Ben Dutter

Marketing consultant, ethical vegan, and tabletop game designer.

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

And we are live! https://t.co/kIs8B651ac

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

Five Torches Deep: Origins is Kickstarting on Tuesday, 8/25/20. Click the link below to be notified when the project launches. Stay tuned for updates as a reply to this tweet!

https://t.co/kIs8B651ac

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

@RadioBaloo That’s a different and well documented psychological phenomenon. I’m looking for design specific. Maybe transitional friction or something.

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

Is there a game design term for the friction that comes from changing stances while playing rpgs? For example the sensation of moving between in character narration to rolling dice or using a meta currency. Immersion is kinda close but it doesn’t fit quite right.

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

We are going to be Kickstarting a new supplement for Five Torches Deep, called FTD: Origins. We’ve been working on it since the core game released and it’s our take on alternate ancestries and lineages through a D&D alike lens. Check out this preview page, art by Sam Mameli.

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

@MattClick Man SWSE was so fun, spent hundreds of hours playing and hacking it. Its biggest flaw was that Jedi were... well, Jedi powered. It wasn’t uncommon for boosted force sensitive characters to have modifiers in the high teens.

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

I just backed Slayers on @Kickstarter https://t.co/WugcB7qhwp

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

Most people don’t know what rpgs are. Most might’ve heard what D&D is and only have a vague idea. Those that do end up playing are either very committed to research, or much more likely: they were recruited by a friend.

Easily 80-90% of gamers we’ve known got into it this way.

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

@inmostlight We’re intentionally catering to experienced OSR players with this game. That being said OSR stands for old school renaissance and is modeling D&Disms off of TSR era gameplay, especially the Moldvay Basic version.

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

Jess and I made a thing! We’re tinkering with a super light OSR framework called Dungeonbright! Check it out on @itchio here:

https://t.co/BCd4Oswdid

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

@seanFsmith That’s great! If you can email it to me (my name at g mail) that’d be lovely!

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

Now that the Vault is out, a dev update is in order.

ORIGINS
In cultural sensitivity editing and artwork. We’re proud of this one and how it diverges from the rest of our work. It includes:
- 12 ancestries
- Life paths
- A “build your own” lineage with traits and cultures

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

Five Torches Deep: The Vault is now released to the public!

- 30 detailed, evocative magic items
- 10 beautiful illustrations by @AnandahJanae
- Utilitarian layout for quick scanning at the table

Check it out or pick it up on @DriveThruRPG for only $4!

https://t.co/5OcIvdfj3b

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

It’s free, fast, and mostly compatible with modern OSR stuff. It’s our answer to Knave and Into the Odd. The game features split ability score pairs, universal check mechanics (including for combat), weird spells, and fun classes (vomit swords? bleed light? Yes!)

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

We like to think of FTD as compatible or easily convertible for 5e and BX. It says so right on the product page and the first page of the book. But what does compatible mean?

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

Today is the one year anniversary since we funded the Kickstarter. In that time we’ve had over 4,000 sales, released two supplements, and funded the production of several more.

We hope to keep up the momentum into 2021 and beyond. Thanks for all of your support.

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

We feel compelled to use our platform, no matter how small, to condemn the systemic racism, oppression, and violence that pervades our country. As half the FTD team is black, it affects us in a personal way. Speak out. Fight injustice. #BlackLivesMatter

[Ben Dutter @BenDutter]

This one has been a ton of fun to produce. We’ve been playing with these items in our home group for a while and they really change the way an adventure feels.

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

A sample page of the upcoming Five Torches Deep Supplement: The Vault. Art by @AnandahJanae. We're in the final stages of art and editing for it, shooting for a June release if possible. Stay tuned!

[Five Torches Deep @fivetorchesdeep]

One thing we see a lot of from players unfamiliar or new to the OSR is the frequency they defer to the mechanics. If you’re unsure of how to handle something, it’s natural to go to the dice. That being said, OSR games start to fall apart if you’re rolling frequently