I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos on running a “sandbox” campaign. And honestly… no one defines very well what a sandbox is. Dropping premade adventures on a map and letting players explore where they want is not a sandbox. Minecraft is a sandbox. If you agree with this basic observation, then follow along as…
Influences & Inspirations for Wistblade
No creator creates in a vacuum. Here are some influences from various games and media that I have repeatedly returned to for inspiration for Wistblade. Inspirations in General Order of Influence Rimworld (video game) Possibly the biggest influence; I wanted a role-playable multi-player Rimworld, but in a fantasy world with a human storyteller, not an…
Creating a Fantasy Universe Worth Escaping To
One of the biggest challenges I face is creating a world that I and others will want to retreat to, explore, and pass some time in. To start this journey, I recently spent some time developing the world paradigm for Wistblade. All I knew when I started was I wanted humans as the only goodly,…
Combo with your Horse in Wistblade
I love horses. They are elegant, powerful, majestic creatures worthy of praise and honor, both for their place in history and in fantasy fiction. At last, you can now combo with a unique mount! Wistblade uses a mechanic called Duos that provides for a meaningful and instant partnership with another creature, creating all-new game mechanics…
The Illusion of Life in Tabletop RPGs
I recently wrote the following as part of the text of Wistblade’s manual: The Game Master is a director, modifier, and organizer of the chaos created by the game and its players. Wistblade is a fantasy adventure playground: a sandbox engine that generates engaging stories. It’s a scrappy, messy game where scenarios and challenges are…
Drowning in Vision – How to Simplify to Keep Focus
When too much is a bad thing… I am someone that frequently drowns my projects in foundations so heavy it sinks the ship while still in harbor. A good foundation isn’t bad, but my imagination envisions a product in 5 or 10 years’ time, and I tend to solve the problems of tomorrow as if…
How to Rename Your Baby After Falling in Love
Creative projects you intend to sell are interesting things. It’s something you love, but it needs to “work” in the target market or it won’t exist long enough for you enjoy your investment. Perhaps some creators just want to keep moving on to the next thing, but I’ve always just wanted an IP — something…
Playtest Version Update
I’ve got a system setup that can generate between 500-1000 character cards in a respectable amount of time, albeit still very rough and with a very limited artwork library to work with. Gender, age, race, and visual variety per profession (hopefully 8 total per profession eventually, 4 male, 4 female) are all things planned but…
Lost in the Woods on a Project (and how to overcome it)
I started 2025 with the goal to finish projects. The first item on my list was my game Super Maps & Legends (SuperMNL), planned as TTRPG. I dove in ready to do whatever it took to release the game this year. Changes, Changes, Changes In an effort to create a manageable database comparable to what…
How to Manage 40+ PCs at the game table?
You can play up to six characters at a time in Super Maps & Legends, chosen from anyone you meet in the game world. This means you dive into the game and instantly start role-playing within minutes. It’s called Stewarding and your characters are called Wards. Prior to becoming wards, characters are known as Gens,…