06/05/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! One of the things I enjoy most about tabletop roleplaying games is tinkering with the rules and exploring… Read more “Why I Created Forged in Darkness for Shadowdark”
Category: DM Advice
Throwback Thursday: When Running Away Was the Correct Answer
05/14/2026 Happy Thursday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! There was a time in tabletop RPGs when retreat wasn’t considered failure. It was survival. Old-school dungeon crawlers… Read more “Throwback Thursday: When Running Away Was the Correct Answer”
Not Every Campaign Is a Sandbox or a Railroad
05/08/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! One of the biggest conversations in tabletop RPGs is adventure structure. Players will often say they want a… Read more “Not Every Campaign Is a Sandbox or a Railroad”
From Zero to Rolling Dice: Bringing New Players Into the Hobby
04/21/2026 Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Bringing new players into tabletop RPGs is one of the best ways to grow the hobby—but it’s also… Read more “From Zero to Rolling Dice: Bringing New Players Into the Hobby”
What Shadowdark Gets Right (and Wrong) About Morale
04/17/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! There’s a moment in almost every combat that doesn’t get talked about enough. Not the first swing.Not the… Read more “What Shadowdark Gets Right (and Wrong) About Morale”
Curiosity-Driven Gameplay: Designing Situational Puzzles
04/10/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! When most people hear “puzzle,” they think of riddles. Levers.Symbols on walls.Matching colors. And sure—those have their place.… Read more “Curiosity-Driven Gameplay: Designing Situational Puzzles”
The First Room Matters More Than the Boss
04/07/2026 When we think about dungeon design, it’s easy to focus on the climax. The boss.The treasure hoard.The final twist. But most players won’t remember your dungeon… Read more “The First Room Matters More Than the Boss”
Stop Balancing Everything: Let the Dungeon Be Dangerous
03/24/2026 Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! There’s a quiet assumption sitting underneath a lot of modern tabletop play: encounters are supposed to be fair.… Read more “Stop Balancing Everything: Let the Dungeon Be Dangerous”
Forged in Darkness Now Available on DriveThruRPG
03/13/2023 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tablethop Thoughts! I’m excited to announce the release of my newest Shadowdark supplement, Forged in Darkness, now available on DriveThruRPG.… Read more “Forged in Darkness Now Available on DriveThruRPG”
Loot That Matters: Rewards That Aren’t Just Gold and Magic Items
02/06/2026 In tabletop RPGs, loot is often treated like fuel: gold, gear, potions, repeat. And sure — that stuff is fun. Players love treasure. But if every… Read more “Loot That Matters: Rewards That Aren’t Just Gold and Magic Items”