Blog of the Dead

Since my head's been out of 'design mode', I've let this blog fade considerably. That's a shame cause I generally have a lot of good ideas, they just don't happen to be full games.

So, using all my mighty necromancy powers, I'll attempt to bring this blog back from Oblivion with more of a focus on General RPG Thoughts rather than Games I'm Designing.

Slew of posts, coming up!

WoD: Mirrors

Finished WoD: Mirrors today. Holy shit.

Fate and Savage Worlds are great go-to-games for homebrew attempts to make your own game using their generic systems. They've always lacked something for me though. (Maybe it's dice pools?) With Mirrors and the WoD Rulebook, I can literally trick out the Storyteller system for anything I want to play! Hell, even Fate's beloved Aspects get applied (and remixed) as "Player-Described Merits".

Good, good stuff!

A few of the things I'm really thinking of dropping into my Werewolf game:

• Sway (Social Combat Rules)
• Anticipation
• Setup
• Rapport (much like Trust from the very cool Mountain Witch rpg)
• The Cup (of mysterious goodies)

A few things I will be dropping into the game:

• Player Described Merits
• Mob Rules (lumping 30 zombies together as a single character)
• Decompression/Compression (more something to consider while I GM than a rule to implement)

Grab the pdf for super cheap on DrivethruRPG!

Swashbuckling and Skullduggery!

At last, we come full circle. I sat some friends down the other day to playstorm some of the concepts I've been batting around for a pirate game using Liar's Dice. You may recall me mentioning this a while back.

As it turns out, the idea held up remarkably well. A few confirmations and several notes later, I'm sitting on the makings for a pretty fun little game! After talking to my favorite artist, I've got some great ideas of how to present and package this little gem.

I've been excited about most of the projects I've worked on. I've learned a lot, even if I don't plan to push any of them toward publication. This is the first time, however, that I've suspected real potential.

Coming soon...

Shark Bone!

What has two thumbs and acts as a co-host on the new rpg podcast Shark Bone?

This guy!!

Project Cyberpunk

Do you want to play Cyberpunk? Do you feel the rules are a bit outdated? Me too! Luckily, there's a nifty little solution that's even been tried and tested with good times by all.

Just download this nifty little character sheet made by my friend John for the best sci-fi rpg that's still not released! (Keep going Matt, we'll be patient!)

Project Vanguard + Cyberpunk = Awesome Fun

Kickstarter.com

I discovered Kickstarter from a thread on RPGnet. The entire site is dedicated to funding projects of all kinds, seemingly any kind, via patronage.

A patronage model means people, fans, strangers, or whoever pitch in money to fund a project or pay an artist for a creative endeavor. Patronage Funding has seen success in several different markets and it's been making quite a splash lately in the RPG industry. Older titles such as Wild Talents and Reign as well as the new Pathfinder Modern project are prime examples of Patronage and Ransom model funding in the gaming industry.

What I find fascinating about Kickstarter is that they've linked up with a trusted site to allow 'backers' to pledge money via the Amazon payment account that everyone and my mother already has. Additionally, if the goal for pledge money isn't reached, none of the backers are actually charged for their pledges.

Let me give you an example: I fork over $50 to help kickstart the Pathfinder Modern project. Not only does that give me access to their design blog and project forums, I'm also promised a hardcover copy of the finished book. So for $50, I'm preordering the book and helping to fund the project. Should the project not raise enough money, the book is never produced and I am never charged!

What a fascinating way to fund a project. What an interesting way to buy into, not only the finished product, but the design process as well.

What does this mean for you? What does it mean for me? Who knows?

But I'll be damned if I can't think up a project worth kickstarting for a $100 or so. You know, just to test it out. :-)

Geek gifts YOU should have!

The holiday fairy was kind this year, I got some truly awesome Geek Gifts. I'll tell you why they're cool and show you where to find them.

Zombie Cinema

Why It Rocks: A badass little boardgame/rpg hybrid about the zompocalypse. Each player narrates a little scene until a conflict between characters comes up. Then dice are rolled, losing character moves down the board (toward the zombies) and winning character moves up (toward Escape). A tie moves the zombies closer to the characters. Lean, mean, and looks like a load of fun!

How Much: $20. There's not much in the way of pieces, but it's pretty enough. Parts + Concept is definitely worth 20 bucks.

Awesome Adventures

Why It Rocks: Someone thought the award-winning FATE rules for Spirit of the Century were far more tedious than necessary. Someone felt a 'pulp' game needed to be faster and sleeker. Someone took the love and the time necessary to retool FATE into a game that truly rocked. This... is everything I wanted Spirit of the Century to be. This... is the essence of FATE.

How Much: $20. Very, very worth it. Spirit of the Century is a great game and well worth $30. Awesome Adventures is a much better game (my opinion) and definitely worth $20.

Dice Sampler - Set of 105 (no, seriously)

Why It Rocks: A nice, clear mini-tackle box sort of thing containing...

35 d20s - more than enough for D&D!

30 d10s - more than enough for World of Darkness or even Exalted!

10 each of d12s, d8s, d6s, and d4s - 10 each is the number I'd have picked myself, more than enough!

How Much: $12, that's the best part! As a gamer, of course I've got enough dice. But now for $12 I've got a spare box I can pull out if someone forgets theirs or if I'm running for newbies that don't have their own sets yet. This thing would sell in a game store for like $40, but for $12 a starting gamer could get all the dice they'll ever need! Well, mostly. But you know what I mean! :-P

Alright, I've shown you mine. What did you get this year that I'm totally going to be jealous about? Send us a link and tell us why it rocks!