TTRPG INDEPENDENT SYSTEM CREATOR: Debra Hoenig Parizek - ParDen Us Gaming

TTRPG Creators love to bring new games and ideas to the fore. Sadly however, no matter how much passion and effort we put in, we don't always get to see it through to the end. When I heard about this project from Debra Hoenig Parizek, I had to get behind it, especially when I saw that over the next few years, grand plans are being hatched to fully develop many additional ideas left behind by Dennis.

Having lost her husband, Dennis Parizek, she decided to bring his dream to fruition, working hard to get Everyverse RPG, a 4d10 generic system with attribute/skill scores based on the Bell Curve and one method to resolve all actions to the table. Completing the 3rd supplement, High Tech Equipment, is a work in progress. Paranormality and Future History supplements have already been published by ParDen Us Gaming.

When asked what makes Everyverse better than others, Debra had this to say:

"Anyone who has a scenario that needs some rules that are simpler than DnD or that has a scenario that doesn't fit the rules in any other existing system would love ours. The latter is why my husband designed the system."

We wish Debra every success and look forward to seeing what comes to the fore.

TTRPG INDEPENDENT MODULE CREATOR INTERVIEW: MIRAGE COMPANY

TTRPG's are a wonderful way to escape the real world, but there are times when you can't find one that scratches that itch for some of the other things that you love.  So what do you do.  In the case of the Mirage Company, two friends decided to create their own.

Wellspring, is a manga, fantasy, lo-fi Japanese style RPG and when blended with synthwave sounds as well as dying earth themes, presents a TTRPG that will strike a chord with a great many players out there, so we were enthralled enough to ask our interview questions to the two creators...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of modules for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Mirage Company:  As far as modules go, we don't create those, but Abby's made Cephalopod Squad which is a Honey Heist hack. She was playing a hell of a lot of Splatoon while waiting for me to finish up a Wellspring update so she had the time to make that. We're proud of that one.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPGs?

MC:  A fresh take on fantasy. Our games will mostly take place in our Wellspring setting, which is inspired by our love for manga and vaporwave stylings. We're calling that combination mangawave, and we want to tell a progressive sort of fantasy story with our works.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

MC:  Just like everyone else, we love collaborative storytelling and the conversations that brings. We wanted to make a game about journeying through a grim sort of world, and we couldn't find one that played the way we wanted it to. So we're making games.

TTRPGs aren't the only ones we'll be making, but it's where we'll be starting.

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

MC:  Our main project, Wellspring RPG, is in alpha. It's been about a year in development; we're super excited. It's got journeys and a tactical battle system that's on the way very soon.

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

MC:  See #4.

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?

MC:  Anyone who's tired of not being represented in media. You can be anyone - yes, anyone - in Wellspring. We've opened the space for this, and that design is intentional. We want you to be yourself, or anyone else you love in manga, anime, and fantasy.

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

MC:  Season 1 of Wellspring will probably be ending in 5 years, then we'd be thinking of a second edition. I think we'll have some books printed in 5 years, if there's enough interest for that. 

We're really making games for people like us, and we think there's enough sickos out there to at least do a li'l baby print run. I gotta market this thing, huh? One day...

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

MC Gwaja: Man if I had a the time and resources, like infinite money, I'd make a vaporwave/glitch-core-styled RPG. I'd do it like NieR, or something. Just wacky shit because I'm not normal.

Also a persistent sort of live-service game, probably played on a website. I have a really good idea for that; I'd like to do that one day.

MC Abby: A serialized comic, probably? Honestly I don't know, like, what it would be about, it could be, like, theoretically anything.  I really love sequential & visual storytelling and it would be a fun way to flex my artistic muscles. But given the sheer amount of time that sort of thing requires on any professional scale, it's definitely a pipe dream at this point. Someday, maybe. 

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

MC:  Man, we really love everything Luka Rejec is doing. We get to chat with him sometimes and it's always a blast. Actually it's been a while, where has the time gone? Big shout out to him, one of our first supporters actually.

We love GreyWizard and Rey, the Break!! RPG guys. They also support us and we've had a couple chats with them. If that game was out earlier when I was thinking of making games (it's coming, finally!) I might have just ended there. That's totally in our wheelhouse.

We're also big fans of Massif Press. Literally everything they make is our shit. I think we arrive at the same answers for how games should be designed, crunchy or not. They're totally starting a D&D 4e-themed renaissance and we're a little bit on that wave from a different angle. Our battle systems are little 4e-like by accident and association. We like those tightly designed card games, tactical combat games, and mech games too.

Wellspring's got a little bit of Lancer and ICON in it, for sure. Tom owns.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

MC Gwaja: Demon magic. Nah, but for real, I was in a club in high school that lasted like 2 weeks. A friend wanted me to play D&D in his club that he started, and that got me interested. I made a character sheet and then didn't touch 'em for 15 years. Another friend hit me up and was like, I wanna DM for you and our friends since I think it's your shit.

It was. Then he quit after 2 sessions. He hated DMing. So I was like yeah let me just do it. I'll learn the rules and just let it fly. Then I used none of the 5e reference manuals because I just wanted to toss people into my universe and some of the stuff in those books really sucked, man. Not to be a hater, but... I didn't feel like I fit into those fantasy stories as a minority. That was my intro. 

MC  Abby: Literally everyone says Critical Role but tbh for me it was The Adventure Zone. I'd played a little bit with my family before that but TAZ was what really sold me on the concept and got me searching for groups to play d&d with for real.

INDEPENDENT TTRPG MODULE CREATOR: Joshua E Ohmer

Many TTRPG Creators have hopes and dreams alongside projects that they'd love to devote time to but sadly with having to make a living in the real world, they can take time to get to fruition, Joshua E. Ohmer was one of these who after 22 years working in a bookstore was able to become a house spouse and devote more time to his passions which include photography, Calligraphy and story driven Larps in Southern Indiana.

We were lucky enough to catch a word with him to find out about the modules he's written which are available on DMs Guild.  Here's what he had to say...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of modules for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Joshua E Ohmer:  I haven't been publishing for long—just since September—and my four products so far are all part of the same project, a series called Smoke & Thunder. They bring rules for firearms, explosives, cannons, and related equipment to D&D 5e. The inspiration comes from my personal campaign world where medieval high fantasy characters interact with colonizers from space, and there's a spread of technology from black powder to lasers. So, I needed robust firearm rules that weren't overpowered. When Spelljammer 5e came out, it only hinted at firearms, so I figured other people would want the rules I'd already mostly written. 

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's?

JEO:  I think the best selling point is that Smoke & Thunder allows characters with bows, muskets, machine guns, and lasers to all feel unique and yet not wildly different in power. 

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

JEO:  I've been playing D&D and other TTRPGs for 32 years. I've always liked tinkering with rules, especially seeing how a clever game mechanic (in RPGs or board games) can elegantly represent a real-world or fantasy trope. 

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

JEO:  It's hard to pick one, but the latest volume, Magical Munitions, was a lot of fun to write.  Magic items can be so varied, from utilitarian to epic to humorous. 

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

JEO:  Right now, I'm taking a break from larger projects to create a few different PC species as short one-offs. I'm planning a couple of elf subtypes, modrons, and a couple other surprises. When I gather enough spoons to return to bigger projects, I'm planning to write a rather large guide to chronomancy. 

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?

JEO:  Anyone who likes their D&D a little more historical—or who wants to play D&D with modern or futuristic technology—should enjoy my current supplements. Smoke & Thunder is not a setting, but it can augment or form the basis for any number of settings, and each volume includes advice for how to use its contents in a variety of ways. 

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

JEO:  Well, I'm only 8 months into my creator journey, so it's hard to say where this will take me. Right now I'm focusing on producing content that I find fun to write and fun to play. I'd love to see some of my work in print—maybe within 5 years! 

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

JEO:  This is completely unrelated to my other work, but I have what I think is an excellent design for a board game. But it's based on the 1998 movie Dark City, so I think it's probably a long shot! I love the film and I have some really evocative mechanics in mind. 

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

JEO:  This might sound like a cop out, but I admire the whole #ttrpgcommunity of Twitter. It's been such a welcoming space and really helped me promote my work and gain confidence in my ability. 

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

JEO:  The summer before I started 7th grade, a friend introduced me to D&D. We didn't really know how to play, at first—and we were actively mixing Basic, 1st, and 2nd editions—but I loved figuring it out and was hooked for life! 

INDEPENDENT TTRPG CREATOR: Brandon

We love to feature people who have had the creativity to sit down and write their own modules for TTRPG's.  Brandon, a prolific twitter user and supporter on Kofi, took the time to answer our questions and let us have a look inside his life as a creator alongside mentioning his real life work as a sensitivity reader and creativity consultant...

Totally Pawsome:  As a creator of modules for TTRPG's, what inspired you to write the one you're most proud of?

Brandon:  As a new writer I've just put out my first module, Dreamweaver's Debate, and the source of that was a session I made for my players in my home game because one couldn't make it. A called the game almost entirely improvised and thought it would be really cool if others could experience this too.

TP:  What would you say is the best selling point of your TTRPG's?

B:  Roleplay. In Yl'fe there are a number of mechanics that allow you to embody your character and really feel like you're playing their part much like an actor. From role-playing how one starts rumors or gathers info from them, how healing needs communication between players and talking about how they feel and what they think to many other elements of the game that bring out these great elements of ttrpgs in general.

TP:  Why the TTRPG space?

B:  TTRPGs allow everyone to be a storyteller, and from shows like: The Unexpectables, TFS at the Table, Critical Role, Dimension 20 and more individuals than I could fit on a page, I was enraptured by the amazing potential all tables have.

TP:  What is your favourite product that you produce and why?

B:  Yl'fe is my favorite as it has mixed two of my loves; folk tales and cosmic horror are genres that run through so much of my philosophy of life through stories. The inspiration and power through generations alongside the humbling and thought provoking mysteries that affect us in the now. Combining those two elements I have been given the chance to inspire and intrigue friends and fello players alike.

TP:  What is your current work in progress and what can you tell us about it?

B:  I just finished my latest project but my next one will hopefully be a Kickstarter for Yl'fe and it's art. I want to have an illustration from many things in my book but I'll need a lot of help for that to happen.

TP:  Who do you think would love to play your TTRPG's and why?

B:  I think Omega Jones (Critical Bard) would be a fan. If I recall they're a fan of the roleplay element in ttrpgs which Yl'fe is all about. Plus with faeries and Abstracts, his outfit choices would be endless!

TP:  Where do you see your TTRPG writing career taking you in 5 years?

B:  I want to branch out to the community and travel to cons, meet players and creators, make funny videos with them, and tell dramatic stories with them. My dream is to be on a panel talking about my works to people who've enjoyed them. 

TP:  If you were given the time and opportunity to develop something unique, what would it be and why?

B:  I would want to make a game focused on poetry, incorporating haikus and poems into expressions that could be utilized in game mechanics. I don't know how yet, but someday. 

TP:  Who do you admire in the Independent TTRPG writing space and why?

B:  There are so many I would love to name, but I would like to point out Adam Brown. He writes 5e supplemental material and on top of being a fantastic and creative mind, he is a really kind and considerate person.

TP:  What got you into TTRPG's in the first place?

B:  My friend Max, back in 2015. He wanted our friend group to play D&D together and when we started he showed me the D&D homebrew site. I had no idea what the official rules were for a little while but the fun of the game captivated me from session 1.