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T. Julian Bell is the Creative Director and Owner of Dark Veil Studio which currently has a Kickstarter running for the Dark Veil TTRPG. I’ll be honest, y’all. I really want this game, and I think you should absolutely go check out their Kickstarter, which is running until October 15th. I’m not being paid to say this; I just think the lore and universe-building potentials sound really cool, and I’m also pretty fascinated by the mechanics that Julian describes in this interview. He has a pretty amazing story about how this game came to be, and they have some big plans for the Dark Veil universe. Beyond just wanting to promote this game because I want it, I also really enjoyed talking to Julian, as he has a wealth of knowledge about project managing a new TTRPG system and goes into pretty elaborate detail on a lot of their processes, including how they decided on their game mechanics and the vital role of playtesting.
This is a longer episode than usual, so I’ll keep the business part short. So, if this is your first time tuning in to the show, welcome. This podcast is a part of Lightheart Adventures, which is a small company I co-founded with my husband. We offer a weekly blog on our website where you’ll find tips for running games, free monthly one-shot adventures, product reviews, and more. You’ll find that blog at lightheartadventures.com. Brenton also creates beautiful dungeon maps, both on DM’s Guild and on a commission basis.
Some other ways you can support us and this show are by subscribing to this show, leaving a review, and checking out our affiliate links. The affiliate Im going to highlight today is Found Familiar Coffee, the most delicious and nerdy coffee you’ll ever taste, and you’ll get to collect some pretty cool D&D themed art on every package, that I like to collect. Go to foundfamiliar.com and enter code LightheartADV to get 10% off your order, enjoy delicious coffee, and help me keep this show running.
That is all for now, so please sit back and enjoy this conversation with Julian.
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Time Stamps & Screenshots
- 00:00:00 Introduction & Updates
- 00:02:45 T. Julian Bell Introduction
- 00:09:20 Plans for the Dark Veil IP
- 00:11:05 All about the Dark Veil Roleplaying Game
- 00:15:00 Inspiration & Character Creation
- 00:20:45 Game Mechanics & Playtesting
- 00:20:45 Designing game mechanics through playtesting
- 00:41:28 Development Process & Project Management Tips
- 00:47:29 The Dark Veil team
- 00:56:32 What has been the most challenging part?
- 1:01:55 What has been the most rewarding part?
- 01:07:19 Where can people find you?
- 01:08:52 Wrap-up
Find Julian and Dark Veil Studio at:
Show Affiliates / Some of Courtney's favorite things
- Found Familiar
Delicious coffee meets Dungeons & Dragons artwork. Use code lightheartadv for 10% off your order. - Friday Afternoon Tea
Grab a cup of tea with blends based on your favorite nerdy series. Use lightheartadv for 10% off - Dice Envy
Dice Envy creates beautiful dice in a variety of materials. Use lightheartadv for 10% off your order
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