KL Forslund

These days, everything starts in Saltmarsh. Which might be fine if I had an observatory, perhaps just outside of town. We’re remote enough I might get a clear view of the sky. Especially from that old house on the cliff we first explored. In any event, one Albrick sent for our party, The Salted Blades, to his home. A mansion of great wealth, at least in former times. Albrick it seemed, had been a successful merchant with a shipping industry. His ship, the Emperor of the Waves

A few weeks back, when we captured the Sea Ghost, we discovered the passengers, a group of lizardfolk. The town of Saltmarsh didn’t trust them, so put them up in a secure location. I still don’t think that was a good idea, but finally, the council came to us to head out to the lizardfolks’ home and discuss the situation. Penelope and Vantiss scarpered off on some hairbrained quest with the druid we’d met in a bar. Then, as part of this diplomatic mission, the dwarves “tricked

I’m preparing to run a Star Wars RPG campaign. It’s my practice to explain my house rules, game expectations, etc so players know what they’re getting into. Surprises should be narrative, not miscommunication. I also need a place to park information I’ll need. Let’s get to it. Setting The Republic fell five years ago, but in the Outer Rim, it’s business as usual. Do the job. Get paid. Avoid attention from the authorities. Try not to let your past catch up with you. Nothing ch

Remember when science fiction said we'd be eating food cubes and pills? Yeah, that's not happening. Food is more than nutrients, it's culture, family, and moments all served on a plate. Issue 34 of Boundary Shock Quarterly asked the writers to imagine food on a galactic scale and we brought a full menu. Links To Buy Here's links to everywhere you can buy this issue in alphabetical order: Apple Books https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id6761338369 KDP Paperback (Amazon)...

After we returned to Saltmarsh, a stranger enlisted us in a quest that turned into a kidnapping of sorts. It started in the pub with most of us eating dinner. Vantiss communed with nature. Or dead things. Maybe both. A stranger approached in the typical way they do with a job, and even an unknown patron joined in. The next moment, we were whisked away to a set of trials to entertain giant powerful beings. My recollection of what all entailed became fuzzy on our return. Obviou

We’ve returned from the Sunless Citadel, and I think it is telling that I was the only one who couldn’t see in the dark. From my last entry, when we broke camp in a room we’d holed up in, things felt off. Nothing interrupted our rest. No one waited in ambush. Certain members of the party held general impressions or understandings of the complex layout. With no map, they still knew roughly where to go. Which led us to deserted rooms. One held a red dragon statue standing in fr

Back in mid-summer, an opportunity came up. Blaze Ward put out a call for new contributors to his zine Boundary Shock Quarterly. I answered, and since he'd published something from me a few years back, he trusted me to jump on board without much rigamarole. So, with a month and half left in the quarter, while my old dog Athena had health issues and passed, I managed to crank out a tale with hacking, and slashing and brilliantly lit ships because that' how they go faster. The

At the start of the year, it was obvious companies were enshittifying software with AI. So I wrote an article with ways to shut that off (See references section at the end for link). Now, at the end of the year, it’s time to take further steps. Here goes. Why Stay on Windows Depending on what you need to run, I assume you need to keep running Windows, and just want to shut off as much crap as you can. Maybe I’ll explore a linux conversion someday, but for now, I need a Window

After years of wizardly planning, everything’s coming together, but first, I needed to reach the toilet paper. I leaned over, careful not to tip over the five-gallon bucket I sat on to reach the roll that fell off the other, upside down one I’d set nearby. Once I’d gotten ahold of it, I checked for scorpions; just dirt and those sticker things. That’s when I heard the vehicle roll up, and car doors open. “Alex! Where are you?” Skit. Crappy timing. I rushed to finish up before

The further we go into the citadel, the less I recognize myself. After spending the night in the tower, we opted to rappel down a rope via the central shaft. A mere eighty feet into the darkness. I lost my grip, fell a ways and managed to catch the rope again. There was no time to catch my breath at the bottom, skeletons, twig blights, and a bug bear greeted us with violence. My contribution to the battle consisted of sending errant blasts of eldritch force that at best kept

This week, I ran across a bit of DMing advice to just tell the players the hallway has a trap. Which makes one wonder when searching for...

What a difference a day makes. We woke up in the kobold village and went to bed in the goblin village. Sometime during all that, a lot of...

You step into the Lost Hand Cantina looking for something. While mostly empty, a group of players sit around a table rolling chance...

Ever find combat to be a slog? Catch your players drifting off when it’s their turn? Maybe you need faster combats! But seriously,...

Thennek, 2nd level human Warlock Forces unseen, like gravity, move us toward something. Is it the Eye? Maybe. Did it all start with my...

How much background or backstory do you really need to play your first D&D session with a new character? I bet it could be none for some...

Thennek, warlock of Ilian Observatory The Salt Marsh city council summoned us at the end of our week in town and demanded a name....

Thennek, warlock of Ilian Observatory The sound I heard while we rested in the undead alchemist’s lair may have been a portent. She...

Thennek, warlock of Ilian Observatory After the fighting ended, the pain from the acid hit me. My hands shook as I fumbled in my pack for...

They said if we allowed, the revolution would be bloodless. But they were ready for the alternative. Eager, in fact. Carving up the body...