Rory Philstrom

I always struggle with capturing the epicness of what happens around the ttrpg table when I take pictures. It may not look like much in these shots, but there's a lot of story going on! Over the weekend I led a retreat where we used Ben Robbins' game Follow to explore different Bible characters.

Today I and a rooomfull of folks took 'Follow' by @lamemage.com for a spin. We had four tables running and the stories so many explosions on the way to developing nuclear fusion energy, fighting a dragon, inciting a rebellion in the wild west, and failing to steal a giant golden state. Super fun!

Some of us have never awoken from a 100-year sleep with no memory of our past, only to be guided by the disembodied voice of a princess through a post-technoapocalyptic land on a quest to fulfill our destiny and defeat the evil immortal being who has destroyed the kingdom, and it shows.

The God Named Umami In a fantasy world without traditional concepts of faith, Christians discover discipleship through their actions, embodying Jesus' teachings even when they aren't explicitly naming Him.

How Do I Roll for Discipleship? – Episode 8 Pastors explore faith in a fantasy world in Ben Loven's podcast, addressing discipleship and worship while navigating uncharted spiritual territory.

In other news, my 4yo daughter has been on her best behavior the last few days so that she can stay up late and watch #OnePiece with me tonight.

I ran my first 5.5e medusa in our #dnd game today. I completely dislike what they've done with the medusa's gaze. It went from an always on, encounter strategy altering trait to a bond action cone attack that has to recharge. Boooo! That's the last time I'll ever run it that way. Legacy medusa FTW

Faith. Imagination. Adventure. What if rolling dice around a table and playing #dnd could teach us something profound about discipleship, community, and the kingdom of God? Holy Rollers 2026 is more than a retreat. It's a laboratory for hope. Read more and join us.

What does it look like to be a fan of someone else's story? #ttrpg

Being Fans of Each Other What makes a great gaming table unforgettable? Not epic victories or clever builds, but players who root for each other, share the spotlight, and turn strangers into community.

One thing tabletop RPGs do well is make virtues tangible. This new magic item, "The Boon of Chivaltres," isn't really about rerolling dice. It's about creating moments where players say: "Not today. You're not hurting my friends." #DnD #MagicItems #Theopoetics

It's against our official house rules, so don't tell her mom, but my 4yr old daughter loves to sneak downstairs after my wife goes to bed to watch One Piece with me. It's secretly one of my favorite things ever. #OnePiece #NightOwl

🎲 New episode! Be a Battlemap Boss: Turning Space Into Story is live on the Roll for Joycast. How can terrain, maps, and physical space transform your game? We explore encounter design, DIY battle maps, immersive storytelling, and the surprising theology of space. #DnD #TTRPG #Battlemaps

New Post! Theology of the Nat 1. They reached toward the Angel of Forgiveness with everything they had. They rolled a natural one. Sometimes the relationships we try to heal are beyond our power to restore — and the story continues anyway. #ttrpg

There are a lot of other gamers in my life who only want to play THEIR one game. If it's not the system/game they prefer, they opt out and just go home. I truly don't get it. I'm mystified. Any game with friends is better than no game, at home, binging or scrolling a phone. Like what's the deal???

Recording the next episode of the Roll for Joycast RIGHT NOW! m.twitch.tv/roll4joy

I really want to play some Shadow of the Weird Wizard. I kickstarted this successor to Shadow of the Demon Lord a couple years ago. But I never hear a sniff about it. Heard it mentioned for the first time in the wild today while listening to Episode 400 of The Tome Show. Now I want to play!

You Are Not Just Playing, You Are Co-Creating Nobody planned the grandma. Nobody planned her death. And nobody at that table has forgotten her.

We Descended into Hell and Raised $5,000 What 75 people, a game about devils and demons, and a children's hospital have in common.

The best RPG characters aren’t perfect. They want something. They feel something. They fail at something. That’s where the story begins. Check out this week's Roll for Joy blog post: “Building a Character Worth Playing.” #DnD #TTRPG #Roleplay

Rock the Role Play – Episode 6 The Joycast returns with episode 6, introducing new hosts Alex and Anthony. They join Rory to discuss storytelling, improvisation, and getting the most out of your ttrpg roleplay.

Chinese researchers have created a bamboo-based plastic as strong as petroleum-based plastics, which can fully biodegrade in soil in just 2 months phys.org/news/2025-10...

today is the LAST DAY to save $30 on Holy Rollers 2026 🎲 a week of D&D, rest, worship, and deep community with nerdy faith leaders in the Minnesota woods. august 24–27. all experience levels welcome. limited seats. early bird ends tonight 👇 roll4joy.org/holy-rollers-retreat

Forty years ago, churches were burning Dungeons & Dragons books. Today, Roll for Joy is featured in the official magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as a ministry of radical welcome. The demon-summoning never materialized. The community absolutely did.

Almost lost this podcast episode from last year in the ether. It's still a great convo on episode 5 of 'Roll for Joycast', where we engaged with Anthony Krones to discuss D&D, spirituality, disability, and gaming's role in fostering community and authentic self-expression.

"Imagination is not mere fantasy or escapism - it is the capacity to envision possibilities, to perceive hidden connections, and to hold hope when circumstances seem bleak." -Dr. Preeta M. Banerjee

"Really what is a miracle, but a future grown larger?" - Christine Valters Paintner (Photo - Earthset from NASA)

Registration for this year's Holy Rollers retreat is underway, and the Early Bird window is rapidly closing. Check out the draft schedule for the retreat and consider joining in the fun as we engage our imaginations to face the schisms and fractures of the world.

"Shanks always said, 'If the path to what you want is too easy, then you're on the wrong path.'" Episode 2 is where I fell in love with Shanks. Though he's mostly off screen during the One Piece story, his influence is heavily felt on the characters he's touched. Easily my favorite character.

"You'll be one of the good ones." I'm rewatching the first season of the live-action One Piece in preparation for season 2 next week, and I love this show just as much as I did the first time around.

The dice are calling. Early bird registration is officially open for Holy Rollers 2026! If you've ever wanted to spend four days in the Minnesota wilderness playing Dungeons & Dragons alongside a community of nerdy adventurers of faith, this is your moment.

"The message the White House is sending with Armstrong’s photo is that they control the truth, they decide what it is. Our job is to fight for truth, know it when we see it, and demand it not be erased." www.latimes.com/politics/sto... via @anitachabria.bsky.social

Track your character's organized play journey with the Adventurers League Character Log (AL 2026), designed to simplify character tracking and provide essential rule reminders, making gameplay more enjoyable.

Merry Christmas to all!

I really really hate the sycophantic, resource hungry, climate killing, creativity stealing, dehumanizing thing that is AI. Think for yourself people! Be a human being!

The pastors' white elephant gift exchange did not disappoint this year. I came away with a custom crucifix slingshot. One of a kind!

Imagination, community, and joy are sacred gifts and make life worth living. That's why we're creating spaces for more of them. This Saturday we're launching Roll for Joy: Adventurers League, a regular opportunity to play in community. Come play! Come wonder! Come belong!

I'm conversations with my 7yr old, he asks me, "Where does Santa's magic come from?" What do you think? Is 🎅 a wizard, warlock, sorcerer, bard, cleric, or something else??? #StatSanta

I'm running a session today that features exploration and interparty conversation. Any #ttrpg can handle this, but is there a system is REALLY good at it?

I just started playing Stardew Valley for the first time. This is a game that holds up. It's so good. Like if Chrono Trigger was just about inheriting a farm. I'm obsessed.