Whimsy Machine

This one is neat because the original version was only about a tenth of the size. I had to pause my readthrough for the day job, but I've still got a long ways to go.

The original version had a lot of the same skeleton, but not much in the way of explanation. I realized I'd left a lot in my head.

Page 12 of Fight Item Run. The header reads: The Adventure. The top paragraph reads: "Fight Item Run is played in two phases: Combat and Recovery. Combat is forward motion, and Recovery is retreating. When there are monsters and danger, the characters are in Combat. If all characters run from Combat, then they are in Recovery until they advance forward again." The "Press Start" section reads: "Not every player needs to know everything that lies within this book in order for the group to start playing. So long as each player has enough information to make their characters, play can begin with the Tutorial cutscene. The textbox reads: "Once each player has followed the character creator steps (consider excluding Schools of Magic if playing for the first time), everyone can take turns introducing their characters. Describe their name, pronouns, Class, starting Gear, and general aesthetic. The important elements to convey at this time are the impression someone would get from their character art, what their battle animation will look like, and a couple descriptive sentences in a game manual but nothing much beyond that. The finer details will be discovered during the game."

This chapter rolls into the HP/Harm summary and ends with a "don't sweat the details." This is because games start with a Tutorial Cutscene where you play a combat scene with just vibes starting out to get a feel of what you'd like out of your character.

Cover for Fight Item Run, subtitled "A Pixelated TTRPG." It's further described as "Designed by Whimsy Machine" and "Powered by the Apocalypse." The cover illustration is pixel art of a knight and wizard facing off against a fire-breathing dragon.

I'm going to read through my TTRPG Fight Item Run. It's a love letter to old video games through an intentionally nostalgic lens, recreating that feeling of watching your older siblings play through MegaMan or FF7 and how they must be magic for shepherding something so cool. #ttrpg #gamedev

It'd be remiss of me not to give a hearty shoutout to @explodinghye.bsky.social and the wonderful graphic design they did on this book. From the palette to the clever use of emphasis throughout, he absolutely captured the vibe of the insert booklets that used to be in game cases.

An interior page of Fight Item Run that lists three possible results of a dice roll using colored text boxes. The section is labeled "Roll Example." The introduction text reads: "Nephele is fighting a monster with an interesting mimicry ability, so she tries to Draw Magic from Target. Nephele’s player rolls two dice and adds Nephele’s SP, which is 2, to the result." The first box reads: "If the total is 10 or higher: Nephele pulls the magical essence from the target and will gain a piece of Gear once that target is destroyed. She also learns that the monster is weak to attacks it can’t see coming. Sneak attacks are particularly effective against monsters with the ability to copy their foes. Nephele swirls her staff in the air and pulls magical light from the monster, which then projects hologram-like visions that only she can see." The second box reads: "If the total is 7, 8, or 9: Nephele still draws the essence and will get Gear, but she doesn’t learn about a particular weakness for that type of monster. Nephele ducks in close to the monster, pulling away magical light into her staff, and then rolls out of the way before getting into danger." The third box reads: "If total is 6 or less: Nephele does not draw the essence of the monster and the DM will be able to use this opportunity to use a Combat Miss Reaction. Nephele ducks in close to the monster, but before she can pull magic from it, the monster lunges and gains an Engagement on her. As she rolls out of the way, she realizes she’s been cornered by the monster. Nephele’s player also marks the character sheet next to Nephele’s Secret."

The Adventure chapter dives into dice rolling and moves. This is where the PbtA mechanics will feel most familiar. Roll 2d6 using one of four stats (ACC, DEF, DMG, & SP). 6 & under is a miss, 7-9 is a hit with a catch, and 10+ is a hit with a perk. This example breaks down a Draw Magic move.

Page 8 from Fight Item Run. The header labels the page as being in "The Themes" chapter. A purple text box with white font says " If you’re interested in your character becoming romantically involved with another player’s character, let them know and — if they’re on board with it — you can both create opportunities for romantic tension to build. If two characters argue frequently, discuss out of character the reasons why, if it’s a point of stress for the players, and whether or not to explore reconciliation between the characters." There's an emphasized text line that says "The most rewarding chambers to explore, after all, are the ones of the heart." A fantasy warrior wearing red, yellow, and gray armor makes a victory pose as light glows around them.

Anyway, I love the art by @breewolfstuff.bsky.social, and this cheesy line might be my favorite in the whole book.

Still in Themes, I hit some "isn't this obvious?" ground with suggestions on how to play rules a la carte and how you might navigate safety tools and in-character relationships. Except, especially in anything that whiffs of dungeon, these things are not at all obvious to many folks playing #ttrpgs.

I dive into my take on "play to find out" since that's such an important part of FIR. The storytelling is all about finding clues together and building the narrative as you go. There's no secret objective truth the DM keeps in their pocket, but a DM that stewards discovery and fosters creativity.

Next chapter is The Themes. I get soapboxy about these monsters being saturday morning cartoon fodder. A lot of games do "ARE WE THE REAL MONSTERS" really well. For Fight Item Run, we're hitting that guiltless pleasure of jrpgs. Fight the slime, kill the slime, unlock slime armor, celebrate.

Obviously if your "dungeon" is a floating cloud city, that flavors your campaign—at least until you drop down to the Dinosaur Jungle region or whatever. You get Gear by fighting and puzzling in chambers, so completing a region IS your level up.

Chapter 1: The Dungeon describes the framework and setting. I'll admit, it hits pretty dense out the gate. The Dungeon is both literal and metaphorical backdrop: the chambers and regions you explore represent the flavor of your game, character progression, and the tinder from which drama sparks.

Two panel black and white comic. Panel one, looming biblical-form Jehudiel preps to snatch Faith saying "RAPTURE." Panel 2, Jehudiel says "IT'S RAPTURE TODAY!" which hauling Faith into the sky. Faith, angry, is yelling back "I have shit to do today- can you fuck off?!?"

I guess it's the rapture today?
#aoba #comicoop #comics

Fight Item Run (PDF) - Store - Whimsy Machine Media Monsters spawn in the dungeon. What do you do? ▶ FIGHT ▶ ITEM ▶ RUN Fight Item Run is a Powered by the Apocalypse tabletop roleplaying game that smashes action-packed combat and magic together with dy...

Okay, so I'll get into the proper read and react tomorrow because it got too late tonight, but check this out in the meantime: whimsymachinegames.com/Fight-Item-R...

Oh yeah, and this thread ends with me offering to mail folks physical copies if you do reviews, APs, etc. #ttrpgcommunity #ttrpg #dnd

Table of Contents, page one of two, for Fight Item Run. The page is decorated with pixel art. The sections are: 1, The Dungeon. Discussion of the setting and inspiration of Fight Item Run, and how to go about making it your own. 4, The Themes. Topics Fight Item Run explores and those it avoids in play, as well as certain design decisions explained. 9, The Adventure. The baseline structure and rules for play. 13, The Fight. Rules and discussion of the Combat phase of play. 23, The Recovery. Rules and discussion of the Recovery phase of play. 28, The Relationships. Rules and discussion of Affinity, the representation of character bonds and dynamics. 30, The Characters. Character creation steps and information on character Classes. 37, The Magic. Information about the Schools of Magic, an optional character build. 47. The Items: Rules and discussion on Items (generic, single-use consumables), Gear (character-specific equipment), and Glow (purchasing currency).

Table of Contents, page two of two, for Fight Item Run. The page is decorated with pixel art. The sections are: 53, THE Monsters. Rules and discussion on monsters and how to generate them, as well as information on monster Traits, Bosses, and Techniques. 62, The Puzzles. Rules and discussion on puzzles (which may be in addition to monsters or a replacement for them in a chamber). 70, The Extras. Information on and examples of the non-monster characters the party may meet in the dungeon. 72, The Cutscenes. Information on and examples of Cutscenes, which are plot-specific scenes that are triggered by actions and tools to control the narrative. 77, The Moderator. Information and rules for the dungeon moderator, A.K.A. the DM: the player who facilitates the dungeon itself and the monsters within. 82, The Stories. Example scenarios including specific plots and adventure hooks that can be played with Fight Item Run. 84, Chronicles of Power: The Wild Tower. 92, Zero Day Threat. 99, Super Dragon Kid Adventure! 105, The Spookeasy. 81. Index. A list of key terms and where to find them within this book. 111, Credits. Recognition for the team behind this book. 113, Character Sheet.

The core is heartily modified Powered by the Apocalypse, plus I had a lot of fun with big weird magic schools, item charts, an affinity system that ties into the real dramatic meat: Cutscenes. PbtA elements shine in the "DM is a fan of the players" and players having narrative agency.

A screenshot of a page of Fight Item Run. The title for the section is "The Dungeon." The text reads: "The dungeon is the structure and sole setting of Fight Item Run. The party begins in a chamber and there are monsters; once they’ve defeated the monsters, they proceed to the next chamber where there are more monsters. Chambers also have items, treasures, puzzles, and mysteries. When the party has collected the adequate gear to advance to the dungeon's next level, they come to the chamber with the passage, staircase, portal, or alien warp pad to continue forward." An infobox is introduced with the line: "The goals for the game are as follows:" and lists the following goals. "Fight monsters, collect items, survive the dungeon. Tell a collaborative story of mystery and adventure. Plant and build upon evocative details at every chance. Explore the lives and relationships of characters traveling together." There are illustrations on the page: pixel art flag banners underneath the section title and a pixel art cloud above it. There's a spot art illustration by Bree Wolf of a character silhouette in a creepy dungeon tunnel with vines and glowing crystals.

FIR is designed around the gradual unraveling exploration of a game that takes multiple discs to play, but is still packed with action. Or you can do a one-shot that feels like finding a demo game paused right before a super cool level while hanging out with your friends in a game store in the mall.

Cover for Fight Item Run, subtitled "A Pixelated TTRPG." It's further described as "Designed by Whimsy Machine" and "Powered by the Apocalypse." The cover illustration is pixel art of a knight and wizard facing off against a fire-breathing dragon.

I'm going to read through my TTRPG Fight Item Run. It's a love letter to old video games through an intentionally nostalgic lens, recreating that feeling of watching your older siblings play through MegaMan or FF7 and how they must be magic for shepherding something so cool. #ttrpg #gamedev

It's still weird to get a batch of new followers with no new interactions. There must be a starter list going around.

Hello, welcome. Sometimes I remember to post about the games I make because I would like you to buy the games I make.

Followed!

Now, as a fellow worrier AND chartmaker, does the chart help??

Coming soon: Cyberrats in Space Rats. Mechs. Revenge.

move us to the greeeeeen

(i think the golf term is "fore")
www.kickstarter.com/projects/201...

The Light Rail is Coming by Whimsy Machine An absurdist TTRPG of urban development

In @whimsymachine.bsky.social's jam entry, THE LIGHT RAIL IS COMING & you are the townsfolk preparing for its arrival.

In this absurdist #ttrpg w/ gothic vibes, "We long for the light. Let it come and unite us."

Grab this game, it's about civic engagement! > whimsy-machine.itch.io/the-light-ra...

My ideal format? Thanks for asking.

It's a podcast where me and rotating guests read through a section of Fight Item Run and discuss it. Episodes would be under an hour and feature 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of reading to talking.

I'd send the guest a copy of the book ahead of time.

It’s funny because promoting and marketing a book in any way, shape, or form is actually NOT the author’s job. At all. It is unpaid labor we’ve been forced to do for so long the expectation has mutated like a virus into “okay now you also have to be a TikTok sensation to do this as a job.”

I'm thinking of doing a readthrough commentary of Fight Item Run. It's a game I really enjoy, but I think it's a weirder pitch than Spell. Which might seem counterintuitive, but that expectation is what I think throws folks off. Anyway, I'm overdue to spend some quality time with it.

I sent the manuscript for the Word Witch Daily alpha off for editing and now I'm anxiously twiddling my fingers. I could've (and probably should've) tinkered with it a lot longer, but I need a real, structural answer to "what am I even doing here?"

Alright pals. Every time you make progress on (or complete!) a preexisting project this September, celebrate it using the hashtag #steadyseptember because slow and steady is still progress!

And by preexisting I do mean “conceived or begun BEFORE September.” Old(ish) ideas only!!!

Oh, I love this idea. I've definitely got more energy for coaxing an old project along than doing something new every day.

Heartbearers by Whimsy Machine An RPG of Sentient Weapons & Friendship

Ah yeah, #swordtember is here to tempt me into making more games about sentient weapons. In the meantime, I've still got Heartbearers!
whimsy-machine.itch.io/heartbearers

Tabletop Train Jam 2025 A game jam from 2025-10-01 to 2025-10-30 hosted by Maggie Mahoney. Welcome to the Tabletop Train Jam 2025! We're back for a second year, because people asked for it! Just like last year, your goal is ...

🚂 One month out from #TabletopTrainJam and 27 creators have already joined! I can't wait to see what folks make.

🛤️ This month, I'll be highlighting some #ttrpg entries I love from last year's jam, to help get everyone in the creative spirit for this year.

🚋 Join us >> itch.io/jam/tabletop...

I just backed Forged in Fantasy • Acrylic Charms by @dollipop-art.bsky.social and I'm super excited about these. The lore alone—I could live in this world. #charms #ttrpgs
www.kickstarter.com/projects/dol...

Attention artists!

I need some original illustrations for some upcoming games (please see my thread). If you want to throw your hat in the ring, please reply in the thread with a link to your portfolio.

And if you see this, please repost or tag in someone you think might be a good fit!