Critical Hits are an enduring symbol of roleplaying. The twenty-sided die showing a twenty is iconic to the point of blandness. There are innumerable podcasts named variations of "Critical Hit." This makes it an extremely tempting one to problematize. Would critical hits be so integral to tabletop culture without the totalizing culture force that is Dungeons and Dragons? Is there something sinister in the similarities between Critical Hits and gambling? Critical Hits are such an important yet unquestioned part of roleplaying that it is the basis of many of the stories we tell about tabletop games. For our second issue, we want to see pieces about Critical Hits. We are donating all revenue for this issue plus an additional $200 to Medical Aid for Palestinians. We encourage you to donate to MAP as well. 

Download Issue #2 here!

Contents:

• Cover​ by yuri​ (also on cohost) 

• FALSE IDOLS by Devin Nelson

• Act of God by Cee Jordan: I'm a writer living in Dublin, Ireland. I work primarily with writing workshops and childhood education, including using ttrpgs as a creative medium for kids to explore co-operative storytelling.

• last days of the mushroom war by coffee

• Roll to Dodge by Fina MacDusa: An Irish trans girl who writes things and directs films sometimes. She's been published in the Westmeath Examiner, Manawaker Studios, and Bunbury Magazine. She also works as the assistant editor for the TTRPG magazine Mixed Success, writes things on twitter on @bimbowonk, and publishes games on the-medusa-doctrine.itch.io. She hopes this is being read in a sultry, seductive tone.

• Cyclic Horizon by HB

• The Cottage by Faye Hopper

I used to think, if it's not in the rules, why does it matter? If the dice aren't there to manufacture certainty, how do I know I had an effect? What makes a rules-lite game any different from playing pretend with your friends? After a conversation with some OSR folks, I learned that rules-lite games care about what the rules don't say as much as what they do. Negative Space. The Fruitful Void. Rules are for worst case scenarios. The rest is up to you. For our first issue, we want to see pieces about Negative Space.

Download Issue #1 here!

Contents:

• voidcrawler loves omega by coffee

• Negative Space by Ramanan Sivaranjan (also on Mastodon)

• Open House by HB

• Marginalia by Ben R

• While You're Not There by Misha Grifka Wander (also here)

• New Game Minus by The Medusa Doctrine (also on Twitter)

• Her Cup Overfloweth by Dora Dee Rogers and Allison Cole

• Fellipe da Silva, Forgotten Ballad d10 by Alice Pow

• it goes like this by Dvorah Sperling