The Forest Valley
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TTRPG (4)

Tabletop roleplaying games are one of my most-loved pasttimes.

29 May 2026

The real world physics (and a little chemistry) of a Fireball spell

Photo by Luke Jernejcic on Unsplash

The most important question for a GM (or other players) to ask when the party spellcaster enthusiastically yells, β€œI cast Fireball,” is β€œare…

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28 May 2026

A gamer origin story

A set of metallic blue polyhedral dice with gold lettering are lined up on a table. A dice bag is in the foreground and a character sheet in the near distance.

I was given the Red Box Basic Set as a Christmas gift from my parents in 1981 when I was in the 7th…

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25 May 2026

Take in the view. Take in all the things. Make notes.

A view of the Brogo River valley looking over Brogo Dam. Shot from a drone at sunset.

Look, when the feature image for this post is the actual view from my back verandah, it's not all that hard to be…

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22 May 2026

Considering the ethics of using AI for TTRPG design

AI could never write a good Movie or a great TV script and than go for a lunch and enjoy the sunset or be funny. AI could never create Art that Real Artists created through centuries going with all the struggles and joys of life. AI could for sure create Inequity and Job losses however... We need compassion, not machines...

Self-publishing, crowdfunding, and social media publicity underpin the incredibly rich ecosystem of TTRPG material one can purchase in the modern era. You would…

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  • The Forest Valley Β© 2026 by Stephen Collins is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0


I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which I live and work, the Djiringanj people of the Yuin nation. Sovereignty over their land was never ceded. I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging. I acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and their contribution to this region's life and commit to working towards Treaty, justice and reconciliation with First Nations people.

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