Creator Spotlight
An appreciation post.
Pandion Games (Dungeon Year Design Journal)
I received this product as a birthday gift from my wonderful partner, but feeling unsure when I’d get around to starting a year-long project, I postponed the commencement to the first of September. The day had arrived and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t mildly nervous to start yet another creative endeavor. Flash forward eighteen days and you’ll see a man utterly engrossed in the Dungeon Year Design Journal.
Taking inspiration from #dungeon23 by Sean Mccoy, the creator of Mothership, Pandion Games have put together quite a product. Within its pages one can find a daily tracker spanning a twelve month period, spark tables covering a diverse spread of ideas and themes, dot matrix grids galore and 365 two-panel entry forms. I’ve yet to come across a roadblock the journal itself could not assist in handling. One of the most noteworthy features, in my humble opinion, has to be the ID and Connection tags above each entry. I would be hopelessly in over my head without them. Thank you Pandion Games, so much. The journal comes in two different sizes, the full-sized option I’ve included above and a smaller condensed version, priced at $38 and $17 respectively. Whether TTRPGs have you firmly by the throat or you’re dipping an innocent little toe into the water, this product should be a must-have for any GM, aspiring or otherwise. Do yourself a favor and explore everything Pandion Games has to offer.
Odd Artworks (Mini Dungeons | Maps)
I discovered Odd Artworks via the YouTube home page recommendations, catching my attention while screening the morning’s selection for anything dungeon-related. The majority of the creative process is either shown or described to viewers, including any trepidations they might have had preceding the work. I’m well aware that we live in a digital age and I have the utmost respect for art in any form (except generative AI, fuck that), it’s always refreshing to see traditional tools make an appearance, even if they are only used for brief or preliminary stages. Once the inking phase is completed Odd Artworks scans the images, layers in color and shading, adds the last few details and then pulls up finished pieces that never cease to blow me away. Many thanks to the algorithmic deities for bestowing this channel unto me.
Daniel Davis (The Dungeon Dive)
The Dungeon Dive Runebound Retrospective was the spark that ignited my passion for tangible, analog games. As an avid video gamer, I found myself being introduced to very little in the way of alternative hobbies. My Google news feed was almost exclusively video game or games industry headlines, the same observation extending to my YouTube home page. I don’t remember why Runebound was specifically offered to me, but Daniel’s enthusiasm for the theming and style of gameplay was contagious. Finding myself fortunate enough to live seven minutes from Fantasy Flight Games (now called Gamezenter), I hauled ass over there and stumbled upon a sealed copy of the second edition. Sixty bucks? Easy. The rest is history. On any given day, my internet browser is likely to have an open tab for one of Daniel’s videos. Not only are his videos entertaining and informative, but he seems to find the good in almost every product featured in his videos, reminding me what it felt like to be a kid, my imagination filling in the gaps left by cheap, plastic figurines or 8-bit graphics. What I’m about to say leaves me with the expected level of ick, yet it’s the only expression coming to mind… The Dungeon Dive content refills my spirit, reassuring me that it’s okay to be passionate about something commonly labeled childish. Daniel, I appreciate what you do.
Samia
For almost a decade, my favorite artist has been Scott Hutchison, of Frightened Rabbit fame. I hope you found the peace you were so desperately seeking. When he passed there was an empty space in my life, future words I’d never get to read, an honest approach to the fucking thrashing life might dole out at any moment. Discovering Samia’s work played a fundamental role in moving through this grief. Her lyricism has a similar brutally candid quality to it, serving as a reminder that life is messy and sometimes incredibly difficult to navigate. The solidarity I feel in her music routinely brings me to tears, that same pain hanging from her every word. I could go on and on, spoon feeding you every reason to listen through her records, but the joy in experiencing an artist like Samia comes from a self-discovered connection to her authentic and relatable subject matter. If you find yourself enjoying what you hear, I’d urge you to see her perform live and in the event that you leave the venue disappointed I’ll reimburse you myself.