Red Wizard (formerly Five Foot Square)

New job has kept me from having the energy/time to put words to doc so I haven't had a chance to write anything new for @redwizard.ca - especially since it turns out the laptop I bought was defective and needed returned.

Hopefully I get some time soon.

The Red Wizard's Guide to Making NPCs Faster - Red Wizard's Ko-fi Shop Running a TTRPG is hard enough - creating a never-ending parade of memorable NPCs shouldn’t be. The Red Wizard’s Guide to Making NPCs Faster gives you...

"Do I really need to make another shopkeeper with a detailed backstory?"
No. Just roll a concept, a quirk, and a goal. Done.

Grab The Red Wizard’s Guide to Making NPCs Faster and stop over-prepping.
Ko-Fi → ko-fi.com/s/f5f319e51d
Itch.io → redwizardca.itch.io/the-red-wiza...

#TTRPG #DMTools

All right - let's brainstorm a *good* replacement for the term "homebrew" for #TTRPG content. Something easy to understand and not too wordy. We're making content for the tabletop, not microbrewing a batch of beer.

Gila RPGs

Our fridge broke, neat 🙃

Want to buy some games?

gilarpgs.itch.io

I'll be the first to admit that the term sounds like you're making beer at home - I wish there were a more widely known term that didn't pad out the word count to make use of it (more than my ramblings already do).

Make That Homebrew, You Coward Stop procrastinating, you coward! Write that homebrew, right this moment. Well, read this first - and then write it!

Corporate splatbooks are fine. But you know what’s better? Homebrew. That messy, table-grown chaos is what makes TTRPGs alive.

So yes - make that homebrew, you coward.
👉 redwizard.ca/2025/09/make...

#TTRPG #IndieRPG #GameMaster #DnD #Tabletop

Prep Vibes, Not Novels: Lazy Session Prep That Actually Works Ditch the three-ring binder and embrace the three cool things in vibe prepping.

Campaign prep doesn't have to be 40 pages of notes your players never see.

Pick a vibe. Write three cool things. Add a wildcard. Done. 🎲
👉 redwizard.ca/2025/09/prep...

#TTRPG #GMtips #DMtips #dnd5e #tabletopgames

a cartoon character reading a book with the words " me completely making things up " on the bottom ALT: a cartoon character reading a book with the words " me completely making things up " on the bottom

Stop over-prepping. Stop overthinking. Sometimes the best TTRPG sessions happen when you’re just making shit up. NPCs, loot, monsters - chaos is the feature, not the bug. Embrace it. Watch the story explode.

#TTRPG #DnD #Tabletop #GameMaster #MakeItUp

Character Sheets Are Overrated, Bring Me a Deck: Roleplaying in Arkham Horror Classes, unique characters, stats, weapons? Arkham Horror: The Card Game is 100% a role-playing game.

Character Sheets? Optional. Deck? Mandatory.
In Arkham Horror: The Card Game, your deck is your character sheet, and every draw is a roleplaying choice.

Read more about why your cards tell your story:
redwizard.ca/2025/09/char...

#TTRPG #ArkhamHorrorLCG #Deckbuilding #TabletopRoleplaying

So, due to personal circumstances, I won't be finishing #RPGaDay2025 on @redwizard.ca - normal posts will pick up Monday but I really needed a bit of a break.

I did manage 26/31 which is, frankly, not too bad.

More news on what's next soon.

The Red Wizard's 100%, Completely Serious Guide to Tactics Tactics are the art of lying to yourself before the dice burn it all down. Come enjoy my entirely legitimate tactical treatise to turn you into the perfect tabletop general.

Tactics at the table:
✅ Make a plan
🎲 Dice laugh
🔥 Fireball anyway

My totally legitimate wizard’s guide to battlefield brilliance:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...

#RPGaDay2025 #TTRPG #dnd #ttrpgcommunity

The Petty Rival: Building a Nemesis Without Malice in Your TTRPG The real nemesis isn't your big bad villain - it's your bard's ex-roommate from college.

Not every nemesis has to be a world-ending villain.
Sometimes it’s just the rival party that keeps one-upping you - or that smug wizard who insists they found the dungeon first.

Why petty rivals make the best antagonists:
👉 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...

#TTRPG #DnD #RPGaDay2025 #Tabletop

Scheduling: The Deadliest Challenge at the Table Scheduling: the BBEG of tabletop. How can we overcome the biggest challenge we face before we even hit the table?

The most feared challenge in TTRPGs isn't a monster.
It’s scheduling. 🗓️

New post for #RPGaDay2025:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/sche...

#TTRPG #DnD #RPGHumor #TabletopGames

That Time My Reveal Went Wrong (and Why That Was Okay) Botched your big reveal? Welcome to the club. Now let's pivot and turn that flop into fuel.

The reveal never lands how you planned.
Players interrupt.
They laugh.
They guess early.

And that’s why it works.

New post:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/that...

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #TabletopGaming #GMlife

The Red Wizard has decided to nap the day away. Day 24 (and 25) of #RPGaDay2025 will be posted tomorrow. ~ The Apprentice

The Eternal Cry: “Previously, On Our Campaign…” Previously on Curse of Strahd "I roll to seduce the fence post..." "What do you mean, I died again?" "Do I manage to steal without the rest of the party noticing?" "Of course I know how counterspell works... I'm just looking up the wording!"

The most feared words in TTRPGs:
"Previously… uh, what happened again?"

Recaps are chaotic, messy, and absolutely essential. Here’s how to do them better (and funnier):
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #dnd #ttrpgcommunity

The GM Is Your Ally (Even When They’re Laughing at Your Dice) We are not enemies, you and I. Your gamemaster is your accomplice at the table. Learn to cackle with us as we build obstacles you'll love to overcome.

The GM is not your enemy. They're the scaffolding that keeps the story alive. Even when they cackle at your nat 1.

New post:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...

#TTRPG #Tabletop #GameMaster #RPGaDay2025 #DnD #RPG

Well, that's one way to cast Power Word: Kill on your own product...
#TTRPG

I dream of the day people come check out my booth and instead of saying "my group is burned out on d&d and want something else" they say "my group plays lots of games and I'm here to find more."

Prepping With Chaos: Why the Unexpected is Your Game's Best Plot Twist Your players aren't ruining your prep with chaos. They're rewriting it was fireworks. Learn how to embrace it and ease your prep workload.

Players wrecking your prep isn't a bug - it's the feature.

Here's how the unexpected can turn into your game’s best plot twist (and why you should start prepping with chaos in mind):
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/prep...

#TTRPG #DnD #Tabletop #RPGaDay2025 #GMAdvice

Into the Frying Pan: Integrating New Players into Your Adventure Mid-Campaign New players aren’t glitches - they’re DLC mid-boss fight. Learn to stitch them into the story with action, not essays.

A new player enters your 40-session epic.
The party stare. The GM sweats.
What happens next?

Hopefully, this article saves you from lore dumps and awkward silences:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/into...

#TTRPG #DnD #GMtips #RPGaDay2025

Destiny Is Just GM Clickbait (And Other Prophecies You Can Use at Your Table) Destiny isn't real - it's narrative catnip. Learn to scam players with vague prophecies they'll beg to fulfill.

Destiny is just clickbait: vague omens, bad horoscopes, and players who can’t resist them.

🔮 Destiny Is Just GM Clickbait (And Other Prophecies You Can Use at Your Table)

GMs: scam with style.
Players: misinterpret confidently.
redwizard.ca/2025/08/dest...

#RPGaDay2025 #TTRPG #DnD #TabletopRPGs

Red Herrings, Black Crows, and Weird Moons: Using Signs and Portents in Your TTRPG World The world whispers before it screams. Learn to wield signs: rotting crops, silent gulls, and blood-red moons that make players lean in. The best stories don’t surprise - they haunt.

The world doesn’t just react - it warns.

Black crows. Red moons. Statues that cry blood. These aren’t just spooky vibes, they're tools to make your world feel alive.

I wrote about using signs and portents in your games:
redwizard.ca/2025/08/red-...

#RPGaDay2025 #TTRPG #DnD #GMtips #worldbuilding

How to Renew Your TTRPG Campaign Without Setting It On Fire (Probably) Campaigns don’t die - they fester. Learn to torch yours properly: time-skips, villain evolutions, and emotional resurrections that make players care again. True renewal isn’t a reset - it's a phoenix ...

Collapse. Rebuild. Die. Resurrect.

The secret rhythm of every campaign is renewal. Learn how to use it before Netflix steals your players.

redwizard.ca/2025/08/how-...

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #GMTips

How to Make Your Beekeeper Save the Realm and Other Quiet Player Tricks Quiet players aren’t sidekicks - they’re landmines of brilliance. Learn to craft moments where the beekeeper outshines the barbarian, the hymn unlocks the door, and the overlooked become unforgettable...

Every table has one: the player who seems content to stay in the background. The beekeeper. The scholar. The "supporting role."

But one day? They save the realm. Here’s how to give them that stage.

🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/how-...

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #DnD #Tabletop

Red Herrings at the Table: Turning One Player Into Your Unwitting Accomplice Turn your most smug player into your secret weapon. This elegant deception lets them sell a half-truth so well, the whole party falls for it - while the real villain sips wine three towns over. Memorable chaos, zero GM lies.

Ever handed a player just enough truth to doom the party?

Here’s how to turn one of your PCs into an unwitting accomplice in a perfectly legal betrayal. 🎭

#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #DnD #TabletopGames #GMtips #RPG

🔗

YouTube video by Red Wizard Speaks When You Ask Me About Indie RPGs

Indie RPGs don't play nice.

Your character will suffer poetically.
Your whole game can be shorter than your D&D backstory.
The tears often flow by session two.

Tag a friend who couldn't handle 10 Candles.

youtube.com/shorts/pFSzT...
#IndieRPG #TTRPG

The Red Wizard’s Guide to Letting Players Ruin Your Perfect Tabletop Mystery Tired of players ruining your perfect mystery? Good. Bless their chaotic little hearts. This clue token system lets them buy plot twists, frame suspicious cats, and rewrite crime scenes. Surrender con...

Wrote the perfect TTRPG mystery.
Players ignored it and solved a different one.

Here’s how to make that the plan all along:
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...
#TTRPG #RPGaDay2025 #GMlife

The Black Labyrinth of Hungry Shadows: A Systemless Dungeon Where Darkness Feeds The Black Labyrinth doesn’t wait. It hungers. This systemless dungeon digests adventurers who dare enter, feeding on light and memory. Corridors shift. Landmarks lie. Bring your wits (and maybe leave your sanity). Contains: weeping statues, markets trading in screams, and a dog-shaped hole in reality. The best darkness isn’t empty. It’s hungry.

A maze that eats light.
A market that trades in shadows.
A hound you can only see out of the corner of your eye.

The Black Labyrinth of Hungry Shadows doesn’t want you to win - it wants you to feed it.

Day 13 - Darkness. #RPGaDay2025
🔗 redwizard.ca/2025/08/the-...
#ttrpg #dnd #osr #tabletop

Quantum Ogres and Other Lies I Tell My Players: Railroading – With Style Players think they want endless freedom - but what they really crave is the illusion of choice. The Red Wizard reveals how to craft deliciously deceptive paths that feel open while keeping your plot o...

Your players think they want freedom. What they really want? The illusion of choice. Here’s how to give it to them - with style, spite, and sentient breadcrumbs

Full link: redwizard.ca/2025/08/quan...

#RPGaDay2025 #GameMaster #TTRPG