I must admit that I had wanted to interview Samuel for a while, even if he didn’t know it. Last September, I bought his fantasy comic at an event at the Cuartel de Ballajá. My son and I loved it; we read it and enjoyed it immensely.

We also bought two copies of his monster book, Saving Point: Monster Book Vol. 1 (one for me and another for my son). As a fan of RPG bestiaries, I found Samuel’s art and designs to be excellent. I want to use his creatures at the table soon. The stats in the book are very easy to drop into D&D 5e or adapt to any OSR system.

I highly recommend his published works, and I am eager to see the next installments in the series. Without further ado, I’ll share the answers that Samuel so kindly provided.

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

Greetings, everyone. My name is Samuel Figueroa. I am an illustrator, graphic designer, and writer, originally from Cupey Alto, San Juan. If you go to my Instagram gallery (sadsamuart), you will realize that my passion and favorite subjects are creatures, fantasy, and science fiction. Since I was little, I have been a fan of nature and science, and as my decisions steered me toward creativity and illustration, it was inevitable that I would find joy in creating original worlds and strange creatures to populate them.

How would you describe your art?

Even though I would love to be a painter and create the kind of illustrations that often accompany fantasy stories and Western role-playing games (RPGs), my artistic development took me down the path of comics, manga, anime, and Disney. Comic artists like Joe Madureira, Mike Weringo, and Yukito Kishiro formatted my mind, and although my style is distinctive, a very personal mix, I always seek to connect with those who find those styles appealing.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

In high school, I had a friend with “advanced” knowledge of RPGs. While the only thing I knew was Zelda, he already knew about D&D and a long list of RPGs from that era, like Lunar and Final Fantasy. What he brought to school was what got me hooked on RPGs. From then on, it was the only type of game that interested me for many years, until it became clear that the genre was transforming and expanding with series like Mass Effect and Halo, among others. Very beautiful times.

Today my tastes are “set,” so it’s obvious that games like Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Baldur’s Gate 3 were purchases that took zero brain cells to add to my collection. Beyond what I learned in high school, my fascination with fantasy creatures and stories set in a medieval environment led me to collect books on creatures and mythology, including the D&D Monster Manual, Pathfinder books, Magic: The Gathering, and lore books. Now I am also soaking up the Warhammer 40K universe, to the horror of the characters in my own worlds. They know things will get complicated, having Warhammer as an inspiration.

Do you play actively? What are you playing right now?

As for games like D&D, I would love to say yes, but all the groups I have played with promise a campaign, and then it just ends up being one-shots. I have bought dice and books galore, but I haven’t found a consistent group to play a story from beginning to end. That pushes me toward digital, which is why the games I have played recently are Baldur’s Gate 3, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Fallout 4.

What is the next thing you want to play?

Since I haven’t been able to have a complete D&D and/or Pathfinder experience, I think I would focus on getting that. I suppose D&D or Pathfinder is “vanilla,” considering all the variety out there today in RPGs and homebrews, but well… I want to enjoy the worlds that drove the industry and bounce ideas off players immersed in those worlds. I love seeing memes and videos from influencers who obviously play D&D frequently and offer a glimpse of their highly imaginative adventures.

What projects do you currently have available, and what are you working on right now?

Right now, I am developing the Saving Point series, a fantasy comic whose adventures center on a group of adventurers trying to recover a “lifesaving” sphere stolen from their village. Without it, warriors who die cannot be revived by magic, and in a world where humanity has few tools to compete with monsters and mythical creatures, being able to return to fight another day is essential. But that quest is just the beginning, and the group of adventurers couldn’t be more wet-behind-the-ears, more immature, or more vulnerable to the machinations of evil already in play.

The comics Saving Point #1 and #2 and Vol. 1 of the Monster Book are already available. I am working on the script for the 3rd comic and, simultaneously, developing creatures for the Saving Point Monster Book Vol. 2. I already have enough creatures to fill the book, published as previews in my Instagram gallery (sadsamuart), but I keep designing to include the most interesting ones in the final book. I would love to do a selection of minifigures, perhaps inspired by the classic Bandai “M.U.S.C.L.E. Men / Kikenshi,” but for now I am working on the project by myself; I won’t be able to move it forward until I finish comic #3.

Where can people find your projects?

Right now, what I have left online is available at the Tripleta Studio store. The first two comics were developed and illustrated in partnership with Rangely García, a talented Puerto Rican artist whose comedic sensibilities and art underscored the series’ beginnings. Once I finish comic #3, I will be preparing a selection of products to participate in convention activities again. Previously, the series lived alongside the Tripleta Studio selection, but due to events out of my control, I will now have to move it on my own until it picks up steam. It’s a big challenge, but I don’t see it as impossible.

Any final comments?

These past few years have been challenging for me personally, and economically for the island, and I must admit they have affected my plans for this year. But if no other unexpected blow comes along, I hope to fully invest in the comic and other Saving Point products, perhaps by bringing in a compatible artist to publish faster. My guiding star is the ambition to create a Latino Wizards of the Coast and to bring the imagination and local flavor of fantasy and science fiction to the world. If Japan can do it, so can we. Hopefully, the series’ success paves the way for much more.

Thank you again, Samuel. I am looking forward to seeing your upcoming projects and hope to promote them when they are available.

Thank you all for reading. I will see you next weekend.

Links where you can follow Samuel and see his work:

Art of Bayul on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bayularts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadsamuart

Saving Point at Tripleta Studio: https://tripletastudio.myshopify.com/collections/saving-point

(A Spanish version of this interview is available on Sunglar’s Musings.)

To close out our week here on the blog celebrating Vampire: The Masquerade’s 35th anniversary, let’s look at my recommendations for playing VtM and exploring the World of Darkness (WoD).

(Note: The links below are DriveThruRPG affiliate links!)

The Classic World of Darkness

First, most obviously, Vampire: The Masquerade. I own the current 5th edition of the rules in digital format, but I feel like I would probably run a game with the 20th-anniversary rules. For those of you who have played both, which do you recommend?

• VtM 20th Anniversary Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/94815/vampire-the-masquerade-20th-anniversary-edition?affiliate_id=3727
• VtM 5th Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/256795/vampire-the-masquerade-5th-edition?affiliate_id=3727

Like I said earlier this week, if I were to run VtM, I would keep it an all-vampire affair. But if you want to mix your games, I have played Werewolf, Mage, and I really like Demon: The Fallen (I never actually played Changeling or Wraith).

• Werewolf 20th Anniversary Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112871/werewolf-the-apocalypse-20th-anniversary-edition?affiliate_id=3727
• Mage 20th Anniversary Edition: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/149562/mage-the-ascension-20th-anniversary-edition?affiliate_id=3727
• Demon: The Fallen: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/636/demon-the-fallen?affiliate_id=3727

My absolute favorite book for VtM, other than the core rulebook, has always been the lore-heavy Book of Nod:

• The Book of Nod: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/538135/vampire-the-masquerade-5th-edition-the-book-of-nod?affiliate_id=3727

A Savage Alternative

For something COMPLETELY different, I could easily see myself running a Vampire and World of Darkness campaign using (say it with me now!) Savage Worlds.

What would I need? The core rulebook, of course, and the Horror Companion. The rules in that latter book have most of what I need, including rules for Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Ghosts, and magic for Mages.

• Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE): (A steal for $9.99 in PDF!) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/261539/savage-worlds-adventure-edition?affiliate_id=3727
• SWADE Horror Companion: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448302/swade-horror-companion?affiliate_id=3727

Finally, Contagion Savage Adventures is a setting for Savage Worlds that proposes a world not unlike the WoD—a world where mythical creatures fight a once-secret battle now out in the open. It is a very interesting setting, fully compatible with the Horror Companion above, and something I would definitely mine for a possible “Savage World of Darkness” homebrew:

• Contagion Savage Adventures: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/198324/contagion-savage-adventures?affiliate_id=3727

(Bonus tip: If you look online, you can also find a fan-made Savage Worlds conversion for Monte Cook’s World of Darkness. While it’s not exactly the original WoD, it has rules for the creatures in that book that give you great ideas for additional tweaks!)

Thanks for reading along this week! It’s been so much fun doing this themed week on the blog. Is this something you enjoyed? Let me know in the comments, and if it proves popular, I may try doing another themed week soon!

I heard it on AM radio of all places (yes, at 53, I am officially that old) that Bonnie Tyler passed away at 75.

Just by looking at my friends’ reactions on social media, I can tell that her music resonated deeply with those of us who have been rolling dice for four decades. But what does this have to do with vampires and gaming, you ask? To that, I say: have you actually listened to the lyrics and watched the music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart”?

Let me show it to you:

With lyrics like these, you can immediately see the vampiric undertones:

“I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark.” “Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time.” “Once upon a time there was light in my life / But now there’s only love in the dark.” “Forever’s gonna start tonight.” “Turn around, bright eyes / Every now and then I fall apart.”

I am NOT making this up. Writer Jim Steinman originally conceived the song as a piece for a musical adaptation of the movie Nosferatu (you can read about it in this People article), and the song’s Wikipedia page notes that its original title was “Vampires in Love.”

The connection is not subtle! Even the TV series The Vampire Diaries has an episode named after the song.

This track is a core part of the music I automatically relate to vampires, forever playing on the gaming soundtrack in my head. I KNOW that fans of VtM and the World of Darkness probably have very different, likely more goth-punk, musical references for their games. But between Dracula the Musical, Bonnie Tyler, and other sweeping 80s rock epics, these are my ultimate GM musical references.

Bonnie Tyler had many other hits, of course. The one I immediately think of in a broader gaming context is “Holding Out For A Hero.” It’s been used in superhero movies and countless action sequences, and it is a truly perfect anthem for TTRPG heroics. Here’s the video:

And, keeping with the World of Darkness theme, I must mention that Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night” is obviously an anthem for Werewolf: The Apocalypse:

So, appropriately enough, we started the workweek with a post about musical inspiration for VtM, and ended on the same topic we began with.

See you tomorrow for the final post in our Vampire series. Rest in peace, Bonnie.

The idea behind the campaign came about in this long post about my experiences playing VtM. That post is a good companion to this week’s topics if you are interested in a deeper dive into my history with the game, which serves as the framing for my post about it last Monday.

That was followed by a post where I wrote up the timeline for the campaign concept; bits of it were the future then, but they are the past now. There are elements like a pandemic in 2022, which is eerie when we think of what we lived through recently, but also lots of wild things that never happened.

I did say in that second post, titled “Vampire Cyberpunk,” that my intent was NOT to mash up the Cyberpunk TTRPG and VtM for a game called Masquerade 2020 (playing on the old Cyberpunk 2020 name). But now, with Cyberpunk Red being such a popular version of the game, and my timeline featuring a “Red Plague,” I’ll go all in and call this possible campaign (one of dozens I keep hoping to play one day) Vampire, the Red Masquerade!

So, I’ll revisit and rewrite the campaign to fit the timeline I outlined earlier and update it for today. I hope this is interesting for our readers.

Pre-Campaign Considerations

These are my considerations and ideas for running the campaign, even before thinking about the plot:

• Vampires Only: The players would all play vampires, no other World of Darkness creatures. It’s challenging enough to get vampires from different clans working together, so no Garou or Mages from other books. All characters will be vampires or vampire-related, such as ghouls.
• Established Connections: The players must have some pre-game connections. They don’t all have to be friends, but they must know at least two other characters in the game. Be it a friendship, a relationship, or a shared mentor, the connection can be one of friendly competition rather than animosity or rivalry. If this proves complicated, I have an idea for a conciliatory figure within Camarilla circles who could bring them together initially.
• Manageable Group Size: Just as 14 years ago, there are currently seven official players at my table. (This may seem like a lot to some of you, but we already do a lot of role-playing and manage our time so that everybody feels included, and I think the group can manage.) I just can’t add another player to the mix, or my players will kill me!
• Jettison the Metaplot: As much as this is a draw for hardcore VtM fans, I don’t want it! I believe my players trust me and would embrace this storyline (pun intended).
• Camarilla Focus: The campaign would be focused on the Camarilla. I know many people adore the Sabbat, but the secrecy and politicking of the Camarilla seem more interesting to me. I’m not saying the Sabbat wouldn’t exist, only that, at the beginning, all characters are in the Camarilla.
• Near-Future Setting: The campaign is set in the near future, making it recognizable, but getting rid of some real-world preconceptions and giving it just a little Cyberpunk/Blade Runner edge without making it full-on sci-fi.
• System Choice: As far as systems go, I’d likely use the VtM 20th Anniversary Edition or see what new edition White Wolf is set to announce at GenCon 2026. A very possible alternative would be to adapt the setting to Savage Worlds (no surprise there!). I think the rules could easily handle that, and there are some books and fan-made conversions that could make it easy.

The Timeline of New Uruk (What Mortals Know)

US Economic Collapse (2033-2036): The US economy suffers a massive downturn; India, Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, and the Asian Tigers (China, Singapore, and Korea) emerge as global economic superpowers.

The Breaking of the EU and the Creation of the EIBC (2036): The Republic of Ireland abandons the European Union, causing fractures and dissension within the organization and plunging Europe’s economy into a tailspin. Ireland joins the Eire-India-Brazil Cooperative Consortium (EIBC).

The Beginning of the African Wars (2038): US President Clayton Arthur Brooks is visiting the African Initiative Industrial Center in Wilmington, Delaware. As part of his Re-industrialization of America Initiative, African natural resources are brought to the United States for processing and manufacturing. Abroad, the perception is that the US is helping international conglomerates exploit Africans with the collaboration of their governments. A series of bombs detonated by Pan-African rebels and local sympathizers cause widespread destruction in the city, and President Brooks is injured, dying soon after. Vice President Matt Vargas is sworn in as President; he cracks down on local activists, and Congress declares war on the Pan-African rebels. Thus begins the Africa Wars.

The Mexico-Venezuela War (2040-2042): With more US troops deployed in Africa and a worsening oil crisis, oil tankers flying the Mexican flag are detained in Venezuela, accused of buying oil illegally. Mexican Special Forces liberate the ships, and soon after, Venezuela declares war on Mexico, dragging most of Central and South America into the conflict. Aggressions escalate over seven months, and after the Venezuelan carpet bombing of Mexico City, a Coalition of Mexican, US, Brazilian, and Argentine armed forces invade Venezuela and depose its president. The invading forces remain in the country to ensure a peaceful transition but are accused of exploiting the oil resources of Venezuela. The United Nations does nothing to intervene, and many countries leave the organization.

The First Female US President and the Race to Mars (2042): New York State Governor Naomi Diallo-Hayes runs a campaign promising to restore the US economy and end the African Wars, winning by a historic landslide. The EIBC Space Agency (EIBC-SP) announces its plan to establish a permanent Moon colony as a stepping-stone to the eventual exploration of Mars within the next twenty years.

The End of the African Wars and the NYC Pandemic (2043): Naomi Diallo-Hayes is sworn in as President of the United States and fulfills her promise of ending the African Wars. By summer, as the last POW returns home after the armistice, the US economy shows early signs of recovery, and Americans look optimistically to the years ahead. Then the Pandemic of 2043 begins in New York City. Panic grows, and the city is placed under martial law and quarantined by the end of the year. Other US metropolitan areas are quarantined, but the infection is controlled quickly in America and Europe.

The Year of the Red Plague (2044): Mexico and Canada are the only other two countries in the Americas that experience major outbreaks. As tensions grow in quarantined New York, unidentified terrorists strike and release a biological weapon, thought to be the cause of the initial Pandemic outbreak, killing 96% of the remaining population of the quarantined zone. Called the “Red Plague” because the infected hemorrhage massively before dying, it decimates New York City and surrounding areas; millions die, and authorities declare the zone a biological hazard, condemning and abandoning the city. The state’s and its neighbors’ economies collapse, causing mass migration and widespread fear. The Pandemic hits Asia the hardest, with China the most affected; millions die, and Chinese prosperity is dealt a devastating blow.

The Reconstruction (2045-2067): President Diallo-Hayes refuses to let these events define her presidency and launches a massive reconstruction initiative. Wilmington, Delaware, is rebuilt, and former residents of New York, Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey are all granted incentives to relocate. The city is reconstructed with a massive influx of federal funds, the architecture a mixture of classic and cutting-edge, led by the Wilmington Reconstruction Endeavor Director, famed architect Hassid Rosenberg, of mixed Iraqi and Jewish descent. The New York Stock Exchange officially relocates to the rebuilt city, and the city becomes a melting pot of many cultures, with growing Muslim and Jewish communities. Following a citizen’s referendum, Wilmington is renamed “New Uruk.”

The Crash of 2068 and its Aftermath (2068-2070): The EIBC-SP Moon Base is fully operational, and plans for the Mars Mission are underway. Despite the long-term plans of the Diallo-Hayes Administration and the best efforts of the administrations that followed, regional conflict, worsening climate change, a ravaged ecosystem, and economic instability bring about a new wave of the Red Plague, leading to an economic collapse that reverberates worldwide. The poor become poorer while the rich become entrenched in their towers of privilege. Many projects in New Uruk remain unfinished, and the world’s rot infiltrates the new city, marring the dreams of those who envisioned them. Such is the world of 2070!

The Campaign Pitch (The Truth Behind the Devastation)

In 2043, after President Naomi Diallo-Hayes’ inauguration, the last POWs of the Africa Wars had returned home. After decades of hardship, the United States looked with optimism to the years ahead. This was not to be.

The plague struck in New York, and soon panic grew. Fearing a pandemic, the city was placed under martial law and quarantined. Other major metropolitan areas were also quarantined, but the infection was controlled quickly. Not so in New York. Millions were trapped inside the quarantine zone. Riots erupted, chaos ensued, more people died, and then the terrorists struck. A bacteriological weapon, believed to be the original cause of the plague, was released in the city and killed 96% of the people inside the quarantine zone. The city was declared a hazard, condemned, and abandoned.

The plague was soon brought under control, and Mexico and Canada were the only countries with significant outbreaks. The US economy suffered a major setback, but President Diallo-Hayes’ initiative to rebuild Wilmington, Delaware, after the 2038 bombing was a success. Soon, the New York Stock Exchange moved to the rechristened Wilmington, and the once-almost-abandoned city became New Uruk.

What the people don’t know, not even some of its leaders, is that the events leading up to the destruction of New York, the plague, and the rise of a new metropolis on the eastern seaboard of the US were all the machinations of the Kindred.

Specifically, a member of the Camarilla created the plague that killed many humans, but also decimated many Sabbat gathered in New York through his machinations. The Cainites have driven back the Garou, who fight to save a dying world. The Mages have all but disappeared, but whether this is the action of their enemies or a sign of impending doom is unclear.

It is 2070. Come to the new city built by the triumphant Camarilla as they plot to impose their rule upon all the children of Caine. But deep in the bowels of the shining new city, a man stirs; he cannot remember his name, but his return foretells dark times ahead.

Postscript

While writing this post, I found out about a World of Future Darkness outlined in White Wolf Magazine in the early 90s. Click on the previous link to read about that campaign on the White Wolf Fandom wiki. So, I guess I was about 20 years too late with my idea! Nothing new under the sun. Regardless, the above would be the campaign I would play.

Before getting to the topic of the post, allow me a rather long digression.

If you read my About Me: Tabletop RPG post, you may wonder, “Why would you write this post if you think the game is overrated?” Allow me to elaborate.

I stand by my take that some people talk as if Vampire—and indeed the World of Darkness—were the absolute pinnacle of gaming—and I must say that’s my biggest gripe. However, Vampire: The Masquerade and the revolution it caused in tabletop role-playing games is undeniable. While TTRPGs had been evolving out of the dungeon for years, Vampire was lightning in a bottle. It arrived at the perfect confluence of gaming and pop culture.

It seems to me that Anne Rice was riding a wave of popularity, especially after the publication of Queen of the Damned in 1988, and everyone around me seemed to be into Rice in the late 80s and early 90s. Vampire captured a post-punk feel and aesthetic, married it with gothic horror, and built a gothic-punk world with a classic, highly imaginative mythology.

To me, the setting of Vampire and the larger World of Darkness (WoD) was its true strength. The system was never my favorite, but as I mentioned in a previous post, people did not play it for the system. They played it for the story.

The game was a showcase for a different style of play that had become increasingly popular, but White Wolf popularized it with a massive audience. It also brought many people to TTRPGs in ways that D&D, the big brand, hadn’t.

As a gamer in the 90s, it felt like Vampire and WoD were everywhere. I had a few fun sessions with my friend Karlo, and I really liked Werewolf. Still, as the game’s popularity exploded, WoD sessions around me became large-group affairs where people rarely got to play, and I became disillusioned. Also, I really enjoyed fantasy gaming, and there was a prevailing attitude of “your game is lesser” from some WoD players. This really turned me off.

I did love The Book of Nod, and I’ve had plans for a Vampire game I’d like to run for years (I wrote about it here). I also own a LOT of WoD books, including some of the 20th-anniversary editions for Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage.

But I also think some overstate the importance of the game. If you watch the World of Darkness documentary, it makes it seem like there was just one popular game in the 70s and 80s, that Vampire remade TTRPGs, and that nothing has been the same since.

And that’s not quite true. Vampire and WoD have waxed and waned, never quite gone but no longer the cultural phenomenon they once were, and games have evolved in incredibly interesting ways since. TTRPGs have moved well beyond the WoD explosion, yet some fans still act as if it was the end-all, be-all. That’s why I think it’s overrated at times.

Well, that was quite the digression. But it is important context if I’m going to write about Vampire this week!

While I like the modern setting of Vampire: The Masquerade, I am a massive fan of the original inspirations for the vampire myth, of Dracula’s shadow over the mythology, and of the themes of Stoker’s work that the game presents.

In 2004, I was taking classes toward an MA in English literature, revisiting Vampire through the new World of Darkness (aka The Chronicles of Darkness) —specifically Vampire: The Requiem—and brainstorming what I wanted to do with the game.

I was also a big fan of Frank Wildhorn and his musical Jekyll & Hyde. So, when his Dracula, the Musical opened on Broadway, we took a trip to NYC to see it.

I really enjoyed it! Not quite as much as Jekyll & Hyde, which I had seen on Broadway a few years earlier (that score remains one of my favorites), but it really inspired me to run a vampire game. Just as the sweeping lyrics and themes of shows like Les Misérables deeply influence my creative process and Game Mastering style, the music of Dracula always makes me want to dive back into the World of Darkness.

I never actually played Vampire: The Requiem, preferring Masquerade. But the music of Dracula, the Musical constantly makes me want to run a Vampire game.

I know the world of Masquerade probably conjures very different musical cues for others (like 90s industrial or goth rock). Still, the classic tale told in song is always inspiring, speaking to longing, the nature of undeath, and profound loss. I invite you to listen to it!

In fact, Jekyll & Hyde is also a phenomenal tale of duality and the nature of good and evil that could very well be inspirational to WoD players.

If you are interested in Dracula, the Musical or Jekyll & Hyde, here are some links to check out:

• Dracula the Musical (2011 Cast Recording on Spotify): I understand this has additional songs and improvements from the one I listened to back in 2004! Listen Here
• Dracula the Musical (2004 Original Broadway Cast Recording on YouTube): I own this one on CD! Listen Here
• Jekyll & Hyde Soundtrack (YouTube): Listen Here
• Jekyll & Hyde Soundtrack (Spotify): Listen Here
• Jekyll & Hyde featuring David Hasselhoff: Yes, you read that right. Watch Here
• Dracula the Musical, a trailer for a 2013 Production: Watch Here

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow I’ll write about my original Dracula movie—the first one I watched as a kid—over at Sunglar’s Musings, in case you are interested.

Autocratik and Runeslinger posted this year’s topics yesterday, and I am incredibly excited. Getting the prompts a month early gives us the perfect opportunity to plan ahead and prepare our content for August.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, let me fill you in on what RPG a Day is all about.

The initiative offers a series of daily prompts and ideas that you can use to create social media posts, art, blog entries, videos, whatever you feel inspired to make! The goal behind RPG a Day is to foster positive discussions, recognize the amazing things happening in our hobby, and welcome newcomers into the tabletop role-playing community. There are so many things to celebrate, and August is the perfect time to do it.

I invite you to join us and participate. It is a ton of fun!

Remember to tag your content with the #RPGaDay hashtag, whether you write just one post or tackle all thirty-one.

For more information and to view the full prompt list and additional details, check out Autocratik’s post on his blog or Runeslinger’s post over on his Casting Shadows blog.

See you on August 1st!

Recently a friend and fellow blogger, Jay Steven Anyong, (check out his blog, Patreon and itch.io page) recently recommended One Page Rules to me. The project started out as a one-page ruleset to play tabletop battles with, but it eventually spawned several rulesets (for battles, skirmishes, narrative campaigns) and two original settings inspired by Warhammer including a huge number of factions. The best thing is: most of it is free. You can even get free paper miniatures from DriveThruRPG (and its sister sites). With the advent of affordable 3D printers they also started to provide STL files for original miniatures through their Patreon and MyMiniFactory and preprinted ones via Etsy. So it is a viable alternative to – for example – the games from that workshop in the UK.

Personally, I am not that interested in miniature gaming anymore. I don’t have anyone to play with living nearby and I never had the patience for painting whole armies of miniatures. But I really like what I’ve seen from the lore they created and might eventually pick up the books just for reading pleasure. If you are excited by the miniature hobby I highly recommend you check out One Page Rules. For the price of free you get several complete and fully playable games which you can play using any miniatures you already own, or you can just use the freely available paper minis!

Puerto Rico has not always participated in Free RPG Day. Gaming Zone participated in 2014, and the Puerto Rico Role Players were there.

Paladin Books and Games in Isabela participated a few years ago, though I was sadly unable to go.

Puerto Rico has seen a boom in FLGS (Friendly Local Game Stores) in recent years. There are many CCGs, but post-pandemic, we have also seen growing interest in TTRPGs. One of these stores, Titan Games, has been participating in Free RPG Day for the past few years.

I participated in 2024, running Savage Worlds. Last year, I was not in Puerto Rico for the event, but this year I was ready to participate.

The gaming community in Puerto Rico really came out in force, and both Titan Games locations in Caguas and Río Piedras had several tables playing TTRPGs. There were games of:

• D&D 5e
• Daggerheart
• Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
• Mothership
• Mörk Borg
• Vampire: The Masquerade
• And my own Shadowdark table!

I ran Kneel Before the Goblin King by Joseph R. Lewis, a great short adventure that will be part of a crowdfunding project for print copies in July. I printed out the map, used the random online character generator to create pre-gens, got a player cheat sheet from Etsy, and ran four friends through a deadly Shadowdark adventure.

It ended up in a TPK (Total Party Kill). Incredibly, I had never had a TPK in a session before in my 40 years of gaming. Even when I tried to create an adventure just to do that a few years ago for D&D 5e, I had never wiped out the entire party. A first time for everything, I guess! We had a lot of fun.

Allow me to share a video about the games played, the fun we had, and the loot I grabbed:

I am thrilled I got to spend the day with friends, make new ones, and meet other members of the community. I am delighted to see the Puerto Rico TTRPG community thriving. Thanks to everyone who participated, and to Titan Games for supporting the community.

I mentioned Paladin Books and Games at the beginning of the post. The store may no longer be there, but the former owner, Mario Vélez, has a very active community of gamers who share reviews and meet up for games. You can find The Gaming Dragons on Facebook and on YouTube.

I hope you had fun on Free RPG Day, in whatever form you got to celebrate the day. See you all at Free RPG Day 2027!

It is a great honor and a happy occasion to talk with my good friend and fellow GM, Mario. I knew who Mario was before I met him. I knew people who played with the “Cayey Game Master” (Cayey is a municipality in Puerto Rico), but I don’t think we met until 2009, when we started organizing the Puerto Rico Role Players.

He joined the Facebook group early on, and we had a lot to talk about as longtime GMs, contemporaries, and people who had played similar systems for many years.

When we had our first informal gatherings to meet other members of the Puerto Rico Role Players, he was there. He’s been a staple of Geeknics and events. I even got to play in one of his mythical Mariotóns (day-long marathon gaming sessions with dozens of players!).

While we don’t see each other nearly as often as I would like, I am always happy to see Mario!

When I reached out to gamers and creators for interviews, Mario was kind enough to answer my questions for this series. I am thrilled to write this and am always happy to call Mario a friend.

Let’s get to the questions.

Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what do you create for your adventures?

My name is Mario Agrait Rodríguez. I am from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. I have two kids; one is 29 years old, and the other is 9 years old. The older one is a GM and has his own group. They both started playing as soon as they learned not to put the dice in their mouths and to roll them for the first time.

I love cinema, literature, and crafting my own game scenarios and scenery. I have been Game Mastering since 1986, when I discovered AD&D and OD&D. We have been playing in the Mystara campaign world since we started, first using 1E and then moving to 3E.

The way I like to work is by keeping my campaigns moving forward, well-documented, and feeding them with players’ ideas and contributions. Each new campaign has all the previous campaigns as background. They can even cross paths with old characters. For that, I have been using Obsidian Portal, a wiki-type service, since 2011. All my campaigns are there.

The other side of gaming that I love is crafting terrain and props. We use miniatures and crafted scenery to play large battles. I love painting and crafting my own scenery. My players also love miniatures and help with my crafts.

How would you describe your art or creative endeavors as a GM?

I allow myself to be inspired by everything: poetry, literature, popular culture, current events, history, comics, TV series, movies, and even dreams. I follow an organized path to assemble all ideas into something coherent that works inside the campaign or as a new campaign. They know everything they think can and will be used against them.

When I tackle an idea, I ask simple questions like: “Will this fit my campaign?” “How can I use this idea?” “How can I make this interesting to the players?” “How can I tie this idea to previous material?” Then I move to bigger questions. I feed from my players’ brains like a Mind Flayer!

Another trick is to study the material you are using and try to fill in the blanks before the players ask for something you haven’t prepared. Whenever I can, I review what I have created and add information. I complete missing data such as genealogy trees, character descriptions, gear stats, new spells, and much more.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

This is possibly one of the weirdest RPG stories I know:

1. A boy named Eric was into reading Science Fiction and Fantasy and wanted to play D&D. His mother gave him the Red Box OD&D set as a gift. He didn’t have anyone to play with, though.
2. The boy named Eric decided to give his neighbor, Luis, the Red Box OD&D set as a gift.
3. Luis took the boxed set to his friends, and they learned to play. Luis didn’t want to be the DM, so he gave the Red Box OD&D set to Ismael as a gift.
4. Ismael became the DM and continued playing when he moved to another city to study at the university.
5. Ismael and I met at the university. We were from different cities. He showed me the game and gave me the Red Box OD&D set as a gift. I then became a DM.
6. I moved to another city and met a boy named Eric, who had wanted to play D&D all his life but didn’t have anyone to play with. He became my friend and one of my players.
7. My friend Eric was the first owner of the Red Box OD&D set I used for playing. See event #1.

Do you actively play TTRPGs? What are you playing right now?

My group and I played OD&D for more than 20 years, and around 2002, we switched to 3.0. We have adapted some rules from 3.5 and Pathfinder and added our own house rules into the mix. We found the 3.0 system good for customizing characters, especially for experienced players (some members of my group have been playing with me for 30+ years).

We also play other games: Space: 1889, d20 Modern, d20 Future, d20 Shadowrun, DC Heroes 3rd Edition, and Gamma World 4th Edition. I’m the GM on these campaigns. Some of our players are GMs on their own campaigns, playing d20 Modern, D&D 3.0, 3.5, and 5E. I also used to play Star Trek by FASA and Shadowrun 2nd Edition, and I still have the manuals.

We are currently playing d20 Shadowrun, but it is very possible that we will move back to D&D 3E shortly (depending on the feedback from players, as they are having tons of fun with SWR), and I’m already working on the material for the next D&D campaign.

What projects are you currently working on?

Painting like a hundred minis. That is a story that never ends. Crafting different terrain and new buildings, an inn with removable floors and furniture. There is a telescope and a planetarium to add to the old wizard’s library and laboratory. And there is a small tree house for gnomes. I also just finished crafting a scabbard for my younger one’s plastic sword.

Where can people see your projects and learn more about your games?

On Facebook, our group is called “Stray Dogs Role Playing Gamers”.

Here are the Obsidian Portal links for my campaigns:

• Tales from Mystara: https://d-d-3-0-tales-from-mystara.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page
• Gamma Rifts: https://gamma-rifts.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page
• Into the Shadows: https://d20-shadowrun-into-the-shadows.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page
• Justice League – A Better World: https://justice-league-a-better-world.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

Any closing thoughts?

My players are the biggest highlight of my campaigns. I am very honored to play with them. I think that, on my part, the biggest achievement of my games is still having the capacity to surprise players after all these years. Something that makes them come back for more. It is either that, or they have some secret desire to get new psychological scars each week!

Some of my best GMing advice: Concentrate on the story over the rules, and on the players over the rest. Once you commit to a gaming date, don’t change it; be consistent. Take the time to hear your players’ ideas and to incorporate them into the world. And take time to rest your mind, by playing other games or by taking a vacation from gaming.

And finally: Keep rolling those dice until the day you die!

I originally discovered it as an Ashcan edition that I played at Gen Con back in 2007, and it completely fascinated me. I have run it with my regular weekly group more than once and brought it to the Puerto Rico Role Players Geeknics a few times as well.

The core idea, psychics (or supers, if you prefer) waking up after an accident with amnesia, running to escape from their captors while exploring their powers, and trying to piece together their past, is incredibly compelling. I have run it in a modern city, in a steampunk setting, right here in Puerto Rico, and even on a spaceship! I love the concept and the system. Honestly, I am sincerely surprised I haven’t run it more.

Now, there is a Kickstarter campaign for a 2nd Edition! Check out the campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1179631078/psirun-second-edition

According to the campaign page, here is a breakdown of what to expect:

What’s Changing?

The focus for this edition is on refinement rather than a complete overhaul. The creator is taking 15 years of play feedback to heart, specifically focusing on:

• Clarified Rules: The text is getting an expansion to answer common questions and address the edge cases that have popped up over the last decade and a half.
• Polished Mechanics: Expect some tightening of the existing systems. The core “Otherkind” dice pool, where you balance your goals, your memories, and the encroaching danger, remains the engine. You are still rolling that handful of dice and making those classic, agonizing decisions on the Risk Sheet. You can read about the “Otherkind” dice poll rules here.
• New Visuals: The aesthetic is getting completely refreshed with all-new art and cartography.

The Stretch Goals

The campaign is also looking to expand the game’s utility, particularly for modern play. If they hit their higher funding targets, there will be a write-up for playing Psi*Run online. Specifically, it will feature an experimental format designed for social media platforms like Bluesky, where you play the Runner while others take on the role of the world around you. I would absolutely love to see this in action.

I am already a backer and wholeheartedly recommend this game. Go check it out!

Favorite Game: Mutant Year Zero

That was a tough one. I have played and enjoyed a lot of TTRPGs but Mutant Year Zero has a special place in my heart. I played in a long-running campaign which we unfortunately never finished but I experienced some of the best roleplaying and the most dramatic scenes in this campaign. Of course this was in no small part because of the other players and the GM, but in my opinion the mechanics and setting were crucial for this outcome. I can highly recommend all games by Free League Publishing, but Mutant Year Zero is definitely my favorite!

Best Lore: Werewolf – The Apocalypse

It didn’t take long to decide which game I would pick for this category. Even to this day I have fond memories of the original World of Darkness. One aspect of these games that I tremendously enjoyed was the deep lore. The whole mythology and history of the setting were extremely interesting to me and one reason I kept playing these games was to find out more about how this world worked. The WoD jargon we had to learn back in the day, had quickly become second nature and I still remember most of it today. I picked Werewolf and not Mage or Vampire since I especially liked the lore they came up with for the Garou and the cosmic conflict between the Wyrm, the Weaver and the Wyld. Great stuff!

Best Art: The Electric State

This was another tough one. There are so many great-looking roleplaying game books out there. But in my opinion the roleplayng games based on the art by Simon Stålenhag are on another level. His art is realistic and otherworldly at the same time. His images evoke nostalgia but also grant a glimpse into an alternate reality. Even if you don’t intend to run or play them, the games based on his artbooks: Tales from the Loop, Things from the Flood and The Electric State are worth a buy just for the art alone.

Best Mechanics: Numenera

From a game master’s standpoint Numenera had the best mechanics of any game I ran so far. What I enjoyed the most was that it makes it incredibly easy to improvise. A NPC is basically defined by its level and perhaps a special ability. The rules are extremely easy and instead of explaing rules to players or looking up stuff I could focus on what’s really important. I also love the fact that all rolls are player-facing. I found this extremely refreshing. In 2014 I wrote a post about the game called “Numenera: One of the best games I’ve ever ran!” and that still holds true.

Biggest Personal Impact: Night’s Black Agents: Solo-Ops

In 2020 my friend Ralf ran Night’s Black Agents: Solo-Ops for me and it was the most intense and rewarding roleplaying experience I ever had. Period. I just reread my post I wrote back about the experience and unfortunately it didn’t give it justice. One-on-one roleplaying can be a very intense experience. As a player you’re under constant pressure, you don’t have other players to rely on. You’re the one who has to make decisions all the time and you have to suffer the consequences alone. The mechanics are quite brilliant and really helped to support the narrative. Playing Leyla Khan, the protagonist of the game, was a very interesting experience and gave me new perspectives. I highly recommend anyone to check this game out!

Overhated: D&D 4th Edition

I fully agree with Roberto here. D&D 4th Edition is still hated by a lot of D&D fans but it’s not a bad game. Personally the game didn’t click for me when I first tried it but I like many of the things the designers tried to achieve back in the day. Compared to 5th Edition I think it might even be the better game in many regards. It had a bold vision and tried to kill too many sacred cows in the process which didn’t sit well with most fans. With the right kind of players I might even run it again.

Underrated: The Fantasy Trip

The Fantasy Trip is a classic roleplaying game that was held back mostly by the fact that it was out-of-print for about 40 years. In 2017 Steve Jackson – it’s author – reacquired the rights and released an updated version in 2019. The Fantasy Trip is a very easy to learn system for tactical battles between fantasy characters on a hex grid which becomes a full TTRPG with the inclusion of the rules from “Into The Labyrinth”. Much like the more well-known GURPS it just uses three stats, has a 3d6 roll under mechanic and is basically level- and classless. But unlike GURPS it’s much easier but almost as versatile. People have used TFT to run anything from high fantasy to far-future space opera. If it hadn’t been gone for so long, I am sure more people would sing its praises. But unfortunately aside from a few die-hard fans it’s mostly disregarded and overlooked by the players.

Overrated: D&D 5th Edition

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t hate 5th Edition. I actually had a lot of fun playing it. But having said that it’s neither the best D&D edition ever, nor the best fantasy RPG out there. After the disastrous fan reaction of 4E it was a return to a more familiar D&D but it also reintroduced elements which should have better be buried long time ago. While 4th Edition was too bold for its time (and fan base), 5th Edition was not bold enough. 5th Edition has neither the tactical combat of 4th Edition nor is it as easy as B/X. But 5th Edition seems to have hit a nerve and for many players who left for Pathfinder during the 4E era returned, so it was probably the right game at the time, but it’s just not THE BEST fantasy roleplaying game as it is hailed by many.

Criminally Overlooked: Colonial Gothic

In my opinion the games from Rogue Games are among the most criminally overlooked games out there and Colonial Gothic especially so. Colonial Gothic is a supernatural horror game set during the American Revolution. It uses an original d12-based system which is pretty easy to learn and fun to play. I would have overlooked this game myself if I hadn’t met its author Richard Iorio at GenCon in 2010 since the American Revolution is not a topic I naturally steered towards. But if you choose to overlook Colonial Gothic you miss a very well researched game with a lot of background material which is not only fun to play but also might teach you a thing or two about the American Revolution. If the subject matter is not your cup of tea I can also highly recommend Shadow, Sword & Spell, his take on Sword & Sorcery using the same system.

Has Aged Well: Alternity (TSR)

Alternity is a scifi roleplaying game that was unfortunately doomed from the start. It could have been to scifi was D&D was to fantasy. But after TSR had been bought by Wizards of the Coast, the company didn’t want it to be a direct competitor to its new d20 System, so they cancelled the line way before its time. When I had another look at Alternity just a couple of weeks ago I was surprised how well everything has aged. Sure, it has its quirks, but overall Alternity held up pretty well and could easily be used to run games inspired by contemporay fiction. I love the roll-under task resolution mechanics with its detailed degrees of success which is both surprisngly easy and still offers a lot of depth. Unfortunately you can’t buy it digitally anywhere aside from a couple of sourcebooks hidden away in the d20 Modern section on DriveThruRPG.

Needs a New Edition: RIFTS

Again, I am agreeing with Roberto on this: RIFTS need a new edition. RIFTS has a lot going for it: great art, an exciting setting where everything is possible, intriguing character oprions. Unfortunately the rules suck. The Palladium system is basically an AD&D heartbreaker that hasn’t really aged well. Savage RIFTS might be an option to some, but I don’t think the Savage Worlds system really works for RIFTS. If there’s a game that needs a reboot it’s RIFTS!

Not Usually My Thing, But … Pathfinder 1st Edition

Over the years I have stated multiple times that I prefer rules-light to rules-medium games. Regardless I am having a blast playing in a Pathfinder 1st Edition campaign with my friends. Sure, I running it would probably make my head explode and without the help of PCGen I wouldn’t have been able to play my character all this time, but during these many months I really grew to love this game. If my current GM would offer to run another Pathfinder campaign after this one, I wouldn’t hesitate to join.

Current Game: ShadowDark

ShadowDark is a game I just very recently picked up and fell in love with. I don’t think I need to sing the praises here, since everyone is already pretty much enamoured with this game already. I am kinda late to the party. So what do I love about this game? It’s OSR-ish but still includes some modern ideas. It’s rules-light and extremely light to homebrew for. It’s perfect if you want something that feels like original D&D while being much more streamlined and way less clunky. If you are even remotely interested in dungeon crawling you owe it to yourself to check it out! I am currently planning a one-on-one campaign with my wife using ShadowDark and a sandbox campaign which I plan to run for a group of friends. I haven’t actually run it, yet, but I am sure this could actually become my go-to game in the future.

First Game: TORG

The first TTRPG I ever played was actually the original TORG from West End Games. Back in the early 90’s I went to a local con interested in finally being able to try out these tabletop roleplaying games I’ve heard so much about. Back in these days RPGs weren’t really that well known in Germany even in the nerdier circles. But I was already a huge computer roleplaying game fan at this point. I don’t remember why I chose to play TORG at this day, but I had a lot of fun even though I also made my first contact with “that guy”. I don’t actually remember what the adventure was actually about other than that we fought zombies in the jungle of Borneo and that I played a private detective from the Nile Empire. But even though the rules were clunky and one of the players was a bit problematic, it didn’t deter me from becoming the huge TTRPG fan I am today.

Game Everyone Should Play:

Dungeons & Dragons. Period. If you are serious about roleplaying game you should have played it at least once. Give it a try just to find out what it is about. Most people would probably recommend a recent edition but I think you shouldn’t dismiss Basic D&D. Sure it’s a bit old, but it held up pretty well. Old-School Essentials is a great choice if you want authentic rules but with a better layout and overall legibility. If you want a more “authentic” experience you can still pick up the “Red Box” on DriveThruRPG for a few bucks. D&D is such an important part of our hobby, that you owe it to yourself to at least play it once.

So what are your thoughts on my picks? Do you agree? Do you disagree? Do you think I am totally out of my mind? Please share your comments below!

It was probably a combination of all of this. But eventually I gave it another chance. Why? That’s kind of a funny story. From time to time I get the urge to dabble in game design. One of the white whales which I keep hunting is a D&D variant of my own. Over the years I have looked at countless retro-clones and none of the games out there had everything I wanted from my “perfect” old-school D&D game. There was always at least something missing. So I started working on my own. Since I like milestone levelling and 5th Edition’s advantage/disadvantage mechanic, I looked at 5th Edition as a basis and started removing and rewriting stuff to make it as simple as Basic D&D. In the beginning I still had a skill system, but I quickly realised that it wasn’t a good fit for what I wanted to achieve. So I decided to use broad “backgrounds” which fulfill a similar role. I also wanted to get rid of Vancian magic and eventually I decided a roll-to-cast system would be a great fit for an OSR-adjacent system. Since I prefer theatre-of-the-mind I replaced ranges in feet with more abstract range bands: Close, Near, Far. And without realising it, I had reinvented Shadowdark.

At some point, I had doubts this amalgamation of ideas would actually work, so I looked at similar games for inspiration: Vagabond, Nimble, and eventually Shadowdark. The more I learned about Shadowdark (I hadn’t read the full rules at this point), the more I realized that my ideas were so close to Shadowdark that it would be easier to write a couple of house rules for Shadowdark instead of basically reinventing it.

There’s one caveat: I haven’t run or played Shadowdark yet. But I plan to do remedy this in the near future. My wife agreed to give a one-on-one campaign a try and I think ShadowRim (which is basically The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim with the serial numbers filed off) might be the perfect setting for us. Alternatively I have a couple of ideas for a sandbox campaign about a cursed estate somewhere in the borderlands. Whatever we end up playing I am pretty excited at this point!

What are your thoughts on Shadowdark? When did you first discover it and why do you like (or dislike it)? Please share your thoughts below.

Such is the case with the subject of today’s interview. Axel6748 contacted me through my Bluesky account (‪@sunglar.bsky.social), and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing the content they are publishing for Shadowdark. When I announced I was looking for Puerto Rican creators working in the TTRPG space or related endeavors, Axel6748 kindly reached out. I am incredibly thankful for their time and kindness!

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

I do keep my real-life identity anonymous, but I go by Axel6748 online, and I am a Puerto Rican tabletop role-player and Game Master. Lately, I have been working on Shadowdark content for a free monthly zine called The Menu.

In the future, I hope to start a blog to talk about TTRPGs, Anime, Indie Games, and other Nerd/Geek topics, as well as self-publish my own material and supplements for Shadowdark and whatever tabletop system I like and find passion for.

How would you describe your art or creative endeavor?

My creative process is whatever sparks my interest. Sometimes I want to create a theme because I have an idea in my head, and I like to use random tables and word banks to generate ideas for adventures, modules, or classes.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

Man, how did I discover TTRPGs? Well, mainly through pop culture growing up, such as cartoons, and my cousin playing 3.5e D&D. However, I really got into 5th Edition around 2016 to 2017. I was originally going to play 4th Edition, but the game sadly never happened. That led me to learn 5e and meet wonderful people!

Do you actively play TTRPGs? What are you playing?

I have been playing 5e D&D as well as Shadowdark; d20 dragon fantasy games are my comfort zone.

What do you want to play next?

I want to try out some of the lesser-known systems, such as Goblinz by The Ugly Goblin, Tactiquest by level2janitor, Trespasser by tundalus, and a few others. I also want to try bigger systems like Draw Steel (specifically that Night Shift Demon Division 3rd-party supplement).

What projects are available, and what are you working on next?

As of now, I only have one free class on my Itch.io page called The Bravero, and I’m working on The Menu. I’ve released 3 Adventures (one B/X compatible, two Shadowdark) and a few Shadowdark classes.

Where can people get your projects?

You can find my stuff on my Itch.io page, my Bluesky, and my upcoming Tumblr Blog (and possibly Substack too) via my Carrd!

• Carrd: https://axel6748.carrd.co
• The Menu Zine (May 2026 Issue): https://the-menu-zine.itch.io/the-menu-may-2026
• The Bravero Class: https://axel6748.itch.io/bravero

Thank you, Axel6748! Be sure to check out the links provided to explore their content. See you all next Sunday!

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Julio for a few years through the Puerto Rico Role Players group, our Geeknic events, and social media. He first told me about the game he’s developing a few months ago, we caught up about it at the latest Geeknic, and he’s been sharing some of his progress in the Tabletop Game Designers Puerto Rico group.

He was kind enough to answer my questions and participate in this interview!

Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what are you creating?

My name is Julio, and I specialize in Worldbuilding.

How would you describe your art or creative work?

Well, I try to be as descriptive as possible, so I would say it’s highly detailed.

How did you discover TTRPGs (tabletop or pen-and-paper role-playing games)?

In high school, some friends invited me to play Dungeons & Dragons. I really liked the game’s concept and saw its creative potential. Unfortunately, the DM got tired of it and killed us all with an Ancient Wyrm that left the city looking like a lake of lava.

Are you playing actively? What are you playing right now?

At the moment, I’m not playing anything. I want to focus on my personal and professional goals, but as soon as I have the time, I would like to play my own TTRPG.

What is the next thing you want to play?

I would like to play my own game, but I’d definitely get back into D&D—it has always been my favorite.

What projects do you have available, and what are you working on right now?

I am creating my new TTRPG world called “RE//in Eden-01”, which is what I am dedicating myself to at the moment.

It is a mysterious world where the player lacks a physical body, as they are a digitized soul in a crystal container. However, that crystal can be installed in a synthetic body tailored to the character’s needs (representing different character classes).

The player can have more than one body to use, depending on what they need to do. Bodies are created in two ways: Cybernetic or Biological. The player can create a cybernetic body with a human appearance or a fully robotic humanoid. They can also choose to create a “chimera,” where they can make anything from a demi-human to a tentacled aberration.

The world is in danger of being consumed by different factions seeking to gain control, exploit resources, and enslave and strip the inhabitants. The player is “isekai’d” into this world after their death because their soul was copied by an ancient system of unknown origin that saw potential in them. Will the players help restore the world, or will they use their power to eliminate the competition for domination?

Where can people find your projects?

I still have a lot to write, but I plan to set up a public access site soon so people can check it out.

Any final comments?

I hope you all like it once it’s ready!

Julio, thank you very much for your time. I wish you much success in your work, and I’ll be sure to share any news about the game here on the blog and across my socials as it develops!

Last year, I was not in Puerto Rico for Free RPG Day. I visited Tabletop Gaming Center, a terrific FLGS in Connecticut, which I got to check out a few times while I was up there. However, this year, as I celebrate my 40th anniversary as a tabletop role-playing gamer, it is incredibly important to me to support the local gaming community.

As I look at the current TTRPG and general gaming community in Puerto Rico, I am encouraged. When Puerto Rico Role Players began over 18 years ago, there was certainly gaming happening, but there was a definite lull in the overall sense of community among TTRPG gamers. We, along with others, worked hard to foster the growth of that community.

I don’t pretend we are solely responsible for the thriving gaming scene around me today. The massive popularity of D&D 5e and the boom the pandemic brought to the TTRPG industry are certainly the largest factors, but I like to think we did our part!

I am incredibly happy to see so many people playing TTRPGs, board games, and LARPing like Echo Trails. Actual play groups like Juego La Mesa, gaming influencers like The Gaming Dragons and Planeta Meeple, and others, organizing and running events—these are fantastic signs of a healthy hobby. There are more FLGS on the island now, and seeing people actively play and teach others how to play truly warms my aging gamer heart!

I would love to play more outside my weekly group, visit more stores, and run more games myself, but I am just so glad to see others doing so. Real life, work, and family health all impact my available time, so I try to keep doing my part in these spaces by posting here on the blog, on my Facebook page, Sunglar’s Musings, and across my social media channels.

That does not mean I’ve given up on more active participation! We continue planning events with Puerto Rico Role Players and Dungeons & Dragons Puerto Rico (we are already planning for the next Geeknic!), and I want to participate in events like Free RPG Day to keep in touch with the community and support it directly.

So, to return to the topic of those first two sentences: For Free RPG Day 2026, I will be running Shadowdark at Titan Games at their Río Piedras location. Specifically, I will be running Joseph R. Lewis’ one-shot, Kneel Before the Goblin King!

Brief aside: If you’re planning to play at my table, don’t spoil it for yourself by reading the adventure! That said, I have become a massive fan of Lewis’ work. His adventures are easy to run, provide information effectively and succinctly, and offer lots of opportunities for GMs to make the adventure their own. I highly recommend them.

To summarize: Come to Titan Games Río Piedras on Saturday, June 27th, and play some Shadowdark at my table. There will be space for six players, and pre-generated characters will be provided. The store opens at 11:00 AM, and I’ll be there to start running the game as soon as we have a quorum.

I will not be the only one running tabletop role-playing games that day, and there will be Free RPG Day events at Titan Games in both Río Piedras and Caguas. Check out their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Discord for more information.

Hope to see you there!

Once upon a time—specifically in 1985—FASA published a Masters of the Universe “role-playing game” (and there is a reason for those quotes). You can read about it on RPG.net and in this review, but I’ll quote the latter to save you some time:

“Unfortunately, the Masters of the Universe Role Playing Game does not live up to its name. It’s another bad licensed board game. Not only that, but it’s an incomplete, unplayable board game with some of the worst and most confusing rules ever written.”

There was also a Legends of Grayskull TTRPG using the Cortex rules announced some years back, which unfortunately never came to be when the game’s owner sold it.

So, what options do you actually have? Allow me to share a few.

Umdaar: Rebel Broadcast Edition

Evil Hat Games just published Umdaar: Rebel Broadcast Edition, a stand-alone game powered by the Fate system and heavily inspired by MotU, She-Ra, Thundercats, One Piece, and The Legend of Korra. The game looks great, the rules are a perfect fit for the genre, and it’s PWYW via DriveThruRPG so that you can check it out risk-free. However, if you like it, you can always support the company by paying for the book.

• DriveThruRPG Link: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/568102/umdaar-rebel-broadcast-edition?affiliate_id=3727
• Evil Hat Games Store: https://evilhat.com/product/umdaar/

Cartoon Action Hour

Cartoon Action Hour was designed specifically to emulate the exact type of cartoons that inspired the movie. I backed the project some years ago, and they have a dedicated setting guide called Warriors of the Cosmos that is directly inspired by He-Man and similarly themed series.

• Cartoon Action Hour https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/213819/warriors-of-the-cosmos-pack-bundle?affiliate_id=3727
• Warriors of the Cosmos: https://www.drivethrurpg.com//product/212244/cah-s3-the-complete-guide-to-warriors-of-the-cosmos?affiliate_id=3727

Blades of Power: Synth and Sorcery Roleplaying

If you are willing to wait until it is published, James Spahn of Barrel Rider Games is currently running a Kickstarter for their new game, Blades of Power: Synth and Sorcery Roleplaying. It is a TTRPG based on the D&D B/X ruleset, and it sounds like an absolute blast. Here is the description straight from their crowdfunding page:

“…a “stand-alone fantasy roleplaying game that is fully compatible with Old School Essentials and other classic B/X rules set, but designed for play that emulates the fantasy found in classic adventure cartoons of the 1980s. It’s on sunsets across apocalyptic landscapes. It’s larger-than-life heroes with fabulous magical powers. It’s our power blade in one hand and a laser-blazer in the other as you face off against the time-traveling Draconis Maximus, the vile Serpentmen of Venom Spire, and the brain-bending Denizens of the Dream-City, for the fate of the universe!”

• Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barrelridergames/retroquest

MotU 3.5

For a different take on the d20 system, there is a D&D 3.5 conversion for He-Man. I’m entirely sure this is the specific d20 system I would personally use for MotU—it is a bit more rules-heavy than what I’d prefer for this genre—but YMMV!

• Fan Conversion Link: https://ralp.net/dungeons/he-man/

Playing with Miniatures!

While not strictly a TTRPG, there is a dedicated MotU miniatures game called Masters of the Universe: Battleground. Check it out if you want to get tactical on the grid!

• Game Link: https://archon-studio.com/motubattleground

Here is a video review:

And finally, I would be entirely remiss if I didn’t say that (say it with me, everyone): you could absolutely do MotU with Savage Worlds!

Last week, I was working at a tradeshow, and late in the day, one of the visitors to the booth was this very friendly young gentleman. He engaged with us about the products we were showcasing, and we ended up talking about him being an artist, his love for board games, and the fact that he’s a TTRPG gamer. I told him I’m a gamer too and asked, “Does he know about Puerto Rico Role Players?”

Turns out, I’ve known Kevin in the digital world for almost 10 years! He’s been a participant in Puerto Rico Role Players for years, and we even exchanged messages on Facebook back in early 2017! The last thing I expected was meeting him in person at a trade show. I love the magic of the online gaming community, which allows me to meet people like Kevin. It always makes me happy to meet fellow geeks in the wild!

Having made the connection and already knowing his art form through following him online, I reached out to him to see if he would participate in this series of interviews. He graciously agreed, and he is the subject of today’s post. Without further ado, here we go.

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

Hello, world! I’m Kevin M., Professor Montijo, or nerdygeekyart (depending on who you ask). I’m a Government Financial Analyst by day, an Accounting and Auditing Professor by night, but in my free time, I make art.

How would you describe your art or creative endeavor?

I would describe my art as colorful, miscellaneous, and delightfully nerdy. On my art pages, you’ll find everything from simple doodles to full illustrations of the things I know and love, as well as professional work I’ve been hired for. Even though my art is more of a personal passion, I’ve been hired for professional projects, such as illustrating and designing art for a physical card game and serving as an Art Director for a PC game available on Steam.

Aside from regular illustrations, you’ll also find game assets, concept art, 3D models/renders, clay sculptures, dungeon maps, and a plethora of art pieces made either digitally or using any number of mixed media—from pen and ink, to alcohol markers, to watercolors, to whatever I can find in my art bins.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

Like many people my age, I grew up playing or collecting cards from various TCGs like Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and even the Neopets TCG (Yes, I still have access to my Neopets account). Those were, in essence, my gateway drug to the delightfully nerdy activities one could play on the school floor or any available table (other than Tazos/POGs, of course). I was always a fan of classic board games, starting with Monopoly, my great aunt’s favorite, and other classics like Cluedo, Battleship, Operation, etc.

I think an absolutely pivotal moment in my love for tabletop games was when I got my hands on the first edition of a little game called Munchkin. When I brought that compact box to school, my

classmates and I had a blast every single time we played. Each game was entertaining and chaotic, and we often challenged ourselves to draw our characters with all the gear and loot they had amassed throughout their journey to level 10. That led me to eventually getting a more advanced version of the game called Munchkin Quest, in which you actually generated a randomized dungeon as you explored, each room filled with crazy effects, a plethora of wacky monsters to slay, and that oh so coveted loot. I still recall one particularly intense game with my best friend at the time, where, against all odds, we managed to beat the final boss, a level 20 plutonium dragon with a mix of gear, random loot, potions, and sheer luck. Now my collection of tabletop games has grown significantly, nearly reaching 300 different titles and counting.

As for TTRPGs, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact manner of discovery. I remember visiting a small local comic convention when I was very young, purchasing some comics, collectible figures, and a few other things, when something suddenly caught my eye: a box full of dice of varying shapes and colors. That plethora of polyhedra and platonic solids called out to me like a siren to an unsuspecting sailor. As I rummaged through the box, I ended up picking out a red d20 with blue speckled paint from a now-discontinued Chessex set. That newly acquired icosahedron made me want to research what all those dice were used for. Dungeons & Dragons was, of course, at the epicenter of my search, along with a string of other TTRPGs. Unfortunately, I didn’t know a single soul who played, so I had to push most of that research to the back of my mind for the time being.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I started to learn about the Pathfinder TTRPG. For some reason, the more I learned about it, the more I got into it, and eventually decided to buy one of their starter sets. I became absolutely obsessed with it, reading every bit of material and eventually purchasing the core rulebooks and some adventure modules. That being said, I still knew nobody who played. I went to a small, Christian private school with very few students (my class was made up of just 12), and I didn’t have a personal internet connection during my time at school, so meeting people online was not really an option. For some reason, I longed to play the game so much that it never occurred to me that I could try my hand at being a Dungeon Master/Game Master and teach the game to my small circle of friends. Eventually, as I moved on to college, I managed to get a personal internet connection, make friends who shared my interests, and begin playing a few TTRPGs. The rest is history.

Do you actively play TTRPGs? What are you playing?

The TTRPG I play most actively is D&D, either online or with small groups in sporadic bursts. I’m currently not involved in any active sessions, but I look forward to my next adventure!

What do you want to play next?

There are a few TTRPGs or settings that I own the core material for and would love to try out, but I haven’t had the chance yet. These are mainly, but not limited to:

• Nimble: A fast and tactical TTRPG.
• Vagabond: A pulp fantasy TTRPG.
• Dragonbane: A classic fantasy TTRPG.
• Lodestar: A D&D 5e setting based around space-fantasy, heavily influenced by Treasure Planet.

What projects are available, and what are you working on next?

I’m currently working on improving my 3D modeling and rendering skills with Nomad Sculpt and Blender to bring all my fantastical and nerdy 2D ideas to the third dimension with some hopefully exciting applications in the near future.

Where can people find your work?

I’m most active on Instagram and TikTok, both under @nerdygeekyart ! There you’ll find my art, some peeks into my life, and time-lapses of some of my work. Don’t be afraid to pop by and say hi! And, if you like what you see, feel free to follow!

Any closing thoughts?

I would say to all my nerds, geeks, and dweebs out there: the one thing that will lead you to do the things you enjoy most and meet amazing people who share your interests and passions is to be your wonderful self unapologetically. Don’t be afraid to geek out over the things you love. Be kind. Be understanding. Be open-minded and, again, be yourself. Do that, and everything else will follow.

Cheers!

Your friendly neighborhood nerd

Thank you very much, Kevin! See you all next week for the next interview, dear reader.

Allow me to share some information I am paraphrasing from the MG Foundation of America.

What is it? MG is a rare neuromuscular, autoimmune disorder that causes extreme fatigue and profound muscle weakness. Impulses from the brain travel down nerves but are blocked by antibodies before they reach the muscle. The body is essentially attacking itself and stopping normal muscle function.

You might be wondering what this has to do with role-playing games. Bear with me; I’ll get to it. I’ve decided to talk about this publicly to raise awareness and add my two cents to the conversation about the disorder, but let’s get back to the explanations for a second.

First documented by a physician in Oxford, England, in 1672, MG can impact a person’s ability to see, swallow, smile, walk, breathe, or engage in everyday activities. Everyone’s disease presents a little differently—that’s why myasthenia is known as a “snowflake disease.” (I AM a snowflake, I knew it! Unique and special, I mean.)

For me, the worst symptoms were losing my voice, slurring my words, and simply not being able to speak properly. Those of you who know me in real life saw me a couple of years ago when I was significantly weaker, experiencing serious difficulty speaking and swallowing.

To my family and friends, this is no secret. Many acquaintances know as well. If we’ve run into each other over the last four years, I’ve probably talked about this face-to-face, and I have always tried to share information about MG with people I meet. Still, I’ve been reluctant to discuss it or publish anything on social media for fear of being vulnerable. One often worries about how others will react, how revelations like this might affect employment opportunities, or how people will treat you. But in the spirit of the month and all it celebrates, I’ve decided to share my diagnosis and how I’ve dealt with it.

So, how is myasthenia gravis treated, and what is the prognosis? There is currently no cure, but there are treatments to manage the symptoms. For most individuals, myasthenia gravis is a manageable chronic condition. The outlook for most people with MG is positive, as current treatment options are often highly effective. While existing treatments do not cure the disease, most patients experience improved muscle strength, and some even achieve remission.

What else should you know about Myasthenia Gravis?

I have been incredibly fortunate to have great doctors who identified the right medications and treatments. Having the insurance to access these treatments has greatly reduced my symptoms and made them manageable. I am in better physical shape now than I was four years ago, and I hope to continue to manage my condition effectively.

But this was not the case four years ago. MG is hard to diagnose, and some people spend years without proper answers. I was experiencing symptoms for two full years before I was correctly diagnosed, and by then, I was having trouble speaking and swallowing. It was incredibly taxing and frustrating for me as someone whose voice is a vital tool for my line of work. It was scary. It affected my ability to communicate properly with loved ones. It also impacted my favorite hobby: tabletop role-playing games.

What does a Game Master do when he cannot speak?

With all the other complications in life, not being able to play a game may seem like the least of my concerns. But as I’ve said often, gaming is part of my mental health routine. It is a creative endeavor I enjoy outside my other responsibilities. It is something that connects me with my dear friends. We are part of each other’s support group, and the time we spend together is something we value and treasure.

Having to consider giving that up was just another source of stress during an already difficult time.

The reality was that I needed to rest; speaking for hours often left me exhausted. At the same time, I did not want to give this up. I wanted to cling to this vestige of normalcy in the midst of chaos.

This wasn’t easy for my players. My voice was hoarse, broken, and sometimes slurred. I would speak with great difficulty. Often, I would use text-to-speech software when I could not speak properly. Some people would not put up with this, but my players are first and foremost my friends—guys like Carlos, Fernan, both Josés (Bellavista and Garcia), Lao, and Oscar—they knew how important our weekly gatherings were. They knew how much it meant to me, and they kept showing up. They supported me despite the limitations, and we played on.

That meant the world to me. It helped me deal with my sadness and my frustration. Their love was a vital part of the support my friends and family showed me during those difficult times.

I am doing much better right now. The medications I take help me manage the symptoms. I know the signs, rest regularly, listen to my body’s cycles, and manage my condition. I hope that this improvement continues in the long term. I am incredibly grateful for the love and support everyone around me shows me every single day. Gaming has truly given me a circle of friends who are like family—a gift that continually enriches my life.

Now, I hope to use the spaces I have online to share my story, build knowledge about myasthenia gravis, return the kindness shown to me, and, hopefully, raise awareness of this relatively rare condition. Knowledge is power! Hopefully, further research will find a cure for MG.

While I’ve gotten to know other MG patients, I have not met other gamers with MG. I wonder whether there are more of us in gaming spaces and whether we can organize to support each other and the larger MG community. If you are a patient, even if you do not wish to share your diagnosis publicly, please feel free to contact me.

If you want to learn more, here are some useful links:

What is MG: https://myasthenia.org/understanding-mg/what-is-myasthenia-gravis/

The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America: https://myasthenia.org/

Donate to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America: https://myasthenia.givevirtuous.org/donate/donation-form

Global Genes: https://globalgenes.org/disorder/myasthenia-gravis/

European Myasthenia Gravis Association: https://eumga.eu/

Thank you for reading!

Some of the images I used in this post are from the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America website, and this post: Back to Doing What I Love: My Myasthenia Gravis Story By Kathalina Nguyen: which you can read here: https://myasthenia.org/blog/2024/08/08/back-to-doing-what-i-love-my-myasthenia-gravis-story/

I want to do my part as an ally because too many of my friends, loved ones, and fellow gamers are members of the LGBTQ+ community. While we all dream of a day when who you are and who you love are non-issues and universally respected, we are not quite there yet. Love is love!

To celebrate, I’m sharing a list of ten perfect games to bring to the table this month. You can check out the full CBR article here:

https://www.cbr.com/lgbtq-ttrpgs-to-play-with-friends-pride-month

And on a more personal note, I want to recommend Closet, a game by Paco García of GMS Magazine. I had the chance to back his crowdfunding campaign, and honestly, I absolutely love it. I think it’s an excellent tool to help us step into other people’s shoes and empathize a lot more with the struggles the LGBTQ+ community faces daily. You can find it on DriveThruRPG here:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/528214/closet

When someone attacks a party member, we all roll initiative!

He is a longtime gamer who, much like my own compulsive homebrewing habits, absolutely loves tinkering with systems and creating his own rulesets. Let me share my interview with him so you can get to know him and his work a little better.

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

I’m Angel Miranda, better known as Enyol. I’m a full-time teacher and part-time TTRPG designer.

How would you describe your creative endeavor?

I design all sorts of things for different TTRPGs. I’ve designed 4 different game systems and published one. I’ve designed monsters, classes, and rules for Pathfinder 1e and D&D 5e; most of these have been self-published.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

I discovered TTRPGs in college, when I saw a group of people playing at a table. I was immediately interested in it. I’ve been playing and running games since 2006.

Do you actively play TTRPG? What are you playing?

I’m actively playing at the moment. I’m running a Paradigm Odyssey campaign (a system of my design and my baby), and I’m a player in a Daggerheart campaign and in a D&D 5e Campaign.

What do you want to play next?

Next, I’d like to keep playing and polishing my Paradigm Odyssey system with friends and strangers, and I’d love to test out Fabula Ultima and Vagabond.

What projects are available, and what are you working on next?

I’m currently working on a Spanish-language TTRPG YouTube channel for my local audience, and I’m always looking to take Paradigm Odyssey to different stores across the island.

Where can people get your project?

People can find me on YouTube at: Roleplayers de Boriken and on Instagram at @Paradigm.Odyssey.

Any closing thoughts? Final commentary: Remember rule #1, always have fun

Thank you, Angel, for sharing your time and your creations with us. You can check Angel’s DriveThruRPG page here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/31128/enyol

Despite my deep love for TTRPGs, fantasy, and sci-fi, my cultural reference points differ from those of many in my generation. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I had early exposure to Puerto Rican authors and literature in Spanish. When I eventually started reading the classics of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, my literary tastes shifted and expanded.

Here is my list of the top five writers who made me, in no particular order; these five are all equally influential. I know you’re traditionally not supposed to explain your choices on these lists, but I realize not all my friends may know every name here, so I’m adding some notes and links.

1. René Marqués: A Puerto Rican writer best known for his plays and short stories. I greatly enjoy his corpus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Marqu%C3%A9s

2. Jorge Luis Borges: The brilliant Argentinian short story writer and poet, who also translated major authors into Spanish. I find myself returning to re-read his short stories periodically. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

3. Douglas Adams: His work really needs no introduction. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fundamentally changed my taste in literature, but his entire bibliography remains among my favorite and most influential reads. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams

4. Edgar Allan Poe: I first read A Descent into the Maelström in a literature anthology in 8th grade, and it was a genuinely life-changing moment for me as a reader. His body of work continues to influence my writing and Gamemastering. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

5. Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman: Yes, this is cheating! I know it is two authors, but their truly influential work is decidedly what they create together. Their world-building defined exactly what fantasy was for me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Weis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Hickman

The Five Runners-Up

And here are the runners-up. These authors are no less important than the previous five. When I sat down and considered who influenced me the most, the previous five (well, six, really!) just happened to come out on top. And yes, I know I promised five runners-up, but I am listing six here because I cannot leave any of them out!

William Shakespeare: The Bard! Any list like this is built partly on his work and its massive influence on world literature. From the first time I read Julius Caesar in 10th grade, through all the plays I read during my undergraduate and graduate studies, his impact on me is undeniable. No general Wikipedia link needed here, but I will link to my two personal favorite plays: The Tempest: https://shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/full.html Titus Andronicus: https://shakespeare.mit.edu/titus/full.html

Enrique Laguerre: Another Puerto Rican author who greatly influenced me. His entire corpus is worth your time, but his novel La Llamarada is my ultimate comfort book. It is one I return to periodically for a re-read, much like another book further down this list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_Laguerre

Julio Cortázar: Another Argentine genius. His novels and short stories were incredibly influential to my understanding of narrative, even though I discovered him a bit later in life. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Cort%C3%A1zar

H.P. Lovecraft: I originally started reading his work because of the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG, and his writing was hugely influential to me as a reader, writer, and storyteller. I’ve re-read his stories numerous times. As I learned more about who he actually was, his racism and bigotry rightfully made me reconsider his works. Still, his literary influence on the genre is undeniable, and reading him opened the door to other authors and genres I wouldn’t have known otherwise. https://the-artifice.com/lovecraft-racism/

Alan Moore: I loved Moore’s work before I even knew who he was. For the Man Who Has Everything (Superman Annual #11, 1985), Mogo Doesn’t Socialize (Green Lantern #188, 1985), and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (Superman #423 and Action Comics #583, 1986) These were all comics that touched me deeply and showed me the true possibilities of the medium. I later discovered his monumental works like Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Marvelman, and From Hell. The man has written my favorite comics, period. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_Man_Who_Has_Everything https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman:_Whatever_Happened_to_the_Man_of_Tomorrow%3F https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Green_Lantern_Vol_2_188

Margaret Atwood: Of everyone on this list, she is the one I read most recently, but she has influenced me the most as an adult. The Handmaid’s Tale is my most re-read book. It has affected me more profoundly than anything else I’ve read in recent years and led me to explore her impressive, extensive output. Atwood is an author we should all read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Atwood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Handmaid%27s_Tale

And I always love that his presence at Geeknics was a family affair, his wife, their kids. I remember running a game at a Geeknic (can’t remember which one) where he and his children played. Seeing Enrique and talking to him is always a pleasure. Getting a copy of his zine last February was a thrill. I love seeing Puerto Rican creators and game designers share their creations with the gaming community.

Here is the interview.

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

Hey, I’m Enrique Vélez. I like games and like to tinker with game mechanics. Maybe one day I’ll be an accomplished game designer!

How would you describe your art or creative endeavor?

30% daydreaming, 30% brainstorming, 40% neglecting my day job.

Like most game designers, I started with some house rules for my campaign, then reverse-engineered the core rules of my favorite game at the time, and so on. For some time, I was building up to what would be a “Fantasy Heartbreaker,” but I’ve tempered my expectations and am currently aiming to publish a few zines and then see where that takes me.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

In my early 20s, I learned a lot about TTRPGs from internet forums. Back then, there were no VTTs, but we played a few sessions of D&D and West End Games’ Star Wars over IRC.

I didn’t have an opportunity to play in person until my early 30s.

Do you actively play TTRPG? What are you playing?

I’m currently playing an Eberron campaign on D&D 5.5. I recently started a Final Fantasy XIV TTRPG game, but scheduling it is going to be super tricky. Fingers crossed!

What do you want to play next?

I really want to GM some Daggerheart! I’m definitely going to, once the current D&D campaign is canceled, we all know those never actually end.

What projects are available, and what are you working on next?

I published Escalations & Commitments: a 5e-compatible TTRPG, 2nd Edition, by Enrique Vélez almost two years ago. A silly game about being stuck with D&D. It’s free to download on Itch! A quick read too, probably shorter than this blog post!

I wrote that game in a day using ideas I had been working on for years, basically as a way to get some ideas and frustrations off my chest.

I’m currently working on RadioPunk 20XX. It’s cyberpunk, but less edgy, with an intuitive and tactile dice pool system I made from scratch.

Right now, I could really use some feedback on the manuscript before I move on to playtesting. Stargazer’s World readers interested in lending a hand can reach out through Discord or Bluesky.

Where can people get your project?

Enrique Vélez – itch.io

Any closing thoughts?

Ask your game designer friend about their game. You’ll make their day.

Thank you, Enrique! So that you know, I am not a poser. Let me share some pictures of the zine he mentioned above.

And I have the signed copy, and no, I’m not posting it on eBay.

Last but definitely not least, let me thank Miguel Velez (Brightcandle), another dear friend, amazing person, and a great GM who is actively supporting the local gaming community, doing demo games and spreading the love of TTRPGS, including his participation yesterday May 23^rd, 2026, where he was one of the GMs for Titan Games Daggerheart one-year-anniversary event, where he was one of the GMs. His pictures of Enrique are the ones I used in this post. Thank you for the pictures and the work you do, Miguel.

While searching online, I saw that the original Awkward GM post was made on Reddit about 20 days ago. You can get the template here.

The idea of completing the template challenged me, and I honestly thought I’d be done with it in no time. That was not the case. A few categories were easy to fill out, but others took real time, and I went back and forth on several of my responses. Surprisingly, only one answer is repeated!

I was originally going to just post the image and be done with it. But you know me: I can’t help but add details and explanations. If you just want the quick visual, here is the image on its own. Feel free to comment away here on the blog or on my socials—I’d be happy to engage!

However, if you want the deep dive into my choices, read on.

First, a quick caveat. These are my current thoughts as of late May 2026. Some of these might have been different in the past, or they may evolve in the future. It might be obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: these are MY opinions, not the opinions of Michael (aka the titular Stargazer) or any of the other blog contributors. You may disagree with some of my takes. Good! Leave a comment, fill out your own “About Me: Tabletop RPG” form, and share it with us. I’d love to have that conversation.

Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, on to the categories!

Favorite Game: Savage Worlds

I recently posted about my two current favorite games on the blog, so this should be no surprise. The real challenge was picking which ONE to put in the top spot. This may just be a matter of what I’m currently planning and running, but it feels right.

• Runner-up: The Without Number series (Stars, Worlds, Cities, and Ashes)

Best Lore: Raiding the Obsidian Keep

There is a lot of fantastic lore content in TTRPGs. A LOT. Picking just one is incredibly hard. Do I go with the wonderfully convoluted and bizarre Torg? The setting I’m currently playing, Fading Suns? The brilliant Ravenloft: Masque of the Red Death? The Whispering Vault? I ultimately went with Raiding the Obsidian Keep by Joseph R. Lewis.

Why? It is an incredibly succinct adventure with a highly imaginative story and setting, packed full of great details. It features engaging lore, a self-contained OSR structure, and clocks in at 72 marvelously illustrated pages in the Merry Mushmen edition (with an even shorter version, The Obsidian Keep, which is D&D 5e-compatible and self-published by Mr. Lewis). Of all the content I’ve read recently, this was just the most imaginative old-school adventure I’ve seen, and I simply could not put it down. I am usually not a big fan of pre-written adventures, but this one had it all.

• Runners-up: Fading Suns, The Whispering Vault, and Ravenloft: Masque of the Red Death

Best Art: UVG 2E: Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City

This book is a work of art. It is a brilliant combination of rules and visuals that seamlessly tells a cohesive story. This pick might surprise some of my friends, as the art style isn’t what they typically think of as my favorite, but the book as a whole achieves something truly incredible.

• Runners-up: Symbaroum, Vaesen, Coriolis, and Dragonbane (all by Free League Publishing)

Best Mechanics: Call of Cthulhu

“But wait!” you’re saying. “Why not your favorite game?” Because I approached this category looking for the game where the mechanics perfectly mesh with the specific tone it is trying to achieve. Call of Cthulhu is an absolute masterclass in combining rules with genre. The Sanity rules and the skill system are all so seamless in bringing the feeling of Mythos to the table. It’s a classic for a reason.

• Runner-up: All variations of the d20 system. Yes, it is overdone, and no, it is not the perfect mechanical representation of varying skills or degrees of success. Regardless, it is a core mechanic common to millions of players, incredibly easy to understand, and acts as the lingua franca of TTRPGs. It is hard to beat that chassis.

Biggest Personal Impact: Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game

I am talking about the classic D6 version from West End Games. The dice pool system was entirely new to me as a young gamer. I had played other TTRPGs, but this was the first one that truly captured the cinematic feel of the movies. It pushed me to play in entirely new ways; for example, it was the first place I read about using cut-aways (jumping to action the characters aren’t even participating in) as a dramatic narrative tool. This game fundamentally changed how I run games at table.

• Runner-up: The Black Hack. It offers simple, succinct, player-facing combat. It is also where I first encountered the genius concept of the usage die.

Overhated: D&D 4th Edition

I was entirely guilty of this! I was so excited when this edition came out, but ultimately disappointed when we sat down to play it. Looking back, I think it got far too much flak. It is a very tight, highly functional application of rules. With just a few tweaks, it would have been a system I’d happily keep using, but it unfortunately became the whipping boy of D&D editions. Truthfully, 5e borrows heavily from it—it just reworded and reworked the presentation.

• Runner-up: None. This was one of the easiest picks on the list for me.

Underrated: Prime Time Adventures

A TTRPG designed specifically to run games in the structural vein of a TV show? What’s not to like! In a society where television shows range from influential art forms to daily escapist entertainment, I am genuinely surprised this game isn’t wildly popular. Almost everyone inherently understands the pacing and structure of a TV episode, making this incredibly easy to learn.

• Runner-up: The original Alternity. Doomed to come out right as TSR was being sold to WotC, this game had massive potential and an interesting dice mechanic that elegantly handled degrees of failure. It has its fans, but I am amazed there isn’t a massive retro-clone for it yet.

Overrated: Vampire: The Masquerade

This is probably my most controversial take! This game was all the rage in the 90s while I was in college. It has an undeniably interesting setting, and while I’m not a super fan of the rules, you don’t really play it for the mechanics. It absolutely brought a massive wave of new gamers into the hobby, and I certainly own my fair share of World of Darkness books. However, it is often talked about as the absolute pinnacle of gaming, and for me, that’s just a bit too much. It was a good game, but way overrated in my book.

• Runner-up: Mörk Borg! This is my category for controversy, clearly. I really like the ruleset and the wave of creativity it has inspired in the indie scene—I am a huge fan of Pirate Borg, for instance. But when I ordered Mörk Borg, I saw it as a beautiful, punk-metal artifact. It is a profound piece of art and a distinct mood, but ultimately, it’s just not a game I would run at my table using that book.

Criminally Overlooked: Legacy: Life Among the Ruins

This was my introduction to Powered by the Apocalypse games, and it caused a paradigm shift for me. It offers powerful tools for players and GMs, as well as richly realized worlds. I honestly thought this game was going to explode in popularity. More people need to be playing this.

• Runner-up: Psi*Run. This is my favorite simple indie game, ideal for a quick one-shot. I’ve raved about it before, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Has Aged Well: Traveller

The venerable sci-fi original. Traveller has had so many iterations, editions, and adaptations over the decades. Yet it continues to thrive, from the official Mongoose 2nd Edition to older rule sets, all the way to Traveller5. I am a massive fan and am so happy to see it continuing to find an audience.

• Runner-up: Dungeons & Dragons. From the new 5.5 edition to the endless sea of retro-clones and hacks, the granddaddy of TTRPGs is still doing the heavy lifting of introducing new generations to the hobby.

Needs a New Edition: Rifts

Yes, we have Savage Rifts (which is great!), but I would love to see a true, ground-up modern take on the original Palladium system. I’m talking about a complete system overhaul, modernization of the mechanics, and books with a clean, contemporary layout. I was a huge fan of the system back in high school, and I’d love to see what a modern design team could do with it today.

• Runner-up: The Whispering Vault. I want a sleek, modern take on this game’s mythology so badly.

Not Usually My Thing, But…: Ten Candles

Highly experimental indie games aren’t usually in my wheelhouse, but my friend José Garcia (aka SushiBacon) is always bringing fantastic new ideas to my gaming experience. I loved playing this and would love to run it myself sometime.

• Runner-up: Alice is Missing. I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve read through it, and I am champing at the bit to get it to the table.

Current Game: Savage Worlds

We’ve been playing it consistently for three years now, and I fully expect to be playing it for the remainder of 2026. It is my favorite game, after all!

What Am I Playing Next: Not Sure! Most likely a Savage Worlds superhero campaign, or perhaps diving into Worlds Without Number. I also really want to give TinyD6 a try!

First Game: D&D (Mentzer Red Box)

Just a simple, historical fact. This was easily the fastest category for me to complete.

Game Everyone Should Play: Shadowdark

Why? Because it emulates the hobby’s origins so perfectly while applying modern sensibilities and streamlined rules. It encapsulates the dungeon-crawling roots of tabletop gaming while using common, modern mechanics in an instantly understandable way. For players who have only ever experienced D&D 5e, it can be a massive eye-opener, showing them entirely new (and old) ways to play. It teaches the pure joy of early D&D without the mechanical clunkiness. It is incredibly fun, and I think every gamer should give it a try at least once.

So, what does your “About Me: Tabletop RPG” look like? I want to see it!

Happy Sunday, dear reader! We are back for another interview with a Boricua creator. Today’s subject is someone I’ve had the pleasure of knowing through the active Puerto Rican TTRPG online community. He is a true gaming polymath—designing content, creating art, and even producing gaming-related music. I genuinely hope to sit down and play a game with him someday.

Let’s get right to the interview!

Introduce yourself! Who are you and what do you create?

Hello there! My name is Eddie, also known as Carbo_Creates on social media. I create all sorts of things. I draw (characters, maps, places, etc.), write adventure modules and mini-zines, make dungeon tiles, and create sculptures (in clay and cold porcelain). I also design tattoo pieces.

How would you describe your art or creative endeavor?

I would describe my creative endeavor and art style as chaotic and improvised. Sure, I can have a theme or idea in mind, but I let things flow as they go. I might start drawing something, but that inspires another vision or way around it, and I try to explore that too—basically, a chill, go-with-the-flow kinda mindset.

How did you discover TTRPGs?

I started playing and getting involved with TTRPGs in 2017, but I had heard of them way before that. Funny enough, what got me interested again was watching a live play where Matt Mercer game-mastered, and Vin Diesel was a player. I saw it and thought that I’d love to play that game.

(I believe he’s referring to this!)

It’s like making a movie or series episode in collaboration, and I love movies and fantasy shows. After that, I went online and read everything I could find about systems, adventures, modules, bestiaries, etc. I really fell in love with the Numenera setting. It got me through the Hurricane Maria recovery time.

Do you actively play TTRPGs? What are you playing?

Right now, I have a campaign starting soon with a group of players from various Puerto Rico TTRPG Discord servers. It’s a Shadowdark campaign that I will GM for.

What do you want to play next?

I really want to get that Shadowdark campaign going, but I haven’t set an official date for it yet. Beyond that, I would also love to GM Numenera and play one-shots in a variety of different systems.

What projects do you have available right now, and what are you working on next?

Wow, this will be a long answer, so I’ll try my best to keep it short! I have many mini-zines available, from a simple D6 ruleset inspired by EZd6 and other TTRPGs to setting-inspiring zines. I also sell stickers and prints of my art. I’m currently working on turning my first published adventure, The Grand Palace Opera, into single pages so I can send it to print.

I also have a lot of ideas in mind, and some of them are starting to manifest, like a dungeon synth album and many more mini-zines. On the drawing side of things, I’m focusing on doodling every day. I love how it has inspired some of my best work. Also, I do art commissions and will soon be taking clients for tattoos!

Where can people find your work?

My work can be found on my Carbo_Creates itch.io and DriveThruRPG pages. You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook as Carbo_Creates. Most of my work is free in digital form, except for my music and The Grand Palace Opera adventure zine for Shadowdark.

Any closing thoughts? To close, I must thank you for this opportunity to share my story with TTRPGs and my art. To anyone reading this: keep imagining a better world, keep playing and having fun, experience joy in the little things, and explore your creativity as much as possible. Oh, and I guess check out my work!

We will definitely check it out, Eddie! I am really looking forward to seeing your future projects.

On a general note, I am actively looking for other Puerto Rican creatives in the TTRPG space—creating art, writing, or whatever it may be—who would like to share their experiences and their work. Your art does not even have to be directly related to TTRPGs, but I want to continue sharing interviews with Boricua gamer-creatives for this ongoing Sunday series.

I’m also open to interviewing other creators worldwide who want to share their art and experiences or have me review their products. If you’d be interested in a conversation or have some game-related project you’d like me to look at, reach out here via the blog or on my socials! I want this year of celebrating my 40th gaming anniversary to be a time to talk with and get to know other gamers and creators, and to help spread the word about new, interesting projects in our gaming space.

Here is the description of the setting directly from the campaign page:

What is Arcton?

“An uncontested and insurgent undead army laid waste to the frozen nation of Arcton centuries prior. Now, 8 oligarchical Liches oversee their respective regions, sending their Officers to craft their undead labor force out of their own living citizens. These powerful and arrogant entities consume and destroy the land that once held a vast resource of wild and unpredictable magic.

However, the story is not truly about them. Arcton is a vast and distinct nation with various cultures, people, customs, and beliefs that remained isolated from region to region. This is the story of the details, the inhabitants, and the dangerous, but beautiful, land, as complicated and nuanced as it can all be. But most importantly, this story is about you.”

Eliana is an active member of the Puerto Rico TTRPG community and an absolutely amazing creator. The project is already fully funded, which is fantastic! I am proudly a backer, and if this setting interests you, I highly invite you to check it out and support it if you can.

I wish Eliana continued success with this amazing project!

Project link: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/cosmographia/arcton-from-ingala-to-the-wastes-books-1-and-supplements