AC Spotlight: Dungeons and Hammers
We sat down with Peter, the multi-talented writer, illustrator, and Game Master behind Beefy Shotgun Wizards.
Welcome back to AC Spotlight! Today we’re joined by Peter "The Dragon Hammer," creator of the upcoming Beefy Shotgun Wizards system, writer, illustrator, and organizer of Beefy Wizard Con, a community gathering for wargaming and indie TTRPG enthusiasts.
D4 Hit Points to '80s Action Heroes
While many creators start with traditional fantasy, Peter’s journey through middle school RPGs and years of wargaming eventually led him back to DMing. After years of drawing custom maps and creating artifacts for his players, he caught the publishing itch through game jams, releasing early modules like The Lair of the Rat King and Sewer Thing.
That creative momentum eventually led to Beefy Shotgun Wizards, a D6 system built around a hilarious premise: what happens when high-level, old-school wizards run out of spells mid-dungeon? Instead of cowering behind D4 hit points, these glass cannons grab shotguns and act like '80s action heroes. Paired with dark-surrealist visual design alongside creative partner Daniel Herella Carlson, the project strikes a unique balance between visceral action and heavy aesthetic style.
"Don't Knock It 'Til You Try It"
When it comes to game feel, Peter favors physical tension over standard bookkeeping. Beefy Shotgun Wizards foregoes traditional inventory tracking in favor of a real-life Jenga tower. As players explore, rest, or face terrifying enemies, they are forced to pull blocks from the tower.
By hour three of a session, with gear degrading rapidly and the tower visibly swaying, the table turns into a pressure cooker where a single stray elbow or overly aggressive eraser stroke can spell doom. For online groups, the game also offers a smooth dice pool alternative, but nothing quite matches the quiet panic of a live game as the tower reaches its limit.
A Labor of Love and Community Building
Behind the scenes, Peter juggles game design, miniature painting, and kit-bashing while raising three young kids. Wanting to scratch a specific itch for local indie developers and miniature crafters, he launched Beefy Wizard Con in Madison, Wisconsin.
What started as an informal 40th birthday gathering quickly evolved into a dedicated indie convention aimed at celebrating small creators and community building. Between preparing full campaign rule, complete with "dungeon wretches and expanding the system's absurd random loot tables, Peter is already hard at work locking in dates for Beefy Wizard Con 2.