I. Once upon a weekend in Toronto…
A foreward.
BreakoutCon has come and gone, and its time to share with you my BIGGEST takeaways of this years Toronto tabletop con!
This issue will be a tad different, and more read-friendly. Its a pleasant coincidence that the road trip to Toronto was so eventful, yet the RPG news cycle is so slow this past week.
BreakOut Con, in a nutshell, is an RPG and board game focused con with heavy focus on Canadian game devs, and independent projects. Solid opportunity to acquaint myself with the scene north of the border and do some networking and fun-having with some creative and inspired new friends!
It was as good as any excuse to visit the city, and no doubt I spent the rest of my time romping down Queen Street and Kensington Market, not to mention the multiple Atlas Obscura spots on the road-trip there. I digress… lets focus on unpacking the adventure and highlight the hightlights!
Fabrication, a Game about Creating a Game
Joshua Kitz, game designer, hosted a playtest of Fabrication, a game about inventing your own RPG from the ground up. Myself and four other intrepid, newbie designers pooled together to invent a co-op/competitive faction strategy RPG in a steampunk world experiencing a psychedelic pandemic.
Fabrication covers multiple phases of democratic proposal, voting, refinement, and testing to establish a proof-of-concept. Super educational, and coming to a CW review soon!
PANEL: The Art and Science of TTRPG Design
Most informative of the panels I attended was the brain child of Pam Punzala, Bill Benham, and Joe Raso, with Aaron Lim as panel host.
Stress, despair, but also joy when it all comes together; that was the saga told by our panelists of working in RPG design. A realistic, but opportunistic look into the realities of project management, production, editing, marketing, and more!
Dirtbags! TTRPG Firsthand Play-through
Jean Luc Lariviere-Lacombe, founder of The Dungeons Key and designer, ran an energetic three hour session of his new sci-fi shooter RPG; a bridge between the likes of Borderlands, Starship Troopers, and Suicide Squad. Between the six of us, commandeering a sewage truck, drudging through rubble, and rallying with the inmates under our surly sergeant,… damn bugs never stood a chance!
With a soon-coming release date in Summer 2025, and multiple stretch goals, its hard not to be excited!
Other insights on the road!
Toronto highlights: CN Tower, Casa Loma, Kensington Market, and a punk bar called the Bovine Sex Club.
Ann Arbor, MI is a vibe, and the Vault of Midnight is a fantastic game shop with a small basement section for indie RPGs. (Picked up “Stewpot” RPG)
Battle Creek, MI hosts the Fantasy Forest at the Leila Arboretum, a small sculpture garden with wizards, dragons, and mythical creatures.
Multiple bits of inspiration on my travels over the past 5 year is necessitating a series of world-building advice learned from oddities on the road!
The panel had me thinking about editing, and its possible that I’m adding too many graphic visuals onto Dungeon Delve, as it might be disrupting flow of reading. The next few issues will focus on the writing itself.
Open invitation to promote your site, game, product, or service!!
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II. The Sage Speaks!
The sages backstory quest to build a master dictionary, one issue at a time!
TTRPG Glossary
Modern RPG: Referring to RPGs and systems that de-emphasize the dangerous and high stakes randomized elements in favor of balance, character optimization, and formulaic adventures, designed to be approachable, accessible, and consistent.
OSR: Referring to RPGs and systems that embrace the older days which were grounded in “tough but fair” play, including more fatal challenges, wild odds, and experiences unrestricted by newer, imposed formulas in favor of greater freedom.
Rulings, not Rules: A slogan popular within RPG circles, especially OSR. When a situation encounters a lack of rules, rules which don’t fit the situation, or desire for a specific course of action, it is up to the table to determine the best outcome. (I.E. a player describes what they are looking to do without restricting themselves to the character sheet, and the DM/table uses common sense to determine the roll, risk, and result.) … This can emphasize momentary solutions to unconventional situations, and help with the flow of the game, but can sometimes come into conflict with “Rules as Written”.
Worldbuilding / Writing Glossary
Feudalism: A social system in which nobility held land in which peasants/serfs lived in exchange for service; obligated to perform labor, provide a share of the produce, and pay homage to their nobility. This system defined cultural, class, and social norms through early civilization and the middle ages. (Read more here!)
III. Markings on the Wall
Latest rumors, discoveries, and puzzling finds in the RPG world and beyond!
RPG News and Fun Finds
Pocketopia edges tabletop closer to Steam, for good and ill - Rascal News - A new contender for ZineQuest has emerged, and its getting a ton of hype, focusing in small and easy-to-learn games from across the RPGverse. Support a single project, or consider supporting multiple for extra benefits!
REDDIT: r/BlueskySocial - Table-top roleplaying game community - New thread, and there’s abundant opportunity to showcase your love for the community that exists on Bluesky! … Jump on, and add to the discussion!
[BACKERKIT] Why We Fight - a solarpunk narrative rpg - “Gather your crew of eco-punks fighting fascism building a brighter, greener future.” … I’ll be honest; I think we could all need a boost to our morale and inspiration, and this 2x funded game is a stylish triumph which is sure to entertain your personal commune of gaming friends!
Worldbuilding Resource
The Bearded Halfling, the neighborhood scrappy RPG content creator, has a brilliant video about the structure of feudalism.
A Maniacs Insight (Where I quote an adjacent Substack blog)
Even if one plans to run a particular locale for the first adventure, rumors that discuss other possible sites are a good to give the players more knowledge about the game world and remind them that they aren't stuck doing what the GM says. Rumors and hooks are good because by letting the GM know which rumors interest them, the players can inform the Gm what sort of content needs to be created for the next session.
IV. Looting the Room
RPG Deals and Bundles
[[MASSIVE!!]] Pathfinder Classic Bundle - Humble Bundle has rolled out the red carpet for Paizo’s 1E of its amazing RPG. Get the entire collection for a paultry trifle!
$2,566.58$45 … WOOOOWWW!!Mörk Borg Core Bundle - Grab the pitch-black apocalyptic RPG core book and community content.
$45$10… OR the collection, with Pirate Borg, CY_BORG, and Ihkon.
$95$25.50
Solo But Not Alone 5! - 100+ solo TTRPG games, funding mental health in the gaming community/industry!
$429$10RPGs for Accessible Gaming - 240+ games for the DOTS RPG Project, creators of special dice for the blind or visually impaired. -
$729$10Candela Obscura Core Rulebook - Battle occult horrors from they beyond for 50% off the original price! -
$40$20Stewpot Complete Bundle (VTT + PDF) - The TTRPG for retired adventurers looking to start their own fantasy tavern! -
$50$30
Deals About to Expire
[FOUR MORE DAYS] Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Wrath & Glory - Cubicle 7 brings the darkness of the 41st Millennium! -
$232$25/PWYW[TWO MORE DAYS] GMs Day Sale!! - DriveThruRPG is celebrating GMs Day with a sale of up to 40% off on thousands of entries!
[TWO MORE DAYS] 85 Miniatures Designed for Easy 3D Printing - Have a 3D printer? Get a bunch of files from HighCraft Miniatures.
$408$15/PWYW
10% off Phoenix Dice Deal! - Ongoing Affiliate!
Phoenix Dice are made from eco-friendly materials, and each purchase goes towards funding research into various recycled materials such as ocean plastic, safe industrial waste, and more!
Use the code DELVE25 and get 10% off your order today!
V. Treasure Chest (Sponsored Ads)
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