Personable | Markus

Personable | Markus

@personable.bsky.social

Liker of things, RPGs, literature, video games, art, food, craft beer, post-punk. Scandinavian in Germany, previously Australia. Sometimes I make things: https://personable.itch.io/ I also sometimes blog: https://personable.blog/

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Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

Hello! I'm Markus AKA Personable, I like thinking (and talking) about tabletop RPGs almost as much as I like playing them. Occasionally I also make them. I also maintain the RPG blogposts feed, let me know if you want your blog included.

Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

The first five ttrpgs in the order I played them, as best as I can reckon: 1. FKR-like freeform (not that we used this term) 2. D&D 5e 3. Ten Candles 4. Blades in the Dark 5. Mörk Borg

Hendrik is writing an ashcan about nuns@napel.itch.io

The first five ttrpgs in the order I played them, as best as I can reckon: 1. D&D 2. Ten Candles 3. AGON 4. EXILE 5. Brindlewood Bay

Personable | Markus reposted

Eryk
@peregrinecoast.press

If unions didn't work employers wouldn't pull this shit to stop them

Chris Kerr@kerrblimey.bsky.social

The IWGB is arguing that the 'moles' or 'information providers' were provided time off in lieu by HR as a "sweetener" for surveilling the union discord. Emails are shown that indicate a HR rep at Rockstar allowed someone to claim back the hour they spent combing through the Discord for info.

Personable | Markus reposted

Valeria Loves
@valerialoves.bsky.social

One year #OVER/UNDER An unforgettable social experience for all. For me, a little more. O/U was the climax of the roleplaying hobby that defined my pre-professional life. I thought the years I spent in those distant fantasies would die with me. I was wrong. www.valerialoves.com/how-to-repli...

valerialoves.comHow to Replicate Over/UnderA Guide to Live Text Roleplay
jess@jessfrom.online

happy #OVER/UNDER anniversary!! one of the wildest months of my life, and only getting wilder, as apparently Tuesday Knight are putting art of the bosses on card packs, making it even stranger that i used my actual name and face for my OVER/UNDER character lmfao.

Personable | Markus reposted

Seraphina Garcia Ramirez 🔜 Metatopia
@seraphina.diceexploder.com

For Halloween, I'm embracing my most diabolical impulses. To that end, I've written a player advice manifesto on the One True Way to play games- Pawn Stance. Read it, and be horrified at the lack of nuance. Come fight me about it, if you dare. diceexploder.com/posts/pawn-s...

diceexploder.comPawn Stance is Objectively Correct* - Dice Exploder*and if you disagree you’re doing it wrong.   Defining our TermsPawn Stance is an approach to play that treats the characters and events of your game as tools for...
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

More cuts than I'm comfortable with to get down to 9, but I don't think there's any of these nine that do not belong on my list.

Juniper Harper Lark@juniperhl.bsky.social

This absolutely is neglecting a huge number of immensely formative books from my early childhood that are just lost to my truly shocking memory. Notable omissions likely include things like warrior cats, eragon, the inkheart books, the darran shan series, and likely way more I dont recall.

Personable | Markus reposted

Rise Up (From the Grave) Comus
@riseupcomus.bsky.social

Old-school Essentials has some real sickos.jpg rules for constructing a castle. Here is a simplified method: Print out this page. Each block costs 1,000 gp for basic construction, or 1,500 gp for a furnished section. Arrange to taste.

riseupcomus.blogspot.comMicroblog: Papercraft - Hvem kan bygge den smukkeste Borg?Here is a copy of an activity from a 1919 issue of the Danish magazine Familie Journal . Click to download the full-sized image Children wer...

Personable | Markus reposted

Jonas-Merlin Schumacher
@jonasmerlin.bsky.social

On this week's Shelfie, host of @nimbf.bsky.social and RTFM @aaronmfking.bsky.social shares their collection and reveals which classic work of literature is secretly the best RPG setting book. www.shelfie.email/p/004-aaron-...

shelfie.emailShelfie #004 - Aaron KingThe host of Nightcrawler Is My Boyfriend and RTFM shares their omnivorous collection and reveals which classic novel is secretly the best RPG setting book.

Personable | Markus reposted

Chris AirioOOoOoOooo
@5mwpress.com

Happy Birthday! To celebrate, here's a sci-fi hack of Brandon's game Wayfarer: 5millionworlds.blogspot.com/2026/09/star... Of course, art by the talented Chaoclypse, 😁 Got an 8pg zine with pieces from his Patreon coming up soon, too!

5millionworlds.blogspot.comStarfarerHi-tech sci-fi hack of Wayfarer by Chaoclypse .  Character Creation  Roll 2d6 down the line for the four Stats: Strength (STR), Speed (SPD),...
Chaoclypse (Brandon Yu)@chaoclypse.bsky.social

If you wanna support me, Patreon is an option! No pressure though, it doesn't really gate any content either - but you'd get all of my Itch.Io zines and also get to use hundreds of my art pieces in personal/commercial work! www.patreon.com/c/chaoclypse

patreon.comChaoclypse (Brandon Yu) — creating Weird ArtGet more from Chaoclypse (Brandon Yu) on Patreon. creating Weird Art. Support Chaoclypse (Brandon Yu) and get exclusive access to their work.

Personable | Markus reposted

Juniper Harper Lark
@juniperhl.bsky.social

I’ve just spent the last two months prepping a megagame. Its a live text discord RPG set on a space station full of factional intrigue and desperate people, incorporating all the lessons we've learned since the time we all did that last October. Enjoy! thegardenbelow.blot.im/apa-1/so-im-...

thegardenbelow.blot.imAPA-1 / So, i’m running a megagame. - The Garden BelowAn announcement of a new live text discord megagame starting October 16th 2026.

Personable | Markus reposted

satahshanks the kale gay cat 🛸
@posatahchips.gaygothvibes.online

looking for short OSR & adjacent modules (<30 pages, ideally close to pamphlet tbh) that have great examples of any of the following: - an explicitly linear but interruptible timeline - a situation progressing through distinct escalating phases - events that WILL happen in certain circumstances

Personable | Markus reposted

Explorers Design
@index.www.explorersdesign.com.ap.brid.gy

Great covers from across the tabletop rpg industry.

explorersdesign.comGreat Covers: September '26I'm back this month with a slightly different format. Five covers of note. New, interesting, or on my mind. Without further ado, here they are... * * * # Seven-Part Pact Seven-Part Pact by Jay Dragon Seven-Part Pact, a game about the might and folly of powerful wizards bound by a venerable pact. What's pictured here is the planned slipcase art by Seattle-based illustrator, Pam Wishbow._Seven-Part Pact_ is a maximalist game. The kind that corrupts a kitchen table with knick-knacks, charts, booklets, cards, and notes. There will be conspiracy, patriarchy, power, violence—and thanks to this game's cover—a lot to look at. I love how the art captures the ornate, kaleidoscopic-feel of the game without plucking something more expected off the wizardly tree. Less Planeswalker. More weirdo antiquarian with a stationary fetish. Excellent. Check out Seven-Part Pact * * * # Tiny Fables Tiny Fables by Josiah S. Moore There's a lot to love about _Tiny Fables_ cover. Its execution is flawless. Harmonious colors, clean woodcut-style illustrations, soft textures, and a simple but evocative composition. Tone is on full display in this cover. It's just so cute! Something worth calling out: the title and art compliment each other. There are two reasons for that. One (1), the letterforms borrow some of the visual characteristics of the art—serifed, humanist, similar weights. Two (2), the art gives the title somewhere to be. Too many covers diminish their title and art by piling them on top of each other with outlines, overlays, and drop shadows. Check out Tiny Fables * * * # Empire of Hatred Empire of Hatred by Sam Sorenson I can think of only a few self-inserts in tabletop rpgs. This is the loudest and most interesting: Sam Sorenson screaming bloody murder. This is who I picture in front of the mic recording _Dead Letters._ A blood-drenched zealot for simulation. Something interesting: this cover doesn't have a title. Online you don't necessarily need one. The storefront's UI will label it for you. But if this does live on a shelf somewhere, I don't think it needs the title. _Empire of Hatred_? Oh yeah, the screaming one. It's right over there. Check out Empire of Hatred * * * # Green Oaks My biggest regret from the 2025 Ennies was not nominating _Green Oaks_ for best cover or design. My wife nearly tossed it in the trash when I got it. If it weren't for that tiny snippet of copy in the lower right, it would be too covert for its own good. This kind of cover takes guts, and I officially award Green Oaks the crown for in-world artifacts. Sorry, _Call of Cthulhu_ and prop-tastic LARPS—you never stood a chance. Look at what you had to spend for a fraction of _Green Oak's_ power. Check out Green Oaks * * * # Wages of Sin (Special Edition) Normally special edition covers are a downgrade immortalized in leather. Not so with this one!__ The simplicity and colors do a lot for this _Mothership_ release. The trio of portraits is also a better appetizer for the interiors smorgasbord of bastards, dissidents, and saps. It makes me wonder what an entire rogues gallery might look like. Pay special attention to the logos and icons here. These are the correct proportions. Anything else would be a distraction. A clumsy bit of trade dress. Logos should never compete with the book's title or art. Check out Wages of Sin * * * # Send me your favorites. This is a fun regular exercise, but it's hard to do on a regular schedule without help. If you have a new release or new obsession, let me know in the comments or on Bluesky. Current covers I'm looking for: * Typographical covers. Minimal art. Font everything. * Minimalist covers. Something with next to nothing. * Scenery covers. Something that depicts a place well. Until then, I'll keep exploring. * * * ## Additional Reading Great Book Covers July ’26Cover inspiration from across the tabletop rpg industry.Explorers DesignClayton NotestineThe Art of the RPG CoverHow to make your roleplaying game’s cover stand out (with examples).Explorers DesignClayton NotestineKilling Good Games with Bad TitlesHow to write a bad RPG title. And how to do the opposite.Explorers DesignClayton Notestine * * * Explorers Design_is a production of Clayton Notestine. If you liked this article, please consider liking, sharing, and subscribing._

Personable | Markus reposted

RP
@rpdeshaies.farirpgs.com

There's been a post going around on Reddit about the reality of using platforms like Kickstarter and BackerKit. And I think it's very important for independent creators to realize a couple of things before they get started with those platforms. So here is a free post on my patreon about those.

patreon.farirpgs.comThe Reality of Crowdfunding | Fari RPGs ⋅ Tabletop BlueprintThere's a post on Reddit talking about the point of Kickstarter. It went pretty viral and got very popular. A lot of upvotes, a lot of comme

Personable | Markus reposted

Caleb Zane Huett
@calebzane.bsky.social

It's official! We're launching in four weeks! We've been working so hard on this and it's looking so cool. I can't wait for you to see it.

Haunted Table@hauntedtable.games

THE HOUSE EDGE is coming to Kickstarter on October 20th. Beat the odds and break containment in this endless dungeon crawl through a paranormal vault hidden beneath an '80s casino! FIST ruleset with a Triangle Agency story, made by the creators of both games. www.kickstarter.com/projects/hau...

Personable | Markus reposted

WiddershinsWanderings
@naeolin.bsky.social

I've been talking about play style preferences lately, but there's another aspect of table culture that I think is a key determining factor on whether a gaming table stays together. Whether you're playing Cairn, Mothership, or Vampire. widdershinswanderings.bearblog.dev/ttrpg-table-...

widdershinswanderings.bearblog.devTTRPG Table AlignmentsA blog post where I compare a Tabletop Roleplaying Game session to having a communal meal, and why its important for everyone's expectations to be aligned.
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

If I wasn't recently unemployed, I would be super keen on this. I'd love for enough folks to sign up that it's still around when I get more disposable income again.

Playtest Material Magazine@playtestmaterial.bsky.social

A serious one today. "This is a call to our readers and future readers: please, consider before scrolling away, if you think our magazine is worth £18+postage. It is not just an investment in a bundle of paper, but in meaningful critique in the ttrpg space." playtestmaterial.org/playtest-mat...

playtestmaterial.orgPlaytest Material launches its first ever subscription drivePlaytest Material needs 75 subscribers to break even — one of those could be you.
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

last four rulesets played: - Wolves Upon the Coast - RAID Array Mischief - Troika! - Mythic Bastionland last four adventures played: - WUtC Grand Campaign - Titan Cliffs - The Hand of God - Classic Traveller adaption of Kidnap the Archpriest

sam “ludonarrative disinterest” sorensen@samsorensen.bsky.social

last four rulesets played: - OSR mishmash - heavily hacked monostat murky bog - call of cthulhu - for the queen last four adventures played: - black manse - empire of hatred - masks of nyarlathotep - dead light

Personable | Markus reposted

MeatCastle GameWare
@meatcastlegameware.com

The first Missive from the MeatCastle in months is here - and it's now on Patreon! I've had a Stonetop-filled summer so I dug into some house rules and play advice, created a FREE Major Arcana for freedom fighters, and tons more cool stuff (a FREE photo zine)! #TTRPG www.patreon.com/MeatCastleGa...

patreon.comMissive: Stonetop Advice & House Rules | MeatCastle GameWareThe Missives from the MeatCastle are back in a big way with a massive issue to kick off the jump to Patreon and launching of my first paid m

Personable | Markus reposted

/\ \_ / [= /\/
@avagarde.itch.io

I wrote an article about my thoughts and struggles with Esoteric Ebb

Gamesline@gamesline.net

Guest writer @avagarde.itch.io returns to Gamesline one more time to share their thoughts on Esoteric Ebb, the 2026 CRPG inspired by D&D and Disco Elysium! Though the story presents progressive themes, Ava felt that it worked too hard to comfort the player rather than challenge them.

gamesline.netEsoteric Ebb Soothes Where it Should Incite — by Ava AyersEsoteric Ebb goes to great lengths to make the status quo seem like a heartwarming triumph.
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

Great post! An interesting addendum is that the misunderstanding that "only the mechanised things are real" is equally detrimental to OSR play as to the post-forge games described in the post.

Indie Game Reading Club@indiegamereadingclub.com

Ever make a mistake running a game that continues to haunt you? Surely not just me. Happily I learned a lot! But the sins of the past are never really gone.

indiegamereadingclub.comMagisterial GamesI made a mistake. I’m still paying for it. My first foray outside trad gaming was Burning Empires, the sprawling epic space opera adaptation of The Burning Wheel that came out in 2006. Great game, …
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

Twenty-two cool blog posts! (one of them by me)

Afraid of Encounters (He/Him)@isaacisafraid.bsky.social

These are the blogposts made for the Indonesian TTRPG Blogwagon, from 17th of August to 10th of September. I used the opportunity to rally the Indonesians and international TTRPG hobbyists to create gameable blogpost related to Indonesia. Enjoy! afraidofencounters.bearblog.dev/indonesian-t...

afraidofencounters.bearblog.devIndonesian TTRPG Blogwagon ROUNDUPLinks to all the Indonesian TTRPG Blogwagon blogposts
Personable | Markus
@personable.bsky.social

Revving up the RPG take engine: I love a cool beautifully laid out pdf, but the greatest service you can do to a customer like me, who wants to run your game/module is to supply a raw text markdown file with the PDF so I can easily put it into whatever form works best for me.