If you removed combat from your TTRPG campaign tomorrow…
what’s left?
If your answer is “everything I love,” you’re not alone.
#TTRPGWithoutCombat #RoleplayingCommunity #RPGDesignTalk #StoryFirst
what’s left?
If your answer is “everything I love,” you’re not alone.
#TTRPGWithoutCombat #RoleplayingCommunity #RPGDesignTalk #StoryFirst
August 20, 2025 at 8:50 PM
If you removed combat from your TTRPG campaign tomorrow…
what’s left?
If your answer is “everything I love,” you’re not alone.
#TTRPGWithoutCombat #RoleplayingCommunity #RPGDesignTalk #StoryFirst
what’s left?
If your answer is “everything I love,” you’re not alone.
#TTRPGWithoutCombat #RoleplayingCommunity #RPGDesignTalk #StoryFirst
🎬 New tools drop every year. Story’s still the part that actually matters.
#Filmmaking #Postchat #StoryFirst #FCPX
#Filmmaking #Postchat #StoryFirst #FCPX
February 7, 2026 at 6:11 AM
🎬 New tools drop every year. Story’s still the part that actually matters.
#Filmmaking #Postchat #StoryFirst #FCPX
#Filmmaking #Postchat #StoryFirst #FCPX
The debate over Final Cut Pro misses the point. Great stories aren’t told by software — they’re told by editors who know how to move people. FCP has evolved. So has the craft. The future isn’t about what you cut on. It’s about what you say. 🎬✨
#FinalCutPro #FCPX #StoryFirst #Filmmaking
#FinalCutPro #FCPX #StoryFirst #Filmmaking
August 19, 2025 at 2:42 AM
The debate over Final Cut Pro misses the point. Great stories aren’t told by software — they’re told by editors who know how to move people. FCP has evolved. So has the craft. The future isn’t about what you cut on. It’s about what you say. 🎬✨
#FinalCutPro #FCPX #StoryFirst #Filmmaking
#FinalCutPro #FCPX #StoryFirst #Filmmaking
Inkican Audio Production builds sound that fits your story, not the other way around. Collaborate with a team that respects your creative voice. Contact us to start your audio journey. #StoryFirst #AudioDesign #AuthorMarketing #Podcasting
December 7, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Inkican Audio Production builds sound that fits your story, not the other way around. Collaborate with a team that respects your creative voice. Contact us to start your audio journey. #StoryFirst #AudioDesign #AuthorMarketing #Podcasting
FlexCoin is shaping the narrative you'll hear everywhere soon.
#NarrativeBuilding #FlexCoin #StoryFirst #TrendSetter
#NarrativeBuilding #FlexCoin #StoryFirst #TrendSetter
March 17, 2026 at 6:19 AM
FlexCoin is shaping the narrative you'll hear everywhere soon.
#NarrativeBuilding #FlexCoin #StoryFirst #TrendSetter
#NarrativeBuilding #FlexCoin #StoryFirst #TrendSetter
Taking notes from the master.
#VisualStorytelling #ShowDontTell #CinematicLanguage #FilmTheory #StoryFirst #NarrativeCinema #NoFilmSchool #StoryOverSpectacle #CreativeIntegrity #ArtOfFilmmaking #TrustYourAudience #FilmmakingWisdom #MartinScorsese
#VisualStorytelling #ShowDontTell #CinematicLanguage #FilmTheory #StoryFirst #NarrativeCinema #NoFilmSchool #StoryOverSpectacle #CreativeIntegrity #ArtOfFilmmaking #TrustYourAudience #FilmmakingWisdom #MartinScorsese
December 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Lots of leading writers got an early break with us - but for the next gen the chance to get a play on can be out of reach
In July we’re staging StoryFirst - 6 new plays by breakout talent from our membership, supported by STUDIOCANAL & Urban Myth Films
www.NYT.org.uk/storyfirst
In July we’re staging StoryFirst - 6 new plays by breakout talent from our membership, supported by STUDIOCANAL & Urban Myth Films
www.NYT.org.uk/storyfirst
June 21, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Lots of leading writers got an early break with us - but for the next gen the chance to get a play on can be out of reach
In July we’re staging StoryFirst - 6 new plays by breakout talent from our membership, supported by STUDIOCANAL & Urban Myth Films
www.NYT.org.uk/storyfirst
In July we’re staging StoryFirst - 6 new plays by breakout talent from our membership, supported by STUDIOCANAL & Urban Myth Films
www.NYT.org.uk/storyfirst
Stop trying to win a science fair… start building legendary Trek stories. 🖖
Mission design tips for Star Trek Adventures GMs.
Watch here 🌌
youtu.be/PKSlBh4D_aI
#StarTrekRPG #TTRPG #StoryFirst
Mission design tips for Star Trek Adventures GMs.
Watch here 🌌
youtu.be/PKSlBh4D_aI
#StarTrekRPG #TTRPG #StoryFirst
April 24, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Stop trying to win a science fair… start building legendary Trek stories. 🖖
Mission design tips for Star Trek Adventures GMs.
Watch here 🌌
youtu.be/PKSlBh4D_aI
#StarTrekRPG #TTRPG #StoryFirst
Mission design tips for Star Trek Adventures GMs.
Watch here 🌌
youtu.be/PKSlBh4D_aI
#StarTrekRPG #TTRPG #StoryFirst
This table isn’t about shock value.
It’s about resonance.
If you like stories that echo instead of explode, I made this for you.
#ttrpg #storyfirst #indiedev
It’s about resonance.
If you like stories that echo instead of explode, I made this for you.
#ttrpg #storyfirst #indiedev
December 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM
This table isn’t about shock value.
It’s about resonance.
If you like stories that echo instead of explode, I made this for you.
#ttrpg #storyfirst #indiedev
It’s about resonance.
If you like stories that echo instead of explode, I made this for you.
#ttrpg #storyfirst #indiedev
Inkican Audio Production builds sound that fits your story not the other way around. Collaborate with a team that respects your creative voice. Contact us to start your audio journey. inkican.com/inkican-... #StoryFirst #AudioDesign #AuthorMarketing #Podcasting
Inkican Audio Production - Inkican
Ready to turn your stories and essays into heart-stopping audio books? Look no further - I'm making our audio production services available for the first time.
inkican.com
March 12, 2026 at 6:28 PM
Inkican Audio Production builds sound that fits your story not the other way around. Collaborate with a team that respects your creative voice. Contact us to start your audio journey. inkican.com/inkican-... #StoryFirst #AudioDesign #AuthorMarketing #Podcasting
RPG tip of the day: If the dice tell a story you didn’t expect, lean in. That’s the universe offering you narrative gold.
#GMThoughts #TTRPGTips #StoryFirst
#GMThoughts #TTRPGTips #StoryFirst
June 10, 2025 at 11:22 PM
RPG tip of the day: If the dice tell a story you didn’t expect, lean in. That’s the universe offering you narrative gold.
#GMThoughts #TTRPGTips #StoryFirst
#GMThoughts #TTRPGTips #StoryFirst
A villain returning is easy.
A mistake returning is harder—and better.
This new d20 table is built for emotional callbacks, not power creep.
#ttrpgdesign #rpgtools #gmadvice #storyfirst
A mistake returning is harder—and better.
This new d20 table is built for emotional callbacks, not power creep.
#ttrpgdesign #rpgtools #gmadvice #storyfirst
December 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM
A villain returning is easy.
A mistake returning is harder—and better.
This new d20 table is built for emotional callbacks, not power creep.
#ttrpgdesign #rpgtools #gmadvice #storyfirst
A mistake returning is harder—and better.
This new d20 table is built for emotional callbacks, not power creep.
#ttrpgdesign #rpgtools #gmadvice #storyfirst
A Steward isn’t a puppet-master.
They’re a mirror-holder—creating space where players discover what their characters are really wrestling with.
Here’s the fortuneteller parallel that inspired me:
markezrastokes.com/t...
#TabletopGaming #IndieTTRPG #StoryFirst #RoleplayingGames #GMthoughts
They’re a mirror-holder—creating space where players discover what their characters are really wrestling with.
Here’s the fortuneteller parallel that inspired me:
markezrastokes.com/t...
#TabletopGaming #IndieTTRPG #StoryFirst #RoleplayingGames #GMthoughts
The Illusion of Knowing - MarkEzraStokes.com
Imagine for a moment that you’re in a dark-but-candlelit room, across a modest table from a wizened woman. She squints at oversized cards spread across the navy-felted table, and she begins to speak: “Ah yes… I see a decision weighing on you…” You hang on to her every word. What if this same narrative trick was used at your TTRPG table?
markezrastokes.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
A Steward isn’t a puppet-master.
They’re a mirror-holder—creating space where players discover what their characters are really wrestling with.
Here’s the fortuneteller parallel that inspired me:
markezrastokes.com/t...
#TabletopGaming #IndieTTRPG #StoryFirst #RoleplayingGames #GMthoughts
They’re a mirror-holder—creating space where players discover what their characters are really wrestling with.
Here’s the fortuneteller parallel that inspired me:
markezrastokes.com/t...
#TabletopGaming #IndieTTRPG #StoryFirst #RoleplayingGames #GMthoughts
🎬 A film’s real magic lies in story depth, character truth, & thematic resonance. 🤔
By zeroing in on what truly matters—plot coherence, layered characters, & compelling themes—Create stories that entertain & enlighten. 🤩
💥#StoryFirst😍 TRANSFORM✔️
www.ijotconsulting.com/post/from-sp...
By zeroing in on what truly matters—plot coherence, layered characters, & compelling themes—Create stories that entertain & enlighten. 🤩
💥#StoryFirst😍 TRANSFORM✔️
www.ijotconsulting.com/post/from-sp...
From Spectacle to Substance: The Case for Meaningful Storytelling
As filmmakers chase the next big spectacle, they risk overlooking the timeless appeal of meaningful storytelling.
www.ijotconsulting.com
November 21, 2024 at 2:39 PM
🎬 A film’s real magic lies in story depth, character truth, & thematic resonance. 🤔
By zeroing in on what truly matters—plot coherence, layered characters, & compelling themes—Create stories that entertain & enlighten. 🤩
💥#StoryFirst😍 TRANSFORM✔️
www.ijotconsulting.com/post/from-sp...
By zeroing in on what truly matters—plot coherence, layered characters, & compelling themes—Create stories that entertain & enlighten. 🤩
💥#StoryFirst😍 TRANSFORM✔️
www.ijotconsulting.com/post/from-sp...
Worldshapers: this month’s drop explores impulse control, repair, and growth—through story, not lectures.
Jettar Emberlash is ready for your forge.
www.patreon.com/post...
#StoryFirst #TTRPGDesign #SEL
Jettar Emberlash is ready for your forge.
www.patreon.com/post...
#StoryFirst #TTRPGDesign #SEL
Worldshaper Drop: Jettar Emberlash 🔥 | Patreon
Get more from Mark Ezra Stokes on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Worldshapers: this month’s drop explores impulse control, repair, and growth—through story, not lectures.
Jettar Emberlash is ready for your forge.
www.patreon.com/post...
#StoryFirst #TTRPGDesign #SEL
Jettar Emberlash is ready for your forge.
www.patreon.com/post...
#StoryFirst #TTRPGDesign #SEL
6/
Bollywood’s old guard is crumbling.
The Rewrite has begun.
And it starts with UNLEASHED.
📘 Grab your copy now.
Be part of the Rewrite.
👉🔗 shorturl.at/isXtS
#Unleashed #StoryFirst #RewriteGeneration #Bollywood #IndianCinema #Mollywood #Tollywood #Kollywood
Bollywood’s old guard is crumbling.
The Rewrite has begun.
And it starts with UNLEASHED.
📘 Grab your copy now.
Be part of the Rewrite.
👉🔗 shorturl.at/isXtS
#Unleashed #StoryFirst #RewriteGeneration #Bollywood #IndianCinema #Mollywood #Tollywood #Kollywood
September 6, 2025 at 5:58 AM
6/
Bollywood’s old guard is crumbling.
The Rewrite has begun.
And it starts with UNLEASHED.
📘 Grab your copy now.
Be part of the Rewrite.
👉🔗 shorturl.at/isXtS
#Unleashed #StoryFirst #RewriteGeneration #Bollywood #IndianCinema #Mollywood #Tollywood #Kollywood
Bollywood’s old guard is crumbling.
The Rewrite has begun.
And it starts with UNLEASHED.
📘 Grab your copy now.
Be part of the Rewrite.
👉🔗 shorturl.at/isXtS
#Unleashed #StoryFirst #RewriteGeneration #Bollywood #IndianCinema #Mollywood #Tollywood #Kollywood
The old model of financing films by star power is broken. Flops prove it. Story should come first. Filmmakers need to stop copying last week’s Netflix trend and feed on the classics to create something new. Audiences are voting with their absence. #StoryFirst #FilmRevolution
August 25, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The old model of financing films by star power is broken. Flops prove it. Story should come first. Filmmakers need to stop copying last week’s Netflix trend and feed on the classics to create something new. Audiences are voting with their absence. #StoryFirst #FilmRevolution
My entry for the #OnegeonJam: in the Tomb of the Maiden, faith shatters like stone.
A knight kneels before a false goddess, and shadows answer.
#TTRPG #IndieRPG #DungeonDesign #StoryFirst #Itchio
thebitbet.itch.io/the-false-go...
A knight kneels before a false goddess, and shadows answer.
#TTRPG #IndieRPG #DungeonDesign #StoryFirst #Itchio
thebitbet.itch.io/the-false-go...
The false goddess'tomb by The Bit Bet
A knight kneels before the corpse of his goddess. Every doubt summons shadows.
thebitbet.itch.io
September 8, 2025 at 2:22 PM
My entry for the #OnegeonJam: in the Tomb of the Maiden, faith shatters like stone.
A knight kneels before a false goddess, and shadows answer.
#TTRPG #IndieRPG #DungeonDesign #StoryFirst #Itchio
thebitbet.itch.io/the-false-go...
A knight kneels before a false goddess, and shadows answer.
#TTRPG #IndieRPG #DungeonDesign #StoryFirst #Itchio
thebitbet.itch.io/the-false-go...
5.
🎭 Why did Shakespeare in Love (1998) win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture? 🤔
Because its story world wasn’t a backdrop—it was the drama itself.
🔗 youtu.be/o_KXbKa2crI
Elizabethan London of 1593 came alive. Phenomenal storytelling craft! 👏🎬
🔗 t.co/pMYOMPsjdq
#Oscars #StoryFirst
🎭 Why did Shakespeare in Love (1998) win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture? 🤔
Because its story world wasn’t a backdrop—it was the drama itself.
🔗 youtu.be/o_KXbKa2crI
Elizabethan London of 1593 came alive. Phenomenal storytelling craft! 👏🎬
🔗 t.co/pMYOMPsjdq
#Oscars #StoryFirst
A Woman in a Man's Profession - Shakespeare in Love (6/8) Movie CLIP (1998) HD
YouTube video by Movieclips
youtu.be
September 27, 2025 at 2:19 PM
5.
🎭 Why did Shakespeare in Love (1998) win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture? 🤔
Because its story world wasn’t a backdrop—it was the drama itself.
🔗 youtu.be/o_KXbKa2crI
Elizabethan London of 1593 came alive. Phenomenal storytelling craft! 👏🎬
🔗 t.co/pMYOMPsjdq
#Oscars #StoryFirst
🎭 Why did Shakespeare in Love (1998) win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture? 🤔
Because its story world wasn’t a backdrop—it was the drama itself.
🔗 youtu.be/o_KXbKa2crI
Elizabethan London of 1593 came alive. Phenomenal storytelling craft! 👏🎬
🔗 t.co/pMYOMPsjdq
#Oscars #StoryFirst
Think...🤔
#Indians who watched & were awed by Oppenheimer, could NOT have wasted time & money on #Pathaan, or they did & felt CONNED.✔️
#CillianMurphy BECOMES #Oppenheimer - REAL acting!🤩
#Storyfirst mindset folks! Indians are capable enough. DO IT✔️
ijotconsulting.com/post/oscar-w...
#Indians who watched & were awed by Oppenheimer, could NOT have wasted time & money on #Pathaan, or they did & felt CONNED.✔️
#CillianMurphy BECOMES #Oppenheimer - REAL acting!🤩
#Storyfirst mindset folks! Indians are capable enough. DO IT✔️
ijotconsulting.com/post/oscar-w...
Oscar-Winning Storytelling Craft of Oppenheimer
In the wake of its remarkable Oscar sweep, Oppenheimer has emerged as a cinematic masterpiece, captivating audiences worldwide with its gripping narrative and compelling storytelling craft. Directed b...
ijotconsulting.com
January 21, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Think...🤔
#Indians who watched & were awed by Oppenheimer, could NOT have wasted time & money on #Pathaan, or they did & felt CONNED.✔️
#CillianMurphy BECOMES #Oppenheimer - REAL acting!🤩
#Storyfirst mindset folks! Indians are capable enough. DO IT✔️
ijotconsulting.com/post/oscar-w...
#Indians who watched & were awed by Oppenheimer, could NOT have wasted time & money on #Pathaan, or they did & felt CONNED.✔️
#CillianMurphy BECOMES #Oppenheimer - REAL acting!🤩
#Storyfirst mindset folks! Indians are capable enough. DO IT✔️
ijotconsulting.com/post/oscar-w...
Repetitive violence answers the question: “Can we win?”
Compassion answers the harder one: “Who do we become?”
Guess which one players remember years later.
More on this phenomenon here: markezrastokes.com/t...
#TTRPGThoughts #Roleplaying #StoryFirst
Compassion answers the harder one: “Who do we become?”
Guess which one players remember years later.
More on this phenomenon here: markezrastokes.com/t...
#TTRPGThoughts #Roleplaying #StoryFirst
The Rule of Cool... and Kindness - MarkEzraStokes.com
Encouraging Compassion Through Narrative Choices Your players are at the inevitable moment of battle. The rogue draws her dagger and slinks into the corner. The barbarian kicks down the door between the party and their enemies. The bard determines whether he can distract a footsoldier long enough for the rogue to slit its throat. How […]
markezrastokes.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Repetitive violence answers the question: “Can we win?”
Compassion answers the harder one: “Who do we become?”
Guess which one players remember years later.
More on this phenomenon here: markezrastokes.com/t...
#TTRPGThoughts #Roleplaying #StoryFirst
Compassion answers the harder one: “Who do we become?”
Guess which one players remember years later.
More on this phenomenon here: markezrastokes.com/t...
#TTRPGThoughts #Roleplaying #StoryFirst
🎲 Botched a roll? Good.
Here’s why failure is actually your secret weapon as a GM AND how to make it matter in your story.
Full write-up on #Patreon now!
#DnD #GMtips #FailForward #TTRPGDesign #StoryFirst #TTRPG #GM #DM #ToV #Daggerheart #Shadowdark #Cairn
Here’s why failure is actually your secret weapon as a GM AND how to make it matter in your story.
Full write-up on #Patreon now!
#DnD #GMtips #FailForward #TTRPGDesign #StoryFirst #TTRPG #GM #DM #ToV #Daggerheart #Shadowdark #Cairn
The Art of Failure: Why “Bad Rolls” Are Secretly the Best Thing in D&D | Tabletop Roleplaying James
Get more from Tabletop Roleplaying James on Patreon
www.patreon.com
July 7, 2025 at 4:13 PM
🎲 Botched a roll? Good.
Here’s why failure is actually your secret weapon as a GM AND how to make it matter in your story.
Full write-up on #Patreon now!
#DnD #GMtips #FailForward #TTRPGDesign #StoryFirst #TTRPG #GM #DM #ToV #Daggerheart #Shadowdark #Cairn
Here’s why failure is actually your secret weapon as a GM AND how to make it matter in your story.
Full write-up on #Patreon now!
#DnD #GMtips #FailForward #TTRPGDesign #StoryFirst #TTRPG #GM #DM #ToV #Daggerheart #Shadowdark #Cairn
You don’t need a degree to be a writer. You need voice. You need vision. You need to do the work.
Some of the best writers out there are self-taught, world-built, and relentlessly driven.
If you’ve poured yourself into your craft. You belong here.
#SelfTaught #StoryFirst
Some of the best writers out there are self-taught, world-built, and relentlessly driven.
If you’ve poured yourself into your craft. You belong here.
#SelfTaught #StoryFirst
July 3, 2025 at 3:41 PM
You don’t need a degree to be a writer. You need voice. You need vision. You need to do the work.
Some of the best writers out there are self-taught, world-built, and relentlessly driven.
If you’ve poured yourself into your craft. You belong here.
#SelfTaught #StoryFirst
Some of the best writers out there are self-taught, world-built, and relentlessly driven.
If you’ve poured yourself into your craft. You belong here.
#SelfTaught #StoryFirst
🚀 The Martian is a soul-fi.
Ridley Scott turned a story about a man stuck on Mars into a masterclass on being human: smart, funny, fragile, fearless.
It’s not about escaping a planet — it’s about re-discovering our humanity. 🌍
✨ 👉 shorturl.at/UD37T
#StoryFirst #Filmmaking #Bollywood #Mollywood
Ridley Scott turned a story about a man stuck on Mars into a masterclass on being human: smart, funny, fragile, fearless.
It’s not about escaping a planet — it’s about re-discovering our humanity. 🌍
✨ 👉 shorturl.at/UD37T
#StoryFirst #Filmmaking #Bollywood #Mollywood
The Martian (2015) — A Story-First Filmmaking Masterclass by Ridley Scott
The Martian is less about escaping Mars and more about rediscovering Earth — not as a planet, but as an idea: a shared home where courage, collaboration, and compassion still define what it means to b...
shorturl.at
October 30, 2025 at 3:44 AM
🚀 The Martian is a soul-fi.
Ridley Scott turned a story about a man stuck on Mars into a masterclass on being human: smart, funny, fragile, fearless.
It’s not about escaping a planet — it’s about re-discovering our humanity. 🌍
✨ 👉 shorturl.at/UD37T
#StoryFirst #Filmmaking #Bollywood #Mollywood
Ridley Scott turned a story about a man stuck on Mars into a masterclass on being human: smart, funny, fragile, fearless.
It’s not about escaping a planet — it’s about re-discovering our humanity. 🌍
✨ 👉 shorturl.at/UD37T
#StoryFirst #Filmmaking #Bollywood #Mollywood