Every GM has their rituals — the notes, the scraps, the programs and apps that somehow form a working ecosystem of chaos and creativity.This week I’ve been thinking about mine. Not the systems I play, but the tools that help me run, design, and share them.

I bounce between digital, analog, and somewhere in between. I love when tools disappear into the flow of the work — when they amplify what I’m doing without making me think about them. So here’s my current toolkit, and a check-in: do they still deliver for me?

For publishing and layout, I learned InDesign from Nathan Paoletta — and that’s still my foundation.I dabbled with the pre-Canva Affinity suite, but it didn’t quite stick for me. That said, the new versions look promising, and I’ll probably give them another swing soon.

Canva is where I rough out quick visuals, social graphics, or one-page sheets I can share instantly. It’s my graphics workhorse — fast, forgiving, and flexible.But when it’s time for the real work — grids, master pages, paragraph styles, precise control — InDesign is still the boss. Most of Lifted: Indomitable lives there. It is the tool I learned first.

I edit all my audio in either Adobe Audition or Hindenburg.

Audition is what my inner kid wants to master — the “big table” tool with every button, waveform, and automation curve I could ever need.But when it’s go time and I just need to get the work done, Hindenburg wins. It’s fast, intuitive, and perfect for dialogue-driven projects like our Muses of Play podcast.One day, I’ll be great at Audition.

For games, I still default to Zoom. It’s reliable, familiar, and everyone already knows how to use it. Most of my Lifted playtests and campaign sessions run there, and it doubles as my podcast studio when I’m interviewing guests remotely.

For livestreaming or commentary, I’ve been using Streamyard. It’s browser-based, light on setup, and surprisingly capable for Twitch or YouTube. I’m still exploring other options for future streams, but Streamyard’s simplicity might win out for upcoming Actual Play projects.

For online dice rolling, Mad Dice is my go-to. It’s my own platform, but I built it because the tool I used quit working. I keep Mad-Dice minimalist, fast, and focused on what matters — the shared moment of the roll. We used it in our Mythic Bastionland games to great effect.When I want deeper integration, maps, or automation, I turn to Foundry VTT. It’s the gold standard for well-implemented systems. I don’t run everything in Foundry, but when it fits, it fits beautifully. I’m looking at you, Twilight: 2000.

For campaign prep, it’s all about Obsidian — markdown notes, tags, and crosslinks in one place. It’s become my digital Super Trapper Keeper. I use it for everything: game prep, design notes, session recaps, and reference material across projects.That said, nothing beats scrap paper during live sessions. I jot notes, sketch maps, and capture quotes or NPC names on whatever’s nearby. After the game, those notes migrate into Obsidian — cleaned up, linked, and ready to evolve.Starting analog and ending digital keeps the creative loop alive. It’s part ritual, part workflow, all process.

None of this setup is fixed. My tools evolve the same way my games do — through trial, failure, and review.

Every time I add something new, I ask the same question:Does it let me play more?

If the answer’s yes, it stays. If not, it will be gone by the next session.

We gathered one last time to talk through our Mythic Bastionland experience — and I love post-campaign wrap chats. We hit the highlights from both game arcs, compared notes on limited-session runs versus “forever” campaigns, and shared what made the system click (or bite) at the table. Great conversation all around.🎥 Watch it here: Post-Campaign Discussion on YouTube

This one’s worth your time: How to Promote Your Work (as a Normal Person) from Explorer’s Design. It’s a grounded, practical piece about sharing your projects without feeling like you’re shouting into the void — good advice for any of us juggling games, podcasts, and creative releases.

Rewatched The Creator this weekend — for the sixth or seventh time 🤷🏾‍♂️. Every time I revisit it, I find myself wondering: Where on the timeline would I set a game here?

Before the film’s events evoke tension and prophecy, during them, it offers chaos and movement. But after keeps calling to me — the cleanup, the resistance cells, the holdouts, maybe even a revenge mission to take down Alphie.

Would you frame the story from one side, or let the players choose? Something in the middle feels messy and human — and extremely gameable.

The film’s take on simulants — their empathy, their alien humanity — keeps sparking ideas for my Kuiper Belt project. What role might they play in that distant frontier? Helpers? Survivors? The ghosts of humanity’s last experiment?

I’m reminded that our tools aren’t just the software or gear — they’re the habits that keep you curious. Post-campaign wrap chats, rewatching The Creator, bookmarking a good essay on self-promotion — they’re all part of the same loop: learning what works, what doesn’t, and how to keep the work human.

As always, thanks for reading, sharing, and building strange worlds with me.