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Luke Wildwoods

@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social

Designer of Harvest & Grand Guignol. gamesfromthewildwood.itch.io. Cooking enthusiast. Once an anthropologist and professional GM. “Very witty and wise, like a mole underneath a tree". Ace, aro, agender (they/them).

803 Posts1211 Follower177 Folgt
Marie Phillips@mariephillips.bsky.social · last wk.

Shocked to hear the news of the death of Glen Hansard. I met him when I was a teenager, my friends and I were the only people dancing at a Frames gig. He invited us to hang with the band after, singing songs on the guitar. After that he was always warm and friendly when I saw him. The loveliest man.

Black and white portrait of Glen Hansard, a white man with curly hair and a beard, in semi-profile, smiling
Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 2w ago

hey quick question from the Dark Ages mines—do y'all ever assume the mantle of the Anointed Heir, get with the MC to figure out if you're blessed by the gods or descended from some ancient queen or what, swear to lead your people to their destined glory, and start doing some absolutely *wild* shit

You unearth a symbol of rulership linked to your birthright (choose 1: a throne grown from a living oak / a stone table carved to show your lands / a tapestry woven from gold and silver thread). Ask the MC what harrowing trial you must endure to claim it, which must end with you Facing Death. Once claimed, tell the MC it is a mirror, and you have the right to call upon it and commune with your kingdom. When you do so, roll Good. On 10+, ask 3 of the following. On 7–9, ask 2. On 6–, ask 1 anyway but be prepared for the worst. I am its soil and stone, underfoot. What unwelcome feet tread heavy upon me? I am its faithful hearthfires. Who is held in high esteem, and who is maligned? I am its rats, in cellar and storeroom. Who has plenty and who goes without? I am its dead, honoured and forgotten. Who has lately joined my ranks? I am its water, for drinking and washing. What sickness flows in me? What corruption do I wash away? I am its wandering winds. What snippets of news do I carry across the border? I am its shadows, in every corner. Who lingers in me that others have overlooked?
Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 2w ago

hey quick question from the Dark Ages mines—do y'all ever assume the mantle of the Anointed Heir, get with the MC to figure out if you're blessed by the gods or descended from some ancient queen or what, swear to lead your people to their destined glory, and start doing some absolutely *wild* shit

You unearth a symbol of rulership linked to your birthright (choose 1: a throne grown from a living oak / a stone table carved to show your lands / a tapestry woven from gold and silver thread). Ask the MC what harrowing trial you must endure to claim it, which must end with you Facing Death. Once claimed, tell the MC it is a mirror, and you have the right to call upon it and commune with your kingdom. When you do so, roll Good. On 10+, ask 3 of the following. On 7–9, ask 2. On 6–, ask 1 anyway but be prepared for the worst. I am its soil and stone, underfoot. What unwelcome feet tread heavy upon me? I am its faithful hearthfires. Who is held in high esteem, and who is maligned? I am its rats, in cellar and storeroom. Who has plenty and who goes without? I am its dead, honoured and forgotten. Who has lately joined my ranks? I am its water, for drinking and washing. What sickness flows in me? What corruption do I wash away? I am its wandering winds. What snippets of news do I carry across the border? I am its shadows, in every corner. Who lingers in me that others have overlooked?
Sarah@teaonice.bsky.social · 2w ago

Played the first act of Harvest by @wildwoodsgames.bsky.social last night, and had an absolute blast. GM-less/no-prep games are an absolute revelation. Also, I've convinced two players to come watch Wicker Man for the first time, & I'm so psyched to introduce them to Christopher-Lee-in-a-turtlene k!

Scarred For Life@scarredforlife.bsky.social · 3w ago

SAPPHIRE AND STEEL: ASSIGNMENT FOUR (1981) The inscrutable agents find themselves up against the show's most memorable villain: The Shape! An evil entity who lives inside every photograph ever taken, his Magritte-influenced look terrified me.

The Emotion Engine@emotion-engine.bsky.social · 3w ago

Thinking about how Osprey, a publishing house almost entirely devoted to publishing military uniform/equipment fetish material disguised as dry but picture heavy non-fiction tomes, put out a book dismantling the right wing mythologization of Sparta with an absolute all-timer table of contents.

Table of Contents Preface List of Maps PART I: THE MYTH OF SPARTA Introduction PART II: THE REALITY OF SPARTA I. Cuckold Kings and Wolves' Work: Behind the Spartan Mirage II. Archaic Sparta at War: Early Losses, Foreign Roots III. The Greco-Persian War: The Thermopylae Speed Bump IV. The Peloponnesian Wars: Floundering at Sea, Surrendering on Land V. Masters of Greece? Sparta Squanders its Hegemony VI. The Boeotian War: What Cannot Bend Must Break VII. The End of Sparta: Irreformable and Irrelevant VIII. Conclusion: The Bronze Lie PART III: TANGLING MYTH AND REALITY IX. The “Moron Label”: The Spartans and the Political Far Right Appendix A. Historiography and Objectivity Appendix B. The Fundamentals of Ancient Battle Glossary Bibliography Index
Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 3w ago

Barclay did the playbook art for my game Heaven in the Dust and did an *incredible* job, and was a delight to work with besides. Do yourself a favour and pay him to do some art for you!

barclay travis@barcstravis.itch.io · 3w ago

hello! it is once again the off-season for my job, and as such, i am in need of some additional income. i've updated my ko-fi shop (ko-fi.com/barcstravis) with most of my games, and added some cheap commission slots. & you can see more examples of my work at barcstravis.com!

Andrew Gillis@andrewgillis.bsky.social · 4w ago

Me when I am the Heart of Summer :)

Katherine Pierce Holding A Knife & Making Devil Horns

Alt: Katherine Pierce Holding A Knife & Making Devil Horns

static.klipy.com

Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 4w ago

if i had a penny for every time I wrote a historical fantasy game that ended up with human sacrifice in it, I'd have two pennies. which isn't much, but it's weird that it keeps happening... (Andrew & I are now writing mantles: world-straining, late-game playbooks. This is from the Heart of Summer)

You have the right to offer up a precious life to the land, spilling the blood of one who loves you without reservation on the thirsty soil. When you do so, roll Season. On 10+, all 3. On 7–9, choose 2. On 3–6, choose 1. - The land is gentle. At Season’s End, when season moves are rolled, each lead character can declare any number between 2 and 12 instead of rolling the dice. - The land is generous. Until winter, childbirth goes easy and without pain, and children grow up beautiful and kind. Each people gains a bounty of milk, honey, and berries. - The land is grateful. There are five seasons this year. Between this season and the next one, there will be a second summer. If you roll two 1s on the dice, the land rages for the death of one it loved. Where they died becomes a desolation. The soil their blood stained becomes a cradle, a sickle, or a vessel. Both hate you, personally, with a tireless, unending malice.
Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 4w ago

if i had a penny for every time I wrote a historical fantasy game that ended up with human sacrifice in it, I'd have two pennies. which isn't much, but it's weird that it keeps happening... (Andrew & I are now writing mantles: world-straining, late-game playbooks. This is from the Heart of Summer)

You have the right to offer up a precious life to the land, spilling the blood of one who loves you without reservation on the thirsty soil. When you do so, roll Season. On 10+, all 3. On 7–9, choose 2. On 3–6, choose 1. - The land is gentle. At Season’s End, when season moves are rolled, each lead character can declare any number between 2 and 12 instead of rolling the dice. - The land is generous. Until winter, childbirth goes easy and without pain, and children grow up beautiful and kind. Each people gains a bounty of milk, honey, and berries. - The land is grateful. There are five seasons this year. Between this season and the next one, there will be a second summer. If you roll two 1s on the dice, the land rages for the death of one it loved. Where they died becomes a desolation. The soil their blood stained becomes a cradle, a sickle, or a vessel. Both hate you, personally, with a tireless, unending malice.
Jon at Handiwork Games@handiworkgames.bsky.social · 3w ago

Been writing some ideas about how to navigate the relentless need to self promote the thing you made. It’s a thing I’ve been doing for 26 years, it’s not new or some terrible fresh hell. You just gotta. So here’s a simple thing you could try. Or don’t. I’m not the cops. Do what you want. 🧵

Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · 4w ago

if i had a penny for every time I wrote a historical fantasy game that ended up with human sacrifice in it, I'd have two pennies. which isn't much, but it's weird that it keeps happening... (Andrew & I are now writing mantles: world-straining, late-game playbooks. This is from the Heart of Summer)

You have the right to offer up a precious life to the land, spilling the blood of one who loves you without reservation on the thirsty soil. When you do so, roll Season. On 10+, all 3. On 7–9, choose 2. On 3–6, choose 1. - The land is gentle. At Season’s End, when season moves are rolled, each lead character can declare any number between 2 and 12 instead of rolling the dice. - The land is generous. Until winter, childbirth goes easy and without pain, and children grow up beautiful and kind. Each people gains a bounty of milk, honey, and berries. - The land is grateful. There are five seasons this year. Between this season and the next one, there will be a second summer. If you roll two 1s on the dice, the land rages for the death of one it loved. Where they died becomes a desolation. The soil their blood stained becomes a cradle, a sickle, or a vessel. Both hate you, personally, with a tireless, unending malice.
tor-in-the-mud@toothandshore.bsky.social · 4w ago

I am so excited to share the preview for KRALDUM, my solo mudlarking RPG coming this autumn to Gamefound for RPG Party 2026. lots, lots more to come, but you can read a bit about the project here and click follow to see how it develops. I'd appreciate it grandly! gamefound.com/en/projects/...

Kraldum: Solo Fantasy Mudlarking RPG by tooth & shore - Gamefound

Go down to the shore below the city. Collect what you can. Survive what lurks there and beat the rising waters to make it home.

gamefound.com

Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · last mo.

Andrew & I are locked the fuck in, and y'all are not prepared for what's coming your way when this playtest packet drops. get braced for some fraught, bloody, weird ambitious character and community drama, all you sickos

Something terrible is coming. The Empire of Eagles left us. The eldest among us still remember the shape of imperial rule. Their children, only the garrisons’ backs as they marched away. We knew not where they were headed, and no news ever came. Empty forts fell into decay. Kin serving in distant legions did not return. Imperial faces faded from silver coins. Bridges crumbled, and no engineers arrived to make them whole. Did the Empire burn? Withdraw? Simply crumble? Whatever the cause, we were abandoned to our fate. In its absence, a rupture. Long years of chaos and upheaval, but amongst the ruins, possibility. Now we stand at the precipice of the ungiven future. A resurgence of old ways vies against the advent of new crowns. War hangs in the air like a bloody knife. Dragons stir in the earth, and dream of the world’s breaking. In distant lands, converts kneel to a bloodless corpse-god. This age is a broken thing, ours to make anew—time now for the plunge. Dark Ages is a post-apocalyptic, historical fantasy game of personal ambition, community strife, rights claimed and rights denied.
Luke Wildwoods@wildwoodsgames.bsky.social · last mo.

Andrew & I are locked the fuck in, and y'all are not prepared for what's coming your way when this playtest packet drops. get braced for some fraught, bloody, weird ambitious character and community drama, all you sickos

Something terrible is coming. The Empire of Eagles left us. The eldest among us still remember the shape of imperial rule. Their children, only the garrisons’ backs as they marched away. We knew not where they were headed, and no news ever came. Empty forts fell into decay. Kin serving in distant legions did not return. Imperial faces faded from silver coins. Bridges crumbled, and no engineers arrived to make them whole. Did the Empire burn? Withdraw? Simply crumble? Whatever the cause, we were abandoned to our fate. In its absence, a rupture. Long years of chaos and upheaval, but amongst the ruins, possibility. Now we stand at the precipice of the ungiven future. A resurgence of old ways vies against the advent of new crowns. War hangs in the air like a bloody knife. Dragons stir in the earth, and dream of the world’s breaking. In distant lands, converts kneel to a bloodless corpse-god. This age is a broken thing, ours to make anew—time now for the plunge. Dark Ages is a post-apocalyptic, historical fantasy game of personal ambition, community strife, rights claimed and rights denied.