Zarban TTRPG
@zarbanttrpg.bsky.social
I write a lot of junk about old-school D&D. Zarban.com
Did you know that, for a few dollars, you could have a giant print of your dungeon map on fabric? Pin it to your game mat or use spray adhesive to tack it to a piece of cardboard. Just make sure the number of squares horizontally & vertically roughly match the size.
February 5, 2026 at 1:45 AM
Did you know that, for a few dollars, you could have a giant print of your dungeon map on fabric? Pin it to your game mat or use spray adhesive to tack it to a piece of cardboard. Just make sure the number of squares horizontally & vertically roughly match the size.
Thinking of a Draw-Steel-style victory system for OSR.
You gain 1 victory after every challenge (combat, trap, puzzle, etc.). At the start of a challenge, you get a bonus equal to your victories on one d20 test or damage roll (3 victories = +3). Overnight rest resets victories.
You gain 1 victory after every challenge (combat, trap, puzzle, etc.). At the start of a challenge, you get a bonus equal to your victories on one d20 test or damage roll (3 victories = +3). Overnight rest resets victories.
January 29, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Thinking of a Draw-Steel-style victory system for OSR.
You gain 1 victory after every challenge (combat, trap, puzzle, etc.). At the start of a challenge, you get a bonus equal to your victories on one d20 test or damage roll (3 victories = +3). Overnight rest resets victories.
You gain 1 victory after every challenge (combat, trap, puzzle, etc.). At the start of a challenge, you get a bonus equal to your victories on one d20 test or damage roll (3 victories = +3). Overnight rest resets victories.
I don't think all beasts are neutrally aligned. I think hippopotamuses are chaotic-neutral at BEST. Rhinoceroses, I believe, are lawful-neutral. Elephants, neutral-good. Sheep are definitely chaotic-good. Deer: neutral-good but skittish. Dogs... what can I say? Lawful-good unless ruined by a human.
January 29, 2026 at 12:03 AM
I don't think all beasts are neutrally aligned. I think hippopotamuses are chaotic-neutral at BEST. Rhinoceroses, I believe, are lawful-neutral. Elephants, neutral-good. Sheep are definitely chaotic-good. Deer: neutral-good but skittish. Dogs... what can I say? Lawful-good unless ruined by a human.
A good way to set up a fantasy world religion is to have many gods--current, old, & ancient. Good ones give their followers more protection; evil ones give theirs more power. The heroes respect many gods (or saints). Makes it easy to whip up an evil cult of the serpent god & not break your world.
January 28, 2026 at 6:49 AM
A good way to set up a fantasy world religion is to have many gods--current, old, & ancient. Good ones give their followers more protection; evil ones give theirs more power. The heroes respect many gods (or saints). Makes it easy to whip up an evil cult of the serpent god & not break your world.
Bronze/iron golem special ability: When brought to zero hp, the construct becomes enraged & self-destructive. It still fights, but it bulges, reddens, steams, & fires off limbs for damage, giving the clear impression that it's going to explode.
Then it does, doing heavy damage to all within 20 ft.
Then it does, doing heavy damage to all within 20 ft.
January 28, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Bronze/iron golem special ability: When brought to zero hp, the construct becomes enraged & self-destructive. It still fights, but it bulges, reddens, steams, & fires off limbs for damage, giving the clear impression that it's going to explode.
Then it does, doing heavy damage to all within 20 ft.
Then it does, doing heavy damage to all within 20 ft.
Pro tip: a tower doesn’t have to be just one room per floor. Any building is a tower if it’s taller than its footprint. A vertical dungeon can have windows & balconies & such that subterranean chambers don’t.
January 22, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Pro tip: a tower doesn’t have to be just one room per floor. Any building is a tower if it’s taller than its footprint. A vertical dungeon can have windows & balconies & such that subterranean chambers don’t.
For stealth checks, offer the PC 2 routes with different DCs. On a failure: guard rolls vs the same DC to confirm.
Crossing open ground is quick, but if you're spotted, you're obvious. The indirect route is slow—so more likely to be seen—but you're always in shadow & hard to confirm.
Crossing open ground is quick, but if you're spotted, you're obvious. The indirect route is slow—so more likely to be seen—but you're always in shadow & hard to confirm.
January 22, 2026 at 5:36 PM
For stealth checks, offer the PC 2 routes with different DCs. On a failure: guard rolls vs the same DC to confirm.
Crossing open ground is quick, but if you're spotted, you're obvious. The indirect route is slow—so more likely to be seen—but you're always in shadow & hard to confirm.
Crossing open ground is quick, but if you're spotted, you're obvious. The indirect route is slow—so more likely to be seen—but you're always in shadow & hard to confirm.
Give your heroes…
🧙♂️a reliable mentor
🧖♂️a shady merchant who fences shady loot
🥷a rival who can be helpful but can't be trusted
🧚♀️a pain in the ass they can't kill
🧌a monster they like too much to kill
🦦a pet that causes trouble
🤴a hero to admire
🦹a distant, powerful foe
🐉a distant, powerful menace
🧙♂️a reliable mentor
🧖♂️a shady merchant who fences shady loot
🥷a rival who can be helpful but can't be trusted
🧚♀️a pain in the ass they can't kill
🧌a monster they like too much to kill
🦦a pet that causes trouble
🤴a hero to admire
🦹a distant, powerful foe
🐉a distant, powerful menace
January 17, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Give your heroes…
🧙♂️a reliable mentor
🧖♂️a shady merchant who fences shady loot
🥷a rival who can be helpful but can't be trusted
🧚♀️a pain in the ass they can't kill
🧌a monster they like too much to kill
🦦a pet that causes trouble
🤴a hero to admire
🦹a distant, powerful foe
🐉a distant, powerful menace
🧙♂️a reliable mentor
🧖♂️a shady merchant who fences shady loot
🥷a rival who can be helpful but can't be trusted
🧚♀️a pain in the ass they can't kill
🧌a monster they like too much to kill
🦦a pet that causes trouble
🤴a hero to admire
🦹a distant, powerful foe
🐉a distant, powerful menace
Watched a super-nerd video on Hyrule's river system (Legend of Zelda game) & decided to see what the start of the Mississippi looks like. It comes out of Lake Itasca in Minnesota.
January 15, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Watched a super-nerd video on Hyrule's river system (Legend of Zelda game) & decided to see what the start of the Mississippi looks like. It comes out of Lake Itasca in Minnesota.
In a sandbox campaign, the heroes should choose from three rumors of fortune & glory, meaning they have an idea of the treasure & monsters.
BUT one of the others is taken by rival adventurers they might one day fight. Now their choice has bite. Do we go after the gold, ring of flying, or +2 sword?
BUT one of the others is taken by rival adventurers they might one day fight. Now their choice has bite. Do we go after the gold, ring of flying, or +2 sword?
January 14, 2026 at 6:49 AM
In a sandbox campaign, the heroes should choose from three rumors of fortune & glory, meaning they have an idea of the treasure & monsters.
BUT one of the others is taken by rival adventurers they might one day fight. Now their choice has bite. Do we go after the gold, ring of flying, or +2 sword?
BUT one of the others is taken by rival adventurers they might one day fight. Now their choice has bite. Do we go after the gold, ring of flying, or +2 sword?
Simple crafting: On an INT check, the wizard knows that the thing they found (exotic plant or monster part) can be used to make 2 different common potions. They can choose which to brew it into. Treasure can now include potion ingredients as well as recipes for rarer potions.
January 11, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Simple crafting: On an INT check, the wizard knows that the thing they found (exotic plant or monster part) can be used to make 2 different common potions. They can choose which to brew it into. Treasure can now include potion ingredients as well as recipes for rarer potions.
One of the simplest ways to make a fantasy RPG more fun has no effect on mechanics:
If you kill a creature with an attack of at least 10 damage, you chop off its head, stab it in the heart/throat, pierce its eye to the brain, crush its skull/spine, etc, as appropriate for the weapon. Player choice.
If you kill a creature with an attack of at least 10 damage, you chop off its head, stab it in the heart/throat, pierce its eye to the brain, crush its skull/spine, etc, as appropriate for the weapon. Player choice.
January 10, 2026 at 3:56 PM
One of the simplest ways to make a fantasy RPG more fun has no effect on mechanics:
If you kill a creature with an attack of at least 10 damage, you chop off its head, stab it in the heart/throat, pierce its eye to the brain, crush its skull/spine, etc, as appropriate for the weapon. Player choice.
If you kill a creature with an attack of at least 10 damage, you chop off its head, stab it in the heart/throat, pierce its eye to the brain, crush its skull/spine, etc, as appropriate for the weapon. Player choice.
January 5, 2026 at 12:33 AM
🎲🎲🎲On 3d6, rolling 16, 17, or 18 is as rare as rolling a natural 20 on a d20 (4.6% vs 5%). Same with 3 to 5 being like a nat 1.
January 4, 2026 at 3:59 PM
🎲🎲🎲On 3d6, rolling 16, 17, or 18 is as rare as rolling a natural 20 on a d20 (4.6% vs 5%). Same with 3 to 5 being like a nat 1.
Fascinating 1377 map of England showing just how few cities & even big towns there were (big town=pop 1000+ & city=pop 2000+). Wales should have Cardiff city. Scotland should have Berwick-upon-Tweed city & Edinburgh & Glasgow towns. Those on the Continent were larger.
January 3, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Fascinating 1377 map of England showing just how few cities & even big towns there were (big town=pop 1000+ & city=pop 2000+). Wales should have Cardiff city. Scotland should have Berwick-upon-Tweed city & Edinburgh & Glasgow towns. Those on the Continent were larger.
Thinking about ditching charisma in my game system. But then thought maybe your CHA modifier should apply to searches, because it's not just your charm but your understanding of others—including where they might hide things.
January 2, 2026 at 3:15 AM
Thinking about ditching charisma in my game system. But then thought maybe your CHA modifier should apply to searches, because it's not just your charm but your understanding of others—including where they might hide things.
Going into the new year the only way I know how: calculating damage-per-round for old-school D&D longsword vs longbow.
January 1, 2026 at 5:34 AM
Going into the new year the only way I know how: calculating damage-per-round for old-school D&D longsword vs longbow.
Tip: Use minimal stats (AC, HP) in your adventure text & focus on what the creature will say & do. But make a card for each creature type with the other important info (attacks, resistances, special abilities, vulnerabilities), & reuse them for other adventures.
December 30, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Tip: Use minimal stats (AC, HP) in your adventure text & focus on what the creature will say & do. But make a card for each creature type with the other important info (attacks, resistances, special abilities, vulnerabilities), & reuse them for other adventures.
It's always been odd to me that Gygax used cp, sp, ep, gp, AND pp. What's the point?? Just use sp & gp & say there are small silver "farthings" that are ¼ sp. You don't need to track them; just lump all silver together. "You find 346 sp in shillings & farthings."
December 29, 2025 at 7:17 PM
It's always been odd to me that Gygax used cp, sp, ep, gp, AND pp. What's the point?? Just use sp & gp & say there are small silver "farthings" that are ¼ sp. You don't need to track them; just lump all silver together. "You find 346 sp in shillings & farthings."
Find someone who loves you like Millennials love pronouncing "versus" as "verse".
December 25, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Find someone who loves you like Millennials love pronouncing "versus" as "verse".
Most adventures should include some mystery. Heroes should be searching for answers as well as treasure.
🤔Who's behind the attacks & where can they be found?
🤔What's this creature's weakness or special power?
🤔Where's the lost Forge of Dorl?
🤔Whatever happened to Sir Conart?
🤔What's this cult up to?
🤔Who's behind the attacks & where can they be found?
🤔What's this creature's weakness or special power?
🤔Where's the lost Forge of Dorl?
🤔Whatever happened to Sir Conart?
🤔What's this cult up to?
December 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Most adventures should include some mystery. Heroes should be searching for answers as well as treasure.
🤔Who's behind the attacks & where can they be found?
🤔What's this creature's weakness or special power?
🤔Where's the lost Forge of Dorl?
🤔Whatever happened to Sir Conart?
🤔What's this cult up to?
🤔Who's behind the attacks & where can they be found?
🤔What's this creature's weakness or special power?
🤔Where's the lost Forge of Dorl?
🤔Whatever happened to Sir Conart?
🤔What's this cult up to?
Make books in D&D rare, valuable, & fun:
📖 Bestiary—descriptions of monsters
📖 Alchemy—recipes for potions
📖 Items of Legend—tales of magic items
📖 Weapons of Heroes—tales of magic weapons
📖 Travel Guide—perils & points of interest in an area
Heroes get XP & learn what could be found & maybe where.
📖 Bestiary—descriptions of monsters
📖 Alchemy—recipes for potions
📖 Items of Legend—tales of magic items
📖 Weapons of Heroes—tales of magic weapons
📖 Travel Guide—perils & points of interest in an area
Heroes get XP & learn what could be found & maybe where.
December 22, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Make books in D&D rare, valuable, & fun:
📖 Bestiary—descriptions of monsters
📖 Alchemy—recipes for potions
📖 Items of Legend—tales of magic items
📖 Weapons of Heroes—tales of magic weapons
📖 Travel Guide—perils & points of interest in an area
Heroes get XP & learn what could be found & maybe where.
📖 Bestiary—descriptions of monsters
📖 Alchemy—recipes for potions
📖 Items of Legend—tales of magic items
📖 Weapons of Heroes—tales of magic weapons
📖 Travel Guide—perils & points of interest in an area
Heroes get XP & learn what could be found & maybe where.
Wishes are fun, but they're tricky to adjudicate. You'll use them more if you keep them simple: a wish can duplicate the effect of any spell in the campaign. They don't have to have encountered the spell. The lower the level, the bigger the area or duration—maybe even make it permanent.
December 19, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Wishes are fun, but they're tricky to adjudicate. You'll use them more if you keep them simple: a wish can duplicate the effect of any spell in the campaign. They don't have to have encountered the spell. The lower the level, the bigger the area or duration—maybe even make it permanent.
Pro tip: instead of spending thousands on one of those expensive custom gaming tables, just get a normal table and a cheap side table to sit between each pair of players. Much higher utility for the same price as one fancy accessory.
December 18, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Pro tip: instead of spending thousands on one of those expensive custom gaming tables, just get a normal table and a cheap side table to sit between each pair of players. Much higher utility for the same price as one fancy accessory.
The d6 die of fate, for when you're not sure or don't care:
1=no, & nothing like it
2=no, as far as you can tell
3=no, but there's an alternative—or yes, with time/money/risk
4=maybe; you can't tell; roll again when there's a change; another maybe counts as yes
5=yes
6=yes, & in a big way
1=no, & nothing like it
2=no, as far as you can tell
3=no, but there's an alternative—or yes, with time/money/risk
4=maybe; you can't tell; roll again when there's a change; another maybe counts as yes
5=yes
6=yes, & in a big way
December 17, 2025 at 8:26 PM
The d6 die of fate, for when you're not sure or don't care:
1=no, & nothing like it
2=no, as far as you can tell
3=no, but there's an alternative—or yes, with time/money/risk
4=maybe; you can't tell; roll again when there's a change; another maybe counts as yes
5=yes
6=yes, & in a big way
1=no, & nothing like it
2=no, as far as you can tell
3=no, but there's an alternative—or yes, with time/money/risk
4=maybe; you can't tell; roll again when there's a change; another maybe counts as yes
5=yes
6=yes, & in a big way