Bastionland Podcast - Tabletop Roleplaying Game Design · Chris McDowall

Kelsey Dionne's Rule of Three

May 6, 2024·55 min·5 clips
Kelsey Dionne explains how a horror game's Jenga tower led to Shadow Dark's tension-filled torch mechanic.
Kelsey Dionne discusses three transformative tabletop RPGs: Dread, which inspired Shadow Dark's tension mechanics; D&D 3rd edition, which taught her about character investment pitfalls; and Index Card RPG, which offered actionable GM advice and challenged her design assumptions. The conversation explores how these games shaped her journey as a designer.

As heard by us

A clear look at how tabletop rules, memory, and optimization shape one designer's taste.

Bastionland shapes Kelsey Dion's path through tabletop tastes as a sequence of turning points, with each game standing in for a shift in how she played and designed.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Old character sheets, internet optimization, and one designer's turning points.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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