Stories with Dice

Overseer Studio is a modern, desktop based "Digital GM Screen" designed to solve the problem of browser tab bloat and fragmented software during tabletop sessions. Developed by Tom (the creator behind Astral TableTop and dddice), it is an offline first application that allows Game Masters to consolidate all their digital tools—including VTTs, PDFs, and web browsers—into a single, infinitely customizable workspace. It is currently moving through its Early Access phase in mid 2026, positioning itself as the ultimate organizational layer for the modern "hybrid" or online GM. Description Overseer Studio is not a Virtual Tabletop; rather, it is a "tool for your tools." It provides a modular canvas where a GM can embed windows for D&D Beyond, Spotify, Obsidian, and Roll20 side by side. By using a system of "tiles," GMs can create custom layouts that fit their specific workflow, switching between different "screens" with keyboard shortcuts. Because it is a local desktop application that requires no subscription or internet connection to run, it offers a level of stability and privacy that cloud based alternatives cannot match. System Overview & Key Features Infinite Modular Canvas The core of Overseer is an infinite workspace where you can place "tiles." These tiles can contain anything from a simple notepad or a PDF viewer to a fully functional web browser. You can resize, group, and tab these tiles together to create the perfect command center for your specific campaign. VTT and Tool Embedding Overseer is designed to play well with others. You can natively embed Foundry VTT, Roll20, or Owlbear Rodeo directly into your screen. This allows you to manage your map and tokens in one tile while keeping your campaign notes and creature stat blocks visible in another, eliminating the need to Alt-Tab between programs. Offline First Architecture The application runs entirely on your hardware (Windows, macOS, or Linux). This ensures that your game is never interrupted by server outages or slow internet speeds. Your data remains on your machine, giving you total ownership over your preparation materials. Pop-out Player Sharing While the software is for the GM, you can "pop out" any tile—such as a map, a piece of concept art, or a video—into a separate window. This window can then be shared via Discord or Zoom, or cast to a physical TV for in-person groups, allowing you to control exactly what the players see. Extensible Plugin SDK For power users, Overseer features a robust SDK. Extensions are built using standard web technologies (HTML/JS), allowing the community to create custom dice rollers, soundboards, or automation tools that can "talk" to each other across different tiles within the session. One Time Purchase Model In a market dominated by monthly fees, Overseer Studio is a "buy once, own forever" product. There are no account requirements or hidden subscriptions, and all future updates are included in the initial purchase price, making it a highly cost effective solution for long term GMs. Additional links overseer.studio - Official Overseer Studio website discord.gg - Official Discord for beta testing and development updates

Geek Native is an independent news site and community for tabletop roleplaying games, board games, anime, and geek culture. It covers tabletop mechanics, industry news, and reviews with a critical but welcoming tone. Whether you’re a player, a Game Master, or somewhere in between, it’s a solid place to find content that actually holds up. It also publishes practical tools for session prep and world-building -  things like spaceship name generators and lists of oddly unsettling phrases to throw at your players. Alongside those, there are columns on the psychology of gameplay and table dynamics. It’s been around long enough to build a genuine community, and it shows. Links geeknative.com - Website

Dragon Warriors is a tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. Published in 1985 by Corgi Books as a series of six mass-market paperback volumes, it was later re-released in a consolidated hardcover format by Magnum Opus Press in 2008 and subsequently by Serpent King Games in 2011. It is historically notable as a domestic UK alternative to early fantasy role-playing systems, celebrated for its evocative, low-fantasy setting heavily rooted in medieval European folklore. Description Dragon Warriors is set in the Lands of Legend, a grim, pseudo-historical analogue of Europe during the early Middle Ages, saturated with superstition, ruined barrows, and perilous folklore. Rather than a game of high magic and superheroic fantasy, players inhabit a brutal, mud-and-blood world where healing is slow and combat is highly lethal. The game focuses on human protagonists belonging to distinct professions. It purposefully eschews a modern unified core resolution mechanic, instead employing a mix of specialized dice rolls that tailor the mechanical feel to the specific action being performed, from martial combat to arcane spellcasting. System Overview & Key Features Class-Based System Characters are created by selecting one of several distinct Professions, such as the Knight, Barbarian, Assassin, Sorcerer, Mystic, Elementalist, or Warlock. There is no multi-classing, and each profession possesses unique features, progression paths, and distinct mechanical subsystems for how they engage with magic or combat. Opposed Combat Mechanics Combat resolution uses a subtractive mathematical mechanic. An attacker subtracts the target's Defence score from their own Attack score to determine a specific target number. The player must then roll equal to or lower than this target number on a 20-sided die (1d20) to score a successful physical hit. Armour Bypass Rolls (ABR) Armor in Dragon Warriors acts as a static physical barrier that must be violently breached to cause harm. If an attack hits, the attacker makes an Armour Bypass Roll using a polyhedral die specific to their equipped weapon (such as a d8 for a standard sword). To inflict damage, this roll must strictly exceed the target's Armour Factor (AF). If successful, the weapon deals a fixed, non-variable amount of damage directly to the target's Health Points. Contextual Task Resolution The game lacks a traditional, unified skill system or expansive skill lists, relying instead on contextual attribute checks based on core statistics (Strength, Reflexes, Intelligence, Psychic Talent, and Looks). General tasks are typically resolved by rolling equal to or under an attribute on a d20, while opposed or complex actions (such as Stealth versus Perception) utilize calculated target numbers resolved with either a d20 or 2d10. Asymmetric Magic Subsystems Magic mechanics vary drastically depending on the spellcaster's Profession. Sorcerers, Elementalists, and Warlocks utilize a standard pool of Magic Points (MP) that depletes upon casting and regenerates at specific times of day. Mystics, conversely, do not use MPs; they can cast spells freely but must roll a check after each casting to see if they suffer psychic fatigue or temporarily lose their arcane abilities. Additional links serpentking.com - Official publisher website for the current edition of Dragon Warriors cobwebbedforest.co.uk - Comprehensive fan resource and archive for Dragon Warriors rules, errata, and game downloads