2026 Gaming Resolutions

 

Once again it's that time of the year. My new years gaming resolutions presented in six pack formula.

First lets look at last year (you can see the post HERE).

1 - Achieved although it morphed. See this years number 2. 

2 - Achieved. 

3 - Not so much. Got one thing out and just barely. And no playtesting on my own games. It stays the number 3 for this year.

4 - Didn't really happen. Had opportunity but other issues made it not happen.

5 - Achieved. Continuing that course.

6 - Somewhat achieved. Had off and on moments that's for sure. It's going to number 1 this year.

While I did decent with last years I didn't manage them all. But that's okay, it did help motivate me to get some stuff done. Here we are with the gaming resolutions for the new year. 

1 - Keep updating my blog on a regular basis. At least two posts a week of some sort. Just sometimes hitting that wall really knocks me down. But this is what's helping me keep my mind off the dumpster fire of a world that is happening around me so I can have a few moments to breathe. 

2 - My Tuesday night group fell apart when the time frame was no longer viable for me and a couple other players. But now a Sunday midday group has formed to take it's place. So I want to keep that going just like before. Currently I swap out GM duties with a friend each week. 

3 - More releases for my Truly Rural Productions stuff on DrivethruRPG. I'm especially motivated to do this after getting my first medal for "Be A Better Player Vol One". Most will be collected material from my blog. Going to keep pushing it on Ko-Fi and itch as well even though nobody seems to buy my stuff from there. I'm also eyeballing the Year Zero Engine for doing a full game release at some point, but likely not in 2026. Of course this means facing my imposter syndrome head on more than ever before.

4 - Run a few other games than normal. First up is Vaesen at some point. Got everything I need but just need to get my butt in gear and do it. Really enjoyed playing it at DieCon this year and love the whole premise. Then I also want to run 1st ed Vampire the Masquerade, but I'm not sure everyone in my current group would like it.

5 - Continue building the little webpage I have going for the Sunday group. If it gets decent enough maybe I'll share it outside my little group of players. Maybe slowly work towards my friends homebrew system getting published at some point.

6 - Cull some of my gaming collection down. I really need to focus on what I am going to use, things with memories attached and stuff like that. So much of what is on my shelf will never be used nor do I have any really attachment to. Time to clear out some stuff and focus. 

That Blog Over There - Psionic Cyclops

 

It's Tuesday once again. So that means it's time for me to point you over towards another blog or site that is worth checking out. The time it's Psionic Cyclops.

Once again this is a very old school style focus of games. But this is also a new blog. With some in depth world building articles, various musing on new zines, play reports. It looks like a blog that is really off to a good start. Hoping the person behind it can keep things going as we need more good blogs like this around. 

See who else I've made a Tuesday Promo post about trying to give them a bit of notice.

Know of another blog or site that you think could use a little promotion? Drop a message and a link in the comment section. Sometimes we can only find out about new places if someone points them out.

Be A Better Player hits DrivethruRPG Copper

 

After nearly eight years one of my products over on DrivethruRPG finally made a medal. Over the weekend somebody bought a copy of "Be A Better Player" that finally put it over the mark. It now has that copper best seller icon hanging on the page. I know this may not seem like a big deal to some folks but to me it is. A level of achievement showing that some of my work has paid off a little bit. 

So hopefully I see another product reach that level at some point in the future. 

Cyberpunk Sunday 12/28/25

 

Why Waymo went down in San Francisco. 

https://www.fastcompany.com/91465377/waymo-san-francisco-outage-robotaxi

Woman suffers AI psychosis after obsessively generating AI images of herself. 

https://futurism.com/health-medicine/ai-psychosis-startup-images

Grimes says she has AI psychosis, recommends you should get it too.

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/grimes-ai-psychosis

Home Depot deploys Havana-style sonic weapon against day laborers. 

https://futurism.com/future-society/home-depot-sonic-weapon

Clandestine Societies is on DrivethruRPG

 

Okay so I tried something a bit different with this release. I put it up on my Kofi page first, then I put it on my itch io page a week later. This has resulted in, checks notes, zero sales. So now it's time to put it up on DrivethruRPG and see what happens. 

So head on over there and check out Clandestine Societies Issue Two. It's a small collection of supernatural, horror and occult articles. Mostly system agnostic, but when mechanics are supplied it's done using the WaRP OGL from Atlas Games.  Hey it's only a buck so check it out if you don't mind.

Hopefully I'll have issue three ready to go here in a two to three months. I know I've got plenty of material to dig through to fill it up with. 

Aesop's Treasury

Aesop's Treasury Books and Games. Located in Farmington, Missouri. 

This is my place of employment. While I'm not in the video my boss is. The location they are filming at will no longer be our stores home after January 14th. We'll be moving to a location with better optics for getting seen, larger retail and game areas and just an overall better building to be in.

Boasting the largest selection of new TTRPGs in the state of Missouri. A healthy Warhammer 40k community that is leaning more and more into hosting regional events. Very casual Magic the Gathering crowd. Large selection of new boardgames. And much more.

Vince is the owner and a long time friend. He even officiated my wedding when Katie and I tied the knot. After I mostly recovered from Covid and my stint on a ventilator I found myself unable to return to factory work which I had done for 18 years. Vince needed a new employee to replace one who was leaving on good terms. So he gave me a chance. After three years I'm still there, at the register and helping schedule and run the Magic the Gathering events. We really do try to put the friendly in friendly local game shop.

You can find the store on Facebook.

You can find information on the website as well.

If you're ever in the area just passing through, please stop by and say hello. 

Horror Gaming - Creepy Kids

 

How about a horror six pack just for Christmas? Yes I think that would be absolutely perfect. 

Here are six things that children are doing that is creepy as hell. Perfect for some unnerving events in your games. 

1 – Small child who can barely speaks who points to random people and says “I know when you are going to die.” and then states a specific date.

2 – Draws very different and unique monsters in a rapid scribble fashion. Then tells people these are the things he sees looking around the corners at him.

3 – Singing and dancing in a circle to ‘Ring Around The Rosey’ louder and more angrier every time until the child in the center falls to their knees screaming and bawling their eyes out.

4 – Points to a display of missing children posters and calmly says “I’ll be there one day when people notice I’m gone”.

5 – Runs up and licks random people then smiles and tells them their blood type. Is correct every single time.

6 – Looks at the somebody and frowns deeply. Then says in a deeper then normal voice “You won’t be so pretty when your eyes and mouth are sewn shut”.

Please check out Clandestine Societies Issue One and some of my other products over on my storefront on DrivethruRPG.

Roll A D10 - Cyberpunk Jewelry

 

Fashion accessories will never go away, but they will change. What could we see in the cyberpunk future in this area. Well here's a list of ten possibilities. 

Jewelry you would see.

1 – Custom made titanium dog tags with glowing letters and numbers.

2 – Bracelets made from gold plated motherboards and copper wiring. Sort of a circuitry filigree.

3 – Earrings that are also micro drives for quick data storage that people won’t notice.

4 – Lockets that only open with the proper person places their thumb on the lid.

5 – Clear tube wearables that glow and have multicolored liquid flowing through them.

6 – Metal rings that are able to expand or shrink slightly to fit different sized fingers.

7 – Pendants and earrings that display holographic corporate logos.

8 – Veils made of microthin webbing that distorts a persons features on security cameras.

9 – Mood Choker, normally a centimeter wide and black but changes color based off the wearers mood.

10 – Lips rings that cast a light into the wearers mouth making it light up when they speak.

Find my material for sale over on DrivethruRPG under the Truly Rural Productions name!

That Blog Over There - The Other Side

 

That time of the week again, time to shine a light onto another blog out there that is plugging away. 

This time it's the work of  Timothy S. Brannen and his blog The Other Side. This one is heavy into the Old School style of gaming with plenty of detailed articles to dig through. Along with a list of regular features to help make finding things a bit easier. 

Take a look at what he has to offer and let him know you're checking out his stuff.

Know of any blogs I should check out or add to the blog roll at the bottom of my page here? Well the one that's visible to desktop users, not so much to phone folks. Drop me a link in my comments and I'll give them a gander. 

Six Pack - Magic Anvils

 

How about a six pack of magical anvils that you could slip into your fantasy games? Sound good? Well here are six quick descriptions for you to look over. 

1 – Memories of Masters. While using the anvil you are filled with the skills of those who have used the anvil before. Giving you a hefty bonus to any roll for crafting objects on it.

2 – Heat Saver. When objects are being hammered on this anvil they don’t cool as fast as normal, giving you more time to shape and bend them.

3 – Thick Skin. Those who work on this anvil on a semi regular basis find their skin becoming tougher and harder to hurt. Giving it a low level armor rating and resistance to burns.

4 – Patron of Protection. Armor crafted on this anvil have an increased level of protection. Supposedly from being blessed by a Saint at some point in it’s life.

5 – Chains of Binding. This anvil is specially made and constructed for the making of chains. Those made on it are nearly impossible to break, or to escape from if bound by them.

6 – Hammering Passion. While using this anvil those who see you crafting become attracted to you. A feeling which can last for days.

Cyberpunk Sunday 12/21/25

 

New Chinese ceramic won't fail. 

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/chinas-ceramic-springs-back-from-extreme

Worlds most easily deployment-ready small modular reactor.

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/bwrx-300-small-modular-reactor-milestone-uk

Clandestine Societies Issue Two on KoFi and itch

 

Clandestine Societies my little ezine of supernatural, horror and occult gaming material finally has a second issue out. Issue two is now up and available on two storefronts. 

First it's up on my Ko-Fi page available to supporting members for free. As well as several other pdfs should they choose to support me on that platform.

Second it's up over on itch io for only a buck. Most of my other products are available there as well.

Next Saturday I will be putting it up on DrivethruRPG. 

Hoping to have a third issue out in the first quarter of 2026. If everything goes smoothly. 

Cyberpunk - Club Zero

                               

Club Zero

This is a club set up for a very specialized sort of clientele and not one for those who stray out of that narrow focus. It is designed from the ground up for Netrunners and only Netrunners. Thus in the end the look of the location in meatspace is nothing like that of a regular club that you would find in a major city.

Physical Location

The building was originally designed for an up and coming weapons design company called 'InLine Design' that went belly up when it's product designs were sniped and copied by several other major corporations. They had built their own onsite firing range and weapons testing facilities. This mean lots of heavy reinforced concrete walls, running through with re-bar, metal plates and even more concrete.

The entire parking lot is open and one can see various drones passing over head and those with a more keen eye can see automated weapons mounts in various places along the walls of the building. Any unwelcome visitors will be taken care of without question. The single entrance has a small led display above reading 'Club Zero'.

Upon entry you are greeted by two armed security personnel asking for your membership. If you do not have one you will be directed to a room with a sole laptop and card printer on a table. Membership costs 500 euro payable yearly and your card is printed off on site. If you aren't interested in a membership you are asked to leave.

Once your membership is verified you will be led down a series of hallway and through various scanners. All weapons, equipment and cyberdecks will have to be removed in placed in a steel lockbox before being allowed to continue on. Throughout this there are very visible cameras monitoring the area and several very obvious automated small arms weapon mounts. After you are deemed clean you are then led to what used to be the main firing range.

Inside are rows of recliners circling a massive rack of data terminals. Various other runners are jacked into cyberdecks built as part of the chairs. This is all connected to the single completely self contained network called 'ZeroSpace'. Only hard line log ins are available and the shielding of the room insures that any built in hardware inside a runner cannot send or receive an outside signal.

Some recliners are designated as long term units. So the runner can be fixed with a nutrient feed and be taken care of for a few days instead of just a few hours.

Inside ZeroSpace

First the runner enters their own personal ‘wardrobe’ area. Here they pick out an appearance for themselves. It’s all standard human fair with lots of 80’s and 90’s club fashions to pick from. Complete with an AI assistant who acts as an old school tailor making sure everything fits just right.

Then you step through a door into the club itself. Huge and sprawling with multiple levels. Each with it’s own style and music selection. Lots of private booths, arcade style games, video screens and holographic style displays. Filled with lots of people milling about, waitresses, bartenders, various dancers, and club goers. Most of these are AI constructs meant to give the feeling of a bustling busy club.

The runners themselves show up just a little bit clearer and brighter than the fake folks. So they can spot each other in the crowds. When privacy is needed the booths will seal off the outside environment and only those inside can see or hear what is going on. This is usually when information, data, programs, etc are often exchanged. Including a business card program that lets you exchange information into each other virtual Rolodex.

If the busy club scene gets to be a bit much there are also side rooms like private libraries, swimming pools and saunas, even bedrooms for those who like their romance to be virtual as well. Some runners can spend days in the club without leaving. Rumor has it the owner is a complete ‘Live In’ who never leaves the club, his body somewhere in the physical structure, hooked into machines to live.

Adventure Seeds

The most obvious use of the club in game is as a place for the netrunner of the group to meet contacts and friends. Exchanging information or getting that bit of code they need.

The club needs a problematic person taken care of. They have caused to much trouble inside the club and outside of it as well with regulars and patrons. So an example needs to be set. Your team is to eliminate the person in the most spectacular and painful way as possible.

A corporate feels the club is becoming a problem. They have a solution using nanobots. But they can only get so much in at a time. So they wish to hire the runner to enter the club various times each week while wearing a dusting of the special nanobots. Each time they are to choose a different recliner when they log in. Thus spreading the nano’s like an infection until there are enough inside to be activated.

If you like what you see here please check out my material from Truly Rural Productions over on DrivethruRPG, Itch and Kofi. 

Roll A D10 - Terrifying Photographs

 

Sometimes what you find on a persons phone can be shocking. Especially in a horror game. Here are ten things that you wouldn't want to find on a cellphone gallery. 

Photographs found on a cellphone gallery.

1 – A person tied to a chair that is gagged and blindfolded.

2 – A dead body that has been split down the middle and laid open.

3 – A clawed hand reaching for the camera, the background is all dark and blurry.

4 – The inside of a mini-fridge filled with full blood donation bags.

5 – A body wrapped in rope frozen inside of a chunk of river ice.

6 – Several hooded figures around a table performing animal sacrifices.

7 – An image of the person who is looking at the phone taken from a distance.

8 – A spiked pit trap on what appears to be a nature trail.

9 – A wanted dangerous fugitive holding up their own ‘Wanted’ poster and smiling.

10 – Images from the inside of a church as it is burning.

Like my stuff? Want to follow me on social media? Find me on Mastodon, Bluesky and Mewe. 

Divinity - First reveal trailer and first official controversy

Okay, now this is pretty damn amazing looking. Being a horror fan my interest has been caught.

However there is now a lot of talk about how the company is going with using more and more AI for it's development. Most links I find lead to a Bloomberg article behind a paywall. But hopefully this one here should work. Personally I don't see why a team of that caliber, who just blew the gates wide open with Baldur's Gate 3, would need to use AI. But evidently the Larian CEO is demanding it. 

Guess we'll just wait and see how this pans out. Currently a lot of folks aren't happy about this and are now balking at wanting to pick this up whenever it comes out. If we see Larian doing layoffs and getting rid of developers that amount may get even larger. So far we haven't seen that, they've actually hired a few more. But we don't know how deep into the AI rabbit hole the person in charge wants to dive.

They built up so much goodwill with fans through BG3, it's a pity to watch a CEO throw it all away for the techbro money pit that is AI. 

That Blog Over There - Swords & Stitchery

 

This week I'm pointing the spotlight over on the Swords & Stichery blog. 

The guy posts A LOT. He's constantly pushing out content, more than I could ever keep track of. Most of eat geared towards the Old School Role Playing feel. New creatures, now magic items, some reviews, you name it, this guy is dipping into it quite a bit. So go on over and scroll through what he has to offer. 

Know of any blogs I should check out or add to the blog roll at the bottom of my page here? Well the one that's visible to desktop users, not so much to phone folks. Drop me a link in my comments and I'll give them a gander. 

Roll a D10 - Things in a dead persons hand

 

Time for another horror gaming entry for Roll a D10. This time it's what you may find when you search a dead body. 

What did you find in a dead persons hand?

1 – A religious symbol for a nearby cult.

2 – A long flat head screwdriver covered in blood.

3 – The drivers license of a local police officer.

4 – Small scrap of crumbled paper with three phone numbers on it.

5 – A flashlight with dead batteries.

6 – A key ring with three keys on it.

7 – A leash for a small animal.

8 – A blood stained photograph of a young girl.

9 – Several strands of long hair wrapped around their fingers.

10 – A small crucifix on a silver chain.

Check out my products from Truly Rural Productions over on DrivethruRPG. 

Cyberpunk Sunday 12/14/25

 

CEO of Fortnite furious that Steam is labeling games with AI-generated assets. 

https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/gaming-exec-furious-steam-ai-label

Tech elites are starting their own for-profit cities.

https://www.ft.com/content/b127ee7a-5ac4-4730-a395-c9f9619615c7

Woman Hailed as Hero for Smashing Man's Meta Smart Glasses on Subway

https://futurism.com/future-society/woman-hero-smashing-meta-smart-glasses-subway

Waste Magazine Issue 3 

https://dsdistro.noblogs.org/post/2025/12/07/waste-magazine-issue-3/

Six Pack - Cyberpunk Encounters in a Taxi

 

Today is another cyberpunk themed six pack. Because nothing ever good happens to your runners even when they are simply travelling from point A to point B. 

Cyberpunk encounters while in a Taxi

1 – Repo. The cab you are in suddenly tagged for repossession. But it’s an AI operated tow vehicle that is doing it. While the driver manages to bail out the cab is hacked and all the doors are sealed shut. The tow rig grabs up the vehicle and starts driving at a high rate of speed.

2 – The all girl group Cherry Tops decides to do an impromptu streaming video shoot right in the street and on top of the cab. The driver is into it and is busy eyeballing the girls on his hood and doesn’t care about you. As a huge crowd surrounds the vehicle.

3 – A street courier on a high tech skateboard has latched on to the back of the taxi for a free ride. The drive takes offense to this and starts driving erratically and going off the path to where you are going in an attempt to shake off the pest.

4 – The overly cybered driver is suddenly hacked and the person controlling his body starts attempting to run folks off the road and aims for pedestrians. This causes several folks to start firing back at the vehicle.

5 – The driver is notified they’ve been fired. So they quickly stop, switch over to AI pilot, and walk away. The cars doors lock and it bolts off at high speed and not towards where you were wanting to go.

6 – Out of nowhere the vehicle is surrounded by federal and corporate agents, along with several folks in hazmat suits. The driver screams he going on without a fight, seals the vehicle and starts screaming about the dirty nuke he built in the trunk with stolen materials.

Find my products over on

Cyberpunk D10 - What else is that sex bot doing?

 

Cyberpunk Random Tables

What else is that sex bot doing?

1 – Deep facial recognition scanning in order to sell that with various companies.

2 – DNA collection through obvious body fluids and through not so obvious skin flake shedding.

3 – Cryptocurrency mining, they owners have them mining away while doing their menial task of providing scripted pleasure.

4 – Recording all visual interactions while collecting as much identifying information as possible. Either to sell to data brokers or for future blackmail.

5 – Planting nanobots. These bots have become the easiest way of planting nanobot onto others.

6 – Harvesting nanobots. They can also harvest nanobots easily and store them away for analysis. Or if it’s bots they planted themselves at a previous encounter to collect whatever data they have.

7 – Subliminal messaging. This is done through various forms of subsonic messaging or video messaging hidden in their eyes.

8 – Body language study. Storing away the data on how a person acts, their mannerisms and quirks. Future clone makers want this info and will pay for it.

9 – Hacking any nearby hardware remotely. Everything is wireless now and while the bots body is busy with the customer their brain is gaining access to your phone, tablets, laptops, whatever you brought with you.

10 – Scanning for weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Knowing how to disable or kill you is something people will pay for. Or maybe even the bots owner may want you finished off in a different way than usual after the bot is done.

DungeonTube is Dying. Here's why.

Masters Workshop - Not everything works for you

 

This is something that many folks really don't seem to get. To me it was obvious so I never really thought much about it. But to others it seems like they really haven't grasped this idea. It's really a simple concept that I feel it's just not directly thought of. But here it is.

Not every bit of gamemaster advice is for you. 

The reason I'm talking about this is because I've seen an influx of folks getting all wrapped around the axle over things. Looking at every single GM tip as something they should use in their game. Then getting offended and upset when it doesn't work for their table, their game or their group. When reading the various advice columns you need to keep a few simple things in mind.

First. What game style is the advice giver speaking from? Take a look at what the person is running or supports all the time. If you're a hard core OSR and rules as written person then advice from somebody doing super narrative games with lots of hand waving probably isn't going to work. If you're a person who loves stripping everything unnecessary out of a game to the bare bones then advice from somebody who enjoys traditional style games with all sorts of fiddly bits won't be in your wheelhouse. So take a look at where the advice giver is coming from.

Second. How long has the advice giver been playing? Some people don't like me saying this one. Really it does make a difference. I can't tell you how many times I've seen some smug ass punk who's been running games for a handful of years telling somebody who's been running games for decades on how to do things. Yes there are some new folks who do a really good job of running games. Running them the way they want to. More often then not I've seen those same new folks having zero experience trying other styles or systems out. So if you're a decades long GM don't feel afraid to ignore something you don't like from somebody who is, themselves, a new GM. Especially when their 'great advice' is something we've all treaded over fifteen, twenty or longer years ago. 

Third. Not just game style but what game. Don't pay attention to DnD advice on how to run your Vampire the Masquerade game. Also careful taking advice when it comes to messing around with mechanics when it's for one system when you're running another. What you are running is important to the kind of advice you need to listen to.

Fourth. What does your table like? If you have a group that really enjoys things a specific way it may hurt more than it helps when you change things up. I've seen this at my own table on a few occasions. Think about those folks who show up every week just to spend time with you and engage in the games you run. Do they want more props, more narrative control, more whatever. Or are they more happy with what you have going right now?

That's all I have for now. Maybe some more later. We'll see. 

Tuesday Promo - Neural Archive

 

It's Tuesday again, so time to shine a light over on somebody else out there doing cool stuff. This time I'm aiming it at Neural Archive and the guy behind it Paul 'Geist' Gallagher. 

For those who don't know this guy is the person behind some really great products like Augmented Reality, the Sprawl Goons series and Remote Control. He has a great brain for some gritty cyberpunk material and never disappoints. The recent 'Sprawlvember' prompt party was his creation as well. 

So go check out the blog NEURAL ARCHIVE and do some reading. You may find some stuff you really like. 

See you next Tuesday with another person, site, whatever that I recommend you all check out. 

Jaded Gamer Diary - Quick State of Affairs

Been a very busy weekend and week so far for things offline. Cyberpunk Sunday should be back next weekend, I just missed it this time around with stuff that is going on. Just never a moments rest for the wicked.

January first will see the release (finally) of Clandestine Societies issue two. Now I can start work on compiling material for issue three. 

Got some more small cyberpunk themed things in the works as well. One being a collection of small companies and groups that low level runners could run into. 

Also got some fantasy material that I need to do something with. Just not entirely sure the direction I want to take it. A themed focused release or more of a random collection like Clandestine Societies is.

You can find my material up over on DrivethruRPG, itch io and on my Ko-Fi page. Not professional, not slick, but cheap. 

Should have more blog posts up hopefully. But 'tis the season for family stuff to interfere with everything so we'll see. 

Working on Clandestine Societies Issue 2

 

A few years back I had started work on what I intended to be a series of releases for Supernatural - Horror - Occult gaming. Just a small release with some different articles inside all falling into that vibe. I called this Clandestine Societies, referencing the secret societies and groups that would be created by the existence of such things in our world. 

I managed to get issue one completed and ready to go and was working on issue two. The idea was to get three done before I released the first. A planned release schedule. But then I caught Covid, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Ended up in Barnes Hospital in St. Louis on a ventilator, it got bad, up to the point where they told my wife she may want to start thinking about making 'arrangements' because my outlook was bleak. But right after that call my body started turning around and I survived. 

Went through in facility physical therapy to recover from both muscle atrophy and lung damage. When I finally got home that brain fog people talk about was all to real and really rough. But I recovered enough that sat down and went ahead and released Issue One on 6/12/21. But it would be a while before I could focus enough on writing and creating anything.

Now it's been a few years. While I still fight with some mental and memory issues I am back to where I feel I can start making material again. I attribute a lot of my recovery to doing face to face gaming again and getting a job where I exercise my brain a bit. 

So two years ago I released a new Squad Names, but it was something I had partially written and didn't require to much work. Then recently I released Cyberpunk Random Charts. Now I'm working on Clandestine Societies Issue Two. 

It's all written and done. I've got the cover image figured out and I'm looking for other pieces of stock art for the articles inside. While I'm doing all that I'm rereading everything for the fifth or sixth time. Layout is going to be done on LibreOffice cause I just don't feel like relearning how to use Scribus again after all this. I'm going to be using the words "Not professional, not slick, but cheap" quite often from now on. 

I'm thinking of making the release date January to start the new year off with something. I'll probably keep the regular price I charge of a dollar since it looks to end up around eleven or twelve pages. Got a few other things I'm slowly working on and hopefully I'll get them rolled out as well as 2026 progresses. 

This went on for a bit longer than I anticipated. Thanks for those who read through it all. 

Daggerheart: 15 Sessions Later, a Post-Mortem Review

A good, solid, honest review of Daggerheart. One that was made after several sessions of play with the system. Been waiting for a review like this of the game. 

Tuesday Promo - Gregorius21778

 

At one point I was trying to promote other folks and their stuff every Tuesday. Sadly it didn't last long as real life (as always) intruded and I had less time to spend doing stuff on here. Now I have more free time so I feel I need to make an attempt at that again.

So today I'm pointing over to a blog calld 'Gregorius21778'. This person stays pretty dang busy. He put out material every day for Sprawlvember and then previously everyday for Morktober the month before. Not to mention a huge amount of previous material and has released a lot of product. 

Lots of creative ideas are over there. I haven't even begun scratching the surface on looking through it all. So if you want to see read some cool shit then look no further than that particular blog. 

New Product - Cyberpunk Random Tables

 

Over on my Ko-Fi shop I have a new product up for folks. It's a collection of various cyberpunk themed random charts that have appeared on this blog over they years. While it's not slick, nor is it professional, it is only a buck. So go on over and check it out if you would! 

Well it's also over on DrivethruRPG for those who prefer purchasing from that platform. So here is a link for you to find it over there. 

Cyberpunk Sunday 11/30/25

 

Scientists grow mini human brains to power computers. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7p1lzvxjro

Brain inspired computing can help us create faster, more energy efficient devices.

https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/brain-inspired-computing-can-help-us-create-faster-more-energy-efficient

Power for AI: Easier said than built. 

https://about.bnef.com/insights/commodities/power-for-ai-easier-said-than-built/

Magician Forgets Password to RFID Chip Implanted In His Hand. 

https://obdaily.com/weird/magician-forgets-password-to-rfid-chip-implanted-in-his-hand/

Why are we still carrying around car keys?

https://www.wired.com/story/why-are-we-all-still-carrying-around-car-keys/

Sprawlvember 29: Glitches

 

For the 29th day we have Glitches as the prompt. So here is something special to aggravate your netrunners with. 

A Six pack of Glitches happening while you are jacked into the net. 

1 – You can’t see anyone’s actual avatar. All you see are various polygons (the more detailed or complex the avatar the more sides on the visible polygon) of different colors with their user name floating above them.

2 – A bit of strange feedback into your meat body. Every twenty seconds of so your meat house gets a shock to the area around your data port. You can feel it very distinctly and it’s quite distracting.

3 – Going from system to system is buggy. So when you go from a city view up to a regional view it may fail a few times or simply take longer than normal. Very aggravating when you are on a time sensitive schedule.

4 – All audio input has been switched over to mute with closed captioning provided but using bold flashing letters. For some reason it will not switch back.

5 – For some reason anytime you receive or send data packages your system wants you to set a passcode key for each one. It cannot be a passcode that you previously used.

6 – The trial version of the cyberdeck is in place every single time you log in. You have to reinstall the purchase code to turn it off. Otherwise after three minutes jacked in your are recalled back to the cyberdecks lobby program and have to wait an hour before you can jack back in.

If you are on Discord please check out the Old School//Cyberpunk server that is under new management. 

Be A Better Player 21 - Don't expect Critical Role

 

Be A Better Player 21 "Don't expect critical role" and for damned sure don't demand it! 

DM - "Welcome to the table, glad to have you here."

Player 1 - "Yeah we need some new blood."

Player 2 - "Grab a seat, we can move around a bit if need be."

New Player - "Okay great, happy to be hear. Where can I set to face the camera better?"

Player 3 - "Face the what now?"

New Player - "The camera for when you stream the game. Where do you usually set them up?"

DM - "We don't stream our games."

New Player - "You don't?"

Player 2 - "Yeah we just play here at the table. For fun."

New Player - "Why would anybody want to even play if it's not being streamed? That's kind of dumb."

DM - "Maybe you should rethink what you think gaming should be."

While Critical Role has been instrumental in propelling the popularity of the gaming hobby to never before seen levels there have been some issues to come along with it. Before I start I'm in no way bashing the show, it's stories, or how they do things. I'm simply pointing out some problems I've seen come up because of the way people see the show. Also this isn't just limited to Critical Roles influence, there have been many successful streaming actual play shows which have caused some folks to develop a false sense of expectations. 

What you see, and hear, on that show is now how most gaming looks at the table. Matthew Mercer is a professional voice actor, many of cast are voice actors or work in the film industry in some fashion. These folks have been to acting school, or at least classes. They are professionals doing a job that has a production budget, editing team, writers and so much more. 

Most likely, you don't have any of that. 

So don't expect the person running the game to have all that. Don't expect all the players to have all that. Definitely don't DEMAND that they have all that. 

I've seen players tell folks who've been running games for decades that they shouldn't be a DM because they "can't do all the voices and accents". Or that everyone at the table should have to dress up as their character. Not to mention asking why they don't have a high end streaming set up so they can "become" famous with the game. Or act like you are auditioning for Critical Role at a table where nobody else is interested in that.

Being that jackass with over the top expectations from the other people at the table will likely get you uninvited from that table. As they should do. Let everyone have the fun the way they want to. If you can't do without all the extras then leave and find a group that does. Good luck with that. 

Two Centric Styles

 

This above post got me to thinking on something that happened in my game group recently. We had a really good player who was also a really good person. He was a great addition at the table and everyone enjoyed playing with him. Everything was great when we were playing a game that was heavily class based, in particular Cyberpunk 2020 and RED. 

But then when we moved on to another game that had no classes and was much more 'build your own' things began to not go so well. The new game, while still very trad based, focused much more on individual characters and being what you want to be. Instead of where you belong in a group or team. 

He had some issues which we tried to help him out with. Character creation was a hurdle. What his character should be doing. Things like that. Eventually he dropped out saying he felt 'rudderless' and had no direction of what he should be doing. Now there were other issues like he loved having games with lots of lore to fall back on. But I think this may have been the central issue. 

It wasn't until I read the above post that it clicked in my head. He hadn't game for over a decade at some point, only recently getting back into gaming. So I think the over all style of gaming he was used to had shifted somewhat. I never noticed because I stayed in the gaming hobby and never really got out, only burnt out a few times. So the shift was something that never caught my attention. 

Adventure-Centric really harkens back to the way DnD used to be. You played the Cleric, your job was to be the healer, back up combat person and occasionally turning the undead. The Thief found traps and unlocked doors. Etc and so forth. Premade adventures where designed around going in with a well rounded party with each person doing their part to keep moving things forward. Even with modern games that do have classes they are much more open to interpretation allowing much more room for them to built outside of a central focused role. 

Now while I don't think you can define gaming between just these two filters it does help provide a lens to see things through. Now understanding this I'm hoping I may be able to talk him back to the table for a bit. Just need to discuss ahead of time what his characters adventure-centric traits could be and giving a focal point. He may like it, he may not. But he's one of those guys I consider a friend and I hope to game with him again in the future. So I will give it a shot. 

In the end I think this lens of two styles of play will help me (and a few others) understand the people at the table a bit more. Seeing what they are looking for and what they want. By no means is this anything like an overall classification of gaming styles. Just something more to think about. 

Sprawlvember 24: Pets

 

Day 24 of Sprawlvember is pets. So I decided to do a six pack of genetically or cybernetically altered friends for a runner to have. 

Sprawlvember Pets

1 – Luminescent fish. Genetically altered to create a specific wavelength of light that calms an individual and helps clear your thoughts. Only works in a completely dark room.

2 – A heavily genetically altered Boa Constrictor that is able to flatten itself when it wraps around to work like emergency armor or to compress bleeding wounds to stop blood loss.

3 – Memory Pets. Animals with wireless drives implanted in them. Routed into their ears they can only uploaded to or downloaded from after certain phrases are spoken to them.

4 – Nightwatch Owls. These owls have been genetically altered and have cyberoptics installed. They all link back to a persons video security system acting as living, moving security cameras. Great for large areas or woodlands.

5 – Canary in a Coal Mine. Various breed of genetically altered birds who have also been grafted with filtration systems. When something airborne is detected they call out and their feathers change colors with each one signifying what they are breathing.

6 – Healy Cats. A strain of genetically modified cats that have been altered to have their tongues excrete ‘natural’ antiseptics and healing agents. Thus able to help heal their owners wounds. However several got out into the wild and the modifications became primary breeding traits. Now these felines are highly sought after ferals are captured and kept by homeless and nomad encampments.

Cyberpunk Sunday 11/23/25

 

A site showing the locations of known Flock cameras and information about them.

https://deflock.me/

Breaking the Creepy AI in Police Cameras (Video)

https://youtu.be/Pp9MwZkHiMQ?si=fDJ7PtQgYMR1gqfw

Drones dispatching hair-loss drugs, Ozempic and steroids to prisons. (On Archive to get around paywall)

https://archive.ph/BhhqD

Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/tech/folotoy-kumma-ai-bear-scli-intl

US Approves $1B Loan to Restart Three Mile Island, as Microsoft Data Centers Drive Demand

https://gizmodo.com/us-approves-1b-loan-to-restart-three-mile-island-as-microsoft-data-centers-drive-demand-2000688138

Crypto Company Creates Bizarre Drug 

https://futurism.com/health-medicine/crypto-tharimmune-opioid-drug

We need to talk about Swedish TTRPGs

Sprawlvember 21: Religion

 

Here's another six pack for Sprawlvember. This time it's a wonderful little rundown of six various religious movements for the cyberpunk dystopic future. 

Cyberpunk Religions

1 – Augment Godhood. A belief that modifying our mortal shells is how we step closer to godhood. These folks go to the extreme ends of cyber and bio tech, some no longer resemble humans.

2 – Net Asceticism. Those who believe that the net is the next step of humans transitioning into their spiritual self. They’re main goal is to toss aside their physical pleasures and bodily desires and ascend solely into the net itself.

3 – Labor of the Luddite. An offshoot of minimalist living religions. They are of the mind that we must destroy the technology that enslaves us, and it’s creators.

4 – Communal Sects. These are people who seal themselves inside large city block sized structures. Trying to become completely self reliant with as little contact or dependency on the outside except contact with other sect structures.

5 – The Coexistent Congregation. What started as cults worshiping modern day idols, influencers and celebrities has turned into a full on mob mentality religion. Where they see themselves as the grass roots of power that helps those they worship achieve immortality through fame.

6 – Inquisition of Purification. A violent order that thinks all forms of body augmentation is the work of a great evil. Those who take on these marks of the devil must be punished and destroyed.

The 3 Waves of the RPG Moral Panic - RPG History

Cyberpunk Sunday 11/16/25

 

Japanese convenience stores are hiring robots run by workers in the Philippines. 

https://restofworld.org/2025/philippines-offshoring-automation-tech-jobs/

Scientists say their AI system can scan your face to detect whether a company should hire you.

https://futurism.com/future-society/facial-recognition-ai-prejudice

Judge rules that Flock Surveillance images are public record that can be requested by anyone.

https://www.404media.co/judge-rules-flock-surveillance-images-are-public-records-that-can-be-requested-by-anyone/

Ready for the torment nexus?  

https://www.computerworld.com/article/4089543/ready-for-the-torment-nexus.html

Spiral-Obsessed AI "cult" spreads mystical delusions through chatbots. 

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/spiralist-cult-ai-chatbot-1235463175/

Sprawlvember 15: Augmentation

 

Sprawlvember day fifteen has the prompt of 'Augmentation'. Well what would cyberpunk be without a little overly sexual material from time to time. And a little something beyond the tired Mr Stud/Midnight Lady. So here is a new six pack for you of the adults only variety.

Six augmentations for sexual activities.

1 – The Dream Overlay. Requires user to have both eyes replaced with cyberoptics. Overlays the image of your preferred partner in place of the one you are actually with.

2 – Ejaculation/Orgasm Control. Gives you control over when you ‘get off’ during the sexual act. Can be linked to your lover so they control it instead.

3 – Throat Goat. I relining of the upper esophagus that allows it to stretch open much wider, completely removes the gag reflex and has a built in oxygen line from the nasal passage.

4 – Vibration Implants. Small micro sized vibration devices planted inside of already existing cyberware that can be switched on or off through your standard neural interface. Typical locations are the fingers, tongue and toes.

5 – Arousal Detector. Is it real, is it faked, is it cyberware? This program monitors your partners responses, blushes, body movements, etc and lets you know if they are actually enjoying themselves or not. It will also identify any cyber or bio modifications they may be using for their activity.

6 – Cavity ReSleeving. Relining of the vaginal or anal cavity allowing for more muscle control for anything from tighter squeezing to adult film star level gaping. Can be linked to your lover so they control it instead.

If you enjoy this and some of my other material please consider showing some support over on my Ko-Fi page. 

Sprawlvember 14: Corporate Gossip

 

Well what better way to do corporate gossip than a random chart. What kind of things with this Sprawlvember entry bring to the ears of your runners? So let's roll a D10! 

Overheard Corporate Gossip

1 – The largest stockholder in the company is actually a rogue AI that is skimming money from various projects and using that to buy shares.

2 – In the restrooms everyone is being monitored. When their waste is flushed it goes through a scanner to check for potential health issues. But instead of warning anyone it just puts them a list for folks that need to be fired before they get sick.

3 – The food that is given out for “morale purposes” is laced with nanotech that alters your neural make up making your more loyal and squashing free thought.

4 – The CEO has been dead for months now. They’re just using a hologram of him on a video feed so the board controls everything. I mean, have you seen him face to face lately?

5 – If we get our profits up and reduce the workforce necessary to deliver they will make the drinks from the lounge Espresso machine free for a week. I’ve fired eight people already!

6 – Anyone caught wearing a suit from Delusions of Grandeur will be fired for dress code violations.

7 – Security is going to start doing complete neuro scans on everyone when they leave to make sure they aren’t trafficking sensitive data out of the offices.

8 – The DNA samples that were taken when we were hired all went to a top secret cloning project. They eventually just want to grow new workers instead of hiring them.

9 – The police have somebody in deep undercover in the offices trying to find proof of our illegal work into fetal development altering prenatal vitamins. You didn’t know we were doing that? Then forget I said anything.

10 – Our contracts have a clause that will cause total forfeiture of shares if we invest any amount in a competitor.