The Dolent City
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thedolentcity.bsky.social
The Dolent City
@thedolentcity.bsky.social
37 followers 92 following 67 posts
RPG designer | play worlds | punch nazis | he/him

Site: https://thedolentcity.com
Blog: https://thedolentchronicle.com
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Reposted by The Dolent City
olddog.games
In celebration of the imminent Blades ‘68 campaign, I thought I’d talk a bit about its graphic design.

BUT FIRST let’s compare and contrast with the graphic design of Blades in the Dark, a landmark in the history of RPG layout.

Type nerdery ahoy 🧐
The cover of Blades in the Dark next to the cover of Blades '68
February 3, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Reposted by The Dolent City
snow117.bsky.social
Screaming Metal is live right now! If you like toxic lesbians and strange mechs with tamagotchi hearts then help me bring this project to life!

www.backerkit.com/c/projects/s...
Screaming Metal: Vector Soul
Screaming Metal: Vector Soul is a mecha ttrpg about toxic lesbians piloting living machines for exorbitant amounts of money so they can live lavish lifestyles before being torn to shreds by the poison...
www.backerkit.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
binarystar.games
NULL_SPACE IS ITCHFUNDING NOW!

Let me tell you a little more about it, if you don't know about it yet. 🧵

binarystar.games/null-space-i...
NULL_SPACE by Binary Star Games
Freelancing in the solar system of the 24th century
binarystar.games
February 3, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
The Bloggies 2026 submissions are officially closed. Get ready for the nominations next Monday.

You can get the full schedule and submissions breakdown here:
www.explorersdesign.com/bloggies-sub...
What's Next After Submissions?
The Bloggies' 2026 submissions are closed. Here's what's next...
www.explorersdesign.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:56 PM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
I really needed this right now. So useful!
graftbound.bsky.social Graftbound Press @graftbound.bsky.social · 17d
New Blog Post! I (Emily) wanted to put down some tips for those of you who are hiring layout designers to layout your games.

Thanks to the Explorer's Design discord also for their thoughts.
How to Deliver your Game Copy to a Layout Designer - Graftbound
Make layout design faster, more efficient, and less prone to mistakes with tips for TTRPG writers on delivering your manuscript to your layout designer.
graftbound.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
In tabletop rpg design, sometimes gameplay doesn't come from the mechanics we add, but the ones we omit.

www.explorersdesign.com/dominant-mec...
Against Dominant Mechanics
Some rules guide play. And some rules monopolize it. Designing by omission.
www.explorersdesign.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
sandroad.moe
A fun fact a lot of people don't know about me is that I studied journalism in college ~ Anyways I always encourage people to practice media literacy (ex; ask "why is this disparate pull quote so far from its context?") when reading ~ So here's a thread of some basics I learned!
January 19, 2026 at 4:09 PM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
Play Worlds Zine Issue 01

The Play Worlds RPG discord has released our first community zine. It's FREE and got some fun stuff inside so check it out. I don't have any submissions, but I did a lot of layout work for it.

You can find additional details and links to the zine in the post (link below).
Play Worlds Zine Issue 01
The Play Worlds discord has released our first free zine!
www.thedolentchronicle.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
floaker.bsky.social
One of my fave places to hang out is the Play Worlds discord. The good faith discussions between folks with different relationships to the FKR, while putting a primacy on real play experience, has made the output really special. Check out the free zine a bunch of us contributed to.
January 16, 2026 at 6:50 PM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
I contributed to this zine as well!

I wrote Three Daimons of the Gloaming Realm, a short cairn bestiary with some folklore. Check it out, it’s free!
watcherdm.com WatcherDM (He/Him) @watcherdm.com · 26d
flyrefi.itch.io/sword-and-le...

I hang out in this discord and was able to do a little art and layout for this cool project. Check it out! Community make thing! #nsr #osr #ttrpg
Sword&, Issue #1: Legends by Tim B.
the NSR Cauldron community zine
flyrefi.itch.io
January 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
Play Worlds Critique

A critique of the roleplaying approach I wrote up a few days ago. This will hopefully explain some of my reasons for things like Blackbox play for those of you who are on the fence.

www.thedolentchronicle.com/posts/play-w...
Play Worlds Critique
A critique of my approach for running roleplaying games.
www.thedolentchronicle.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:24 AM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
Play Worlds Manifesto

A codified form of my approach for running immersive roleplaying games.

www.thedolentchronicle.com/posts/play-w...
Play Worlds Manifesto
A codified form of my approach for running immersive roleplaying games.
www.thedolentchronicle.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
Sure, you know about Vancian Magic, but what about Jackian Magic? (Someone please finish this design.)
www.explorersdesign.com/jackian-magic/
The Jackian Magic System
Experimental mechanics that combine Mausritter inventory, Tetris, and engine-building into an alternative Vancian magic system.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
samsorensen.bsky.social
what's up gamers, I'm back with ten more tangible tips for editing your tabletop RPG manuscript: samsorensen.blot.im/ten-more-tan...
screenshot of a blogpost that reads: "Ten More Tangible Tips for Editing Your RPG Manuscript "1. Remove instances of here from location descriptions—it’s obvious you’re describing the location already. Instead of 'A hobgoblin hammers iron here,' write 'A hobgoblin hammers iron on an anvil.' "2. For the same reason, remove instances of this in description entries. If you must reference the entry’s subject, use 'the.' Instead of 'Smoke fills this room,' write 'Smoke fills the room,' or better yet 'Smoke fills the air.' "3. When writing entries for monsters, magic items, and so on, skip repeating the name of the subject with [X] is or [X] are in the first sentence. Instead of 'VODYANOY: Vodyanoy are froggy, pot-bellied water spirits,' write 'VODYANOY: Froggy, pot-bellied water spirits.'"
December 12, 2025 at 12:56 AM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
Workbench — Soulslikes
A new series where I talk about what I'm working on. In this post, I talk about designing a Soulslike tabletop RPG, going over challenges like respawning, blocking, and farming XP.

www.thedolentchronicle.com/posts/workbe...
Workbench — Soulslikes
A series where I talk about what I'm working on. In this post, I cover the challenges of designing a Soulslike roleplaying game.
www.thedolentchronicle.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
This holiday season, give your favorite creators the perfect gift: attention. A 5-star rating, a product review on Exalted, or even a share on Reddit.

www.explorersdesign.com/critmas-2025/
Critmas Gift Guide 2025
The 3 gifts every game designer wants (and a holiday party idea).
www.explorersdesign.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
I come to you like Paul Revere on the back of a liger. The Bloggies are coming!

Like, share, and subscribe.

www.explorersdesign.com/the-bloggies...
The Bloggies 2026!
The blogosphere's annual celebration is coming back.
www.explorersdesign.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
olddog.games
Blades '68! It's all go!

Here are some chapter openers I've been working on.
Two opening illustrations for Blades '68. On the left, "Introduction", with a woman wearing a black outfit and polka dot headscarf, firing a pistol. On the right, "Characters", with two figures standing in foreground. Once is a dark-skinned man wearing a double-breasted jacket, and beside him is a woman wearing a sort of poncho thing (I don't know what it's called). Anyway, it's all very 1960s. Two chapter opener illustrations for Blades '68. On the left is "Crews", with five 1960s figures walking across the frame. On the right is "System Changes", with a man in a suit working at a huge room-sized computer system.
November 28, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
I love the genre mashup. Give me all the Golden Girls/Cthulhus and WWII/Draculas you've got.

But I'm also looking for non-mashups. Sometimes it feels like the industry has an allergy. Westerns without magic. Drama without aliens. Detectives without Cthulhu.

www.explorersdesign.com/one-genre-ga...
Dare to Play it Straight
The rarest tabletop genre is the simplest one. A call for more anti-mashups.
www.explorersdesign.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
backwardsttrpg.bsky.social
My second interview in the SPINE design series is about book design with @explorersdesign.bsky.social. He discusses how designs can ground play, how book formats engineer expectations and use, and how books emulate other genres and objects. We also open the floodgates on the book design for D&D 3E.
Clayton Notestine on Book Design
An interview with Clayton Notestine about book design and how it can invite play
www.backwardstabletop.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
Part 3 is here. The deep dive into the Ennies. If you're someone who doesn't know much about the Ennie Awards, you should read parts 1 and 2. But if you like a bit of inside baseball and are interested in award shows in general—this is the article for you.

www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-3/
How are the Ennies designed?
An insider's look into the 2025 Ennie Awards. Part three. How does the structure of the Ennies determine its outcomes? And what does it mean for others?
www.explorersdesign.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
explorersdesign.bsky.social
Alright, the first in-depth article of my awards debrief is live. "How do the Ennies work?" A top-down look at my judging experience from A to Z.

Please share, leave comments, and ask questions. And don't forget to read part 1 if you haven't already.

www.explorersdesign.com/ennies-2/
How do the Ennies work?
An insider's look into the 2025 Ennie Awards. Part two. What is the award process like behind closed doors, and how do the judges select nominees?
www.explorersdesign.com
October 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
newsjennifer.bsky.social
WHAT THE HELL
Karen, I am writing to inform you that The Post is terminating your employment effective immediately for gross misconduct. Your public comments on social media regarding the death of Charlie Kirk violate The Post’s social media policies, harm the integrity of our organization, and potentially endanger the physical safety of our staff. Among other requirements, the Company-wide social media policy mandates that all employee social media postings be respectful and prohibits postings that disparage people based on their race, gender or other protected characteristics. The policy also reminds employees that everything they post is a reflection on the Company and should not affect the integrity of The Post’s journalism. Your postings on Bluesky (which clearly identifies you as a Post Columnist) about white men in response to the killing of Charlie Kirk do not comply with our policy. For example, you posted: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is…. not the same as violence” and “Part of what keeps America so violent is the insistence that people perform care, empty goodness and absolution for white men who espouse hatred and violence.” In addition, just last year, Opinions leadership asked everyone in the Opinions Department to review the newsroom social media guidelines, attached those guidelines to an email to the Department for review, and reiterated in that email the “bedrock principle that our use of social media must never harm the journalistic integrity or reputation of The Post”. The poor judgment exhibited by your public comments regarding Charlie Kirk arise against the backdrop of documented performance concerns, which have been raised with you. Given these concerns, and in light of your recent unacceptable Bluesky posts, we cannot tolerate the risk your performance poses to The Post
September 16, 2025 at 1:49 AM
thedolentcity.bsky.social
1. First #ttrpg you ever played? D&D 4e
2. First you ever ran? FFG Genesys
3. Played the most? 4e (unfortunately)
4. Run the most? A series of rules-lite systems called “Protean”
5. Favorite? Mothership
6. Most recently played? D&D 5e
7. Most recently run? Jotun (mech game I’m developing)
brianbloodaxe.bsky.social Brian Ashford @brianbloodaxe.bsky.social · Jul 18
1. First #ttrpg you ever played? D&D Basic (Menzer Red Box or Black Box, not sure)
2. First you ever ran? D&D Basic
3. Played the most? A friend's freeform fantasy game
4. Run the most? WhiteHack
5. Favorite? Tribe 8
6. Most recently played? Witchburner
7. Most recently run? WhiteHack/Roach God
orcusdorkus.bsky.social Orcusdorkus - Running Impossible Landscapes & Pendragon @orcusdorkus.bsky.social · Jul 18
1. First #ttrpg you ever played? Technically D&D Basic (Blue Box) but I still stand by Return to Brookmere
2. First you ever ran? Elfquest (Tried)
3. Played the most? Hyperborea
4. Run the most? Call of Cthulhu
5. Favorite? DCC
6. Most recently played? Traveller
7. Most recently run? Pendragon 6E
July 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by The Dolent City
gamechangershow.bsky.social
Presenting the BRAND-NEW season - @dimension20.bsky.social On a Bus! 🚌

DM'd by Katie Marovitch, and as players: Aabria Iyengar, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Jasmine Bhullar, and Mark Mercer!
July 14, 2025 at 11:17 PM