Projects

New D&D 5e Class – Fatewielder

Status: Third draft and approaching playtesting

There are those among us; some chosen, some forced; that play a heavier hand than most in the fate of all others. Throughout the ages it is they who have nudged the pen that scribes history. It is by their hand that many of us will live, and many of us will die.

Fear them. Envy them. Pity them.

A melee-focused class for the worlds most popular tabletop roleplaying game. The Fatewielder release is currently set to boast:

• A flexible system for empowering attacks and abilties designed to offer melee characters more choice in combat
• Rich class identity that can fit in almost any setting (including sci-fi!) and that be incorporated into a wide variety of characters, including as a multiclass option
• Six subclasses, each further tapping into the potential of the core class and offering interesting plot-hooks for your campaign
• Class-specific items to make sure you don’t feel left out when it comes to looting
• NPC Statblocks for creatures that also tap into the Fatewielder powerset
• A short story illustrating just one possible take on a Fatewielder’s background

D&D 5e Subclass Pack – Title Pending

Status: Roughly 40% through the core design phase with playtesting to begin on the first three subclasses by August 2025.

One new subclass for each core class, Artificer and Blood Hunter. Barbarians will be able to take the Path of the Slugger. The Way of the Countered Fist will be opened to Monks. Fighters will earn the title of Spellbreaker, and Warlocks will need to contend with The Companion.

Those and more in the final pack, which is being designed to include:

• 2024 rules compatibility
• Flavourful additions to each class that draw further from the archetype while offering new mechanics and possibilities
• Bonus content in the form of spells, items, and creatures to further flesh out each subclass

D&D 5e Vehicle Rules Guide – ‘Sparklebonk’s Guide to Vehicles and Voyages’ (working title)

Status: Core book is 60% complete, mechanics have been through two iterations of playtesting, and the additional content is now in first draft.

Tobi Sparklebonk! (the exclamation mark is silent) has pulled together his vast and questionable knowledge into this collection of vehicular guidance. Want to know how to properly repair a sloop? How to outfit an airship for dragon hunting? Where best to park your submersible? Sparklebonk’s Guide covers these and more.

Split beween a Core book and supplementary ‘Vehicle Manuals’ for each type of craft, you can look forward to finding:

• Vehicle and Voyage rules for everywhere, including Land, Air, Sea, Underwater, and Space!
• An innovative Hex-based system for vehicle combat that adds a manageable layer of tactics and manoeuvrability to your encounters
• Vehicle statblocks designed for ease of use
• A repair and maintenance system that’s swift to use and doesn’t steal time from the fun
• Crew management and player-focused actions
• An assortment of upgrades so that each vehicle can be custom-fit for the job
• Voyaging rules, crafted to make the journey impactful but not tedious
• Templates and digital resources such as tokens and vehicle ‘character sheets’

Short Adventure – Title Pending

Status: Early design stages

A puzzle-heavy adventure designed to work as a standalone experience or to easily fit within a longer campaign. This adventure is the first of a few I have planned utilising some design concepts I’ve noted down over the years but never got chance to use.

This first adventure will be setting the quality expectations for future releases and will include:

• DM guidance to help you get the most from the adventure by offering further options for play
• At least one innovative design feature, such as a new mechanic or map feature to make the adventure unique
• New monsters, spells and/or items in every adventure
• A digital asset pack, containing high quality maps and support material such as Characterblocks (NPC cheat-sheets
• A range of printing options, including a DM screen-friendly pocket-guide
• Recyclable assets that you can pilfer from this adventure to use as you see fit in others
• Pathfinder 2e conversion (given enough interest)

Digital Hexcrawl System – Title Pending

Status: Paper design is nearly complete. A long path of re-learning how to code software lies ahead.

A software solution for world map tracking. This concept has been buried in my mind for years, occasionally leaking out into tiny paper hexagons that litter my desk like confetti.

The brief for this system includes the following features:

• 3D Hex-based map system where each hex represents a large area and biome type with features (such as a river) that tesselate together at varying heights to represent relative terrain height
• Auto map-generation tools with customisable parameters such as ‘sea percentage’ etc.
• Weather layer for setting and tracking different weather effects
• Dynamic fog of war based on terrain height, biome contents (such as dense forest) and weather
• Auto patrolling and roaming unit markers for immersive random encounters
• Built in travel distance calculator
• Turn-based time tracking with day/night cycle
• Optional asset packs to meet different visual aesthetics

I’m considering working with a developer on this, so if you have an interest and wish to see the full details, please get in contact.

Children’s Book – ‘The Custard Witch’

Status: Synopsis written, first draft and concept artwork started

It’s the holidays! A time when Millie can usually just be herself.

But this summer the little corner of the world she’s made her own is in danger, and protecting it is going to mean putting on her cleanest boots, disguising her best friend (that happens to be a big frog), and facing the peril of ‘going into town’.

Millie’s adventure is a story about understanding the world, being understood, friendship, and of course, custard.

My partner and I have long discussed joining forces to work on a children’s book, and somewhere down the line the idea for ‘The Custard Witch’ was born. It’s a tale we cobbled together, excitedly passing back and forth elements until we had a narrative that felt like something we could both identify with. We’ve fit what time we can between other projects on working on this, with the hope that children (including the ones masquerading as adults) will one day get to read it.

My Midlife Mission

Status: Ongoing

This ‘project’ is a secret, for now.