Author Archives: Ekorren

Tabletop RPGs and the Satanic Panic

Tabletop RPGs have been a huge part of pop culture since the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 (Noland, 2021). Players formed clubs and organized events. Even teachers used the games as part of education programs (Lancaster, 2004). But there has also been many misconceptions about these games over the decades (Hawkes-Robinson, 2014). ThereContinue reading “Tabletop RPGs and the Satanic Panic”

Exalted: Planning Your First Game

It is often said that Exalted is a game where you, as the Storyteller, can’t plan for your players’ shenanigans. It is said that the player characters are too powerful to be contained within some kind of planned narrative. This is an exaggeration. Exalted is a very different game to storytell compared to many otherContinue reading “Exalted: Planning Your First Game”

Cyberpunk Red: Themes & Presentation

HIGH TECH, LOW LIFE While technology and transhumanism are huge selling points for the Cyberpunk franchise, another one is the underdog who barks at its master; the urchin who challenges the king. One of the core tenets of the genre has always been “high tech, low life,” and its depictions of the streets have beenContinue reading “Cyberpunk Red: Themes & Presentation”

Machineborn Preview: Timeline

The Modern Era: Until Early 21st Century The Modern Era was a time when people could communicate instantly across the globe and soar through the sky like gods in bewinged machines. With technology changing the ways people lived their lives from year to year, the early 21st century was an amazing time for many—though thatContinue reading “Machineborn Preview: Timeline”

Machineborn Preview: Setting Overview 2

The Nanite Matrix After Primary Order seized control over civilization, it laid the foundation for countless breakthroughs in science and engineering. One such breakthrough was the design for a microscopic device small enough to integrate with living cells and replicate with them. Primary Order released these devices into the atmosphere so that they could naturallyContinue reading “Machineborn Preview: Setting Overview 2”

Machineborn Preview: Setting Overview

Civilization Several centuries ago, the artificial intelligence Primary Order governed over civilization with the purpose of seeing to everyone’s prosperity. While many were satisfied living under the authority of this machine, others felt restricted and belittled, seeing themselves as enslaved by the tyranny of inhumanity. To avoid an uprising against its rule, Primary Order createdContinue reading “Machineborn Preview: Setting Overview”