J Ryan
@jspaceryan.bsky.social
Archaeologist. Runner, reader, TTRPG GM/player, sports fan, and cook. Opinions are my own.
Yes, include the date in the file name. Don’t just rely on “last modified”. And please for all things good, do not use “new”, “old” or similar adjectives
I don't know who needs to hear this but when you make digital backups of important documents: name them something obvious & include dates. That makes them MUCH easier to search & find. You'll thank yourself later.
Also thank you whoever gave that advice to past Lauren, and thank you past Lauren.
Also thank you whoever gave that advice to past Lauren, and thank you past Lauren.
January 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Yes, include the date in the file name. Don’t just rely on “last modified”. And please for all things good, do not use “new”, “old” or similar adjectives
Slightly diminish a game
Dungeons or Dragons
Dungeons or Dragons
Slightly diminish a game.
Penultimate Fantasy.
Penultimate Fantasy.
Slightly diminish a game.
Resident Unethical
Resident Unethical
January 11, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Slightly diminish a game
Dungeons or Dragons
Dungeons or Dragons
Oh man, same.
Disappointing series finales? I’m an old pro. Nothing will ever hurt me as much as a black screen/white text final shot telling me that Dr. Samuel Beckett never made it home.
January 7, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Oh man, same.
Charles Alderton invented it in 1885 at the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, TX. He wanted the beverage to taste like the soda fountain there smelled.
Now to discuss a less controversial topic:
Dr. Pepper is the grossest soft drink ever invented.
Dr. Pepper is the grossest soft drink ever invented.
a monster is holding a can of dr pepper in its mouth
ALT: a monster is holding a can of dr pepper in its mouth
media.tenor.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Charles Alderton invented it in 1885 at the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, TX. He wanted the beverage to taste like the soda fountain there smelled.
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
December 28, 2025 at 4:10 AM
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn't nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
10 things I want to play in 2026
-Dragonbane
-Draw Steel
-Mothership
-Shadowdark
-Fate Accelerated Dresden Files
-The One Ring
-Dolmenwood
-Nimble
-OSR Greatest Hits
-The Time We Have
-Dragonbane
-Draw Steel
-Mothership
-Shadowdark
-Fate Accelerated Dresden Files
-The One Ring
-Dolmenwood
-Nimble
-OSR Greatest Hits
-The Time We Have
10 things I want to play in 2026:
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
- Pistolheart
- Draw Steel
- Despair Dilemma
- The Between
- Our Brilliant Ruin
- GODKILLER
- The Zone
- The Time We Have
- Voltron Legendary Defender
- literally any TCG multiplayer format at an actual table surrounded by people
10 Things I want to play in 2026:
▫️ Crack the Sun (Draw Steel)
▫️ Legend in the Mist
▫️ Oathbreaker (MTG)
▫️ Pistolheart
▫️ Hades 2
▫️ Big Bad Evil Rant
▫️ Nahual
▫️ The One Ring
▫️ Thirsty Sword Lesbians
▫️ Pokemon TCG
▫️ Crack the Sun (Draw Steel)
▫️ Legend in the Mist
▫️ Oathbreaker (MTG)
▫️ Pistolheart
▫️ Hades 2
▫️ Big Bad Evil Rant
▫️ Nahual
▫️ The One Ring
▫️ Thirsty Sword Lesbians
▫️ Pokemon TCG
December 24, 2025 at 3:36 AM
10 things I want to play in 2026
-Dragonbane
-Draw Steel
-Mothership
-Shadowdark
-Fate Accelerated Dresden Files
-The One Ring
-Dolmenwood
-Nimble
-OSR Greatest Hits
-The Time We Have
-Dragonbane
-Draw Steel
-Mothership
-Shadowdark
-Fate Accelerated Dresden Files
-The One Ring
-Dolmenwood
-Nimble
-OSR Greatest Hits
-The Time We Have
Candlenights has begun!
December 21, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Candlenights has begun!
Charles Dickens is of course most associated with Christmas by his novel A Christmas Carol.
The ghosts in this tale are part of a long tradition of ghost stories around Christmas.
If you’re interested in another spooky story from Dickens, try his short story, The Signalman.
The ghosts in this tale are part of a long tradition of ghost stories around Christmas.
If you’re interested in another spooky story from Dickens, try his short story, The Signalman.
December 18, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Charles Dickens is of course most associated with Christmas by his novel A Christmas Carol.
The ghosts in this tale are part of a long tradition of ghost stories around Christmas.
If you’re interested in another spooky story from Dickens, try his short story, The Signalman.
The ghosts in this tale are part of a long tradition of ghost stories around Christmas.
If you’re interested in another spooky story from Dickens, try his short story, The Signalman.
I’ve been mostly listening to audiobooks for a while now, but I wanted to change it up with something I could sit down with and hold in my hand
I picked up the serial novella The Mouth of Winter by Chris Bisette @loottheroom.bsky.social
and was immediately hooked.
1/2
I picked up the serial novella The Mouth of Winter by Chris Bisette @loottheroom.bsky.social
and was immediately hooked.
1/2
December 14, 2025 at 11:17 PM
I’ve been mostly listening to audiobooks for a while now, but I wanted to change it up with something I could sit down with and hold in my hand
I picked up the serial novella The Mouth of Winter by Chris Bisette @loottheroom.bsky.social
and was immediately hooked.
1/2
I picked up the serial novella The Mouth of Winter by Chris Bisette @loottheroom.bsky.social
and was immediately hooked.
1/2
One perk of winter in the Midwest is refrigerating your soup in the breezeway.
December 11, 2025 at 11:38 PM
One perk of winter in the Midwest is refrigerating your soup in the breezeway.
I’ve been less interested in college football for a few reasons, but chief among them is the role nostalgia plays in the postseason.
If IU loses to Ohio State in the Big10 title game they’re likely to end up with a terrible matchup in the playoff - that is if they don’t fall entirely out of it 1/
If IU loses to Ohio State in the Big10 title game they’re likely to end up with a terrible matchup in the playoff - that is if they don’t fall entirely out of it 1/
November 30, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I’ve been less interested in college football for a few reasons, but chief among them is the role nostalgia plays in the postseason.
If IU loses to Ohio State in the Big10 title game they’re likely to end up with a terrible matchup in the playoff - that is if they don’t fall entirely out of it 1/
If IU loses to Ohio State in the Big10 title game they’re likely to end up with a terrible matchup in the playoff - that is if they don’t fall entirely out of it 1/
This is the first time I’ve learned about three-cueing (I learned to read in the early 80s via phonics) I have to agree that this approach seems designed to make poor readers
ever since I learned about three-cueing I've developed infinitely more patience for replies on social media. mfers literally do not know how to read. people are walking around conjuring random meanings into words they don't know, and they don't know a lot of words. it's crazy
November 11, 2025 at 9:29 PM
This is the first time I’ve learned about three-cueing (I learned to read in the early 80s via phonics) I have to agree that this approach seems designed to make poor readers
So I shoveled leaves today
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 AM
So I shoveled leaves today
Sometimes the world can be a lot. Then others,
November 7, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Sometimes the world can be a lot. Then others,
I’ve always liked this one. It doubles as a “hey is that…?”
September 16, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I’ve always liked this one. It doubles as a “hey is that…?”
Reposted by J Ryan
Draw Steel's art description guide isn't just a new approach to alt-text. It synthesizes museum-tested accessibility with an eye towards poetry and metaphor.
Lin spoke with @dreamwisp.bsky.social about MCDM's mission-in-progress and creating "more visceral and tactile" descriptions.
Lin spoke with @dreamwisp.bsky.social about MCDM's mission-in-progress and creating "more visceral and tactile" descriptions.
Draw Steel sets new standards for alt text in their books
A deep dive into what an Art Description is, how it works, and who it’s for, including an interview with alt text writer, Jen Kretchmer.
www.rascal.news
August 5, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Draw Steel's art description guide isn't just a new approach to alt-text. It synthesizes museum-tested accessibility with an eye towards poetry and metaphor.
Lin spoke with @dreamwisp.bsky.social about MCDM's mission-in-progress and creating "more visceral and tactile" descriptions.
Lin spoke with @dreamwisp.bsky.social about MCDM's mission-in-progress and creating "more visceral and tactile" descriptions.
Reposted by J Ryan
It's going REALLY WELL. :D
The response has been amazing, tons of activity. Getting The Delian Tomb out at the same time? And dropping the first episode of the Liveplay all on the same day? That seems to be huge. Tons of people already running the adventure! And they seem to like it! :D
The response has been amazing, tons of activity. Getting The Delian Tomb out at the same time? And dropping the first episode of the Liveplay all on the same day? That seems to be huge. Tons of people already running the adventure! And they seem to like it! :D
Hope launch is all going well.
August 4, 2025 at 6:48 PM
It's going REALLY WELL. :D
The response has been amazing, tons of activity. Getting The Delian Tomb out at the same time? And dropping the first episode of the Liveplay all on the same day? That seems to be huge. Tons of people already running the adventure! And they seem to like it! :D
The response has been amazing, tons of activity. Getting The Delian Tomb out at the same time? And dropping the first episode of the Liveplay all on the same day? That seems to be huge. Tons of people already running the adventure! And they seem to like it! :D
Reposted by J Ryan
So, yeah, longer thread coming tomorrow after I have slept, because this whole team has been working SO hard to get this out, but Draw Steel introduces Art Description, a new form of image description combining alt text and new standards based on art museum best practices for image description.
1/
1/
[Today 3:19PM] You can share this link as long as you remind them not to click it until 12:01am PDT: mcdm.gg/rpg
July 31, 2025 at 8:06 AM
So, yeah, longer thread coming tomorrow after I have slept, because this whole team has been working SO hard to get this out, but Draw Steel introduces Art Description, a new form of image description combining alt text and new standards based on art museum best practices for image description.
1/
1/
Check out Jason and the Gauntlet folks if you’re interested in TTRPGs
This year has been total dog shit in many ways, but one thing I'm happy about is our podcast output at The Gauntlet. Across our three shows, we've put out 38 new episodes so far in 2025. (1/)
June 28, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Check out Jason and the Gauntlet folks if you’re interested in TTRPGs
@mattcolville.bsky.social a recording exists for “qualified researchers”
June 6, 2025 at 4:14 AM
@mattcolville.bsky.social a recording exists for “qualified researchers”
@slyflourish.com Thought you might be interested to see this
I know that maybe 5 people are interested in my experiments with Pandoc and LaTeX to make simple PDFs and epubs. This morning I've found a new solution that's much quicker and easier than what I've been doing for the past two years.
chrisblogs.bearblog.dev/updated-mark...
chrisblogs.bearblog.dev/updated-mark...
Updated Markdown Workflow
A couple of years ago I my experiments using Markdown and Pandoc to produce quick PDFs that share styling with the properly typeset products I release for ....
chrisblogs.bearblog.dev
May 16, 2025 at 5:11 PM
@slyflourish.com Thought you might be interested to see this
Share the last 4 games you played and expose your gaming habit (TTRPG only version)
DnD5e
Masks
The Quiet Year
ALIEN RPG
DnD5e
Masks
The Quiet Year
ALIEN RPG
Share the last 4 games you played and expose your gaming habit (TTRPG only version)
Harrow: The Blighted Plane (Cypher System)
5e
No Mercy For Monsters (Wretched & Alone)
Foxfire (Cypher System)
Mausritter
Harrow: The Blighted Plane (Cypher System)
5e
No Mercy For Monsters (Wretched & Alone)
Foxfire (Cypher System)
Mausritter
Share the last 4 games you played and expose your gaming habit (TTRPG only version!)
Alice is Missing
D&D 5e
Her Odyssey (solo journaling/caltrop core system)
No Mercy for Monsters (solo journaling/wretched system)
Alice is Missing
D&D 5e
Her Odyssey (solo journaling/caltrop core system)
No Mercy for Monsters (solo journaling/wretched system)
April 27, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Share the last 4 games you played and expose your gaming habit (TTRPG only version)
DnD5e
Masks
The Quiet Year
ALIEN RPG
DnD5e
Masks
The Quiet Year
ALIEN RPG
Reposted by J Ryan
In the wake of @bigbadcon.bsky.social's 2025 hiatus announcement, I discuss something I think we need to start expecting from #TTRPG conventions: significantly better ventilation.
Clearing the Air
Last week, organizers announced on social media that Big Bad Con (an annual game convention held in the fall Burlingame, Calif.) and Big Bad Online (a TTRPG-related panel discussion series streamed on...
www.onefootinfairyland.com
March 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
In the wake of @bigbadcon.bsky.social's 2025 hiatus announcement, I discuss something I think we need to start expecting from #TTRPG conventions: significantly better ventilation.
