Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 1d

⚔️ The Season of Swords is upon us! Swords Without Master is coming out of the pages of Worlds Without Master Issue 3 into a full, stand-alone release!

🔮 Follow the Kickstarter page to get notified on launch in early 2026

www.kickstarter.com/projects/unw...

Coming soon: Swords Without Master

A ttrpg of strange sorceries, brutal violence and astounding wonder by Epidiah Ravachol.

www.kickstarter.com

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 3d

New ep Wednesday! We talk all about @epidiah.bsky.social's Swords Without Master, our upcoming fixup campaign, and bringing on @portablecity.bsky.social as Art Director!

Listen: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/24
Subscribe: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/subscribe
Support: patreon.com/UnwrittenEar...

The Episode Without Master

The Season of Swords is upon us! Nathan and Eppy talk about Eppy's sword & sorcery classic Swords Without Master, how it came to be, how it works, and what's next for the game: a full standalone relea...

unwrittenearths.fireside.fm

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks again!

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Shannon @shannonmcmaster.bsky.social · 4d

Wowzers! @unwrittenearths.bsky.social

Adventure & Hobbyist annual 2025 cover art in the form of a well-packed and delivered poster!

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 4d

Adventure & Hobbyist 2025 is landing on doorsteps nationwide! Thanks again to all of our Scholars who made this possible!

Matt Caulder @mattcaulder.com · 5d

Just got my copy of Unwritten Earths Adventure & Hobbyist Annaul 2025!

Such a neat idea from @epidiah.bsky.social and @ndpdesign.com, I can’t wait to sit down and flip through it.

A copy of Unwritten Earths Adventure & Hobbyist Annual 2025

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Keith @keithsenkowski.com · 6d

I got my 2025 annual yesterday from @epidiah.bsky.social and @ndpdesign.com and it is really something. I'm looking forward to reading through it and adapting the adventurous scenarios for my own games.

The map by @tonydowler.bsky.social is stunning. He really has no peers.

Unwritten Earths Symposium 2025 Annual and Perpetual Library map

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Epidiah Ravachol of the Unwritten Earths Symposium @epidiah.bsky.social · 9d

While recording the next episode of @unwrittenearths.bsky.social with @ndpdesign.com, I realized in real time that the upcoming Swords Without Master book is not a new edition or version, but a fix-up: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fix-up

Not surprising considering all the fix-ups directly inspiring it.

Fix-up - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Epidiah Ravachol of the Unwritten Earths Symposium @epidiah.bsky.social · 10d

Rogues!

@ndpdesign.com and I at @unwrittenearths.bsky.social are thrilled to officially announce that @portablecity.bsky.social has joined the Swords Without Master crew as both artist and art director!

And I am riding miles high after the meeting we just had!

Exclamation points all around!

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 10d

No episode Wednesday! However, the Symposium is in session to deliver the Adventure & Hobbyist Annual 2025 to Kickstarter and Patreon Scholars. Last wave goes in the mail today. Thanks again to our Scholars, and a limited amount of the print book will be available to order soon.

Photo of stack of Adventure & Hobbyist Annual books on top of padded mailers, next to a stack of iridescent Wizard stickers.

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 17d

New ep Wednesday! In the latest Plus Expenses, we talk about sticking big fictional landings, breakfast cereal and our latest playtest of PET CRIMES!

Not a patron? Check it out with a 7-day free trial!

Join Our Discord: discord.com/invite/cgJa5...

www.patreon.com/posts/plus-e...

Plus Expenses #101 | Unwritten Earths Symposium Podcast

www.patreon.com

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Epidiah Ravachol of the Unwritten Earths Symposium @epidiah.bsky.social · 22d

Well, would you look at that. I'm still swording on Sundays!

Epidiah Ravachol of the Unwritten Earths Symposium @epidiah.bsky.social · Sep 9

This past Sunday we relaunched #SundayAMSwords over on the Unwritten Earths Symposium!

And I'm still riding high!

A stylized sunset. The ground, to the horizon, is a flat field of bright green. The sky is purple and filled with stars and far off galaxies. Dead center is a yellowish-orange sun peeking over the horizon. Before the sun is the silhouette of three rogues on horseback wielding swords and staves and at least one horned helmet. Through the silhouettes you can see the sky and stars behind the sun. These silhouettes are casting a shadow on the ground between the viewer and them, which strangely in the shape of the words "Swords Without Master" in a 70s rock poster font. This shadow, too, punches right through reality and reveals the star-filled night sky beyond.

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 22d

Thanks to @printinkling.bsky.social for bringing our Wizard to scintillating life. These will go out with physical copies of the Annual when they're ready to ship (should be next week).

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Jennifer Adcock @jenkatwrites.bsky.social · 24d

my friend messaged me "DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND LISTEN NOW" and I still got jumpscared by hearing my name 😅 what great company to be in, and to hear it spoken of so nicely! 💚

Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 24d

Among the great games we delve into for arcane gems in this episode are Knight Forlorn by @blackfiskpub.bsky.social, Tacklebox/Better Strangers from @possibleworlds.bsky.social and The Price of Coal by @jenkatwrites.bsky.social.

Check out the show notes for the full list!

Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 24d

New ep Wednesday! We dive into our TBR piles to find arcane gems within more recent work, discuss some common themes, and talk about "non-instructional" game text.

Listen: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/23
Subscribe: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/subscribe
Support: patreon.com/UnwrittenEar...

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Possible Worlds Games @possibleworlds.bsky.social · 24d

It's a banger day for podcasts! Thanks so much to Nathan & Eppy for shouting out Better Strangers and @ludopolitics.bsky.social's Tacklebox in their TBR piles and larger discussion of "non-instructional" game text! Give the pod a listen at unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/23

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 24d

Among the great games we delve into for arcane gems in this episode are Knight Forlorn by @blackfiskpub.bsky.social, Tacklebox/Better Strangers from @possibleworlds.bsky.social and The Price of Coal by @jenkatwrites.bsky.social.

Check out the show notes for the full list!

Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 24d

New ep Wednesday! We dive into our TBR piles to find arcane gems within more recent work, discuss some common themes, and talk about "non-instructional" game text.

Listen: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/23
Subscribe: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/subscribe
Support: patreon.com/UnwrittenEar...

The TBR Pile Episode

In this episode we tackle our to-be-read piles of recent game acquisitions for our homework, highlighting more recent work that we've both been digging and finding some common themes across different ...

unwrittenearths.fireside.fm

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 24d

New ep Wednesday! We dive into our TBR piles to find arcane gems within more recent work, discuss some common themes, and talk about "non-instructional" game text.

Listen: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/23
Subscribe: unwrittenearths.fireside.fm/subscribe
Support: patreon.com/UnwrittenEar...

The TBR Pile Episode

In this episode we tackle our to-be-read piles of recent game acquisitions for our homework, highlighting more recent work that we've both been digging and finding some common themes across different ...

unwrittenearths.fireside.fm

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · 25d

Scholars! The Adventure & Hobbyist Annual 2025 PDF has been updated with some error corrections, and we've added printer-friendly print-and-play versions of the Perpetual Library.

The print books are in process and will be going out to backers soon!

unwrittenearths.itch.io/annual-2025

Adventure & Hobbyist Annual 2025 by Unwritten Earths Symposium

System-Adventurous Scenarios, Maps & More

unwrittenearths.itch.io

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Symposium is happy to announce that our debut Adventurer & Hobbyist Annual 2025 collection of System-Adventurous scenarios for ttrpgs from all earths is out now!

Thanks to our Kickstarter backers and Patreon Scholars for making this possible.

unwrittenearths.itch.io/annual-2025

Adventure & Hobbyist Annual 2025 by Unwritten Earths Symposium

System-Adventurous Scenarios, Maps & More

unwrittenearths.itch.io

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

We also laud the providers of fine artistic work we included in addition to our key artists. The Annual includes artwork from @gregorhutton.bsky.social, @salvaterra.bsky.social, @dieselshot.bsky.social, Zed Nope (itch.io/profile/zedn...) and Felipe de Silva Faria (itch.io/profile/feli...)

Felipemuky

itch.io

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Phantasmal Bibliography archives and reviews key texts like "The Position of the Imperial Estates During the Royal Election of the Invisible Dynasty since the Peace of the Talwin Gap Negotiation" and "Taming the Fractal Narrative: An Introduction to 4 Dimensional Writing"

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

Venture within the Perpetual Library seeking wisdom, and see what you can bring back out with you in this stand-alone minigame and adventure map. It can be used as a side quest for any game of adventure or occult knowledge, or played on its own. Map illustration by @tonydowler.bsky.social

Mockup of the Perpetual Library two-page spread, featuring 10 locations within the library and bordered by the rules for playing it as a one-shot adventure.

Illustration of the "Loyal Help" in the library, a purple-robed figure with a mop and bucket and a small bronze robot with a broom.

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

Investigate your new neighbors and discover the curses they labor under, and perhaps confront the Devil's Realtor herself, in the horror-scenario-building HOA crawl Escrow of the Damned! Approaches include thrilling, chilling and spilling (blood, of course). Artwork by @megacarter.bsky.social

Mockup spread of Escrow of the Damned, featuring two-page banner artwork of a group of kids in forced perspective as they approach a spooky haunted house at night.

Image of a perfectly normal mail carrier outside a mailbox, except that they have a skinless horse skull for a head.

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

Venture through a portal in space to a lost land of dinosaur-people and rival wizards seeking power in Mission Beyond the Moon! Approaches include sword-and-planet adventure, escape thriller, strange exploration and problem-solving drama. Art by @gnarlyghost.bsky.social

Preview spread of Mission Beyond the Moon, featuring header artwork of astronauts with kitbashed gear and weapons and a group of feathered raptor-like dinosaurs confronting a large horned dinosaur.

Closeup from two-page image spread of a crashed astronaut with torn uniform clothing, intent look on her face, bearing an atl-atl and with a bloody bandage on one arm.

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

Join a roster of indie wrestlers broken down in a small town, unaware that to get back on the road they will need to contend with the resident interstellar gladiators who now call Ballowton home! Supports wrestling, comedy, cozy, horror and adventure games. Artwork by @sobcomix.bsky.social

Mockup spread of One Night Only at the Veterans' Lodge scenario, featuring two-page header image of an open doorway into an in-progress wrestling ring, where one of the visible wrestlers has 4 arms.

Illustration of a promo poster on a lamppost in comic cut-and-paste style, with a confident mullet-wearing wrestler and text "FIGHT the best in town!" "Win money!"

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Unwritten Earths Symposium @unwrittenearths.bsky.social · Sep 9

🧵The Annual contents include 3 scenarios suitable for use with your favorite ttrpg system, with individual guidance as to how best match the scenario to system via the included Approaches towards genre/tone/theme, and the narrative business contained within to aid at-the-table play.

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