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The Bardic Inquiry

The Bardic Inquiry

TTRPG Theory, Reflection, and Design


  • March 11, 2023

    How to play a solo RPG (Ultimate Guide)

    How to play a solo RPG (Ultimate Guide)

    This ultimate guide will teach you how to play a solo RPG in six quick steps and cover some common pitfalls for new solo players. In this guide, I will discuss: What is a solo RPG? A solo RPG is just like any other group RPG, except you are both the game master (GM) and… Continue reading

    GM Advice
    oracles, Questions, Random Tables, RPG, Solo Roleplaying
  • March 3, 2023

    Caught in the Rain, a Solo Mystery Roleplaying Game Playtest v0.2

    Caught in the Rain, a Solo Mystery Roleplaying Game Playtest v0.2

    Caught in The Rain is the new game that I am developing and it is my attempt at solving the difficulty of playing a mystery roleplaying game as a solo player. Whether it is group play or solo play, the general consensus is mystery campaigns or adventures in roleplaying games are challenging or time-consuming to… Continue reading

    Design
    Caught in the Rain, Mystery, Roleplaying, RPG, Solo Roleplaying
  • January 14, 2023

    I Tried Node-Based Design in my Mystery TTRPG Campaign, Here is What I Learned

    I Tried Node-Based Design in my Mystery TTRPG Campaign, Here is What I Learned

    Node-based design was created by Justin Alexander of the Alexandrian and was, primarily, a method for planning and running mystery ttrpg campaigns. Though it can be divisive in the ttrpg community, I was planning to run a mystery campaign in Night’s Black Agents and I did not believe my usual method would work. I thought… Continue reading

    GM Advice, Reflections
    Campaign, GM tools, Mystery, prep, RPG, TTRPG
  • December 10, 2022

    How to Write a Backstory for a DnD Character

    How to Write a Backstory for a DnD Character

    To write a backstory for a DnD character, you should avoid writing a detailed recount of their life and instead opt to describe a few key events or relationships. This can improve the colloborative storytelling component of these games and provide you with enough character flkexibility to help you enjoy the game more consistently. In… Continue reading

    GM Advice
    Backstories, DnD, Roleplaying, RPG
  • October 23, 2022

    How to improve player engagement in roleplaying games using questions

    How to improve player engagement in roleplaying games using questions

    Questions help us communicate and understand each other and we can use them to improve the engagement of our players in our roleplaying games. By asking the right type questions of our players, we can establish a scene more quickly or drive a narrative forward. The type of question we ask depends on the reason… Continue reading

    GM Advice
    DnD, Player Engagement, Questions, Roleplaying, RPG
  • August 21, 2022

    Cognitive Load Theory in Roleplaying Games

    Cognitive Load Theory in Roleplaying Games

    Cognitive load theory is the idea that our working memory is imposed by the complexity and distracting elements of new information before we start to make connections. In roleplaying games, complex and distracting elements of new information can result in a loss of player engagement. In this post, I briefly describe cognitive load theory, how… Continue reading

    Design, Reflections
    Cognitive Load, prep, Roleplaying, RPG, Working Memory
  • August 14, 2022

    GOLEM 0.5 Release

    My most recent project, GOLEM, has just been released in time for the Lone Wolf Solo TTRPG Jam Mk 2. GOLEM is a solo roleplaying game that uses a single deck of playing cards to facilitate play. A player takes on the role of a being who was twisted by magic and is now feared… Continue reading

    Design, Reflections
    GOLEM, RPG, Solo Roleplaying
  • July 30, 2022

    Using Playing Cards in Roleplaying Games

    Using playing cards in roleplaying games can provide a different feel to a game than dice do. Playing cards can be used to support the drama in the narrative mechanically by leveraging the memory of deck and I have been enjoying my time exploring the different approaches to using playing cards in the roleplaying games… Continue reading

    Design
    Grimoire, Roleplaying, Solo Roleplaying
  • July 9, 2022

    PILGRIMON: A Pokémon inspired RPG Devlog 1

    PILGRIMON is a game I recently made for the TTRPG Pokémon jam on itch.io. In this post, I ramble a bit about how I began to develop the early version currently available for download and discuss my design decisions and next steps for the PILGRIMON project. PILGRIMON Themes Several other Pokémon roleplaying systems exist with… Continue reading

    Design
    Pokémon, Roleplaying, RPG
  • June 30, 2022

    Frame Scenes in your Roleplaying Games with the Inverted Pyramid

    Frame Scenes in your Roleplaying Games with the Inverted Pyramid

    The inverted pyramid dictates that we start with the most important information and for framing scenes in roleplaying games, this is the purpose of the scene. I frame this as a question within the context of the wider narrative or world and use every player decision to drive the scene towards a conclusion. By doing… Continue reading

    Uncategorized
    Framing Scenes, GM tools, Inverted Pyramid, Roleplaying, RPG, Scenes
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About Me

An ARPIA award-winning Australian tabletop roleplaying game designer.

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Find MY GAMES on itch.io or DrivethruRPG.com

Recent Posts

  • How to play a solo RPG (Ultimate Guide)March 11, 2023
  • Caught in the Rain, a Solo Mystery Roleplaying Game Playtest v0.2March 3, 2023
  • I Tried Node-Based Design in my Mystery TTRPG Campaign, Here is What I LearnedJanuary 14, 2023
  • How to Write a Backstory for a DnD CharacterDecember 10, 2022
  • How to improve player engagement in roleplaying games using questionsOctober 23, 2022
  • Cognitive Load Theory in Roleplaying GamesAugust 21, 2022
  • GOLEM 0.5 ReleaseAugust 14, 2022


Recent Posts

  • How to play a solo RPG (Ultimate Guide)
  • Caught in the Rain, a Solo Mystery Roleplaying Game Playtest v0.2
  • I Tried Node-Based Design in my Mystery TTRPG Campaign, Here is What I Learned

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