Bill

@warbeard.bsky.social

Artist, crafter, nerd.

Got an idea for your dark and moody OC? That TTRPG you're making needs something drawn with a little bit of je ne sait quoi? A bit of chill and bones stuff? My commissions are open. My rates are reasonable and cool and I'm a delight to work with (many people are saying this)

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“Sometimes that shark, he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a shark, he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes, like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at you, doesn’t seem to be livin’.

Portrait of Quint from the movie Jaws with the Orca (his fishing boat) at sea, a couple of floating barrels in the water

Legendary Lives from 1993 boasts that is it the first RPG to have player-facing mechanics. They call it "semi-diceless", meaning the players roll but the GM doesn't. When a PC is attacked, you roll in defense. The attacker doesn't roll. We see this style in a lot of games now. I like it. #TTRPG

Cover of the RPG Legendary Lives by Joe Williams and Kathleen Williams. Very early 90s look. A desktop publishing vibe. Shirtless barbarian fighting a green clad elf on a bridge. Artist is Raphael Schnepf.Pic of the open book stating "The use of dice by the players and not the referee is called semi-diceless role playing, and Legendary Lives is the first game to employ this method."

Been thinking lately about how TTRPG adventure fantasy looks and feels different if we were to use black music and art for clear aesthetic and influence with representation. Before we start: you there, the one who is going to shove a bunch of references or ppl in my face! Don't do that.

Public Domain Art is the lifeblood of small tabletop rpgs, but it can be a nightmare trying to find the right art and license. This week, I’ve re-uploaded my old list from 2020 (with updates) of public domain websites. That's 500,000+ public domain paintings, photos, maps, and film. Link below 🔗👇