The Manifesto 🌕 15 December 2024

This week, I’ve had to politely decline a handful of interview requests. While I’m genuinely flattered people thought of me, and with the uptick in site traffic and new newsletter subscribers, it feels like my philosophy and approach to roleplaying is finally resonating, I need to stick to my workflows. This isn’t about me, or even the books. It’s about what you do with them at your table.

Having walked away from the toxic wasteland of social media, shut down the blog as anything more than a bulletin board for new releases, and channeled everything I want to say about the hobby, the industry, the state of the world, and culture in general into my work, this newsletter has become my single, curated link to the outside world. It’s intentional. It’s focused. And it keeps me from getting bogged down in the noise.

That said, there are still obstacles. I can’t create anything overtly political. Not only is there a real risk involved, one you’ll either nod knowingly at or dismiss with an eye-roll, but the primary platform where I sell my work explicitly forbids it. Rather than risk a ban, I walk a fine line, keeping things clear: these are roleplaying sourcebooks, not manifestos in disguise. It’s a weird tightrope to walk in a weird time to be alive.

I’ll dig into this more in the Master Plan update later on, but let’s just say it’s no accident that I’ve been working on the occult books alongside the Christmas projects. Nor is it a coincidence that I had to set aside other plans to exorcise Aristotle’s Alignment from my brain. Sometimes, you just have to follow where the creative process takes you, even if it’s down a particularly winding, and occasionally dark, path.

I hope you’re doing well today.

Berin

Latest Releases

Here’s what’s new in the Lightspress shop this week!

Christmas Pirates

Picture this: a crew of pirates with hearts (possibly) of gold, navigating the high seas in search of treasure that’s more than silver and gold, it’s about what truly matters during the season. Maybe it's helping a struggling coastal village in exchange for warm cider and their undying gratitude. Or stealing from a greedy merchant lord whose vaults overflow while his workers shiver through the cold. Or, perhaps, it's solving the mystery of why the northern lights have vanished and returning their glow to the skies. Every story you tell will be drenched in festive cheer, with enough swashbuckling drama to keep things lively. Read More

Aristotle’s Alignment

Aristotle’s Alignment isn’t your typical alignment system dissection, nor is it a regurgitation of tired debates about Good versus Evil or Law versus Chaos. Nope, this is a weird little book that takes the nine-point alignment grid of classic fantasy roleplaying and smashes it against Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Why? Because I could. And because someone should. Read More

Satanic Fantasy (Revised & Expanded)

Satanic Fantasy is the dark, dramatic, character-forward sourcebook you've been waiting for, dripping with all the occult dread your parents worried about in the '80s. Forget campy cultists. These bad guys mean business, and they’ve made your once-vivid fantasy setting into a literal hellscape of fire, brimstone, and unspeakable evil. It's a world where the so-called “Satanic Panic” isn't a buzzword; it’s the terrifying backdrop to your next story-driven adventure. Read More

Occult Pirates

Step aboard the ship of imagination with Occult Pirates, a sourcebook that charts a course through the mysterious, moody waters of pirate tales and occult traditions. This isn’t your usual parade of skeleton crews and treasure maps, this book leans into the eerie, the arcane, and the untold. Forget cheap puns and tired stereotypes. I’ve built this to reflect the true spirit of occultism, grounded in historical traditions, while leaving religion off the map for reasons that shouldn’t need explaining. You get atmosphere, mystery, and depth without the baggage. Read More

Demonology & Witchcraft

Demonology & Witchcraft takes Sir Walter Scott’s Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft and transforms them into a sourcebook for fantasy and modern roleplaying that’s as haunting as it is inspired. Whether you’re crafting tales of dark fantasy, unraveling historical mysteries, or exploring the supernatural in a grounded modern setting, this book delivers the tools to tell character-driven, story-focused tales where every decision matters. Read More

Christmas Mystery

Tired of roleplaying Christmas stories that feel like re-gifted jokes and tinsel-covered tropes? I get it. Too many holiday-themed attempts miss the mark, leaning on monsters dressed in Santa hats or groan-worthy puns. That’s why I created Christmas Mystery. It’s a sourcebook that captures the essence of the holiday season, minus the overly on-the-nose shtick, and wraps it in the cozy, suspenseful charm of a great mystery. Read More

Occult Mystery

Occult Mystery invites you into a world where the unknown whispers just out of reach and every decision ripples through the shadows. This sourcebook steps away from the tired tropes of monster hunts and cheeky stereotypes. Instead, it offers a grounded, immersive exploration of historical occult traditions, crafted for those who crave an authentic roleplaying experience. With its roots planted firmly in the enigmatic history of occultism, this book leaves the pitfalls of religious overtones behind, focusing instead on the human fascination with secrets, power, and hidden knowledge. Read More

Christmas Espionage

Every page is a toolkit designed to help you craft stories that embrace the cultural and emotional weight of Christmas while wrapping it in the shadowy intrigue of espionage. Think covert operations under glittering lights, coded messages tucked in holiday cards, and tense negotiations over mulled wine. It’s about the quiet drama of loyalty, trust, and betrayal set against the backdrop of twinkling trees and snow-dusted streets. Read More

Occult Espionage

Occult Espionage takes the intrigue of spy fiction and blends it seamlessly with the shadowy allure of historical occult traditions. This isn’t a monster mash or a pun-riddled parody. It’s a serious exploration of espionage wrapped in the mystery and mysticism of occultism. If you’ve ever wanted to play a character who navigates a world of coded messages, covert operations, and arcane rituals, all while toeing the line between deception and revelation, this book delivers. Read More

Master Plan Update

For anyone just joining the party, the Master Plan Update is where I break down what I’m working on and the general order it’s happening in. Everything’s fluid. There are no locked-in release dates because the world is chaos, life is unpredictable, and as a small operation, flexibility is key. Things shift depending on what curveballs come my way. You’ll see this section in every newsletter, updated as needed, with more specifics as I make headway on each cluster of projects.

Occult Titles

Because we live in the world we live in, I’ve been adding the following disclaimer to select titles in the occult line:

Disclaimer: This book is a resource designed to inspire creativity and storytelling in tabletop roleplaying. It is not intended to promote belief in the occult, endorse supernatural claims, or advocate for any political agenda. The content provided is purely fictional and intended for entertainment and imaginative purposes only.

What strikes me as weird is how it feels necessary for this line, but I feel no need to tack a similar disclaimer onto the holiday books reassuring people that I’m not promoting belief in Santa Claus. Or a science fiction book to clarify that I’m not secretly advocating for belief in science as a religion.

If you flip to the very last page of the revised and updated edition of Satanic Fantasy, which dropped this week, you’ll find this little gem:

Disclaimer to the Disclaimer

This book exists to inspire creativity and storytelling in tabletop roleplaying. That’s it. It doesn’t endorse the occult, peddle supernatural claims, or shove a political agenda down anyone’s throat. It’s fictional, it’s fun, and it’s here to make your games weird and memorable. That said, I absolutely wrote it with the specific goal of giving certain people the vapors. You know the ones, the pearl-clutching, moral-panic mob who can’t handle anything outside their narrow worldview. They’re absurd, and they deserve to be laughed at loudly, repeatedly, and without apology.

Have we learned nothing from history? Literal witch hunts, Satanic panics, and every other time some self-righteous clowns weaponized their "sincerely held beliefs" to ruin innocent lives? It’s baffling that we’re still letting the loudest, most clueless idiots dictate the narrative. And no, this isn’t political speech, it’s about fundamental human rights. That’s supposed to be non-negotiable, no matter what flavor of ideology you subscribe to. So, if this book offends you? Good. Maybe it’s time to think about why.

Now, sure, sticking that in the back of the book while highlighting it in a newsletter may seem counterproductive. But I don’t think these things are political. Politics should be stuff like deciding whether to build a park, setting budgets, or figuring out how to tax people to fund basic services. Arguing over whether human rights exist, or who gets them, feels downright evil. That should be as obvious as water being wet.

It’s terrifying that you have to tiptoe around expressing essential goodness, kindness, and decency just to avoid losing your livelihood. If that’s how precarious it feels for me, with all the privileges I take for granted, I can’t imagine how much scarier it is for the people who don’t have that safety net.

The last of the new occult book will be coming out in the next week or so. These are strong sellers at the moment, so they help keep the lights on while I work on bigger projects.

• Occult Romance

• Occult Space Opera

• Occult Victoriana

• Update legacy occult titles (lots of witchy stuff) to The Simple Approach compatibility standards, both system-specific and system-agnostic.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

Holiday Titles

The last of these will be coming out in the next week or so. Holiday books also sell well but have a narrow release window, so they need priority.

• Christmas Romance

• Christmas Space Opera

• Christmas Victoriana

• Update legacy holiday books (Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, etc.) for 2025 using The Simple Approach.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

Ghostlight & Dark Academia

These projects overlap heavily with my occult and dark academia research.

• Finish and release Ghostlight. I would like thi to happen before the new year, and it’s close. I’m just being precious about it.

• Update existing dark academia titles to The Simple Approach compatibility standards. This will probably not happen until January.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

DoubleZero & Espionage

This section focuses on espionage themes, not all legacy DoubleZero titles.

• Release DoubleZero Gold. It’s ready, I’m just being extra precious about it, convinced there’s either some typo we’ve all missed or I’m forgetting something. Before the end of the year.

• Update general espionage books to The Simple Approach compatibility standards. Probably January 2025.

• Not all DoubleZero sourcebooks will be updated, at least not a DoubleZero sourcebooks. Since it’s no longer a “generic modern” system and has reverted to being an espionage game, things for other genres will be revised as stand-along games or attached to genre-appropriate lines.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

The Simple Approach

The foundation of everything moving forward. Here are the next books coming.

• Adventure Creation (probably 4 volumes)

• Adversary Creation

• Character Creation

• Equipment Creation

• Faction Creation

• World Creation

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

• BUNDLES because people keep asking.

Literary Games (New)

Public Domain Day is just around the corner, and yes, I’m gearing up to release new roleplaying material inspired by classic novels. You know, the very concept that caused me grief back at the start of 2024 when I tested a line of journaling games. Let’s be real—these are wildly unpopular. Apparently, no one reads books anymore, most Americans allegedly have a 5th-grade reading level, and schools seem to have abandoned the idea of assigning entire novels. So, who in their right mind decides to double down on this?

The same person who wrote a guide to alignment rooted in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. The world is absurd. These projects amuse me. And if that makes me look absurd, I’d suggest taking a good, long look at the news. I’m just trying to hold onto things that are meaningful, intelligent, and maybe even a little uplifting.

These have been in the works for a while, but I’ve debated whether or not to release them based on the above-cited fiasco.

Full-on roleplaying games:

• William Faulkner's Sound & the Fury Roleplaying Game

• Dashiel Hammett's Red Harvest Roleplaying Game

• Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms Roleplaying Game

• Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front Roleplaying Game

• William Seabrook's Magic Island Roleplaying Game

Getting an eventual update to The Simple Approach as full roleplaying games:

• Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice Roleplaying Game

• J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan Roleplaying Game

• L. Frank Baum's Wonderful Wizard of Oz Roleplaying Game

• Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Roleplaying Game

• F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby Roleplaying Game

• Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows Roleplaying Game

• Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter Roleplaying Game

• Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein Roleplaying Game

• Bram Stoker's Dracula Roleplaying Game

There is an official, licensed-by-Toho comic book series right now that crosses over Godzilla with The Great Gatsby, so I'm clearly not the only person that sees the possibilities of remixing literary classics.

Foragers Guild Gold 1.3

This one needs priority to get the core book into print. Maybe by the end of the year, probably January.

• Incorporate updates from refinements made during work on Ghostlight and DoubleZero.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

Lightspress Handbook v1.3

A living document that won’t see print until it’s stable for at least six months. Digital version January, print no earlier than June.

• Add updates from work on Ghostlight, DoubleZero, and Foragers Guild Gold.

• Expand the FAQs.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

Print Books on Amazon

Getting physical copies out there is a big goal for the year. I want these to start rolling out in January.

• Start with full games (Foragers Guild Gold, DoubleZero Gold, Ghostlight).

• Prioritize revised sourcebooks by genre and popularity.

• Explore additional print options.

Traditional Fantasy Titles

Focusing on closing loops and assessing what’s worth updating.

• Release the remaining profession books (Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer).

• Update select titles to The Simple Approach standards; reassess the rest for later.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

Cozy Fantasy Titles

Same approach as traditional fantasy, but with a cozier vibe.

• Finish and release the remaining profession books.

• Update select cozy fantasy titles to The Simple Approach standards; reassess the rest for later.

• Update covers and formats to be print-ready.

After This Wave

Once I’ve worked through this list, I’ll reassess, tackle other genres, and do additional passes on traditional and cozy fantasy.

DoubleZero Sourcebooks

Some DoubleZero books will become standalone games using The Simple Approach.

• Example: Spectres of Mars will be expanded into a full, self-contained game when I focus on that genre.

• Same goes for Hardboiled Follies during the crime and mystery wave.

Opera Games

The Opera series will be expanded into full, single-book games using The Simple Approach.

• This includes Starlight Opera, Streetlight Opera, Moonlight Opera, and Crossbones Opera.

• Releases will align with their respective genre waves.

“Sixth Edition”

Wizards isn’t calling it Sixth Edition, which is confusing, but I’ll address it anyway.

• When the new SRD hits Creative Commons (expected February/March), I’ll create an official conversion document.

• This will be a full, detailed book available for free in the Lightspress shop and pay-what-you-want elsewhere.

• I’ll do the same for Pathfinder and potentially other systems if there’s demand.

Thank You

Thank you for being part of our circle. Your support brings light to our path and allows our work to reach its fullest expression. As we celebrate all we’ve achieved together, know that every step forward is brighter because of you. We’re grateful to have you with us on this journey.

This week’s discount code is YULETIDE. Use it to enjoy 20% off your orders at the Lightspress shop until the next issue of the newsletter come out.

The plan has always been to release a special issue of the newsletter quarterly, on each solstice and equinox Because there are already 5 newsletters this month because of the way the moon phases hit, and because the winter solstice is the day before the last quarter moon, we’re not going to drop a sixth newsletter, two days in a row.

Our next issue will be released on the day of the winter solstice. See you then, and as always, I hope you’re doing well today and every day.

The Manifesto is the official source for news on upcoming releases, articles and opinions, and assorted ramblings on our games and our philosophy of roleplaying. New issues are released four times a month, on the new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, and last quarter moon, with special quarterly issues for each equinox and solstice. Stay connected and subscribe to The Manifesto now!

Lightspress promotes a simple approach to roleplaying, focusing on the utility and value of the content rather than flashy production. We strategically employ visual elements to amplify the message conveyed by the text, allowing us to create powerful and affordable toolkits. Remember, the true essence of the roleplaying experience lies not within the pages of a book, but in the creativity and collaboration fostered around your tabletop.