My Notes from TTRPG Game Dev Panels! (Dungeon Delve #40)

Today, I'm sharing notes from three of the panels I attended at GameHole Con 2025! Also, an initial peak into future spotlights for Ragnaborg, Splattered Ink Games, Dungeons of Drakkenheim, etc.

Oct 21, 2025

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. This means I receive a commission if a purchase takes place during your link journey.

I. Some Wisdom from the Industry

Greetings yall,

This past week at Gamehole Con 2025 was absolutely filled with gaming experiences, fantastic product showcases, industry panelists sharing their wisdom, and a bunch of great opportunities to make new friends and connections!

Now that the con has wrapped up, expect a roll-out of great updates of convention spotlights! … Allow me to share just a fragment of the goodies here!

Some distilled wisdom from a few panels attended during Gamehome Con 2025:

[PANEL] Building a Long-Term Creative Career in Tabletop Publishing (James Lowder, Elisa Teague, Matt Forbeck, John Kovalic)

One of the biggest freelancing skills people should develop: being an editor. It means reading a lot from example, learning to communicate clearly, and efficiently, and bringing about the best version from the vision you are working with (either yours, or a clients).

People are going to tell you that you suck, and you’re wrong. Some will say you’re the best ever and never change their opinion regardless of what you do good or bad. You cant buy either one of them. … You make both mistakes, and incredible creative decisions. Leave those voices outside of your head, and just focus on what you're making.

Freelancers must be good at juggling. Not just one project at a time. Pair that with realism about your schedule. And do your best to deliver on time so you can create a good reputation. It's critical.

Can someone make a full time job out of this? Yes. Is it easy to get there? No. ... If you have a day job, stick with it until you've established good connections, a back catalogue of work, and a solid CV. Once people start reaching out to YOU for work, that is when you can start thinking of quitting the day job.

How do you catch up? ... Network. Keep creating. Post your work on DMsGuild/DriveThruRPG. Volunteer at game conventions. Don't be a jerk. Make lots of connections. Show your work, and ask people to give you work. ... The industry is always looking for fresh perspectives.

[PANEL] You Should Write a Book about RPGs
Keith Ammann (The Monsters Know What They’re Doing), Ben Riggs (Slaying the Dragon)

There's a bigger market for TTRPGs than ever before, and there is also thirst for literature about TTRPGs. ... The thirst exists in the crowd, but traditional publishing is slow to catch up. Agents are very focused on strict genre conventions. However, there is a ton of growth possible, and expect the market to pivot as time passes.

Rule #1: Know a good IP lawyer.
Rule #2: Join the Authors Guild. It has for members a boilerplate book publishing contract; what they believe the industry standard should be with terms favorable to the author.
Rule #3: Don't wait for permission. Keep writing. Start a blog. Build your material now.
Rule #4: Flaws and gaps. Any gap that a game experience has is an opportunity to bridge it with your writing and ideas.

Artists, writers, creators. We all fire our guns. ... Some hit, some miss. Ultimately, the success isn't always up to us; the Culture will take what it wants or needs. Just keep firing.

[PANEL] Producing an RPG book from Start to Finish
(John Dunlap, Joe Raso, Charles Ryan)

No matter the size of the company, schedule and communication is extremely important. From the beginning to the end of production, to printing and shipping, strive to set hard-fast dates.

Here are some example timings, working backwards:
- Street Date (when is it broadly available for purchase)
- Warehouse Date (when do you want it in the warehouse)
- Vendor File Receipt Date
- Overseas shipping adds 6-12 weeks of international freight.
- Typical RPG book publishing observes about 6 months between end of production and the street date.

This does not factor other components, like physical cards, box sets and assembly, or tactile add-ons.

Production itself often includes items like:
- Proofing phase
- Editing phase
- Artwork phase

When making a schedule, you need to give people enough time to make it, and check it. The time given is to fix mistakes, not just perform the task. Always prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

For sole proprietors, is it worth time to invest in a full printer vs DriveThruRPG (or similar) print-on-demand?

Depends on product. Some items are print-on-demand preferred.

If you haven’t done a book before, leverage as many print/production services in one offering or package. Don’t separate them, as it is a complex process to track.

... and get one print on demand copy for yourself to get an idea of the process and what the consumer will get.

For indie publishers, Zine Month in February is a fantastic opportunity to get your project out there! Just throw it out there; its one big marketing event! … and if you have a good idea, you can raise some money towards getting it developed.

There are tons more notes I have from these panels, but ultimately, they live in the context of the stories told. If you want to know more about the journeys of these individuals, find them at these links below:

Elisa Teague (game dev: Marvel Multiverse RPG, Welcome To Nightvale RPG, etc.)
James Lowder (game dev: TSR, Green Knight Publishing, Chaosium, etc.)
Matt Forbeck (game dev: Marvel Multiverse RPG, Shotguns & Sorcery, Minecraft Legends)
John Kovalic (cartoonist/illustrator - Dork Tower, Steve Jackson games, etc.)
Keith Ammann (writer: The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: blog and book)
Ben Riggs (writer: Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons and Dragons)
Jefferson Dunlap (producer: Wizards of the Coast)
Joe Raso (producer and designer: Ghostfire Gaming)
Charles Ryan (writer: Monte Cook Games)

II. Markings on the Wall

Just a few Gamehole Con RPG news and finds!

With Shadowdark being a four-time gold ENNIE award winning game, and HUGE player in the recent TTRPG space, organized play (“Shadow League”) is coming to the scene in 2026 starting with Gary Con!
Splattered Ink Games is mid-production of A Time Travellers Guide to Dinosaur Hunting, a 5E setting and bestiary book bundle that throws a time machine at your players and lets them crash into crazy dinosaur slaying timelines!
Keith Ammann, writer of the blog and book The Monsters Know What They’re Doing has released a new book called “Making Enemies”, an essential tactics guide for game masters creating adversaries, covering the span of DnD, Pathfinder, Shadowdark, Call of Cthulhu, and the Cypher system.
The Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign setting from Ghostfire Gaming is getting a Daggerheart campaign guide, and you can follow the Kickstarter page now!
One big new game this year was Ragnaborg, a Mork Borg RPG that is rules-light, art-heavy, and takes place during Ragnarok, the Norse mythology “end-of-days”. … In fact, I got to play it this past week!! Expect an incoming article or spotlight.
Need Games, the makers of Fabula Ultima TTJRPG, made their first appearance to GameHole Con this year from Milan, Italy. … Check out the Celebration Edition + Bestiary Vol 1!

… and you can find more focused spotlights on THIS AND MORE coming in a following Dungeon Delve issue!

III. Looting the Room

RPG Bundles and Deals

Magpie Games of Avatar Legends, Masks, Root, etc. is on Humble Bundle through the end of month! ~~$942~~ $25 … Or bring the Avatar Legends physical game bundle to your table! ~~$140~~ $49
Vampire the Masquerade, Mage the Ascension, Werewolf the Apocalypse, and more! … Through October, get 40% off World of Darkness games on DriveThruRPG. Plus, check out the Humble Bundles: One digital, and one physical book bundle for your collection!
Itch.io hosts the HELLO//GOODBYE Charity Bundle for Legal Aid, with 203 RPG and game items funding legal services for low income families in need. ~~$905~~ $12
Power Word Meal is a fundraiser addressing food insecurity, offering a free one-shot and new species for DnD and Pathfinder for donations!