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Harbinger of Doom

@brandesstoddard

Early 21st century game designer, freelancer writer, stay-at-home dad. I talk about #DnD and other games. He/him.

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Latest posts by Harbinger of Doom @brandesstoddard

Yep, I'm absolutely going to keep posting this. It's going to be awesome!

06.03.2026 14:07 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I’ve been thinking about this all day - and about 50+ years of journalism and media teaching Americans to think this way.

07.03.2026 08:19 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Next time, I need to give them the information that Vincent was hunting for them that got him into this kind of trouble with his own infernal family.

It felt great to run this game again after a hiatus!

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The PCs had a great time using their high-level tricks and feeling pushed hard in the encounter, while I had a good time seeing those things in use and using the horrible powers of mid-to-late-game enemies.

I had been thinking of it as two encounters, but the PCs pushed the issue to make it one.

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The druid's Sunbeam kicks out an incredible amount of damage over the course of the fight. The cleric's Emboldening Bond distributes damage off of the fighter, then he combines Beacon of Hope and Mass Cure Wounds to restore a huge amount to everyone. The wizard's Vortex Warp pulls Vincent outside.

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The PCs play it incredibly smart, even when luck isn't on their side. They're level 11 and whipping out powers they've never gotten to use before - like the Mass Suggestion to surrender that only affects one enemy, but it's the Arcanaloth inside. (They have no idea it's an Arcanaloth yet.)

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The huge goon in the doorway starts by summoning another thing just like itself.

A farastu demodand.

The druid realizes that *everything* here is fiendish - the goons outside and everyone inside, including a second rakshasa.

A huge fight ensues, and the party's paladin is out this session.

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Post-Dragon Heist Session 104

The PCs saw that something bad was happening down the street, at Vincent Trench's office. There were goons lurking around outside, and Vincent (who they know to be a rakshasa) getting intimidated (or lectured?) within.

So they get involved.

07.03.2026 07:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Might be worth picking up a case of beer, a fifth of bourbon, and a cask of Amontillado, just to be ready

07.03.2026 03:48 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I helped edit this super cool story of a dude from India who wrote his name on Egyptian tombs 2,000 years ago! 🏺πŸ§ͺ

06.03.2026 20:12 πŸ‘ 156 πŸ” 47 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 6

That phrasing definitely resonates with me.

07.03.2026 00:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Currently, for early access.

06.03.2026 22:51 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I tried to help!

sort of

06.03.2026 22:33 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

There are a lot of things I can confidently improvise, but also a lot of things I can’t. Until I hustle more things from the second group to the first, prep is going to keep improving my games.

06.03.2026 19:33 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I have several pointed questions about how well its handlers are roleplaying sentience

06.03.2026 16:19 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

anthropic: I have made AI

tech nerds: you fucked up a perfectly good computer is what you did. look at it. it's got anxiety

06.03.2026 16:17 πŸ‘ 2792 πŸ” 442 πŸ’¬ 36 πŸ“Œ 9

New title because "Mighty Ones" doesn't tell you anything, and because there was a comedy cartoon with that name that ran from 2020 to 2022. It will be available to everyone, not just people attending @the-kraken.bsky.social. #ttrpg

05.03.2026 22:10 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

Yep, I'm absolutely going to keep posting this. It's going to be awesome!

06.03.2026 14:07 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Reposting for evening folks!

05.03.2026 00:31 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Looking forward to seeing how this Declaration turns out! Sounds very promising.

05.03.2026 16:33 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
TAVERS: The Meow Wolf Roleplaying Game Immersive collaborative exploration based storytelling in a universe of multiple worlds

New Kickstarter from Exalted Funeral that I hope you'll check out - I'm really excited to work on it!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/exa...

04.03.2026 15:47 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4

It is so damning of US news media that so many outlets refuse to just straight up say that Senator Tim Sheehy assaulted an activist.

He did not "help" Capitol police. They did not need his help. He wanted to assault the guy and did. He should resign.

05.03.2026 03:28 πŸ‘ 20106 πŸ” 5692 πŸ’¬ 513 πŸ“Œ 220

In the interest of strict accuracy, will work - editing, soon. 😊

Super excited!

05.03.2026 00:45 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Reposting for evening folks!

05.03.2026 00:31 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Stop Saying America Has Always Been Like This Even if it's true, you're not helping

Follow-up essay to my last few concerning an easy narrative that shuts down the energy to resist:

catvalente.substack.com/p/stop-sayin...

04.03.2026 21:44 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

The writer is awesome!

...now, the editor (ah, that would be me) is a bit of a dingus, but what can you do.

04.03.2026 15:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Meow Wolf is really fucking bizzarre, but like in a good way?

I remember wandering through their Omega Mart thing in Vegas and having... thoughts and feelings.

That's all i got. Now in a ttrpg!

04.03.2026 15:55 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
TAVERS: The Meow Wolf Roleplaying Game Immersive collaborative exploration based storytelling in a universe of multiple worlds

New Kickstarter from Exalted Funeral that I hope you'll check out - I'm really excited to work on it!

www.kickstarter.com/projects/exa...

04.03.2026 15:47 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4
Grocery store sign indicating beef sold at $6.66/lb

Grocery store sign indicating beef sold at $6.66/lb

The Mark of the Beef

02.03.2026 22:54 πŸ‘ 25 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

They all do this. And it feels like a reflection on the humans behind them, whose inflated careers are built on never admitting they don’t know the answer. The β€˜smartest people in the room’ if β€˜smart’ just means glib and facile, turning out lies with complete conviction.

02.03.2026 13:05 πŸ‘ 565 πŸ” 146 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 4