The LoreForge Works story
The LoreForge Works brand officially launched in June, but its foundation has been evolving since 2023. What began as a small automation for one table has grown into a fast, multi-engine application built around the moments that matter during live play.
2023 · The first spark
The foundation was a 120-line Python script running in a Google Colab notebook. It was a simple Discord webhook that dealt cards and sorted them according to standard SWADE rules. A few tweaks and some emojis made it more useful, but the core idea was already there: remove table friction and keep the action moving.
March 2026 · The turning point
In March 2026, the project moved into a GitHub repository and the Python app was deployed to Streamlit with basic CSS. A dice mechanic followed within two weeks. It was a meaningful step forward, but the goal was always bigger: a stable, real-time application that could hold up through an entire session.
After researching modern architectures, the platform was rewritten with Vite and React, backed by Supabase for PostgreSQL and real-time WebSocket subscriptions. The first successful run was a basic SWADE tracker with steppers for Bennies, Wounds, and Fatigue, plus simple controls for Shaken and Hold.
May 2026 · Forging a product
In May, loreforge.works was purchased with a different purpose in mind: hosting a campaign wiki for the worlds behind the table. That changed quickly when the domain became the natural home for the application and its SWADE engine.
During those rapid development cycles, the project became something more than a hobby kit. It was a stable product that supported a real table flawlessly, with a focused experience designed around live play rather than the weight of a full virtual tabletop.
The expanding arsenal
With a fast, robust architecture in place, LoreForge Works began branching into games that do not fit neatly inside standard D20 assumptions, along with a flexible D20 engine of its own.
Zero-latency action cards, Bennies, and custom exploding-dice macros built for cinematic table flow.
GM and player intrusions, XP distribution, effort calculations, and a comprehensive GM toolbox.
Cancellation math, custom dice and symbols, plus layered attribute, skill, weapon, attack, and defense calculations.
A flexible table tool for reusable dice macros, visual advantage and disadvantage, and any initiative system.
The road ahead
Today, LoreForge Works is a fast, scalable platform moving through a marketing pivot and the launch of an SEO-focused Astro site. The next chapter is introducing more people to the virtual tabletop at play.loreforge.works, while continuing to make real sessions easier to run.
Update logs coming soon.