fragments of a blue ruin
The first Vaarn Summer Jam ended on the 7th of September 2022, with 33 submissions from tabletop RPG creators on itch.io! I've been delighted by the variety of the submissions and the level of artistry shown by the community. The great pleasure of creating a TTRPG setting is seeing others add to or modify it,… Continue reading VAARN SUMMER JAM: THE ENTRIES (PART ONE)
My home Vaarn campaign (currently on hiatus) reached a point where the PCs were delving into the flooded artificial caverns beneath the city of Gnomon, ostensibly in the employ of the Water Baron but in reality seeking to disable his sabotage device. We will return to this narrative someday, and I don’t intend to spoil… Continue reading CREATURES OF GNOMON’S DEPTHS
The word 'daemon' in Vaarnish parlance can refer to a number of different phenomena. What these disparate entities hold in common is that they are bodiless intelligences, often malicious, that seek to influence the material world or to inhabit the flesh of humans. The term is loosely applied: a swarm of invasive nanomachines might be… Continue reading QUANTUM DAEMONS
Hello folks, been a while, I’ve got something new on sale at Antipode! The second Vaults of Vaarn Adventure Pack is now available. The mysterious, far-future wasteland of Vaarn is expanded in this pack of two short format adventure locations. Together The Fount of Illustrious Flesh and Caeba in the Maw provide two challenging dungeons and one safe haven for… Continue reading VAULTS OF VAARN: ADVENTURE PACK 2
I was interviewed about Vaarn by Andrew at the excellent Bucolia blog. We talk about novels, videogames, Moebius, early Vaarn trivia, and I reveal my favourite TV show. It's well worth visiting Bucolia if you haven't already; there are Vaarn actual plays, solo plays, and some new generator tables and mini games. I have also… Continue reading Bucolia Interview
They are the fulfillment of humanity’s oldest and fondest wish: that we might join the birds we envy in the unbounded blue of the depths above. Despite forsaking the ground they have renounced none of their ancestors’ pride and the creatures are famed for their mercurial tempers and capacity to hold a grudge. The harpies… Continue reading PLAYER ANCESTRY: HARPY
I was asked recently about monster stat blocks and how I come up with them. I thought we should take a brief tour of the anatomy of a Vaarn monster, dig around in their metaphorical guts, and learn what all their numbers and stats are telling us. Hopefully you will arrive at a clearer understanding… Continue reading ANATOMY OF A MONSTER
Is there any sweeter smell? Fresh baked hardback books, just like mama used to make. The Deluxe Edition is now on sale at Exalted Funeral, so all my North American friends can now purchase a copy (if President Brandon's bungling on gas prices has left you with any dollars in your pockets of course. I… Continue reading AMERICAN VAARN
They were made to be devoured, a divine gift from GAEA to Her charges. Each adult weighs more than two men, the flanks beneath their soft white skin laden with fat. Their eyes and ears are weak, their legs likewise. They were never intended to run. Within the pliant confines of their frames, twinned… Continue reading FEASTBEAST
The Deluxe Edition hardcover is out in the world, and judging by my social media feed the packages have been arriving in a lot of homes already! Huge thanks to everyone who bought a copy. Games Omnivorous are sold out of the first printing, and we at Antipode Zines have also sold our last copy.… Continue reading Summer News
VAULTS OF VAARN 