brandonwritesgames

[brandonwritesgames]

Duellists now available for Print on Demand!

Good news @everyone!

Duellists has been approved for Print on Demand on DrivethruRPG!

You can check it out here!

Here's what you can expect the print verison to look like!

[brandonwritesgames]

Collage Comissions!

Hey friends! Commissions!

At the recommendation of a friend, I've decided to open a commissions page for collages on my Ko-Fi! I'm happy to make them A4 or US Letter sized, styled in the same way as my Dieselpunk 1921 and Duellist collages

Ko-Fi Comissions

[brandonwritesgames]

Dieselpunk 1921 - Aristocrat NPC

Here's the small illustration I made to fit with the "Aristocrat" entry! I like how the faceplate turned out more than I expected I would.

The background might become a running motif for NPC backgrounds, but i'm not 100% sure.

[brandonwritesgames]

Good Dieselpunk 1921 news!

I should have all of the country description pages written today! That means I can return my focus on the collages, which I'm pretty excited about!

[brandonwritesgames]

Why You Should Try Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Part 1: We Worked Hard on It

This is part 1 of a multi-part series of posts about the awesome features of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, in no particular order. I’m gonna be posting these every Monday until I run out of them.

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is a TTRPG by The Agency of Narrative Intrigue and Mystery (A.N.I.M.), a small independent studio. At the time of writing this, it is in open beta, but has been fully playable for over a year. This game aims to fill a niche that is extremely under-served and under-explored in the TTRPG space, investigation and mystery-solving gameplay, and improve upon the shortcomings of previous iterations of the concept by learning from them.

It is the product of over four years of work, over twenty years of combined TTRPG playing and designing experience, extensive playtesting and feedback, and support from our wonderful friends, families, and fans.

It was really way too big and ambitious of a project for a team of only 7 people (just 2 when we started), but somehow we’ve been able to pull it off. This game is going to come out extremely polished later this year, and even get a physical release soon after that, but you don’t have to wait that long to play it. It’s available for pay-what-you-want (including $0) on itchio. The itchio beta is updated relatively infrequently, but you can get guaranteed monthly updates by signing up to our patreon, as well as a bunch of other bonus material like short stories, adventure modules, and prerelease versions of our team’s other projects.

It’s also one of the last chances for myself, a disabled person who struggles to work a “normal” job due to disability, to become self-sufficient and support myself independently.

If you want to support unashamedly queer and disabled art in an industry choked by monopoly, and get a really good thoughtfully-crafted game out of it, here is your chance. Even if you have no money to give, it still helps us for you to download the free version, play it, talk about it to your friends, and/or reblog this post and others from this same account. Word-of-mouth is the only advertising we’ve got, and your good-will is my life-line.

[brandonwritesgames]

greta thunberg, liam cunningham, rima hassan, and everyone else on that ship, thank you, and i hope you succeed. i really hope you succeed. you know what you are risking, and i wish for you to come back safely, having done what you set out to do.

[brandonwritesgames]

Celebrating Pride month by playing Dieselpunk 1921, shooting imperialists, and supporting a nonbinary indie designer :3

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 Here!

The Republic of Mexico

The people of Mexico have long fought against the vile claws of Imperialism. The recent overthrow of the US and German backed dictatorship saw a rise in radical unity across Mexico, and the formation of a worker run Republic. While the structure mirrors what once was, the policies of unrestricted labour unionism, nationalizing essential industries, and preparing for another possible US invasion has rallied the spirit of Mexico. President Zapata, having faced an assassination attempt during a rally, has only used these attacks by American business interests to legitimize the radical positions of his government – and he has used the assassination attempt to further press the need to build the first true workers state.

The swells of revolutionary celebration have calmed slightly, giving way to the sobering realization of the magnitude of work ahead. Many in Mexico have begun forming new unions, not only to protect the rights of workers but also to build solidarity in community through food sharing and community education. Yet among all of this, there are still holdouts of the old regime, with flashes of violence still occurring near the American border and disruptions in supply lines between cities.

For professionals, work takes every form in Mexico; whether it be acquiring liquor to smuggle into the United States, to passing along logistics information between union organizations. The frequency of small US-backed anti-government holdouts have likewise created a cottage industry in train robbery and banditry, with US arms being used to rob Mexican citizens for the benefit of industrial barons.

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 here!

The Dominion of Newfoundland

When the royal family began sending messages seeking refuge from the raging civil war in England, Newfoundland was the first to respond: A firms, two-word response of "Not Here". Maintaining a close relationship with the Republic of Ireland over the crumbling United Kingdom, Cashin's government of the Dominion of Newfoundland has already begun the steps to join Ireland in republicanism. While the Newfoundland government finds itself facing a crisis of cash relative to it's monolithic neighbours, they remain staunch in their belief in independence and republicanism; however there are concerns that, with the tremendous losses suffered at Beaumont Hamel, the small island could be annexed by either Canada or the United States of America.

Newfoundlanders are a tough people, though with so few of the island's sons returning from the Great War many fear the worst for the future. The farms and fishing boats, already struggling with the encroachment of Americans and Canadians in Newfoundland's waters, are manned by the overworked and the elderly. Despite this, some still preach hope in a radical future, with a growing movement calling for a treaty of unity with the new Republic of Ireland; a call met with equal amounts of mockery and cheers.

Professionals often struggle to find work in Newfoundland; few are willing to take on the difficult work of farming for little pay, while others are not interested in hearing the town gossip. Yet for some with keen eyes for opportunity, work abounds in sabotaging American and Canadian fishing and shipping vessels cutting through Newfoundlander waters. Further still, a lucrative market is beginning to emerge in the St. John's harbour trading in stolen American and Canadian business secrets.

[brandonwritesgames]

D&D 5e supposedly has a GM shortage and idk maybe if the player culture of the game didn't treat GMing as a thankless job and the rules of the game as an issue to be fixed by the GM maybe things would be better. Ah well, who knows. Maybe a couple hundred more "we ruined the GM's campaign on purpose" memes will make people enjoy running the game better.

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 here!

The Swiss Confederation

Neutrality has its benefits. With war raging around Switzerland, opportunistic businessmen and government officials found ways to use the chaos and death of The Great War to their advantage. With rapid developments in manufacturing and Strider development, the Swiss Confederation has seen an influx of wealth from all European powers, each one scrambling to gain access to the essential weapons systems from Switzerland. As government officials, private corporations, and opportunistic criminals from all countries gather in Bern to earn the favour of the Swiss, Swiss officials negotiate alliances with other neutral powers to increase the concentration of wealth in the hands of those untouched by the Great War.

Even as the echos of war rang through the Swiss Alps, the Swiss themselves found themselves living in relative comfort and luxury. Even though the frequency of avalanches has increased with the instability of the mountains, the highly advanced search and rescue teams assisted by the uniquely Swiss Striders have seen a dramatic fall in resulting deaths from such events. The remarkable wealth of the Swiss has afforded them the privileges of luxurious automobiles being a common sight in Bern, Zurich, and Geneva; though such wealth has likewise attracted the attention of smugglers and thieves.

For professionals, the wealth of high value targets for ransom or assassination has led to the creation of networks of mercenaries for hire, some taking on protection jobs while others attempt to carry out violence against the wealthy elite of the Swiss Confederation. The influx of corporate agents has drawn the attention of radical organizations from around the globe, with some setting their sights on business disruption, high level theft, and espionage; all in the aim of disrupting the tightening the control of business. Professionals are never short of work in The Swiss Confederation, especially not those willing to do violence for a paycheque.

[brandonwritesgames]

I might be able to send you some of the pngs I've made from Public Domain art, if you'd like!

New batch of public domain art

As before, cleaned up + cut out from existing public domain art. This is all from the work of Johann Wagner. You can download the whole set for free on itch, and it remains public domain. I'm planning to try at some point to put it up on a more convenient website. https://seedling.itch.io/modified-public-domain-art

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 here!

The Kingdom of Finland

The alliance with the Central Powers was seen as a crucial step in recovering territory annexed by the Russian Empire, yet for all the promises of support and arms Finland saw little beyond hollow platitudes and symbolic donations of arms and striders - both largely unfit to be used in the thick forests and cold winters of Scandinavia. The unpopularity of the war, and the fallout of failing to retake Finnish territory has seen armed popular uprisings against King and Parliament – most calling for the abdication of Friedrich Karl, with some calling for the establishment of a Worker's Republic. A sharp split in territory defines Finland, with the Finnish Whites in the South holding territory with the aid of Livonia and scattered Russian monarchist factions, while the Finnish Radicals shoring up strongholds in the north. Finland, still divided by Trenches and Strongholds, has become a Great War in microcosm, the desperation of both sides increasing as ammunition and supplies become more and more scarce.

Finnish lives have changed very little since the beginning of the Great War, save that more Finns now see the fighting first hand. Where once the countryside was home to serene sights of farmers tilling their fields or herds of reindeer, the landscape is marred by intense fighting between factions desperate to conserve their ammunition as they struggle for food and territory. No more are small towns filled with the sounds of joyous gathering, rather neighbour turns on neighbour.

Professionals find themselves able to do what few others can; travel through Finland while finding work and food. While being paid in Markka is a rare occurrence, trading in food and shelter for undertaking jobs ranging from smuggling food to rescuing captured radicals. While some professionals dedicate themselves to pursuing the radical aims, there are those willing to betray their morals to serve the Finnish Whites and their promise of wealth and power.

[brandonwritesgames]

Are you available for commission?

Hi there! Unfortunately I don't do commissions. I just do collages for my games. I'm glad you like them though!

[brandonwritesgames]

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 Here!

The Kingdom of Denmark

Denmark is often called a small country, especially when examined next to the imperial neighbour to the south. But Denmark is not a small country. With an imperial arm that stretches from Copenhagen to Godthåb, King Christian X finds himself in control of vast territory – a reality that is tinged with Imperial pride and practical concern. Denmark is not a small country, but it is not one people, nor is it unified. Significant movements calling for the independence of Greenland and Iceland have been growing in the face of Parliament's capitulation to the German demands for Oil, much of which is drilled in Greenland; and Strider components, much of which is designed in Iceland. The economic hearts of Denmark are Iceland and Greenland, yet it is in Denmark that the wealth stays, and it is in Denmark that the future of Iceland and Greenland is decided.

The lives of people in Danish territories vary wildly; those in Denmark find themselves living in luxury relative to those in Iceland or Greenland. Life in Greenland and Iceland comes at extreme expense, with most food that is not hunted or fished having to be imported. With the economic pressures of the Central Powers, imports have been heavily restricted to those coming from mainland Europe. Rising food costs due to the extremely long shipping times and difficult to navigate shipping lanes has led to a growing trend in food smuggling from Canada and the United States.

Savvy professionals often exploit this growing need for food in Greenland and Iceland, either aiding food smugglers to ensure people are fed or extorting local communities for more wealth. Others find work sabotaging the German and Spanish inspection ships off the costs of Iceland and Greenland, while others may engage in industrial sabotage in Denmark to aid the growing anti-monarchy and pro-labour movements.

[brandonwritesgames]

They’ve released not just digitized works of art, but also a great many art history texts and art books in general. Just this week, they announced an expansion of access to their digital archive, in that they’ve made nearly 88,000 images free to download on their Open Content database under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). That means “you can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.”

88,000 new free images just dropped, to use however you like.

[brandonwritesgames]

Why Play Dieselpunk 1921? Character Options

Inspired by @anim-ttrpgs, I thought I'd make a lil' series about why you should play Dieselpunk 1921!

Dieselpunk 1921 has no classes, which means you aren't locked into a specific play style that you might not like in the end. Professionals are given a choice from a wide variety of Occupations, all of which provide some sort of bonus to your skills, and Backgrounds, which give you bonus tools and faction interactions.

The options range wildly, from Great War Veteran Spies infiltrating the highest ranks of the burgeoning Criminal Underworld, to Long Term Convicts turned Union Organizers leading their fellow workers against Mine Owners and Private Detectives in the United States. The options are (nearly) endless, but my favourite character that I've made is Wessel Hörst van Wieren, a Noble Scion/Great War Veteran turned criminal after deserting from the Austrian army.

Whether you want to run a tense noir game in the shadowy streets of New York, a Daring heist in the busy city of Tokyo, or a tale of love and loss in Brasilia, Dieselpunk 1921 gives you the tools and options you need to make whatever character you want!

Check out Dieselpunk 1921 here!