So August Happened

An eruption feels close.

Once again, I feel daunted by an empty page. I've got some good things rolling, but August drained me of energy and focus. I feel like I've been spending so much time just maintaining and not moving forward. (This post gets more positive. We just need to wallow a little first.)

I know I get the same 168 hours per week that everyone gets. I try to remain positive and hopeful, but after almost 17 months of sending CVs out, it feels like I've run out of places to turn. Planning this week's meals takes time, and trying to get a straight story out of my mother gives me hives. Talking my emotions out of today's tree feels like a full-time job.

Appendix N Jam 2026: Submitted!

I'm proud of this cover.

Yes, it's that time of year again, and I've submitted my entry for the Appendix N Jam. This year I pulled the title "The Tomb Tappers", and once again, I went completely literal with two different definitions of the word "tapper". Now I'm downloading other entries and rating them.

Speaking of which, if you're also a part of the Jam, you can rate The Tomb Tappers and leave a comment, both of which I would greatly appreciate. If you're not a part of the Jam, go download a copy and challenge yourself to design a gonzo fantasy/sci fi adventure next year.

I had a brainwave when I started jotting ideas down: What if the tappers were aliens who could fold space? And what if there were a few tombs they wanted something out of? And what if I could use the format of the printed pamphlet to simulate that folding space?

My First Retail Display

Proof of Retail Placement

So a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and asked my FLGS if they'd be interested in selling some of my gaming zines. I went in for a meeting with a bunch of copies printed, and walked out with some cash. Last week I heard that they put the display out, so I went in to take a photo to brag about it.

So here I am, sharing the photo I took of the zines I made being sold by my local game store and bragging about it. I'm reaching out to other local retailers, so we'll see what happens with those inquiries.

"Local Designer T.W.Wombat" has a nice ring to it.

If you're local to Worcester, MA, you can run over to That's Entertainment on Park Ave. to pick up a physical copy of some of my titles. After that, download a PDF from the links below. If I've moved away from Pay What You Will pricing when you get there, email me with what you bought, and I'll send you a code to get the PDF for free.

Huge thanks to Sorana and the That's Entertainment crew for taking a chance on my oddball titles.

Taberna Celeris Is Out Now!

I even printed a few copies.

I've hit the Publish buttons on my Itch store and my RPG Trader store to get Taberna Celeris out into the world. I realized I didn't publish Tabula Mortis to my DriveThru RPG shop, so I'll rectify that oversight this week for both trifold products.

Go grab a copy while it's still Pay What You Will:
Get Taberna Celeris On Itch, and At RPG Trader.

I told y'all it would only be a few days, and here we are.

Yes, this is title number 2 in what I'm calling the Trifold Triptych. It'll be three trifold zines containing random tables for generating things in your TTRPGs. I'm still brainstorming a topic for #3, but stay tuned. I'm hoping to get that one published sometime in September.

Rolling Up a Pub

Taberna Celeris's cover image
(via Old Book Illustrations)

I'm doing the final proofing read-through of my new trifold Taberna Celeris. It's a collection of random tables to name and detail a Bar, Inn, Tavern, or Publick House (Pub). I'm viewing this as the second entry in a Random Table Trifold Triptych of Zines (yeah, it's a mouthful), starting with Tabula Mortis, (available in my itch shop) and ending with a third thing that hasn't even been named yet.

So let's grab some dice and roll up a drinking establishment with the latest draft of Taberna Celeris.

(As a quick aside, Taberna Celeris literally means "Quick Tavern", but it also translates as "Fast Food Restaurant". I love that, and I'll take it.)

What's It Named? The Silent Rudder Pub. A black rudder hangs over the door with a dark grey cloth tied around it like an bandit's face mask.

What's Its Vibe? Gaudy and tired. It catered to thieves and pirates when it started years ago, but that was before the owner went straight. Now it's a shabby, declining pirate-themed pub that needs a deep cleaning. The Rudder tries way too hard to be edgy, with weapons and pirate flags all over the walls, but the patrons and staff stopped caring years ago, and it shows.