I was lucky enough to be invited to speak with an MA Worldbuilding with Creature Design class at Leeds Arts University earlier this month. Here’s a rough outline of what I spoke about. Thanks to Ben and all the students for making me feel welcome and for asking some thoughtful, interesting questions! Introduction I’m Colin Le Sueur, tabletop roleplaying game designer originally from Canada but now living in the Northeast of England with my wife and two cats I publish TTRPG systems and adventures under the name By Odin’s Beard RPG and I’ve released games like Norse fantasy Runecairn and We Dea ..read more

I’ve been sitting on this news since last year, but I’m happy to announce I’m one of the writers on Tome of Strange Beings, the new bestiary for Dark Souls: The Roleplaying game. More information will come soon from Steamforged Games, but for now I want to say how surreal it still feels. Just a few years ago I had the idea to make my own TTRPG inspired by Dark Souls, something which eventually become Runecairn, and now I’m being asked to work on an official adaptation of the game and adapt some of the most evocative and challenging video game bosses in recent history. Not only was this my firs ..read more

I’ve been asked a few times about my process for sending out digital downloads (PDFs) when people buy physical books from my shop. Rather than using 3rd party plugins, I use Shopify’s built-in functionality to automatically add a download link to confirmation emails. You can use Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or any other file-sharing service capable of generating a public link. If you’re interested in using this method for your Shopify instance, here’s the process: 1. Adding a New Metafield Add a new Metafield by going to Settings -> Metafields -> Products and clicking on Add Definiti ..read more

18 months ago (or 100 years, time is all weird thanks to COVID), I released a book on Kickstarter for Zine Quest 3, Mysteries of the Mists. Zine Quest is a loose collection of TTRPG projects on Kickstarter, typically in a lightweight zine format (under 20 pages, staple-bound). Last year, with all the talk from Kickstarter about crypto and blockchain, some in the TTRPG industry started their own, KS-less initiative called Zine Month (or ZiMo). I didn’t make anything for ZiMo last year but this year I’m trying something different. I’ll be publishing a new short adventure for We Deal in Lead, my ..read more

This past weekend, I exhibited at a convention for the first time. Thought Bubble is a comic art festival held annually in Harrogate. I’ve been a regular attendee since 2015 but this was my first time on the other side of the table. I thought it’d be useful to document my experience as a first-time TTRPG tabler, covering the highs and lows, expenses, revenue, and set-up/breakdown process. Costs Item Cost Table rental (full size) £150.00 Banner £90.00 Table runner £45.00 Card reader £60.00 Hotel £221.00 Display hardware £72.00 Total cost of expenses £638.00 I initially boo ..read more

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be tabling for the first time at this year’s comic arts festival Thought Bubble! I’ll be at the Harrogate Convention Centre for both days, Saturday the 12th to Sunday the 13th 2022. You’ll be able to find me in the Bubble Boy Hall, table 46. I’ll be selling copies of my books (including We Deal in Lead), dice, t-shirts, and more! For more information on Thought Bubble and to buy tickets, check out the official site: https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com ..read more

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be tabling for the first time at this year’s comic arts festival Thought Bubble! I’ll be at the Harrogate Convention Centre for both days, Saturday the 12th to Sunday the 13th 2022. You’ll be able to find me in the Bubble Boy Hall, table 46. I’ll be selling copies of my books (including We Deal in Lead), dice, t-shirts, and more! For more information on Thought Bubble and to buy tickets, check out the official site: https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com ..read more

Here are some tips to help you as an indie TTRPG creator strengthen the cybersecurity and availability of your digital life. Two factor authentication Password manager and unique passwords Have I Been Pwned Phishing Backups Defend Your Accounts Two factor authentication (2FA). Switch this on as soon as possible. When you login you’ll also enter a code from an authenticator app on your phone (any app works and the common ones are Microsoft Authenticator, Google Authenticator, or Authy). If someone manages to breach your password, they won’t be able to login without the additional 2FA code. S ..read more

I was listening to the first episode of the Toa Tabletop podcast recently (the new iteration of the Mud & Blood podcast). Liam Stevens (the host) was discussing historical accuracy in tabletop games with professors Shawn Rowlands and Hamish Cameron and it got me thinking again about my design process for the setting of Runecairn, my Norse fantasy TTRPG. My intention was for Runecairn to be grounded in the historical reality of Viking Age Scandinavia (a period roughly from 800 to 1100 BCE) while also existing in a world of Norse mythological fantasy, complete with magic, monsters, gods, and ..read more

Wardensaga is complete and I can’t wait to show it off! Keep an eye on this website and on Twitter for upcoming release announcements. I’m really proud of how it’s come together and I think you’ll enjoy the new advanced options! Wardensaga is a deluxe hardcover book that collects the Runecairn Core Rules, Beneath the Broken Sword, and new Advanced Rules: Two new starting classes, Berserkr and Pyre Oracle for Solo Play Delve Generator Allies and Invasions ..read more