AS I FIRST REPORTED HERE, I’m taking a break from writing my usual YA fantasy novels to fulfill a longtime goal (going back about 30 years) of creating a simple and awesome fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in the vein of Dungeons & Dragons.
I started this new project in August 2025, and have been working diligently on it (seeing as how I retired from the day job last year). I provided some updates in October 2025 and February 2026, but there have been a lot of changes since then. So, let’s start with the biggest one.
“SAGE” No More: Now, We’re “Fighting Monsters”
Have you ever had something happen to you that, at first, you thought was really, really, REALLY BAD, and then it turned out to be one of the best things that could have fallen into your lap?
Such was the case for me this past weekend, when I discovered, to my considerable dismay, that not one, but two fantasy games are being released this year under the name “SAGE,” which is what I had chosen for mine. This news had been announced after I had looked online last summer to make sure that the name was available.
(I could say that thing about “great minds” and “thinking alike” all day long, but maybe, I’m just not as clever as I like to believe I am)
After a few quiet moments of Existential Despair (during which, I asked myself several times, “WTF am I going to do now?”), I started brainstorming new names, some more pretentious or trite than others. Google confirmed that almost all (no, scratch that) all of the possibilities that readily come to mind have already been used for the hundreds, if not thousands, of pen-and-paper-, miniature-based-, and/or video fantasy games that have come out in the 50+ years since D&D established the pastime.
Eventually, I conjured a name that: 1) summed up the essence of my fun-and unassuming bucket-list project; and 2) Google assured me had not yet been taken. So, I’m pleased to announce that the game formerly known as SAGE is now “Fighting Monsters in Scary Places.”
It’s a bit of a mouthful, and doesn’t have the alliteration of “D&D,” but IMHO, it’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously: it’s certainly not “grim” or “gritty” or “dark.” It’s quirky and catchy, matching the youthful, energetic vibe of the cover. Speaking of which….
Covering the Next Book
What you see above is the Players Rulebook, which will have all the information that players need to know. For the Game Master book, which will have stats on monsters and magical items, I’ve contracted again with artist Alyssa Scalia.
She did not only the Players Rulebook, but also the art for my YA fantasy novel The Scorpion & The Wolf, as well as illustrations for two of my children’s books (How The Kangal Got Her Mask, and Pimmi Makes a Friend) and my novel Stray Cats.
Alyssa will be working on the GM Sourcebook cover this summer, and when it’s ready, I’ll share it here and on FB and Instagram.
Working For a Spell (or Two. Or Three. Or a Few Hundred)
As I mentioned near the end of my previous update, I’ve been writing the rules for the magical spells that player characters will be able to cast. I knew this was going to be a big lift, but I didn’t realize exactly how much work it would be, and it’s already taken a lot longer than anticipated.
Part of the problem is the sheer number of spells that any fantasy game is expected to have. The current version (5.5) of Dungeons & Dragons has over 450 spells; the 1st Edition Advanced D&D Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana supplement (which I used for years in my campaigns) have almost 650 spells.
I had planned to include almost 500 spells in my new game, but after working for two months and finishing close to 200, I realized that: 1) doing the other 300 was going to eat up a LOT more time, pushing the release date even further back than it already is; and 2) having 500 spells in a game that’s supposed to be “simple” is just crazycakes.
I looked over what I had done so far, rethought my approach to spells, reorganized, and cut down the total to about 250 spells. Some of the ones I had already written won’t be in the Players Rulebook, but will be included as optional spells as a free download on the Fighting Monsters website.
Oh, did I forget to mention the website? How silly of me.
www.fightingmonstersinscaryplaces.com
The FMSP website currently has the cover art for the Players Rulebook, as well as some blurbs explaining what the game is, who it’s for, and what makes it easy–and awesome–to play.
The website also states something I feel very strongly about, and that is no AI is used for the writing, editing, or artwork of FMSP. Sure, I could finish this project a lot quicker and save myself money by using AI, but the product would not be as good, and I wouldn’t feel right charging people for it. Other games have used–or have been suspected of using–generative AI, and that may be fine for them, but it’s not for me.
Play-Testing Continues
Most of the players from my last D&D campaign (which ran from 2020-2025) have come along for a new campaign (which I started last October) using the SAGE/FMSP rules. It’s been going well, the group is enjoying themselves, and I gain insights from each session. We usually play once or twice a month for a few hours on a weekday evening.
More To Come
I hope to finish the spells in about a month, and then I can start wrapping up the Players Rulebook and getting it ready to publish. I’m already compiling the separate files for each section into a single document, editing and formatting them.
As I’m doing that, I’ll need to add some interior illustrations. I would love to be able to commission some from Alyssa and other artists, but to do so requires crowdfunding, which I’ve had mediocre-to-awful results with before. I have a full license with Book Brush to use their artwork, but the type, styles, and quality of what’s available varies. We’ll see.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for doing so, and if you have comments or questions about Fighting Monsters in Scary Places, let me know in the comments or by email at kentonkilgoreATkentonkilgoreDOTcom.
Kenton Kilgore writes books for kids, young adults, and adults who are still young. Follow Kenton on Facebook for frequent posts on sci-fi, fantasy, and other speculative fiction. You can also catch him on Instagram.
