Matt | Krasiph | Creating the Citadel 🏰
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krasiph.bsky.social
Matt | Krasiph | Creating the Citadel 🏰
@krasiph.bsky.social
1.3K followers 620 following 2.7K posts
(they/him)
Ex-software engineer, now full time TTRPG designer, actor, & artist.
https://infinite-citadel.com/

Creator of The Beckoning Dream, a surrealist tarot deck builder TTRPG.

Mörk Sol 980%+ Funded on Kickstarter! https://morksol.com/kickstart
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krasiph.bsky.social
Layout experiment was a success.

Time for a more *physical* ritual.
#ttrpg #tarot #bookbinding
A hand holds a single booklet page of The Beckoning Dream, about to be folded into a folio and added to a stack of signatures on the left. Unfolded pages are on the right. Desk litter, including a keyboard and tarot cards, are in the background.
January 29, 2026 at 8:27 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Gotta toss up my Zangetsu. And silly butt (not mine)
screenshot of dirty drawful player lobby with "MATT BUT FUN"'s icon next to the silly drawful mascot butt that has a heart tattoo on the right cheek. the icon is a large curved sword with black metal, white edge, and white cloth wrap on the handle trailing off into the distance. This is the shikai Zangetsu for those familiar with Bleach.
January 29, 2026 at 12:50 AM
krasiph.bsky.social
Prepping these later dungeons in Tales from the Yawning Portal is *really* engaging my "WotC is trash" braincells. Why does the map designed for *players to see* include illustrations of shit THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE!?!?!?

But hey, I'm getting lots of photobashing practice.
Screenshot of the original WotC provided player map of White Plume Mountain, which shows a slime trap and a pit trap in two of the hallways that are supposed to be invisible beneath water. The same hallways, but modified by Matt to not have any of the traps rendered on the map. A little green smiley face is added on after.
January 27, 2026 at 7:47 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Originally I created Futureless Foes to streamline a particularly complex bit of mechanics; give folks a release valve when they want to Duel, but take less time or invoke less cognitive load.

But it also presents an opportunity to talk about *THIS EXACT THING*. Stop NPC-ifying people. #ttrpg
A screenshot of a WIP text of The Beckoning Dream. The text reads: Futureless Foes Some Foes are born of simpler ideas. Identities so ubiquitous to our reality that it is easy to dismiss fully living, breathing people as being *just another one of **"them"***. Hold fast to your sonder, lest you inflict such beings upon your consciousness, whether waking or dreaming. A screenshot of a WIP marginalia text of The Beckoning Dream. The ttext reads: 5 - Reduce a person to only this moment, and you ensure they despise you.
January 21, 2026 at 2:58 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
DING DING DING

I actually try to touch on this in The Beckoning Dream.
A screenshot of a WIP text of The Beckoning Dream. The text reads: Futureless Foes Some Foes are born of simpler ideas. Identities so ubiquitous to our reality that it is easy to dismiss fully living, breathing people as being *just another one of **"them"***. Hold fast to your sonder, lest you inflict such beings upon your consciousness, whether waking or dreaming. A screenshot of a WIP marginalia text of The Beckoning Dream. The ttext reads: 5 - Reduce a person to only this moment, and you ensure they despise you.
January 21, 2026 at 2:54 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
We're getting to the part where I have to decide what *tables* look like in this game.

To which my first thought was "what if NOT tables???" #ttrpg
A screenshot of layout in progress for The Beckoning Dream. Three tarot card frames with text are laid out left to right beneath an introductory paragraph. Each tarot card represents a set of options, described at the top of the card where a card's value would normally be listed. Text in the card body describes the affect, while the option's title is in a box at the bottom of the card.
January 21, 2026 at 3:27 AM
krasiph.bsky.social
Here's an example where I talk about the differences between traditional tarot suits and the game's interpretations.
A close-up screencapture of a page from The Beckoning Dream, with older serif type in the main body text, and clarifying marginalia text in a modern sans-serif type. Suits (3 superscript) One of Swords, Cups, Wands, or Pentacles. This is the disposition or approach of a card. Just like each Major Arcana ties to a primeval touchstone of human experience, so too do the suits each correspond to a prevailing attitude of existence. In practice, whenever you use a card to enact your Dreamer’s will upon the dream, you also describe a narrative approach that fits that card’s suit. This doesn’t meant that your Dreamer can only swing a sword if you play a Swords card. The suit describes how you are swinging that sword; or arguing a point, crafting an object, or any other action. Margin Text: 3 - While the usual meanings of the suits have inspired this game’s interpretations,this is where the text deviates furthest from traditional tarot. Again, the purpose of this Lesson is not to explain tarot precisely. However it might be helpful and provide further inspiration to know the typical meanings of the four suits. Swords: Logic & Intellect Cups: Emotions & Spirituality Wands: Creativity & Willpower Pentacles: Resources & Wealth The text continues off screen.
January 15, 2026 at 1:42 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Oh yeah, and that means I've already knocked out one of my 2026 Bingo squares!

(shhhhhhhh let's not fret that I technically started that book last year)
Matt's 2026 Bingo Board. From left to right, top to bottom, the squares read: 50 Members on the Infinite Citadel Patreon; Do something cool I didn't think of in January; Epic Finale of Tales Does Tales; The Beckoning Dream - Playtest with Game Designers and The IC Discord; Read two new books (any genre); Attend a con that isn't GenCon or PaxU; Help someone publish something; Powered by Fabula Ultima logo; Print Version of Spill Your Fluids; Create a Cozy Game (playtestable); PAX Unplugged, Philadelphia PA; IC Does 5e - Re-Release The Void; FREE; Read a new Fiction Book; Do something with old Mörksoltober Content; Vacation!!! Unplug, Unwind, and generally be Unavailable; Learn & Play a new TTRPG; The Beckoning Dream - Quickstart!; MEGA GAME; 200 Members on the Infinite Citadel news letter; Gentlmages of the Infinite Citadel V2; Infinite Citadel and Tales of Initiative logos; Read a new Nonfiction Book; IC Does 5e - New Style Guides + New Subclass; Say "No" to 3 things I really want to do. Read a new Fiction Book has been marked off.
January 14, 2026 at 2:08 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Immense thanks to @theurbanavian.bsky.social for helping identify a need in TBD during last year's GenCon. He taught me a lot about TTRPG pacing that I understood innately, but hadn't factored into my design process.

Here's a sample of that design space being incorporated into text.
A single page (46) of The Beckoning Dream. Primary text in an older style, serif font is on the left, with marginalia text in a sans-serif on the right. It reads... Even in the Fading Lands, dreams do not acquiesce to their occupants. Strife & struggle are teachers as much as rest & reflection are. You will find both as you undertake these questing dreams. Conflicts are educators of the first form. When something opposes the will of the Dreamers, it will occupy space, manifest discontent, and force the Dreamers to oppose it in kind. These moments are represented by the Conflict rituals: Duels; Efforts; and Spikes. Discoveries are educators of the second form. These are moments where the myriad wills withdraw like a low tide, presenting lucid moments of construction for our Dreamers to fill with meaning. They are the lull in our story; an overture to rising action; a calm amid the storm. The Discovery ritual explains how to use these lower tempo1 moments to their utmost. It is equally important for both Players and Game Masters to understand these rituals as they form the muscle tissue of every dream. These encounters are the crushing defeats, soaring victories, and reflective interludes that make this game a story. Marginalia: 1 - The Beckoning Dream lacks the usual “downtime” and “rest periods” that other, more simulationist TTRPGs have. Sessions of play are focused on moving through the cards of a Dream Spread to achieve the dream’s narrative focus. However, if all play fell into the Conflict rituals, there would be no ebb and flow to the game’s pacing. Conflict rituals have a high cognitive load, asking players to engage in improvisational narrative, collaborative prompt-based worldbuilding, artistic interpretation, and strategic mathematics all at once. Without periods of lower cognition, where creativity and slowness can eclipse tactical considerations, the game would quickly exhaust its players. (cont'd in response skeet)
January 13, 2026 at 9:26 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
I mean... Fair.
Screenshot of the Merriam-Webster rotating word of the year gif. Matt's word is "besotted".
January 1, 2026 at 6:14 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone that helped make 2025 the year that it was. So many firsts! So much growth!

And now... *let's go bigger*.

Happy New Year!
#ttrpgcommunity #ttrpg #newyearsresolution
Matt's 2026 Bingo Board. From left to right, top to bottom, the squares read: 50 Members on the Infinite Citadel Patreon; Do something cool I didn't think of in January; Epic Finale of Tales Does Tales; The Beckoning Dream - Playtest with Game Designers and The IC Discord; Read two new books (any genre); Attend a con that isn't GenCon or PaxU; Help someone publish something; Powered by Fabula Ultima logo; Print Version of Spill Your Fluids; Create a Cozy Game (playtestable); PAX Unplugged, Philadelphia PA; IC Does 5e - Re-Release The Void; FREE; Read a new Fiction Book; Do something with old Mörksoltober Content; Vacation!!! Unplug, Unwind, and generally be Unavailable; Learn & Play a new TTRPG; The Beckoning Dream - Quickstart!; MEGA GAME; 200 Members on the Infinite Citadel news letter; Gentlmages of the Infinite Citadel V2; Infinite Citadel and Tales of Initiative logos; Read a new Nonfiction Book; IC Does 5e - New Style Guides + New Subclass; Say "No" to 3 things I really want to do.
January 1, 2026 at 3:22 AM
krasiph.bsky.social
I can't wait to dive into this. Love the production quality and the vibe on first-read. This is all my favorite things in one package. #ttrpg
A photo of Matt holding The Zone, a surreal play-to-lose horror RPG in a box. A swirling vortex of Eldritch energy surrounds a human whose flesh peels away into smoke, revealing the skull beneath. Two onlookers pull away in horror.
December 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Got these plus a gift card to my favorite local bookshop. 2026's TBR is heating up 🔥💀👀
A photo of two hardcover books being held in Matt's hand. On the left is Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. On the right is Irish Fairy Tales and Folklore by W.B. Yeats
December 25, 2025 at 6:20 AM
krasiph.bsky.social
I'm *really* digging this layout. Form and function are coexisting. The text converses with itself to deliver both rules and intent. #ttrpg #wip
A sample spread from The Beckoning Dream. The left page has primary text in a larger, circa 1700's font with more recent typography in the margins, explaining the primary text. The right page shows a chapter break with the title "Part 1 - Dreaming" over a surreal landscape: eyes float downward in pursuit of people scrambling, flying, and swimming to avoid various demises. A massive leviathan lurks in the waters as strange beings watch from the heavens above.
December 12, 2025 at 11:06 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
The mad scientist in me is getting too many ideas.
A book(?) bound so that half the book opens one direction and the other half opens the other direction. The cover basically forms a Z-shape with pages on either side of the middle cover.
December 3, 2025 at 8:46 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
How fitting that my biggest project yet - *our* biggest yet - would be the one to get Bingo!

Thank you to my fellow Citadel folks @andrewbeauman.com and @wuz.quest, along with @talesfromttrpg.bsky.social's incredible visuals, for making this an unforgettable campaign.

Late pledges are open!
Matt's 2025 Bingo Board. "Mörk Sol", "Learn and Play a new TTRPG", "New Medal on DMs Guild / Drive Thru", "Take a vacation", "1,000 followers on Blue Sky", "Finish reading a new fiction book", "Do something cool that I didn't think of in January", "Infinite Citadel", "Finish Reading a new non-fiction book", "Fulfill Temperamental Upgrades", "Make a Pocket Game", "One Page TTRPG", and "Successful Crowdfunding Campaign" are all marked off. "Out of Orbit" is the new TTRPG, "The Inquisitor" is the new medal, "Absolution by Vandermeer" is the new fiction book, "Spill Your Fluids" is the something cool, "Blood in the Machine" is the new non-fiction book, "Gentlemages" is the pocket game, "Thou Art" is the One Page TTRPG, and "Before the Bog God" is the successful crowdfunding campaign. There is a star on Mörk Sol to signify it was a square that resulted in BINGO.
December 2, 2025 at 2:43 AM
krasiph.bsky.social
Woke up and made one. Genuinely LOL'ed at this. Conlin friggen crushed it with this generator. #ttrpg #cyberpunk #morkborg #morksol #scifi
Screenshot of the Sci-fi Shell Corp Generator, a compatible with Mörk Sol digital tool. Ronss Industries - Already out of business! In the Span, ever shifting, faceless amalgamations of shell companies, holdings, and fall-guys, represent the interests of a select few of the ultra-rich. A hydra of rotating company names and logos, popping up and dissolving before anyone can blame them for anything.
November 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Successful Crowdfunding Campaign is actually playing catch-up from September. I totally forgot to mark it off for Before the Bog God!
mockups of both the light and dark covers of Before the Bog God, a duet ritual game of world building and dark deals.
November 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
While I really wish I could mark off "Attend a con that isn't GenCon" this weekend, I'm still really proud of what I managed to get done since I last posted my bingo card.
Matt's 2025 Bingo Board. "Learn and Play a new TTRPG", "New Medal on DMs Guild / Drive Thru", "Take a vacation", "1,000 followers on Blue Sky", "Finish reading a new fiction book", "Do something cool that I didn't think of in January", "Infinite Citadel", "Finish Reading a new non-fiction book", "Fulfill Temperamental Upgrades", "Make a Pocket Game", "One Page TTRPG", and "Successful Crowdfunding Campaign" are all marked off. "Out of Orbit" is the new TTRPG, "The Inquisitor" is the new medal, "Absolution by Vandermeer" is the new fiction book, "Spill Your Fluids" is the something cool, "Blood in the Machine" is the new non-fiction book, "Gentlemages" is the pocket game, "Thou Art" is the One Page TTRPG, and "Before the Bog God" is the successful crowdfunding campaign.
November 21, 2025 at 5:23 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Mörk Sol is nearly 400% funded! #ttrpg #scifi
November 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
You've heard of girl dinner... but what about indie game-dev lunch? #ttrpg #indiedev
Matt's lunch: leftover make-it-yourself pizza crust slathered in melted cheese, olives, and banana peppers, served with marinara sauce. Their desk, full of papers for Mörk Sol development, is in the background.
October 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Mörk Sol in only SEVEN DAYS! #TTRPG #kickstarter
October 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
They're heeeeeere!!!! First box of Temperamental Upgrades arrived!

I'll be posting a Kickstarter update later today, but couldn't resist the excitement of sharing. Our zine is REAL! #zinequest #ttrpg #cy_borg
A box full of Temperamental Upgrades zines sits on a table. Two face up copies are visible, one slightly obscured by a bit of yellow packing divider. Both are covered in thin plastic wrap.
October 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
I was able to finish Absolution on the plane to my vacation, which knocks off two more squares!

We're getting *real* close to a Bingo here. I don't think I'll be able to fill the whole board, but I've got my sights set on a few more that I'll be very happy to knock out.
Matt's 2025 Bingo Board. "Learn and Play a new TTRPG", "New Medal on DMs Guild / Drive Thru", "Take a vacation", "1,000 followers on Blue Sky", "Finish reading a new fiction book", "Do something cool that I didn't think of in January", "Infinite Citadel", and "One Page TTRPG" are all marked off. "Out of Orbit" is the new TTRPG, "The Inquisitor" is the new medal, "Absolution by Vandermeer" is the new fiction book, "Spill Your Fluids" is the something cool, and "Thou Art" is the One Page TTRPG.
October 16, 2025 at 1:18 PM
krasiph.bsky.social
Just finished part one of this amazing book. So much fantastic info delivered in a way that provides a feeling of kinship with the past.
Matt holding "Blood in the Machine" on a beach.
October 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM