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ACKS has codified modifiers for reaction rolls and approach which take into account posture, apparent alignment, relative strength, previous interaction etc. slightly cumbersome but it produces believable outcomes. Personally I've written a different type of tables where the reaction-spectrum...

Reaction tables and morale rolls first of all makes the game more realistic, immersive, enjoyable, and unpredictable, for both the players and the DM. They make the world seem more alive, as sometimes even an enemy patrol for whatever reason don't want to engage in combat, maybe they are just...

Lover's Quarrel A red crossbow bolt with a broken hearted tip. This acts as a bolt+3, but if you strike a target who is romantically interested in you, or you have shared a bed with, they are instantly slain with no saving throw - their heart broken.

Competition over! Great success! Announcing the Winners! (delightfuldungeons.blogspot.com)

The contest is soon over! I have secretly picked the winner from among the 7 qualified entries (and they are truly all qualified to win, had they not been bested) and await the votes for the runner up. I'll force Bryce to review the final compilation, it's all great stuff!

Constraints gives structure to creativity, and in some cases they also enforce quality. It is good practice to design quickly, because then you have to develop a proper understanding of design, not just build and iterate forever. This competition is going to end up producing 8 or 9 good...

I'll likely run a second competition along similar lines, though I feel I need to get some real games under my belt before then. 3 more entries have been reviewed, showing remarkable quality and variance in scope. Producing these so quickly gives me some insight into what Bryce has been doing...

Third entry reviewed. While the presentation is the weakest so far I think I like it the most, and it certainly hits the judgement criteria hard. https://delightfuldungeons.blogspot.com/2024/08/contest-entry-chamber-of-frost-flame-by.html

The problem with most published stuff isn't just that they don't understand OSR, it's that they don't understand game design at all! And it's a craft that requires practice, because you're dealing with the nebulous concept of human psychology.

Second entry reviewed, it is also good but I believe it's possible to do better! Contest Entry: Gadwick's Tribute (by John Nash) (delightfuldungeons.blogspot.com) 1 week till deadline!

Their plan had several flaws, the biggest was the incredible hubris of thinking themselves capable of controlling/aligning a super-being if they succeeded in creating it. The Bene-Tleilax made a Kwizats Haderach much earlier (by direct genetic manipulation) but they always ended up killing...

Naturally my laptop charger snapped right off as soon as I left for my vacation so I've not kept up reviews. See the only one so far here: Contest Entry: Sharpbone Opal Mine (by Ben Gibson) (delightfuldungeons.blogspot.com) There are about 5 more entries so far, so don't hesitate to send your...

I'll start reviewing entries this week!

@DangerousPuhson either is fine. Are standard papers actually a different size in the US?

Easy, just base him on this guy: Drukpa Kunley - Wikipedia

I make a similar distinction, hooks are calls to action while rumors are either bait for hooks, or intelligence to give you advantage during the adventure. Hook: Achilles, greatest warrior of the Achaeans, is raging outside the walls, calling for single combat. His war gear is priceless and...

I think making summaries and other cognitive supports are core to the job of a module writer, that's why you read a module instead of coming up with something yourself in the first place! It's also a flag to the DM of where a good start is, it's a promise that if they follow this the players...

The stability of a situation is the difference between an adventure module and a setting module. Writing up a castle with its defenders and treasury and political entanglements is not much different than writing out the statistics and behavior of a monster, it's not an adventure but an element...

I think hooks are important for module writers and DMs! An adventure is the presentation of an unstable or meta-unstable situation where adventurers can make a big difference, the hook is what informs them of this, they know that it'll be worth their efforts to get involved. Most places in the...

I've used zone combat in a non-D&D system I forget the name of. The problem is that you increase abstraction and decrease immersion, it has no real advantage over using a rough map or going pure threatre of mind (which increases both abstraction and immersion). It might be useful to use zones to...