Carl Hess
@original-carl.bsky.social
Software Engineer, TTRPG Enthusiast
Truth. And the backpack problem. 🤣
The two hardest problems in Computer Science are
1. Human communication
2. Getting people in tech to believe that human communication is important
1. Human communication
2. Getting people in tech to believe that human communication is important
December 24, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Truth. And the backpack problem. 🤣
Sorcerer’s Skull is one of my favorite blogs. Here, he takes the Known World from Isle of Dread and makes it a space opera. Genius.
A Highly Derivative Space Opera Setting, Briefly Described: From the Sorcerer's Skull
http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-highly-derivative-space-opera-setting.html
#dnd #ttrpg
http://sorcerersskull.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-highly-derivative-space-opera-setting.html
#dnd #ttrpg
December 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Sorcerer’s Skull is one of my favorite blogs. Here, he takes the Known World from Isle of Dread and makes it a space opera. Genius.
All the LoLs. And this is about as political as I’m ever going to get up in here.
why is there no CBS Town Hall on D&D edition wars? we should teach the controversy.
December 18, 2025 at 4:10 PM
All the LoLs. And this is about as political as I’m ever going to get up in here.
My friends, I give you the incomparable Ginny Di, a jewel of the TTRPG universe.
Barbie can be anything, including a pink tiefling 🌸💖🎀
Part 2 is coming tomorrow!
Part 2 is coming tomorrow!
December 15, 2025 at 8:20 PM
My friends, I give you the incomparable Ginny Di, a jewel of the TTRPG universe.
I am a fan of Professor Dungeonmaster’s. Don’t know if he’s on BSKY, but I doubt it. This is his year-end Indy-RPG game review video. It’s amazing. :D youtu.be/gHAbI-wLJTo?...
D&D is dead. Independent games are the future.
YouTube video by Dungeon Craft
youtu.be
December 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I am a fan of Professor Dungeonmaster’s. Don’t know if he’s on BSKY, but I doubt it. This is his year-end Indy-RPG game review video. It’s amazing. :D youtu.be/gHAbI-wLJTo?...
Solid gold advice from Sly Flourish.
December 14, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Solid gold advice from Sly Flourish.
I have no issue with the term, but I agree what Magnolia is saying here in principle. I think that good social skills are what makes a truly skilled player.
From the brilliant mind of Magnolia Keep comes the long-awaited sequel to Combat as my Balls!
The term "Player skill" has always rankled me, so I decided to delve a little deeper into that and discuss different kinds of player skill games can encourage.
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2025/12/skil...
The term "Player skill" has always rankled me, so I decided to delve a little deeper into that and discuss different kinds of player skill games can encourage.
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com/2025/12/skil...
Skill as My Balls
I have a distaste for a lot of terms bandied about in the OSR sphere. Gameable Content is one. Another, apparently is "Player Skill." During...
magnoliakeep.blogspot.com
December 14, 2025 at 10:45 PM
I have no issue with the term, but I agree what Magnolia is saying here in principle. I think that good social skills are what makes a truly skilled player.
Yay! I love seasonal Sunday comics.
December 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Yay! I love seasonal Sunday comics.
I watched Ad Astra (James Gray) last night in a double feature with Sunshine (Danny Boyle).
👍🏻👍🏻
Great sci fi gaming material in both, in my opinion. Borrow from the best, they say.
👍🏻👍🏻
Great sci fi gaming material in both, in my opinion. Borrow from the best, they say.
December 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
I watched Ad Astra (James Gray) last night in a double feature with Sunshine (Danny Boyle).
👍🏻👍🏻
Great sci fi gaming material in both, in my opinion. Borrow from the best, they say.
👍🏻👍🏻
Great sci fi gaming material in both, in my opinion. Borrow from the best, they say.
You better watch out.
December 5, 2025 at 1:34 PM
You better watch out.
Here’s some new alterna-Traveller for Cepheus! I hope you sell a ton, Adam.
HARD VACUUM 11: Massacre Moon:
The PCs must roll skill checks to investigate what happened to a missing science team. And pilot a combat drone to fight mercs and raiders trying to cover up a deadly conspiracy. #CepheusEngine #TravellerRPG
#SelfPromotionSaturday
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
The PCs must roll skill checks to investigate what happened to a missing science team. And pilot a combat drone to fight mercs and raiders trying to cover up a deadly conspiracy. #CepheusEngine #TravellerRPG
#SelfPromotionSaturday
www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...
November 22, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Here’s some new alterna-Traveller for Cepheus! I hope you sell a ton, Adam.
Riding the Hyperlite is my blog about developing my own sci fi role-playing adventure game. You can read my latest post here: hyperlite.bearblog.dev/the-adventure/
The Adventure
, the module, has 4 adventures in it. I would need 1 for ArcaneCon, and I wanted one that wouldn't involve a lot of tactical play. I wanted social over co...
hyperlite.bearblog.dev
November 21, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Riding the Hyperlite is my blog about developing my own sci fi role-playing adventure game. You can read my latest post here: hyperlite.bearblog.dev/the-adventure/
I drew some heads.
November 19, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I drew some heads.
New bloggings. hyperlite.bearblog.dev/the-scenario
The Scenario
Once I was satisfied enough with the flow of chargen (Character Generation) I had to figure out what the game was going to be. What would be fun to run? Wh...
hyperlite.bearblog.dev
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
New bloggings. hyperlite.bearblog.dev/the-scenario
It has been many, many years since I blogged anything. I have some technical skills to improve.
Bearblog has a great aesthetic. I love lightweight platforms like this. I’ll write for a month and if I still like it I’ll pay for it.
Probably going to pay for it. 🐻
Bearblog has a great aesthetic. I love lightweight platforms like this. I’ll write for a month and if I still like it I’ll pay for it.
Probably going to pay for it. 🐻
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
It has been many, many years since I blogged anything. I have some technical skills to improve.
Bearblog has a great aesthetic. I love lightweight platforms like this. I’ll write for a month and if I still like it I’ll pay for it.
Probably going to pay for it. 🐻
Bearblog has a great aesthetic. I love lightweight platforms like this. I’ll write for a month and if I still like it I’ll pay for it.
Probably going to pay for it. 🐻
I run a modified Traveller game for some friends far away and it’s been really good. I get to test out stuff that I’ve been holding onto for years.
I’m running a hex crawl for them at the moment. It’s a classic module and has some fun bits, but I need to streamline the game loop. More to come.
I’m running a hex crawl for them at the moment. It’s a classic module and has some fun bits, but I need to streamline the game loop. More to come.
November 14, 2025 at 2:55 AM
I run a modified Traveller game for some friends far away and it’s been really good. I get to test out stuff that I’ve been holding onto for years.
I’m running a hex crawl for them at the moment. It’s a classic module and has some fun bits, but I need to streamline the game loop. More to come.
I’m running a hex crawl for them at the moment. It’s a classic module and has some fun bits, but I need to streamline the game loop. More to come.
I ran a Traveller game at ArcaneCon Saturday that was one of the best games I’ve ever run. Like, top 10 of my life, I think.
Everyone was so happy and energized when we concluded. I’m going to carry that with me for a while.
ArcaneCon was 10/10 this year. 🤘🏻
Everyone was so happy and energized when we concluded. I’m going to carry that with me for a while.
ArcaneCon was 10/10 this year. 🤘🏻
November 9, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I ran a Traveller game at ArcaneCon Saturday that was one of the best games I’ve ever run. Like, top 10 of my life, I think.
Everyone was so happy and energized when we concluded. I’m going to carry that with me for a while.
ArcaneCon was 10/10 this year. 🤘🏻
Everyone was so happy and energized when we concluded. I’m going to carry that with me for a while.
ArcaneCon was 10/10 this year. 🤘🏻
@arcanesword.bsky.social the West Hartford Tabletop Game Club is on our way to the greatest independent tabletop game convention in central New England!
www.arcaneswordpress.com/arcanecon
www.arcaneswordpress.com/arcanecon
ArcaneCon | Arcane Sword Press
www.arcaneswordpress.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:47 AM
@arcanesword.bsky.social the West Hartford Tabletop Game Club is on our way to the greatest independent tabletop game convention in central New England!
www.arcaneswordpress.com/arcanecon
www.arcaneswordpress.com/arcanecon
DCC is a brutal game. Failure is punished severely and risk is difficult to evaluate when everything in a scenario potentially can come alive and kill your character.
However, in group of seven in the right mindset it can be hilarious.
However, in group of seven in the right mindset it can be hilarious.
November 6, 2025 at 11:15 PM
DCC is a brutal game. Failure is punished severely and risk is difficult to evaluate when everything in a scenario potentially can come alive and kill your character.
However, in group of seven in the right mindset it can be hilarious.
However, in group of seven in the right mindset it can be hilarious.
It’s been a minute!
I’ll be at ArcaneCon (hosted by @arcanesword.bsky.social ) in North Hampton, Mass on Saturday.
At 1pm, I’m running Traveller ‘77 to showcase and demo the greatest sci fi role-playing game ever made, in my opinion.
I can only hope I deliver the session it deserves!
I’ll be at ArcaneCon (hosted by @arcanesword.bsky.social ) in North Hampton, Mass on Saturday.
At 1pm, I’m running Traveller ‘77 to showcase and demo the greatest sci fi role-playing game ever made, in my opinion.
I can only hope I deliver the session it deserves!
November 4, 2025 at 4:04 AM
It’s been a minute!
I’ll be at ArcaneCon (hosted by @arcanesword.bsky.social ) in North Hampton, Mass on Saturday.
At 1pm, I’m running Traveller ‘77 to showcase and demo the greatest sci fi role-playing game ever made, in my opinion.
I can only hope I deliver the session it deserves!
I’ll be at ArcaneCon (hosted by @arcanesword.bsky.social ) in North Hampton, Mass on Saturday.
At 1pm, I’m running Traveller ‘77 to showcase and demo the greatest sci fi role-playing game ever made, in my opinion.
I can only hope I deliver the session it deserves!
My mother-in-law’s favorite holiday season was Halloween. I miss you, Ginger. 😿
A great #Halloween comic by Dami Lee dami-lee.com
October 2, 2025 at 3:36 PM
My mother-in-law’s favorite holiday season was Halloween. I miss you, Ginger. 😿
I do enjoy a good rat. Banksy is a big fan, too. They’re survivors and I admire that.
A sudden attack of inspiration has me slapping together a quick Mork Borg supplement.
And of course, it needed a cover image.
I bring you
"Scavenger"
Black & Yellow digital piece.
Oct 1, 2025
Dyson Logos
And of course, it needed a cover image.
I bring you
"Scavenger"
Black & Yellow digital piece.
Oct 1, 2025
Dyson Logos
October 2, 2025 at 1:29 AM
I do enjoy a good rat. Banksy is a big fan, too. They’re survivors and I admire that.
So metal!
September 30, 2025 at 12:42 AM
So metal!
My second-ever DCC funnel sheet. Innis lived. He is now Innis Tawinnis “the bandit” a first level warrior/fighter. First game as a level 1 next Tuesday.
September 30, 2025 at 12:13 AM
My second-ever DCC funnel sheet. Innis lived. He is now Innis Tawinnis “the bandit” a first level warrior/fighter. First game as a level 1 next Tuesday.