Articles & Devlog

I've been using the free time I have to work on writing, mechanics, layout of things like character sheets. While I know I will eventually make art for Bug & Claw, I needed help to envision some of the world. I'm happy to announce that I hired Hodag to help do some of the art for Bug & Claw! Check...

After the iterations from the last post about enemy statblocks it helped catalyze even more updates to the character sheets. I was debating leaving some of the defences and injuries a bit more vague, but I realized the "crunchiness" of attaching numbers would aid the usability. Balancing crunch and...

Over the last little while I've been diving into what encounters will be like in Bug & Claw. Naturally, a part of that is taking a look at the opposition. Enemies, whether other Bug-kin, animals, or other things. There are particular things that I like about the D20 system encounters, as well as O...

Some of the most important things to me as I work on any of my games is that they're simple, streamlined, and easy to understand. These principles are pretty common for someone who comes from UX and product design. With this in mind, one of the many things that I find complicated about a lot of gami...

What follows is a rough list of starting items for Bug & Claw. I think this list has caused me to rethink how the weight system will work. I want to simplify it so things can weigh 1, 2, or negligible amounts but can still be listed all together. The current inventory system looks cool but is less f...

I've been working through the mutations that Bug-kin may have upon character generation. These may or may not be the same ones that you can receive on a moult if you have high infection. Many are cosmetic, while some offer advantages or disadvantages. Highly WIP, but if you've followed me for a whil...

As players traverse the world of Bug & Claw, they will encounter all sorts of interesting characters they can interact with. Here are a few. Common NPCs Bug-kin workers: Everyday bug-kin going about their tasks in settlements. Traders and merchants: Individuals involved in commerce and tra...

So far, the rules of Bug & Claw are based on these core premises. Perhaps more to come. Humans are gone, but their ancient footprint lingers– technology, destruction, and the occasional belonging. Bug-kin are aware that humans existed before them. That being said, not all of them are aware huma...

One of the problems with a lot of tabletop games is very similar to a common business challenge. You get a mix of personalities or play styles together and sometimes someone owns the space. To me, there are a few ways to tackle this. Sometimes, it's just making sure folks know what they're accountab...

I recently posted about updates to the character sheets. When I made those updates I also had time to start diving into the referee. Does Bug & Claw need one? What does it mean? What would they do? I really want Bug & Claw to be played by one to four or five people. In that case, if it can be pl...

Now that I've finished my other big project, I have even more time to work on Bug & Claw. Over the last couple of months I've refined systems, added or removed them, and generally iterated on written rules. When working mostly in written format right now, I've been finding artifacts like the ch...

I've talked about the Breach a few times in these devlogs, even including an example of them in the Doll's Eye. A few of the folks I chat with about the game have been curious about some of the organizations that will make an appearance. Here are some of them. A reminder that organizations are going...