For the Realm, For Glory, for the Kids.

11/15/25

Some thoughts about my past and current TTRPG system inclinations. Learn a little about Mythic Bastionland and why you should play it..

Click to Expand and read here!

I've had a pretty big shift in my gaming system preferences lately. Last year, EZd6 was my primary game engine. Now, we're playing Mythic Bastionland and Nimble; Let's talk about it.

If you've played with me recently, you know I refuse to play DnD5e for ethical reasons and rejected the system’s mechanical foundation in favor of leaner games with more intentional design. This saw me falling in love with EZd6 and running a campaign for almost two years in it. The pick up and play nature, the 5-minute character creation, and the ability to play with just 1 6-sided die were all selling points. 10/10, wonderful time. Combat was fast, skill checks were simple and universal, and I could blow through 2-3x more content per session than I could with DND/Dungeon Crawl Classics.

Now, I need games to be even faster, I want stats back, and the little ones I'm running games for in the Maps, Math, Monsters program need levels and class abilities to fixate on. The solution is two-fold: Mythic Bastionland for the adults and home games, Nimble 2 for the babies and folks that need a little more crunch.

Mythic Bastionland is a gem by Chris McDowall that features 72 knights you roll at random, 3 stats that you roll randomly, and a roll under system to perform skill checks/saves. Also, it's got the single best story generation engine I've ever seen. You generate a world, use a few of the 72 myths included in the book, and watch as characters slowly uncover myths by randomly encountering their 6 escalating Omens. The prompts and character blocks given for each myth are fast, evocative reads with just enough information for a game master to create gold on the fly with immaculate vibes.

The hex crawl is the meat of the game and its elegant design makes it easy to run with minimal/no prep beyond initial world generation. Combat is quick, deadly, and meaningful. Chris removes attack rolls, introduces guard as a health buffer that regenerates between battles, and makes you regret every hit you take. I've been able to get first timers to the point of rolling dice within 10 minutes of sitting, and I love it.

Nimble 2 is what I was hoping DnD 2024 would be: the dungeons and dragons fantasy/ideal experience distilled and rebuilt from the ground up. Without the legacy mechanics and holdovers from 50 years of iterative game design, it strikes a good balance of speed and detail. And coincidentally, Nimble also removes attack rolls.

Expect more words about these two systems as I build out my Gaming Empire for 2026.

Maps, Math, and Monsters II

11/12/2025

Island Harbor Games is back again with some games for the Teenagers!!

Ever been curious about Dungeons and Dragons? This is the perfect time to jump in! Play with a local game master with thousands of hours of professional experience and take your first step into your new favorite hobby!

Students will exercise their basic literacy, math, and critical thinking skills as they work with others on their team to explore and solve problems in a fantasy adventure setting during safe, structured social gaming sessions.

Teenagers play on Wednesdays!

Teenagers' Games

Ages 13-17
November 12th - December 17th
Wednesdays 3:30pm
Custom Adventure with Age-Appropriate Content
6 weekly play sessions
Snacks and Drinks Included
No Experience Required!

Students will create a fantasy character, define their backstory and strengths, and take them on an adventure in a fantasy world!

Poetry

Poetry Up

5/15/2025

Click to Expand: 3 new works, 2 haiku and one not.
Hush lives firmly in the ether, Dire 4 is grounded in material reality. And Archive lives on the bridge between, rooted in historic curses we've worked to break.

Find more Poetry in the archive

Image Courtesty of Wikipedia Commons via Creative Commons 2.0