vdonnut

I'm Marcin (he/him), ttrpg enthusiast from Poland with insatiable appetite for new ideas of NSR, FitD, 2400, Traveller and other RPGs. Vegan. On autism spectrum. Also endless homebrewer and small blog proprietor https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/

Public Key

npub1empt6c6xutgztpmtqqur2wm3v2ymu7a2z8ry7c99a09gde3c22vsazzyt5

NIP-05 Address

vdonnut@dice-camp.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsvas4avdrw95p9sa4sqwp48dck9zd70w4pr3j0vzj7hj5xucu99xgpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qgh407h

Publishing to

relay.ditto.pub

Author Public Key

npub1empt6c6xutgztpmtqqur2wm3v2ymu7a2z8ry7c99a09gde3c22vsazzyt5

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Last Notes

2026-04-22 21:47:45 UTC

today we played Cy_Borg. It was the first time when I played OSRish system and actually felt like pulp action hero. Like all those Sword and Sorcery systems promised me and didn't deliver.
I rolled somewhat of a cybernetic gladiator type with two very specific things. First was 12 HP, which was more than all other three characters combined. Second was two handed sword dealing 1d10 of damage which means most enemies could be defeated with one hit.
So I just walked there and beat things.

2026-04-07 09:31:25 UTC

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@nprofile…52ld I've listened to some podcasts where people were playing and they had issues with not making notes on some things and projects becoming default action to choose and talking too much about things outside the procedure (at least these were their insights). And I'm wondering whether this is even something to be worried about.

2026-04-06 16:31:32 UTC

Anyone played #TheQuietYear and can share some insights?

2026-03-31 06:25:31 UTC

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@nprofile…55p7 yeah, I migrated there from Wordpress two years ago, I got tired of how heavy and slow WP was and they were pushing their app at that time so doing things via website got even worse.
I didn't know you were a musician too, I need to check it out cause I'm recently into dark ambient.

2026-03-31 06:12:54 UTC

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@nprofile…55p7 one of us!

2026-03-28 17:34:34 UTC

I did a thing.
https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/feel-tiny-in-rpgs-in-four-distinct-ways/

2026-03-28 15:09:40 UTC

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@nprofile…kt0j please stop using liberal argument of denying people their rage against the machine. Rage is to be used against unfair system, not something to be ashamed of and hidden. We won't have better world to be build unless we tear the worse world down.

2026-03-25 10:55:17 UTC

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@nprofile…kyav this one can understand Krtek without subtitles. Dangerous power to wield

2026-03-24 15:47:03 UTC

This one might raise some eyebrows. #OSR #NSR #TroikaRPG
https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/troika-x-barkeep-on-borderlands-sesh-8-gm-commentary/

2026-03-20 08:56:19 UTC

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@nprofile…rhrp maybe they don't work but at least there are no more baby seals, right?

2026-03-20 08:44:09 UTC

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@nprofile…rhrp I think they make those machines, they call them LLMs XD
I think it looks nice.

2026-03-10 13:04:34 UTC

considering for my group it takes six sessions of #BarkeepOnTheBorderlands to get to first half of first day (out of six!) I need to adjust my predictions. People said it takes around eight sessions for the whole adventure!
I guess our #BandOfBlades will take more than predicted 12-16.

2026-03-05 14:28:44 UTC

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@nprofile…7a5f or regular druid

2026-03-01 20:58:22 UTC

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@nprofile…mvvn Titantouille? Ratatitan? Neon Genesis Humangelion?

2026-03-01 16:27:05 UTC

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@nprofile…3lda I wish there was an easy answer. Some people made visible comment section from BlueSky posts but how to do it and how to do it with Mastodon I don't know

2026-03-01 11:34:37 UTC

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@nprofile…96kz what is weird to me is how few tangible things I got via Patreon support in ratio to parasocial stuff.

2026-03-01 10:35:02 UTC

I used to support a few RPG creators on Patreon and I must say the Patreon culture is kinda weird. On one hand I'm glad I have a way of supporting them and paying for the entertainment they already provide for free. On the other additional content I get via support is usually some parasocial extension of free stuff. All those discords and hangout parties and insights.
To say the truth I often like the things they make but not necessarily them as people XD

2026-02-28 10:31:50 UTC

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EVEN MORE MAGIC SNAKES FOR MAUSRITTER Y'ALL
https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/sapphire-the-blue-adder-and-tourmaline-the-black-snake/

2026-02-27 18:03:59 UTC

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@nprofile…rhrp I thought you might (in order of growing effort) not care about it, add a little arrow pointing downward or automate moving screen down after clicking.
But you know, I figured it out in three clicks, others will probably do that too

2026-02-27 17:36:14 UTC

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@nprofile…rhrp it looks really cool. At the first moment I clicked everything and thought it doesn't work because I didn't gather there are things under the header. It doesn't help that I used smartphone.
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/116/143/796/067/846/303/original/fd790bb71df85e26.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/dicecamp/media_attachments/files/116/143/796/147/090/688/original/6124986e332be22b.jpg

2026-02-26 15:37:45 UTC

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@nprofile…784u there was a book that expanded on the topic and "allowed" mutant campaigns but they were also incredibly punishing in terms of mutations. Half of the things you did, met or used had a random chance of mutation, plus the moon thing. And one character could take finite amount of mutations before becoming uplayable chaos spawn.
It was all one note horse, same as 40k.

2026-02-26 13:45:12 UTC

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@nprofile…784u there are and they are not as fun. As far as I remember they were something like - you can mutate due to disease, contact with a substance, contact with mutating mutant, reading a book, using magic or magic items. Within additional rules there were also options that if you are a mutant you have a chance of further mutating during full moon (the chaos one). Or being in chaos tainted place.

2026-02-26 12:40:42 UTC

oh shit, I just thought of Luke Gearing's idea for humans throwing away their humanity to become immortal "others" would work sooo well in Warhammer Fantasy setting.
Beastfolk "abandon all you have and ever had, unshackle yourself from thought of civilization, survive in the wilds for a year and a day"
You could make becoming a chaos mutant willful act of choosing to become a tool of vengeance against the system that broke you. To change wounds it did to you into mutations to help you fight it

2026-02-26 09:43:14 UTC

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@nprofile…784u "listen, listen. You don't need to use big tech infrastructure. You just need your own domain and open source tech, it's free! Not the domain though, but listen, for 20$ a month you may set up your own website, forum and a communicator! Don't forget about the security and updates and if too many people use it it will cost more and there are additional costs and AI scrapers and..."

2026-02-25 21:32:12 UTC

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@nprofile…5y0h there is this podcast Story Break in which three Hollywood professionals takes a story and makes it into a draft of a script. You can learn a little about writing stories in a fun way this way.

2026-02-25 18:40:47 UTC

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@nprofile…8p63 my wife started looking for work in May

2026-02-25 15:17:04 UTC

I have listened today a short video essay about ancient magic and how it was common and related to gods and spirits and it was all about this spiritual diplomacy and relations between beings and humans and I was like "that is interesting but something tells me it wouldn't work that well in an RPG game". And an hour later I recalled I even drafted something like this. And scraped it quickly because it would mean almost double the workload on a GM.

2026-02-25 14:18:01 UTC

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@nprofile…kyav always the same. And two most common answers "works for me" or "why don't you use the stuff I prefer, no issues there"

2026-02-25 13:47:45 UTC

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@nprofile…kyav similar stuff in Linux spaces. It tends to be made by technical people for technical people and even some technical casuals will fail to use it to their needs.

2026-02-21 00:54:48 UTC

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@nprofile…52ld "Just don't include the spatial dimensions and you're golden." I'm sorry but is this the wisdom of 2026? It is like the most basic advice you could give.
I don't mean to be mean but it really is not something revolutionary, me and people I know do this for more than 20 years now. I would argue this is the first thing you come up with unless your gaming is raised on dogmatic Classic and OSR adventures only.

2026-02-16 20:08:06 UTC

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@nprofile…8p63 it would take weeks and it would came via regular mail

2026-02-09 19:26:12 UTC

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@nprofile…7a5f I dabbled in various iterations but in the end something very simple like #DURF or maybe #Cairn can make it into my table but anything more complex usually are very short-lived. I also wanted to try #OctaveRPG at some point to play light-hearted game

2026-02-06 11:48:35 UTC

Today I learned for many colourblind people my blog looks like poop. Cons of choosing green.

2026-02-05 22:09:55 UTC

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jesus fuck, I think I made it, gotta make a blogpost about it, shit

2026-02-05 06:56:33 UTC

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@nprofile…fuce eesh

2026-01-30 17:51:57 UTC

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how is it that I out out my post and more new viewers checks out the previous one?

2026-01-30 14:51:26 UTC

why is there so prevalent need among RPG players to need specific skill to lie. When I listen to actual plays, talk with people on the internet or even sometimes my own players (I own them). Is it echo of DnD? Some metaphysical quality that distinguishes act of lying?
#RPG #TRPG #TTRPG

2026-01-29 21:23:44 UTC

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@nprofile…uzgz when it comes to cats I'm both na eye and a lung guy.

2026-01-29 11:33:02 UTC

I'm fighting with this Traveller stuff, it would be way easier if I wasn't so annoyingly picky #Traveller
https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/mytraveller-world-generator-social-and-tech/

2026-01-20 14:02:42 UTC

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@nprofile…8p63 your kids do live in this reality now. It's their first winter with prolonged snow coverage too.

2026-01-19 22:40:45 UTC

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@nprofile…kyav they get tired so easily cause they were roommates

2026-01-18 12:06:29 UTC

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@nprofile…5y0h according to Return to the Roots discord #RttR two gaming channels on YT recently made content about Settlers 2 recently, maybe it's this

2026-01-16 20:18:29 UTC

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@nprofile…fuce exactly

2026-01-16 15:17:37 UTC

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@nprofile…ww79 @nprofile…8p63 I drank so much tea lately that my wife started to worry. What can I say, green, black, fruit, when it's cold outside you can pour all of it in me hahaha

2026-01-15 14:12:20 UTC

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@nprofile…784u oh, I keep myself too distant from such circles so I don't have any insight into the drama

2026-01-14 06:14:52 UTC

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@nprofile…fuce it is so weird to me that people still produce things with both these attributes. Just copy paste the list, don't give it a thought and done. I tend to houserule it out in any system I play.

2026-01-13 10:40:11 UTC

Blast from the past - I dug up my old WFRP second edition book which holds old character sheets I used when playing with my university group. I totally forgot that we once played at my place and I was taking care of my parents dachshund at the time so we made him a character sheet - for short time he became my characters associate - Gasio the Halfling Agitator (he was barking a lot).

2026-01-13 08:05:49 UTC

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@nprofile…5y0h i need to quote this xd

2026-01-08 15:47:07 UTC

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but transformation of one thing into the other seems very powerful, obvious, "vulgar", it is not subtle magic. And as for movement (as in levitation or whatever) it doesn't seem that universal among magic users. It might be but just as direct combat magic it is very dependent on setting and framing. I can see it in a fantasy world of fighting monsters but less in a modern setting with subtle nad dark magic. Hmm

2026-01-08 15:22:02 UTC

I'm tinkering with old stuff and thanks to a cup of coffee and looking intensely into my Call of Cthulhu 6th edition book I came up with inspiration for generalist simple spell list for all sorts of begginer mystics.
- curse (indirect harm)
- divination
- protection
- charm (as in weak mind manipulation, nasty stuff)
- summoning (may be just communication with Other)
- banishing
- enchanting (item or creature)
I could add potentially some transformative and some movement stuff?

2026-01-07 11:48:36 UTC

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@nprofile…0yxa don't forget 0d6!

2026-01-06 20:34:57 UTC

as a part of my phone and SM detox I retry some very old computer games I liked as a child. And I must admit bit by bit I become less delusional about them. I think I liked them more for what I thought about them and their art and ideas than actual gameplay and mechanics. I forgot how clunky these things were

2025-12-31 14:07:52 UTC

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@nprofile…tvnd @nprofile…rtt8 oh, it's like Return to the Roots but actually independent

2025-12-31 13:04:39 UTC

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@nprofile…tvnd I'm playing Settlers 2 again and think constantly "why don't they have vineyards? Why only beer? And where are olives?"

2025-12-26 17:48:25 UTC

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@nprofile…jjp5 some monsters made their lair under the matrix tree

2025-12-20 10:47:08 UTC

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@nprofile…4k4k Poland also checks out but Czechia seems unlikely to be that bad

2025-12-17 18:40:23 UTC

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@nprofile…f8ug I mnagaed to go down to 4 but now it grew to 7

2025-12-17 13:14:52 UTC

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@nprofile…tvnd slavery. The endgame is slavery

2025-12-17 08:56:26 UTC

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@nprofile…v0lx I bought it as a part of some FitD bundle and so after Blades and Scum and Villainy it is the next FitD to try. Then we jump to Band of Blades and after that probably Wicked Ones and Mountain Home. And maybe at some point I'll play Girl by Moonlight

2025-12-16 21:25:09 UTC

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@nprofile…v0lx Playing Court of Blades at the moment and readying myself to run Barkeep on Borderlands with Troika! mechanics when we finish part one of Court.

2025-12-16 10:30:34 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 maybe it's based on Seasons ;)

2025-12-16 10:29:17 UTC

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@nprofile…t5tr @nprofile…rtt8 well, one of the best games of my childhood were German: Settlers and Wiggles. Or rather Die Siedler II and Wiggles.

2025-12-16 07:58:52 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 100%

2025-12-15 18:18:18 UTC

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@nprofile…jg4h as a Pole engaging with the hobby from middle 00s I haven't seen any serious societal actions against RPGs. There were some minor things like two or three crazy priests but I don't recall anything similar to USA

2025-12-13 11:30:27 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 I also prey to Nurgle when I'm sick. And not to recover but to get strength in eternal disease

2025-12-11 13:19:41 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 it helps that Auschwitz is located in a victim country and not on the land of perpetuator.

2025-12-10 08:10:40 UTC

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@nprofile…6mw6 haha, I mute most boosts. Even following 50 people made my feed overflowing. Cannot relate xd

2025-12-08 08:50:07 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 yeah, it looks terrible. I'm used to internet GMs being mediocre-to-bad and thinking they're geniuses, I've seen this pattern for 20 years. You can say my interactions with them are based on no trust trad xd

2025-12-08 08:45:58 UTC

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@nprofile…6mw6 everybody has their boundaries and no patience is infinite. Choose your battles because you fight for a very good cause

2025-12-08 08:35:23 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 on one hand I agree with you, it is chaotic mess. On the other hand the points of the critic are also crazy to me. This is a clash of cultures and I don't have a stake in any of them XD I'm neither tactical wargamer type nor high trust immersiver so this is like watching aliens to me hahaha

2025-12-08 06:41:22 UTC

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@nprofile…6mw6 you're fishing for people to block xd

2025-12-04 07:49:55 UTC

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@nprofile…tvnd you think the teacher actually differentiates between them? Saw a name on the list, put an A next to it, cash flows, parents happy.

2025-11-30 16:10:06 UTC

I started reading about types of laser weapons for MyTraveller and got into a rabbit hole of knowledge. Didn't know there was so much material on laser guns

2025-11-29 11:12:35 UTC

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@nprofile…w84v o

2025-11-28 12:24:22 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 yeah, I remember you mentioning it. What a time to be alive, huh? Vets and horses. Miracle of life.

2025-11-28 12:13:34 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 well, I listen mostly to ambient and movie scores without vocals yet when I used to be on Instagram I constantly got promoted content like "have you heard of this cheap autotune Polish disco music?"

2025-11-28 11:40:37 UTC

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@nprofile…3qvy shit, me too. For some time I thought that OSR games could be the answer but they don't have THAT much support for rulership-level play.

2025-11-27 14:04:43 UTC

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@nprofile…jjp5 I am here! And the old blog too.

2025-11-26 17:55:55 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 biomes of hats

2025-11-25 20:33:41 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 power to the workers

2025-11-25 18:13:43 UTC

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@nprofile…rtt8 but are they going to pay you more than previous gardening job?

2025-11-24 07:37:43 UTC

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@nprofile…p8k5 maybe because they are cool

2025-11-21 22:36:04 UTC

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@nprofile…mam7 I am not entirely sure this is a good moment. I will try some delicate persuasion but it might require best ability and I'm terrible at this

2025-11-21 22:29:42 UTC

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@nprofile…mam7 I will give it one more try, maybe it's just a bad day or something.
I do have an option to play with people at the physical table next week in Index Card RPG, we'll see how this one goes.

2025-11-21 22:10:28 UTC

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@nprofile…mam7 oh yeah, it felt like old school bad trad game, just like those I used to play in ye olde days

2025-11-21 21:30:58 UTC

on one hand it's fine playing a game after month long hiatus. On the other I feel cheated because GM came very unprepared, totally dismissed stuff from previous sessions, came up with a ton of NPCs and factions and layered intrigue that's connected to only one PC background, presented a lot of bad choices and stiffed out on information. I'm feeling like it's a Warhammer Fantasy campaign from 2007 again

2025-11-18 06:54:12 UTC

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@nprofile…6mw6 uuu, nice

2025-11-13 16:48:35 UTC

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@nprofile…f8ug I need to finally watch this film

2025-11-13 16:45:54 UTC

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@nprofile…pul0 I would speck all my points in Uncanny and I'd just be very ugly goblin with creepy power straight from movie about exorcisms

2025-11-08 15:23:07 UTC

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@nprofile…p2fj When it comes to #BearBlog I think it is useful for putting your words out there but there is no built in option for comments which makes it less like a conversation. You need another way to make it connect with people (especially since you don't see who checks your work through RSS).

2025-11-07 11:55:27 UTC

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@nprofile…eer3 are you in the middle of it? Or after? Because I'm pretty sure I have seen you in places with minimal breaks from the moment I got on dice.camp XD
@nprofile…a600 @nprofile…6ae6

2025-11-07 11:53:15 UTC

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@nprofile…eer3 is it We Hunt by Night backstory?
@nprofile…a600 @nprofile…6ae6

2025-11-07 11:27:58 UTC

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@nprofile…6ae6 @nprofile…a600 you don't find it funny?

2025-11-07 11:26:01 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 @nprofile…6ae6 I vanished from TRPG larger scene (Polish) and was just playing, running and tinkering with games. I was late to discover both OSR and FitD games due to that. It was around five or six years. Then I came back into English-speaking TRPG scene as I am still today. It bugs me how prevalent is DnD and how people are shit. That's why I don't dig too deep and wander mostly here and on blogs. One has limited ability to handle stuff. Take care of yourself.

2025-11-07 10:23:37 UTC

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@nprofile…6ae6 @nprofile…a600 keep your mother out of this conversation

2025-11-07 10:21:47 UTC

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@nprofile…a600 stop reading about it and keep playing. Look at @nprofile…6ae6, the ancient fish that crawled out into open ocean. Or me, who locked himself for a quite few years away from the big ocean. You'll live.
Also ancient fish clinging to life in slowly evaporating tidal pool sounds like hell of an idea for something.

2025-11-07 06:40:59 UTC

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@nprofile…jp77 I used to go to middle school too.

2025-11-05 19:21:30 UTC

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@nprofile…7d3a they try to ban them in my country. I'm not sure there is enough political will but the moves are being done to ban fireworks

2025-11-03 20:15:31 UTC

Sometimes I think I'd like to run an atmospheric game. But then I recall that my players are stumbling morons. They are serious people with careers and shit in real life. But run a game to them and they devolve into a bunch of pyromaniac goblins. Somehow I think it's common.

2025-11-01 17:51:31 UTC

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@nprofile…m85n or dinosaur mommy's wink wink