A Dekas of Dwarven Clans... Should This Be The Start of a Supplement Series?

Folks who follow my regular releases likely noticed that my latest TTRPG supplement, A Dekas of Dwarven Clans, went live on Drive Thru RPG this past weekend! I put a lot of work into this supplement, and it gives you 10 dwarven clans complete with history, colors, battle cries, culture, noted NPCs, and several rumors to help flesh them out in your setting. And while I finished it several months ago, now that it's out, I'm wondering if this is a formula folks would like to see me expand on in the future?

Seriously... go grab a copy if you haven't yet!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Is This A Format You Want To See More Of?

If I had to compare this latest supplement to something I've done before, I'd compare it to A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families, which came out in winter of 2018. And since that older supplement went Electrum, I figured there must be something in there that people were interested in. So as an experiment, I decided to expand the general idea, and to put together 10 dwarven clans. After all, if there's anything I learned from the Species of Sundara series I put together, it's that folks who play fantasy games love dwarves.

It makes a great entry into Sundara as a setting!

While A Dekas of Dwarven Clans is hot off the press, it was one of several ideas on the workdesk when I was putting ideas on my to-do list. Others included A Baker's Dozen of Barbarian Clans (for folks who want to expand on something like a "barbarian nation" for their raging character), or A Dekas of Orc Clans (which follows the same format as the one I wrote for dwarves). I could, of course, expand this out to other species, other environments (if we want something like "mountain clans" or "desert clans"), and so on, depending on what people want to see more of.

The question, of course, is would you all like to see that happen?

As most folks know, discoverability is in the toilet for RPG products these days, and actually getting the stuff we make in front of the eyes of people who could use it is hard as hell to pull off. As such, it's tougher than ever to judge whether something actually has interest from the audience, and if they'd like to see more of it.

So if this is a format you want to see more of, or if any of the ideas I mentioned above sound interesting, here is what I would like you to do:

- Buy A Copy Of A Dekas of Dwarven Clans: As the saying goes, money talks, and the more sales this supplement brings in for the publisher, the more obvious demand there will be for sequels.

- Leave A Review: If you already got a copy of the supplement for yourself, leave a rating and review for it on Drive Thru RPG.

- Share On Your Social Media: Whether you share a link to the supplement, or a link to this post, the more people who boost the signal, the better the chance there is that people who will be interested in this supplement find out it exists, and they can decide if they want to buy copies for themselves.

- Comment On This Post With What You'd Like To See: If you want to see more supplements like this one, leave a comment below with which idea I mentioned that you want to see covered, or if you'd like to see something else entirely! And if you saw this post on social media, leave your comment there as well in order to boost the signal in the algorithm!

If I can count on folks out there to do all of those things, maybe this project will get a bit of traction, and I can actually make some room for it going forward. But as with everything else, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the supplements with big numbers and lots of attention get sequels.

So make your voices heard!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Who Is Your Clan (And What Does That Mean)?

Every character has a family. Even if they're dead, estranged, or just far away from where your current adventure is taking place, someone raised them, and helped them acquire the skills they currently possess. However, there is something that is bigger than just your family, in the sense of those you share a close blood tie with. This is something that can set the culture a character was raised with, covering everything from what they value, to how they dress, to what morals they have.

This concept is your clan, and it can be a useful thing to consider when you're trying to build your character's backstory!

I pledge my sword to the House of The Sun, and the Seat and Seal of Clan Blackwind.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

What Is Your Clan (And What Does It Mean To You)?

We often think of a clan as a particularly big family, so I want to take a moment to break down what I mean in this context. Because a clan is not just a family, but it is (typically, at least) a rather large group of interconnected/interrelated families. So a character will have their immediate family (parents, siblings, children), their extended family (grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins), and then beyond that immediate family, you have your clan.

But what goes into a clan?

For Hawkwind! For Clan Darkhelme!

A clan is many things. At its most basic, it's a social support structure that acts in a way similar to a family, in that its members can rely on one another. So whether there's a disaster where one part of the clan has lost homes or crops, or the new generation needs to learn skills from more established professionals, the families of the clan can rely on one another to provide. This can even go so far as adopting members who have lost parents, or whose parents are unable (or unfit) to care for them. The clan takes care of its own.

Beyond that support structure, though, a clan also has obligations required from members. As an example, some clans might require that all members learn how to fight, and that tours of service be completed. There might be a kind of clan tax levied in order for the clan to support itself, with resources being distributed as needed. If one wants to stay in good standing with the clan, they need to fulfill their obligations, or suffer the consequences for ignoring them (such as becoming an outcast for refusing a major obligation they owe).

Lastly, a clan has its own culture. This can vary from clan colors and battle cries, to social norms regarding courtship and marriage, to what is considered a duel-worthy offense. Clans have their own internal politics, their own mores and norms, and they also have their own relationships with outsiders (which members may have to deal with when they travel, even if they are no longer an active part of their clan). They may even have their own clan law, which can come into conflict with the law of the land depending on where they happen to be.

All of these things can have an affect on your character. For a few examples, consider:

- Did your character's family have high standing in the clan? Low standing? Has their standing changed since your character's birth, and is that connected to their current adventure at all?

- Did your character defy any of the clan norms or laws? If so, have they escaped punishment for it, or is it still a secret?

- What is your character's clan heraldry, and is it different from their family heraldry? Does your character wear their colors and sigils openly and with pride? Or do they forego them unless required?

- Is your character proud of their clan affiliation, or ashamed of it? Are they willing to stand up for their clan, even if they consider them problematic or wrong in some way?

- Is there something about your character that people can immediately tell what their clan is? Whether it's something as obvious as a tattoo or a brand, or something more subtle like a particular weapon of choice, fighting style, or even an accent or turn of phrase?

All of these, and many more, can be unique ways to think about where your character came from, and what effect the clan had on them as they grew, and became who they are today.

Additional Resources

If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, get it today!

If you're looking for some additional things to help build your character's backstory, and to expand on the idea of a clan, the following resources might be of help!

- A Dekas of Dwarven Clans: From the grim-faced Ironhelms, to the indefatigable Craggs, this supplement contains 10 clans complete with history, heraldry, example NPCs, and rumors about each clan.

- 100 Fantasy Battle Cries (And Their Histories): If you're looking for a cry that can define your clan, consider some of the options in here, along with how they came to be!

- A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families: Similar to clans, these overarching noble families share a lot of similarities, and can be used as a basis for creating clans.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dungeon Design Tips: Antagonist Action Economy (Never Fight Just One BBEG)

Every Game Master has been in this situation. The party has been working their way closer and closer to a final confrontation with a powerful enemy. They've bested their traps, they've slain their minions, and now it is time for an epic clash! But when the dice hit the table, the antagonist you spent so much time building up and preparing is roundly stomped into the pavement, left beaten, broken, and defeated in a matter of a few rounds (or sometimes less).

While there are a lot of factors that can go into this kind of defeat, one of the common threads between most of the stories you hear GMs tell is that they were running a 4-on-1 combat... and that's a losing scenario for most monsters!

No matter how powerful you think they are.

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

The Problem

The idea of the party facing down a single creature in battle, their combined strengths necessary to overpower it, is an iconic image. Whether it's a lich lord, a full-sized red dragon, or some other adversary, so many of us have been raised on this setup (both in games as well as in films, comic books, etc.) that we just assume that's the way things are supposed to be.

The problem is the numbers of your action economy just don't add up.

Now, for folks who aren't familiar with the term action economy, it's just a fancy way of saying the amount of stuff you can do on a single turn. For example, let's say you're facing down a necromancer lich. They are a potent foe with a nasty template, a slew of immunities, and a bunch of dire powers to draw on... but generally speaking, they can only use one of those abilities on their turn. So if the lich wants to cast a spell, they'd better make sure it counts... because the party wizard and cleric also get to cast a spell, and that's on top of having to deal with the angry barbarian charging straight at the lich, and the paladin who isn't far behind him!

Oh balls...

Typically the big bosses of the dungeon have fat sacks of hit points, a bunch of pre-cast buffs, monstrous templates, and enough magic items to help them become a threat to an entire party worth of adventurers... the problem is that they need to dodge every bullet the party fires, metaphorically speaking. If the party manages to land a status effect, to slow the enemy, to instantly counter their spells or abilities, etc., then no matter how powerful they're supposed to be it's going to be Good Night Gracie in a big damn hurry.

And while this can make the party feel like big time badasses, it can also make what should be a climactic battle feel... well, anticlimactic. And while I've talked about cover and firing lines, combining traps with combat, and even getting rid of doors in this series, I'd say this week's solution is one that will solve more than half of all the problems that Game Masters deal with.

In short, stop giving your players a single target to gang up on.

The Solution

Give your antagonists backup. That's it... that's the solution.

Whether your lich lord has a cadre of bodyguards to defend their person, or your fallen paladin is backed up by a conjurer and a sniper, the idea is that you are breaking up the laser focus of your party, and giving everyone a dance partner.

If the lich has an undead champion to guard their person, now the party members have to weigh the pros and cons of dividing their attention. Does the barbarian engage the undead black knight, hoping to keep him busy while the paladin closes with the necromancer? Or do the melee bruisers both double team the bodyguard, hoping to take him out quickly while the spellcasters attempt to contain the lich?

Forcing your players to make these decisions means they have a wider array of options, and they have to sometimes get creative with their strategies and tactics. For example, with multiple targets on different ends of the battlefield, would the wizard get more use out of spells that put a wall of iron between the party and the black knight instead of directly attacking the lich? With multiple enemies, does the cleric choose to buff the brawler going toe-to-toe with the bodyguard, keeping him in the fight longer so the paladin doesn't end up having to fight a two-front battle?

And the more antagonists you put on the board, the more choices your players are going to have to make. Not only that, but you are going to have more strategic options, and you won't have to focus so much on making any single antagonist powerful enough to face down the entire party on their own.

This is actually where we get into The Anti-Party, which can best be summarized as the Legion of Doom to your party's Justice League. If you have an evenly-matched party of antagonists with similar abilities, now your players have to get really creative in order to make sure they are able to best their foes.

The important thing to remember here is that when you add multiple enemies, you should be diluting the power of the Big Bad and spreading it around. It also allows you to have boss antagonists who aren't either extremely powerful monsters (dragons, demiliches, etc.), powerful spell casters, or some combination of the two. For example, if you want to challenge your party with a bandit lord, you could have them as a decently high-level ranger, in an area that's full of traps they've set to give themselves an advantage. However, you could also give them half a dozen henchmen, or some kind of tamed monster threat to sic on the players. So rather than the entire party versus a single ranger, they have to deal with his arrows, his traps, but also the two dozen ghouls he's released from their cages, and his two bodyguards who are also taking pot shots at the party.

The more targets there are on the field, the wider the array of tactics the party will have to make use of in order to be successful. For example, does the evoker create a wall of fire to hold back the ghouls, buying their companions a precious round or two before the undead monsters close? Or do they sling spells back at the archers, trusting the front line fighters to hold the line? Does the barbarian's great spear come in handy due to its reach, and does the fighter stick close with them, using their shield to grant their companion additional protection from the rain of arrows above?

With so many additional moving parts, a battle becomes an actual battle, instead of a grudge match against one enemy. Not only that, but you have more things you can do as the Game Master than options that feel like dirty tricks, or which could permanently cripple player characters (rendering them permanently blind, giving them debilitating curses or diseases, destroying their enchanted gear, etc.). While you shouldn't make every fight with a boss (or mini boss) into the Battle of Helm's Deep, ask yourself why the head of an entire assassins guild, a feared bandit lord, or the head of a dark cult is standing alone against an entire hit squad coming for them... then ask who they would keep around just to make sure it's a fair fight.

Also, if you haven't watched any of my series Discussions of Darkness, check out episode 25 below, Don't Overuse The Game's Big Bads. Because if you're no longer trying to have just 1 antagonist taking on the whole party, it throws the party's plans into chaos because they now have to deal with a wider array of challenges coming at their faces.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Crunch post! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Reaching Fresh Milestones (Some Good News Among All The Fire and Brimstone)

Right now the world is on fire. If you're on social media, or you're watching the news, it feels like we're living through a prequel of some of the worst post-apocalypse movies of the 1980s. However, as a lot of folks are reminding us, it's important to take the victories where you can find them, and to acknowledge your successes where they exist.

So even though it can sometimes feel tough to keep working, and to keep making art in all its forms, I've recently had a couple of good things happen that I want to talk about. And if you're one of those folks who is looking for ways to pitch in on good causes, don't you worry, I've got a section for that below!

You take your wins where you can get them...

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Carving A Few New Notches

I wanted to start out of the gate with some stuff that I'm pretty pleased by, and that I could not have done without all of you!

First and foremost, when I wasn't looking, Improved Initiative crossed the 1,000 post line! I've been running this blog for over 10 years now, and it's got over a thousand unique posts and articles on it (and that's not including any of the posts I've written for my Vocal.media archive, which is another 300 and change). It's a really big number, but while I'm patting myself on the back for it, I wanted to remind folks that this blog doesn't actually make me any money, and it's basically underwritten by all my affiliate links for my TTRPG supplements, as well as my Patreon page. So if you want to make sure I can keep this blog going, consider becoming a Patreon patron today!

It's going to be an uphill journey!

In addition to the growing archive of this blog, another accomplishment for the year is that the Azukail Games YouTube channel got itself monetized right at the start of January, which was a goal I'd been hammering away at for 3 years or so. While I'm currently working on a video detailing the process, and how we went from where we were to where we are, trust me when I say it was... an endeavor. Not only that, but as of yesterday we hit 1,500 subscribers, which is tiny in terms of what YouTube thinks is big, but given that we had barely 300 people when I started contributing I'd say we've come a damn long way!

But I don't want to sit on my laurels with this one, so if you've been holding off on subscribing, I'm hoping to keep the channel growing. First to 3,000 subs if we can, and then to 5,000 if we can manage that! More is always better, but I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself on this one.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about a goal I mentioned in the above video, because we are (technically) about halfway there at time of writing. I mention my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, and how a lot of folks have wanted to see me put together an actual play of this game in action. That's a lot of time, energy, effort, and editing work, and it's unlikely to result in any real interest or sales of the game... however, I have pledged that if the game hits Silver metal status by the end of 2025, then I will put together such an episode, and upload it to the Azukail Games YouTube channel for everyone to see.

And as of time of writing, the base book just hit Copper metal status!

For those who aren't familiar with Drive Thru RPG and what the metal levels mean, Copper means at least 50 copies of the book have been sold, while Silver means it's crossed the 100 level mark. So if you're one of those folks who want to see me get a squad together to tackle one of the missions that's come out by then, get yourself a copy of Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic to get us closer to this goal!

And Now, Some Other Causes You Should Help Out!

Like I said, the world is on fire (both literally and metaphorically), but there were two particular causes I wanted to draw folks' attention to before I call this Monday's update done.

First, we're dealing with the California fires.

For most of us, the massive California wildfire is still fresh in our memories. A huge amount of homes were destroyed, people lost their livelihoods, and communities have been left smoldering. The California Wildfire Relief Bundle from Fainting Goat Games is trying to help those suffering from these events by donating a portion of proceeds to the American Red Cross... an agency that is definitely going to need all the help it can get! So whether you want a slew of fresh gaming products for your table, you want to help those in need, or both, consider grabbing a copy!

Secondly, I want to get some help for one of our own.

Most of us out there know that Owen K.C. Stephens recently beat cancer... but he hasn't yet defeated the U.S. healthcare system. So if you want to help him keep the wheels turning, and give him the resources he needs, head over to his Go Fund Me to add your strength to the cause!

If you do want to grab some of his work rather than just giving him money (or you want to do both!), I'd personally recommend getting Essays on Freelance Tabletop RPG Writing and Publishing, as well as the companion piece Essays on Surviving an Independent Tabletop RPG Career. And if you're the sort of person who wants something more mechanically useful for your table, you simply can't go wrong with Like A Boss- A Book of Boss Encounters which covers a variety of TTRPG systems!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!