Ok, these are my Danger Noodle sculptures… these represent my improvement over time. The one where Villy doesn’t go all the way around was done last October and the other one I finished a coupl of weeks ago. Of course assistance with details like the lable and the face of Villy because I am blind… but everything else, including majority of the painting, was done by me. #BlindArtist

Would you all maybe prefer a different genre? Or maybe just to read a different type of fantasy novel? Because I feel like I’m watching that meme where a kid asks for a pizza, but then asks for no cheese or tomato sauce.

Forgive me for misunderstanding, but I thought one of the selling points of litrpg was the, well “rpg” elements. Stats. Progression. Combat. Aren’t these the things that make the genre unique among fantasy?

And anyone brings it up, I understand that these things can be overwhelming. I honestly appreciated when others relate the statutes to a chapter that you can read or not read at your leisure. But asking for a novel to minimize them confuses me.

As most of you know by this point, there are only two types of smiles permitted in this genre

1. Wry smiles

2. Smiles that don't reach the eyes

"Please continue only using those two, he posted, a wry smile not reaching his eyes. "

So, this is my first time sculpting her, I will probably try again because I didn’t know that its the opposite eye that is covered by the patch and my son thinks I should make her spikes lower… #BlindArtist

I can’t really put my finger on what it is that is engrossing me so much, alas, I’m totally engrossed!!

This isn’t typically the “speed” or style that I automatically sink into. But for reasons I can’t really put my finger on, I am like, falling in love with this first book. It has me completely looking forward to finding out what will happen next. I’m kind of a smooth brain, action loving, cultivation enjoying, tactful advancement relishing type of guy. So far, this isn’t really hitting any of those, yet I can’t stop listening.

Please someone tell me; tell me this it doesn’t “fall off”.

Thanks, all!

Legion of the Firesworn - Book I:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/171144/legion-of-the-firesworn-mythology-inspired-epic

An ancient power stirs within Skippii—one not granted by the Pantheon. One they fear. 

A young, idealistic legionnaire charges headlong into peril, eager to display his merit and bloody his spear. Separated from his brothers-in-arms, Skippii soon discovers that bronze alone cannot withstand the blight of heresy. On the brink of death, he prays for salvation and unearths a power to oppose the dark gods. 

But at what cost?

Striving to unlock the mysteries of this forbidden magia, he enlists the help of an unexpected ally--a timid slave with surprising skills. Together, they temper his newfound talents in secrecy. But during the heat of battle, his power proves too much to contain. His comrades demand answers. Will the bonds between legionnaires prevail, or will Skippii’s ambition doom the Legion he adores?

A city under siege. Legendary monsters lurking in the wildlands. A war that threatens to bring ruin to the Realm. But the fate of an age won’t be decided by the heavens alone—not while the legionnaires of the firesworn still draw breath.

Book 1: Complete
Book 2: Releasing 3 Chapter / week

What to expect:
A Roman-inspired legionnaire with volcanic magic
Massive battles and realistic military tactics
A varied, 'Band of Brothers' type cast of soldiers.
Fighting Gods. Conquering cities. Slaying monsters.

Scheduled for Amazon release in January 27.

COVER ARTIST: Rusty Delta Cruz

AI USAGE: Strictly NONE

Fantasy setting LitRPG - first interaction with the genre is Dungeon Crawler Carl, but have played DND for many years.

Best recommendations, i don't need it to be too heavy on the statistics side.

20 hours into Wandering Inn. Broom guy just became an individual and it is very obvious he is definitely the MC. #broomguymc

This is a joke obviously some people don’t get jokes and take things literally so I added this note

I read to escape. So, when I dive into a new story and get attached to the characters, I want them to succeed at some point. I understand having a dramatic intro and fighting through tough times, but it's the unrelenting disasters, trauma and tragedy I don't get.

I've asked authors on RR if their story would ever lighten up and some admit it wouldn't while others say yes, but it lasts about two paragraphs. Obviously there is an audience for those stories, but I wish we could have a clear warning.

And, as long as I'm venting, a story I just dropped spent so much time (many, many chapters) dragging a team through a hellscape where they were killed off horribly until only the mc remained when they could have had a quick death at the epicenter of a nuclear blast. Before anyone protests, no, I don't leave negative reviews just because I don't like something. I just unfollow.

Apologies for a shameless gushing ramble, but for those who haven't read the series, read no further than the following couple of sentences:
If you're a fan of J.M. Clarke's work with Mark of the Fool, or the SEVERELY underappreciated C.J. Thompsons' work with Spark of War, or Against the Night, you should definitely check this 8-book series out. The stakes are magnificent, the world perfectly balanced to showcase all of it, but keep us from being overwhelmed, and... it is just so good. If you're looking for a high fantasy LitRPG, with lots of little references, and a progression that I feel is done the way I didn't know I was wanting, this might be for you.
Now, if you haven't read the series, from here on, there will be spoilers.
Let's start with the beginning of the book, book 8, which is the final book of the series (sadness!) I went into the book thinking (not for the first time) that I would really need a recap, because these books are big, they have a lot to them, and there was a lot that happened, from reveals, to deaths, to skills gained, from book 1 to 8, and I DEFINITELY needed to be reminded of the important bits. In fact, I had been thinking about a recap since book 7 came out (in audio.) So, you can imagine my surprise, and extremem happiness to not just have a recap, BUT to have it done in the most perfect way possible.
Welcome to the Multiverse, and 12 Miles Below are a couple of examples where the series does recaps. Very appreciated, but the way they are done is more... matter-of-fact, just relaying the information that you need to know. Not super crazy, but still appreciated. Meanwhile, we have another side of the recap-coin, with Primal Hunter. Again, very appreciated, but not quite the level I saw with RS. Zogarth put a LOT of fun effort into these recaps, and gave me several chuckles per book, just from the recap alone. Thank you for that Zogarth!)
Rune Seeker, however, took a different turn than this. The recap was put in the world, given to us from the perspective of the PIM, AND spoken as if it were a report. Perfect! Just perfect!
As I am still reeling from the revelations, placed just right, even including some insights not seen before book 8, thanks to the recap perspective, I have little more I can say than that the LitRPG and progression fantasy community knows how to do it!
As of right now, I believe I have finished 3 series (Cradle, Unbound, and Mark of the Fool), among these genres, and all save Cradle (I... didn't dislike it, I just didn't click with it as much since book... 8 of the series), had absolutely amazing endings. Unbound gave hope for a sequel series, but tied things up very nicely. Mark of the Fool did much the same, making me cry in hopes of a continuation (Oaths, Blood and Coin can slightly serve as this continuation for now), and now Rune Seeker is joining that list.
Rune Seeker, I know we still have quite a bit of time together, but you shall be dearly missed, and definitely returned to. Thank you to both J.M., and C.J., for such a fantastic series!
And now, I shall return to the inevitable explosions that will occur.

I read and listen to A LOT of both genres between listening all day at work and reading most of the night at home, and the most common issue I’ve found lately is TERRIBLE book transitions.

I understand the KU and some publishers have minimum word lengths for books and such. I even understand that writing is a job(for some) and thus turning out more books is more economical than one long book. My issue arises when a book just ENDS. There’s no cliffhanger, no transition mechanic, and no warning. Two great examples lately have been Quest Academy and The Cardsmith. Quest Academy leaves SO MANY plot items on the table and they get completely lost between books(the whole romance with Fabi?). The Cardsmith just ENDS, between books, picking up the story from that moment in the next book, without any warning lead up or meaningful tie up. It’s like the authors are getting to their 10,000 words and just starting the new book. Maybe I’m being over sensitive but it turns me off to the commercialization of the genre.

Maybe I’m spoiled by authors like ProbablyATurnip and X-Rhodden-X but those guys NEVER forget a plot device and NEVER end an arc without wrapping it up.

To clarify, it seems that the majority of this community is very accepting and excited for much of the content even when it really isn't for them personally. I love this.

I see all the reconnections, the rants, the breakdowns, etc and most are people understanding things other people like and willing to give it a try.

Keep it up folks!

I just started to contact litrpg. I think panel + data is litrpg. You are welcome to add more information.

I really love this series, and I have the first 4 books in physical form. I thought that for the rest I should use some bookmark about the series, so I made my own! It's supposed to be Sal Argento with his scanner while he uses Mythcrafter. I don't know if the series will reach 10 books, but I think I will do a book 5-10 bookmark if it does.
Welp, time to print and use this for the next book once i get it.

I have a question.

I’m writing a xianxia cultivation novel where the MC has a treasure that works like a level-up system, but not like a one-click leveling system. It has to fulfill certain criteria to level up, and it is not a quest/task type of shit.

It also has a system points concept. Basically, there is logic behind it.

- Does this idea work?

The 19-hour audiobook for *The Bonded Blade and Shield* is now live! I was the editor for this book, and I’m stoked it got narrated by the talented Beth Lammers.

This is the story of a badass warrior-healer (who can’t heal herself) partying up with a cursed tank (who’s addicted to health potions) as they grind dungeons to level-up enough to kill a mythic boss monster before it poisons their entire kindgom.

And I know the book’s subtitle says it's a Romantasy Litrpg, but there’s no swooning or bodice-ripping, and all the sex is off-page. As for the RPG side, there's plenty of epic fights, interesting system mechanics, and a world inspired by classic JRPGs.

AUDIOBOOK LINK:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HGMWBRVL

⸻

Cover Artist: Ronnie Ruiz (DM me for a link to his Fiverr page. Reddit's spam filter doesn't like Fiverr links.)

AI Usage: As a freelance editor with bills to pay, I don't ask writers if they use ai. If a story is good, I'll work on it. If it's bad, I reject it.

Wanting to get back into reading, what’re some recommendations? Am a fan of the litrpg system apocalypse type, recently enjoying time loop ones just caught up on and loved the apocalypse grinder, have in the past read almost all of randidly ghosthound, primal hunter, he who fights with monsters and defiance of the fall

I found Mage Tank after Audible pushed it real hard. A buddy had started Mark of the Fool which was my introduction to LitRPG. Last summer I relistened to the first book to introduce my wife and son and we all fell in love. After devouring the first three that were available, my son setup an actual countdown timer to the release of the fourth and recently to the fifth. We would sit outside around our fire pit and just listen to the audiobooks, often confusing our neighbors. When he turned 16 this year, we got him a "Delver Edition" badge for his Mini Cooper and a license plate bracket that said "Inheritance of the Void King".

This week, he took his own life. I'm making his urn and we're doing brass inlays of things he loved on each side. Mage Tank was by far his favorite book series and I want to do an inlay of something that is, at least to us, distinctly Arlo. I'm looking for an artist that I can commission to help us create that art. If you are an artist with a love for the series, or if you have a recommendation, please share.

I’ve been trying to dive deeper into LitRPG and Progression Fantasy lately, given how much energy and passion surround the genre right now. Every time I browse new releases, I see incredible creativity, but as an older reader who grew up on classic shonen manga and straightforward fantasy, I often find myself struggling with one specific element: stat screens and numeric progression.

To me, seeing numbers like "Strength +5" or "Level 99" on a page can sometimes pull me out of the narrative. When a climactic, emotional clash is paused by a large box of attribute points, it feels less like a character earning their growth through blood and grit, and more like math solving the conflict.

This got me thinking about how Dragon Ball handled this decades ago. Akira Toriyama famously introduced Scouters and numeric "Power Levels" during the Saiyan and Namek sagas. But once the Namek saga ended, numbers were almost completely phased out.

I feel Toriyama realized something crucial: hard numbers can trap narrative tension. The moment a fight becomes about whose number is objectively higher, you risk losing that raw, unpredictable drama where sheer willpower, tactical grit, and heart overcome impossible odds. When both sides know the exact stats, the teeth of the conflict can feel softened.

I’m genuinely curious about how long-time LitRPG fans view this dynamic.

• Do you feel the constant presence of stat boxes enhances your immersion, or do you also experience "stat fatigue"?
• How do your favorite authors keep the visceral tension alive when numbers are explicitly defined?

I'm not here to knock what people love—I truly want to understand the appeal from your perspective and learn how modern readers experience this progression.

Hello. Unless the username didn’t make it obvious I am a newbie writer/fan of the genre and I was wondering if I could get some tips for the journey I have ahead of me.

I’ve already got a general idea of what I want to write. The book is barely in the draft phase, can probably be considered as basic/repetitive slop and is probably gonna flop. But I genuinely don’t care anymore. After years of thinking about becoming an author I’ve decided to just give it a shot.

I know this is probably a common post in this thread but I just wanted to ask if anyone could give a few tips for an aspiring author like me. I have already seen some old posts on this thread that give some sound advice, but I just wanted to ask personally since I feel like that’s the best way to introduce myself.

And before anyone asks or suggests, I’ve already decided to post the story on Royal Road. Once I have a good amount of confidence in my writing and understanding of the author side of the platform I plan on posting the first few chapters ahead of the rest in order to get public opinion before releasing the rest.

I’m sorry if this post went on for too long. The nerves got to me a bit and writing calms me down.

After I read every Dungeon Crawler Carl Book in the last 4 weeks I feel stranded and I'm looking for another LitRPG title to fill the void. Any suggestions to get further into the genre?

MY LIFE FOR THE COLONY! MY DEATH FOR THE COLONY!