Eric Farmer wrote half of Sword Opera
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ericfarmer.bsky.social
Eric Farmer wrote half of Sword Opera
@ericfarmer.bsky.social
260 followers 240 following 640 posts
Sword Opera
Itch: https://mythicgazetteer.itch.io/sword-opera
DTRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/533188/sword-opera

Game designer and mail fighter. He/him.

Co-author of Sword Opera RPG
Author of Trash Pandas RPG
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ericfarmer.bsky.social
The only licensed game I truly care about has just arrived from the mad minds of @amabel.bsky.social and @flintstonerocky.bsky.social!
A boardgame, Belinda's Big Bonus: A Belinda Blinked game. Based on the novels by Rocky Flintstone. Illustrations by Mouldy Wood. Designed by Amabel Holland. Belinda, a raven haired buxom woman stands atop a pile of various characters from the Belinda Blinked series, holding a pot and plans (business.)
November 7, 2025 at 9:08 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Who robbed the Louvre? Right answers only.
Darwin and Minerva Mayflower, the villains from the movie Hudson Hawk. Played by Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard, respectively.
October 19, 2025 at 3:51 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
I have the house to myself this morning, so it can only mean 3 things:

- coffee
- fusion jazz
- an actual physical RPG book
A picture from the Judge's Guide to Newhon. A black and white illustration shows a bubbling clear goblet with sinister fumes rising up from the liquid. A bottle with several mushrooms floating inside of it sits behind the goblet.
October 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Repost with your favorite actor that's not human but not AI.
Wishbone, an adorable Jack Rassell terrier
October 2, 2025 at 10:28 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Hackers, here's how the Sword Opera power arts might work in a 90s cyber underworld:

Adapt
A quick edit to the school records places you in your crush's Adv. Literature class despite your lack of prereqs.
The german poster for the movie Hackers
September 16, 2025 at 2:46 AM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Sword Opera, and a sweet map of San Mercurio are now available as Print On Demand at DriveThruRPG!

It is still BYO Sword and Flowers, however. ⚔️🥀
An end table with a vase of flowers, a framed map of San Mercurio, and a copy of Sword Opera on top of the player sheets. There is also a cool sword.
September 15, 2025 at 3:44 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Sleepy little everything bagel boy.
Alfred the dog, curled up into a ball, is sleeping on a blanket. His fur is dappled white, brown, and black.
September 10, 2025 at 2:25 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
"Did you get that bear picture for the NWF calendar?"

"Sure did, boss. Real sexy like you asked. "
A page from the National Wildlife Federation 2025 calendar. A bear reclines on its side, front paws down, face towards camera.
August 30, 2025 at 2:48 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Sword Opera - not just swords, but definitely wet
A two axis grid running gun at the north to sword at the south, dry to the west and wet to the east. A purple smear past wet running from gun to sword is on the right side of the graph.
August 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Assuming no one is hurt, it's gotta be so embarrassing. Here's a similar thing that happened to a snowplow on a parking garage roof.
A snowplow on with an extendable shovel on a parking garage roof has overextended, tipping it over, with its shovel dangling over the edge.
August 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Fell at the first hurdle.

Good jorb!
Game setup for Flip 7 Before jumping into the action, it’s important to set up the game correctly. Don’t worry; it’s super simple. Shuffle the Flip 7 cards Flip 7 comes with a deck of cards, and the first step is to shuffle them thoroughly. This ensures that everyone starts on an even playing field, with no one knowing what to expect. Deal the Flip 7 cards Each player is dealt a hand of cards. Typically, you’ll want to deal about five cards to each player, depending on how many people are playing. If you're playing with a larger group, you may wish to adjust the number of cards dealt to keep the game balanced. Decide who goes first Flip 7 doesn't have a formal rule for deciding who starts the game, but most groups go with the classic “whoever has the highest card” method. Of course, you can choose a different way to determine the first player; it’s up to you
July 25, 2025 at 6:48 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
A library copy of the book "The Resurrectionist" by A. Rae Dunlap
July 22, 2025 at 5:18 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
The "Is This" meme. The man is labeled "TTRPGers" and he's pointing to a storefront called Duck World. The text below reads, "Is this Glorantha?"
July 17, 2025 at 9:00 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
When I went to House on the Rock for my birthday, I was absolutely overcome by child-like wonder in this area.

It's so big.
A picture taken at House on the Rock showing the open maw of gigantic whale, with a full sized canoe sitting on its tongue. A walkway is visible to the left, showing the massive scale of this display.
July 14, 2025 at 5:44 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
One thing I love about Sword Opera is that, because I wrote it, it's built for how I run games. Here are my notes for tonight's session.

This, plus proactive players will get me 3 hours of solid play.
Sword Opera Notes Pick up the earnings Organize the show at Lady Manzini's Give Andre's Circle a name Bring Fortunata and Nerissa together - run this into Kevin's "I know that dirtbag" training montage Mixed result on Lady Salerio's Frumio fact finding Enact violence - let them show off?
April 9, 2025 at 7:54 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Just me in my Voidsingles t-shirt finding @jordanshiveley.bsky.social's Hot Singles in Your Area at my local queer bookstore, A Room of One's Own.

A kickass bookstore that happens to have the best RPG section in the bottom half of this state.
Me, an middle aged white man with shoulder length grey hair, stands holding a copy of Jordan Shiveley's book, "Hot Singles in Your Area." I'm standing in front of a bookshelf at A Room on One's Own, an RPG shelf specifically. My winter coat is open showing my T-shirt which reads "Leave them in the grave they dug for you" which is also a Jordan Shiveley design. An RPG bookshelf at A Room of One's Own, showing titles like Queerz, For the Queen, BFF!, Xenolanguage, An Altogether Different River, and Stewpot. Another RPG shelf at A Room of One's Own containing: Big Baby Lich Lords, If I were a Lich Man, The Zone, My Brain is a Stick of Butter, Cloud Empress. A pulled back look at the RPG shelves at A Room of One's Own. It's stuffed with indie titles.
April 2, 2025 at 2:26 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
5️⃣ Star Wars: the Roleplaying Game 1e

Having read multiple versions of SW RPGs over the years, the first is still my favorite. It's a little clunky, but it's still a graceful swan compared to later editions.

And the GM advice! We didn't have to wait for the indie boom to learn to establish tone.
Star Wars the Roleplaying Game The cover is based on the original film's poster, a beautifully painted montage with Luke in the center and all of the other characters radiating out in the background.
March 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
4️⃣ Good Society

I don't care if you're not a fan of Jane Austen (but seriously, go read some,) read Good Society.

Oh my goodness, the writing is so good. Most RPG writing is fine, and there's often too much of it. Good Society infuses the witty charm of Austen into its text, and it's a delight.
A green book on a pink and white checkered tablecloth. There's a vase partially in frame on the left, and a few loose flowers on the table. A floral deck of cards in the bottom left.
March 12, 2025 at 3:02 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
3️⃣ Invisible Sun

This isn't my usual taste at all. Too much setting, based on a game engine that I'm only so-so on, and extremely expensive.

But. It's just so indulgent. It's like eating frosting right from the tub. So many delicious proper nouns.
Orange swirly text reading "Invisible Sun" over an arcane glyph. All on a white background.
March 12, 2025 at 2:16 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
2️⃣ Bunnies & Burrows, 1e

I love looking at early RPGs, because it reminds me that our paradigm could be so different. B&B is stacked with ideas and they don't all work, and they don't all work together, but it's such a creative work in a brand new field. Endlessly inspiring.
Book cover with a white background and blue writing and illustration. Bunnies and Burrows The Fantasy World of Intelligent Rabbits B. Dennis Sustare Scott Robinson Adventure Quests & Role Play Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc. There's a bunny with a flag on top of a tower, overlooking maybe a farmer's field. The detail isn't great.
March 11, 2025 at 11:46 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
1️⃣ Cairn 2e

I'm always in deep flirt with the OSR, and I've been moon-eyed over Cairn lately.

It's just so clever and well constructed. Seriously, Yochai picked apart every part of the OSR, streamlined it and polished it.

Except hexcrawling, but there's an article about it. 😀
A hand holding a copy of Cairn 2e Player's Guide. You can see a messyish living room past the book. The book cover is in blues and greens, showing a 3 eyed beastie crawling up a tree towards some panicking adventurers.
March 11, 2025 at 10:44 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Could be fun!
"GET TO KNOW MY GAME TASTE: For every like, I will post one game I love."
March 11, 2025 at 9:41 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Architects, BRING BACK THE PERVERT WINDOW

👀🪟

h/t to @flatvurm.bsky.social for the sickos image edit.
A photograph of a Renaissance painting. Only a portion can be seen. In the foreground, a barber-surgeon operates on the back of a man. Women sit by watching. There's a shelf on the wall filled with bottles and jars and one human skull. Opening a weird window above the scene is a man peering out, observing the whole process. A voice bubble has been added to reference the Sickos meme: "YES... HAHAHA YES!"
February 28, 2025 at 11:32 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Leh'Gahn Ridge is funded!

Next up: Children of the Night, for the Hot Town underworld 🧛‍♀️🧛

Next next up: Heart's Haven, Fae Austenian Romantasy! By @dreamstobecome.bsky.social and @worldstoforge.bsky.social!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/myt...
Text at the top "Ending soon! Kickstarter" and "Funded!" in big friendly letters. A trio of folks in Renaissance clothing have a fraught embrace. The woman in the middle has her back to the audience, and each arm wrapped around a prospective lover. There is a halo of magical energy over her head, along with some sparkles. The femme presenting person on the right is not sure whether to kiss this person or not. They are also holding a sword, which is gripped by the man on the left. He has his head laying on the bosom of the woman in the middle. A swoosh of paint covers the lower quarter, with text on top that reads: "Sword Opera: An RPG of melodrama and violence!" Art by Jack Taylor
February 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
ericfarmer.bsky.social
Hot Town is our John Wick minus John Wick set in an alternate 1970s New Orleans.

What if we made it even cooler?
What if we added vampires?

Our second stretch goal is Children of the Night, an expansion to Hot Town, which adds vampiric Paragons and Circles!

🧛🧛‍♀️

www.kickstarter.com/projects/myt...
It's a busy night in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1970s. Shops, bars, and nightclubs illuminate the street while pedestrians and classic cars vye for space. In yellow letters "Hot Town" announces the title. At the bottom, "A new Sword Opera Underworld" with the Sword Opera logo: the classic drama masks with a sword going through them.
February 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM