless, talentless grifters and I would not piss on them if they were on fire
UK Games Expo promoted a tabletop RPG on Instagram that claimed to use "fully ethical and transparent" generative AI. Everything went downhill once the publisher began responding to criticism.
UK Games Expo criticized for promoting RPG with generative AI imagery
Gates of Krystalia’s creators insult commenters, struggle to explain provenance of LLM training material.
www.rascal.news
November 3, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Alberto Dianin and Andrea Ruggeri are cheap, tasteless, talentless grifters and I would not piss on them if they were on fire
Reaching dangerous levels of Wizard Bullshit as, having tangentially glimpsed his own insecurities and realised that he might actually be the biggest obstacle to his own plans, the Sorcerer considers magically altering his own personality so he never has to feel shame, guilt, powerlessness, or grief
November 2, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reaching dangerous levels of Wizard Bullshit as, having tangentially glimpsed his own insecurities and realised that he might actually be the biggest obstacle to his own plans, the Sorcerer considers magically altering his own personality so he never has to feel shame, guilt, powerlessness, or grief
I want to highlight that this is I think one of the most genuinely interesting TTRPGs I've read in years, in ways that are hard to articulate in a bsky post. @liz-shrikestudio.bsky.social has made something very special here, and if you love TTRPG design you owe it to yourself to read this game.
"There’s a lot of me in this project. Even if I’m often hiding behind the voices of Charlotte and Samantha."
@liz-shrikestudio.bsky.social tells Rascal about the process of creating her pseudo-autobiographical horror RPG about finding meaning before death, but also accepting the unknowable.
@liz-shrikestudio.bsky.social tells Rascal about the process of creating her pseudo-autobiographical horror RPG about finding meaning before death, but also accepting the unknowable.
You Will Die In This Place is an autobiographical RPG told through multiple, fictional perspectives
You will be drawn to this game.
www.rascal.news
October 31, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I want to highlight that this is I think one of the most genuinely interesting TTRPGs I've read in years, in ways that are hard to articulate in a bsky post. @liz-shrikestudio.bsky.social has made something very special here, and if you love TTRPG design you owe it to yourself to read this game.
Doing more geology research for Far Field and stumbling into petroleum geology, and discovering that it is so so much bigger as a field than I could ever have guessed.
Of course now I'm just sitting here going "well, of course it's a huge field, what did I expect", and frowning a lot as I read
Of course now I'm just sitting here going "well, of course it's a huge field, what did I expect", and frowning a lot as I read
October 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Doing more geology research for Far Field and stumbling into petroleum geology, and discovering that it is so so much bigger as a field than I could ever have guessed.
Of course now I'm just sitting here going "well, of course it's a huge field, what did I expect", and frowning a lot as I read
Of course now I'm just sitting here going "well, of course it's a huge field, what did I expect", and frowning a lot as I read
Hey @ukge.bsky.social, what the hell are you playing at?
In what universe does it make sense to side with the AI slop merchants instead of your core attendee and creative base? Other cons can do it, you can too. Nobody is forcing you to side with these losers against your own artists and customers.
In what universe does it make sense to side with the AI slop merchants instead of your core attendee and creative base? Other cons can do it, you can too. Nobody is forcing you to side with these losers against your own artists and customers.
October 31, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Hey @ukge.bsky.social, what the hell are you playing at?
In what universe does it make sense to side with the AI slop merchants instead of your core attendee and creative base? Other cons can do it, you can too. Nobody is forcing you to side with these losers against your own artists and customers.
In what universe does it make sense to side with the AI slop merchants instead of your core attendee and creative base? Other cons can do it, you can too. Nobody is forcing you to side with these losers against your own artists and customers.
So you know you're winning Seven-Part Pact as the Sage when you ask for a new title during the changing of the seasons and the rest of the pact unanimously agree that you should gain "the Meddlesome"
October 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM
So you know you're winning Seven-Part Pact as the Sage when you ask for a new title during the changing of the seasons and the rest of the pact unanimously agree that you should gain "the Meddlesome"
Reposted by Katherine Stark
Tonight's Seven Part Pact Game:
6 out of 7 wizards trying to get their claws into the princess, for various reasons.
1 out of 7 wizards spending his time magically combining a roc, a blue whale, and a rat.
6 out of 7 wizards trying to get their claws into the princess, for various reasons.
1 out of 7 wizards spending his time magically combining a roc, a blue whale, and a rat.
October 29, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Tonight's Seven Part Pact Game:
6 out of 7 wizards trying to get their claws into the princess, for various reasons.
1 out of 7 wizards spending his time magically combining a roc, a blue whale, and a rat.
6 out of 7 wizards trying to get their claws into the princess, for various reasons.
1 out of 7 wizards spending his time magically combining a roc, a blue whale, and a rat.
Reposted by Katherine Stark
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
You can tell that Dispatch is an American superhero story because of the way the heroes seamlessly transition their wisecracks from corporate advertising to homophobic prison rape jokes
October 26, 2025 at 1:16 PM
You can tell that Dispatch is an American superhero story because of the way the heroes seamlessly transition their wisecracks from corporate advertising to homophobic prison rape jokes