As we gear up for our exciting Kickstarter launch, I’m thrilled to begin our series of first-look posts. These posts are designed to give you an exclusive glimpse into the various facets of our game. Today, we’re diving deep into the first Totem Path to be fully publicly revealed – the Raven Totem. Please note, all material presented here is … Read More
Monsters of the Stone Age: A Halloween Special
The Haunted Corners of Prehistory Halloween is upon us, and while the holiday may not have existed during the Stone Age, the fear of the unknown, the dark, and the monstrous certainly did. Today, we’re exploring the terrifying creatures that our ancestors might have feared. These aren’t the fantastical dragons or undead beings from your typical D&D game. No, these … Read More
Why No Magic? Making a No-Magic Setting
Moving on from Magic Magic is a cornerstone of most fantasy tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), especially Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The allure of casting fireballs, healing wounds, and transforming into fantastical creatures is an integral part of the D&D experience. So, why would anyone want to remove such a compelling component from the game? That’s the question I grappled with … Read More
Historical Accuracy and Gameplay in Born from Ice
How To Make A Game Historically Accurate A major question I wrestled with while designing Born from Ice was, “how do I make a game historically accurate?” This isn’t a new question for game designers, because while it sounds simple and innocent (and maybe even easy to answer), it actually opens up a whole lot of secondary questions that end … Read More
Equipment in the Stone Age
A Glimpse into Our Ancestors’ Ingenious Weapons and Tools The Stone Age, spanning millions of years, was a time of profound innovation and adaptability. As I delved deep into research for Born from Ice, I found myself constantly in awe of our ancestors’ sheer resilience and inventiveness. The tools and equipment they devised, often from rudimentary materials, played pivotal roles … Read More
Journey into the Paleolithic Era: A Deep Dive into Prehistory
When the idea for Born from Ice first took root in my mind, I envisioned a D&D setting that would not just transport players to a different world, but a different time altogether. A time on our very own Earth that was as compelling, mysterious, and challenging as any fantastical realm. Today, I want to take you on a journey … Read More
Totem Paths: The Evolution of Subclasses
When I first envisioned a world where every class could embrace any path, I knew I was onto something exciting. I wanted players to feel liberated, unrestricted by the confines of traditional subclasses. In my last blog post, I talked about designing a new class system, and alluded to this Totem Paths system. Let’s dive in and take a closer … Read More
Designing New Classes for Born from Ice
Creating a new 5e game without magic created some major hurdles. The first major hurdle is that classic D&D is entirely tied to the magic systems, and all of the classes are built around magic as a core of the game. To that end, it became clear very early on that Born from Ice needed entirely new classes that could … Read More
What is “Born from Ice”?
When I think about tabletop role-playing games, the scenes that come to mind are those of wizards and warriors, of enchanted forests and fiery dragons, or of the deep distant future, cybernetic implants, or exploring alien worlds. Taking a step away from the common fantasy or sci-fi tropes that permeate the TTRPG space, I began to envision a new unique … Read More