Mythos Machine vs World Anvil

Worldbuilding software has become increasingly important for writers, game masters, and indie creators who want to organize large amounts of setting information without losing track of the details. Two tools that stand out in this space are World Anvil and Mythos Machine, but they are not trying to solve exactly the same problem. Both help creators develop fictional worlds, yet they differ in philosophy, structure, and intended use.

World Anvil is best understood as a broad, flexible worldbuilding and publishing platform. It is designed for users who want to create rich lore, structure that lore into articles and reference pages, and present the result in a polished, accessible format. Mythos Machine, by contrast, is more than a worldbuilding tool in the traditional sense. It is a genre-neutral world creation system tightly integrated with the Elthos RPG rules, allowing creators to build worlds, define their own setting elements, and immediately use those creations in play.

That difference shapes nearly every aspect of how the two systems feel. World Anvil excels as a general-purpose environment for writers, game masters, and hobbyists who want a strong organizational framework for fiction or campaign material. Mythos Machine is built around a more unified workflow: create the world, define the game content, organize the campaign, and run the RPG inside the same system. In other words, World Anvil is primarily about documenting and presenting a world, while Mythos Machine is about building a world that can be played as a game.

One of the most important distinctions is how each system handles structure. World Anvil gives users tools to create articles, timelines, maps, characters, organizations, and other worldbuilding assets in a highly modular way. It is well suited for people who want flexibility in how they organize information. Mythos Machine uses a more explicit hierarchy, where worlds can contain places, campaigns, adventures, events, and experience gains. That structure is especially useful for game masters who want their worldbuilding to connect directly to campaign flow and gameplay progression.

Mythos Machine goes even further by integrating character generation and management into the same system. It allows the GM to create custom races, classes, skills, mystic powers, armors, weapons, and equipment, then organize them into stores that can be made available based on location and other conditions. This makes the tool feel like a living game system rather than a static reference database. World Anvil certainly supports campaign management and character notes, but its core focus is not on being the rules engine that drives play.

Another major difference is genre support. World Anvil is broadly genre-agnostic in the sense that it can be used for fantasy, science fiction, horror, historical settings, and more, but it is fundamentally a flexible content organization tool rather than a rules framework. Mythos Machine is also genre-neutral, but in a more integrated way. The user can define the elements needed for any genre — whether that means new weapons, armor, races, classes, or powers — and those elements are built to fit naturally into the Elthos rules system. That means a GM can create a completely original setting in almost any genre and begin playing it immediately without translating the world into another format.

Publishing is another area where Mythos Machine distinguishes itself. Beyond internal world creation and gameplay support, it also includes a world publishing model that functions as a marketplace. GMs can create complete worlds and offer them for sale through the system, and buyers receive the entire world package, including campaigns, weapons, armors, characters, history, and other linked elements. It also includes a Print World option, allowing users to export parts or all of a world as PDFs suitable for publishing on DriveThruRPG. That makes Mythos Machine not just a creation tool, but also a distribution and productization platform.

World Anvil has its own publishing strengths, especially in terms of presenting a world publicly and making lore readable and attractive. It is very much designed for sharing. But its model is different. World Anvil is about publishing world content as a reference, archive, or immersive setting guide. Mythos Machine is about publishing a world as a complete, playable product. That distinction matters for creators who want to sell a finished RPG world rather than simply showcase their setting.

The practical choice between the two depends on the creator’s goals. Someone writing a novel, developing an encyclopedia of lore, or building a campaign reference site may find World Anvil the better fit because of its polish, flexibility, and broad appeal. Someone who wants a fully integrated RPG environment, where worldbuilding, mechanics, character creation, campaign structure, and publishing all work together, may find Mythos Machine much more compelling. It is especially attractive for GMs who want a direct path from concept to playable campaign.

In that sense, the two tools represent different philosophies. World Anvil is a worldbuilding platform first, with campaign support as part of a larger creative toolkit. Mythos Machine is a world-to-game system first, with worldbuilding as the foundation of a complete roleplaying ecosystem. Neither is inherently better in every situation, but they serve different creative priorities.

For many creators, the question is not which tool is objectively superior, but which one matches the way they work. If the goal is to organize and present a setting with maximum flexibility, World Anvil is a strong choice. If the goal is to create an original world and immediately transform it into a playable RPG using built-in rules and content structures, Mythos Machine offers a more integrated solution. The distinction is subtle at first, but once understood, it becomes clear that these tools are aimed at different parts of the worldbuilding process.

2026 - A Deep Cleansing for Mythos Machine

It’s been a busy 2026 so far here at Elthos HQ. If the Mythos Machine were a physical engine, for most of the year you would have seen the floor would covered in oil, bolts, and spare parts I realized I didn’t actually need, or wanted to remodel for better efficiency.

From wrestling with the "ghosts" in Microsoft SQL Server to streamlining how GMs manage their worlds, this spring has been all about database coherency, data cleansing, and UI polish. Here’s the breakdown of what’s been happening under the hood.

The Great Database Scrub

I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a neat freak. Over the years, a few inconsistencies crept into the database schema. While it wasn't breaking anything, it was making future automation look like more of a headache than it should be.

• Coherency Update: I renamed 19 columns across 7 tables and updated all related stored procedures. Everything is once again "nice and neat and clean and shiny."  Now while in a single sentence that makes it sound like an easy task.  Not so, friends!  Not so.  It was a trail by blood and fire.  But in the end, with clever SQL methods I invented for this purpose, I finally managed to not only update the database and make it squeaky clean, but I updated both Test and Production with the changes (also not as easy a task as it sounds from a distance).  Done! 

• The SQL Server "Identity Jump" Saga: A while back, maybe a year ago or so, I went down the rabbit hole of why IDs were jumping by 1,000 or 10,000 after server reboots.  It annoyed me that these jumps effectively meant I would have fewer rows available in my database tables.  I blamed fiendish Microsoft for "stealing" my table's maximum sizes.  Those bastards.  However, my "fix" (using RESEED) actually created a subtle bug with orphaned records in cross-reference tables. Lesson learned: I’ve removed the re-seeding, fixed the orphaned record logic, updated all tables involved, and testing shows everything is now perfectly aligned.  Meh, ok.  You win this round Microsoft!  Bastards.

Making Life Easier for GMs

The goal of the Mythos Machine is to do the number crunching for you so you can focus on the characters and story of your World(s). We’ve made a few quality-of-life updates to that end:

• Adventure Group Filtering: In Player Mode, GMs with dozens of NPCs were getting buried in a single long dropdown list. You can now filter characters by Adventure Group, making it much faster to find the right sheet in the heat of a session.

• Weapon-Skill Cloning: Fixed a bug where cloning a world into a new genre would occasionally miss weapon-skill combinations. It now correctly pulls from your specific world parameters rather than defaulting to the Elthos base world.

• Information Screen Revamp: We’ve moved player functions over to the Player Mode page, leaving the Info screen cleaner and more focused.

AI & Technical Tweaks

• AI Image Generation: Our AI host changed their backend, which broke the "Place AI Image" generation tool. I’ve refactored the code, and your world-building visuals creation thingie is back online.  Nice.
  
  
• The "Body Things" Logic: Previously, if you removed a metal shield while the "Body Things" store was selected, the shield would get "sold" into the body store (which made for some very confused merchants). Now, natural items are simply dropped instead of cluttering up the biological inventory.  After removing a Body weapon or armor from a character I then found that I had to go delete the darn thing from the Body Things store.  Meh.  Now it's much cleaner and less confusing.
  
  
• Session Management: To counter some aggressive ISP timeouts, I’ve shortened the "keep-alive" heartbeat to 4 minutes and 20 seconds. I am hoping this will help prevent timeouts from ending your session prematurely.  Time will tell.  Haha, get it?  Time will ... um ... okay, never mind.

It feels good to have the machine running lean and mean again. These foundational fixes pave the way for some much larger automation features I have planned for later this year.

Happy Gaming!

To learn more about Mythos Machine (and you definitely should), please visit my website where I talk about Elthos RPG and Mythos Machine at length.

https://Elthos.com

Elthos RPG - Mythos Machine - Eplainer Video 1

A little video I created to explain Elthos RPG Mythos Machine.
:)

World Things Holes Report

Latest Mythos Machine Update

New World Things Holes Report!

This is a new report that shows you all of the Armors, Weapons, Skill Books / Skills, Mystic Book / Mystic Powers that you have associated for Races, Classes in your World so you can review them and identify which ones are missing details you want to include.

To use the form select to look at either Races or Classes, and then either pick "Select All" from the dropdown, or select the particular one you are interested in.

The Report is accessed from the Reports Page drop down list and is named "World Things - Holes".

#Elthos #MythosMachine #GamemasterTools #RPGTools

Tenkar's Interview with VBWyrde of Elthos RPG and the Mythos Machine

I had a nice time chatting with Tenkar about Elthos RPG and the Mythos Machine ... here's the interview ... Many thanks to Tenkar for the interview! You can find Tenkar's Tavern on the Web and on Discord.


https://anchor.fm/tavernchat/episodes/E292---Designers--Makers-Fireside-Chat-with-VBWyrde-Elthos-RPG--Mythos-Machine-e3cclj/a-ab8qkb

#Elthos #ElthosRPG #MythosMachine #Gamemaster
https://elthos.com

Elthos RPG - The World's Ultimate Fantasy Heart-Breaker

Someone on G+ recently mentioned that they encountered Elthos a while back and thought it is "the world's ultimate Fantasy Heart-breaker".  While not entirely surprising, given the very long haul this project has taken, I nevertheless find it amusing.  I have to wonder if it's true.  After all... it could be.  Perhaps I can take pride in that somehow?  After all, being the "ultimate" anything is distinctive.  Hmmm...

As to whether or not it happens to be true... How would I know? I'm just the poor shlub who's been tinkering away this for the past 40 years.  And I'm pretty sure I will continue to tool away at it, quite happily, for the next 40 years.  More if I can manage it. Elthos is my art form, and as such, it's something I work on because I enjoy it.

As you may know, the Mythos Machine is a major piece of the Elthos Project.  Aside from the simple enjoyment I get from tinkering with the code, I tool away at it because I would like to fulfill my vision ... The main driver in this regard is my own sense of satisfaction in knowing I thought up something that seemed useful for the world of RPGs, and then went ahead and persevered with it until I achieved it. I'm a pretty stubborn person, and this kind of project seems suitable for my temperament. I started the project in 1978 with the creation of my homebrew Elthos RPG Rules, and in 1994 I conceived of a computer application to help me crunch the numbers for game prep and so taught myself databasing and programming.  Between then and now I've been chipping away at this concept in my off hours as my Once and Great Hobby Project.

By 2000 I had a Visual Basic 6 application that does a LOT of very cool stuff related to world building and character management.  I mean a LOT of wonderful features are packed into that program.  Even more than the Mythos Machine web application does, actually. For example, it has a map painter utility that integrates the combat rules so you can run the entire game pushing characters around on the map and combating them, taking into account weapons and armors, magic, movement, terrain, and every rule I use to run my games. It's pretty damn slick, if I do say so myself.  But as it was a Microsoft VB6 project, it has fundamental flaws and I was concerned about being able to support it if I sent it out into the wild.  So I decided to shelve it, and work on a web application instead, largely because it would have a much easier support model.  It also gave me a chance to start over from scratch with the code base.  That's the Mythos Machine.  I began that in 2006.  Now, 12 years later, I think it's ready for public consumption. It doesn't handle everything the VB application does, but handles most of it.  I will add the other pieces as time, resources and interest dictate.

I should admit that my expectation is not to sweep the RPG market and become rich on the back of Elthos RPG, though. To think that is even possible would be blatantly absurd, of course.  Even if it were hugely, enormously, outrageously successful, we're really talking about a tiny niche hobby, out of which I am trying to provide something of interest to an even tinier subset of GMs who happen to want to create their own Worlds (and would like comprehensive computer support with building and running their game Worlds, but that's a different kettle of fish, in relation to Elthos RPG, which I'm talking about in terms of it's success as a stand alone RPG).  Planning on becoming rich on that prospect would be akin to depending on winning lotto as a career plan. And if that were my goal, then yeah, I'd say I'd be likely to end up in Fantasy Heart-Breaker territory.  But that's not my expectation, so on that level I don't think this outcome is likely. Financial success would be nice, but is hardly necessary. That said, of course I would like people to take a look at what I've created because I honestly think it's worthwhile. But for my own sanity, I don't want to depend on that result, either.  I want to enjoy it for what it is, and leave the rest to fate, or destiny, or luck, or the Tao, or The Gods, or whatever.

“If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

But as far as money is concerned, I derived my entire programming career from this project, having taught myself programming so in order to work on it starting in 1994. I make a very decent living as a programmer/analyst, so I have to include that in my calculations as to how much money Elthos made for me.  Fact is, if it weren't for Elthos, I wouldn't ever have become a programmer ... this plus the fact that I've had a fabulous time Gamemastering Elthos and tinkering away at the Mythos Machine over the years... even without it being successful in the market, I think  I'm already way ahead. And I never borrowed money for the project so I don't owe anyone anything. It is very cheap to run, and I can keep it online at very little cost.  So, I'm not in a rush to make money on this thing.  I just want it to be done with as much excellence as I can put into it.

As I look at it, I've managed to successfully create something pretty awesome while avoiding all of the usual tricks, traps & "Imperial Entanglements" associated with Capitalist System.  Because of that I completely own Elthos. and so I am at perfect liberty to do with it whatever I want. And it does a great job for me. I use it to run my own games, and my friends have had a myriad hours of fun romping around Elthos killing monsters, taking their stuff, and saving (er, sometimes destroying) the world.  And that makes me happy, too.

What would be especially cool, though, is to find in the end that I added something to the world of RPGs that was not just some transient wisp of an idea, but something that really helps lift the hobby, overall, and in the long run. I think Mythos Machine as an innovative piece of RPG software has a shot at that. But that is not my goal for the projec,t either.  It would be a lovely if all goes well, but it's not the reason I work on it, either.  Again, I'd be crazy to assume that my work will be influential in the world of RPGs as there's waaaaaay too many brilliant people contributing far more popular ideas to the hobby than I am.  But still, I don't know too many who have stuck to creating RPG game prep software for their systems quite as doggedly as I have... so there's a chance that 'ere the end Elthos and the Mythos Machine will prove of some value to Gamemasters creating their own Worlds.  In this I do stand some chance of winding up in the Fantasy Heart-Breaker zone, but again, I'm not convinced of that either.  After all, even if no one uses it... I use it.  And to very good effect for my games.  So at the very least, I constructed a software system that helps me run my games.  I think that's pretty kickass, so I don't think I will wind up heartbroken if people don't wind up finding out about it.  Maybe that will turn out to be a cool thing in its own right... the only person in the world who uses a specific software application to run his world?  I don't know ... somehow I see kudos there.

But yeah, of course I hope Gamemasters will look into Elthos and find out how it and the Mythos Machine may be useful to them. And yes, I hope people support it so that I can keep improving it. Why not?

But, what I'm actually shooting for is something just as ridiculously improbable as financial success... probably more so...  I want to help encourage and foster human creativity.  I feel like we are living in a time where creativity and imagination are under direct assault by The Powers That Be.  Free thought is at a low ebb and there's way too many people who are all too willing to give up their own ideas and creative powers to those who claim to be the true arbiters of creative value.  I want to resist that because I think it's rubbish, and the Elthos Project is my way of doing that for myself, and a tool I want to offer others to help them do the same.  The Elthos Mission is all about exercising your own imagination. I know, I know ... you can stop laughing now.  I admit, it is an uphill battle.  But fortunately, the RPG community is bursting at the seams with people who already have the spark of creativity.  I just want to fan the flames and help inspire more of it.  Lots more.

Back when I started the project, I wanted to see if I could find a way to use computers to bring people together, rather than drive them apart and isolate them. I think I came up with this idea after seeing a film called Future Shock in the late 70's. I watched the movie and said to myself, "OMG, screw that. We can definitely do better".  In fact, the Elthos Project is kind of a big jab in the eye of the direction the Big Technologists have taken things over the past 50 years. Frankly, I want the world to go the other direction, and I want to try my best to inspire people to embrace their imaginations, and create fantastic, amazing, powerful, and wondrous Worlds of their own because I believe that it is the power of human creativity and imagination that will allow us to escape the Techno-Prison being rapidly constructed all around us. If I can help to inspire people to think for themselves and use their own minds and hearts and creativity then I will consider the Elthos Project a true success, even if it does nothing for my own personal fortunes. And we won't know if I managed to achieve that for a long time to come, actually. I do suspect I've had some modest success already with this, but I will have to leave that to future historians of RPGs to ultimately decide.  If' I'm lucky, my timing is good, and I can bring enough excellence to my work, then I hope to help people see the value of their own ideas... if I can do that I will have achieved my true objective.

Of course, in the end, since I owe no one anything, and have no need for Elthos to be successful, and have enjoyed the hell out of the thing for 40 years now, I'd have to say, it seems to me to be about as far away from a Fantasy Heart-Breaker as it could possibly be.  And even if I don't achieve my self appointed Prime Directive, at least I will have tried my absolute best.  And that's ok with me.  I feel proud of the fact that I worked towards a goal that I feel is worthy of my time and effort.  Whether or not people acknowledge that or find it useful... I can't control that.  So I leave it to destiny to work out.

So while some people may be thinking that Elthos is the ultimate Fantasy Heart-breaker, my opinion is that it is unlikely, and that the jury is still out on this anyway.  As far as I'm concerned it hasn't been anything other than a wonderful and wondrous hobby project for me all these years, and that I don't feel heart-broken about it. Nor do I think I am likely to, regardless of how things pan out in terms of its marketability the years to come.  It's been a great project, and I am having a tremendous amount of fun with it.  I expect to continue to do so ad infinitum.

Anyway, I just wanted to explain my viewpoint on that because someone recently mentioned that they had that idea that Elthos is "the world's ultimate Fantasy Heart-Breaker".  I found it amusing... but also I want to mention it was a bit confounding. Just the label itself seems intended to be discouraging.  I don't know who came up with that phrase or why, but what's wrong with people trying to put their projects out there in the public domain?  So what if they are not financially successful?  As long as they don't have freaky expectations of getting rich off of RPGs they should be safe from the dread doom of Fantasy Heart-Break.  I feel like I want to reject that label.  I don't like it.  I strikes me as a bit of a cruel thing to say about anyone's project, whether it is successful or not.

But who knows... it may turn out to be true in the end. Maybe I'm just fooling myself, and the work I'm putting into this project will be ignored by the community, it will have no success in the market, and I will eventually find myself heartbroken because of that.  Still though, I won't know that for a good long time, I suppose by then there's a good chance I'll be senile enough to really be enjoying myself in the World of Elthos!  Haha.  And in the meantime, I'm having fun and expect to continue doing so for a good long time.

I do hope you will take the time to look at Elthos RPG and the Mythos Machine. and decide for yourself if it is worthwhile, and potentially useful to you.  Enjoy.  :)

:)

1st Review of Elthos RPG & Mythos Machine!

News Flash - Just in!  The very first official independent review of Elthos RPG Mythos Machine  ... Wow!  I am Bloooowwwwwnnnn Awaaay!  WOW!!  This is really an awesome Review!


But first ... Please meet Mark Knights, one of the Elthos RPG Mythos Machine Open Beta Testers sent along by way of Rachel Ventura (Thank you Rachel!!). He's an awesome guy! 

After poking around at the thing during the Open Beta, Mark kindly decided to write up a review of the Elthos RPG & Mythos Machine. I could not possibly be more delighted. So after a few weeks of patient waiting while he continued his exploration of Elthos RPG and the Mythos Machine (as well as many other things besides, not the least of which setting up his own Gaming Shop business named "Games On Board"), I am now happy to present his review to you via a link to his blog article...Please take a few minutes to link over and read this amazing Review!

Elthos RPG – More Than Meets The Eye. 

I can't possibly thank Mark enough for this fabulous and incredibly positive review, and for the fact that he took the time to take a comprehensive look at the Elthos RPG Core Rules and give the Mythos Machine a thorough test drive. His observations about how they are designed to be a fully integrated system are spot on, and I feel he really grasps the big picture view of what makes Elthos RPG & Mythos Machine truly compelling. Many tens of thousands of Thanks to Mark Knights for this wonderful review!

Also, I would like to point you in the direction of Mark's "Games On Board" intel, so you can catch up on what he's working on, and offer your support as well.  Mark is an awesome guy, and I hope he has the most excellent of successes living the dream and running a business which will bring joyous gaming adventures and untold fun to the lucky folks in his neighborhood.   Thanks Mark!  And best wishes on your projects!

Mythos Machine on the Go

So there I was, huffing and puffing my way around town this morning doing my chores and shopping and stuff.  I stopped off to get some scrambled eggs, potatoes, toast and a cup of coffee.  And of course read the paper.  A story caught my eye.  And gave me a startlingly cool idea for the Yellow Stone Campaign... that frequently happens at the most inconvenient times when I'm on the go.  I used to, if possible, jot down the ideas on a piece of paper, and hope that I don't lose it in the grand shuffle that is my modern life.

Now, thanks to the Mythos Machine, I can use my Smart Phone to log into the application, quickly route over to my adventure, and add the idea right there at the coffee shop table.  No longer do I miss these opportunities to include great ideas in my world.  And once added, they stick.   Later when I get home I can modify and refine the concepts as I see fit.  But the important thing is that the notes get added right then, when I think of them.

The other nifty aspect of the Smart Phone use of the Mythos Machine is that my phone allows me to dictate into the Mythos Machine using speech recognition.   Of course there's the usual misspellings but when I get home I can tidy things up.  The important point is that my notes get entered into the centralized repository for my world when I think of them.   And that's actually a marvelous feature.

On the downside, and there must always be a downside, and I believe it's always good to mention the downside as a reminder that 1) nothing is perfect, and 2) there are things to work on for the sake of continuously improving the quality of the site ... the Mythos Machine is not currently configured for Responsive Design.  So the Smart Phone version, while perfectly functional, is not form factored for the phone's screen.  Thus, it does require some scrolling and zooming in at times.  But frankly, the ability to add my ideas to my world, create new creatures, weapons, armors or equipment, or anything else, on the fly while I'm on the go ... just makes the darn thing incredibly useful to me.

You are welcome to try it yourself for free by creating an Open Beta account at

http://elthos.com

... I look forward to hearing your feedback on it.  If you'd like to learn more about the Elthos RPG Mythos Machine before creating an account (understandably so) please read the FAQ here...

http://elthosrpg.blogspot.com/p/elthos-faq.html

Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!