Dungeon Delve #3 - Crawling Through Flames! (Runecaster, New Game Master Month and more!)
This week, we look at... New Game Master Month, Runecaster, JP Cooverts zines, EnWorlds Most Anticipated RPGS in 2025, Hellborn Descended, and Shadowcat Magazine!
I. You Enter The Next Chamber…
A foreward.
Long corridor. Increasing heat. Discharges of chaotic magick. Our sage speaks a word of caution, the knight huffs in denial, and the thief trails behind in case of a timely getaway.
Before them, a grand forge of enchantment, collapsed by a recent quake and molten steel having erupted in rainbow fires. A continuous jet of flame cycles about the room, its motions uncontrolled by level at the height of the forges low wall. Beyond it, the next corridor...
After witnessing the oddly predictable pattern, the adventurers look between each other. The knight sighs before lowering prone, and beginning to move across the tiled stone. The rest follow. II. The Sage Speaks!
The sages backstory quest to build a master dictionary, one issue at a time!
TTRPG Glossary (Crawls - Part 2)
Urban Crawl: A crawl in which characters must navigate a city or urban center filled with streets, buildings, neighborhoods, and more. Segments can be gridded or point-based.
Hex Crawl: A crawl that utilizes a hex-grid which lends to more organic movement. This is often appropriate for larger geographic areas, or those not as well suited by square-or-rectangular segments. (Example: outer space, wilderness areas, exotic construction)
Point Crawl: A crawl that leverages sequential points connected by lines rather than a grid. This provides exclusive focus on POIs while eliminating empty space. Pathways can be linear or branching.
Worldbuilding / Writing Glossary
Gardener Method: A writing approach by planting the seed of an idea, and nurturing it to see how it grows over time. Gardeners write to discover, and unveil their creation as they write.
Architect Method: A writing approach by assembling a plan ahead of time to guide their writing. A solid foundation and an outline ensures their goals are met in each part of the story.
III. Markings on the Wall
Latest rumors, discoveries, and puzzling finds in the RPG world and beyond!
TTRPG News
New Game Master Month is HERE! - A relatively NEW online ceremony, participated by a bunch of RPG publishers! Twice weekly seminars in January to help YOU become a game master of your game of choice by February! … Great for newbies, but also for veterans who want to try something new!
[Kickstarter Launch!] Runecaster: A Narrative TTRPG of Magical Experimentation - Think creatively about magic, full of unintended consequences and new discoveries in this new tabletop RPG from Pangur Ban Collective
Curious about backing? Give the drafted playtest doc a read!
Here Are 2025's Most Anticipated TTRPGs... As Voted By You! - ENWorld’s “Morrus” released the results of a voting contest for the most anticipated RPGs. … And this year, their readers have a vast collection of DnD-alternatives to tell you about!
Odd Mart Oddities: JP Coovert’s Nintendo-style TTRPG Zines! - Babe, Wake up! … The NEW CW ARTICLE just dropped. … This past weekend, I took a trip to Odd Mart in Minneapolis, MN. Read about the zines I bought, and get a hit of retro-style video game nostalgia (while also hitting the hex and point crawl themes)!
»»NEXT WEEK @ DUNGEON DELVE (Issue #4)«« … We take a look at the result of The Bloggies, an unofficial awards ceremony of the most influential tabletop RPG blog posts of 2024!
Writing Link:
Gardener vs Architect, Which Type Suits You Best - LivingWriter provides a guide on how to choose your approach to writing, with both pros and cons towards being an Architect, or being a Gardener.
A Maniacs Insight (Where I quote an adjacent Substack blog)
I like games where you can counter and counter-counter your opponents through decisions in play rather than decisions that happen before the game begins.
Now that was in the context of miniature wargames, but I think RPGs present a slightly different situation. (more inside)
IV. Looting the Room
Free and PWYW Stuff
Hellborn Descended - Quickstart - Studio Hex - Play a cyberpunk RPG in HELL!! … Kickstarter to go live,… middle of 2025. Dive into the infernal depths and build your demonic entourage!
Hexfriend - Your friendly online hex mapper. If you’re looking for a tool to build out a quick and simple hex crawler, give this one a spin!
RPG Map II - Another free TTRPG map maker, this one in a variety of styles, from polished, to printable, to pixelated!
V. Treasure Chest (Sponsored Ads)
Want to see your ad here? Click here for submission rules and contact link!
Nothing paid or sponsored this week, but allow me to take up the chest interior to highlight a magazine in the network that I recommend YOU check out!
Shadowcat Magazine! - “The only TTRPG magazine fueled by coffee and rebellion!” - Each issue, Shadowcat provides a handful of locations, items, combatants, NPCs, and charts that YOU can wield in your next game! … All system neutral!
Grab the free SAMPLE issue here: https://www.shadowcatmagazine.com/product-page/sample-issue
Check out their other issues here:
https://www.shadowcatmagazine.com/buy-issues
Want to see YOUR project here? … Click on this link to learn about how you can submit your ad to Dungeon Delve!