e23 News Archive: November 2007

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November 30, 2007: Savage Savages Savagely

It needn't be savages, of course. It could be Nazi mystics! Or a slavering horde of zombies. Or maybe a massive cave troll. Or any other obnoxious antagonist type you can conjure up.

Savage Worlds is Pinnacle's roleplaying opus of generic and universal proportions. And hey, if you don't have your own worlds to play in, Pinnacle offers a leviathan-size library of worldbooks. "Like what?" Well, I could tell you, but it may take a few days. Check back on the morrow.

November 29, 2007: Enjoy Great Savings Or Die!

You! For the honor of the clan, you will benefit from holiday savings! From this day until December 6th, Ninja Burger: The RPG 2nd Edition will be sold at half price! Yes, you now need only five honorable dollars to satisfy the demands of your ancestors.

With a price this low, it's a deal only a cowardly samurai dog would dare pass up! You are not a lowly samurai dog! You will not pass up this deal! You will purchase Ninja Burger: The RPG or honor will demand we have you torn apart by wild animals*!

* Those currently in possession of a copy of Ninja Burger: The RPG are exempt from this. But only just.
-- Fox Barrett

November 28, 2007: The Other Land Of The Ice And Snow

Before comrade, there was bogatyr. Before Peter the Great there was Ivan the Terrible. Before Sputnik traveled through space, Baba Yaga traveled the woods. This is the Russia of myth and legend.

Okay, that's not true. This is a book about all that stuff. But it sure sounded more exciting the other way.

GURPS Russia is back! If you missed it the first time around, here's the PDF version of one of the GURPS greats. And if that isn't exciting enough for you, stay here.

I'll be back shortly with a car battery.

November 27, 2007: What Needs A Good Killin'?

Orcs? Nah, we slaughtered an orc horde last week. Kobolds? Nah, too squishy. And messy. Dragon? Nah, Sir Killsalot is still recovering from his last brilliant plan to "distract the dragon."

Ooo, here we go. Judges Guild: Dark Tower. "Ancient evil," "corrupted shrine," "big mean guy." Yup, perfect! Now to decide if this is a "bastard sword" endeavor, or just a "longsword" affair . . .
-- Fox Barrett

November 26, 2007: Going Down?

Ding! Seventh basement floor. Bloodthirsty hellbeasts, soul-sucking demons, ancient dracoliches, and lingerie.

If it's buried this deep, it's gotta be worth it, right? Yeah. Just keep telling yourself that as you hack and slash your way through Undying Hordes of Insurmountable Evil that populate The Dungeon Under the Mountain: Level 7. Don't worry if you can't cut it and have to run away, screaming and wetting yourself, when Really Big Evil stomps into the room. Nobody will blame you.

They'll laugh, sure, but they won't blame you.
-- Fox Barrett

November 25, 2007: One Western, Two Westerns, Three Westerns . . .

Oh. I thought by Western Counter Set they meant . . . um . . . y'know what? Nevermind.

This set of fine, Western-style surfaces will accent your kitchen ni- what? Not those either. Oh, for crying out loud . . .

Art. Cowboys. You can figure it out. I'm going to go start a petition to get these renamed "Tiny Pictures of Cowboys You Can Print Out, and That Certainly Can't Be Confused With Anything Else."

Or "TPoCYCPOaTCCBCWAE".
-- Fox Barrett

November 24, 2007: Now Entering: Danger Zone

Kick the tires and light the fires of your gaming table! Mercenary Air Squadron simulates all the excitement and glory (and not to mention cash rewards) of running a guns-for-hire flyboy operation without all that nasty getting-shot-at business.

If you enjoy being shot at, on the other hand, we can't really help you. Well. That's not true. We could say "have your friend fire a BB gun at you while you play," but you'd put your eye out. And then we'd have a lawsuit on our hands. So we won't say that.
-- Fox Barrett

November 23, 2007: Pinnacle!!

Holy cow that's a lot of Pinnacle. We just updated the site with a digital deluge of books from your friend and ours, Pinnacle. Go ahead. Just try shake a stick at it. We dare ya.

You want Deadlands? We got Deadlands. We want Savage Worlds? We got Savage Worlds. From Evernight to 50 Fathoms, the list goes on and on. And on. And then on a bit further. It's a pretty big list. But don't let it overwhelm you. There's a very simple answer.

Just buy everything. You're sure to like at least some of it.
-- Fox Barrett

November 22, 2007: Finish Him!

Be it two Chinese dudes jumping around on bamboo stalks, two French dudes battling up a flight of stairs, or two Mexican dudes in capes and masks drop-kicking one another, everyone loves a good fight. Us included. In fact, you could say we wrote the book on it.

GURPS Martial Arts is your how-to on woo-cha! It expands on the combat rules form the Basic Set, provides loads of stats for real-world styles and weapons, has rules for designing new martial arts - it's a 258-hit combo of pure beat-down bliss.

And it's now a fully searchable document file of the portable variety!
-- Fox Barrett

November 21, 2007: Hey, Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

I sure don't know what the book is about. Which book? Ars Magica: The Mysteries. I mean, yeah, it's probably about Ars Magica stuff. But the rest of the title is such a mystery.

In fact, can you even get more mysterious than the word "mysteries?" I submit that you can not. Well, unless maybe you called the book "I Wrote This And Even I Don't Know What's In It." That'd be pretty mysterious. Or . . . maybe just confusing.

Great, now I'm mystified and confused. Look, I'm just gonna go sit down over here. You click the link, see the book, enjoy yourself.

November 20, 2007: Once Upon A Time . . .

If we didn't like fairy tales, none of us would be here. You'd be off decoupaging or something and this site would have a domain squatter page. It would be boring and dull and I'd be out of a job and we would all hate it. Which is why it's good that we all like fairy tales. Don't we? Good.

So let's go back to those roots of roleplaying. The Faery's Tale Intro Pack is a free rules-lite introduction to Faery's Tale, the roleplaying game of gossamer good-guys.

Oh, and what's this? A Faery's Tale Set of printable miniatures? And look, you could use them with games besides Faery's Tale. How convenient!

November 19, 2007: Anachronism Schmackronism

Nobody cares that Spartans actually wore armor, not leather underpants. Nobody cares that it doesn't make sense for a Egyptian Spaniard to be using a Japanese sword. Nobody cares that Pocahontas was prepubescent when she met John Smith, himself a short, ugly guy.

So why should anyone in the future care that Princess Di was actually more of a humanitarian than a two-fisted, sword-swinging, beauty of the battlefield in the fight against capital "E" Evil? They shouldn't! And neither should you! You should instead buy a copy of Diana: Warrior Princess (and it's companion book, Elvis: The Legendary Tours) and take a look at modern history through the eyes of a future television producer.

November 18, 2007: 600 Tons Of Ship In A 44-Page Bag

Sometimes, a shuttle just won't get it done. A lot of people, or a lot of things, or a lot of things that look kinda like people need to get from Point A to the ever inconveniently located Point B. Until someone decides to drag Point B a little closer to Point A, there's gonna be a call for big ships.

So I'm here to let you in on the ground floor of what's likely to be a huge boom in the Big Honkin' Ship field. That's right, only eight buck-a-roos gets you a 600-Ton Subsidized Liner! It's a great deal, when you consider it'll pay for itself.

. . . just as soon as we figure out that whole cheap, efficient spaceflight thing.

November 17, 2007: Sinister Secrets Suck Semblence Of Serenity From Somewhere

Alliteration and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so I'll spare you silly sentences for the rest of the ad. Yes, you've escaped my primal desire for wordplay. This time.

As long as I have your ear (well, eyes), allow me to direct your attention away from the prospect of killing me and onto a PDF! If you're in the market for a two dollar solution to a problem involving keeping 4 to 6 players amused for levels 1 to 3, then Dungeon Crawl Classics #51.5: Sinister Secret of Whiterock is for you! Go ahead, click the link. If you don't hurry, you might get attacked by another run-on sentence.

November 16, 2007: We Hold These Truths To Be More Or Less Self-Evident

We got taxed, we picked a fight, history books lay out the rest. Or do they? Was there more to the founding of This Great Nation than meets the eye?

Conspiracies are nothing new. Keeping secrets has been en vogue since the first time a caveman decided he would plot with other cavemen to dominate all cavemen. Colonial Gothic takes place significantly after this caveman conspiracy era, so . . . um, I think I sorta lost my train of thought . . .

Anyway, the point is that this book is cool. It's all about horror and the American revolution and powdered wigs. And if powdered wigs aren't scary, I don't know what is.

November 15, 2007: Put Words In Your Mouth

If you're gonna wield the grandiose, unfathomable, primal forces of the cosmos, you should do it with some flair. Some panache. Some style, baby, yeah!

But, since we aren't all blessed by the muses, we aren't all as panache-filled as we'd like. High Psionics: Power Displays might ease your burden a bit when it comes to things psychical.

As for the rest of your repertoire, well . . .

November 14, 2007: The Big Book Of Fighter Distraction

Shiny things. Shiny things by the bushel. By the barrel. By the metric ton. Shiny, happy things as far as the eye can see. Oo, and magical, too!

That's sort of the idea behind Bits of Magicka: Rings and Jewels. Magical, but also look great with that snappy evening wear you picked up for Lord Importantman's ball.

November 13, 2007: A Snack Pack Of Evil

Don't you just hate it when the PCs walk into a creepy room and "you enter a room, and it's pretty creepy" is the only thing that comes to mind? Let writer's block harry you no longer, friends! Halls of Horror is your one-stop shop for devilish details.

Conveniently numbered and sized for index cards, you can print 'em out and cut 'em up and drop them into your GM notes. That way, if all else fails, you can pitch them at uncooperative player's heads. And if that doesn't bring forth the right ambiance of fear that a horror game should have, then I don't know what will.

November 12, 2007: Adventure On 11

Sometimes, bigger really does equal better. While most adventures claim to be epic, few breach the 700 page mark. The Dungeon Crawl Classics line has risen to the challenge, however, and brings forth the most epicest of epics that ever epiced.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #51: Castle Whiterock is a veritable War & Peace of gaming. From castle spires high to dragon lairs low, your tale will be one for the ages.

Well. Provided you survive.

November 11, 2007: A Leech God?

Yeah, you wouldn't think he'd be popular. But, hey, if they were sane, they wouldn't be cultists. Evil cultists, at that.

Not that we should really complain. They give us plenty of people to stabify in adventures like Blood Runs Cold (OSRIC). If they worshiped a deity that it makes sense to worship, like The Hopping Bunny God of Everlasting Joy, you might feel kinda bad after gutting them with your +2 longsword.

Even if only for a second or two.

November 10, 2007: Itsy, Bitsy, Teeny, Ton-Y

Typically, when one thinks of the word "small," one doesn't typically also think of the word "tons." Especially not forty of them. Ah, but size is a relative thing. A 40-Ton Pinnace is small when you stick it next to, say, a dreadnought.

Not that small is bad. It still hauls cargo and people around quite nicely, at a fraction of the operational costs of those hulknormus battle cruisers. Remember: not the size, but how you use it.

November 9, 2007: Just Don't Use The Shower

It's a long drive from Anytown to Podunk. Chances are that at some point you'll need to stop, stretch your legs, and count all that cash you just swiped. But what self-respecting adventurer is just going to pull over and sleep in their car?

You need a place to stay, and you need it on the cheap. Enter, Small Hotel 1900-1940 . Don't pay that creepy house behind the place any mind. I'm sure nobody's mother lives there.

November 8, 2007: Wanted: Better Mice

"I'll get you next time, Gadget! Next tiiiime!"

Oh, sorry. Just practicing. Being a villain isn't easy, y'know. There's not a newsletter you can subscribe to for tips on world domination. Or destruction. Or whatever your particular evil niche might be. No, you have to forge ahead through the lonely, dark wilderness of being megalomaniacal all on your lonesome.

Well, okay, there might a book or two on the subject. Better Mousetrap is such a book. It's a guide to being truly diabolical, to the tune of M&M Superlink. But other than that, it's all about being brooding and lonesome. Helps keep your evil going.

November 7, 2007: Goldenest Anniversary Of Them All

Since 2003, Goodman Games has dedicated itself to providing the gaming world with high-quality adventures. That is to say, adventures wherein talking is optional but battle cries are not. Adventures where stabbing isn't a means to an end, it's a lifestyle. Adventures where men are real men, women are real women, and treasure has more pluses than a . . . thing which has a . . . big . . . string of plus signs in it.

Sorta lost my steam. What were we talking about?

Oh, right, Dungeon Crawl Classics just hit #50. Go check out Dungeon Crawl Classics #50: Vault of the Iron Overlord.
-- Fox Barrett

November 6, 2007: Released November 5, 2007

November 3, 2007: Released November 2, 2007

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