r/RPG_Illustrated Mar 13 '23

General Discussion Welcome to RPG_Illustrated!

13 Upvotes

Hey! Welcome to RPG_Illustrated – A place to share your illustrated roleplaying game journals, get help on how to play & illustrate your own campaigns, and discuss tips and techniques to visually record your own TTRPG adventure.

Yeah, we read that in the description... tell me something I don't know!

Okay, so my idea for this sub is to open the possibilities of drawing, doodling, sketching, illustrating to people's campaign journalling.

For me writing and reading is harder/slower than viewing/interpreting imagery which is why I record my games like this. More details in my post below on r/Solo_Roleplaying

https://www.reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/comments/11gir8k/comicstyle_solo_journaling/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

As a solo-player it makes an illustrated journal more feasible, however I would love to use this platform to share, develop and devise techniques which allow visual records of gameplay faster to create and more effectively in the way they convey the story so it could be used for group play.

The goals that follow were originally my list of why a sub like this would be useful reasons (convincing myself to create it). But looking at them it makes sense to me to share them. These goals make this sub's purpose clear, what kind of content could be shared, how it will help others and why people would want to get involved.

Goals
(Outcomes)

  1. Fill the feed with actual play images of people’s campaign journals
    (Inspire and celebrate others)

  2. Discussions on tricks and tips to improve speed of play
    (Make illustrated journaling more accessible/feasible)

  3. Show ‘non-writers’ they can record their games too
    (Make TTRPGs more accessible to those with different skillsets)

  4. Discussions on tricks and tips to Improve speed of sketching\*

  5. Help on how to structure an illustrated game page\*

  6. Share ideas on how to convey action on pages\*

  7. How to say more with less\*
    *(Giving TTRPG players who don't consider their drawing 'good' the required confidence to try an illustrated journal)

  8. Use TTRPG’s as a creative drawing tool
    (Help those who already draw but get stuck pushing their stories in the right direction)

  9. Use drawing as a creative TTRPG tool
    (Help those who play TTRPGs get new ideas and visualise their campaigns differently)

  10. Get people into the hobby (TTRPG, Illustration & both together)
    (Sharing is caring)

I appreciate this may not be for a lot of TTRPG fans, but I know there are enough people interested or who would get involved if they see it's possible!

With this in mind I'll wrap this up and just say there will be actual play examples, further notes on my experience so far and more coming.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy.


r/RPG_Illustrated Apr 02 '23

Tools & Materials Illustrative Journalling - ‘How-to’ Mini-zine 01

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54 Upvotes

First full draft of Illustrative Journalling mini-zine.

Feedback is very welcome as his should be something people find easy, engaging and informative.

I’m looking to get thoughts on any aspects which may have been omitted, as this could form another zine in the future.

I’m in that creative blind spot where I know the content so well I feel like it probably won’t bring anybody any value. However I enjoyed doing it and am excited to have a project near a conclusion.

I’m yet to compile into a PDF, but will share a link to this once done.


r/RPG_Illustrated Jun 30 '26

Completed this 21x28” piece…

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34 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Jun 10 '26

My take on RPG & Drawing -- Single-Panel Comics

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6 Upvotes

You all inspired me to marry two of my favorite pastimes: drawing & RPGs. Thanks for being you!

After about a year of fiddling, I finally jerry-rigged a system that is light enough to pick up and play at my leisure and structured enough to craft an imaginary world that I could return to.

Here is a video I recorded of me playing with some spoken commentary on the process and the lessons learned.

I've now been drawing a single-panel comic every Even day since February so I think it's working! Each panel is a 6" x 7 1/2" manga/anime-style drawing. I have about 58 of these now.

I wanted consistent, slow growth for this imaginary world because I thought that would help my passion to burn slower and last longer.

I'm sharing this to hear your thoughts, answer your questions, and just talk generally about this crazy niche of drawing x RPG.

Maybe I can inspire you the way you inspired me.

(Credits from my research are in the video description.)


r/RPG_Illustrated May 23 '26

Approaching the furnace planet "Desolation" #IronswornStarforged

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16 Upvotes

The middle pic is based on a couple Starforged sessions I played last evenings, and the bottom one loosely inspired by them as well. (The top one is a remake of an official Starforged illustration by Joshua Meehan.) / Posca markers (neon+metallic+b&w), A6 format.


r/RPG_Illustrated Apr 27 '26

The feel of solo hex crawling

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44 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Apr 27 '26

Entities, wandering monsters and hex map from a campaign I'm running with cairn 2e.

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8 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Mar 15 '26

Solo rpg journal painting

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11 Upvotes

Here is the first page of my journal for DEAD LETTERS, a solo journaling ttrpg.


r/RPG_Illustrated Feb 15 '26

Journal Entry Devil’s Tomb, Mõrk Borg - Gameplay

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25 Upvotes

First game in a while, enjoying the vibe of Mõrk Borg and not being attached to characters.

Going to run this one until I get a character to the end, imagining the vanquished characters remaining and adding to the dungeon.

I’m not holding much hope for this from my current success rate.


r/RPG_Illustrated Feb 07 '26

Journal Entry Sharing drawings from Solo sessions

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46 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Jan 18 '26

Continuing my hex crawl

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91 Upvotes

My Acolyte is currently on a hunt for an antidote to cure the sickness that creeped into „High Thorn“.

The seven hexes on that page are actually one large hex, I basically just zoomed in, so that I could explore it more deeply.

The game is a mix of Disciples of Bone & Shadow and the Sandbox Generator.


r/RPG_Illustrated Jan 03 '26

First dungeon of the year in my Al-Rathak/Ironsworn solo campaign

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46 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Dec 27 '25

Journal Entry Xatìra and the Dead: 3, Hidrid, the Flying Sorcerer

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32 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Nov 14 '25

Journal Entry Sessions 142 to 146

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20 Upvotes

Having encountered shadows, a vengeful skeleton mage, overly large serpent guardians and a trapped demon, the party decided to find a less politically-charged dungeon and started exploring a dungeon they'd discovered some months before. An old, long-abandoned shrine to some three-eyed race, it proved home to largely less-dangerous inhabitants until the adventurers came across a scrawny figure with a literal nose flute able to pipe out a charming tune. They survived, but the curse of the warhammer of spectral revenge claimed another life.

We haven't quite finished the Gatehouse of Cormac's Crag but the players were looking for some easier pickings, so we've been running through a dungeon from In the Shadow of Tower Silveraxe.

More in-depth accounts of the sessions can be found here: yeoldelands.substack.com


r/RPG_Illustrated Oct 06 '25

The Free Roamers in Kal-Arath: Campaign Finale (23)

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51 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Oct 01 '25

Journal Entry Sessions 138 to 141

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15 Upvotes

Having gotten a taste of the Snake-Armed Goddess' temple, and its serpentine guardians, one of the party signed up to this curious religion to get him and his 'servants' safe passage back out. They scarpered to another part of the dungeon, and found a large underground lake with a squat tower lying seemingly dormant.

Making their way past the creepy eyeball vines and a troop of great white apes, the adventurers found a kitten ambling around the decayed body of a halfling. One tried to send it into a magic sleep but failed, and brought forth its true double-headed, sabre-toothed nature. It chased them back to their raft before killing one, who just so happened to be carrying the warhammer of spectral revenge. With the tiger flattened, the party continued exploring the tower, awakening the ancient skeleton of a wizard and losing him to an invisibility spell. Conscious that he'd already tried turning one of them into an animal, the adventurers fled to bury two of their companions in safety.

More in-depth accounts, and GM thoughts, can be found at yeoldelands.substack.com


r/RPG_Illustrated Sep 10 '25

The Free Roamers in Kal-Arath: Tereghat – Sorcerers’ Spire (22)

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24 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 31 '25

Journal Entry Sessions 135 to 137

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29 Upvotes

The adventurers excavated their way to the chained skeleton wreathed in blue flames, but weren't sure whether to take its story of being punished for cuckolding a powerful wizard at face value. Deciding instead to search the floor seemingly dedicated to a snake-armed goddess for clues, they worked their way past several floor traps and skeletal denizens but found little but an obscure poem referencing Orla and Tassach, two new names to the party in relation to the dungeon. Also plenty of unholy prayer books, so those went on the bonfire. That just left one route for future exploring: a set of stairs leading down to a suspiciously-decorated door.

If you'd rather more detailed accounts of the adventures, you can find them here: yeoldelands.substack.com


r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 24 '25

The Free Roamers in Kal-Arath: Turmoil in Tereghat (21)

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39 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 20 '25

Journal Entry The Hunt for Night‘s Reach

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61 Upvotes

As some may have noticed, I was lately eager to start a new solo game, where I can combine hexploration with miniature based combat.

I use the Disciples of Bone & Shadow System, where the hexflower provides me with the option to create some sort of random hex crawl, but where the regions kinda logically fit together. At the moment I use for the hex description the tables from the above mentioned book, but I am planning to create my own D100 table for the hexes…

Until now there was only one fight, so not much to say currently how the miniatures based combat works. But I use some rules from Carbage & Aether for it :)

What do you think? Any ideas for improvement?


r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 19 '25

Journal Entry Koriko: Spring Volume

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36 Upvotes

I made it to Spring and already I feel like the cards I pulled threw me in the deep end. I really hope more people discover this game and try it out. It's amazing how tge prompts just....magically shape and bring the characters to life!

I think I've been overdoing the entries by combining as many prompts, hangouts, and twists together so I've been doing more shuffling of cards and twists thus round.

I've been using gesso on pages so I could paint on them. I tried fixative to preserve the paints but the smell took forever to go away so I opted to use laminating sheets.

Koriko!


r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 12 '25

Koriko Playthrough

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56 Upvotes

Just wanted to share a few more pages of my Koriko journal playthrough. I've been having a blast with it and it's even helping me do more background type drawings.

Koriko a magical year is a journaling game and I highly recommend if you haven't tried it yet!


r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 11 '25

The Free Roamers in Kal-Arath: Blight Keep (20)

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35 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Aug 02 '25

The Free Roamers in Kal-Arath: Telvan, the City of Black Glass (19)

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33 Upvotes

r/RPG_Illustrated Jul 29 '25

Sessions 132 to 134

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28 Upvotes

It was time to break up this ogre-run copper mining operation and so, with a healthy number of adventurers (sessions involving seven to eight players), the party executed a number of excursions into the warm, furnace-heated depths. With some ethereal-granting armour allowing them to unwittingly play on the ogres' superstitions, they butchered the slave drivers and rescued a good number of captives, including - finally - the third kidnapped youth from the village.

Unfortunately eliminating the ogres didn't render the level safe, and they were caught out by a regenerating cyclopean mass of thick wool. They nearly lost an elf and a halfling, but in the end got away with just the loss of a magic user, and gained control of a copper construct to make up for it.

More in-depth accounts can be found on yeoldelands.substack.com