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The Gardens of Ynn is a point-crawl adventure set in an ever-shifting extradimensional garden. Each expedition randomly generates a new route as it explores, resulting in different vistas being unlocked with every visit.

The adventure is a perfect zero prep session or campaign for any party of fantasy adventurers, no matter the system or the sub-genre. We found most ‘zero-prep’ adventures to be bland and lacking in colour, so in Gardens of Ynn every room, encounter and monster is popping with vibes. It's a big garden full of whimsy and delight and surreal perils.

Gardens of Ynn is statted generically for Old School Systems, but you would have absolutely no trouble using it in a game of 5E if you were comfortable statting up some weird monsters.

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Sometimes the Track DCs are pretty easy...

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by senfeng chen

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NEMATA - PRIMEVAL WARDEN 

by Andrew Mar

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QUEEN 

by Oleg Bulakh

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Worlds End - Gary Howells

The Old Man Of Storr, Isle Of Skye,Scotland

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🪶🪮curl-crested aracari🪮🪶

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Reposting this as, over 10 years later, I suspect some of the advice and ideas put forward are helpful for any creative endeavor, and can apply to a lot of new creators and creations out there!

I've been playing TTRPG for a long time (mostly homebrew systems with my dad, but the last few years I've gotten in some good 3.5, 4.0, Pathfinder, and Palladium Games experiences. I wanted to put together a Transformers RPG, and have decided the simplest thing to do would be to use a Modern Pathfinder (i prefer it over 3.5 due to simpler skill point systems), add in transformers elements, and rename other elements to fit. My question is where can I go to find some good feedback on the system?

From your question I’m getting that you already have a great start on making a Transformers RPG (which sounds like an AWESOME idea by the way!) and you’re mainly just looking for a great place to share that creation and bounce some ideas off of a community likely to provide valuable and constructive feedback.

You’ve decided on using a Pathfinder-based system so I’ll skip the part where I make recommendations regarding that, and cut to providing a suggestion based on that solid foundation.

For starters I’d check out the Paizo Message boards. You’re probably already aware that Paizo is the company behind Pathfinder, so looking in their direction for communities that have already been built up is a good plan. I had a look around their message boards and you should know that they’ve divided it up into topics to keep everything organized. I’ve found their community to be very supportive and immensely welcoming of new ideas, but if you want to be welcomed early on, and get meaningful feedback as soon as possible, ensure you’re leaving your submissions in the area about new settings, suggestions and general homebrew creations. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, “homebrew” is the term commonly used to refer to “user generated content” or even sometimes subtle tweaks people have made to the published rules to make it a little more personal and better suited to games tailored to certain play groups. These sorts of changes are commonly called “house rules”.

When you go to the links above you’ll find that there is already a HUGE collection of examples that other users have submitted. I’d recommend looking for a few that closely resemble your own goal and then choosing the one that seems to have generated the best response and take some time to understand why.

When you read it, what excites you?

What do you find yourself skipping past?

What’s interesting even when it isn’t quite what you want to do?

What topics tend to garner welcome feedback and which ones seem to lead to tangents that are not very constructive?

Use that knowledge to build your own entry for sharing and collaboration. Or, hey, you might even find that someone else had a very similar idea and you can either just use theirs (with their permission) or work with them to see if a partnership would be mutually beneficial.

So how about some examples of what others have started, or places online where similar forums have popped up and succeeded in attracting attention and garnering useful feedback? I found a few that directly apply:

Other RPGs - There’s a world of different RPGs out there, why not explore what actual Pathfinder fans are talking about? Better yet, this collection of topics also explores various interests that attract gamers, and challenges they face

Giant in the Playground: World building Forum

RPG site: Design, Development & Gameplay

Homebrew Setting: How do you organize?

Pathfinder SRD - It goes without saying that if you’re looking to change a thing, then the faster it is to know a thing then the quicker it is to… well… thing. You know where I’m going with this.

When you do finally create your entry, lay out your idea, and begin seeking feedback, the jobs not quite done. A lot of people who request feedback make a few all-too-common mistakes that can be easily avoided. Here are some tips to running a good feedback thread.

Are you looking for feedback or validation? There’s a subtle difference but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Feedback can be thought of as bringing others into the brainstorming, making them a valued part of the creative process as an idea takes shape and moves slowly toward its final form. Validation is less cooperative, less collaborative, it’s when you have an idea and you want to hear if it’s “marketable”. Do people like it? Will they choose that over an alternative? Do you want A or B? I recommend going with feedback at first, here’s why…

Be open to criticism and welcoming of new ideas, especially those that disagree with your own. This may sound odd, as I’m sure you like your idea and you want others to experience that world, that game that’s swimming around in your head. But I think many a DM will agree that creating a game that you enjoy MAKING isn’t quite the same as building a game others enjoy PLAYING. Try not to shut down any ideas with a mindset that echoes a “no, that’s not what my game is like” message, and instead ask follow up questions. What made them think that change was necessary? Where did that idea come from? How do they think that would affect the game overall? What sort of theme would that work for? How would playing that sort of game feel?

Ignore those who continually bash an idea without voicing reason and do not offer a viable alternative. For everyone who wants to create something there are those who seek only to destroy it. Sometimes it’s the same person, they just want one thing and aren’t at all interested in another. Be able to recognize when someone is trying to offer a suggestion but is unable to find the right words. Help that person find words by asking good questions. But be able to simply ignore someone who is present only to start arguments, because if you or anyone else tries to argue with a solid stone wall the only thing you’ll achieve is their success: they have effectively slowed or even halted the project. bring the topic back on track by focusing on a new point, or a topic someone else suggested. Regain control of your project as soon as possible.

Don’t create more than you have to. This is one of the golden rules of any creative project I think. And finding that sweet spot is different for everyone. So, without generalizing too much (I hope) I will just say don’t try to create everything brand new from scratch if something already exists that works well. Sometimes all a thing needs is a new name and some descriptive text to become something applicable to your project. Well, at least until you try to market it. Then it’ll probably need a lot more than just a new coat of paint. Still though, even then, allow yourself to be inspired.

Be persistent. It may well be that no one provides feedback for awhile. Don’t get discouraged. Some people will think you’re just dropping by to throw down some ideas and then run away with the goods. Others see too many threads start and die shortly after to bother with the brand new, but will keep an eye on it if it sticks around. Keep at it, persist, keep building your idea in the open and use the entry to gather your thoughts as a sort of project journal and idea notepad right up until it does manage to become a forum. It’ll happen if you keep at it and believe in what you’re trying to achieve. 

Be consistent. People will likely abandon any idea that appears to have already been abandoned by its creator. Even if you haven’t given up, if they think you have then they’ll go away. They’ll stop watching. They’ll move on to a project that continues to offer something new, something exciting, a new challenge, a new puzzle to solve. So keep up appearances. Do you have a challenge? Open it up to the crowd. Facing writer’s block? Let them know and initiate a brainstorming event. Can’t think of what to say next? Look at similar entries until you find something of interest and use that to inspire your own “next big idea” in your own project. Be there. And care about the people who want to help you. They’re not just your audience, your growing demographic; they’re your partners in making concept become product.

Alright, well I hope that helps a little bit. Thanks again for reaching out and for following along to my daily… umm… stuff.

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Image credit "Fishing" By yonaz

So in last night's 3.5 edition D&D game, my players had a chance to do some ice fishing and one player called out for one of my ad hoc mini-games (I do this a lot haha). I wanted something simple, a combo of character skill and some luck, and so in short order ended up with this very quick mini-game you can easily employ.

:

Quick Disclaimer: These fishing mini-game mechanics may not be entirely original and could resemble systems from other games I just can't recall. For my part, I'm posting this FOR sharing. Feel free to use, adapt, or modify them in your own games as you see fit. No ownership or exclusivity is claimed over this idea—enjoy and share as you wish!

:

Fishing Mini-Game (D&D 3.5 Edition)

Step 1: Build the Fishing Pool

The player rolls a number of d6 equal to their relevant skill modifier (Survival or Profession (Fisher)).

Example: A character with a +10 in Survival rolls 10d6 and sets these dice aside as their "Fishing Pool".

Fishing Pool Example Roll: 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6.

Step 2: Perform the Fishing Check

The player then rolls 5d6 as their "Fishing Check" for one hour of fishing.

Example Roll: 1, 2, 4, 4, 6.

Step 3: Match for Combos

The player now attempts to match the dice results from their Fishing Pool with their Fishing Check results to form combos. The number of dice used in the combo determines the size of the fish:

Small Fish: Match 2 dice from the Fishing Pool with the Fishing Check.

Medium Fish: Match 3 dice from the Fishing Pool with the Fishing Check.

Large Fish: Match 5 dice from the Fishing Pool with the Fishing Check.

Example Combo:

If the player's Fishing Pool has dice showing 1, 2, 4, 4, and 6, they could match all 5 dice with their Fishing Check, catching a Large Fish.

Step 4: Fish Weight and Rations

Once the fish is caught, the total weight of the edible parts of the fish is determined by summing the values of the dice used in the combo.

Example: For a Large Fish (1, 2, 4, 4, 6), the total weight is 1+2+4+4+6 = 17 kg.

To calculate the number of rations provided by the fish:

1 kg = 2,000 calories (or half a ration).

Rations Formula: Divide the total weight of the fish by 2.

Example: 17 kg / 2 = 8.5 kg or 8 rations (we round down).

Step 5: Continue or Stop

After catching a fish, remove the dice used from the Fishing Pool.

If the player still has at least 2 dice left in their Fishing Pool, they can attempt to catch another fish using the same Fishing Check results. Otherwise, they are done for that hour.

That's all that we did and they loved it!

But since then we've considered how future games or others might expand on it with special roll combos, items, locations, setting conditions, Aid Other, etc. So here are some...

Optional Add-Ons and Considerations

Multiple Attempts Per Hour:

If the player rolls exceptionally well on their Fishing Pool, they may be able to attempt fishing multiple times in an hour. To keep this simple, I'd say if they are able to clear the first Pool entirely, they get a brand new roll, a whole new Pool as if starting fishing over, but they keep their previous catches.

Modifiers and Conditions:

You could introduce conditions that affect the Fishing Pool or Fishing Check rolls:

Good Fishing Spot: +1d6 to the Fishing Pool.

Bad Weather/Overfished Area: -1d6 (or more) to the Fishing Pool or disadvantage (see 5e, we use this idea quite a bit even in our 3.5e games) on Fishing Check rolls.

Magic/Luck Items: Grant rerolls or bonus dice to the Fishing Pool or allow rerolls of the Fishing Check.

Special Fish Combos:

Occasionally, you could allow rare or magical fish (or larger species) that provide bonuses or other effects; perhaps these are possible if the combos use specific die results:

Giant Fish: Requires a match of dice with identical values, but double the weight result (ex: a medium fish that used 5,5,5 would be a Giant of its type, and grant 15x2 or 30 kg of edible parts!).

Magical Fish: Grants temporary bonuses, like extra HP or special buffs, when consumed. (ex. A combo of sequential rising values, like 1,2,3,4,5, would grant a Magical Large fish)

Fishing Tools and Bait:

Fishing equipment or bait could modify the rolls:

Better Rods/Lines: Allow rerolls or add extra dice to the Fishing Pool.

Special Bait/Lures: Increases chances of catching better or more fish (ex. set any one die result to 6; or allow player to select the value of any one die, etc.).

Aid Other

Another player can choose to assist Player A if they are proficient in the same associated skill (Survival or Profession (Fisher), etc based on your setting):

Player B (helper) rolls for the associated skill.

If the result of their skill check (rolled like any other skill check) is 10-19, Player A gains 1 extra die in their fishing Pool.

If the result of their skill check is 20 or higher, Player A gains 2 extra dice in their fishing Pool.

Player A can then use these extra dice to help form better combos when matching against their Fishing Check.

Let me know if you use this mini-game in your D&D sessions, or revamp it for the tabletop rpg/edition you play!

I'd love to hear your stories of the biggest catch, or lamenting that one LEGENDARY CATCH that got away!

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How you screamed as my knife slit your skull, your brain juices sticky and sweet.

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Some sparks in the dark🖤

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she’s going for it…she’s gonna touch the beans.

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Comission of Raine, a half-elf storm sorceress :D

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Inviolus Vox - Will Gist

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For Huntsman710  Commissions: Open

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Twilight Phantom (Set) by Dragons & Stories