StrangerSide
@strangerside909.bsky.social
He/him
Board/card/video/TTRPG designer (hobby)
Mathematician and Data Scientist (job)
Parent to one toddler (2F)
Board/card/video/TTRPG designer (hobby)
Mathematician and Data Scientist (job)
Parent to one toddler (2F)
Hot take: This card is actually problematic for rules enforcement reasons. Combo players tend to shortcut and not say they're waiting for the stack to clear when they activate something 1000 times as a courtesy, this card WILL start arguments for dumb reasons.
January 7, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Hot take: This card is actually problematic for rules enforcement reasons. Combo players tend to shortcut and not say they're waiting for the stack to clear when they activate something 1000 times as a courtesy, this card WILL start arguments for dumb reasons.
The formula for forming community (be that online or elsewhere) eludes me. All I know is it's really damn hard and so tricky to find one that actually works with my brain instead of against it.
January 3, 2026 at 2:49 AM
The formula for forming community (be that online or elsewhere) eludes me. All I know is it's really damn hard and so tricky to find one that actually works with my brain instead of against it.
A big Drive Thru RPG gift card and like two weeks off would fix me.
December 31, 2025 at 6:09 PM
A big Drive Thru RPG gift card and like two weeks off would fix me.
The left in the US: Hey why don't we implement the highly successful programs that have been saving money and improving outcomes and quality of life in other countries for years now?
Them: You fool, that'll never work. Stupid.
Them: You fool, that'll never work. Stupid.
December 30, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The left in the US: Hey why don't we implement the highly successful programs that have been saving money and improving outcomes and quality of life in other countries for years now?
Them: You fool, that'll never work. Stupid.
Them: You fool, that'll never work. Stupid.
Masking a creation that has asked a lot of me in ways nothing I've made has before. But the biggest challenge has still been keeping myself convinced the thing I want to make SHOULD exist. That it brings something useful or interesting or beautiful into being.
December 29, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Masking a creation that has asked a lot of me in ways nothing I've made has before. But the biggest challenge has still been keeping myself convinced the thing I want to make SHOULD exist. That it brings something useful or interesting or beautiful into being.
Trump closing some "Truths" with the oddly polite "thank you for your attention to this matter" is particularly jarring because I no longer learn about his activities consensually. You did nothing to earn my attention you awful orange troll, I just can't shut you off.
December 29, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Trump closing some "Truths" with the oddly polite "thank you for your attention to this matter" is particularly jarring because I no longer learn about his activities consensually. You did nothing to earn my attention you awful orange troll, I just can't shut you off.
Writing up Christmas Elves for my TTRPG book and kind of reeling from how much it makes Darwinian sense. Oh yeah, they're short because they adapted to a harsh environment and are likely originally prey animals. They probably have elvish darksight like DnD because limited sunlight.
December 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Writing up Christmas Elves for my TTRPG book and kind of reeling from how much it makes Darwinian sense. Oh yeah, they're short because they adapted to a harsh environment and are likely originally prey animals. They probably have elvish darksight like DnD because limited sunlight.
Lots of my TTRPG system research is like "Join us, everything can be so much simpler" and then I'm like "oh wait this is held together with masking tape and doesn't even pretend to care about balance even in the sense of perceptual parity".
December 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Lots of my TTRPG system research is like "Join us, everything can be so much simpler" and then I'm like "oh wait this is held together with masking tape and doesn't even pretend to care about balance even in the sense of perceptual parity".
Okay here's a killer one:
Mario doesn't jump on top of enemies to damage them in the original Super Mario Bros. The spot on the hitbox is irrelevant; it just checks to see if he has downward velocity while colliding. You can hit the side of the hit box and it'll still work fine if you're falling.
Mario doesn't jump on top of enemies to damage them in the original Super Mario Bros. The spot on the hitbox is irrelevant; it just checks to see if he has downward velocity while colliding. You can hit the side of the hit box and it'll still work fine if you're falling.
i was going through my X archives and found this by @superpodsaga.com, which I qrt'd at some point years ago
so, let me bring the question back: what is the most useless piece of video game knowledge you know?
so, let me bring the question back: what is the most useless piece of video game knowledge you know?
December 25, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Okay here's a killer one:
Mario doesn't jump on top of enemies to damage them in the original Super Mario Bros. The spot on the hitbox is irrelevant; it just checks to see if he has downward velocity while colliding. You can hit the side of the hit box and it'll still work fine if you're falling.
Mario doesn't jump on top of enemies to damage them in the original Super Mario Bros. The spot on the hitbox is irrelevant; it just checks to see if he has downward velocity while colliding. You can hit the side of the hit box and it'll still work fine if you're falling.
It's almost tragic how I feel more aware of the negative discourse and active controversy than current hype or what people are playing and enjoying. Still get good discussion posts though.
Online discourse is wild because people are talking about other people's takes on Obojima and how horrible it is and I both had to look up this game and still haven't found any actual specific claims. I'm just supposed to **know** already that the thing I didn't know existed was bad. 🤣
December 25, 2025 at 5:35 PM
It's almost tragic how I feel more aware of the negative discourse and active controversy than current hype or what people are playing and enjoying. Still get good discussion posts though.
10 TTRPGs I want to play/run in 2026:
- Playtest my own system!
- FATE, I guess?
- Hmmm ICRPG?
- Come to think of it anything would be cool
- Can I please just make friends and run something? 🥺
- Anything, please.
- I have forgotten how to get a group together and maybe how to GM
- HELP
- Playtest my own system!
- FATE, I guess?
- Hmmm ICRPG?
- Come to think of it anything would be cool
- Can I please just make friends and run something? 🥺
- Anything, please.
- I have forgotten how to get a group together and maybe how to GM
- HELP
December 24, 2025 at 6:21 PM
10 TTRPGs I want to play/run in 2026:
- Playtest my own system!
- FATE, I guess?
- Hmmm ICRPG?
- Come to think of it anything would be cool
- Can I please just make friends and run something? 🥺
- Anything, please.
- I have forgotten how to get a group together and maybe how to GM
- HELP
- Playtest my own system!
- FATE, I guess?
- Hmmm ICRPG?
- Come to think of it anything would be cool
- Can I please just make friends and run something? 🥺
- Anything, please.
- I have forgotten how to get a group together and maybe how to GM
- HELP
Online discourse is wild because people are talking about other people's takes on Obojima and how horrible it is and I both had to look up this game and still haven't found any actual specific claims. I'm just supposed to **know** already that the thing I didn't know existed was bad. 🤣
December 21, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Online discourse is wild because people are talking about other people's takes on Obojima and how horrible it is and I both had to look up this game and still haven't found any actual specific claims. I'm just supposed to **know** already that the thing I didn't know existed was bad. 🤣
I'm better with figurative language than some autistics I know but there's still a few phrases that don't click with me even post explanation. What do you mean beer and pretzels game? Games don't taste like either of those things.
December 20, 2025 at 7:39 PM
I'm better with figurative language than some autistics I know but there's still a few phrases that don't click with me even post explanation. What do you mean beer and pretzels game? Games don't taste like either of those things.
Happy Epstein-Files-Released Eve to all who celebrate.
December 18, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Happy Epstein-Files-Released Eve to all who celebrate.
#ttrpg and #accessibility minded peeps: This is a longshot maybe but I'm trying to do more research into inclusive design for my TTRPG system and I've got some killer resources but most are video game oriented, anybody have good resources or recs?
December 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM
#ttrpg and #accessibility minded peeps: This is a longshot maybe but I'm trying to do more research into inclusive design for my TTRPG system and I've got some killer resources but most are video game oriented, anybody have good resources or recs?
It's pretty common parlance in MTG to say "That will turn X on" when a threshold-like ability has the condition met. But for the love of God whatever you do, don't put your third Lesson into the graveyard and state "I'll turn Gran-Gran on" 🤦♂️
December 15, 2025 at 12:30 AM
It's pretty common parlance in MTG to say "That will turn X on" when a threshold-like ability has the condition met. But for the love of God whatever you do, don't put your third Lesson into the graveyard and state "I'll turn Gran-Gran on" 🤦♂️
Guys hurry up two days left go buy you a FATE. I'd also recommend System Toolkit (it's really the second core book imo). I snagged Accessibility Toolkit which I've heard is great for any TTRPG.
2025 marks our 20th year in business! In that time we've made a ton of games -- this isn't all of them by a long shot! We're deeply grateful to all the fans who've supported us.
To celebrate, save 20% off every single thing in our webstore, now through December 12th.
evilhat.com/roleplaying-...
To celebrate, save 20% off every single thing in our webstore, now through December 12th.
evilhat.com/roleplaying-...
December 11, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Guys hurry up two days left go buy you a FATE. I'd also recommend System Toolkit (it's really the second core book imo). I snagged Accessibility Toolkit which I've heard is great for any TTRPG.
Every time I feel like maybe people are starting to wake up, I go back to the Economist to see his approval rating trace out essentially the same shape as it did last time. It stings pretty bad every time.
December 10, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Every time I feel like maybe people are starting to wake up, I go back to the Economist to see his approval rating trace out essentially the same shape as it did last time. It stings pretty bad every time.
Pitched my TTRPG to someone at my LGS because it came up. They really loved the idea and saw the genius behind it. So yeah, if I could take five minutes with everyone and personally deliver the pitch I could prolly sell like crazy, but in reality I'm not sure anyone would buy it on paper.
December 7, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Pitched my TTRPG to someone at my LGS because it came up. They really loved the idea and saw the genius behind it. So yeah, if I could take five minutes with everyone and personally deliver the pitch I could prolly sell like crazy, but in reality I'm not sure anyone would buy it on paper.
"Your adventurer grandfather died and you inherited the Deck of Many Things. Without thinking, you decided to draw five cards. This is the entire campaign hook, I have done no additional prep."
Emulate Lord of the Rings. Give your players a problematic artifact at lvl 3. Do it.
#ttrpg
#ttrpg
December 7, 2025 at 2:22 PM
"Your adventurer grandfather died and you inherited the Deck of Many Things. Without thinking, you decided to draw five cards. This is the entire campaign hook, I have done no additional prep."
Pour one out for the jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts, just went to a few websites to find a gift for my lovely wife and saw dozens of GenAI pieces. Like why would anyone bother buying something that took under a minute to generate?
December 7, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Pour one out for the jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts, just went to a few websites to find a gift for my lovely wife and saw dozens of GenAI pieces. Like why would anyone bother buying something that took under a minute to generate?
Atmospheric horror devs be like: We want to make you feel bad. Like, real bad. So we made art about it. Give us money maybe?
December 4, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Atmospheric horror devs be like: We want to make you feel bad. Like, real bad. So we made art about it. Give us money maybe?
Okay let's try it this way: If StrangerSide, a relative nobody, makes a Discord for TTRPG designers, adventure writers, and adjacent creatives, will someone maybe come invite some people over to populate said server? Is this something that people want?
TTRPG creator folks: I'm looking for a good creator-focused Discord TTRPG server where we can get into nitty gritty mechanical stuff and talk about design. Does anyone know of such a place?
December 4, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Okay let's try it this way: If StrangerSide, a relative nobody, makes a Discord for TTRPG designers, adventure writers, and adjacent creatives, will someone maybe come invite some people over to populate said server? Is this something that people want?
Everyone like "Man I use Obsidian and it changed my life, regrew my hairline, and brought my cat back from the dead" and I'm like "This is just the Notes app... I'm scared."
December 4, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Everyone like "Man I use Obsidian and it changed my life, regrew my hairline, and brought my cat back from the dead" and I'm like "This is just the Notes app... I'm scared."
Writing a TTRPG book is so fun and because 85% of the issues are just bonkers left-field shit. Make this ability relevant for theater of the mind combat. Port that one weird rule from Disco Elysium. How do you organize a worldbuilding writeup to five pages.
December 4, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Writing a TTRPG book is so fun and because 85% of the issues are just bonkers left-field shit. Make this ability relevant for theater of the mind combat. Port that one weird rule from Disco Elysium. How do you organize a worldbuilding writeup to five pages.