Welcome
Grandmaster
Zyxthylum
Caleb | Member Since 30 Mar, 2022
7 Followers
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Welcome and thanks for checking out my corner of the wasteland! I've been worldbuilding off and on since I was a kid, and it's been great to have a space like this to develop my ideas. Writing is always better with people to share it with, so I hope something here sparks your imagination or gives you a story worth getting lost in!
These days, my focus is shifting away from Fallout-based games toward an original sci-fi setting that’s been simmering for a long time. It’s a project I’m deeply invested in, and I’m excited to be building something from the ground up. That said, I still have a lot of love for my first project here and if you are interested in checking it out you can find it here (LINK). It’s still around for those curious, complete with an array of GM Tools and lore written from direct player actions.
As a GM, my style leans hard into narrative drama and character arcs over strict mechanics. I want the world to feel alive—where choices matter, consequences are real, and characters can shape the setting as much as it shapes them. Most of my off-hours are spent researching weird science, plausible futures, and atmospheric details to give even the most surreal moments a sense of grounding.
Favorite Movies
- Cloud Atlas is an all-time favorite. It's hard to say I have a favorite actor, but Tom Hanks certainly competes for the top. I love the way they managed to connect their stories despite being wildly different settings and eras. The book was also spectacular.
- Mad Max: Fury Road is probably one of my favorite movies as far as style. They paint a great picture of a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a ton of little details in the background.
- While The Empire Strikes Back will always be my favorite Star Wars Movie, Rogue One was my favorite modern adaptation to date. I think they got a lot of things right with the dark gritty setting and grey heroes. The battle for the shield gate was one of my favorite space fight scenes, ranking up there with the one over Endor in Return of the Jedi
Favorite TV Series
- Watchmen does a fantastic job of telling a serious story out of something with arguably silly origins. It had me on the edge of my seat more than once, and made me tear up a lot worse than I would have thought.
- Peacemaker was an amazing comedy that I hope they keep going with. John Cena really found his niche in this role. He hits as hard with his improv as he does with those ham-fists.
- Cowboy Bebop was my favorite show growing up. Probably my first good example of retro futurism and most likely what attracted me to games like Fallout in the first place.
Favorite Books
- I hate to be redundant, but Cloud Atlas is one of my all-time favorite books as well. Although some of the stories are fairly identical, the changes between the post-apocalyptic and futuristic perspectives were pretty significant. I like both versions, but I always tend to side with detailed descriptions and getting internal thoughts as opposed to stunning visuals.
- From Beyond by HP Lovecraft is high on my list of my favorite short stories he did. I like the contrast between the two respected men, one lost to madness, the other trying to make sense of his encounter. Trying to rationalize the irrational is kinda my hobby, so this just clicks with me.
- Timeline was one of those hard cover books that I carted around with me everywhere for a while. I re-read it quite a few times and loved the idea of traveling back in time to stumble into an epic confrontation. I think the story did a good job of showing the brutality of the age and exploring the inaccuracies we likely have about combat and day to day life. The movie wasn't bad, but the book is a must-read.
Favorite Writers
- HP Lovecraft is my favorite writer of all times. The way he can wrap you up in a story in the first few sentences with his flow and intellect is quite honestly mesmerizing to me. If we manage to teach an AI anything it should be to break down his literary works so we can program it to run ttrpgs and design MUDs.
- Michael Crichton was a huge inspiration growing up. When I was in middle school, I read just about everything he had written at the time. Part of what got me into reading as a kid was finding out how much better the writer could describe it versus what they could capture on film.
- George R. R. Martin is probably no surprise to anyone these days as an inspiration. When I was really poor and had no way to watch TV or movies my brother came over and showed me the first episode of Game of Thrones on his laptop. He then sat a stack of novels down and left, telling me if I wanted to know what happened next, I had to first finish the books. Once I started it was hard to stop and having seen the series now and read the story, I can see why he was so insistent.
Favorite Games
- Fallout 3 was the first game I played in the franchise. My last day on leave before I had to go back to BCT I played for probably twenty or so hours straight at a friend's house. This was before I had fancy phones so I purchased the strategy guide and used to read it on CQ duty so I could be prepared the next time I got home. I have since rounded out my education with the Interplay and Obsidian games, but I will never forget when Ron Perlmen was our narrator and Liam Neeson was our papa.
- Civilization V was something I sunk a ton of hours into, although I might like Beyond Earth even better. I like games that not only have heavy strategy elements but let you make choice that effect how you grow and how the story progresses. I also think their technology tree was the best one they ever created, it really cut that feeling of linear progression out.
- Fable is another one that really sticks out in my mind. I loved the variety in builds and choices, but what I will never forget was being imprisoned on my character. Walking out grey and old, scarred up from actual hits I took in fights without my armor, it was a an awesome mix of feelings. I felt like something important had been taken from my character, but I was being given the chance for vindication. My kids had all grown up without me, my wives had found out about each other and despised me, but I had the chance to hunt down the man responsible and put him to the sword. That is why I think consequences can sometimes be the most interesting part of the game.
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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.045 © 2017-2025 [en] | Anvil Time: 11:28, Aug 3 2025