the-klaus-pods

[the-klaus-pods]

Rotjaw from the hit game Hunt: Showdown!

tried out a different coloring/ shading technique, and I think it worked well

[the-klaus-pods]

original indie ttrpgs by luka brave. find them on itch here

he/they

queer, disabled, jewish

studying therapeutically applied ttrpgs

open to writing, sensitivity reading, & layout freelance!

portfolio

osteotzee - magical monster augury yahtzee hack

dead man's hand - weird west storytelling card game

bagel, lox, golem talks - write an ethnography of a magic jewish shtetl - pwyw

the graveyard game - write an ethnography of a magical haunted graveyard

the narrator paradox - narrate a story while trying to wrangle your protagonist into listening to you

with breath & sword - fight monsters to calm down from anxiety

song a scene - a playlist-driven writing game that fits on a bookmark - pwyw

not a tabloid - absurdist comedy interview game

mama werewolf - werewolf family drama run on nature mechanics

shadow / giant - a traumatized, magical child and the jaded adult who cares for them

familiar field trip - competitive game for witch's familiars causing havoc and mayhem in the village

interstate 10 1/2 - a one page weird roadtrip light horror game built on horseshoe

crescent grin - a one page eldritch noir mystery game built on horseshoe

the pyrite bullet - a one page spaghetti western drama game built on horseshoe

small towns, big secrets - 200 word competitive drama game

little shepherd, little spy - spy in the fairy war using your bookshelf

advanced darning & dragons - comedy game about old people gossip and high fantasy - pwyw

hashtag girlbots - absurdist robot survival game about the tumblr bot takeover - pwyw

lullaby nights - song driven writing game - pwyw

beach day! - sweet party bonding minigame

how high! - an industrial fantasy city setting

you are thinking about silver - an autofiction game about a werewolf family

when you love someone: three rituals - three rituals to honor love in all its forms - pwyw

she shall not be raised a fey - a 36 word game about revisiting your changeling child - pwyw

we are but plants - 1 word we are but worms hack - pwyw

homebrew masterpost

autism & adhd, trauma, & service monster mechanics - pwyw

wild magic artificer, psychopomp sorcerer & living instrument bard

witch class (con based half caster made with @hmooncreates), handler class (pokemon inspired mon collector), & paternal class (these are just dilfs)

studio ghibli inspired pack with feats, backgrounds, races, monsters, and subclasses

ttrpgs used in teaching composition to college students

the family tree

village witch

what little the flames leave us

personal narrative essay solo journaling games

not a tabloid

we are but worms

graves for funerals

the world is ending and we are very large dogs

vessel of the garbage god

literary analysis essay games

grandma club

LOGAN: an autobiographical tabletop game

[the-klaus-pods]

reposting homebrew!

hello all! now that things with wotc have Settled i've decided to repost my 5e homebrew as itch exclusives! enough people said they hoped they would go up again that it seemed like it was time to make them available once more. i'll be posting a few homebrew each sunday so keep a look out!

so without further ado ...

autism & adhd mechanics

11 total traits for pcs and npcs to mechanically emphasize their autism and/or adhd. includes disability specific and shared traits, including executive dysfunction, sensory processing disorder, motor issues, rejection sensitive dysphoria, and more! pay what you want! updated since the last time published!

wild magic artificer subclass

includes subclass spells, two brand new artificer infusions, a custom wild magic roll table, and access to magic tattoos!

witch class

a constitution-based half caster class with a brand new way of casting spells to add more strategy and risk to spellcasting. includes nearly 30 curses at levels 3, 10, and 15, including curses specific to your coven. adopt a familiar who grows in power as you do. includes the Enchanter - a coven focused on illusion and utility, the Hedgewitch - a coven focused on heals and buffs, and the Jinx - a coven focused on combat and necromancy. comes with a custom character sheet by bees baldwin. co-created with @beatricexbenedick

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I say shit like "If my memory serves me" knowing damn well it serves the dark lord

[the-klaus-pods]

I was asked by a friend yesterday if I could offer basic tips about comic paneling. As it turns out, I have a lot to say on the matter! I tried breaking down the art of paneling using the principles of art and design, and I hope it helps you out!

EDIT: uh uh there are a lot of people reblogging this, so i figure i may as well append this now while i can lol

This whole thing was very much cranked out in a few hours so I had a visual to talk about with a friend! If this gives you a base understanding of paneling, that's awesome! Continue to pull in studies from the comics you see and what other artists do well and don't do well! You can tell paneling is doing well when the action is flowing around in its intended reading format.

Here's the link to the globalcomix article from which I pulled the images about panel staggering! Someone sent in a reblog that it wasn't totally clear that the 7th slide mostly covers what NOT to do in regards to staggering, and that is my mistake!

I saw in a tag that someone was surprised I used MamaYuyu too, and I don't blame them lol. If I had given myself more than a couple hours maybe I would have added something else on, I just really admire MamaYuyu's paneling personally.

uh uh, final append: I am by no means a renowned master of paneling, so if you find anything off base here, by all means, counter it with your own knowledge and ways you can build upon from here! Art is always a sum knowledge of everything we find. 💪

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🎨color study note

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Art Tutorial| 3 coloring methods

If you're frustrated at coloring or don't know how to do the color, please check and try them. They may inspire you to find a new way. Any feedback and suggestions are welcome!

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Teaching my students how to storyboard this sem 🥲 & here are some notes I jotted down to prep for it hehe

(Note: these are gen stuff, not hard rules. hope it helps yall too or smth either way)

[Twitter] [Instagram] [Kofi]

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How to Paint Light by jonhuangart

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This is the only tiktok you’ll ever need, I’ve made about 13 of these and I’m not stopping anytime soon

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I'm working on Bagge's guide to writing. This is what I got so far.

Know yourself. Everyone writes differently, and everyone has different needs they need to figure out. That goes for how you interact with the rest of the list as well. If a tip is not for you, then don't follow it.

One single damned sentence! Write something every day. One sentence is enough, but writing one sentence will put the story back in your mind, you will pull up the document and find out where you stopped. More often than not one sentence will lead to more, but one is enough.

Celebrate your victories. If all you have written is one sentence, then you should be proud that you did write that sentence. If all you did was thinking about your story, that counts too.

Think forward. When you get to a natural end point (end of scene, end of chapter), write one more sentence, staring the next part, before you end your writing session. That way, you will think of what to write rather than what you have written.

Be careful with editing while writing. Sometimes it's good to catch a pesky spelling mistake, but most of the time you want to keep the flow.

Words on paper! The most important task with the first draft is to get the first draft done. You can fix whatever bugs you in the editing stage, but you want to move on from having only a blank page to work with.

Brackets. If you get stuck on the technical terms for a certain piece of clothing, spelling or how to resolve a certain [something] then, put it in brackets and move on. Sometimes my writing looks like "X said [something sexy] and Y blushed. [Stuff happened]. "Let's do [something more sexy]!" Y said." Keep your flow.

Take micro breaks. If you get stuck, leave the writing space for ten seconds before you continue writing. Sometimes that's all it take

BACKUPS!

When writing a longer story, treat the first chapters as "draft 0.5". You will probably have to rework them once you find your stride with the story properly and figure out all those little details you simply don't know while writing the beginning. That's OK, as long as you make it part of your writing process.

Figure out what's stopping you from telling your story and work on that. Two cakes? Do it scared? Whatever works for you.

What's your favourite writing tips?

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helpful sites for writers

i have a little collection of websites i tend to use for coming up with ideas, naming people or places, keeping clear visuals or logistics, writing basics about places i've never been to, and so on. i tend to do a lot of research, but sometimes you just need quick references, right? so i thought i'd share some of them!

Behind the Name; good for name meanings but also just random name ideas, regardless of meanings.

Fantasy Name Generator; this link goes to the town name generator, which i use most, but there are lots of silly/fun/good inspo generators on there!

Age Calculator; for remembering how old characters are in Y month in Z year. i use this constantly.

Height Comparison; i love this for the height visuals; does character A come up to character B's shoulder? are they a head taller? what does that look like, height-wise? the chart feature is great!

Child Development Guide; what can a (neurotypical, average) 5-year-old do at that age? this is a super handy quickguide for that, with the obviously huge caveat that children develop at different paces and this is not comprehensive or accurate for every child ever. i like it as a starting point, though!

Weather Spark; good for average temperatures and weather checking!

Green's Dictionary of Slang; good for looking up "would x say this?" or "what does this phrase mean in this context?" i love the timeline because it shows when the phrase was historically in use. this is english only, though; i dig a little harder for resources like this in other languages.

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Writing Notes: Character Traits (Virtues)

When describing someone, we often describe the virtues or values they exhibit, which are aligned to their character.

Virtues - positive personal strengths and behaviors that demonstrate an individual’s moral standards.

Can be considered the foundation of character and can be categorized as moral virtues, civic virtues, intellectual virtues, or performance virtues.

Types of Virtues

INTELLECTUAL VIRTUES

Can be considered habits of mind, enabling individuals to become critical thinkers who ask the right questions and seek answers from evidence-based resources.

These virtues support discernment, right action and the pursuit of knowledge while enabling problem-solving.

MORAL VIRTUES

Can be considered habits of the heart.

Moral character guides decision making from multiple perspectives allowing individuals to evaluate situations and respond in a meaningful and responsible manner that keeps the betterment of society and all stakeholders in the forefront.

These virtues guide social connections and ethical decision making.

CIVIC VIRTUES

Can be considered habits of service.

Civic character supports a collaborative approach to solving systemic problems to contribute to the well-being of others and serve the public good.

These virtues ultimately support citizenship and community.

PERFORMANCE VIRTUES

Can be considered habits of action and will, enabling us to marry the quality of our actions to the strength of our convictions.

These virtues equip and enable one to navigate life and uncertainty for success.

Performance virtues are informed by intellectual, moral, and civic virtues.

In collaboration, the virtue types allow individuals space to develop a deeper sense of virtuous behavior and growth through personal experiences and reflection when the virtues collide, known as practical wisdom, furthering our good sense.

Practical wisdom

Also known as phronesis, is the meta-virtue that guides individuals in making decisions when two or more virtues collide.

This helps us determine what is morally right in a given situation so we can discern which virtue to put into action.

Intellectual Virtues: Are my actions in pursuit of knowledge, truth and understanding?

Examples

Reflection

Resourcefulness

Communication

Critical Thinking

Curiosity

Reasoning

Moral Virtues: Do I respond ethically and with heart?

Examples

Honesty

Humility

Compassion

Integrity

Kindness

Empathy

Civic Virtues: Do I engage in responsible citizenship?

Examples

Service

Citizenship

Community Awareness

Neighborliness

Civility

Performance Virtues: Do I have the tools to navigate life and uncertainty?

Examples

Resilience

Determination

Perseverance

Leadership

Self-discipline

Motivation

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ +600 Personality Traits

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America has a weird relationship with cults where they’re terrified of small cults (or organizations they think are cults) but completely normalized massive cults that hurt many more people (eg: LDS Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Amish, Scientology, most Megachurches)

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Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

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