Martelo Schwarz

@marteloschwarz

Designer of Uoru - an Asian-inspired setting for D&D 5e

2,170 Following2,291 Followers1,039 Posts

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Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· 1d

Hätte das gleich mit dem Cover posten sollen. #pnpde

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· 17d

Today's the day: 3.5 years ago I published my first D&D title, Bugbear Awakening, on DMs Guild. Right when AI art started taking over, I chose commissioned human art instead and invested $2,000. After several updates and spin-offs, I've finally broken even. #dnd #ttrpg

Screenshot of a DMs Guild royalty report covering 2022-12-08 to 2026-07-31. It lists ten titles in the Bugbear Awakening line (English and German, 5e and 5.5e editions, including Fey'ri, Bugbear species, and a Sword Coast/Delimbiyr Vale map pack) with units sold, net revenue, and royalties per title. Total royalties: $2,000.71.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· 25d

While waiting for the final print proofs of Ahu’s First Patrol to arrive, I thought it a good idea to apply me learnings wrt layout and QC to Bugbear Awakening, my first #DnD book. This is what the English bundle now looks like. All 12 entries (6 EN, 6 DE) here: www.dmsguild.com/en/browse?au...

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jul 12

New cover for the fey'ri species. It's still the same art from the amazing @ssunnyday.bsky.social , but I worked on the background and layout. www.dmsguild.com/en/product/5... #dnd #dmsguild

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jul 12

After almost a full year, Ahu's First Patrol is finished, just in time for the holiday season. The digital edition went out to backers yesterday. Print copies follow in August. I'm relieved this came together, and grateful to everyone who backed it. #ttrpg #dnd #gamebook

Book cover for Ahu's First Patrol: A Solo Adventure Gamebook from Kaung Pi, by Martelo Schwarz and Gábor Orosz. A catfolk warrior in travel gear rides a large axebeak mount through a grassy highland valley, sword raised, under a pale, huge purple moon and misty mountains. Uoru and 5E logos in the bottom corners.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jul 4

Saturday morning, probably the last cover page update for Ahu's First Patrol. Page count's set, so it's just small adjustments now. A solo 5e gamebook set in Kaung Pi. Guide Ahu through a land rooted Asian cultures. Late pledges close this week www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar... #ttrpg #dnd

Cover art for Ahu's First Patrol, a solo 5th Edition gamebook. Ahu, a young Harimauja catfolk warrior, rides an axebeak at a run through a flowering field, sword raised, shield strapped to the saddle. Behind them, snowy peaks rise beneath the Great Stone, a vast purple disk hanging in the sky over Kaung Pi.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jun 28

Auf die Druckproofs von Ahu's First Patrol wartend, aktualisiere ich meine 14 DMsGuild-Einträge. Erstes deutsches Produkt: Schwertküste / Delimbiyrtal hochauflösendes Kartenpaket. www.dmsguild.com/en/product/4... #dnd #pnpde

Produktcover für das Schwertküste / Delimbiyrtal hochauflösende Kartenpaket. Hintergrund zeigt eine detaillierte Vogelperspektive einer Fantasy-Stadt mit konzentrischen Ringmauern. Titel: „SCHWERTKÜSTE / DELIMBIYRTAL", darunter „HOCHAUFLÖSENDES KARTENPAKET – FÜR DAS GRÖSSTE ROLLENSPIEL DER WELT" und „Martelo Schwarz". Links oben ein Best-Copper-Seller-Badge.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jun 28

Waiting for Ahu's First Patrol print proofs, so I'm updating my DMsGuild entries, 14 across 5e/5.5e in EN & DE. Starting with the simplest: Sword Coast / Delimbiyr Vale high-res map pack. www.dmsguild.com/en/product/4... #dnd

Product thumbnail for the Sword Coast / Delimbiyr Vale High-Res Map Pack. Background shows a detailed top-down fantasy city map with circular walls and streets. Title reads "SWORD COAST / DELIMBIYR VALE" at the top, "HIGH-RES MAP PACK — FOR THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROLEPLAYING GAME" and "Martelo Schwarz" at the bottom. A Best Copper Seller badge is shown in the top left.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jun 27

The second and final batch of illustrations for Ahu's First Patrol is finished. Thanks so much to @mhinventory.bsky.social for the amazing work. This is the last chance to order the 275-page gamebook using a late pledge: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar... #ttrpg #dnd #gamebook

10 printouts of black/white illustrations showing different scenes from a gamebook. The pages are lying on a wooden floor.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Jun 21

I really want to finish that #dnd #gamebook #git #github

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GitHub contributions heatmap for 2025 showing 763 contributions in the last year. The calendar spans June through the following June, with squares shaded from light gray (no activity) to dark green (high activity). Activity is fairly consistent from June to October, drops significantly between December and March with many empty days, then increases sharply from April through June with frequent dark-green squares. A year selector on the right highlights 2026, with options for 2025, 2024, and 2023 below. The contribution legend at the bottom indicates increasing activity from “Less” to “More.”

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 25

So, yet another social media app. In case anyone wants to talk #dnd or #ttrpg in general and you can somehow find me, here we go #monnett.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 16

Heute neu erstandene Schätze. Vermute mal, dass man die bald nicht mehr bekommt. #pnpde #dnd

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 16

Saturday morning, it's time to finally watch the #inkarnaterpg 2.0 tutorial. #ttrpg #mapmaking

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 15

Another map style for Kaung Pi. Not what I planned to do tonight, but then I got sucked into this and it was too much fun. #dnd #ttrpg #fantasymaps

Black-and-white fantasy map titled “Kaung Pi,” showing a mountainous coastal country with forests, villages, fortresses, islands, and winding borders. The western side is dominated by dense mountain ranges labeled Sinduratma and Gunung Raksora, with scattered settlements such as Griya Batupar, Pegung, Girikara, and Bharagara. Central regions contain forests like Rimba Duwi and Hirdyagni, along with towns including Boyopur, Kalauk, and Mahapana. The eastern coastline borders two seas labeled Samodra Kshana and Samodra Shashvata, featuring coastal cities such as Mashio, Cirakan, Sagarata, and Paratsar. Decorative elements include a compass rose, a 0–100 miles scale, and a weathered parchment-style border.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 7

Received some feedback on the Boyopur map - and wanted to do a few things anyway. Major change is that I adde some texture to the background and tried to add more depth to the terrain (including the stream). #ttrpg #dnd #fantasymap

Illustrated top-down fantasy village map labeled “Boyopur.” A walled settlement sits on a raised circular hill at left, with winding roads spiraling around a central building and clusters of small houses inside the walls. A river runs along the village’s northern edge, crossed by bridges, and continues east into a small pond or widened pool. Outside the eastern gate, a fenced outer district contains scattered buildings, round huts or tents, and a road leading away. Trees and open grassy land surround the village, with cultivated fields in the southwest corner. A compass rose marks north, and a scale bar shows 100 feet.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 6

Boyopur, where all adventures in Kaung Pi start. Experiment with a new maps style, hand-drawn terrain. Feedback always welcome. #ttrpg #fantasymap #dnd

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 3

I'm using inkarnate to make my maps, but as I did a bit of drawing last year and right now want to use a style which has a bit of an #OSR flair, am experimenting with lines and shading to model terrain. Also, want to move more to bw maps (due to printing cost and - again - OSR flair). WDYT? #ttrpg

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 2

Und da ich gerade am ersten Abenteuer für Kaung Pi schreibe, wird das hier mal wieder Wochenendlektüre. #pnpde

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· May 1

Cave shelter, three travelers, trouble ahead. Classic pen-and-ink from our 5e solo gamebook, Ahu's First Patrol. Numbered sections, a character sheet, choices that matter — Ahu's First Patrol is a gamebook in the tradition of Lone Wolf. Late pledges still open: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar...

Black and white pen-and-ink illustration of three travelers sheltering in a cave. Two figures sit around a small campfire near the cave entrance; a third stands behind them holding a spear. Rocky walls and ceiling rendered in dense crosshatching. The cave mouth opens onto a dark, stormy exterior.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Apr 25

Big milestone for Ahu’s First Patrol: external review has started. After weeks of playtesting, proofreading every section, improving layout, updating the map, and beginning work on 10 stretch-goal illustrations, the book is now in the hands of 9 volunteer reviewers. #ttrpg #gamebook

Black-and-white interior page spread from a fantasy gamebook. The left page contains numbered narrative sections in book layout. The right page features an ink illustration of an ancient burial chamber: a raised stone bier holds a skeleton encased in old ice, with frost crystals growing from its bones beneath a carved stone doorway. The scene is dark, cold, and ominous.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Apr 25

New "official" map of Kaung Pi. Only small adjustments: * no (normal) forests in the south, too cold there * a few roads and rivers added As download available from www.marteloschwarz.com/uoru/downloads #ttrpg #dnd #fantasymap

Illustrated fantasy map of Kaung Pi, the setting of Ahu’s First Patrol—a rugged land of mountain ranges, forests, rivers, and coastal cities inspired by South and Southeast Asia. Named regions include Sinduratma in the north, Hirdyagni in the south, and the port city of Mashio on the eastern coast, with islands scattered across the surrounding seas. The map is styled like an old parchment scroll with hand-drawn terrain and settlement icons.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Apr 12

Using the long weekend to think more about historical references for Uoru, my Asian inspired #ttrpg setting. The best reference is probably the kingdom of Majapahit that stretched over large parts of south-east Asia from the 13th to 16th century. Cultural advisor gave me this book. #indonesia #DnD

A book titled Sandyakala di Timur Jawa by Prasetya Ramadhan lies on a light wooden floor. The cover shows a red and black illustration of an erupting volcano with thick smoke rising into the sky and silhouettes of ancient temple structures.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Apr 3

My very first crowdfunding project was a nice success. It was thrilling to the last hours, but the stretch goal was achieved and now I will focus on finishing the gamebook as promised. Again, thanks go out to all the supporters. #dnd #ttrpg #gamebook

Painted fantasy scene of a catfolk warrior raising a curved sword while holding a shield, standing in a flowering mountain valley with snowy peaks and a large purple planet in the sky. Text on the image reads: “Ahu’s First Patrol has reached its stretch goal. Thank y’all so much!”

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Apr 1

Final 24 hours for the Ahu’s First Patrol Kickstarter. We’re also very close to the stretch goal that unlocks 10 additional interior illustrations. Last chance to back the project: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar... #ttrpg #dnd #gamebook

Black-and-white ink illustration of a spined jackal emerging from tall grass. The creature has a lean, canine body covered in sharp spines along its back and neck, its mouth open in a snarl as it steps forward. The scene is drawn with rough cross-hatching and wind-swept grass. A green “Ending Soon” Kickstarter label appears in the corner of the image.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 31

Final 48 hours. Will we hit 2000 and achieve the stretch goal? 🤔 #dnd #gamebook

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 28

The Kickstarter for Ahu’s First Patrol is entering its final days. We’re also very close to the stretch goal that unlocks 10 more interior illustrations. If you want to be part of it: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar... #dnd #ttrpg #gamebook

Black-and-white ink illustration of a stone statue of a bear standing upright on a pedestal. The statue appears weathered and ancient, with rough sketch-like shading and worn surfaces suggesting age and erosion. A green “Ending Soon” Kickstarter label appears in the top corner of the image.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 22

Interior illustrations for Ahu's First Patrol, created by @mhinventory.bsky.social . So much talent, these look so good. Kickstarter link in pinned post. #trrpg #dnd #Gamebooks #fantasyart

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 15

Filler candidates for the gamebook Ahu's First Patrol. Context is Asian-spiritual, but also gritty. What do you like best? #ttrpg #gamebook #dnd

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 14

Kickstarter funded — thank you! Now we’re working toward the first stretch goal: 10 more interior illustrations, all commissioned from human artists. Here’s a Pundu trader traveling through Kaung Pi. Campaign still live: www.kickstarter.com/projects/mar... #dnd #ttrpg #gamebook

Black-and-white ink illustration of a small anthropomorphic red-panda-like trader (a Pundu) walking along a rural road while leading a large pack animal loaded with goods. Terraced fields, trees, and distant hills surround the path, suggesting a mountainous landscape. The trader gestures forward as if greeting travelers while the caravan continues along the road.

Martelo Schwarz@marteloschwarz· Mar 14

My latest acquisition: Oriental Adventures for D&D 3rd Edition. As I’m developing Uoru, an Asian-inspired #dnd setting, this book is an important reference for me. #ttrpg