Szymon @ Nerd Sirens

Nope, but it does look cool, gonna grab it, thanks!

I kinda prefer clocks to hp as encounter time trackers but I get that's a personal taste aspect.

The funny thing is that Blades in the Dark (if I recall John Harper's vlog correctly) started almost as an osr system with two stats: Blades and Dark ;)

The action is focused on characters without many elements that impact the world outside of their reach (like PbtA moves that sometimes target other scenes), the danger stakes are similar (a char can die from a failed roll), both favor improvised play, with written plot as a scaffold not a Bible

I think I know what you mean, people want to be creators, not "publishers", we should let them. But also they should get the know-how and know that there are people and companies that can take that load off their back.

I think it's the clash between someone knowing that they are not prepared for a large scale project but instead of working the knowledge in their plan they choose to do an impromptu version of damage control.
Even if had a limited 1k print run I would still love influential outlets to cover it.

That's probably the fault of my way of approaching this but something in me balks at the concept of shunning exposure in an extremely niche space and fear of success.
I understand it as a concept but think that it comes from looking at those challenges the wrong way.

I get that, but still think it's treating a symptom not the cause. If you know your limits you should plan for them from the start - like set your crowdfunding with limited numbers.
Tbh we as a community should talk more about how the sausage is made, so new people don't wrestle with solved problem.

Yup, we have the same problem, around 50k £/$/€, but I still think that this is something you should factor in when planning i.e. did you plan your budget to factor in accounting? Are you ready to approach this as full time job? Should you consider outside help at that point?

A singular shipment of 10k is still doable at a very small scale operation with limited people if you plan for it. Outside of tabletop this would be a normal week for a online retailer.

I think there is a big knowledge gap with logistics and people get overwhelmed with some basic problems.

2/2

I don't argue that it's not happening, there is a lot of that going on, I bought a bunch of games stuck in production hell.

But I think it's still a problem of not planning for success at the start. Of course scaling to 10k miniature games would be different than doing just books
1/2

The main issue I have with PbtA is the concept of "moves". I find it hard to follow during play and have to constantly switch between fiction and trying to match it to my moves.
FitD uses more standard skills, they are a fuzzy and you can sometimes match more than one, but it usually is seamless

Still, I think you should check the FitD games, I also don't like PbtA but love those. They are really close to the OSR in a way they structure play the main difference is the resolution mechanic.

Yeah, but I think it comes from an earlier mistake than just the scale increase. If I would take a guess that problem starts at wrong choices with rewards - to many different rewards that make shipping hell; or unrestricted streach goals that end the same way.

To be honest, I don't buy the second part. Like, I'm literally shipping 1k+ books/year from my spare room using (mostly) only my own hands with some basic tools (label printer and a barcode scanner). If suddenly our sales exploded 10x I would scale it up without loosing a step with the extra funds

I think we talked with Kuba about this when we released his stuff and came to a conclusion that coming from our background (Polish avg pay is around 2k $/£/€) we have one way through if: you can buy the PDF full price or get it for free as a community copy.

So today we broke the last stretch goal that adds something to the current campaign.
I still feel this is somewhat "wrong" - not to add more stuff *but* it's the smart move. We want to make, print, and ship this zine as soon as possible, and adding things on top would hinder that.

Ooooh I really like this and Im kinda jealous that all those years of running Fate combat on zones didn't light this bulb that this can be a separate game! Congrats!

Looking at international shipments of books through "traditional" mail gives me funny insights:
- Canada refuses to track Polish Post registered mail but seems to deliver them without a miss
- New Zeland, literally on the other side of the world is faster and more stable than most of the US and UK

Castle of the Veiled Queen Beyond Corny Groń - Other Paths vol. I - an adventure module zine

New stretch goals!
€6.5k - @majsteremski.bsky.social makes music score for special instrument from the castle!
€7.5k - maps made by @brzozenwald.bsky.social put into a castle plan, printed in one sheet (around B3 size) & added to every zine!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cor...
#zinequest #osr #ttrpg

Castle of the Veiled Queen Beyond Corny Groń - Other Paths vol. I - an adventure module zine

Need more Karpaki in your life? Kuba has got you covered!
Visit the Eren Castle, a prison fortress with more than one secret. Our tour will include some ancient ghosts, trickster fey, some bureaucrats, and quite a few bored soldiers!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/cor...

Cover art for Castle of the Veiled Queen, made by Aleksandra Czudżak of czudzak.com We'll print it in the same technique as solo game & BCG - silver foil hot-stamped on black background. All I have to do is to add the title without screwing over her great work!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cor...

Coming soon: Castle of the Veiled Queen Beyond Corny Groń - Other Paths vol. I - an adventure module zine

Alright everyone, @coorac.bsky.social has done it again!
This time it's a stand-alone module that happens to take place in those beautiful Karpakian mountains. It's about an old castle-prison with spirits and specialty tobacco blends!
Don't miss out

www.kickstarter.com/projects/cor...

Coming soon: Castle of the Veiled Queen Beyond Corny Groń - Other Paths vol. I - an adventure module zine

Hi folks, Corny Groń first ZineQuest project is coming soon - an OSR module based in Karpakian universe, but easily adaptable to other settings to be used as a - well - plug-in module with @brzozenwald.bsky.social EXCELLENT maps! Hit follow and spread the word!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/cor...

I mostly play those as an introduction to ttrpgs and depending on the gaming literacy of the group:
- Ten Candles by Stephen Dewey (for people who don't know *anything*)
- The Hunted by @loottheroom.bsky.social (one-shot that has PC growth and simulates campaign play)

Bonus: ECB by Eli Kurtz

fantasy illustrations sample

fantasy illustrations sample

fantasy illustrations sample

fantasy illustration of landscape

My name is Perplexing Ruins. I make art & illustrations, and have been published in a good handful of products. If you like the work I make, you can support me for as little as $1/mo. For higher tiers, all the art is usable, royalty free, in commercial publications

www.patreon.com/c/perplexing...

Beyond Corny Groń - Adventurer's Guide by Nerd Sirens, Kuba Skurzyński system-neutral toolkit and sandbox generator for role-playing games

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to
Cry: "BEYOND CORNY GROŃ IS 36% off on DTRPG and itch!"

(36% off because it's 36th birthday)

(also, BCG became COPPER BESTSELLER on DTRPG, so there's double reason to rejoice!)

www.drivethrurpg.com/pl/product/4...
nerd-sirens.itch.io/corny-gron-g...

The dumbest part is that it's not even a money issue. Nowadays you can grab a person on social media who will make your gore-skeleton cover for a few hundred bucks (budget is: everybody in a band chips in) faster than you'll write some dumb prompt.

YouTube video by Chaoclypse Beyond Corny Gron - An Incredible Fantasy RPG Setting based on Polish Folklore

Just released a video where I do a deep dive into Beyond Corny Gron by @nerdsirens.bsky.social and why it's one of my new favourite TTRPG books!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGzJ...

I'll officially link your video everywhere because you explain those interconnected generators better than Kuba does ;) @coorac.bsky.social

Currently I've adapted it to run The Lady Afterwards so chtuluesque 1920s but I have a wip of a mythical fantasy in the vein of 80s/90s Arthurian-like tv/movie/books: Excalibur, that Robin Hood series that had Clannad theme.