Scroll for Initiative 📜

New adventure! The Mist Galleries, part two of the Drowned Labyrinth. Perilous catwalks high above the Unfinished Halls, all drowned in a mist that hides everything... Terrified kobolds, a nothic, and a belker! #OSE #OSR #ttrpgs www.patreon.com/scrollforinitiative/posts/mist-galleries-160743459

That is WILD. Why is Hasbro such a shit company?

Was anyone else totally terrified of Chernabog in Fantasia as a kid?

My first five RPGs in the order I played or ran them: D&D (2nd ed AD&D, then 3rd) d20 Modern d20 Star Wars Pathfinder

DMs, what are some #dnd adventures that you've never used? Some of mine: salamanders, gorgons, blink dogs (don't know why!)

Have had a couple of hours to myself today and nearly finished another blog post! Hopefully I can get back to writing more regularly again soon.

Paint a hydra, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

New post! It's been a while. The Forge of Fury: my first adventure module, and why it's still my favourite adventure of all time. scrollforinitiative.com/2026/10/16/i... #dnd #5e #osr #ttrpgs

Shocking grammar in that opening sentence

Why does @drivethrurpg.com continue to allow obvious AI slop on its site? I appreciate that it's impossible to ensure something is 100 percent human-made, but come on . . . #ttrpgs

Ugh, REALLY want to back the new crowdfund for The One Ring, but the other half is on mat leave and pay is tiiight. BUT IT'S SO PRIDDY

Did anyone ever run THE STANDING STONE by John D Rateliff? I remember reading it cover to cover, about 20 years ago, really excited to run it--and never did. Rateliff, incidentally, is a Tolkien scholar, and boy does it show. There's even a little Anglo-Saxon Easter egg! #dnd

Ah yes, September: that month in teaching where you basically have no life (Might be a while till I next get anything done on the blog 😕)

Been quiet on the blog . . . Newborn + toddler + return to work = 🤯 Hopefully I can get some writing done soon.

Proud to be the 408th overlord 😎 on @BackerKit Crowdfunding for The Overlords of Steel! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/p...

Ugh, so sad to hear about Dolly Parton and Tim Curry.

The biggest product I've ever reviewed: GODS OF THE FORBIDDEN NORTH from Pulp Hummock Press. 1,600 pages, three volumes, and probably the most ambitious campaign ever written. I am in awe. #OSE #OSR #GotFN #ttrpgs scrollforinitiative.com/2026/08/12/g...

Did anyone ever run #DeepHorizon? It's the only one of the original 3rd edition adventures that I never really looked at.

Never have I looked forward to autumn more. I miss rain.

www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/o...

First in-person session tomorrow since ... 10 May? Three months... Going to be running a beginner game using the Sunless Citadel :) After 25 years it's still my favourite beginner dungeon. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Now where did I put my dice? #5e #dnd #ttrpg @brucecordell.bsky.social

Love these!

@questingbeast.substack.com.web.brid.gy recommends this #Leuchtturm notebook for #ttrpg prep. Has anyone tried it? Not cheap, but considering it... youtube.com/watch?v=BhkY...

Ok, so Dark Sun is cool, and I loved the original Star Wars d20 games, but I'd sure love it if WotC brought out something genuinely NEW and well-written. Not sure they've done that since, what, Tomb of Annihilation? #dnd

New review! The Book of Magic for #Dragonbane. 300 new spells. Should you buy it? #ttrpgs #FreeLeague scrollforinitiative.com/2026/07/29/3...

Holy shit, LOOK at it

I've always liked brown dragons. They need to come back. (Art credit: Todd Lockwood)

It's extraordinary that GURPS 4e came out in 2004 and only THIS YEAR are they even 'revising' it.

I've been looking through the new #Dragonbane magic book, and boy oh boy it's good. A significant expansion to the game. Hope to get a review done this week!

The Campaign Handbook is 30% off for Christmas in July! $6.97 for 200+ pages of tables and advice for building a complete 5e campaign. Ends Saturday 1 August. www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

I really miss lore books like these ones from 3rd edition. They're chock-full of inspiration and really make the setting feel real and distinct. #dnd #ttrpgs

Did anyone ever run City of the Spider Queen back in the day? #dnd

The Campaign Handbook is on sale for Christmas in July! #dnd #5e #ttrpgs www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

Still feels crazy that Dragon Town got nominated for an Ennie! Voting is open to everyone, so help a dude out! vote.ennie-awards.com/vote/2026/

The ENnie polls are open! Cast your ballot, and pick MAKING ENEMIES as your No. 1 vote for Best Aid/Accessory (Non-Digital) and Best Writing! vote.ennie-awards.co... LOOK AT THIS LITTLE GUY HE WANTS YOU TO VOTE FOR MAKING ENEMIES ARE YOU GONNA SAY NO TO THIS SWEET ADORABLE LITTLE FACE

A field guide to monsters is an idea that's been knocking around my head for a while . . . But what do you think? Reinventing the wheel, or an exciting new project? #dnd #5e #ttrpgs #osr scrollforinitiative.com/2026/07/10/a...

Eh, I wasn't nominated for an Ennie. Looking at the standard this year, though, I'm not surprised!

What, you don't have MAKING ENEMIES yet? @scrollforinit.bsky.social says, "It’s a beast. A monster. A behemoth of the very best kind. It’s a CR 30 epic boss of a book." @polygon.com calls it "a powerful resource that will kickstart the imagination of any game master." GET IT!

We've just had Wyrmling Number Two (yay!) so might be a bit quiet over on the old blog for a while. But hopefully I can keep making things this summer and share them when I can :)

Deal of the Day is here! Up to 60% for one day! ⚔️ Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands (5e): www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/3... 📚 KOBOLD Guide to Magic: www.drivethrufiction.com/en/product/1... 🪖 Hammer of Democracy: www.wargamevault.com/en/product/2...

Really wish Archon Studios did a minis-only pledge for the #HoMM3 board game :( The minis look great, but I just don't have the space for the game tiles!

1 million seconds ≈ 12 days 1 billion seconds ≈ 32 years 1 trillion seconds = 31,688 years Just for context as we consider Elon Musk's psychopathic wealth-hoarding.

I completely agree with this. The more #5e became a kitchen sink setting, the more I bounced off it. Personally, I think core rulebooks plus one is a GOOD limit on a game (eg, core books plus Eberron). Anything more than that starts to dilute the world.

tapping the sign leavesubstack.com

What's REALLY COOL about the Mist Galleries (in my opinion) is that they sit directly above the Unfinished Halls—and there are many places for the two levels to interact. Probably need to use a second colour to make it more readable, though. Suggestions? #osr #ose #ttrpgs #cartography

Skyrim's release (2011) is now closer to the release of Tomb Raider 2 (1997) than 2026.

Oh, it's my anniversary! Six years since I started Scroll for Initiative :)