What's been happening on the design side lately? Well, the playtest draft of the manuscript went out to patrons today, which means that the work is half done. Art, maps, and a second draft are still to come.

In addition, I've published two new design essays, one on How to Design Mysteries and one describing How to Design City Adventures. They're not deeply theoretical, but full of practical examples and concrete guidelines for becoming a better designer. The list of upcoming essay topics includes "Designing Outdoor Encounters: No More Boring Bandits" and "Speeding Up Combat: Getting the Most Bang from Melee Encounters". If you'd like to see them, please join as a patron and feel like a Medici today!

I've also been ruminating on ways to make Open Design more accessible. More on that in the New Year.