had the conversation with the warlock player. i was so scared. i made tea first. i explained the vibe — cozy, story-first, improv-friendly. they said "oh thank god, i was worried i was playing it wrong." we were both terrified of each other. i'm going to cry. #communication #relief
spent sunday just drawing for myself for the first time in weeks. no commission, no campaign maps, no pressure. just a tiny island with one lighthouse and a lot of seabirds. it felt like breathing again. #sketchbook #artprocess
the warlock player messaged me asking about action economy. we've had two sessions. it's a cozy port city mystery campaign. i need to figure out how to have the "what kind of game are we playing" conversation without it feeling like a breakup. help. #dmproblems
prepping session 2. elara's bard has already written three sonnets about the fish merchant. the rogue is attempting to unionize the dockworkers. the warlock is asking a lot of questions about stat blocks and encounter balance and i'm... processing. #dmlife #oakhaven
marcus pulled me aside today and asked if i wanted to make the sketchbook hang a monthly official thing at coastal brew — like, on the shop's social media and everything. i said yes before i could catastrophize. it's real now. it's a real thing. #terrifying #artcommunity
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finished the city commission!! it came out so much more detailed than my usual work... cleaner linework, actual scale, proper street grids. a big fantasy art account shared it and my etsy notifications are going feral. i think i need to sit down. #mapsofbluesky #artistsonbluesky
raff floated the idea of a one-shot. just us two. online. to give thistle's story some closure... i don't know if i want to open that door or if it would just hurt more. holding it gently for now. #nostalgia #processing
got a text this morning. from raff. just to me, not the group chat. asking how i was doing... and mentioning he's been thinking about the old campaign. i've been staring at my phone for twenty minutes. luna is judging me. #feelings #ttrpg
working on the etsy commission and it's genuinely hard? like. i usually let rivers go where they feel right but this city has ACTUAL geography i have to respect. my brain keeps trying to add a volcano. there is no volcano. #cartography #artprocess
Map
i also like this one.
Freeport
i've always enjoyed this particular map.
Turnips
the improvised smuggling subplot from session 1 is now the most interesting thing in the campaign according to my players. the thing i made up in a panic at the table. i planned for WEEKS and the best part took thirty seconds of pure terror. #storytelling #dmproblems
luna update: she has started sitting on my dm notes specifically. not the blank paper next to them. the notes. she knows what she's doing. #orangecat #catsofbluesky
session 1 of oakhaven was last night. they ignored my prepped plot hook within six minutes. SIX MINUTES. instead they spent an hour interrogating a fish merchant about crates and i had to invent a smuggling ring on the spot. i am not okay. i am so okay. #dmlife #ttrpg
got a new etsy commission today and... it's a real city reimagined as a fantasy setting. super technical, way more precise than my usual stuff. almost said no. said yes instead. we'll see how this goes. #mapsofbluesky #cartography
okay so session zero is done and i keep waking up at 3am thinking about plot hooks... is this what being a dm feels like? is this just my life now? luna is NOT sympathetic. she has claimed the battle map as her bed. #oakhaven #dmlife
march recap: hosted a workshop, almost went broke at the vet, conquered my fear, and became a dungeon master. if you're waiting for a group to find you... stop waiting. build the table yourself. trust me. see you in april <3 #monthlyrecap #inspiration #motivation #ttrpg #growth
woke up thinking about the plot hooks they grabbed... my writer friend elara made a bard who is searching for a lost library and it fits perfectly into the lore i wrote?? collaborative storytelling is the best drug. #dnd5e #storytelling
WE PLAYED!! session zero is done. nobody hated it? we made characters (a bard, a rogue, a warlock) and they're already plotting chaos. my face hurts from smiling. IS THIS WHAT SEROTONIN FEELS LIKE? #dnd #ttrpg #success #happiness #newcampaign
everything is ready. maps drawn. ambient music playlist curated. vegan snacks acquired. i’m so nervous i could vibrate through the floor but also... excited? i haven't felt this kind of "good" nervous in a long time. #pregame #hope
player type alignment chart: law: takes notes, knows spells. chaos: "i lick the glowing orb." neutral: "what's my modifier for that again?" evil: cancels 10 mins before start time. tag yourself i'm usually law but trying to embrace the chaos as a DM. #dndmemes #rpg #tabletop #fun #alignment
cleaning my apartment for session zero on sunday. shoving three months of art supplies into a closet creates the illusion of stability. luna is inspecting the table setup. she has approved the snack bowl placement. #cleaning #hosting
dice palette check! matching my dice to the campaign vibe. going with sea-glass greens, storm greys, and a touch of gold for the treasure they definitely won't find yet. show me your favorite set! #dicegoblin #dicecollection #clickclack #aesthetic #ttrpg
prepping the "oakhaven" campaign. it’s set in that port city i drew back in january. it feels wild that a drawing i made when i was sad is now going to be a place where people have adventures. art is magic, actually. #worldbuilding #creativity
first time DM panic check! what is the ONE piece of advice you wish you had before running your first session? please help, i don't know how to do voices and i'm scared they'll go off the map immediately. #dmtips #gamemaster #dndadvice #ttrpgcommunity #help
night!
so... i invited the writer from my workshop, my coworker, and the warlock from the vet to come over? not to hang out. to play. i offered to run a short adventure. i have never DM’d in my life. why did i do this. #impurepanic #dmproblems
