On the Shoulders of Dwarves

A weekly podcast with practical advice for role-players, with a lighthearted atmosphere and no GM screen. With @nnesk, @UriLifshitz & @Icel. [email protected]

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

The fight in Balin's tomb against the troll (from LotR, you know the one) is so awesome, that I use it as the standard against which I judge RPG combat systems. Is it possible to use the system to create this fight? And does its high dramatic moments arise naturally during play?

[The World of RPGs @TheWorldofRPGs]

New episode out today, and I am sorry to say it's the longest one to date. Includes interviews with or material by @nnesk and @UriLifshitz as well as a shout out to @DwarfPodcast . Here's a link, but you can also subscribe elsewhere: https://t.co/OAvgxCHDne #TTRPG

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

I've just now written a surprisingly good summary about "fun" in #ttrpg and why we should avoid that word; it went so well, I'm repurposing it into the following 🧵 1/-

https://t.co/ppKUM0c3se

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

Last day to back Caregiver! Check it out and be the healing spirit who protects a crew of clueless heroes, in this single-player game full of fun rules and delicious content:
#IndieGameDev #ttrpg #solo #writing #ttrpgcommunity

https://t.co/KhjNvIdK10

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

Merry Passover! May Elijah bring you many presents, ho ho ho

Let's talk injuries, and why the first system I designed for this game became the least important.

#gamedesign #ttrpg #indiedev

https://t.co/WWyxTa6KQx

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

Distilling all the status conditions from D&D, Pathfinder and Final Fantasy into a list of 4 (aggravated, cut out, distressed and out), and how you, my dear healing spirit, can strengthen the heroes to overcome them.
Also, deal with your issues already!

https://t.co/vgbuqkxIVS

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

How do you even make a game that focuses on *healing*? (and why?!)

And how to give the player the tools to create their own emotional journey? (without demanding too much of them)

An update on Caregiver, now on #Kickstarter:

https://t.co/pzjWjHWsRb

[On the Shoulders of Dwarves @DwarfPodcast]

Eran's new storytelling game - now live on Kickstarter! Check it out.

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

Take care! Of some clueless heroes.
Caregiver is a solo story game in which you play as an exasperated spirit trying to aid a group of brave but reckless heroes, who don't know you exist.

Now on #Kickstarter (too late for #ZineQuest)

https://t.co/6XtaWfoXHh

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

New article posted, a classification of magic systems for writers and designers, or:
"Why we need to understand our magic, exactly because 'magic' is what we call the absence of understanding"

#gamedesign #ttrpg
https://t.co/IYallYeBXN

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

Heroes! And also villains. And generic NPCs as well!
My new game Caregiver is almost ready for KS. I encourage any of you who is interested in the behind the scenes to give this pre-launch page a look and send me feedback. Launch expected early March.
https://t.co/X9SC8QReAt

[ה'רועי קהת שמרצה בכנסים @So_help_me_gd]

So, our GM went away for a month and left us as a shepherdless herd on hiatus. And then I heard on @DwarfPodcast an episode about a then-new indie game called Girl Underground by @thestraykiwi and @jesseross and something clicked.
It's a story about a girl who enters a weird and

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

A very good post about tension:

[Aviv Or is on Bluesky @AvivOr]

If you've been exploring new #TTRPGs lately, you might find our Ready to Roll series helpful. These are 2-page comics briefly explaining the rules to Savage Worlds, Fate Core, Star Wars RPG, The Spy Game, and City of Mist:
https://t.co/T2PfC74M4a

[Eran Aviram @nnesk.bsky.social @nnesk]

חובבי משחקי תפקידים בעברית, עלזו!
היום הכריזו שמימון ההמון של "חרבות וכשפים - הערכה למתקדם" אוטוטו מגיע, ושמימון ההמון של הספרים הבאים של "פאת'פיינדר פראי" מתחיל ביום שני הקרוב.
(אני מתרגם את עו"פ, וכותב פרק אחד לערכה למתקדם)
#פידתפקידים
#פאתפיינדר_פראי

[Up to Four Players @Upto4Players]

Available now through @DriveThruRPG and the Israeli store Pen & Sword:

Arcane Background: Crystals, a 22-page PDF adapting the Crystal rules to any Syn-less, generic fantasy world.

Currently only in Hebrew! (English, eventually)

[Uri Lifshitz @UriLifshitz]

The Gamemasters Guide to Guiding Actions just got a #copperBadge on @DriveThruRPG ! I'm so proud of that one :-)

#DnD #ttrpg

https://t.co/e5AHueiJUv

[On the Shoulders of Dwarves @DwarfPodcast]

Are you a #ttrpg Gamemaster? Do you know what are Guiding Actions and how to use them?
If your answers were "Yes" and "No" respectively than this guide is for you!

[Uri Lifshitz @UriLifshitz]

Hi fellow GMs!
The term Guiding Actions is common in Israeli #ttrpg circles. I like to think of them as Jedi mind tricks for gamemasters. these are actions that may not be considered part of the rules but greatly affect the gaming experience. 1/3
https://t.co/GSS4HWRK9F

[On the Shoulders of Dwarves @DwarfPodcast]

What is best in life?
Roleplaying games,
obviously,
but second place is moving to a better hosting service that makes it easier to link to our episodes. Now on @anchor !
- the dwarves, not currently updating, but still maintaining themselves. Like undead!

[Aviv Or is on Bluesky @AvivOr]

Thread with some great (mostly free) options for finding art for your ttrpg characters 👇🏻

[On the Shoulders of Dwarves @DwarfPodcast]

@itsginnydi is so *consistently*
on-point,
addresses important issues,
communicates very well,
shows mastery of the craft,
and has high production values,
that I feel totally fine with out prolonged hiatus, because she's doing what I would have wanted to
https://t.co/9xBh97nvhN