e23 News Archive: December 2008

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December 31, 2008: Designer's Note: GURPS Thaumatology

GURPS Thaumatology is finally out. That's always a nice feeling when it happens with any book, of course, but this one . . . has quite a history. I won't bore anyone with the details -- I think most people who are interested have heard them already -- but words like "jinx" did sometimes come up. Plus, I have 4,658 messages in the book's playtest folder.

Anyway, what is it? It's the Bumper Book of GURPS Magic Systems. Or rather, magic system construction systems. A lot of it is stuff that previously appeared in GURPS Third Edition books or articles -- but integrated, polished, and revised for Fourth Edition. And other parts are brand new. So now, you can (say) work Ogham-alphabet symbol magic, using threshold effects (previously known as "Unlimited Mana") instead of FP costs, and rolling comedy-oriented critical failure effects -- and you only need the one book.

Of course, with this much included, nobody is going to use all of it in a single campaign (I rather hope), although I imagine that a lot of people will use many different bits of it in different games over the years. It'll be interesting to watch.

--Phil Masters

December 30, 2008: The End Is Nigh. Bring Soap And Toilet Paper.

The End came upon us suddenly. A flash of light, a terrible plage, that massive meteor . . . and all those kittens.

But when the smoke cleared, there remained us, the survivors in a land God had turned His back on. A land of dust, of decay, of desolation. And of all those kittens.

Okay, maybe your end-of-the-world game doesn't include a mutant horde of world-eating kittens. But your game should include this excellent Paper Miniatures: Post-Apocalyptic Set. No kittens, but I think you'll appreciate the selection of road warriors.

-- Fox Barrett

December 29, 2008: Seriously. Stop Digging Up Ancient, Unfathomable Evil!

And here I thought tomb raiders had enough trouble with just mummies . . .

So, in Age of Cthulhu: Death in Luxor, the investigators go poking around a big hole in the ground marked "prison for something unspeakably yucky." Naturally, they open it. They do this because they are "investigators" and this would constitute "investigating." They aren't "leave-well-enough-alone-ers" who know to leave well enough alone. I'll give you three guesses what happens when they pop the seal on the darn thing.

Why yes, tentacles are involved. How'd ya know?

-- Fox Barrett

December 28, 2008: Is That Irony?

It's funny. Here I am, trying to think of something enticing and witty to say about Forge of Imagination: Spark of an Idea and I have writer's block! See, the book is 35 pages of advice and tips for adventure building. There's some handy stuff in there, but for the life of me I just . . . can't think of a way to sell it. And now I'm doubly stuck because I can never keep straight in my head what is really irony and what's just coincidence.

I mean, is this like ra-ai-in on my wedding day?

Oh well. I'm sure somethind will come to me for tomorrow's piece.

-- Fox Barrett

December 27, 2008: Set Phasers To Kablooie

When a title like One Thousand and One Science Fiction Weapons comes along, certain expectations arise. If someone opens the book and finds a mere 976 weapons, people get grumpy, rude words are said, and wars are started. Ah, but that isn't the case here, folks. As advertised, this PDF holds within its digi-covers 1,001 stabbers, blasters, bolters, grabbers, stompers, exploders, poisoners, and other implements of discomfort.

But don't take my word for it. (Or "words," I suppose. It's not like I stopped at one.) Take the word of the PDF itself. This thing is just over 450 pages long and costs just under 12 dollars. I may not be any good with math, but I suspect it's fair odds there's something in here you'll like.

I mean, "wrist-rocket launcher?" What's not to like?

-- Fox Barrett

December 26, 2008: Well, At Least Someone's Economy Is Working

If there's one thing that will keep us all warm this holiday season, it's the raging inferno that's blazing out of control upon the twisted remains of our economy. Mmmm . . . toasty. I wouldn't stare directly into the flames, however. That weird twisting in your stomach would be the feeling you get when all your dreams die.

Oh, but, hey! I know what'll cheer us up. Let's simulate our own economy! And it'll work properly and everything. And maybe, just maybe, it won't collapse in on itself. Grain into Gold will get you started with all kinds of helpful advice, charts, formulas, anecdotes, examples, and . . . just stuff. Really, it's packed with fascinating tidbits of medieval life. From the poor farmer making bread to the filthy noble chowing down on it, this is your A to Z of ye olde economye.

Best of all, it does it without being boring, too. Anyone can write a spreadsheet. This thing has bona fide pizazz. (And that's got to be the only time I've used the word "pizazz" in earnest.)

-- Fox Barrett

December 25, 2008: Designer's Note: GURPS Powers

Kromm here. So, you don't have GURPS Powers yet? Here's what you're missing:

My chapters examine the 135 pages of advantages and modifiers in Characters , and spell out what you can do with all those rules. The core innovation is simple: group together advantages, modify them a little, and explain them in terms of a power source (e.g., "magic" or "psi"). Unlike spells, which are arbitrary, or Third Edition psi, which used special advantages that were out of whack with ordinary ones, the resulting powers are balanced – because they're still standard advantages! The devil is in the details, and I deliver 146 pages of those, both explanations and examples.

Phil Masters ought to speak for his chapters, but they're definitely worth the price of admission. They do something that Campaigns should have done but didn't: Explain how to incorporate balanced superhuman gifts into genres that have them.

Hope that helps!

-Sean "Kromm" Punch

December 24, 2008: Not Quite What I Was Hoping

But then, when I saw the words Character Foundry, I was hoping we were talking about a large pool of molten lava I could dump my players' characters into. They want to stab the duke before he finishes talking? That's fine. I'll just throw them into molten lava. That'll learn 'em.

I am getting sidetracked, however! Character Foundry is something far less morbid. Indeed, it's a creative tool to help the GM who's gotten a little tired of having all his town sheriffs be clones of one another. (Unless that's the point of your game, in which case I want to be in your games.) It's mostly geared toward fantasy games, but it can still serve as a cattle prod for your creativity if your adventures are of the "zipping through space" or "shooting at terrorists" variety.

Now that I think about it, it might not be a bad idea to drop this thing in front of some players as well. "Joey Strongarms the 15th" isn't precisely what you'd call the most nuanced character I've ever thrown adventures at.

-- Fox Barrett

December 23, 2008: Stwike Him, Centuwion, Vewy Woughly!

Sorry. Whenever the opportunity to quote Monty Python comes along, the nerd gene just kicks in. I'm sure you guys understand.

Paths to Prestige: Centurion is another little D&D quickie that opens up some options for you character. Sure, it's only six pages, but it's also less than two bucks! Think of it as a candy bar on the way through checkout, only this won't rot your teeth.

In fact, I pwomise that you and your fwends will enjoy weeding this powortable docwument fwile! Thorrwy. I couldn't rethift.

-- Fox Barrett

December 22, 2008: Because He's Much Older Than Me, Y'see

When I opened up Critter Cache: Prehistoric Beasts, I was pleasently surprised by what I found. There's quite a wide selection of old fossils in there. Oh look, they even have an entry for Steve!

Hah-hah-hah! Hah hah . . . hah.

I'm so fired.

-- Fox Barrett

December 21, 2008: The "Aaaagh, It Burns!" Set

And so, Cardboard Heroes: Fantasy Set 13 - Dragons brings our 13-week-long journey through a decidedly cardboard-based memory lane to a close. This is the last of the fantasy Cardboard Heroes, and I certainly can't think of a better capper than a great, big, honkin' dragon.

So where to now? Well, I think the more pressing question here is "what are we going to do about this dragon, first?"

-- Fox Barrett

December 20, 2008: The One, The Only . . .

Ogre Scenario Book 1!

. . . Okay, okay, so the "1" turned out to be a little superfluous. We still like the little guy. He has gumption and spirit. And a robotic buddy the size of a building with guns you could throw a party inside of. Not the sort of person you say "no" to.

If you look at it another way, perhaps it isn't so much "one" as "first." As in, the "first" of the out-of-print Ogre products to make it onto e23. (Ogre Miniatures doesn't count. This stuff is more Ogre/GEV than OM. But I suppose if you were to mix the two, we wouldn't tell on you.)

-- Fox Barrett

December 19, 2008: It's A Bird! It's A Plane!

It's . . . probably the lamest joke I could possibly fall back on. And Pyramid deserves better than that. (If only because Steven Marsh knows where I live and is both able and eager to hurt me.)

So let's toss that ancient supermeme and get down to Tacks of Brassness. Pyramid #3/2: Looks Like a Job for . . . Superheroes is now available for purchase at e23s everywhere! What's inside? Words, mostly. But, when read in sequence, the words impart advice, ideas, and all manner of spandex-fuled superheroy. And maybe even a little super villainy.

Point is, the book is super. Thanks for asking!

-- Fox Barrett

December 18, 2008: Pismo Beach, Anyone?

One does have to question just what the heck is going through the heads of adventurers. They never go anywhere nice. I guarantee you that if you were to hand a group of big, burly, sword-swinging types a map that showed the locations of "The Candy House Of Yummy Fun-Time Jamborees" and "The Horrifying Pit of Being Kicked In Head By Ogres," they would be stomping off to the Pit faster than you could say "wait, did anyone buy iron rations?"

The silver lining here is that if you buy Lands of Darkness #3: Woods of Woe that your money will not go to waste. The heroes will fall over themselves trying to get there. The more horrible, the better, and this place has both "darkness" and "woe."

Still. You may want to reconsider hanging out with these people. I don't care how hearty a band they are, there's a certain point where you should probably count yourself lucky for having survived the fight with the dracolith/mind flayer/demon chimera that can shift outside of linear time and just go buy a nice house with your share of the loot. There's no shame in settling down. There is shame in being held upside-down by a ent while kobolds punch you in the groin. Trust me.

-- Fox Barrett

December 17, 2008: But . . . Where'd They Get The Cash?

Do-Gooders & Daredevils: Good I$ Capitali$m is a cool book, really solves the "where did he get those wonderful toys" question quite nicely. But I have to wonder where superheroes get the cash to pay for all this stuff.

Sure, there's your occasional Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. However, most caped vigilanties are the type who say things like "No need to thank me, citizen! Just doing my duty. Now I must leave you, because somewhere a crime is happening. Away!" And woosh, they're off before any money can change hands. Which, come to think of it, seems particularly short-sighted. Sure, you may be a nice guy, but you still gotta eat. And if this book is any indication, you have some really cool threads to buy (and rebuy after a particularly embarrassing encounter with Giant Moth Guy).

Oh! There's more than just toys in here. There's organizations, too. Well, maybe you could use your Super Schmooze to pony up the dough for that new utility belt. (Your old one does smell just a little bit too much like what was left of your last sidekick when Way-Too-Many-Muscles Man finished with him . . .)

-- Fox Barrett

December 16, 2008: A Sure Sign I'm Losing My Edge

They may be Mini-Games, but I ask you not to think little of them. Making a game is no small task. So don't sell these great games short . . . Okay, I'm out of synonyms for "mini." I'll stop now.

But I will tell you about the latest releases from Bad Baby Productions! It's a duet of a butt-kicking this month, with the first boot being Warriors of the Four Circles, Set 2, Mini-Game #7.The other item in my footwear metaphor is Zero-G, Set 2, Mini-Game #7. Together, they form an unstoppable duo that inflicts soreness to butts everywhere!

I think I need to work on that metaphor . . .

-- Fox Barrett

December 15, 2008: I Had To Look Up "Shako"

Turns out it's those big honkin' hats army people wore. How educational!

What am I blathering about? Why, Song of Drums and Shakos, of course. It's a wargame about the time when Napoleon roamed the earth and towered over his enemies (insofar as a very short Frenchman can). It's skirmish level, quick-n-easy to play, and best of all . . . features very, very big hats.

Just remember: any plan where you lose your hat is a bad plan.

-- Fox Barrett

December 14, 2008: The Home Stretch

For quite a while now, we've been offering up one of the old Cardboard Heroes set a week. Indeed, this week brings us to Cardboard Heroes: Fantasy Set 12 - Japanese Characters. If that seems like a lot, it should. We're nearly through the entire fantasy set of Cardboard Heroes.

So what will the future bring? More sets? Or is this the end of our heroes? (I've always wanted to say that.)

I could tell you. But where'd be the fun in that?

-- Fox Barrett

December 13, 2008: Transpositional Greatness

GURPS Classic: Martial Arts is a good book. In fact, it's a great book. There's lots of good stuff in there, really.

. . . But I can't help but feel that it's one letter away from true greatness. Oh, the difference a misplaced "i" could make to that title.

Oh well. To dare, to dream.

-- Fox Barrett

December 12, 2008: Easy As 1-2-3

Any time we have a GURPS release, I have to write something here. Because we've had such a steady stream of releases, it's getting harder to know what to say. Coming up with these little ads isn't easy. Doesn't mean I won't give it my best, though! Excruciating though it may be, I ask that you bear with me while I draw your attention to the latest book.

Feast your eyes on GURPS Alphabet Arcane! GURPS lends itself well to random bundles of useful stuff. Herein shall you find exactly that! It's written with a fantasy setting in mind, but the descriptions are quite generic. Just plug them into whatever your home setting is and go. "Keen?" Listen, friend, these are better than just "keen." Might even say they "super-fantastic."

Now I know what you're thinking. "Oh, really? Please, tell me what's so great about it." Quite understandable. Right, then. Should I start with the lich stuck inside a stuffed mouse? That's a good one.  Unless you're more inclined to hear about the vest that makes yurts? Very chic, very practical. Well, you should really take a look for yourself. Xenophobia might develop if you hang around me too long. You'll like the book, though. Zenith of GURPS writing, it is.

-- Fox Barrett

December 11, 2008: Pulp Pulps

A "pulp" is a magazine made of cheap paper featuring fantastical stories.

This Paper Miniatures: Pulp III set of miniatures is a cheap PDF for printing out fantastic characters on paper.

Symmetry. It's nice, isn't it?

-- Fox Barrett

December 10, 2008: Oh, The Savagery!

I appreciate a good pun as much as the next man. Sure, the next man usually has an axe and is chasing me down the hall, but I just assume he doesn't have as keen an appreciation for wordplay a I do. Or maybe his blood sugar is low. Either way.

So I like a book with the guts to title itself (Savaged) Quick Quests: Eggscellent Opportunity. I'm not entirely sure what the adventure is about (I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess eggs), but I don't think I really care. "Eggscellent." Heh heh heh. Beautiful. More games should feature this sort of yolking around.

Ow! Don't hit! Ow!

-- Fox Barrett

December 9, 2008: And On Your Left, A Gug

Please keep all limbs inside the vehicle at all times. Please be aware that the unstable nature of the tour may result in the outside of the bus becoming the inside of the bus. In the surprisingly likely event of a water landing, use one of your traveling companions as a flotation device. If you begin to feel nauseated, dizzy, disoriented, hysterical, depressed, manic, manic-depressed, depressed-manic, or otherwise loopy, please remain calm. These feelings are perfectly normal during the trip and will pass just as soon as you find a gun and end it once and for all.

Tour de Lovecraft: The Tales is a delightful (and only marginally insane) little romp through the head of one of America's all-time greats of the horror genre. In the driver's seat is none other than horror aficionado and all-around scary dude Ken Hite. In fact, one way to look at this book is to say it's Ken Hite writing about H. P. Lovecraft for 130 pages. And it costs seven-and-a-half bucks.

You'd have to be crazy not to buy it.

-- Fox Barrett

December 8, 2008: How Many Player Characters?

More player characters.

Specifically, Cardboard Heroes: Fantasy Set 11 - More Player Characters.

. . . No, I'm not running out of things to say about all these Cardboard Heroes releases. Why do you ask?

-- Fox Barrett

December 7, 2008: Adventure! Peril! Excitement!

Exciting, perilous adventures! Two-fists! Square jaws! Exclamation points!

GURPS Classic: Cliffhangers! Cliches aren't your enemy here. They're your friend. Revel in them. Put the fedora on, swing across that open chasm, and punch out that mad scientist before he unleashes his army of robot apes "that will kill you all, ah-hah hah hah hah!" It's pulp, it's silly, and it's just the sort of thing your game needs if you just spent the last four months running a game of GURPS Renaissance Painters Discuss Philosophy.

And even if you have been running exciting games, consider this: a pulp game is a lot like running a dungeon crawl. Only with guns, flashlights, radios, and comfortable shoes. And, of course, fedoras. If they don't tip the scale, brother, I don't know what will.

-- Fox Barrett

December 6, 2008: I See Dead People

Everywhere. On the street, in the library, at home. Abydos is lousy with 'em. It's like you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a dead cat! Which I wouldn't recommend, since both the dead cats probably belong to some massively powerful necromancer who might have a use for your body, but not for you. Best not to anger him by treating his cats as measuring sticks for the zombie population density.

From the delightfully twisted mind of a one David Pulver comes GURPS Banestorm: Abydos. Usually, shambling, soulless hordes exist only to be turned by the cleric as you make your way through The Dungeon of Intolerable Smells and Sticky Floors. Here, however, the Abydonians have found a use for the recently departed. And not the not-so-recently departed. And the really-wish-they-were-departed-but-are-only-mostly-departed departed.

Basically, I'm saying that it'll freak your players right the heck out. Which is exactly how it should be, isn't it?

-- Fox Barrett

December 5, 2008: More Than The Sum Of Their Special Attacks

Yes, Hero's Handbook: Dragonborn does feats and powers and all sorts of crunchy game mechanics for our pointy-headed friends. There are tables and monsters, magic items and paragon paths, and all the things to satisfy the munchkin in us all. But that's not the point!

No, friends. This book is much more than that! Goodman Games didn't put Good right there in the name because it's catchy. They know a good book, and a good book is well rounded. This one, for example, is loaded with all kinds of neat fluff about dragonborn. In addition to the crunchy bits, there's all kinds of neat details you can use to round out your dragonborn character. Make him something more than just "that fire-breathing guy up front with the shield."

It's your guide to a kinder, gentler sort of fire-breather, if you will.

-- Fox Barrett

December 4, 2008: Not About A Car, Oddly

Kinda disappointed, too. I was really kind of hoping that Dungeon Crawl Classics #56: Scions of Punjar would be about orc hordes on a carjacking spree. Maybe the orc leader had a dark and nefarious ritual to perform and he could only summon Pooptros, Fell Demon Prince of the Unpleasant Lands by collecting lots of trendy cars for the demon to feast upon. Or maybe they wanted to blacken the skies with car exhaust in some ill-thought-out attempt to be stealthy. Or maybe they run secret midnight orc street races, where drifters are king, and if you aren't out of control, you're not in control.

But no, it's nothing like that. It's about zombies and skeletons, mostly. Which is good too, really. Zombies fall down so nicely. Heck, you don't even need a sword, you can just push 'em right the heck over. Plop.

Still. I like my crazy orc carjacker idea.

-- Fox Barrett

December 3, 2008: Love, Fickle

My dear Internet Land. I love you. I know I don't always say so, but you're very special, and very important to me. I do, at times, take you for granted and forget just how much I need you.

Well, I intend to correct that for today, at least. Today, I bring you offerings of Tile Designer: Caverns Pack #1. It's a neat little PDF that lets you build, well, caverns. You print out what you need, skip what you don't. It's meant to be used with Cavern Tile Designer, but you can certainly use it without that parent product. So here, partake, enjoy.

Hm? "Money?" Well, yeah. I'm not giving it to you for free. I don't love you that much.

-- Fox Barrett

December 2, 2008: My Inept Advertising At Work

I, along with the rest of the SJ Games staff, have returned from dark and moist Eating Dens of the Turkey Day festival! What'd I bring with me? You mean besides indigestion and a sense of self-loathing that will only be abated by the coming Christmas holiday (and its subsequent re-feasting)?

Critter Encounters: Bugged Out, that's what!

. . . However, upon reflection, combining food and insects may not have been the wisest move as an agent of advertising. My apologies.

-- Fox Barrett

December 1, 2008: Random And Esoteric?

Why, the only thing that could make this situation any better is if it were a "creature generator," too.

What's that? It's a Random Esoteric Creature Generator? Wow! This is the best day ever!

Thank you, Goodman Games. Before, I had no (die roll) gargantuan (die roll) tunneling (die roll) dolphins that (die roll) eat metal in my campaign. But you better believe I will now. Mua-huh, mua-hah, muah-hah-hah-hah-haaaaaah!

-- Fox Barrett

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