benlaurence.bsky.social
Author of Through Ultan's Door, Downtime in Zyan, and Mazirian's Garden. Creator of the podcast Into the Megadungeon.
Links here: https://linktr.ee/ultansdoor
Patreon: https://patreon.com/ultansdoor
Webstore: https://throughultansdoor.bigcartel.com/
451 posts
1,516 followers
317 following
Prolific Poster
Conversation Starter
comment in response to
post
what is this from?
comment in response to
post
It's still available!
comment in response to
post
Heart please!
comment in response to
post
exactly! each floor is a giant shelf fungus. the steps around the tree trunks are much smaller ones.
comment in response to
post
(6) Getting to play in a face to face play test group with other game designers and an old friend from grad school whom I hadn't seen in a decade. I've never done anything like that before! It's fun to learn what other folks are working on and I'm excited to share some of my stuff in progress.
comment in response to
post
(5) The Mothership Discord server's Gradient Descent chanel (and my new Mothership campaign). Check out this bonkers 3d animations eyelid did of where all the different areas are eyelidman.itch.io/cloudbank-map. Also, CleverDM, whoever yon are, you are a font of absokute banger advice.
comment in response to
post
(4) The Dungeon Design Course by @riseupcomus.bsky.social and @icastlight.bsky.social. It's like a modern update of those old blog attempts to preserve and communicate best design practices. To make creating old school dungeons that dob't suck easier! dungeons.hismajestytheworm.games/docs/chapter1/
comment in response to
post
(3) This super secret city project my DM and pal @underworldadv.bsky.social is working on. Can't say more. Sorry not sorry
comment in response to
post
(2) Anticipation for this forthcoming zine from James, about his new game/setting The Secrets of Sha-Arthan. (Yes James is giving me a lot of life rn.) 2/x
comment in response to
post
"I'm going to call the top of my map north even though that makes no sense." are words that came out of my mouth at our last Mothership sesh
comment in response to
post
My daughter has been on me to read homestuck. I have been somewhat stymied by the format, especially because we couldn't get the app to work, for whatever reason, on my computer. I'll try again!
comment in response to
post
Weapons vs. AC adjustments, segment initiative, surprise is different, dual class vs. multi-classing, training costs and time to level, clerics don't (have to) pick a god until 3rd level, bards are a prestige class, different hireling rules etc. it's much crunchier and has a more specific feel.(2/2)
comment in response to
post
I think it depends how deep you go. If you just play a kind of simplified 1E AD&D then they barely differ at all. Different initiative, the idea of kits, more settings in 2E, etc. But if you try to play 1E closer to the inscrutable by the book rules, then I they're REALLY different, i.e.: (1/2)
comment in response to
post
If I did the 5x rule I would have to charge $30 per zine. If I did the 10x rule, it would be $60. Which is absurd.
comment in response to
post
It's true, I make much more money on reprints, etc, where the fixed costs (art and layout) have already been spent. But that takes several years in my case. So eventually I make more money, and wholesale becomes more attractive. But it's a long road.
comment in response to
post
Just from materials and printing, my zines cost about $3 a zine to produce. When you factor in art and layout costs, it's probably up to about $6 for a 1500 print run. Since I charge $15 per zine, it means I make $1.50 per zine for wholesale. WHOLESALE ALMOST ISN'T EVEN WORTH IT FOR ME.