How the Wyrm Worked: 2024 Retrospective

January 13, 2025
silhouette of a man climbing a rope to a 2025 cliff ledge

In 2024, Wyrmworks Publishing took bold strides to make tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) more accessible, inclusive, and impactful than ever. We helped you make lives better through TTRPGs, and together, we’re making a difference. Here’s what we achieved this year:

Breaking New Ground in Braille TTRPG Accessibility

elf with cataracts and amber glasses holding and reading a spellbook with the text of the fireball spell written in braille; sepia paper background, braille above listing the included guides, 5e SRD Braille Transcription
Project Promotional Image

This year marked a historic moment for accessibility in gaming. We produced a digital Braille version of the D&D 5.1 SRD, making it the first time D&D rules have been available in braille. To encourage other creators, we also released a video tutorial on converting works to braille for free.

We converted all our published titles to digital braille, and thanks to our encouragement and assistance, DriveThruRPG now has 13 braille titles available from us and other publishers. What began with zero braille publishers in 2023 now includes six.

Virtual Tabletops (VTT) and Adventure Publishing

overhead map of animated kitchen scene with fireplaces flickering and casting shadows

Wyrmworks Publishing expanded into Virtual Tabletop (VTT) gaming with new titles for Foundry:

Additionally, we released new adventures, including Ascent to the Depths of Dread, and contributed to projects like Weapons of Myth (Jeff Stevens Games) and Zander’s Guide to Zombie Hunting (Scoundrel Game Labs).

Expanding Access and Community Impact

  • Community Copies Donated: With support from patrons, we provided $4,170 worth of free products to those unable to afford them, including:

  • Therapeutic Applications: Multiple therapists reported incorporating our content into their gaming groups, demonstrating the real-world mental health impact of inclusive TTRPG design.
  • Lair Pages: We added 38 new entries to our online compendium, bringing the total to 1739 resources.

Advocating for Inclusion in TTRPGs

We gave a presentation on inclusive gaming and podcasting at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, spreading the message of accessible TTRPGs to new audiences.

We partnered with disabled, neurodivergent, and mentally ill freelancers, ensuring authentic representation in our work.

We also created Crowdplay, a system to run D&D encounters for dozens or hundreds of players at once. Our test involved 100 players across local and virtual platforms at the same time, and we released the system for free.

Playing out the Encounter Ability Check • Roll 1D20 • Add your ability modifier • Roll equal or higher to succeed Critical Rolls • Crit Success: Natural 20 • Crit Fail: Natural 1| Advantage/Disadvantage • Advantage: Roll twice, choose the highest • Disadvantage: Roll twice, choose the lowest; 5 goblins and a dire wolf on a forest road

We developed an accessible character sheet for print and reading disabilities, ensuring no one is left behind.

Creating in Andovir

The world of Andovir continues to grow with new tools for immersive gaming. This year, we developed six languages to model improved cultural accessibility in the game, all available in the Lair.

a 3D isometric biome relief map of the continent of Andovir

We also released Stoneharbor, the first AccessPunk city supplement, demonstrating AccessPunk principles.

Collaborations and Charity Work

flooded highway

  • Sponsored Game Creators: We supported creators in countries unable to run Kickstarter campaigns, empowering voices in the global TTRPG community.
  • Charity Contributions: We participated in the Rio Grande do Sul Flood Charity Bundle, which raised enough to fund nearly seven improvised shelters.

Strengthening the Hoard and Community

We sent 22 notes of encouragement in our email updates. Thank you to everyone who responded with kind words—your feedback helps silence our inner critic. If you’re not already signed up, join the Dragon’s Hoard for updates and encouragement!

Additionally, I am volunteering to DM for a D&D group of a dozen teens at our local library, inspiring the next generation of TTRPG players.

Patreon's bean/ear-like P logo covered in blue scales

Encourage Inclusivity and Join Us on Patreon

We couldn’t have achieved this without you, and the work isn’t done. Support us on Patreon to help us continue making lives better through TTRPGs.

Plans for 2025

a mountain landscape with trees in the foreground and a blue cloudy sky
The view from my front yard in the summer

We haven’t mastered divination magic, so we have lots of plans but don’t always know what life will bring in the coming year. (In 2024, we moved from Minnesota to Leadville, CO. We never imagined that, and it consumed our entire summer and more, but it’s been great for our family.) And thanks to my ADHD, time blindness makes predicting timeframes difficult, but here’s our plan:

Kickstarter logo

  • Free5e: A Free Open-Source Dungeons and Dragons Alternative. Fully free, Creative Commons D&D core books—accessible, affordable, and open for everyone. Launching March 4 on Kickstarter
  • Ready-to-Roll: Feyweather Friends: Last Minute, No Prep D&D 5e Adventure $1. Seal the Far Realm breach! No Prep Needed D&D Adventure for 1-2 players level 1-4 with lots of eyeballs, tentacles, and fey magic!
  • Limitless Champions Adventures: Adventures featuring disabled & neurodivergent NPCs for inclusive game spaces

If you’re interested in these projects, follow them on Kickstarter!