Discussions of tabletop role-playing games (ttrpg), boardgames, and applications made in Swift and SwiftUI for macOS and iOS.
I've made a number of changes since the initial release of Star Systems . Many are small tweaks but here are of the most notable changes. Changed the way multiple routes are drawn In the initial release, when multiple routes existed between two systems, they would be compressed into a single brown line. Now it can display two routes side by side, and only if more than two are present does it…
In 2024 I started making a star system generator that uses the Traveller5 (T5) rules. I originally wanted to make a Star Frontiers (SF) inspired setting using the Star Without Numbers RPG (SWN). I put that project aside for a long time, but I picked it up recently and have made a lot of progress, as can be seen in the picture above. The only difference between SWN and Traveller (any version) in…
As I mentioned in a previous article , I have decided to use the Star Frontiers (SF) setting as a foundation for my next Stars Without Number (SWN) campaign. In that post, I expressed my intention to modify the way spike drives, also known as jump drives in other systems, operate. I did so for two reasons: to align with the SF setting and to address my personal concerns regarding the standard…
Recent events make me wonder if I should perhaps take a break from fantasy RPGs and switch to sci-fi. I had an old project to run a Stars Without Number (SWN) campaign but with a few modifications. I want to use a mix between the SWN setting and the Star Frontiers (SF) setting. I'll use the extended Star Frontiers map, for example, and I'll use the races from SF. I ran SF a long time ago and it…
As another example of the amazing depth of the HârnWorld setting, it includes not only wonderful maps and lore, but the whole solar system is detailed as well as its night sky. Even early versions of the setting had this level of detail. Kethira is the name the planet where Hârn and Venârivè are located. In 2014 Kelestia Production published a product that details astronomy and astrology and it…
On page 410 of the HarnMaster Kethira rulebook, there is a section on Quick NPC which details a method to create a character sheet for a plausible NPC without going through all character creation. I implemented this method in HMK Toolkit but also included generators for region, realm, society, social class, occupation, and character details like height, weight, complexion, etc. It even includes…
It's been many months since I've blogged about the public version of HMK Toolkit, and more than a year since I've shared details of my own version so let's talk about my version. As I started writing this, I found it hard to choose a main feature to emphasize: there are so many. This version also adds some polish and tweaks, in addition to quality of life little things. Campaign I now have a place…
When I look into a new role-playing game, the first thing I do generally is: make a character; make my own version of the character sheet; make a price list. Like most, I start by making characters. Then I notice that the character sheet provided is lacking, either in organization or quality, so I make my own. And, of course, the last thing in character creation is to equip the character, and at…
HMK Toolkit version 1.1 was a massive effort on my part and a push for more visibility for the app. The landing page was redesigned to be much more appealing and “convincing” to potential users. The documentation was also redesigned to be much more accessible and logically organized. The only two things that were still on my "must-have" list were PDF export and masterwork armour articles. Today I…
Combat Macro I'm starting to prepare for my HarnMaster Kethira campaign. At the moment there are no HMK systems in any of the VTT. There is one in development for FoundryVTT, but it's not ready yet, and the developer has had health issues this past year so it's uncertain when it will be ready. There is one planned for Roll20, but its development has not yet started. So in the meantime, I've…