Thomas @koboldskeep Keene

@kobolds-keep

he/him 🎮 #gamedev 🎲 #ttrpg ✍️ #noAI 🚫 Our score attack puzzle game Junk-o-Tron is out on Steam and Nintendo Switch! 🟥🟩🟦🤖 Videogames TTRPGs

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Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 23

Junk-o-Tron 1.1 patch is out! Robots are now 50% snarkier. Barring any major catastrophes, this is the last thing I'll do for this #gamedev project. I'm glad so many people liked it! It's the most popular thing I ever made with @animatrix1490.bsky.social. store.steampowered.com/app/2514390/...

A large dumpster-shaped robot running through a shower of colorful scrap metal and trash-like objects

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 16

We've permanently reduced the price of Junk-o-Tron on Steam! Here's some more #gamedev notes: Observer came from @animatrix1490.bsky.social wanting to push herself with a faceless character. He emotes with his hands instead.

A shiny gold robot with a spherical head covered with lenses and a dramatic red cape.

A sketch of a robot that consists of a large eye with some small fins on the back.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 15

The awesome @ismael-rodriguez.bsky.social and I bundled our block puzzle games on Steam! You can get them for less than the price of a burger and fries! store.steampowered.com/bundle/66766...

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 13

Continuing the Junk-o-Tron #gamedev retrospective! I had a list of block spawning patterns we used to brainstorm character designs. One was "twins", spawning blocks in identical pairs. We had a few ideas, but @animatrix1490.bsky.social chose this because of a certain villain from the Reboot TV show.

A shiny chrome robot girl with two upper bodies back-to-back. One has her hands together in a contemplative pose, while the other is smiling like she's talking animatedly.

A robot with two heads, one is a round orb and the other has a face with protrusions that look like a visor. It is holding what looks like an old-fashioned sailing ship's steering wheel.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 7

More Junk-o-Tron gamedev retrospective! Gertrude didn't come up until a later round of development, but @animatrix1490.bsky.social decided she had to be modeled first because she loves heavy machinery like excavators. Seriously, I've seen her stop and stare at them on construction sites.

A large yellow robot with a trash compactor at the top of its torso and green excavator shovel hands.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 5

More #gamedev Junk-o-Tron retrospective. We whiteboxed the puzzle game mechanics for a year before deciding on any aesthetics or setting. Dave is the most "default" of the bunch. @animatrix1490.bsky.social says he was inspired by the Portal 2 robots and the robot townspeople from the Reboot TV show.

A one-eyed robot in a construction hat holding a cup of coffee. He is shrugging and rolling his eye.

Sketches of a one-eyed robot in a construction hat

A one-eyed robot in a construction hat with a cup of coffee

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· May 4

I'm gonna be talking about Junk-o-Tron #gamedev for the next week or so as we approach the May 14th Nintendo Switch release date. Let's start by showing off some the awesome retro-inspired 3D robot designs @animatrix1490.bsky.social made for the game.

Artwork of four robots standing in front of a crater full of trash while colored blocks rain down on either side of them.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Mar 19

Photorealistic DLSS5? Sorry, all I can do is this Wind Waker style polygonal lighting trick. github.com/tkeene/wind-... #gamedev

A green capsule standing in a room surrounded by torches with hard-edged light pools

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Feb 25

I dunno... Is he enough of a lil' guy? #ttrpg #scifi

Sketch of a crab like creature holding a fast food cup and messily drinking from it.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Feb 14

Rules-lite #ttrpg #dnd loot table for pickup games.

Magic Wand: Ud6. Equal odds of an
evocation, enchantment, or conjuration.
Magic Potion: Not for healing. Equal odds of
utility, thieving, combat, or whimsy.
Gemstone: Valuable and slightly magical. Useful for magecraft and arcane rituals.
Runesteel Ingot: Glows under your fingertips. Perhaps a smith could do something with it?
"Bottomless" Coffer: This bulky locked chest takes up 2 Item Slots but contains 6. Its interior is 2 feet across, 1 foot wide, and 6 feet deep.
Black Pearl of Chaos: Ud6. Once per day it empowers a spellbook with one additional use, but the result is tainted with wild magic.
Jackrabbit Boots: Ud6. You may swap locations with a willing ally you can see once per Turn.
Werespider Silk Rope: Very strong. While you touch either end it obeys your verbal commands.
Ring of the Djinn: Summons and commands a genie, who has barely any magic, but feigns competence. Returns to the ring if defeated.
Amulet of Mind Reading: Hear the thoughts of others. You can try to get more information, but it risks broadcasting your thoughts instead.
Fairy Flute: Ud6. Has a beautiful sound. Playing slowly for a few minutes causes deep sleep.
Stasis Bottle: This glass bottle captures anything that fits inside. It currently contains red-hot lava.
Curved Elvish Blade: Attacks with this light melee weapon are criticals on a 1 or 7.
Mithral Dwarvish Helm: +2 Armor, dwarves will recognize the clan markings and offer to buy it.
Skullblade: Stabbing this heavy melee weapon into a corpse's chest turns it into an obedient undead servant until the sword is removed.
Adamantine Shield: Utterly indestructible. When you succeed on a Check to defend and roll a multiple of 3, your opponent's weapon shatters.
Razor Wit: This light melee rapier will absorb a spell cast at it, releasing the spell when it strikes.
Dragonhide Scale Mail: Grants immunity to fire, and you take half damage from falling.
Firefang Axe: Heating this heavy melee weapon in a forge doubles the damage of its next 3 hit…

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jan 15

We ended up going with this. She's having the time of her life!

A large yellow robot with shovel hands frolicking through a rain of falling multicolored junk objects

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jan 15

So @animatrix1490.bsky.social and I were putting together Nintendo Switch #gamedev assets for Junk-o-Tron and had this exchange.

A screenshot of a Discord conversation. A hulking robot with shovel arms is posing. The conversation follows:
"How about that?"
"Gertrude is exuding 'level 2 mid boss" energy. Maybe goofier?"

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jan 7

Y'all like 80s racing games? @animatrix1490.bsky.social made the billboard, but we're still discussing aesthetic. #gamedev #godotengine

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jan 1

Some #TTRPG artwork for an upcoming #scifi zine. Honestly I'm uncomfortable and embarrassed about the quality of my art. But I'm hoping it adds authenticity and a feel for what I'm trying to do here.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Dec 28

It is possible to tap on a crystal locked door behind fog of war by accident and spend a key to open the door unintentionally. This is especially annoying if you were unaware it was a treasure room with six locks in it there. I was able to do this with only the unlocked wooden door visible.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Dec 18

Updated the #scifi one-shot #ttrpg handout. I like this version a lot better! About half of character creation was cut from the core rules, things like NPC Contacts, Species Traits, character Origins, and Class Perks. But it's easy to upgrade from the one-shot rules to the 16-page zine rules.

Laser Sword - Compact Edition v0.6.2 - by Thomas Keene @koboldskeep http://kobolds-keep.net
Tests: When you do something the Game Master deems Risky, you must roll a d20 and roll under the
relevant Ability. Favorable circumstances give Advantage, and your Ability gets a +5 bonus for that Test.
Hindrances like relevant Injuries give Disadvantage, a -5 penalty to the Ability.
Luck Points: Whenever you fail a Test, gain 1 Luck Point (track these with tokens). You may spend 1 LP after a
Test to reroll or substitute your LUK Ability. Unused LP are lost when the Mission ends.
Character Creation: Make your Character using the following steps:
1 Name your Character, come up with a brief description of their role on the Team, and answer this
Background question: "What did the Imperium take from you?" Add more details later as needed.
2 Assign the following numbers to your eight Abilities: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
* Might (MGT): A warrior's brutality. Grab, throw, wrestle, restrain, smash, Attack/Defend in Melee.
* Perception (PER): A ranger's alertness. See, hear, smell, search, track, navigate, Attack/Defend at Range.
* Endurance (END): A soldier's grit. Labor, ignore pain, resist poisons. Gives more Gear Slots.
* Charisma (CHZ): A socialite's moxie. Persuade, appeal, bargain, deceive, intimidate, ride mounts.
* Agility (AGI): An acrobat's finesse. Run, leap, climb, swim, sneak, pilot vehicles, dodge tangible Attacks.
* Craft (CFT): An engineer's technical savvy. Build, repair, appraise, invent, sabotage, analyze.
* Spirit (SPR): A mystic's psionic insight. Identify exotic effects, Attack/Defend with Powers.
* Luck (LUK): A fool's good fortune.
3 Choose one Power, your supernatural talent. You may Heighten it fourfold, but it Risks working too well.
* Telekinesis: Strong as your arms* Mindlink: Touch forges a long-term telepathic link
* Witchfire: Green flame burns or ages organics* Comet Dust: Create/shape/throw handful of ice
* Life Transfer: Move an Injury to another person

A TTRPG character sheet for the rules on the left.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Dec 14

I've been running rules-lite #ttrpg games as one-shots at the library. So far the fantasy one has been working really well! I found the most important thing is sticking to the Five-Room Dungeon steps, and writing down any foreshadowing or player expectations to deliver on them ASAP.

Old School TTRPG Quick Start by Thomas Keene @koboldskeep
Checks: When you do something risky, roll a d20 and you must roll under (not equal to) the relevant ability. Circumstances may give your ability a +5 bonus or a -5 penalty. NPCs do not roll.
2 Your adventurer had two careers before they started adventuring. Consult the Careers And Starting Equipment table, choosing two careers or rolling d100 twice. Each career gives you three items (for a total of six). Your careers may give you bonuses to relevant checks.
3 Assign the following numbers to your six abilities:
13 12 11 10 9 8
(Alternately, roll 3d6 down the line, loudly announcing the rolls for the group's entertainment.)
* Strength: The Warrior ability. Used for melee attacks and checks like climbing and lifting.
* Dexterity: The Thief ability. Used for checks requiring agility and reflexes, like dodging, sneaking, picking pockets, sleight of hand, etc. (Dexterity is not used to attack.)
* Constitution: The Adventurer ability. Used for checks to resist poison, intoxication, cold, etc.
* Intelligence: The Magic-User ability. Used for checks requiring cunning, like crafting, lock picking, potion-making, etc. Scrolls and spellbooks typically affect Int minus 10 targets.
* Wisdom: The Ranger ability. Used for ranged attacks and checks like foraging and navigation.
* Charisma: The Cleric ability. Used for social and divine intervention checks.
You also have an Armor ability, rolled to defend against attacks. It starts at 10.
4 You have Item Slots equal to your Constitution. Fill your remaining Slots with any number of:
Light Weapon: wield 2 for +1 accuracy
Armor Piece: each gives you +1 Armor (max 18)
Heavy Weapon: +1 damage, 2 hands, 2 Slots
Shield: +2 Armor (max 18) when held in one hand
Bow or Crossbow: 2 hands, Ud8 ammo
Healing Potion: heals 2d6 damage
Flintlock: noisy, +1 damage, 2 hands, 2 Slots, Ud6
A Random Spellbook: usable once per day
Extra Ammo: same Usage Die as the weapon

Laser Sword - Compact Edition - by Thomas Keene @koboldskeep http://kobolds-keep.net
Tests: When you do something the Game Master deems Risky, you must roll a d20 and roll under the
relevant Ability. Favorable circumstances give Advantage, giving your Ability a +5 bonus for that Test.
Hindrances like Injuries give a -5 Disadvantage.
Luck Points: Whenever you fail a Test, you gain 1 Luck Point (track these with tokens). You may spend 1 LP
after a Test to reroll or substitute your LUK Ability. Unused LP are lost when the Mission ends.
1 Name your Character, come up with a brief description of their role on the Team, and answer this
Background question: "What did the Imperium take from you?" Add more details later as needed.
2 Assign the following numbers to your eight Abilities: 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5
* Might (MGT): A warrior's brutality. Grab, throw, wrestle, restrain, smash, Attack/Defend in Melee.
* Perception (PER): A ranger's alertness. See, hear, smell, search, track, navigate, Attack/Defend at Range.
* Endurance (END): A soldier's grit. Labor, ignore pain, resist poisons.
* Charisma (CHZ): A socialite's moxie. Persuade, appeal, bargain, deceive, intimidate, ride mounts.
* Agility (AGI): An acrobat's finesse. Run, leap, climb, swim, sneak, pilot vehicles, dodge tangible Attacks.
* Craft (CFT): An engineer's technical savvy. Build, repair, appraise, invent, sabotage, analyze.
* Spirit (SPR): A mystic's psionic insight. Identify exotic effects, Attack/Defend with Powers.
* Luck (LUK): A fool's good fortune.
4 Choose one Power, your supernatural talent. You may Heighten it fourfold, but it Risks working too well.
* Telekinesis: Strong as your arms* Mindlink: Touch forges a long-term telepathic link
* Witchfire: Green flame burns or ages organics* Comet Dust: Create/shape/throw handful of ice
* Life Transfer: Touch moves Injuries to others* Psiblades: Energy blades, can reflect projectiles

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 23

Wind Waker style light and shadow stencils using #godotengine 4.5. The source code and sample project are on GitHub now for any #gamedev who wants to try it out. I also added a playable demo. Source - github.com/tkeene/wind-... WebGL Demo - koboldskeep.itch.io/wind-waker-l...

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 18

Okay maybe I will do a video explaining how all this stencil stuff works. #gamedev #godotengine #vfx

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 17

The whole point of this is that the stencil buffers look bad when they overlap and overwrite each other. Normally it looks like this:

A videogame prototype of two torches in a room casting hard-edged light pools on the floors and walls. One of the torches has its light pool cut off near the second torch which is in front of it.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 17

Wind Waker style stencil buffer torches are done! I'm gonna share this on GitHub soon. This should also do shadows and layered/nested spheres as well. Not sure whether it's worth making a full video explaining it yet... #gamedev #godotengine #vfx

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 16

Today I learned about game-icons.net, a great #gamedev and #ttrpg resource with thousands of icons for UI and item art.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Nov 9

Getting more serious about this parkour-platformer project again. #gamedev #godot

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Oct 13

Playing around with some #godotengine stencil buffers for spooky stuff like lanterns and ghosts. I'll be teaching people how to do this at a #gamedev club presentation later this month.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Sep 9

Thanks for hosting! I colored this lineart by @animatrix1490.bsky.social. We make TTRPGs and videogames.

A hallway of a crumbling temple with a glowing orb at its center. Several priests in robes with conical hats are moving about. The closest holds a book and we can see a glowing void that has grown over one of their eyes.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Sep 1

Some days you just can't get rid of a bug... #gamedev

A list of build folders numbered sequentially. The top ones are named "oops" and "doubleOpps". The bottom ones are named "saveSizing", "fixedSaveSize", and "pleaseWork".

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Aug 25

I've always wanted to run a Chrono Trigger inspired #ttrpg. There's something fun about using different a lot of different time periods as backgrounds and adventure settings. Also, who doesn't like dinosaurs in their tabletop games?

The Conflux: Everything that falls between the cracks ends up here, stuck to the lumpy underside of space-time. Millions of fragments of your world's history are illuminated by dim light from the Timestream above. Forgotten things, lost things, magical mishaps, unfortunate science experiments, and you. A small village has congealed around the debris. Each inhabitant has some unique insight into the nature of time. Nothing ages here, and nothing changes. You could stay and find peace. But it doesn't have what you want.
The Unmoored: One fateful day, your anchor to reality was severed. Some accident set you adrift from the Timestream. You are able to dive back into the Timestream at any place or time of your choosing, a thrilling power! But a few days pass, the world turns slippery around you, and you slide right back into the Conflux.
What motivates you to make these journeys? Do you want to go home? Does some question haunt you? Do you need to set right what went wrong? Do you need to alter the very course of history?
The Mailbeast: A squat blue creature with a massive mouth, and a Squakbird perched atop its horns. It speaks in short sentences and is easily irritated until fed. If you address a letter to a Contact and feed it to the Mailbeast, it will immediately burp up a letter or package in response, as though hours or days passed for the Contact.
The Squakbird: A small red bird that constantly titters to itself in snippets of familiar-sounding conversations. It screeches loudly when interrupted. On close inspection, you see its eyes are tiny machine lenses with intricate parts. The bird can relay messages to any Contact in the Timestream you name, as long as they have a technological communication device. It doesn't matter if it's by telegraph, telephone, or telepresence.
The Oracle: A robed figure with a single massive eye. She is happy to tell you how any person, place, or thing in history met its eventual end. Your journeys greatly interest her.

Origins
Choose one of the following Origins, then write down the burning question that keeps you exploring different time periods in the world's history.
Pre-Historic
+1 Might, Endurance, or Agility
You lived in a land teeming with life. You were not the strongest or the smartest. You were not even near the top of the food chain. But your family taught you the rhythms of the land, and you learned to hunt and gather what you needed to survive. A few sharp tools, a warm fire, and some beast hides were all you needed.
Golden Age
+1 Endurance, Charisma, or Spirit
The first emperor was able to turn dreams into reality. Thus, the age of magic and wonders began. Old age and death were banished and forgotten. Castles were erected above the highest clouds, pinned to the sky by wise mages and their diligent students. Each day some new dreamcrafted wonder was produced so all could admire and study its essence.
Medieval
+1 Might, Agility, or Spirit
You lived in an era of constant feudal warfare. The surviving weapons of the Golden Age fell into the hands of royalty, who brought misery and death to their foes. Note whether you lived as a noble, courtier, knight, soldier, serf, or outlaw before you became Unmoored.
Modern
+1 Perception, Charisma, or Craft
You lived during an era of rapid technological advancement, a parade of gunpowder, steam, electricity, radio, and rocketry. The wounds of past ages healed, and civilization flourished. It seemed like anything was possible. People reached for the stars. And then the stars made their will known...
Post-Apocalyptic
+1 Agility, Craft, or Luck
Some children ask too many questions. They want to know who built the ruins above our home. They want to know who their great-grandparents were. They want to know why the archives talk of a sun and moon and stars, and why we never see them. Eventually those children leave to find answers. They never come back.

Species
Talk with the Game Master if you want to play a non-human. A lot of weird things end up in the Conflux. You might be an Unmoored individual from a radically different alternate timeline, a dreamcrafted being from the Golden Age, or a one-off genetic experiment from the future.
Human
Typical Species Traits: Resourceful (x2)
Resilient and adaptable. Humans became the dominant species in the Modern era, to the point that other sentient Species were considered myths and legends.
Construct
Typical Species Traits: Inorganic, Natural Armor
Called "golems" in the Golden Age, and "robots" in the late Modern and Post-Apocalyptic eras. Thousands were built, but truly sentient constructs remained a rare curiosity.
Goblin
Typical Species Traits: Small, Sprinter
Created from modified rodents in the Golden Age and intended to serve as messengers. Their population swelled in the warming climate of the early Medieval era. For a time it was easy to amass large armies of goblins, and they were considered ideal soldiers.
Mutant
Typical Species Traits: Any
Creatures twisted by magic or advanced technology. Found on the fringes of society in the Golden Age and Post-Apocalyptic wastelands.
Reptilian
Typical Species Traits: Natural Weapons, Natural Armor
Highly intelligent lizard-people, one of humanity's prehistoric competitors. Their inability to cope with cold temperatures led to their extinction. Some survived until the late Medieval era in an underground lost world.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Aug 23

This is how Junk-o-Tron #gamedev is going for me this morning.

A list of folders. Each starts with "Junk-o-Tron" followed by ascending numbers. The top ones are "debugSaveLogging" and "enableUser". The bottom ones are "initializingSavesProperly", "saveUnmountBugfix", "moreSaveFixes", "oops", and "doubleOops".

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jul 12

I love blank #dungeonsanddragons character sheets. There's a world of possibilities as you make someone interesting to inhabit a setting and go on exciting adventures. Anyways, here's the first draft of the Laser Sword science fantasy #ttrpg character sheet.

A character sheet for a sci-fi science fantasy tabletop role-playing game.

Thomas @koboldskeep Keene@kobolds-keep· Jul 5

Buying a tavern or becoming nobility should add more plot hooks and drama to the campaign, am I right? Here are my quick and dirty #TTRPG rules for letting the players run a business or town.