Hi Ivan. I’m interested to hear that you play Caves of Qud. I want to get into that game but the few times I’ve tried it had felt overwhelming or … sorta … empty. I want to like it though. Any tips?
2 Likes
Welcome Rickard, nice to see you here. 
2 Likes
Hi @Ben_M i think i started playing Caves of Qud round the start of the first Covid lockdown, so it became a thing that i would play for about an hour every morning, before facing into the day’s apocalyptic news. It’s definitely a bit overwhelming to dive into but i think it’s more accessible now, with different modes of play. It’s fun to randomly create a character and explore a wonderfully written but also procedurally generated world.
It really gave me a feeling of what (i imagine) playing original D&D or Gamma World was like. It piqued my interest for weird science-fantasy type game settings like Ultraviolet Grasslands, Into the Odd and Vaults of Varn.
2 Likes
Hello, I’m Corey!
I’ve been playing TTRPGs since 2017 when I played DnD at a Convention and was hooked over the years I’ve gotten into many different systems (With many more just sitting on my shelf unplayed lol) I’ve gotten really into more OSR-styled games in the last year I joined this forum after I stumbled across it through Google
I’m also a hobbyist adventure writer and game designer I’ve self-published a short adventure, I’m currently working on some small setting/adventure stuff for Old School Essentials and a little expansion for the BX adventure The Lost City (Which I’m running right now)
I’m very excited to get to know you all and talk games
1 Like
I have probably been gaming since the mid 1990’s. I originally cut my teeth on Vampire the Masquerade 2nd Edition, World of Darkness LARP, AD&D 2nd Edition, and the West End Games D6 system. Since then, I have owned/played/ran in countless games and I have had some of my works published. Though with all of that, the WOD will always hold a special place in my heart.
The short version of me is that I am a Child of the Shire, a father, husband, writer, reader, dreamer, and I work in Mental Health.
2 Likes
Hello, all! My name is Rob Abrazado (he/him) and I was pointed this way in the wake of the Gauntlet Forums closure. I’ve been playing TTRPGs since the 80s and started off with AD&D. I plinked around with a couple other TSR classics back then, but it was mostly all D&D until the early 90s when I first started going to cons. After that it was a rushing river of fun new stuff, and these days it’s a whole huge ocean. I do a bit of writing and editing for games, and I like digging into design thoughts, but mostly I just enjoy consuming them! Looking forward to checking out this space and seeing what’s what!
5 Likes
Hi all! I’m James (he/him). I play a variety of OSR/NSR games, most recently I’ve been into Shadowdark RPG, for which I also occasionally publish modules and supplements (though my creative discipline is sorely lacking, so I publish super infrequently and start way more projects than I ever finish).
I’ve been gaming since the early 2000s – my first RPGs were play-by-post forum games that were home designed by my friends, but then I segued into D&D 4e and eventually 5e, from whence I discovered the OSR/NSR movement, and I’ve not looked back!
4 Likes
Hi there, I’m Sean. I’m a Pakistani-Canadian, a dad, and I work in the video game industry as a director of animation. I also write/design ttrpg stuff on the side, which is why I’m here. I’ve done adventure writing for Blue Rose (by Green Ronin), but my biggest design achievement so far is Uncharted Worlds (and the expansion), which I wrote roughly 9-10 years ago (ugggghhhhh, the passage time). And these days I’m looking to get back into design and writing to make Uncharted Worlds 2nd edition.
I lost contact with a significant community when Google+ collapsed, and since then I’ve had trouble re-connecting to a wider community. I tried for a good while on Gauntlet, but catastrophic life situations meant that I had to take a year+ break. When I came back recently, it seems that the Gauntlet is also on its way out. So I guess I’m a bit of a wanderer, looking for a space to share ideas, to discuss, and to find new inspiration and energy and the desire to see a project through to the end.
6 Likes
Can we read it somewhere?
1 Like
I began a blog once. Only got to one post … and there are fragments of that theory in a massive thread on the old Story Games site.
So in short: no. Sadly.
I use the theory to build new types of roleplaying games. I wrote about the creation of one of them on the said Story Games site.
2 Likes
Hi folks! I’m keen to get active here. I’m a relict from the early internet who wants more weird niche fora and fewer social media sites, and more conversations in communities of interest and fewer engagement metrics.
My name’s Kit, any pronouns, I live in the Vancouver 
area. I’ve played and made RPGs for yonks. I skew towards theatre-y play, play as expressive of character, theme, story. I am a dang sucker for good moves in the Powered-by-the-Apocalypse way and will always enjoy a system that’s asymmetrical and particular over one that’s balanced and generic, despite my recurring tendency towards balance and generality whenever I try to make things.
Genre-wise, give me spooky urban fantasy, horror, young superheroes, anything on sailing vessels or underwater, or fairyland and Arthuriana, all the time. Love that stuff.
Also, I try to be enthusiastic and curious about whatever you’re enthusiastic about, so I’m here to keep my eyes and ears open.
7 Likes
Hey all, I’m Brand (he/they/any). I found my way here because I just basically follow @kit around and do whatever he does. But with less style.
I live in Ontario and do corporate nonsense that no sane human cares about for a day job. I’ve been in RPGs for a long time, and for the last decade or so have been pretty serious about trying lots of different styles and types of games with many different play cultures and expectations. I love learning about new games and really digging into what makes games fun for the people that love them.
So yea, TTRPG, trad, indie, larp, freeform scenario… Love it all and eager to hear about more cool stuff.
6 Likes
Hi all! I’m Dom (he/him). I’ve been lurking (bubbling? stewing?) in the cauldron for a bit now but hadn’t introduced myself.
I’ve been gaming since the mid 90’s, starting with what I think was a home brew hex crawl using some house-ruled version of AD&D 2e run by a friend’s dad. I don’t recall enough detail to say for sure, unfortunately. After a bit of a break, moved on to a lot of 3/3.5 in high school and college (hittin’ those near-daily 6+ hour sessions), with a smattering of other games (Heroes Unlimited comes to mind) before taking a long break.
Got back into ttrpgs about 5 years ago and have been mostly forever GMing since then. I’ll give 5e credit for helping to bring me back, but I jumped off that train about 2 years ago and into the wider world of ttrpgs. I love reading, hoarding, and trying out new systems - my main group is wonderfully open to trying all types of games. I also really enjoy reading, video games, tv show/movies, and spend a lot of time parenting a toddler.
3 Likes
Hi, I go by oats. I’m enjoying the design aspect of ttrpg’s and looking to explore it further.
2 Likes
I’m Charlie. I lurked The Gauntlet, but still on facebook, twitter, instagram, bsky, and boardgamegeek. Yes, I started off designing free PNP board games, self-published a few, and then took an interest in RPGs. I usually make small games, minimalist systems, and one-page system-agnostic stuff. I’ve not quite found my voice or audience. But I’m not in a hurry. I’m here to make games I want to make, something that I would play. Mind you, I would play pretty much anything other than DnD (nothing wrong with it, it’s too much for me). I really like design contests and the spirit of collaboration and comradery. I hope I can help someone improve their work and have others look at my work too. But at the end of the day, I’m here for the giggles. Oh, I also made CoinSides. Hit me up as ex1stgames on all social platforms.
5 Likes
Hey pepys, I’m Sean (he, him, ect.) — I wrote words, design games, and read minds. You might recognise me from such games as QUARREL + FABLE and such edits at ORC BORG.
5 Likes
Howdy, I’m Sean! Software engineer professionally, but love playing roleplaying games. I got into them quite late compared to most (2017), but I’m learning more and more about games and their design philosophies My journey so far: D&D 5e → Star Wars FFG → Genesys → Pathfinder 2e → a whole slew of PbtA games like Dungeon World → a ton of FitD games like Scum and Villainy → too many different games and systems to count.
The OSR is quite new to me, but reading World of Dungeons and consequentially things like Into the Odd, Knave, Worlds Without Number, etc have all jived and jelled with me. Lately I’ve been reading Cairn and a bunch of Knave hacks like Grave and level2janitor’s Iron Halberd.
I’m a low-prep GM and I’m very very improv-heavy. Love when my players take a bit of a writer’s role at the table like them creating rumors, adding details to places, etc. I also really enjoy world building and doing a bit of world “simulation” behind the scenes in between sessions as part of my low prep.
I used to have a software engineering-focused blog, but I’ve started writing a blog focused on RPGs in the past couple of months. Not much there now (only a handful of posts), but looking forward to writing more 
5 Likes
Hey, I’m John. I arrived here after listening to the Between Two Cairns podcast (which I am thoroughly enjoying!)
I got my first RPG (Empire of the Petal Throne) for Christmas in 1976, so that means I’ve been playing these games for over 45 years.
Industry-wise, I’m a freelance editor, and have mostly worked on translated RPGs from publishers like Free League, Jarnringen, Riot Minds, SpaceOrange42, Two Little Mice, and others. If you go to any of the bigger conventions in the US, you may have run into me at the Free League booth where I help sell their books and demo their games.
I tend to play lighter systems, usually a mix of OSR and narrative stuff. I may be old, but I would definitely not classify myself as a grognard. My favorite system these days is Outgunned.
Looking forward to the conversations here!
5 Likes
Hello, My game alias is DeReel. I am a French teacher with a specific interest in imaginative games. I made documents about my game practices so as to not have to explain them everytime 
you can find them on my itch page (see profile).
3 Likes
I thought I would kinda re-post/re-introduce here since I had to step out for awhile. Still been mostly lurking on the Discord, but (again) really liking the pace of a forum. Can’t wait to dive back in!!
1 Like