J. E. Olsen Gaming

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J. E. Olsen Gaming is all about gaming experiences that are both fun and meaningful. I'm Jesse. Here's what I'm up to...

Articles

HBR Staff/Juan Moyano/Sumeth Charee/Getty Images 

Many managers view gaming as a frivolous activity, reflecting poorly on discipline and productivity. However, research increasingly shows that gaming can build cognitive, social, and emotional skills that are relevant to organizational success. 

(Article via Harvard Business Review)

A D&D-inspired mindset could help change how we think about our workplaces and working together as a team. 

(Article via Pursuit)

Products

Stay in Barovia a little longer with this Curse of Strahd supplement, featuring quests around five new NPCs from official settings across the multiverse of the world’s greatest roleplaying game.  This is a supplement to the Curse of Strahd adventure for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). It centers on five "orphans," or non-player characters from various worlds in the D&D multiverse, who have become lost in Barovia.

This supplement is a resource for Dungeon Masters to introduce these orphans, their stories, and their quests to players' characters within the official Curse of Strahd setting.

The Guide to the Fey and Fey Druids is a 23-page supplement for Shadowdark RPG. This resource includes 8 new fey character ancestries, details for the new fey druid class, a fey encounters table, 18 new druid spells, and 8 new fey monsters.

Note that The Guide to the Fey and Fey Druids expands on the more concise supplement, Fey and Druid Essentials (available for free on itch.io).

Fey and Druid Essentials is an 8-page supplement for Shadowdark RPG, including 5 new fey character ancestries, details for a new druid class, 6 new druid spells (2 of which can also be used to expand the wizard spell list), and 3 new fey monsters.

Fey and Druid Essentials was a finalist in the 2023 Shadowdark Independent Game Jam and was reviewed by Baron de Ropp, Dungeon Dad, and House DM on Dungeon Masterpiece!

Note that this is a concise "essentials" resource. If you enjoy it, please consider purchasing the expanded 23-page supplement, The Guide to the Fey and Fey Druids.

Many players of tabletop roleplaying games enjoy the thrill of randomized character creation. However, there may be groups that require  more choice. Some young  players, for example, may better learn about equity and resource management when asked to allocate points for character creation. Virtual groups hoping to create characters individually (and unmonitored) before the game may also benefit from this method. Hopefully, this supplement is useful for such folks and others.

Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) originating in the U.S. do not typically use the metric system for measurement, leading many players and GMs to struggle at first to visualise and understand units of measurement in-game. Whether using theater-of-the-mind or miniature-based play, this cheat sheet will hopefully help such players and GMs navigate the worlds in which they adventure. I include conversions for measurement units of distance (length, height, and width), weight, area, volume, and temperature, as well as melting points for several materials common in many TTRPGs.

Frustrated with poor customer service the day before, a mysterious disgruntled customer placed an undeath curse on the crew of this flight (which may explain the fact that the cleaning staff went missing!). Game masters can guide players through this flight as they play either of two ways. Players can become the crew, cursed with undeath and the need to consume the life force of living passengers until they reach their native Bezomi. Or, they can take the role of the living passengers who just want to get to their tropical vacation (rumor has it that the crew may be undead?!?).

You just need one six-sided die to play either way, and suggested story ideas add dynamics to allow you to play again and again. Can you make it to Luhog, or is your entire flight doomed?

I make epoxy resin dice at O2 Crafts. These custom-made dice can be used for your favourite TTRPG, or they can simply be put on display in your home or office.

Services

TTRPG Product Design

Email me if you have particular design needs for your TTRPG.

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